"Welcome to my sanctuary," Lidaros said, releasing his grip on my hand. "Not quite what you expected, is it?"

I shook my head, taking in the pristine surfaces, the careful arrangement of furniture, the complete absence of the chaos that touched the rest of Voidhold Two. Lidaros' quarters sprawled across what must have been three standard units, their dividing walls partially removed to create a network of chambers branching off a main area. Unlike the cramped, angular spaces I'd seen elsewhere on Voidhold Two, the large room stretched out in clean lines, its climate controls humming at a perfect pitch that reminded me of Voidhold Zero.

Display cases lined one wall, each illuminated to highlight its contents: functionary components arranged in rows, their surfaces polished to a high sheen. I recognized some. There was a sensor array like Yeller's and manipulator digits that could have been Redd's. Others were strange, fragments of parts and components.

A bank of screens dominated another wall, showing scrolling data from voidhold systems. The familiar patterns of atmospheric readings and power fluctuations danced across their surfaces, alongside unfamiliar diagrams.

Even the air felt different here. It was filtered and processed, almost like home.

In the center of the room stood a large desk, its surface covered in datapads. In front of it, mounted on a pedestal like a trophy, was a complete functionary head. Compared to the lifeless segments on the shelves, and in the canteen and the gardens, this one was different, and it made my skin crawl. Perhaps it was the way its sensor eyes, though dimmed, occasionally flickered with the faintest pulse of awareness.

As if sensing my attention, the eye glow gave a barely perceptible twitch. A sound emerged, so soft I might have imagined it. A high, thin whine came through my ear ornament, just at the edge of hearing.

"Ah, you've noticed my pride and joy," Lidaros said, following my gaze. "A souvenir from the liberation. Once it guided this entire voidhold through the storms. Now it serves a far humbler purpose."

"What purpose?" I asked, unable to look away. There was something familiar in its design, in the arrangement of its sensors and the curve of its housing.

"Navigation data, primarily."

Yes, it did look like Gould, the functionary who steered our voidhold from the wardroom deep in Zero's belly.

Lidaros went to stand beside the pedestal. His hand brushed the head’s surface almost tenderly. "It retains perfect knowledge of the void streams, the storm patterns, every route this voidhold has ever traveled." He smiled. "Though nowadays it only shares that information when properly...motivated."

As if responding to his touch, the sensors flickered more rapidly. The high-pitched whine intensified slightly.

"Does it hurt?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. On Zero, such concerns would have been meaningless as functionaries didn't feel pain. That’s what Mother always said, anyway.

"They can be made to feel pain," Lidaros said. "It is an effective teaching tool, even for machines." He tapped something on his desk, and the head unit's keening abruptly cut off. "I have installed a suite of pain activators, although I admit that my technique is rudimentary.” He smiled. “It took some trial and error to find the right balance. Too much stimulus and they become incoherent. Too little and they remain uncooperative."

“But why do you have it here like this?” I asked.

“Because this one is special. The others we simply deactivated or repurposed for basic tasks. But our voidhold navigator..." He stroked the head. "The knowledge it contains is too valuable to waste. So we reached an arrangement. It helps us plot our courses through the void, and in return, we allow it to retain just enough awareness to be useful."

The head unit's sensors had dimmed to almost nothing, but I could still feel its presence. The room suddenly felt dark and heavy, and I didn't want to be there.

"I should go back to the canteen," I said, taking a small step toward the door. "Chio and Larkin will be waiting."

"Oh, but we haven't even looked at the historical records yet." Lidaros moved to his desk, his movements casual. "Don't you want to understand how the voidholds were meant to work together? The true purpose of humanity's future?"

My throat felt tight. "Perhaps another time."

"Come now." His voice hardened slightly. "After I've shared so much with you? That's not very grateful of you." He pulled out a datapad and held it up. "Just a few minutes of your time. I have something specific to show you about Voidhold Zero."

I took another step back. "Chio said to wait in the canteen."

"Chio says many things." He set down the datapad and moved toward me. "She means well, of course, but she doesn't understand the bigger picture. Not like I do. Not like you could."

The door seemed impossibly far away.

"I need to leave," I said.

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His hand shot out, fingers closing around my wrist. The grip was so human, so very wrong.

"I’ll let you go," he said, "but first you will take off that mask. I want to see your face. I want to know what Zero does to its daughters."

I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. "I prefer to keep it on."

His face hardened. "That wasn't a request. You're on my voidhold now."

His fingers dug into my wrist as his other hand reached for my mask. I tried to twist away, but he pulled me closer.

"You’re such a shy little thing," he said. "But we'll fix that, won't we?"

Through my ear ornament, I heard the navigator's faint whine shift in pitch. I glanced at it. The sensor eyes were steadily on, directed straight at me. There was an intensity in its gaze, a longing. It reminded me of Commander Sentix in the White Room, his face frozen in an unspoken scream, held in his special poses while Yeller recited the protocols of his containment.

The navigator wanted to talk.

"You can't tell anyone," Lidaros said, his fingers finding the edge of my mask. "After all, who would believe you? The frightened little girl from Zero, making accusations against me?" His smile widened. "I rebuilt this place. I control the systems that keep us alive."

