"So we'll see you for dinner tonight then?" Veera asked Alice, the two women awaited by Russell and Kaha respectively. Both men had crates of gear from the now departed shuttle with them, and had set them just inside the gate while the sisters-in-law partook in their first truly relaxed conversation since meeting one another. The sounds of late summer activity in the fields and surrounding forests slowly returned after the disturbance of Cromwell's flight back to the Event Horizon.

"Dinner would be wonderful if you don't mind hosting," Alice agreed at once. "I assume I can eat your food since Russell is still alive and all that. Where do you live? I uh...maybe I need to walk around a bit," she admitted tiredly.

"Why don't we just come find you after dusk? I know where your home is," Veera assured her.

"My home?" Alice repeated, testing the phrase out on her tongue.

"I suppose it's probably not much compared to that ship of yours, but so long as you stay with us I believe Antoth intends for you to have that space as your own," Veera explained, casting a fond glance at Russell. "You'll see tonight how much difference a human can make in a boring room like that. Are you alright? Are you still nervous?"

"I think I can see why my brother fell for you. You're real sweet, Veera," Alice replied quietly. "I am nervous, of course, but I think I just need some sleep and time to process everything. There's already been so much I've seen and done and I've barely set foot inside the gates. I don't know how I'm going to handle all this, not to mention all your crops and the forest and-"

'Ahem,' Io's voice reached them both. She was dressed in her librarian's garb again, looking over the rim of her glasses at the elder Winters. 'Alice, may I make a suggestion?'

"Ah, sure? Go ahead, Io."

'You are not me.'

"Ooook? That wasn’t technically a suggestion?" Alice cocked her head while Io shrugged, figuring the meaning was obvious.

'Cheeky, aren’t you? I shall explain, oh excitable sister. There seems to be this insistence about you that you catalog each and every interaction and event you've experienced so far. I can fully understand and appreciate the sentiment. But even if you were well rested this would be difficult for you, Alice. Those bags under your eyes do you no favors.'

"Well that's brutal. Sorry I left my makeup back on the Event Horizon. Is she always like this?" Alice called to her brother, rubbing at the skin under her eyes. He and Kaha turned their heads her way.

"Only when she's right," Russell replied calmly, returning to a discussion with the sun guard which seemed to center around his sword. The Cauthan warrior was most excited at the opportunity to examine it up close, testing the edge with his pads and claws.

'Isn't he sweet, mein barbar?' Io asked with a fond smile.

"So everyone else is used to the AI making bedroom eyes at my brother?" Alice requested as though she'd suddenly been dropped into Oz. “Alright, that’s cool I guess.”

"We only have one room though," Veera replied in confusion. Alice brought a hand to her forehead.

"I'll take that as a yes; everyone is in fact used to it. Well, when in Rome I suppose. So Io, what were you trying to say?"

"What's a Rome?" Veera interjected with excitement.

'Veera, I will be sure to give you a detailed review of ancient Rome once our dear Alice is settled in. Now what I was saying is that I have been observing, recording, and cataloging interactions with and among Veera's people for almost a year now, Alice. My memory banks are full to bursting! And may I say that it has been a joy, even from the shadows,' Io added with a wide, genuine smile sent Veera's way. She did not want to speak about her as if she were not there. The AI remembered her lessons well.

"And it's been wonderful to have you along, especially now that you're out in the open," Veera replied in a friendly manner. "But let's see Alice to her home so she can rest, alright? Then Rome."

'Of course. Alice, give me some time and I will ensure that all of this information is made available to you,' Io promised, making a show of files and folders flying around her as if a cyclone. She neatly corralled the paper storm into a large omnibus text for effect, even crafting herself a sorcerer's hat momentarily. 'I would be most upset if you and your fellows aboard the Event Horizon were to simply study this village as a curiosity. That ground has been tread already and there is so much yet to do. Your brother and I owe these people a debt we can never repay.'

"Io, any debts have been repaid many times over!" Veera insisted hotly, her tail waving about. Io shifted to her Cauthan form and gazed compassionately at Russell's wife.

'In matters of the flesh, yes. In war and strife and food and shelter...maybe we have. But can you place a value on Seil's gift of life, Veera? Or the comfort you have brought to the Lieutenant's troubled heart?'

"I...no, I cannot," she admitted after but a moment of consideration. Io nodded sagely and waved her digital feathers at Veera.

