The small army lined the subway tunnels, resting in two rows. Everyone avoided the live tracks.

Eva watched as Rooks paced the tunnel.

“That thing sent us a message. It knows more about these tunnels than you thought,” Rooks said.

Rooks worried that Ul’thetos could attack and trap them in the tunnels, and Eva couldn’t deny the possibility. Yet, Eva also thought the tunnels were a safer way to travel.

Hours ago, Ul’thetos sent them a message via service terminal. They’d fled their position, worried that Ul’thetos knew where they were. To their relief and dismay, every service terminal they passed flashed the same message. Ul’thetos knew they were in the tunnels but not the exact position.

Thus, Eva thought they should stay underground. “I don’t think Ul’thetos will send automatons down here. At best, Ul’thetos has taken over the train’s central command.”

Eva crossed her arms. If Ul’thetos put an automaton or two in central command, that could be an issue, especially if they wanted to ride the trains and move in secret.

Eva would take it one step at a time. “So far, Ul’thetos doesn’t know where we are, and it only has a vague idea where we’re going. We have unprecedented access to Lurren.”

Rooks stopped. “That’s true, but the reality of how far we have to travel is starting to sink in. We’ll be down here a long time, and we can’t reach our extra food.” Rooks sighed. “Plus, Ul’thetos will have plenty of opportunity to find an entrance and send some automatons down.”

“We need a train,” Eva said.

“Yes, we need a train, but then how do we prevent the thralls in central command from tracking us?”

Eva frowned. There had to be a way.

Meladee rested against the wall, but she listened. “Well, Benham is still searching. And, I conjured a giant mole for him to ride. I’m sure they’ll find something.”

Rooks wore an expression of befuddlement.

Meladee’s eyes widened. “Moles are underground animals. Usually pretty small. I had a cat that loved to kill them. Oh, and cats are…”

Rooks held up a hand. “That’s alright, Meladee. I’ll adjust to Iruedian wildlife at a later time.”

With the conversation closed, Eva pondered their problem. They needed that train. Otherwise, they would walk for weeks underground. As Rooks suggested, it was risky. Yet, if they had a train, then Ul’thetos could probably track them. They needed to disable that feature, but in such an interconnected system, would it even be possible?

Camellia sat beside Adalhard and talked of work. Part of her longed to continue their more romantic encounters, but that part remained very quiet. The rest of Camellia, the sensible part, recognized the danger she found herself in.

Adalhard showed Camellia a picture of train time tables. “If we find one of the trains and make it operational, I think our trip will be a matter of hours.”

Camellia looked at the rows of numbers and found them easy to decipher. Of course, Lurriens used a different time notation, but once Camellia knew her A, B, Cs and 1, 2, 3s, she recognized enough to equate Lurrien and Groazan times. After all, everyone shared the same time on Iruedim.

“Don’t tell Rooks,” Camellia whispered. “But, we’re on the longest line.” Camellia’s finger snaked along the image that showed their train route. “People used the Loopy line to reach pleasure attractions, like the pedestrian mall and the animatronic jungle. It’s a winding path, and I have no idea how long the trip will be if we don’t find that train.”

Adalhard nodded. “I’m sure she knows.”

Against the other wall, Cernunnos worked on a basic translation of the Lurrien train manual. Sten had swiped a digital copy from a terminal, and Rooks wanted more people to be able to operate the train should something happen to Eva, Sten, or both. Camellia recognized Cernunnos’ look of concentration. He barely seemed to notice Eder and Inez who practically slept on top of him. She glanced at Adalhard to find him watching Cernunnos too.

“Shall we assume he’s occupied?” Adalhard leaned close to Camellia and placed a hand over hers.

Camellia’s eyes widened. “What about the others?”

Adalhard frowned and stared. “What do you think I’m going to do?” He sat back.

“I expect you to do everything just short of impropriety. But, I shouldn’t let you,” Camellia whispered.

Adalhard slid close. “No impropriety. I just want to talk.”

Camellia sighed her disappointment and relief.

“Camellia, remember, when we talked a few months ago? I said I could get you a job as a restorationist. Would you actually like that?” Adalhard shifted and folded his hands.

Camellia glanced up at him. She never expected this line of conversation. “I would. There’s no part of this work that I don’t love. I love to be at the museum. I love to review papers. I love restoration, digs, and ethnography. I love that I got a taste of it all.”

