From beneath floorboards, behind counters and within drawers, nanites sprang. They encircled Frost's body in a split-second, forming a nigh impenetrable barrier.

Frost whispered as she gazed at the hexagonal prism around herself. "Neat."

Matrioshka pinged her with a communication interface. Frost accepted.

The crew appeared in the virtual, around the brown-haired woman.

Matrioshka spoke first: "Explain."

"Aye aye, captain!" Frost said, and took another hit of her cigar. "I didn't know this shit was going to get so complicated. The job was: get the thief… not meddle in the business of the Subdirectory of Sanctuary…"

Rhea scoffed. "Right. And you are in fact a kind person; you would never harm a pre-FTL civilization."

"Spot on," said Frost. "I’m out. Not interested."

"You want to change sides?" asked PesKal.

Frost nodded. "Sure. If that will make you help me."

"Shkadov and Reaver? Where are they?" asked Matrioshka.

"You took out the engines of the Wonder. Excellent gambit, I must admit, detonating the weapon," smiled Frost. "We landed down in the sea." Frost forwarded the location of the Fifth Wonder and added: "The ship was there last I checked."

"What's with the body?" asked Damien, pointing to the missing ears and scars on the Miriani Frost's neck.

"Can't speak their language. They avoid me when I look like this."

Matrioshka considered the woman. There were only two conditions that would allow her to accept Frost as an ally. Firstly, information:

"What are their next steps?"

Frost inhaled. "Might have to disappoint you on that front. All I know is Reaver has been working double time on the Presses. Trying to fix the ship. And printing more nanites."

Frost offered a virtual image of the Fifth Wonder. It was underwater, some 700 meters below the ocean's surface. Fish avoided the black metal structure, as 12 Atomic Presses hummed and shined in the darkness.

"Reaver thinks they have a way in with the two of you." Frost pointed at Damien and Rhea. "They did something to you while we had you on the Wonder."

Rhea's eyes widened. "They truly have root-primary access?"

"Yup," nodded Frost. "That and more. I should also add they have multiple missions here."

"Why do you think so?" asked Makoe.

"They spoke of multiple rewards, ergo, multiple contracts. One is from Akira-Hope and one is from Coriolis Enterprises."

Makoe took a step back; Matrioshka saw her partition spike with activity. Damien's did as well.

"Coriolis? Really?" he asked.

Frost nodded, then smiled when Damien looked stricken. "Why the reaction?"

Damien swallowed. "My mother is the CEO of Coriolis Enterprises. I work there."

Makoe paced: "Why? Why would she send mercenaries after you?"

"That, only she knows," Damien gritted his teeth. "I can't seem to be free of her. Ever since my wife left, she has been incessant in bugging me to work more…"

Makoe's brow furrowed. "You had a partner? Since when?"

"We were together for 70 years. She left me 15 years ago."

"I don't remember that," added Makoe.

"Why would you remember that?"

Everyone was silent; they watched the conversation between the two and Matrioshka had to fight the urge to summon popcorn. Even Frost seemed invested.

Makoe's gaze turned pensive. "Did your mother ever tell you how she got lost during a Set-jump? This was back when she was the lead on set-drive development at Coriolis…"

"No." Damien's eyes widened.

"Well, she did. And when she got un-lost, I was created. Tada! I am your mother's clone!" Makoe spun in place.

Damien blinked. "What in the Imperator's name? You must be joking…"

The tension was broken by Frost, biting on a mouthful of popcorn.

"What?" Frost asked, when everyone looked at her.

Matrioshka shook her head, and Makoe said to Damien: "No jokes. Look, I want to say that I am sorry. I have been less than kind to you when you were growing up."

Damien lifted his hand and massaged his temple. "Firstly, you are not her. So, the apologies don't mean anything. Secondly, pardon me for repeating myself, but what in the Imperator's name!? Why are you here?"

"Wanted to connect." Makoe did the best she could to appear carefree; Matrioshka shared a lattice with her and saw cleanly through the attempt. Makoe was terrified.