'Then you understand why my debt to you and your people remains. Alice, learn of these Cauthan in preparation to help them, not study them. We have much to offer and I firmly believe they will make the relationship symbiotic given the opportunity. Do this for me and I'll ensure you have doctorates coming out your ears.'

Alice blinked once in Io's direction as the AI changed back to her human form. She blinked again at Veera, then her brother and Kaha. Her mouth opened, but she closed it in consideration. Eventually she addressed Veera. "Much has happened in the last year, hasn't it?"

"That is probably a bit of an understatement, Alice. But yes, much has happened." Veera's reply had Alice nodding with a heavy sigh. It felt like good drowning, if such a thing were possible.

"Ok. I'll reserve judgment then; and I'll think about what you said, Io. Anything you send my way I'll be sure to review," the xenobiologist promised.

'Wonderful! I think you'll have much more fun if you don't worry about documenting everything. Besides, that's what I'm here for! Oh, a word of warning. Thantis enjoys his tea quite hot.'

Veera rubbed her nose, indulging in a bit of a chuckle at the old priest's expense as Alice hummed and took the time to look around her. She could see houses and temples, scorch marks and new construction. "Hey, Russell?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Her brother asked, leaving Kaha with his sword momentarily.

"Look I don't want to pry or anything, or maybe I'll just ask other people but...Io's asking me to change things here," she told him, immediately set at conflict by the AI's suggestion despite its appeal. Her brother smiled.

"She's listening to us right now but not saying anything…" he paused, glancing around his visor with a smirk. "Because a certain someone understands privacy now."

'I bite my well-manicured thumb at you, knave!' The AI retorted haughtily.

"She knows Shakespeare?" Alice gasped.

"She knows I'm right," Russell clarified. "Look Alice, I'm not a smart guy, alright? That's why I ended up in Omega and you got into Beta."

"Shut it, you big doofus," she whispered.

"You know it's true, sis. I know how things had to be with the pacified worlds, how hard you had to work just to get a glimpse of those planets. Now you're in the middle of one that I literally dropped into. My first day at this village I fought Kaha and his brother, may he rest in peace. I've been changing this village since I got here...and they've been changing me. It was inevitable," he was more than willing to admit, placing a hand on Veera's hip as she snuggled up next to him. "If you try to keep everything just so and study it all you'll drown, Alice."

"Russell, I get what you're saying but if we just drop a bunch of auto-irrigators in or hand them a pallet of pure iron ore then-"

"Why can't we now that there's a treaty? Don't you think it's time we did something good for once?" Her brother asked, looking skyward to indicate it wasn't her specifically he was talking about. "How many aliens have we killed in the name of some bullshit order? How many humans…died? Maybe we should be the good guys this time, show those antler-heads our version of divine intervention. They deserve it."

"You can't do that, Russell!" Alice exclaimed.

"Why not?!" There are a million trees, and chesko, and hyrven, and aquila, and fungi, and grasses, and all sorts of stuff you can put into a glass case and preserve. The only reason I didn't give them all guns is because I feared for Io and Veera's lives if we were ever found and I was strung up for violating first contact protocols! Alright, Io, that and materials constraints. Alice, do you have any idea how many good Cauthan died here that I could have saved if I didn't have to give a fuck?"

"Darling please! She is your sister, not Vash or that Ghaelen," Veera insisted strongly, soothing her mate as he became more and more passionate. "She has only known us a few hours. You are being unfair to her."

Alice looked on in stunned silence as Russell regarded the ground beneath his boots. The Jumper took a deep breath and faced her again. In her eyes it was nothing short of a miracle. "Yeah. Yeah you're right. I just got excited, I guess. Natori liked Io, thinks she's the greatest achievement in human history. You and Alice get along and it's been half a day. I just…do as Io says, Alice. Learn about them, help them. They deserve this," he repeated.

"Ok," she replied simply. "I'll learn and I'll speak with Natori. But if you think I'm giving men with swords, spears, and shields firearms before training them, you're out of your mind. Do they have crop rotation?"

"What?" Veera requested.

"Exactly!" Alice yelped. "Russell, the day I feel you don't want Cauthan Jumpers at your side is the day I give them Aegis armor. Until then I will do things my way...under your advisement, of course," Alice insisted, suddenly the firey and commanding one in the sibling dynamic. Even Io had a hard time keeping track, moving her head back and forth as if spectating a ping pong match.

"I didn't fucking say that," Russell hissed, rolling his eyes.

