My pounding heart ripped me out of my “dream.” I raised my hand to my face to verify that I was me again. Just the fact that I had a hand to lift confirmed it.
My blue room didn’t glow as brightly as it had when I’d been sleeping. I guessed it changed depending on the time? I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone. When I turned it on, I saw that it was about three in the morning. I was used to waking up at around that time due to nightmares. Only, that hadn’t been a nightmare. It had been something I had to talk to Exo about.
Now.
I wiped the sweat from my face as I rose out of bed. My back and shoulders hurt as if someone had taken a hammer to them while I’d been sleeping. Did the AI not know that metal was uncomfortable to sleep on? They knew what sleep was!
I reattached my arm, and stepped into my space suit. Rubbing the grogginess from my eyes, I stepped out of the room. I passed by my friends’ rooms as I wandered toward the elevator. Their names were now digitally written on screens on their doors. Now I knew which rooms belonged to whom. If only I’d remembered to do that too. Finding my room when I came back was going to be so much fun.
Our living quarters were on the sixth floor, but which floor did Exo live on? I could use the communication tech in my suit to call and ask him. That would imply that I wanted to be on the phone with an AI, which was false. I was wondering which floor he could be on when I spotted something useful near the elevator.
Two Teras were floating on either side of the elevator. Teras were the slim purple AI who wore cloaks to hide their thin bodies. They weren’t meant for combat like all the other AI. They were meant for analysis and advising. They resembled the “intellectual” part of their name more than they did the “aggressive” part. They were also annoying and chatty, which was why I hated them.
“What the heck are you guys doing here?” I asked.
The one on the left set her orange gaze upon me. “Hello to you as well, Alpha. I see that you still lack manners. It’s fine, most of you humans do. We saw your meeting with General Peta and Lord Exo through the Knowledge Stream.”
“Quit babbling and answer my question. What are you guys supposed to be, chaperones?”
“Hardly. Lord Exo has tasked us with watching over you humans for documentation purposes. Everything we see will be recorded in the Knowledge Stream, so be on your best behavior.”
“If you’re trying to sound like my mom, get in line. I don’t know why there’s so much demand for that job. Anyway, it doesn’t look good for Exo that he has to employ spies. Should you really be doing this?”
“Of course! You’re the Alpha. How dare you suggest that you can go around unsupervised, doing whatever you—”
“I get it, Tera! Sheesh. Look, can you just tell me where Exo is? That’d actually be useful.”
Tera sighed despite not being able to breath. “Lord Exo is in the entrance lounge. That’s where he spends all his spare time. General Peta spends his in the cockpit.”
I hadn’t asked for that second bit, but I appreciated the first one. I pushed past the Tera to open the elevator. How was it that these two losers were the same AI that I had seen in that dream? The compassionate peacekeeper that cared about her fellow AI was now the annoying and irritable pain in my neck. Questions like that were exactly why I had to find Exo.
When the elevator opened up, I stepped in. I hit the button that would send me back to the first floor. The floor rumbled to indicate that I’d started moving. It was funny how this ship had actual buttons since it was designed for humans. By contrast, every door on Epsilon required the AI to unlock them.
When the elevator opened, I was back in the lobby that the bulb had teleported us into. Exo sat at the circular desk, the one surrounded by monitors. Why would an AI even need to use a computer?
“Hello, Alpha. I’d wish you a good morning, but we’re not quite there yet.” Exo didn’t even look at me when he said that. He was just typing something up on the monitors. “I understand why you’re here, but feel free to explain what you saw in your own words.”
What I saw? How did he know? Well, I had seen through his eyes, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. If he’d known, why hadn’t he come to me instead of waiting for me to go to him? I hated AI.
I rolled my eyes and explained what I’d seen in explicit detail. It felt insane to explain out loud, but at least I was speaking with the one AI who’d understand. Exo didn’t move a non-existent muscle while I explained, so he couldn’t have been surprised. If it turned out that he’d made me see that on purpose, I would leave.
“Basically, it’s like I was experiencing your memories,” I said. “Specifically, the day you were born? How did that happen?”
“It seems that you’ve subconsciously tapped into the Knowledge Stream. That’s where all my memories are stored. And it seems that you lied to me earlier, Alpha. You must have a desire to learn more about our history. Why else would your mind plunge you into it?”
I suppose there was some truth to that statement. I loved information, so of course I wanted to learn more about these metal jerks. I just couldn’t let them know that. It’d give them power over me.
“What is there to learn about you guys? You were made on Earth, some stuff happened, and then you and humanity waged war against each other. That war led to the death of my parents. That’s what matters. All I want is to end this war. I don’t want to understand you.”
