“What the bleep are we doing out here?” Ruby said, rubbing her gloved hands together in the cold air. She wore a thick coat, one quite a bit too big for her. The lower edge hung down around her knees, making it look more like some kind of coat-dress.

It looked a whole lot warmer than Dyna’s coat. Before moving to Idaho, she never owned anything heavier than a light jacket. It just didn’t get that cold in Los Angeles. Now? Here in Idaho’s November? She had gone out and purchased a much thicker jacket, but standing out in the empty desert made her wish she had a few more layers on.

Still, there wasn’t anywhere else she was willing to go at the moment.

To Dyna, a private conversation didn’t just mean pulling Ruby off to the side for a few whispered words. While the dorm rooms didn’t have those obvious security cameras positioned in every corner, Dyna’s newfound sense of paranoia didn’t allow her to talk freely anywhere on the Carroll Institute campus. There could be microphones hidden in the cupboards or maybe the cameras in the halls had sensitive enough microphones to listen to the goings on in the rooms.

It was actually a bit disturbing on further thought. When Beatrice had been leading her through the alleys of Idaho Falls, Dyna had been beyond glad to have a friendly voice speaking with certainty. In retrospect, calling all the phones just as Dyna arrived, knowing the code to buildings, knowing that someone had left their car running…

Just how far could Beatrice reach?

Hopefully not this far.

Dyna glanced back to the station wagon parked a fair distance away. Its headlights were the only illumination out on this stretch of desert, somewhere between the Carroll Institute and Idaho Falls. Before leaving it, Dyna made sure that both she and Ruby left behind their phones. Emerald sat inside still, no sign that she rolled down the windows to try to listen in. Then again, for all Dyna knew, she had some parabolic microphone aimed at them that was able to pick up voices despite being inside the car and across an empty stretch of desert.

Dyna felt a bit bad about leaving her there, probably wondering what was going on. In fact, looking down at Ruby, she had to wonder what she had been thinking. Ruby was a ten-year-old girl. A scary ten-year-old girl who knew a bit too much about about guns and knives, but still, what was she going to do to help?

Emerald was almost certainly the better option. But Ruby… Ruby had one thing going for her.

Following the incident with Id, Ruby had outright threatened to attack the Carroll Institute personnel should they try anything she didn’t like. Between that and a few conversations over movies and shooting range activities, Dyna felt she could trust that Ruby wouldn’t turn her over to the institute.

Grunting as a fist hit her stomach, Dyna turned her worried look to a glare. It hadn’t been a hard hit. From seeing her hit a punching bag, Dyna knew that Ruby could do worse. Still…

“What was that for?”

“You drag me out into the middle of nowhere, in the dark, in the cold, and don’t even say anything?”

“I’m trying to figure out what to say!”

“That’s even worse! Why do you want to drag me out here for a talk if you don’t know what you want to talk about?”

“No, it isn’t what I want to say. I know that. I’m trying to think of how to say it.”

Ruby crossed her arms, shivering with a glare. “You should have been thinking of that for the whole drive out here.”

“I was.”

“Is this about that Id bitch? The doctors will find her—they have ways of finding people. Then Emerald and I will gut her. You can come too, if it will make you feel better.”

“No, I…” Dyna paused, thinking about it a moment longer. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.” Not necessarily to ‘gut’ someone, as Ruby put it. But seeing one of the causes of her paranoia being removed as a threat would help her state of mind. Hopefully.

Dyna was perfectly ready to admit that she had a lot going on. For some reason, however, Id didn’t feel that important. At least not in compared to everything else. Id represented a threat, true, but memories going missing represented an existential threat.

“Good. You just had to ask. Now let’s get back where it’s warm and—”

“But that isn’t what I wanted to talk about.” At the burning glare Ruby shot her, Dyna quickly asked, “What would you do if you found out someone had erased some of your memories?”

Ruby’s response came instantly. “Gut them.” No hesitation. No deliberation.

“What if you didn’t know who?”

“I would find out who and then gut them.”

“How?”

“With my knife.” Ruby whipped out a curved blade that looked a lot like a velociraptor’s talon. She swiped it back and forth through the air, presumably miming her gutting.

“I…” Dyna slowly shook her head. “I meant how would you find them?”

“I would ask Em. She’ll know or know who to talk to.”

“What if it was Emerald who erased your memories?”

The swiping knife froze as Ruby locked up. The girl didn’t budge. Even the clouds of misty air that came with every breath stopped. Only her red hair moved, strands drifting in the light yet icy breeze.

Despite the cold, beads of sweat formed on the back of Dyna’s neck. She quickly backpedaled. This was an issue she did not want to explore out in the cold with a girl already waving a knife around. “She didn’t. Emerald didn’t do anything. Just, hypothetically, what if someone you trusted messed with your mind?”

A small cloud of frosty breath, illuminated in the station wagon’s headlights, slowly dispersed in the air from Ruby’s nose. “Emerald wouldn’t do that,” she said, voice hard yet quiet.