"But you're thinking it! Just...let me get up to speed, alright? You and Io were right about one thing, this won't be like my masters. That's something I'll have to get used to. But this isn't your fight, Russell. This isn't dad's fight...not yet. Why don't you trust the smart ass who got into Beta for once, alright? If you're suggesting what I'm pretty sure you are this will require a lot more finesse than you're capable of, you hardhead," she explained with a sisterly smirk.

"Yeah, sounds good. Sorry," Russell apologized sincerely. Alice embraced him.

"Do you have any idea how different you are than when I last saw you?" She whispered, casting an appreciative glance at Veera, whose feathers were almost fully flared.

"No," he answered simply.

"Then believe me when I say that I understand how important they are to you. And also believe me when I say that if you go around demanding stuff like that you'll get nowhere. Give it time like I said, Russell. The Event Horizon is here. We aren't going anywhere for a while if what you found is what you think it is. Just...let me take a nap, please!"

Both Winters children had a laugh at that, with Russell placing a hand on Alice's shoulder. The silent look between them was clear. He would follow her lead, at least for the time being. "Hey Kaha?"

"Yes, Winters?"

"Take good care of her...she's real important to me."

"Of course. She is our honored guest. Miss Alice, are you ready to be off?"

"I think so. Thank you very much. See you three later then?"

"We'll come find you!" Veera promised as she, Russell, and Io waved a casual goodbye, heading north along the side road while Kaha escorted Alice down the main thoroughfare towards the east gate at the far end of the village.

"Boy that's going to take some getting used to," Alice admitted.

"What is that?" Kaha asked politely.

"My brother just having a place, with a wife, and asking me over for dinner? Definitely a new look for him."

"I see," was all Kaha could provide on that particular subject. Alice was not deterred in the slightest.

"So what is this building here on our right?" She inquired as they strolled towards the village center. She tried to wave in a friendly and non-threatening manner to villagers that looked her way.

"That is the temple of Valta. It is where our hunters conduct their business and trade. Just down the road there is the temple of Tyrdus, where Nerazek and the others work wood, leather, and metal."

Alice hummed in acknowledgement, taking note of what looked like more fire damage and recent repairs to Ratha's temple. That recalled to her mind something her brother had mentioned. "Kaha, my brother said that he fought with you when he first arrived here. Is there a story behind that? Is it customary?"

"Heh, that seems like such a long while ago," Kaha mused. "I do not mind sharing the tale with you, Alice Winters. For he is your brother and it was a humbling moment for me and my brother in arms."

"So what happened?" Alice's eyes lit up.

"We were preparing to deliver corporal punishment against Veera. She was a scrawny thing back then, unloved and ridiculed by many for her parentage," Kaha began. Alice's jaw tightened but she held a neutral face, unwilling to project her cultural norms into a situation far in the past.

"What was her crime?" The human wondered.

"Your brother. It seems he appeared near her farm and befriended her. When he arrived at our gates the prior priest of Seil, my master, ordered her attested and flogged for leading an agent of Kel to our doorstep."

"I...I see. Do you mind if I ask what happened to your former high priest?" Alice ventured. Kaha made a complex, circular gesture over his chest with his hand, holding the entirety of her gear in the other. He was quite strong.

"May he rest in peace at Seil's side. Vash did not survive the raid on our village this past winter."

"The what?!"

"No one has told you?" Kaha replied, equally as shocked.

"No...they haven't," Alice replied as they finally came to the village square. Kaha gestured with his head towards a large and empty plot of land to the right.

"There, to the south. Once a proud temple to the giver of life stood there. It burned that night and Vash perished with it. I did not like your brother, Alice Winters. He defeated me using his impenetrable armor the first time we met. I thought it was his very skin. Then we fought as equals at the harvest festival after he threatened our leader. He was victorious but honorable in his win. Still I did not like him. He chose a half breed female for his mate, was impudent to the point of disbelief, and had no respect for Seil. But that night, when that unholy host came for us…"

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"Kaha you don't have to. I'm sorry to bring up such-"

"No, Alice," the sun guard interrupted her gently, leading her through thin crowds. "That was a happy occasion in some ways. My high priest was dead and my brother fallen in combat. I will remember those moments until my dying day. Most of all I was afraid, afraid that my sacrifice and those of my fellows would be in vain. Your brother did not even stop to help me on his way to destroy them. Instead he lent me his knife...via an unfortunate corpse," Kaha chuckled deeply at the memory, a sentiment Alice certainly did not share. "He's got a good arm on him and he saved my life. Oh, that is the temple of Meylith, by the way, that large building there down the road on the right. You will find Gentia, her acolytes, and the village granary inside."