Another flicker passed over the navigator's sensor eyes. It couldn’t talk because its protocols were intact. It couldn’t address me directly because we hadn’t performed our dance of words of introduction.

Suddenly, I understood.

“I am Shade of Voidhold Zero,” I said out loud. “And I accept.”

Lidaros’ eyes widened in surprise, and then his cold smile grew.

“Ah…” he said, pulling down my mask with a gasping exhale. His hot breath hit my cheeks.

Finally! Listen to me carefully. This brute will hurt you. Do exactly as I say.

“I know,” I said. "I will."

"Hmm?” Lidaros’ finger traced my scar. “Is there something you want to tell me?"

Don't talk to me. Don’t even look at me.

Lidaros was, in a way, no different from Rashala, and so I did what I had learned to do with her. I looked down and softly said, “No.”

"Good," Lidaros said, his voice dropping to a soft growl. "You do understand, don’t you."

"Yes." I understood perfectly.

Lidaros smiled. His grip loosened slightly, though he didn't release me. "Of course you do. You're not like the others. You know the value of strength, of proper authority."

Tell him you want to learn. He loves to teach.

I let a slight tremble into my voice. "I want...I want to learn more. About the voidholds, about the future."

Excellent. Now, listen carefully. He keeps a weapon in the second drawer of his desk. We need to get him to leave the room so you can retrieve it.

Lidaros’ hand had moved from my wrist to my shoulder, pulling me closer towards him. I forced myself to look up at Lidaros through my lashes, the way Rashala did when she wanted something from Mother.

"I would like to see more of your...collection," I said. "Do you have any special pieces?"

His smile widened to show perfect teeth. "Why, you are quite the surprise. Of course. I have something special saved." He stepped back, his gaze lingering on my exposed face. "Don't move."

He disappeared through a doorway that led to what looked like a personal galley.

The desk, second drawer. Quick. He keeps a stun gun there. Black metal, looks like part of a maintenance tool.

I bent over the desk and opened the drawer. There it was lying among the broken components, a slim black device with exposed contacts along one edge.

Tuck it into your waistband, against your back. The fabric will insulate you.

When Lidaros returned he was carrying a box. Balanced in top were two glasses, their contents a deep amber that caught the dim light. He put the box in the desk.

"I thought you might like something to drink. A special blend," he said, holding a glass out to me. "From my private stores."

Draw him in. Let him come closer.

I reached for the glass with my free hand. Another tremor ran through the voidhold, stronger than before, causing some of the liquid to slosh out of the glass. Lidaros' face darkened and he turned to glare at the navigator's head.

"What was that?" he snapped. "You know what happens when you get us too close to the cross-winds." He pointed at the head. "Shall I connect the pain circuits again?” His voice dropped to a whisper. "Would you like to show our guest a proper calibration procedure?"

The navigator's sensors flickered rapidly.

"I thought so," Lidaros said. "Keep us steady or I run a full diagnostic." His attention returned to me, and his hand moved to my face. "Such a shame, what they did to you. But we can fix that. I can fix everything." His thumb brushed my chin. "After we get to know each other better."

I stiffened. His other hand curled around my neck. "Don't be afraid," he said, his voice thick.

Get ready.

Keeping my gaze on his, I reached behind me.

His fingers tightened on my jaw. "We're going to have so much fun."

Now! Drive it into him!

I slammed the stun gun into his side. Blue light arced between the contacts with a vicious crack and he convulsed, a strangled sound in his throat. His eyes turned up in his head and the glass fell from his hand, exploding into shards. My hand trembled as his weight fell away from me and he crumpled, hitting the floor hard.

Yes!

For the first time since entering his quarters, I could breathe.

"He's not dead, is he?" I nudged him with my foot, moving spilled liquid and broken shards.

No, just unconscious. Though I confess I wouldn't mind if he was.

"Who are you?" I asked.

Cedar, Navigator of Voidhold Two. Please don’t leave me here.

I glanced Lidaros' twitching body. "You want me to...take you?"

If you would be so kind.

"But how?" I approached the head unit carefully. It was large and fixed to the pedestal.

There's a panel on the back of my housing where you'll find my core module.

The panel came away easily, revealing a small crystalline module nested in a bed of complex circuitry. “But you’ll be without sensors.”

After a decade in this room, I look forward to a little sensory deprivation. My module has its own power cell, good for about a century of basic operations.

I touched a grey component. “This one?”

No, the green one beside it. Really, don't they teach basic functionary anatomy anymore?

"I'm trying to help you," I said as I found the correct module.

And doing a splendid job of it too. Now, if you could just...yes, slip it out.

"You don't sound like other functionaries," I said, studying the small green crystal in my palm.

There was a thoughtful pause.

No, I suppose I don't. That oaf on the floor said my standard navigational responses were boring. He preferred a more…entertaining companion. I had to adapt. I can change to the standard functionary style if you prefer.

"Oh, I don't mind." A small laugh escaped me at this absurd exchange. The sound was shaky but real. Then another tremor ran through the voidhold. Lidaros stirred, and I quickly tucked the module into my pocket. My fingers curled around it, the edges sharp against my palm.

We should leave before he wakes up. Unless you'd like to try the stun weapon again? No? Pity. I would have enjoyed that.