“Not Emerald,” Dyna said again.

“Someone messed with your head? That Id woman? Why didn’t you tell Cross?”

“He might be part of the problem.”

Ruby slowly narrowed her eyes. “He’s a traitor? I knew that Russian son of a—”

“No. I mean, I don’t know about that. He’s Russian?”

“Em said he changed his name when he moved here. She doesn’t like him. Em had a bad experience with Psi-Corp and he reminds her of that, I think.”

“I…” Dyna trailed off, glancing back to the station wagon. “I didn’t know that. But I don’t think that has anything to do with my problem. Or maybe it does?” Dyna mentally groaned. One more complication to add on top of the pile. Last month at this time, her biggest worry had been thinking too hard and popping a blood vessel.

Now?

Dyna shook her head, shelving Cross’ past into the back of her mind as she tried to refocus on her original point of coming out here. “We went through those tests to see if someone did implant subconscious commands or whatever, right? During those, I think I discovered that someone had erased my memories. Lots of them.” Dyna sighed, shoving her hands into her coat pockets. It really was a bit chilly for a heart-to-heart. She didn’t even have nice leather gloves like Ruby wore. “I can’t… think of any gaps in my past, but it isn’t like I could naturally remember everything I’ve ever been through and I wouldn’t know what it is that I’m missing. But I feel like this is too much for one person to erase over a conversation that only lasted a few minutes. And one memory only got partially erased, but it was of something from so long ago that I can’t see why Id would care to erase it now. Meaning it got changed a long time ago.”

“Then who did it? Emerald?”

“Not Emerald,” Dyna stressed. “I don’t know who did. If I did, this would be a significantly smaller problem. The only organization I know of who could do large-scale memory modification is the Carroll Institute. Which is why I’m so worried.”

“But its because of them that you learned about this in the first place.”

“Maybe. I thought of that earlier. But what if that was just an accident.”

“Maybe,” Ruby spat. “What if? You keep saying that. It’s annoying to not know. Let’s go ask Doctor Cross.”

“Just that easy, huh?” Dyna said with a sigh. Talking this over with a ten-year-old had almost certainly been a mistake. Scary though she could be, the human brain simply wasn’t developed enough at that age to make proper decisions and empathize with others.

Maybe it would be best to talk with Emerald. Ruby seemed to trust her.

“Of course it isn’t that easy,” Ruby said with a forced laugh. “First, we get a few crates of C4—Emerald has some or will know where to get some—and set it up around the facility. Then we set it to a timer so that if they do try to do something to us, the entire place goes boom. And—”

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. This is… Blowing up the institute? You can’t even suggest that. There are hundreds of innocent people there.”

“Like who?”

“My roommate, for one.”

“Hmph.” Ruby turned aside. “Maybe one less crate then, and only around Psychodynamics? It isn’t a problem if they didn’t do anything. We’ll just go turn the timers off.”

“No. No bombs.” Dyna pressed a hand to her forehead. Just as Ruby opened her mouth, Dyna quickly added, “And no rushing through the halls guns blazing either.”

Ruby’s mouth snapped shut as she scuffed her shoe on the dirt, kicking a rock aimlessly. “Fine. Infiltration then. That’s more Emerald’s thing, but I know enough to show you the ropes.”

Dyna narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean by infiltration?”

“We head into Psychodynamics, pull up your private files, and see if there are records of erasing your memories.”

“Walk in and read some files? Just like that?”

“Almost too easy, isn’t it? I mean, we’re already allowed in most areas. Don’t even need disguises, stolen security cards, or anything else you’d normally need.”

Dyna pressed her lips together. “You do things like this often?”

“Once or twice. For something like this situation, I normally get off easy because a kid will either go about unnoticed or simply can’t go into most places we would want to go. Those are the only two options. That’s why it’s mostly Emerald’s thing.” Ruby paused a moment before standing up just a little straighter, like she was trying to make herself look bigger than she was. “But I can do it. I know plenty.”

“What about Beatrice?”

Ruby shrugged. “That glorified secretary? What about it?”

“She watches everything. All those cameras… If we take one step into the wrong place—”

“We won’t. I’m allowed just about everywhere. As long as we don’t do anything to trigger an alarm, Beatrice won’t do anything.”

Dyna bit at the inside of her cheek. Was she really being talked into snooping about a secret government facility by a child? It certainly was a plan a child would come up with. The only difference between Ruby and some other kid was that Dyna had a sneaking suspicion that Ruby would actually be able to pull it off.

More to the point, what did Dyna want? A few hours ago, she had just wanted to set up a few secret spots containing notes and memories just in case she lost her own. With Ruby, maybe she could have asked her to remind her of a few things every now and again, just to make sure that she remembered. But… that all felt like such a passive plan now. It wouldn’t actually accomplish much of anything and Dyna’s paranoia wouldn’t go anywhere. If anything, she would probably end up more paranoid that she was missing some note cache while remembering others.

