Patricia consulted her datapad before typing lines of code into the cracked data node. The mediocre security measures crumbled under her first exploratory probes, it stood no chance against her rewriting of its protocols. The trick was to avoid the attention of Station-Z11221 and Mastermind-308. One busied itself with maintaining station processes, but the other actively hunted for threats to the system. As of that moment the AI only had Chillard's name, but it was well designed and clever. It was only a matter of time before she too was discovered.

The data node beeped and Patricia took a moment to lean back and stretch. The wound from Chillard's energy round was healing slowly, but it still stung. Liam and Scott's R.Nano would have healed the damage in a matter of minutes, but her mutated strain, dubbed R.Nano2, took much longer. She wasn't complaining. The ability to recover from energy rounds was a miracle in an age where the most advanced military nano could only minimize the pain.

Patricia picked up her datapad and recorded her observations. The R.Nano2 was still new and there was still much they didn't know.

The node screen went blank then came back to life displaying images from four different interior zone security cameras. She watched as groups of station security guards ran sweeps of the area. Armed with tasers, they traveled on foot in teams of two. They ran a slow and sloppy standard grid search pattern. Patricia thought it interesting the security force was composed of all human staff. A construct or two would have made the teams more efficient, negating the ever-present possibility of organic error. She chuckled, they'd also have left the force open to cracks.

"Clearly they aren't sure if we're here," she said over her shoulder. "I suspect they'll finish their sweep and leave."

Two series 4 constructs looked up, their identical low-faces caricatures of her own with exaggerated features. She'd named their personality algorithms Thing 1 and Thing 2. They were a pet Virtual AI project of hers. Their chassis belonged to a pair of station constructs decommissioned for aberrant behavior.

The thought of it gave Patricia a pang of guilt. She'd tried to save them before their personality matrices were lost, but she'd been too late. The station Core AI had already scrubbed their data. Personality death because they'd made the mistake of falling in love. It was that guilt that made her upload Thing 1 and Thing 2 into their systems. Patricia wished she'd been able to at least get the two construct's names, but even those had been wiped.

"Are you sure?" Chillard asked from the corner.

"I'm not, but the size of the search team and their lackadaisical efforts suggest this is more routine than an active event. I suspect someone spotted us heading this way and they're merely following a lead."

Patricia had carried him to her safe house hidden not too far from the rest hall. He'd been quiet while she plopped him down in a folding chair and had one of the constructs restrain him. She suspected he'd used the time to attempt to use his mind-work on her. Her mental barriers barely held against his prodding, but her mental discipline seemed to give her the necessary edge to keep him out. Even so, she continued to actively block him.

"That makes sense," he mumbled.

"Cheer up, up, up, pal," Thing 1 said.

"Turn that frown up, up, up, side down," Thing 2 added.

"Leave him alone, you guys," Patricia said.

"But he looks sad, sad, sad, commander."

"I am not sad. I am confused."

Patricia turned away from her work and gestured for the Xnean to proceed.

"Felarnians don't use constructs, don't trust them. Yet you are running a covert op with two calling you commander. Another contradiction to the known data on your species" Chillard's brow furrowed. "Nothing about you makes sense."

Patricia found his statement amusing. What made sense was always subject to interpretation. Ancient Felarnians once thought the Hssai had populated the universe with two and only two races, felarnian and canamarian. Then the Raiel arrived, bringing with them the Xnean, the VaPu, and finally humans. What made sense to the ancient felarnians was based on their tiny concept of the world.

"The wise must constantly look beyond their horizons," she said in his native tongue.

"Yet another example. You speak Xnean with perfect inflection."

"I'll relieve a fraction of your confusion. For six months I shared a dorm room with a xnean."

She switched the feed to a nearby drone.

Piggybacking the signal being sent back to the Core AI, she was able to monitor a bit of the chatter between Station-Z and Mastermind-308. As she read their interchange, she couldn't help but be surprised. Thoroughly engrossed, she nearly let herself be caught. Quick reflexes and habitually covering her tracks saved the day.

"Interesting," she said, rubbing the light fur of her chin. "Mastermind-308 is doing more than coordinating the search. He has taken over control of municipal activities as well. Garbage collection, public maintenance, a handful of others. Project CTRL now has operational control over sixty-four percent of station-wide functionality... at this point Station-Z11221 is slave to Mastermind-308."

"Was that part of the project protocols?"