"Thank you," the human replied quietly, adjusting the strap of her duffel on her shoulder. They had since passed through the square, with Alice taking note of what looked like very recently sluices with running water. They flowed slowly along the main avenues where Cauthan drank freely and occasionally washed their paws. The source of the flow seemed to be somewhere in the northeast of the village.

"Would you like me to carry that for you as well? What is it made of?" Kaha asked after her bag as though he'd not just spend the last several minutes regaling her with tales of doom and heroism.

"It's uh...you know I actually don't know," Alice realized. "I guess I take a lot about modern human living for granted. It's water resistant and very durable at least?"

"Mmm, perhaps it is comforting that not even you know everything? Antoth says you are like Thantis and Xan, a female of learning?"

"I am."

"I do not mean to disrespect, but I have always found there are some things you cannot know until you trade blows with another. Have you ever fought before, Alice?"

"No, not since I was a child, you know?"

"So human children are rough and rambunctious as well?"

Alice laughed endearingly as she considered human children and Cauthan cubs playing around together. "Yes Kaha, we are."

"Perhaps that is why your brother is the way he is? Yes this is good, very good! More warriors and more scholars. Our village will thrive. Just look at Veera!"

"I was actually going to ask about that…"

"It is rather shameful upon reflection, Alice Winters," Kaha told her, taking pause to point out the narrow street that would lead to Alyra's temple, nestled within the southeast corner of the village. "Veera's mother was not one of our people. When she lost her mother and then her father, many, myself included, wished she would just disappear. We did not take into account who she was, only what she was."

"That is...disturbingly similar to much of human history," Alice admitted freely.

"Is that right?" Kaha mused, adjusting his hold on the crate as his arm muscles bulged under his armor. "I suppose that is also comforting in some ways."

"But Veera is a member of your guard now, right?"

"She is, Alice. I cannot say when it began for sure, but when a female kills to defend your home her fur patterns cease to matter so much. Your brother has changed more than a few things in our little village, mostly for the better. We all eagerly await what sort of surprises you will bring to us, Alice. Here we are now, and please allow me to apologize again on Antoth's behalf. I understand it is not the most pleasant of dwellings. Where would you like this?"

Alice took a moment to look around the single room with a dirt floor, small fire pit, and sod roof. She'd waved politely to the Cauthan standing guard at the east gate nearby, figuring he was technically her neighbor. "Just in the near corner there is fine, thank you," she advised as Kaha deposited her equipment to the left.

"Is there anything else you need? Should I send for the disciples of Tyrdus regarding a bed and furniture?"

"No no, I've got the bed covered for now," Alice insisted, immensely thankful for her A-MACS. Desk, pen, paper, recorder, video, and audio, she had it all and more right there on her wrist. Kaha was looking her over intently.

"Alice...what do you mean you have a bed? You are so lightly burdened," he worried. "We cannot have you sleeping on the ground."

"Oh, that's this!" She exclaimed, setting down her personal duffel and the pack she'd carried on her back. Kaha watched will great curiosity as she removed a cylindrical something from where it rested on top of the duffel, held in place during transit by the hand straps. Alice looked about the space for a moment, chose the far right corner, and laid it down on the ground. She removed some sort of thin covering from each circular side and stood back.

"By Seil, what is going on?" Kaha wondered, walking over to her side and watching as the cylinder unfolded into a long rectangle, inflating to a height of about five inches. A bulge at the far end marked where one was meant to lay their head.

"That's where I'll be sleeping! Don't worry, I have a thermal sleeping bag too. That's just for support. You guys don't have many bugs, do you?" Alice requested. Kaha waited as the translator worked its magic.

"Hmm? No, I do not believe they will be an issue. Simply keep your floors dry."

"Huh?" Alice tilted her head.

"A dry floor is a clean floor. You will see!" Kaha assured her. "I will send word to Nerazek that you require furs for your sleeping...platform? I know not what you would be doing in a bag; one cannot rest in such a way. Oh and I'll ask he send someone to repair the gaps in the walls. Winter will be here before you know it."

Rather than make a stink or refuse his generosity, Alice bowed politely. "If it's not too much trouble that would be very kind."

