"Belay that order," said Commander Gibson "Captain?"

"I am safe, alone, no longer under duress. I am ordering you not to blow that airlock," came the voice of the Captain in reply.

"It's another trick!" exclaimed Dr. Kang "Don't be fooled! Launch that failed experiment into the interstellar medium!"

"Captain... what are you talking about? Cold blooded murder? He attempted a terrorist takeover of the Armstrong!" Mitzner demanded.

"He made the attempt and he failed," came Littlecrow's voice in reply "The threat is over and at the moment he is helpless. Killing him at this point is no better than murder."

"That's the Captain alright," said Mitzner "Although if you want to interpret that order as being under duress I'll back you up at the court-martial."

"I wouldn't break the chain of command even for a cause so pure," said Gibson "Although it is tempting. Welcome back Captain. Should I send anyone down to escort you back?"

"I can find my way around this ship well enough," said Littlecrow "Good job everyone."

"You're all being pulled in by an amateurish deception," barked Dr. Kang.

"Can we keep him restrained like this forever?" asked Mitzner.

"Speaking of restraining Dr. Kang forever," said Gibson "What are we going to do about the other one? We can't just leave it in there."

"Of course not," said the Captain "The other Dr. Kang has as much a right to life as anything else. What it does not have, what nobody has, is the right to try and take my ship. We'll drop him off at Mars and let him stand trial for what he's done."

"Would he even qualify as a Foundation citizen?" asked Gibson.

"Questions like that are why I didn't become a lawyer," said the Captain "Set a course for home. Let's go make this asshole someone else's problem."

* * *

After the fourth successful escape attempt, a cell was finally designed that was able to hold the cybernetic Dr. Kang. It was in the heart of Li Jing station, the highest security orbital prison in the core worlds.

Multiple redundant surveillance systems, monitored remotely and in-person by a highly trained staff selected for their strong wills and subjected to antihypnotic conditioning. Layers of shielding and other fields of force filtered every molecule of air that passed in or out. Every part of the cell or the prisoner's artificial body that could be removed and weaponized (i.e. everything that could be removed) was taken away.

Dr. Kang wasn't able to write anything down, but he had a perfect memory and could keep his notes in his head. He was deep in thought, working on a new formula for artificial antimatter, when he received his first and only visitor.

The young woman approached the transparent window of shielding that looked into Dr. Kang's cell. Dr. Kang didn't recognize her face but he knew instantly who it was. He wondered, idly, who this person had been before Dr. Dresden took her body.

"I suppose you find this all highly amusing," said Dr. Kang.

"Why Heliodore," replied Dr. Dresden "Do you think I'm so petty that I'd come all the way to Li Jing just to gloat?"

"That's what the data would seem to indicate."

"You might be right," said Dresden "Perhaps if the other you was the one imprisoned I would be here merely as an ambassador of bad will. I'm not one to deny myself little indulgences. However, as the situation stands I'm here to speak with you on more pleasant terms."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Kang.

"I'm here to let you know that the Council had a meeting and we've decided that you're the iteration of Dr. Heliodore Kang that we're going to recognize," said Dresden.

"I am?" replied Dr. Kang, hesitant with suspicion.

"Frankly a not-insignificant bloc within the Council has been worried that you had become ideologically compromised. There were concerns. Then you were able to take Alexandria Littlecrow hostage on her own ship, and very nearly put yourself in command of the Armstrong single-handedly. Impressive. I saw a little of the old Heliodore Kang in that report."

"So what now?" said Dr. Kang.

"Now we get you out of here, and quietly make all these charges disappear," said Dr. Dresden "It wouldn't do for a member of the Council to be locked up like this. There's too much work to do. The future of humanity depends on us."

The Mind of Dr. Kang: End