“Maybe we should ask him to get them out? I think he would,” I said.

“I’ll do it,” Haley said. “We’re stuck here until you and Paladin reach us.”

“Do that,” Cassie added, reminding me that we were on the group channel. “It’s crazy to leave them there if you’ve got a choice.”

I frowned, “I just hope Control won’t be stuck there alone.”

C’s voice came over the comm, “You don’t have to worry about your parents. Guardian already got them out. I’m here with Control and I know a few things we have in storage and how to use them.”

Part of me wanted to ask more details on what he meant by the last bit. We had Abominator tech in storage that the original team had recovered from fighting them. If he knew how to use that, I had questions.

We didn’t have time for them now. Instead I asked, “This is one of those times where you can intervene?”

“You could say that,” C’s voice lowered, possibly more thoughtful or maybe careful. “Let’s say that it’s important for me to stay in the background and make sure certain things don’t happen.”

I knew better than to ask more. Knowing that Daniel’s grandfather was more mentally capable than we’d been aware, C could have a very specific mission and he wasn’t going to jeopardize it.

I wondered if I’d agree with the mission if I knew what it was. C was acting with the League’s board to keep a future where as many of us survived as possible on track. Knowing that Travis was dead, I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d agree on what we were willing to sacrifice.

I didn’t think they’d really chosen to sacrifice Travis, but I knew how Daniel’s prescience worked. Sometimes you could choose to take a higher risk to avoid something you truly couldn’t handle. You might also take the safe choices, but accept certain sacrifices. Our acceptable sacrifices might not be the same as theirs, but this wasn’t the time to start that conversation.

Stolen story; please report.

It isn’t, Daniel thought at me, but you’re right. It does feel like they think we’re children. To be fair to them, though, they’ve had longer to think this through and we know they care about not only us but everyone’s future.

I did know it, but if Travis’ death were the result of playing it too safe, Haley for one might have issues with how they were doing it.

Instead of arguing, I told C, “Okay,” and looked ahead into the room we were walking through. Aside from the rows of cars we walked between, only the dust of the destroyed fungus creatures remained to menace us.

How far were we away from the room Haley and her team were in? I asked the group, adding “Does anybody know? I could send down a bot, but I don’t want to risk them hearing it if I don’t have to.”

Izzy turned back to look at me, “I think we’re two levels above them, but I’ve just been listening. When we were fighting them earlier, they noticed when I used sonar actively.”

“You use high pitches usually. So maybe they do too,” I nodded. “They might already hear us.”

She shook her head, “I don’t think so. I think they use sonar, but not at long range.”

“I’m shut out,” Bouman said. “Absolutely, completely shut out. I don’t know what they did, but it feels like me on the other end. I set up their mental defenses when I was under their control and they’re still my defenses, but they’ve been changing them.”

Aloud, Daniel said, “It still feels like his defenses though. It’s almost as if there are a few more of you, adding tweaks and shoring up weaknesses.”

Tara’s voice came over the comm, calm and even, “I think I can explain it. I’ve been watching while we were waiting. While you were talking with Bouman, one of the birthing chamber mounds opened up. The creatures inside weren’t copies of Prime. They were too thin and small. They didn’t look like Bouman either, but they did walk with his gait. I think they copied as much of him as they wanted while they had him.”

Stopped as we had this conversation, I took a quick look around us for threats as I said, “I did think it was odd that they were willing to sacrifice you so easily.”

The unnatural evenness of Tara’s voice disappeared, “They can control the fungus copies better. He was disposable, poor guy.”

Bouman, the “poor guy” in question, didn’t meet anyone’s eyes, but to my surprise, Prime put his huge hand on Bouman’s shoulder, “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. You were manipulated and they’ll get theirs soon.”

Looking up, Bouman managed a smile, “You’re right. I’ll try to remember that.”

Even as I reflected on how weird it was to see Prime comfort anyone, Haley interrupted the scene with, “Shit. I forgot to mention that when we were sneaking in here, I saw them put Arete’s head into one of the birthing chamber mounds.”