"But of course! Thank you for being flexible. Can I help you with this contraption here?" Kaha offered, pointing to the box of tech. Alice shrugged.

"I'll be able to handle it just fine, but if you insist you could remove...let's see. This one will sit right here," she directed the folded communications array to a position just inside the doorway, which was covered by a weathered chesko pelt. "And that one in the box there will go outside somewhere the sun can reach out, thanks."

"What does it do?"

"It will take sunlight and use it to power my equipment, like this handy thing I'm using to talk to you right now," Alice explained.

"By my scales and feathers, to imagine such abilities would exist? To harness Seil's light to power your metallic…contraptions?" Kaha almost seemed concerned at the idea. Alice sought to set him at ease.

"It won't harm Seil in any way. It's just like the plants in your fields that need light to grow."

"Is that right? But it's such an ugly looking plant."

Alice couldn't help but laugh at his description, offering her hand to shake. He took it strongly and she got another dose of pad, fur, and scales all at once. "Kaha, I'm very thankful for all your help but right now I desperately need some rest. I will set these things up once I've recovered a bit. Could I ask you to do one thing for me?"

"But of course!" The Cauthan replied, feeling as though he'd not done much.

"Could you let the guard know, or have a note made or something asking your fellows to not touch the equipment? It's very sensitive and that solar array will have to be outside of this room in order to work."

"Mmm, I understand. I will ask Thantis. He is much more proficient in our written language than I. The guard force will be informed as well. We will ensure no one harms themselves or your belongings."

"Then you'll have my thanks, Kaha. And thank you for your kind welcome as well."

"I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that we are hopeful regarding your presence here. Selah, Alice Winters."

"Selah, Kaha." The sun guard smiled warmly at her use of his language, holding aside the door flap and departing into the streets. With privacy finally established Alice could keep her eyes open no longer, collapsing fully clothed onto the rugged foam mattress and closing her eyes. While she felt a measure of pressure regarding the hopes Kaha had expressed, that feeling was far overwhelmed by excitement and comfort. They had accepted her brother, they had tentatively accepted her, and she was certain that even a basic application of human knowledge and technology would be impactful. Thoughts of efficient stoves, improved crop yields, and the beginnings of medical exploration soon gave way to peaceful slumber. "Mmm, wonder how Lachlan's doing?"

-----

"Ya know, I think I should have been expecting that," MacGregor declared, watching as Ursol immediately examined his bedroll once it had been laid out. The boy's young mind accepted the alien developments quickly while Sentaura stood back apace, only allowing him free reign thanks to Lachlan's description of the item as his bed. It wasn't long before Ursol found it to be quite soft and comfortable, testing the surface with his claws as his tail wagged rapidly back and forth.

"Comfy!" He exclaimed, curling up and making a show of snoozing.

"Ursol!"

Lachlan reached out a hand but stopped himself just short of her shoulder. The soldier cleared his throat and returned his arm to his side. "It's alright, Miss Sentaura. If it's all the same to you I'm happy he's goin' for the bed and not my weapons. I have trigger locks and other safeties I'll be usin' in the meantime, but I'd much rather you teach him that my guns and knives aren't toys."

"Hmm, that reminds me that I should be getting him a knife of his own soon," the Cauthan mother mused as her son, worn out from the excitement of the day, succumbed to his own ruse and fell asleep. She and Lachlan watched as his tiny feathers moved subtly and his breathing became steady and easy.

"Really? A knife at his age?" Lachlan asked.

"He wants to become a hunter, go out and find his…would you come with me, please?" Sentaura requested, motioning to the other room of the one story dwelling. It was well made with tight fitting logs and a sloped, thatched roof. Within there was a small collection of newly constructed furniture: a couple chairs and a table, a cooking pot, wooden cookware and dinnerware, and some fuel in a pile just inside the door. Lachlan could see easily enough that past the brown, furry pelt that separated the rooms was Sentaura's bedroom, where a simple set of shelves held the rest of her possessions. They were few, but contained two well-made, black fur cloaks.

"Is such a thing acceptable?" The human asked with concern.

"I only wish to speak with you, privately."

"Then lead on," he agreed, soon finding himself standing awkwardly just inside the doorway while Sentaura turned away from him, walking to a small wooden shrine where nine carved bone idols sat.