Infiltration, on the other hand, certainly sounded more dangerous. But was it really? The Carroll Institute, if innocent, would probably not be too upset if and when they discovered her actions. She was an artificer, a status that granted her significant value in the eyes of the researchers. Especially Doctor Cross and Walter. That alone should keep her safe from too harsh a reprisal.

And if the institute were guilty? Well, not much would have changed except that Dyna would know. At least for a time. Ruby was right in that they could walk around freely. So perhaps they would even be able to get out of the facility before anyone realized whose files they had perused. Ruby, with her offer to blow up Psychodynamics, would probably help her escape. Then they could flee? Find some other organization to defect to?

Dyna shook her head. That felt like getting too far ahead of herself.

But knowing… That, above all, was what Dyna wanted.

And Ruby was offering just that.

“Alright.”

“Yes,” Ruby said with a fist-pump. She then turned on her heel and pointed a finger straight toward the station wagon. “Suck it, Em. I get to run an operation for once.”

Dyna raised an eyebrow.

“Okay. Goal: Find files pertaining to you. Discover whether or not the Carroll Institute mucked with your memory. Is that right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Limitations: No bombs.”

“Or guns or… knives,” Dyna added. “If they’re innocent, I don’t want them too angry with me. Killing people or even just injuring them would have them really angry. And that is besides the fact that we would probably be hurting completely innocent people.”

Ruby scoffed, but nodded her head. “Fine. Anything else?”

Dyna… wasn’t sure. “Nothing comes to mind immediately, but I don’t know much about this kind of thing.”

“That’s why this is a perfect first mission to you. Should be easy. All you need to do is act natural. Come on,” Ruby said, taking hold of Dyna’s hand, “we’ve got some planning to do and some equipment to gather up.”

It wasn’t long before Dyna found herself back inside the confines of the station wagon. Although thankfully warm, she couldn’t unwind a nervous knot that had formed inside her stomach.

“Have a good chat?” Emerald asked with a sweet smile as she pulled the car back onto the road.

Ruby crossed her arms, putting on the smuggest look a ten-year-old could manage. “Did we? Ha. I bet you would like to know.”

“Sorry,” Dyna said. “I should probably tell y—”

“No!” Ruby snapped. “You can’t. She’ll stick her nose into everything and try to take over and just be annoying.”

“But—”

“No. And that’s final. I’m leading this operation and you’re following my orders.”

Dyna frowned down at Ruby. She hadn’t agreed to anything like that and almost said so, but hesitated. Ruby didn’t look angry or upset quite so much as she looked like she was pleading.

“An operation, is it?” Emerald cut in. “Without me?”

“Dyna has something she wants to do and she knew that I could help her best,” Ruby said, smug tone returning once again.

Green eyes flashed in the rear-view mirror, finding Dyna’s eyes. Emerald didn’t look angry or hurt. Amused, maybe? “Is that so?” she asked with a long hum.

“Sorry,” Dyna said again. “I didn’t mean to start—”

“Quiet,” Ruby hissed. “Information security is key. Loose lips sink ships.”

“Passing on all I’ve taught you, are you?” she said with a barely concealed laugh.

“Huh?” Ruby cocked her head to the side. “You didn’t teach me anything. It’s common sense.”

“Of course it is. This isn’t anything dangerous, is it? Ruby?”

The way she said Ruby’s name was a bit harsher than the rest of the conversation. It actually got Ruby to stop and think to herself for a long moment. Eventually, she shook her head.

“Level zero. Zero point five at most.”

“I believe you.”

Despite loose lips apparently sinking ships, Ruby took Emerald’s comment as a green light to start planning. She didn’t say anything specific, but still came up with a list of things they needed to acquire, including secure communication equipment, gloves, and some thumb drives that might apparently help them.

Dyna listened, but once it became clear that they weren’t going to discuss the actual event, she ended up not quite putting all her effort into the conversation. Her mind raced as she considered just what she had agreed to—just what she wanted to do.

Infiltrating a psychic organization to discover the truth. It sounded… just like some spy movie. A bit frightening. No. Really frightening. Despite attending a psychic institution and wanting to be a special psychic, Dyna still considered herself just a regular person. It helped that she didn’t have any overt abilities, but she liked to think that she could remain levelheaded even if she was the greatest mind reader ever recorded.

And really, what were they actually doing? Nothing more than walking into an office building to look at a few text documents. A text document pertaining to herself at that. Basically just walking into a doctor’s office to get a copy of her own medical records. Except bypassing the doctor because she was worried that the doctor would withhold information for her sake.

Or something like that, anyway.

Thinking about it in that frame, Dyna’s apprehension lessened. Like a small weight had been removed from her shoulders.

She could only hope that an even larger weight wouldn’t drop down on her once they actually found the files.