I can recall two... no, three men in the ten, They were around a table in the back, smoking their cigars all the while. A female droid watched on from behind them, recognizable from the barcode on her cheek. Unlike the worker droids, she wore a gray military uniform rather than work garments. The men seemed to be discussing some sort of plan judging from how they gestured to the map. However, they quickly ceased their conversation once they noticed our presence.

"Overseer, sir; two of the collaborator droids returned from patrol," the more neutral guard informed their leader firmly. "They returned with this LEX droid and are waiting for compensation. It didn't attempt to escape, but it has been making some... outlandish claims."

If my hands had nerves, I'm sure they would've trembled uncontrollably. The most decorated officer's eyes narrowed in my direction, and one of his eyebrows raised suspiciously at the sight of me.

"A LEX droid? Without a fight?" He repeated, marching around the others to begin circling me like a shark around fresh meat. "That sounds like a bunch of bull."

I tensed as he took hold of my jaw, staring at the barcode on my cheek. I didn't dare look him in the eyes, but I remember whispering a small plea. "Please don't..."

To my shock, he released me immediately. I didn't see his expression, but I heard the Overseer hiss in excitement, "Well I'll be damned. This is LEX-001.  Inform the communication center and get the Taskmaster on the line! Tell him we've found his prize. I thought we would never find it, but I stand corrected."

Before I could defend myself, the neutral guard interrupted, "Sir, there's something else you ought to know first. We're not entirely sure if this LEX is in the best condition, or if it's even the right LEX."

I didn't dare move a muscle and kept my eyes downcast. I overheard the bustling of people evacuating the tent before the gruff voice of the Overseer growled, "What do you mean, solider? I assume you scanned the barcode. What did the scanner say it was?"

"It read it as LEX-001, but the droid has been acting a bit odd, sir," the guard continued, tripping over his words. "It doesn't act like the LEX we were briefed on. It hasn't put up much of a fight— truth be told, it's been acting much more docile. It's been anything but ruthless. It claims to be a TROY engineer that was transferred into the slums a few days ago. It even gave specific details about the personnel in question, and the ID code it gave matched the engineer in question. It gave other details on the engineer's personal life too, but we don't have the personnel file to confirm the information."

The Overseer snorted with disbelief at the guard's claim. "It's yanking you boys' chain. Now get that machine secured in a spare connection port and have communications contact the Taskmaster."

I couldn't stand being treated like a piece of pottery any longer. I tried picking through my own experiences, trying to find the right words to say. I quickly managed to stutter, "S-sir, I have worked on droids for about three years now. I'm still a bit shaky, but if I've learned anything, it's that droids make terrible liars. All the droids I have worked on have always told the truth if asked directly, no matter how reluctant."

I finally lifted my eyes to meet the Overseer's cold gaze. "I don't know anything about this... this LEX droid. I've never worked on one. I never heard of one before today. Yesterday, I was a TROY employee and... a son who was trying to do his best to support his parents. Now I'm trapped in the body of android with nowhere to go."

I paused, quickly trying to find myself in my cluttered thought process. "My identification code is 7452587. You can check my personnel file from TROY, and it should be able to confirm everything I've said."

I could still feel the sensation of knives piercing through my body in the awkward silence. This time, I didn't dare break eye contact with the Overseer, but I was unable to read the man's expression. It was just as emotionless as a droid's.

However, if I had a heart in the next moment, it probably would've almost collapsed completely. The Overseer looked to the other guards and growled, "Check their story. Report back to me on your findings. LIV, find the Doctor just in case."

I had only just realized that the female droid was still present. She gazed coolly into my eyes from the corner she stood in. After a moment she spoke, "It would not be wise for me to leave you alone with a known fugitive. It could be a facade, and I am programmed to guard you at all costs."

"That wasn't a suggestion. Go find the Doctor, and tell her to be on stand-by. That's an order."

Unable to argue against a direct command, LIV bowed her head respectfully before leaving the tent after the other guards. I remember her stare continuing to burn into me before finally leaving her sight. 

It was just me and the Overseer standing in the tense silence. I didn't say a word as he lowered himself into a chair and reclined backward. He never turned his back on me. His stare bored into me even through the haze of cigar smoke.

"Let's say for a moment that this isn't just some well-spun tale you've been spewing," the Overseer began with a slight groan. "How in God's green earth did you end up in a synthetic?"

"I... I don't know," I replied truthfully. "I just... woke up like this. Whoever did it left a note, and I—"

The Overseer straightened up. "Note? What note? Give it here. I want to read this for myself."

I nearly flinched at the severity in his voice, and he had extended his hand expectantly. Yet I hesitated, remembering the contents.

Keep your head down and stay out of sight of the overseers.

I patted my pockets before pausing. "I'm sorry. I must've lost it when the hunters found me. I still remember what it said."

The man raised an eyebrow with suspicion. "Well, then what was the tone of the droid? What did it want with a human body, and where would he have gone now that he has one? Did it brag about its plan?"

"The... the tone? Plan?"

I paused, thinking back to the note before answering, "He seemed... regretful. Like this was his only shot at whatever he had to do. He never gave away what his plan was. I don't know why he needed a human body or what he'd accomplish by inhabiting it. I don't know why he chose me specifically either. I'm not a high-level engineer, so he would gain nothing from stealing my... my life."

It was like reality had smacked me in the head twice over. The idea of someone else walking around in my own body made me nearly feel something I can only compare to nausea.

I swallowed before trying to think of a better explanation to give. "The only thing I can see him wanting a body for is to hide. I mean, I've been in this body for a day, and these barcodes don't exactly make traveling easy."

I vaguely remember taking note of the Overseer's face at that moment, and his eyes seemed to reflect that sentiment.

The next word he uttered I would never forget, drilled into me like a screw. Darkness shrouded his expression as he whispered with meaning, "Autolycus."

At that moment, I didn't understand the importance of the name. "Sir?"

He ignored me as he bolted on his feet. He took hold of the communicator on the desk and ordered urgently, "LIV, I want two men in the base tent on the double. Have communications on stand by."

The radio crackled a little. "Of course, sir. Is everything adequate?"

I remember flinching at the harsh crack of the communicator being slammed back down on the desk surface. The Overseer turned back to me, hostility radiating from his body. I still shiver at the memory.

"On behalf of the entire Synthetic Watch Force, I'm deeply sorry that you got dragged into this... demonstration," the Overseer began darkly. "It's a terrible shame that it chose a civilian above anyone else. However, I'm afraid this won't be an easy situation to fix-- let alone a cheap one."

Another pair of armed guards had entered the tent, followed closely by the same female droid from earlier. Her cold expression had become as sharp as an ice pick.

"Confine him to the Tinker Room," the Overseer ordered the guards. "Have one of the engineers examine him for anything out of the ordinary. LIV, have Lieutenant Su report back as soon as he's confirmed his findings. I want everyone else looking for any TROY employee within the slums."

The same warning was beating inside my head like a heartbeat.

Do not be dismantled, do not be shut down.

It was one thing to worry about the thief's body, but what about mine?

"Wait, what are you going to do to me?" I demanded as two of the guards grabbed my arms, and the female droid bowed her head respectfully. "What about my body— my human one?"

But all the reassurance I got was a gruff, "You settle down, and nobody will get hurt. Let the professionals handle this. I'm not about to let either one of you run amuck."

The Overseer had turned his back toward me as I was pulled away. The last thing I saw as I was yanked out of that tent was the empty, soulless eyes of LIV— observing me like a rouge animal in a zoo.