"This was all I could save from the raiders and the fire. When I was seventeen he presented me with these idols. He carved them himself from chesko bone and antlers he hunted. I did not give him an answer that year. A year later he gave me a cloak of his own making. I had already decided to say yes. Ursol was born a year later," Sentaura related quietly, taking a deep and quaking breath before turning to face the human soldier. Her feathers shook and waved in a new pattern, one that the human could only guess was great sadness based on her tone of voice. "Until my last breath I will regret not giving my son one more year with his father."

MacGregor found it impossible to swallow, instead running his thumb and index finger along his moustache and over the stubble of his nascent beard. The Cauthan mother carried on.

"While I would never suggest you and the female you came with be turned away, know that I only opened my home to you on account of my son." Sentaura left her proclamation at that, volumes of words left unsaid. Lachlan did not question her.

"I understand, Sentaura. And thank you again for yer hospitality."

"You are welcome, Lachlan. Now what shall we do about my son?" She asked hesitantly.

"Ya can let him sleep. I'll figure something else out."

"That boy needs to learn that not everything he wants can be his. Here," she gestured at her own bed, a box of straw, leathers and furs. Lachlan took a step back and shook his head.

"Miss Sentaura I'm not sure that's-"

"You have a duty to Winters' sister, do you not? You should rest and return to her. For my part I would much rather deal with your scent in my bed than a cranky cub," the young mother insisted, putting together a rather persuasive case.

"Then I'll be moving my weapons in here for today, Miss Sentaura, keep them away from you and the little one."

"Thank you, Lachlan. And please, there is no need to use that word before my name. The translation is not particularly clear, as I doubt you are referring to me as a priest. You will show your respect through actions, not words, I'm sure."

"As ya say m…Sentaura," MacGregor caught himself, turning to walk back into the main living space where he rummaged through his gear and found the thermal blankets he'd intended to use for his own slumber. Instead he laid them gently over top of Ursol before gathering the rest of his personal effects. The majority he set just inside the bedroom, not minding if the Cauthan went through his toiletries, spare clothes, or personal tablet. His weapons he stashed in the small gap between the bed and the wall, ensuring no one should touch his M-22 or combat knife without literally reaching over him. Finally he overcame his considerable discomfort, stripped off his armor, and sat down on the bed, clad in compression shorts, socks, and an undershirt. The surface of straw and leather was slightly uneven and left something to be desired, but the furs were warm and comforting. He was out in the blink of an eye.

Unseen by Lachlan, Sentaura watched over her child, eventually pulling back the strange blanket that he'd provided her son. It was nothing like the pelt of a chesko or hyrven, thin, smooth, and almost slippery as opposed to dense and rough. Nevertheless she settled herself down and hugged her son to her chest, immediately sensing how the light material above them trapped their body heat. She sank ever so slightly into the strange material beneath her, the mat conforming to the shape of her hips and shoulders. Too many emotions swirled within her bosom to decide on just one, and so she cried hopeful tears for her son's future.

-----

Aboard the Event Horizon, Admiral Kaczynski hauled himself into a transit pod bound for the manufacturing bays. The majority of them were found in the middle of the ship where they could be used by both civilian and military personnel alike. At nine in the morning shipboard time he had received a call from Alice Winters.

Despite orbiting the far side of the planet, the signal was good and he received a small tour of the room she'd been given by the Cauthan. Her bedroll had been laid out and the rest of her effects sat neatly in the corner, still packed. Behind her a young Cauthan male who had introduced himself as 'Zolta' worked to patch the gaps in the walls with some sort of thick, tar-like substance. Natori had been about to gently protest, but Alice showed him the furs they'd brought her, the pelt of something known as an ursae. He had immediately recognized it as the same material that made up Russell Winters' cloak, and Alice had informed him that her brother was, according to Zolta, the only person to have slain one in living memory. The impending tribunal grew yet more interesting.

With assurances that she would get the full story of the hunt at dinner, Alice had left Kaczynski with a short list of necessities for herself and Lachlan. Both of them needed basic shelving to keep their effects off the ground, and Lachlan had requested a container in which he could safely lock away the ammunition for his rifle. Natori had questioned the lack of furniture, but understood when he'd received reports of the fire and raid from Alice. No details were available, but it presented a compelling answer as to why the Cauthan of the village seemed to have not a single spare piece of furniture.

