Emperor paced the bridge of the Tinkers Rage listening to the intelligence reports being broadcast through the ship's public address system. A rebellion here, a failed coup there. None of it mattered. What he didn't hear was news of Ice. No Theriopes dying, no heroic savior helping the weak. He smashed his fist into a nearby automaton, reducing it to scrap. "Francis, find me that bastard!"

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Ice, blissfully unaware of the Emperor's rage, sat aboard the Nano Forge eating a Theriope steak prepared by Brigham while they discussed ways to get past Dora's shielding. "We could drop a R.F.G. on it?"

"That could destroy the entire area including Dora if it penetrates the shield." Raven answered, holding out a napkin.

"I suppose that would defeat the purpose." Ice sighed as he took the proffered napkin. "Alice? Drake? Any thoughts on the matter?" He asked the other two at the table.

Drake looked up from his own steak wide eyed. "Why are you asking me you've been doing this System User thing much longer."

"Yes but you were a naval captain. Surely you have some idea on how to take down meteor shielding without damaging what's inside?"

"Oh, ah that shielding is stronger than what we have on our battleships… I suppose if you had a deactivation code it might come down… otherwise no we would just bombard it from space."

"Brigham, any ideas? And I don't know what you did but this steak is magnificent."

"The captain's right just powering that shield would take four of our battleship reactors and the dreadnoughts only need two. And they would only power it for a few days. Not a thousand years.

"Brigham, I told you I'm not a Captain anymore."

"Aye sir you did." Brigham stated with just a hint of insubordination in his eyes.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Well I guess we will have to leave it for now and continue clearing out the rest of the planet. Francis said that the capital city is clear but the four other major cities are not. He said that each one has a nest in them. Once we clear the planet we can wake the people in the Stasis Pods up. Maybe help them to resettle here." Ice said, looking at the ceiling in thought.

"Did you say Stasis Pods? Those are illegal for a reason, even research into stasis pods is illegal. After the colony ships no one would look into those monstrosities. They killed millions." Drake looked horrified at even the thought.

"So Ducky told me. However Francis believed it was the only way to keep these people safe until a team came to recover them. Which never happened." Ice looked the man in the eyes as he spoke.

"We, ah, the planet was quarantined and interdicted no ship was to come within 1000 kilometers of it. We had to obtain permission to pick you up when we arrested you. No one would dare land." This from Brigham.

Drake nodded without saying a word.

"Alice, did you know that Clockwork and Francis were experimenting with Stasis Pods?" Ice asked, turning to the large Amazonian AI.

"I knew they were doing something but not what. Alanna and I were never much for the science side of things. Siegfried might have known but…I lost contact with Maria and Siegfried before Alanna … Died. Either they died first or they escaped the planet."

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Maria looked around the marketplace. She didn't know if Emperor had found her but Lynch's message to Siegfried had indicated his hounds were nearby. Her ship was at the Space station and she hadn't been able to book passage up the elevator for three more days. There were rumors of Theriope rifts near some of the outer communities

When she had first heard Clockwork was alive she had reached out to him. Overtime he had slowly allowed the rage to consume him until he became a liability and a danger to the universe.

She had tried to stop him. To kill him… but he was much stronger then he should be. He controlled more automatons than she had ever seen. If she didn't know better she would say he deleted Francis to make room for more control limits. She didn't know how it would be possible to do so.

She pulled her coat tight around her body. It was thin for this cold planet. Maria was about as far off the trade routes as she could get without going somewhere uninhabited.

"Perhaps a warmer climate next time ma'am." She jumped as Siegfried's voice sounded in her head.

"Shush you. I don't want your electrical signature giving us away to Cloc… I mean Emperor's goons. The lady at the fruit shop said she saw men in his colors asking about any unusual people. And if I'm seen talking to myself, who knows what they will do." Maria said to the shameless AI. "You're gonna get me killed, Sieg."

"I assure you I exist only to assist you and the other System Users in a support capacity."

Maria grunted. She made her way back to the small apartment she was staying in. It was a simple place with only 3 rooms. A bathroom, a bedroom and a kitchen. It reminded her of her place back on earth. If only she still had her books. She would be happy to stay here.

She entered her code into the door and carefully watched the room as she entered. It wouldn't do to get ambushed before she could get off the planet. Seeing nothing amiss she went inside and collapsed on her bed. She hated the job she had been forced to take as a waitress. Smiling for tips. Considering most of the furred aliens that chose to live on this godforsaken planet thought humans were ugly she didn't get very many of them.

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Praying that she could go three more days without being discovered.

She dreamed of Earth, of her job as a librarian. Before she had been shifted and had to fight for her life as the first System User.