“Or perhaps you’re afraid of understanding us. After all, what would happen if you began sympathizing with those you’d hated? You would question everything. You’re doing everything to avoid that. You’d rather blindly hate us.”
“It’s not blind if my parents are dead because of you!” My left hand crackled with electricity. I couldn’t tell if I was angrier at Exo or at the fact that he was right. I took a deep breath to calm the electricity dancing around my fingertips. “You and Frost. That’s why I have to take her down while keeping an eye on you.”
I made my way back to the elevator. As long as the memory thing never happened again, I’d be fine. I didn’t need to know Exo’s backstory or even his favorite color. I just needed his power.
“Just a moment, Alpha,” Exo called out. “You are free to leave, but, before you do, you must acknowledge that you subconsciously connected to the Knowledge Stream. That is not something to take lightly. Imagine what you could accomplish with a conscious connection.”
I clenched my fists. “Just find Frost. That’s all I care about.”
I stomped into the elevator, hit the button for the sixth floor, and glared at Exo as the doors slid shut. Once the elevator started moving, I slammed my back against the wall and sighed. I’d thought I had unlocked all my Alpha powers, but no. Now I was discovering that I could randomly hop into Exo’s head. I complained about being inside my own head sometimes, but hopping into that Exo’s red cranium wasn’t the answer.
I trudged out of the elevator as it opened back up. Ignoring the Teras, I made a beeline for my room. Then I stopped in the middle of the floor. Just like I’d anticipated…I’d forgotten which one was mine. It was probably the one next to Nessa’s, but how could I be sure? Anderson hadn’t labeled his either, so what if I walked in on him? I couldn’t risk something like that.
Something clanked in Nessa’s room. She was awake? I shouldn’t have been surprised. The woman barely knew what a break was. I imagined that she felt the same way I did about sleeping.
I wouldn’t be getting back to sleep tonight. Not when Exo’s memories might invade my head again. Or would it be me invading his? The point was that there were better ways to spend my time.
I approached Nessa’s door and knocked on it. She probably wouldn’t be happy to see me. She wasn’t happy to see anyone nowadays. That attitude was why we needed to talk.
The door slid open. A black hair tie held Nessa’s silver hair in a ponytail. Her legs were encased in the bottom half of her space suit. We’d left her wheelchair behind on Earth, so her suit was all she had. I knew it allowed her to walk, but I hoped she wasn’t sleeping in it. Not that the metal bed would mind.
“Why are you up so early?” Nessa asked with a hint of concern in her voice. “How do you expect to lead this alliance if you can’t even lead yourself to bed?”
I chuckled. “That was almost a joke. Impressive. Can I come in? I’ve got a heck of a story.”
She motioned inward. “Be my guest. I’m having trouble sleeping as well.”
Nessa frowned as she said that last part. I was guessing her lack of sleep had to do with her dad, just like everything else in her life. Her room was black and already littered with her tools. Other than that, it was identical to mine. I was surprised it wasn’t silver yet. She must have been getting around to it.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
As Nessa and I took a seat on her bed, I explained everything. It was hard to relive Exo’s memories a third time, but I was sure I’d have to do it a fourth time for the rest of my friends. Nessa furrowed her brows more and more as the story unfolded.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Nessa asked as soon as I finished the story. “I can’t imagine the psychological side effects of having someone else’s memories downloaded into your head.”
“Trust me, it wasn’t the first time. I’m fine, Ness. Shaken up, but fine.” I curled my hands as I pondered my next question. It was risky, but we needed to talk about it. “Are you sure you’re okay? I get what Anderson did, but I think you should go easier on him.”
“What? Wander, why should I forgive him after what he took from me? Without this suit, I can never walk again. Perhaps the AI could find a way to heal me, but they clearly aren’t experts on human anatomy.”
“I get that. You need to get what will happen if you don’t forgive him. In fact, you don’t even have to forgive him. Just drop your grudge. You know you can’t live out your days spitting on Anderson’s name. Holding on to that much hatred is going to poison your body.”
“No, I don’t hate your ruffian friend. He’s just annoying. The man I hate is my father, and, thanks to us, he’s free. Again.” She stood up and paced the room. Now we were getting into the real issue. “I warned you that keeping him alive was a mistake. I told you that he’d break out, and look what happened! I tried to end him again back at the prison and you stopped me…again. I don’t understand. Do you want me to suffer? Is my father really worth keeping alive?”
“Of course not!” I stood up too, putting us on equal footing. “I told you that if he escaped, we’d catch him again. Together. I wasn’t lying. We beat him once, and I’m ready to do it again. But, to do it, we have to be on the same page. I know it’s hard to think about anything other than your dad, but don’t let him or Anderson control your life. Please.”