The conversation concluded with an agreement to have two shuttles come to the village each day, one just after dawn and the other before dusk. Alice and Lachlan both seemed comfortable enough with their welcome that four per day would have been redundant and disruptive. With warm wishes and an order to chat later, Natori had made for the manufactory. He wanted to get his hands a bit dirty, so to speak. At the relatively early hour he had no problem accessing bay number twelve, one of the printers large enough to create items on the order of shelving and other furnishings. First he whipped up a quick metal box with a combination lock for Private MacGregor. He then queued up two identical sets of synthetic wood shelves. They would be light and easy to move, but certainly wouldn't win any woodworking awards. Satisfied that his crew on the surface would be taken care of, he penned a message to pilot Cromwell regarding her new schedule and upcoming cargo as he walked to a large set of imposing metal doors.

'Well well, couldn't keep yourself away, could you?' Io asked, her face appearing on the panel just to the left of the bulkhead. Natori felt his heartrate jump, but he nodded calmly to the face.

"And which Io am I speaking to?" He wondered cautiously.

'If you're listening to this then you clearly caved to your curiosity regarding my work in this manufactory. It's what I would have done,' Io told him. Her voice and cadence we natural, but it was clear by that point to Natori that it was a pre-recorded message left just for him.

"Such thoughtfulness and foresight, independent contingency planning…she is beyond anything the HEL possesses regarding VI tech," Natori muttered to himself. "Not even the black market mods get close to this." Io continued on without him.

'If you wish to see what I'm working on please present yourself for verification,' she requested, glancing at the optical scanner next to her face. Natori complied, the device scanning his right retina.

'Match confirmed, biosignature recognized,' Io's voice stated in a robotic, VI-like cadence. Kaczynski was immediately put on edge, getting an idea for what she had sounded like more than a year prior.

"And there's the danger. I was already used to…that woman she became," the Admiral admitted darkly, passing through the doors as they hissed open like some cheesy evil lair out of science fiction. Natori knew for a fact that his doors did not make those sounds. "On the other hand, she has a remarkable sense of humor."

'Welcome, Admiral Kaczynski,' a projection of Io called from the control panel. The series of computers, terminals, and monitors sat just below broad glass windows that overlooked the hangar sized, mechanized workshop.

"Thank you Io. I would like a report of your progress," he requested, wondering what would happen. The robotic version replied.

'Accessing requested logs. Initiating playback.' Natori raised a brow as Io, now behaving very much like a human again, paced before him and held a finger to her chin.

'Statement of purpose and initial thesis, why do I need a body?' The avatar mused. 'I have the Event Horizon now. Any situation in which my primary consciousness is loaded onto a mobile platform is relatively unsafe. Natori, don't you dare tell Russell I said that. This situation will persist until I am capable of replicating said primary consciousness or transferring it in real time. Replication is still…an unknown. Transfer between Aegis and Event Horizon takes approximately four and a half minutes at maximum bandwidth. Unacceptable in a combat scenario. Besides, the Lieutenant is about as safe a mobile platform as one could ask for, so why a body?' She pondered before pointing at something over Natori's left shoulder with conviction. 'Selfish desire!'

"Making jokes that she shouldn't be able to make about the desires she shouldn't have...Winters I don't think you have any idea just what you've accomplished. But carry on, Io," Natori encouraged. The recording had not stopped.

'I desire to be human, or to be treated as one. I'm not sure which is correct or operative but both mandate a physical body. The body of evidence is overwhelming that humans would respond favorably to such a development,' Io declared, unable to help a dainty chuckle from between her ruby lips.

"Oh yes, yes that was a good one," Natori agreed with a smirk, pulling up the only chair in the room and taking a seat.

'Given the established need for a body, the first order of business must be determining a proper material for the dermis of the mobile platform. I don't...I don't want people to dislike interacting with me,' Io admitted, her tone making it clear that she considered such a fear to be quite personal.

"Oh you beautiful creation," Natori whispered, kicking up his feet in anticipation. Every moment spent listening to Io, even her recordings, was a revelation. "I could listen to you talk about yourself all day. And knowing you, you might even like that. A VI...by all that is holy and good in this world."

Io was pacing and gesticulating as though a Greek philosopher at the forum '...and therefore the merits of a less durable outer surface similar to human skin, while many, must be balanced against the obvious drawbacks. If my body requires regular supplements of artificial keratin and collagen, among other things, do I design a digestive tract or install a pump on my ass?'

Were it not for the solid metal doors behind him, Natori's laughter would have been heard halfway to the mess hall.