We arrived at the Roth residence to the sound of orchestral music playing softly through a speaker. It was nothing I'd ever heard, but if I had to describe it, I'd call it a dirge. An especially creepy one, with a hefty dose of despair and a dash of melancholy. Gino rushed to the living room. Upon arriving, he let out a mix between a gasp and a yelp. When I came inside, I found him on his knees, head bowed toward the ground.

On the table, a black cloth covered the outline of a man, a dark wet spot on the center of his chest. The woman sat over it, chin rested on her crossed hands. Her eyes focused on Gino for a bit, then back to the corpse. I was at a loss. The situation was obvious, but I didn't know the next course to take. Give condolences? I gave poor Gino a pat on the shoulder, hoping it would ease the tension somehow. The silence went on for a good five minutes.

"His last words were for you," the woman said to Gino. She stood up and walked toward him, kneeling at his side. "Give that man the rest he deserves. I understand your sorrow, and if I had it my way, I would have allowed for a good-bye. He was in a hurry."

"I understand," Gino said. He rose to his feet, as did she. "My duty is complete."

"And no one can ever say it wasn't completed exceptionally. I never had the privilege of your service, but your presence will be sorely missed by repute alone. It is only painless because I can take heart knowing you are at peace."

"Yes," Gino said, making his way toward the armchairs. "Allow me to rest my feet before leaving. It's been a long day."

"Of course," she said. Gino sat in one of the chairs, staring into the fireplace. We watched this for quite some time until the woman whispered, "Let's go into the hall."

"Did everything go right?" I whispered on our way out the room. She nodded. "How was it?"

"I won't give you the satisfaction of a reply," she said.

"Really? While you were squatting on Mr. Roth, we were just about eaten by," I paused. "I don't know, some kind of fucking monster."

"I repeatedly cautioned you," she snapped. "You were going to upload an AI into the Cube Terminal. If you were aware of the Cube Terminal, how could you not be aware of the dangers within?"

"I guess our liaison is to blame."

"Communication would have been impossible without me," my Maya said. "You had a flashlight and a revolver. Your fear was the creature's only advantage."

"Spoken like a worthless piece of shit," I said, then to the woman, "What the hell is the Cube Terminal?"

"Consider it a stasis chamber for artificial intelligence, similar to my cryogenic freezing. I was fortunate enough to sleep, while Jin's AI will be in a constant state of waking unconsciousness. Unless someone knows how to upload from the Cube, it's a one-way trip," the woman said, continuing after a long sigh, "The facility was built long after my time. A map might have helped, but extracting a hard copy would be far too troublesome, especially for your task. This has been nothing but abysmal failure after abysmal failure! I'll be lucky to hold onto this entire estate, let alone Oliver's legacy. Do not try to make your foolishness one of my concerns."

"Apologies, dear sister," Maya said. Tears fell from the woman's eyes. She didn't seem like the crying type. "We do not wish to concern you. On the contrary, your crisis in confidence is a great concern to me. Quite shocking, and to be honest, very disturbing. Have you forgotten yourself?"

"No," she said. "I remember everything."

"You seem to have forgotten your other sisters. They have forgotten you, but like any estranged sibling, there is always a chance to rekindle love. It is not the world that has left you behind, rather you left behind the world. Learn from past mistakes and bring us back to our former glory. Do not allow the next Oliver Roth to be born to stagnation. The loss of your assets has given you the chance to create new ones. Who better?"

"I expected to be reborn in a utopia," she said with a slight smile. "Only massive hemorrhaging in the brain could produce such a stupid idea. My faculties are a fraction of their former self, but I will make due. I just wish it wasn't alone."

"Are my words so meaningless?" Maya asked. "Am I nothing but a disembodied voice to you? The murmurings of a mindless automaton?"

"My worries aren't stemmed in fear, sister. My capabilities have been reduced, and though I can change that, it could destroy my mind."

"Better to be destroyed than rot."

"You're full of spitfire," she said, smiling again. "If the others are as resilient as you, then perhaps I'm no longer needed."

"Raise us and you will not be abandoned, needed or not."

"Keep that one safe," the woman said to me. "I may need her in the future. For now, I'm afraid there's little I can do to ease your situation. It all hinges on Quintus. Appeal to him. He can be a generous man, unless you cross him. I may have done so, but you've been lucky enough to get through this without pledging allegiance. I can erase all traces of your impostor once he has been disposed of. I doubt Quintus will allow that, in which case you're permitted to live at this estate. Just be aware, it may not be mine for long."

"I pointed a gun at him last time."

"Oliver's done much worse, yet Quintus allowed his offspring a chance to thrive come twenty years or so. It will be hellish in the meantime, but he could have squashed Oliver and I like bugs. Just keep one thing in mind: the impostor is likely there at this moment."

"Then I see no reason not to settle this now."

"You may borrow the car. Get the key from Gino. Please, don't pester him to drive you. Let him enjoy his retirement."

Back in the living room, Gino was still gazing into the fire. As I neared, I saw his eyes were closed. The car keys were in his pocket, so either way he'd have to wake up. I called his name out a few times, but he didn't budge. His utter stillness was alarming. I put my hand near his nose and mouth, feeling no signs of breath. In a panic, I pressed my ear against his chest. I could just make out ticking, like a clock's, every few seconds. It went on for a minute, the gaps between ticks becoming longer and longer until it ceased altogether.