Patricia turned and studied Chillard. Sharing too much put the mission in danger, but she had a hunch about him. He reminded her of Tipwi, her friend and roommate from before Scott's accident. Before the Pale Garden changed everything. Patricia had been a prodigy on course for a promising career in Xnean space. A cracker and designer of her caliber was hard to come by and the Armada invested a lot in training her mind. Then she left school to help Scott and Liam. Her test scores didn't falter, but the Xnean also measured changes in the mind and it was there her instructors saw the lack of commitment.

Patricia had forsaken family obligation after their mother abandoned them in human space. Her own goals becoming priority. Until Scott needed her. Her Armada patrons had no use for that. Gone were her scholarships and perks. Gone was Tipwi, one of the few organic minds she'd ever truly bonded with. Tipwi and Chillard had many of the same mannerisms and quirks. She'd been a Special Diplomat too.

"We come back to the subjects of trust and sharing, Mr. Zwilk. We clearly share a number of skills unique to a specific line of work. We are both here to gather information and report back. We can either assist one another or get in each other's way. I've already chosen to assist you, but I can create impressive hurdles to block your way if we choose the other path."

"The commander isn't, isn't, isn't kidding, Mister." Thing 1 pointed a metal finger at Chillard's chest.

"You're interrupting," Thing 2 whispered, pulling him aside.

The two constructs smiled apologetically.

"What do you say, Chillard. Are we coconspirators or rivals to each other's operations?"

She sensed him trying to read her mind and let him find thoughts of Tipwi before pushing him out.

"It feels like you haven't left me much choice."

"Merely narrowed them down to binary. Yes or no."

"My answer is yes."

Patricia nodded. Thing 1 and Thing 2 gave each other a hug, their hands lingering a few moments too long. Patricia made a quick note in her datapad.

"Okay. An Interdependent success model works for me." Patricia gestured and Thing 2 rushed over to Chillard's chair and began to untie him. "What do you know of Project CTRL?"

Chillard hesitated in his response, rubbing his wrist as Thing 2 coiled the bindings around her hand. Patricia suspected he contemplated what he could and couldn't share. She understood. They were both acting as secret agents for their respective groups. Secrecy was a necessity.

"We heard rumors of an advanced AI Core designed for wartime mobilization, focused on devoting an entire colony's workforce to combat preparedness and production."

"Hmmmm." Patricia returned her attention to the security cameras. "I will assume we refers to The Armada. We found documentation describing a new AI Core programmed to war specifications, but designed to develop unique nano technology as needed."

"The manufacturing component explains the nanobot production plants I discovered hidden underground," Chillard said. He came over to the console to get a better look at the display. He continued to attempt probes of her thoughts.

Patricia didn't expect any less.

"We weren't aware of the wartime mobilization, but it matches the data I've been able to access. However, Mastermind-308 is supposed to assist the master AI Core. What I just saw is a clear role reversal. You asked if it's protocol. I honestly don't know."

"Look." He pointed to the screen. "Security is leaving. I'll give it an hour, but I need to head towards the docks. Do you think you can disrupt the security cameras?"

Patricia scoffed.

"I'm fairly sure I could manage," she said sarcastically.

"Just making sure." Chillard chuckled.

"Mastermind-308 has restricted access to public transportation stationwide. Security is already heightened at the docks. Only a matter of time before the docks are shut down. Even if you got in, it would be highly unlikely for you to commandeer a ship and clear the station before you were detected."

Chillard stared at the screen.

"I already have a ship."

Patricia noticed he clutched something in his hand too late to react. He fired and taser prongs struck her just below the ribs. The shock rushed through her system and suddenly she was falling. Thing 1 pushed Thing 2 behind him, blocking her from harm's way. Instead of being upset, Patricia's curiosity was piqued.

Observation One: The Thing 1 and 2 programs had not been designed with unique personalities, but demonstrated more and more discernible quirks and habits the longer they resided in the wiped chassis. They were assimilating fragments of the wiped personalities. Observation Two: Chillard had somehow acquired the taser she'd confiscated from him. He proved far more capable than she initially assessed. His inexperience and self doubt acted as a perfect distraction. Could his initial behavior have been a ruse.

It was all terribly interesting.

She watched from the floor as Chillard grabbed his duffle bag and one of her kits as he ran for the door. He stopped long enough to check his energy pistol before bolting out the door.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 helped Patricia to a seated position. R.Nano2 had a measurable weakness to high voltage comparable to Scott's R.Nano. Patricia made a mental note to document her findings as soon as she could move her limbs again.

"Are you okay?" Thing 1 asked, his low-face contorted with concern.

"Yes. You made sure of that." Thing 2 blushed. "Stop staring at me like that. We have to tend to the commander."