“I’ve done everything I can…her limbs were crushed, not severed; they can’t just be replaced. I’m afraid she won’t be very…mobile for at least a few days.”

“We understand. And thank you for helping. Did you have your wrist com on?”

“Yes…I heard it all…”

“Well?”

“I…I think I’ll go with you. I-if they heard Ten saying the things I heard her saying to Hundred…I don’t think they’d trust her either. I think you guys are right…!”

“Grab some supplies, then, and go to the northwest exit. Take as much as you can, and hurry. I’ll carry her.”

+++

When Hundred finally regained consciousness, she found herself on someone’s back. Her face was nestled against a carpet of black, silky hair.

“…Fifteen…?” she asked weakly.

“Quiet. And stay still. I shouldn’t even be moving you right now, but we need to act fast. Before Ten gets tired of preaching…and before the rest of the group goes out of range.”

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“You mean…the generator core…”

“Right. We ended up agreeing to disagree…Ten’s followers are staying here, and the rest of us are leaving with the core.”

“Where will we…go…?”

“Don’t know. 404 is probably thinking we should try to get asylum in another fleet…but I think Ten had a point when she called us fugitives. Once Administration understands what we’ve escaped from…I don’t think they’ll want us alive to tell the tale. Other Phaetons could get ideas.”

“That’s true…”

Hundred sniffed. Her nose was starting to bleed again.

She closed her eyes. “You…didn’t have to come back for me…” she murmured.

“Of course we did. You were instrumental in all this; we’d have to be heartless to abandon you here…especially since Ten has it in for you so badly…”

“Mm…”

“I’m sorry you never got to know…a version of her that was good. You’re probably tired of hearing it, but…she really wasn’t always—”

“I know. Actually…before she died…in that fight against the core with…the many arms…I think she started to apologize to me.”

“…Oh.”

“I don’t blame her…I mostly blame what happened to her. She must have had a long, hard life…being a Phaeton isn’t easy. I wanted to do something radical once, too…”

“Nothing like this, I hope.”

“Oh, no…I just wanted to run away.”

“Well, we’re running now.”

“Mm…” Hundred smiled weakly. “It’s like they say…be careful what you wish for.”

Fifteen met 112 at the exit, and together they dashed outside. They ran to the gate and slipped through the black clouds and out to the surrounding fields.

Two minutes later, the remaining Phaetons of the 1st fleet were given what they had wished for.