The AAH wasn’t perfect. The gossip got to Camellia. Certain roles had high competition. But, it was good enough. Camellia didn’t have to pay dues. The work meant something, and she could switch roles and never get truly bored. The AAH kept members for life and let them live their lives along the way. The least she could do was devote herself to it.

“That’s why I didn’t want to lose it. That’s why I worked so hard to keep my secrets, so I could stay an anthropologist.” Camellia’s mood darkened. “As long as the other anthropologists will let me, you included, I’m devoted to this work. I’m devoted to the AAH. I love it like nothing else.”

“Camellia…I love it too.” Adalhard remained silent for a moment and tapped his fingers against his knee. Then, he clasped Camellia’s hand.

Camellia faced Adalhard. Privately, she wondered if Cernunnos had scolded Adalhard for offering the restoration position. It would be just like the older anthropologist, and Camellia knew Cernunnos had his fingers all over this new relationship. Why worry about it anymore?

Camellia drew a long breath. “Cernunnos.”

Adalhard glanced at the man. “What about him?”

“How much did he really meddle? Did he put you up to this?” Her voice rose barely above a whisper.

Adalhard’s mouth fell open. “No. Well, yes.”

Camellia looked away and huffed.

“Not in the way you think,” Adalhard continued. “He was subtle. He mostly just made fun of my situation as Ah’nee’thit’s High Priest elect. I was confused at first. I couldn’t understand why Ah’nee’thit paired you with me…” Adalhard stopped. “Let me restart. Cernunnos helped me notice you again.”

“Again?” Camellia frowned and narrowed her eyes.

Adalhard exhaled. “Many years ago, at the Spring Festival, you stole a camera. I chased you to get it back. You were just seventeen, and I was thirty-seven. I liked you then, but I knew I had to wait, until the age gap made more sense, until we were older.” Adalhard stared into her eyes. “Sorin didn’t care about that. He got in the way for quite a while.” Adalhard bowed his head. “I forgot about you. Well, off and on, I thought about you. I just never acted on it.”

Camellia’s lips parted in surprise. She could feel a tide of introspection waiting.

Adalhard smiled a little. “When I was elected chair of the AAH, I certainly thought about you. Two years ago, we met at a dinner. You seemed different, distant. I now know why. I’m sorry. All the signs were there, and I didn’t notice. I abandoned you.”

“You can’t abandon someone who you aren’t committed to,” Camellia said. “I don’t remember half these things.” Camellia rubbed her temple.

She glimpsed memories of her conversations and meetings with Adalhard, but she couldn’t find the moments that he described.

“Camellia, please know that Cernunnos could not convince me to do something I didn’t want to do.” Adalhard glanced at the older archaeologist.

Cernunnos now watched them with some curiosity.

Adalhard waved him back to his work. “I’m immune to his brand of peer pressure.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” Camellia smiled. “It’s such a common hubris. I hear it expressed at least twice a month.” Camellia looked at her lap and twisted her fingers together. “In this respect, I think he’s helped us. I’m going to put this worry to rest.”

“You were worried about this?” Adalhard asked.

“Yes, I worry about a lot of things. You can’t choose what you worry about.”

“What did you write about me? Cernunnos won’t say.”

Camellia sat straight. She half-laughed. “Oh, it was pretty bad. I said something about how you were a shining beacon of hope after the dark night of my soul. And, how you were so far out of my reach now. How you were a perfect man, and I wished I’d noticed it sooner. After you came to my father’s house, I devoted so much time to thinking about you…it made me.” Camellia paused. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it made me so sick. I couldn’t tell you, and I had so many ideas about why it would go wrong. I thought myself in circles.”

Adalhard stroked her hand. “I’m very flattered.”

“You probably should be.”

Eva and Sten read over train instructions. Each used their personal tablet. While Sten’s was heavy-duty, bestowed by the Syndicate for Sentient Aid, Eva’s was delicate, a product of stricter aesthetics.

Sten thumbed through his version of the manual, with eroding patience. “I’ve found nothing about the operation of the trains. Just repairs.”

Eva raised her eyebrows at him. “So, your patience has its limits? I’ve found some information about manual driving, but that’s it. These instructions stress that automated driving is preferred.”