I rested a hand on Nessa’s shoulder, which was a move that Manning had taught me. It always reassured me, so I liked using it on other people. Nessa’s forehead wrinkled as she looked toward my chest. It seemed like she was mulling over my words. Finally, she took my hand and pressed it against her cheek. She leaned into my touch as she shut her eyes. I thought she was going to slap my hand away, but instead she was making me blush.
“This galaxy has been nothing but cruel to us, and you’re still talking like flowers mark the ground we walk on.” Nessa smiled. “I guess that’s how a leader is supposed to behave.”
This was going so much better than I’d thought it would. What was I even afraid of? At some point I’d wondered if Nessa had only gotten with me so that I would help her take Connolly down. Now, those fears were gone. I knew that Nessa would have my back and I’d have hers. No matter what.
With all the heavy talk out of the way, we were free to relax. We talked about nothing and conceptualized upgrades for our suits. It had been a while since we’d talked like that. I’d forgotten Nessa could even laugh. I only realized it was morning when she pointed out how bright the walls had become. Though they were black, they were clearly glowing. It was like we were sitting inside a light bulb.
“Time to get up.” I stifled a yawn. “I’m not as tired as I thought I’d be. What about you?”
Nessa stretched as she stood back up. “I’ll manage. We have a long day ahead of us, don’t we?”
We didn’t know that for sure, but it was the safe thing to assume. Once Surge got up, he’d be discussing our next move with Exo. Since this was Surge we were talking about, he was probably already on that. We just had to wait until he summoned us.
“Yeah, but we’re going to start the day off right. Let’s go check out that cafeteria we supposedly have up here.”
We left Nessa’s room. Beside the elevator was another door, one that we hadn’t walked through yet. I led Nessa through it while ignoring the Tera. Unfortunately, the other side of the door had Tera too. I suppressed my disappointment and scanned the room.
I stood in the back of a cafeteria. Tables littered the place, reminding me of the ones I’d eaten at in school. Considering the refrigerators on the Floor of Coalition, it was bigger than I’d expected. This floor must have been created when the ship was. The dust shrouding the tables was proof of that.
I wandered into the back of the cafeteria to see the actual kitchen. It was complete with a few stoves, microwaves, and refrigerators. Not bad. This, combined with the tables, would be more than enough for us and the rest of the Oppressed…wherever they were.
In my analysis, I failed to mention that the deafening whirl of a blender filled the room. Someone was already there, making a smoothie. I stepped closer to the blender and recognized Beth. She was staring into the blender’s swirling contents, ultimately hitting the button to stop the motion. Come to think of it, she’d always liked smoothies, but she’d preferred them with ice cream back on the Moon.
“You a morning person now?” I asked as I walked up to her.
“Always have been, idiot,” she said without turning around. She lifted her container of gray goop and poured it into a cup. I’d never seen her workout, but that had to be a protein shake. “Don’t forget who used to make you breakfast.”
I smirked. “I’m surprised you’re acknowledging that. Have you heard from Exo yet?”
“Ahem! We will alert you when Lord Exo is ready,” said one of the Teras. “At the moment, he’s meeting with the gray human to unravel Margaret Frost’s next move.
I’d expected that. Now we had a way of knowing exactly when Exo and Surge would be ready for us. The Tera were finally being useful. Then again, any AI could have played that role.
“Now, we wait.” Beth sipped from her cup and glared at Nessa. “Are you going to attack me again? I need to know if it’s safe to let my guard down in my own home.”
Nessa curled her hands into fists. “You’re the one who attacked me. All I did was provoke you. It’s not my fault if you can’t take—”
“Stop. Before it happens again.” I rubbed my forehead. “Do I have to repeat that big speech about teamwork? I’ve already forgotten half of it, so don’t make me try. Let’s just get through the morning, okay?”
Nessa scoffed and headed over to the refrigerator. I’d seen her cook a few times, but she was definitely better with tools than she was with a frying pan. Hopefully, she would use the fridge to summon food instead of ingredients.
Beth marched up to me as Nessa busied herself with kitchen utensils. If she and Nessa weren’t about to fight, it looked like she and I were. It was too early for any of this.
“How are you handling all of this?” Beth asked. “Thanks to the distance between us, we haven’t had a chance to talk about all the recent revelations in your life. First, you learned that our grandfather’s Implants were forced into you, and now you have to live with your worst enemies. I may have a different point of view, but I at least understand yours.”
Who the heck was this? She sure wasn’t Beth. My Beth wasn’t that concerned with anything that had to do with me…anymore. Had that month apart actually made her nicer? True, we’d spent a year apart, but then we’d joined forces in the previous month. She considered me an ally now. Maybe that meant she saw me as a brother again?