Damien searched the smaller woman's eyes, then nodded. "Fine. Might as well connect. This mission can't get much weirder…"

"Ah!" Frost swallowed the popcorn. "I think it can!" She turned to Matrioshka. "Your brother might also join your side."

"Doubtful," Matrioshka said flatly.

Frost shook her head. "What you said to him back on the purple moon has shaken him. He is off his game, and Reaver is not helping with the mutiny…"

"Reaver is in charge?" asked Matrioshka, eyes widening.

"Yup. I managed to escape by blowing one of the set-drive cores we stole from your ship."

Matrioshka blinked down at Frost, meeting her gaze. Frost took a step forward, close to Matrioshka, and looked up at her. "I like your eyes," Frost said.

Now for the second condition:

"Enslavement bond," said Matrioshka.

Rhea chuckled: "Again? Her too?"

A calm smirk appeared on Frost's lips. "Mhmmm. Sure," she said, and extended an inviting connection towards Matrioshka.

She accepted it and pushed the bond between the two of them. Frost installed it, and just like that, another mind was bound to Matrioshka.

"I am going to explore your mind. This might be uncomfortable. Try not to think too much."

The green shark on the side of Frost's head lit up, closing its mouth in a quick bite. "Be my guest, not the first time someone explored me."

"Ugh…" groaned Rhea.

Matrioshka extended her attention into Frost's mind, diving into her mental structure. Frost's mind was ordered, unexpectedly so. Matrioshka tugged at the strings of memories incorporating the abstraction of Frost's self. A large many-dimensional sphere. Judging by the size, Frost was Matrioshka's peer; they were close to the same age.

The matrix of consciousness can be thought of as a platonic solid in higher dimensions. Purely described by the count of its sides and faces. Frost's mind danced in her lattice, and Matrioshka went to confirm all Frost had said.

Matrioshka travelled back to the moment on Jane's World, after she exchanged harsh words with Shkadov. Cloaking herself in Frost's perspective, she saw Shkadov materialize on the narrow bridge of the Fifth Wonder.

He threw his aviators at the wall. They shattered and reformed on his head. Frost was leaning on the wall and quirked an eyebrow at him.

Frost was surprised at the outburst, the first time she had seen him emotional.

"Family reunion didn't go smoothly?" she asked.

"No," supplied Shkadov.

Frost grinned. "Sol, eh?"

"Don't start," warned Shkadov.

"Dude, you didn't tell me we were both Sol-born. I would have cut the sass."

Shkadov looked tired. "I sincerely doubt that. Go check on Reaver; they should be done with the memory insertion."

"Aye cap'." Frost saluted and moved her attention to Reaver. They were in their room - empty and white. Reaver's elegant body floated in the middle, concentric spheres of white and blue expanded and contracted around their mind.

Frost whistled. "Nice visuals."

Reaver smirked. "Not technically necessary, but they keep me anchored. Memory engineering is always difficult; pair it with what I'm adding to them – well... Best you let me be."

"Right. Shkadov just wanted a status update."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Reaver sighed. "It is done when it is done."

Frost rolled her eyes and sent the quote directly to Shkadov. He returned a confirmation ping but said nothing else. Frost left the space and moved across the ship, towards the stern and one of the sensors.

She looked down at Jane's World, and at the Sliver of the Sun docked to their ship. The King glowed in the sky, yellow in its entirety.

Frost was excited.

Fuck me, I should have become a mercenary centuries ago.

She went to check on the nukes when a small irregularity in the ship's vibrations caught her attention. Something was moving across the ship, trying its best to mimic the resonant frequencies of the Fifth Wonder.

Frost zipped to the source of the disturbance and saw an Ankrahi.

It was the same one that evaded capture back on the moon. They were male? Frost referenced the data packs of the Fifth Wonder – and confirmed the creature's race and gender. They were also anxious, using their nanite body to circumvent the data system of the Wonder.

They approached the ship's data nexus, a small device near the ship's core; it channelled and filtered the quantum data which suffused the craft.

Frost went to reach out, to grab the foreign creature.

Her hand stilled. She watched the Ankrahi.