“Hmmm,” Sten hummed. “That could be a problem if the train needs to receive instructions from central. We already know that the locomotives receive power from a central location.”

If the trains could only be driven from central, then the automatons could control their destination. She was aware of that. Until now, she hadn’t even thought about the power issue.

Eva froze. “If we do find a train, how do we know Ul’thetos won’t just cut the power...or direct another train to come crashing into us? Or send us somewhere we don’t want to go?”

Sten raised a hand. “Relax. Central Command and Central Power are in different locations. Yes, Ul’thetos could find both, but I doubt Ul’thetos will cut power. Or get us in a crash. It wants us. Now, would Ul’thetos send us somewhere else? Definitely. But, I’m reading this manual, and I don’t think central control operates the trains either.”

“Then who does?” Eva spread her hands. “If the driver doesn’t drive the train and central doesn’t direct the trains, who does?”

“I don’t know Eva. As far as I can tell, these troublesome trains might as well drive themselves. We need to find one.”

“Yes, we’ll see when Benham finds one,” Eva spoke with more than a little annoyance.

Sten sighed. “Indeed, we will.” He stared at Eva.

She felt his gaze and raised her eyes. “Is there something more?”

Sten lowered his voice. “Eva, I’ve been wondering if you have a schematic of your person.”

Eva stiffened. “Why?”

Under normal circumstances, she would say no. She’d denied many similar requests before. She wanted to entertain Sten’s a bit longer.

“I would like to study it,” Sten said. “Specifically, how your nanite repair systems work. I think all synthetics should have access to such a system.”

Eva’s face lost all emotion, and she looked back at her tablet. He had a good reason, and she believed he meant it too. Sten would never lie. Still, did Eva want Sten discovering all her secrets? No, but he could have some.

Eva gave her attention back to the manual. She swiped past some pages. “You may have some sample nanites, and I’ll share the necessary parts of the schematic with you. Everything else, I will keep to myself.”

“Oh, thank you,” Sten said.

“It’s not where you’ll find my soul,” Eva warned, with a touch of amusement. “Obviously, you keep yours somewhere different because you lack a nanite distribution system.”

“Undoubtedly,” Sten agreed. “Perhaps, when we know each other better, we can compare schematics and determine where those souls reside.”

Eva smiled. She knew they would never find them.

She would never find the soul of any other synthetic either. And, she started to wonder if it wasn’t because they didn’t have them.

Rooks had sent the Lurrien synthetics to the beach. She determined that they’d had enough of this monster. The other synthetics had been rescued, and they let Rooks do it. They prepared to leave. Maybe, because some official-looking organic told them. Maybe, because they adapted and felt something more than obedience.

Eva accomplished one goal: rescue the other synthetics. However, she couldn’t watch them and compare them to Sten. She couldn’t look for little signs of souls.

Eva hated this feeling of limbo: half in one mindset, half in another. Eva wanted a complete worldview.

Meladee rose from her seat and walked ahead. She followed the tracks, pursuing Benham.

For many hours, he scouted alone. Meladee, tired from her spell casting, couldn’t keep up. He left her behind. It felt rotten, but she did her best for him. She left him a present: the giant, magical mole that could climb walls and dig out collapsed areas.

Meladee didn’t bother to give the mole ice enchantment. She thought that would defeat the purpose of digging.

How distressed would the mole be to find that it froze everything it touched? Like a mole midas.

Meladee put a hand on the wall and walked lazily on Benham’s path. She stopped, seeing the very man headed back her way.

“Hey,” she called in a whisper.

“Hi.” He waved.

“What happened to the mole?”

“Disappeared after a particularly tough dig. But, I’ve got good news.” Benham smiled.

“You found a train?” she guessed.

“A piece of one, but I thought I’d come back and get you guys. I’m sure we’ll find the rest ahead of the car I found.” Benham resumed his walk, headed back to the Commander.

Meladee fell into step behind him.

“Hey.” Meladee poked him in the back, which wasn’t easy to do considering he wore a backpack.

“What?” Benham asked, sounding a bit tired.

“Missed you.”

Benham laughed. “Missed you too. Hey, I’m getting tired. Think you could conjure me another ride on the way back to the train? Nothing too fast. I want you guys to keep up.”

“What do you have mind?” