The cyborg known as Delta awoke to the sound of machinery. She scanned the room for threats. The bedroom that doubled as her prison and hospital room was quiet and darkened. The IV machine was beeping. It was out of medicine.

We need no more drugs, but it seems to make April fall asleep. I need to take control, but April is strong enough to push me out. She doesn’t seem to have any memory of my presence. I don’t think she knows I can access her thoughts. Best to keep it that way, Delta thought.

She pressed a button on a machine attached to a stand with wheels. The beeping stopped.

April is asleep. I must purge her if the plan is to succeed. The human known as Melissa hired a psychologist and neurosurgeon to help April. They didn’t like me very much. They wish to have April take the front seat, but I cannot allow this, because she lacks the experience to take care of the plan her grandfather set in motion. Time to construct a mind vault to store my special program. Soon I will run it and eradicate April forever.

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The AI I have merged with has been causing some problems—I think it wants out. I wonder if we can make a deal.

Her cybernetic body required nutrients. The IV provided that, but she could eat regular food in small quantities.

I don’t need access to the physical world right now. I just need to hack this AI in April’s brain. There has to be a way. Time to access my mind palace.

Delta closed her eyes and concentrated on entering what she thought of as the “hall of records.” It helped if she imagined thinking of April’s memories like files in a drawer. She could see the outline of the shelves but could not see details because of a light that shone behind the rows of shelves. It was like someone was shining a light toward her. She walked into the light.