Pulling her arm back, Frost grinned.

How fun.

Matrioshka moved forward, up to the moment where the Fifth Wonder attacked, after they just left Prudence.

Frost was looking at the Miriani city, torn asunder by the light of its suns.

Their ship had reached the planet half an hour after the Sliver, but they stood inert and cloaked, studying the planet.

"Fuck," Shkadov cursed on the bridge.

Both Reaver and Frost looked to him.

"Captain?" asked Reaver.

"This just got too fucking complicated…"

"The aliens?" asked Reaver. "I fail to see how this changes anything."

Frost chuckled. "Mate... These are aliens." She pointed down at the planet.

"Confirmed. Relevance?"

Frost and Shkadov exchanged a glance.

Shkadov asked: "You are aware of the punishment for breaking the Sanctuary laws?"

Reaver smiled: "We are sanctioned by Akira-Hope and Coriolis Enterprises, jointly; these two entities control 18.746% of the Imperium's production. Trillions depend upon our patrons for everything from lattice maintenance to terraforming. We have operational range to ignore the Sanctuary law."

"And you think this range allows us to disrupt a pre-FTL race?"

"They seem quite dead to me." Reaver smiled, slowly and wickedly. "Let's ask an expert."

Frost watched, and Matrioshka through her memories, as Reaver booted up a mind.

In the virtual, on the bridge of the Fifth Wonder, MAR appeared. The being was an artificial intelligence which controlled Purpefront station on Jane's World. Matrioshka had decided to let him be; Reaver did the opposite.

"Hello? Where am I?" MAR asked; they were short, Frost thought. Shaped like a cross between a teddy bear and an elongated cat. They looked around weakly, their Miriani ears quivering.

Shkadov rose slowly from his captain's seat. "Reaver…?"

Reaver looked to their captain.

"Is this creature equipped with a Vector Cage?"

Reaver shook their head. "Used to be. I removed it."

Shkadov's eyes widened. "You created a mind? An alien mind… Without considering…" Matrioshka saw Shkadov turn speechless, and she couldn't help but smile.

"I have liberated him. Now please, MAR, analyse what you see and tell me your conclusions."

"What?" MAR turned towards Reaver. "What are you? Where am I?" MAR's eyes flickered across the ship, lost and scared.

Frost went to approach the creature and was starting to prepare a Miriani body – to ease MAR's emotions.

Instead, Reaver took hold of the young mind with an Enslavement Bond and forced its attention towards the planet. "Obey," they whispered.

MAR's ears vibrated, and Frost saw them turn mute. MAR tried to speak, yet they could not. Reaver rolled their eyes. "I know what this is. Genetic reaction to stress. I will remove it."

Reaver went into MAR's mind and changed its structure.

Frost saw MAR twitch and spasm, falling to the floor in agony at the sudden invasion.

"Reaver!" yelled Frost.

Reaver looked at her, then turned confused. "What is the matter?"

"You are hurting it!"

Reaver scoffed. "Fine. I will remove the memory of the pain, even better, remove pain simulation entirely."

MAR was rising to their feet, but the restarted mental assault brought them back down.

After a moment, MAR bolted to their feet. No hint of discomfort.

"There," said Reaver. "Painless existence. Now do as you've been told."

MAR clasped their hands and faced Prudence. Frost saw them use the ship's scanners to survey the world. Not long after, MAR spoke: "Extinction of the Miriani race."

Reaver nodded. "Total?"

MAR turned in place and faced Reaver. There was a stony rigidness to its movements as it spoke: "No living Miriani remain in the universe."

Shkadov sighed. "Noted. Then we wait for them to fly and intercept them; ready the nukes."

Frost's attention flickered to the small Ankrahi and Shkadov's sister. Did he really plan to nuke her?

"There is an alternative…" Frost said. "Lasers, and Morse code."

She let them connect the two independently.

Shkadov nodded. "Worth a try. By now though, they should have reinstalled."

Some moments later, Frost was looking down at the crew of the Sliver, matching their movement across the ravaged city. Something spooked them, Frost thought, as they jumped to their ship and took off as fast as possible.