“Don’t worry about me, sis. Gramps won’t mind if I borrow his stuff. He was a nice guy.” I forced a smile, just like I’d forced that joke…
Beth frowned. “Right. If you ever feel like opening up, know that you can talk to me.”
My eyes widened. “Whoa…that doesn’t sound like you.”
She shrugged as she walked away. “You’re the one preaching about friendship or whatever.”
It was nice to see that someone was taking me seriously. I considered pinching myself to confirm that I was awake. I hadn’t expected Beth, of all people, to be so cooperative. I hoped she would keep that up. It would make my life much easier.
I spawned random things in the refrigerator until the rest of our friends woke up and came over. By the time Laura, Kaela, and Anderson joined us, the whole room was smelling like the pancakes that were burning on the stove. Why had Nessa insisted on cooking?
“How many times have I told you not to use that much heat?” Kaela muttered something in her second language (Surge said it used to be called ‘Spanish’?). “That isn’t a piece of metal, it’s a pile of flour that was relying on you.”
“Stop talking!” Nessa ordered as she scooped the black pancake onto the plate that held the others. “It’s too late for these abominations. Cease your pointless babbling and eat. It’ll be fine with enough syrup.”
I could have used the fridge to get a decent breakfast, but that would have gotten me into immediate trouble. For the sake of my relationship, I had to eat the burnt pancakes.
Everyone sat at a red and white metal table in the cafeteria. Everyone but Anderson. He’d taken his plate to a faraway table like a middle-school loner. As joyful chatter erupted from the girls, Anderson sat unnoticed in his isolation. I snuck away from the conversation to speak with him. He didn’t look up when I arrived.
“What are you doing over here?” Anderson picked at his pancake with a fork. He seemed more focused on thinking than on eating. “Shouldn’t you be hanging with your girl, your sister, your best friend, and…Kaela?”
“Point taken, but they can be your friends too. Go over there and talk to them.”
“Nah, too many of them hate my guts. I can’t blame them; I’m just saying.” He took a bite of the pancake and immediately spat it back out. “Blah! Syrup is a necessity for this crap. Uh, no offense.”
I glanced at the table, where a single bottle of maple syrup sat on the table. I smirked and pointed it out to Anderson. He groaned and glared down at his pancake, silently judging whether it was worth it or not.
“I talked with Nessa this morning,” I said. “She doesn’t hate you. She’s just got a lot going on. We all do! If you sit beside her, she won’t kill you. Go. Now.”
He sighed. “Only if it’ll make you shut up. It’s like talking to a school counselor. Not that I’ve ever done that.”
Anderson stood up and trudged over to the girls. One by one, they stopped chatting and scowled at him. I held my breath as I waited for the hopefully amazing outcome.
“Is there something you need?” Nessa asked. Her scowl spoke the insults she couldn’t say.
“Syrup.” Anderson looked at the floor. “All I want is something for these pieces of—I mean, for the pancakes. Please.”
He must have had to choke out that last word.
Nessa and Laura exchanged looks. Anderson appeared to have won Laura over the previous month, so, hopefully, she’d have his back now. My suspicions were confirmed when she picked up the syrup and handed it to Nessa. Nessa gripped it so tightly with her mechanized arms that I wondered if she was trying to crush it.
“Here.” She thrust it out to him. Anderson reached out and grasped it so gently; it was like he was afraid it would disappear.
Anderson wore a small smile as he held the syrup. He turned to head back to his table. I grabbed him before he could. Then I sat beside Nessa and Beth and motioned for Anderson to sit as well. There was plenty of room on those benches. Anderson kept his head down as he sat on the opposite side with Laura and Kaela. Kaela squirmed when he sat beside her, but it made me feel better. My team was assembled and almost ready to work together.
The uncomfortable mood that settled in killed the previously ongoing conversations. Now everyone was just eating their burnt pancakes in silence. This wasn’t what I’d had in mind. As the leader, it was up to me to revive the mood.
“Does anyone know where all the Oppressed are?” I asked, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “This cafeteria’s looking pretty empty.”
Laura shoved another piece of pancake into her mouth as she hummed. “This whole floor’s looking pretty empty, isn’t it? No one but us came up here. Not even Manning or Rebecca came up.”
“Maybe we could ask Surge?” Kaela suggested. “He’d know. He knows everything.”
“Humans!” Tera shouted from across the room. “Lord Exo and the gray one wish to speak with you. Kindly head to the third floor.”
They already wanted to see us? At least that’d get me out of having to finish the pancakes.
I rose from the bench. “Tell them that we’re on our way.”