"Get ready," Frost announced.

And the Fifth Wonder was already in position. She took aim as the Sliver breached the atmosphere and entered space, before they could start their Cloak Frame. She fired, aiming at their set drive.

The shot connected, crippling the ship. Frost grinned; it was her idea to steal the Set-cores back on Jane's World. She moved into the laser and fired at the Sliver, commanding them to give up their precious vessel.

Shkadov had entered a private conversation with his sister; Frost watched as his body grew as tense as a strained cable.

The Sliver's set drive was sturdier than expected, and the craft was able to jump away. Frustrated, Reaver yelled on the bridge:

"What was that!?"

"Clarity," supplied Shkadov, "My sister tells me you plan on killing everyone aboard the Sliver."

"And?" Reaver turned confused once more. "They have backups."

Shkadov massaged his temple. "Concurrency of memories means nothing to you?"

Reaver answered: "It is irrelevant. Memories can be fabricated. Also, I am starting to suspect your judgment might be severely compromised."

"My judgment?" asked Shkadov, raising his voice.

Frost rolled her eyes and isolated herself from the bridge; she watched the world below her – home to the remnants and relics of a dead civilization.

No longer a game, Frost concluded; I must do something.

It wouldn't be long until she got an opportunity. Matrioshka jumped forward to the time the Fifth Wonder finally managed to destroy the Sliver and maroon the crew on Rosamond's World.

The Wonder had discovered the Miriani lived some 18 hours before the Sliver and were hiding in the moon's shadow, watching the Sliver approach from behind Oliver's World.

Frost waited, and once the Wonder was close enough, she aimed at the Sliver's engines. To peacefully force a surrender.

Reaver spoke up then, turning to Shkadov.

"Nuke. Clean and simple. Their lattices will survive, and we will pick them off one by one."

Shkadov said simply: "No."

Reaver's eyes widened. "Why not!?"

Shkadov didn't take his eyes off the Sliver as he said: "The aliens live. If we disturb them, the Imperator will kill us."

Frost was surprised, taking note of the tone of Shkadov's voice; she asked: "You know the Imperator?"

Shkadov nodded and asked: "You have solid aim?"

Frost grunted. "Aimed right at their engines."

"Fire at will," Shkadov said.

MAR appeared behind Frost and jumped on her back. The Miriani was smaller, yet much more ferocious than anticipated, grabbing hold of Frost's attention; the creature impaled her with cognitive blades. Frost worked to untangle herself as pinpricks of pain suffused her mind.

Reaver used the opportunity to detach an anti-matter nuke and send it towards the Sliver. It detonated, blooming into a dazzling blue sphere. The Fifth Wonder was knocked back, and Shkadov fought to keep the ship under control.

"Are you insane!?" asked Shkadov, teleporting into Reaver's face. He gave them a slap. "You're off this mission."

Frost barely managed to fight MAR off; the feral look in the Miriani's face vanished, and they appeared calm once more. They lunged at Shkadov now, and Frost teleported between them – intercepting the attack.

She struggled again against the young mind. Frost summoned a spear and drove it through the Miriani. MAR was unfazed.

Shkadov turned and watched the struggle on the floor.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Reaver chuckled. "You are relieved of duty, captain." With a motion of his fingers, Reaver took control of the ship; he moved towards the falling lattices of the Sliver's crew and attempted to abduct one of them.

Shkadov wrestled with the control; his eyes widened at the realization: "You have root-primary access."

Reaver nodded.

Frost and Shkadov exchanged glances; they both had to act fast, and both knew it.

Frost moved her attention to the cargo hold; it stood just above their lattices. One of the stolen set-cores was stationed above her own lattice. If detonated, the blast would send her lattice downwards, to Rosamond's World.

She took control of the core-

And was paused by Reaver.

They appeared before her and grabbed her by the face. "Miss Frost. Lira dear, please do not try anything naughty."

"What will you do to me?"

"Mend your memories to my liking, then release you to do my bidding. We shall-"

An explosion provided an opportunity; it was directed at the Fifth Wonder by one of the falling debris from the Sliver. The ship rocked backwards, and Frost used the moment to introduce a disturbance in the set-core.

The core used gravitational and Locutemplar energy to bend reality. If a foreign flavour of power was introduced, the results were energetic.

As kinetic energy entered the core, the device flung its shell outwards, pushing through the floor and launching Frost's lattice at great speed.

Frost fell through the sky, bringing with herself a small number of nanites - to shield her mind from the fires of re-entry.

She looked up and saw the Fifth Wonder begin its controlled landing.

Well, as controlled as it can be without its engines and with a hole in its cargo bay.

Frost fell into the cool sea of Rosamond's World. She watched the strange creatures swim and evade her lattice. They were elegant, slick, perfect for aquatic life.

The Fifth Wonder followed suit, gliding into the depths. Now that she was far enough from the ship, she had the advantage when it came to personal data-manipulation. She disconnected herself from the ship - so that Reaver could not influence her.

On the ocean's floor, Frost formed a crustacean body and scurried away from the ship – towards the closest island, one which housed the 11th Kingdom, and Frost's only hope of leaving this moon alive.

Matrioshka went back, much farther. She saw Frost enter a bar on a small moon in the central Imperium. This was some 8 years ago, just around the time when the Sliver took off towards the Empire system. Frost surveyed the room, finding several shady individuals, and grinned.

A man immediately to her right had long blond hair and a pair of hexagonal glasses; he wore a top-hat, and his body was made of industrial-grade nanites. Tough, strong, and slow. But perfect for moving illegally unlocked lattices. Frost saw him scan her and determine she was a problem.

Frost had expected this; she knew of the man's name – Levy. This fuck tried to hack the control point for the town, to obscure his black-market trade. He would have been a god briefly, able to control all the minds within.

She evaded forward as he lunged, launching a small circular device she had hidden within herself. Levy exhaled when the device connected, disabling his nanites. He stood frozen, unable to move his attention elsewhere.

Frost grinned and robbed the man blind.

The other patrons of the bar promptly looked away.

Another woman in the bar grinned at Frost and gave her a thumbs up.

Levy had an antique, the hat. It was a true Terran import – more than one thousand years of age.

Looking back further, Matrioshka learned of the essence of Frost's being. This was a woman bored out of her goddamn mind. Once, long ago, she was a spy for the United Inner Worlds – highly effective during the Reconstruction Wars.

After the peace deal and the dawn of the Imperium, the lives of humanity stabilized. Rare were life and death situations.

Unfortunately for Frost, excitement was replaced by utter boredom. She did not follow most of humanity into their simulated worlds. Games were for those she deemed lesser.

Frost was special; she needed real stakes.

Crime was the answer.

Frost would try to take jobs that helped at least someone. A mission on the borders of colonized space – trying to extort a small company which threatened to cut lattice maintenance. A quick stint under the clouds of Atlas, trying to find a missing daughter and robbing a drug lord in the process.

This mission was an anomaly. Shkadov had approached her in a quiet server on Qestelle and said he wished to find his long-lost sister – no promise of payment, no secondary path to profit. Frost decided it was high time for a pro-bono case and said yes.

Matrioshka blinked. Frost was telling the truth. Shkadov really wants a second chance.

Frost accepted, hoping for an adventure outside of Imperial space.

Matrioshka returned to the present; during her time in Frost's mind, Frost had managed to approach further. She stood an inch away from her, gazing up.

At some point, Matrioshka's hand cupped Frost's cheek.

"Did you have a nice trip?" asked Frost, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Matrioshka cleared her throat. "We can trust her."

"Just like that?" asked Rhea, her gaze moving between Frost and Matrioshka.

Makoe too was looking at how close Frost was to her captain.

Emotions. The bane and boon of everyone's existence. This could get messy, Matrioshka thought. She had never been a center of so much romantic attention in her life.

Is it bad that I'm loving it?

Damien chuckled: "You might want to tell her about the sentient stars."

Frost's gaze finally left Matrioshka's face; she looked to Damien and asked:

"...the what?"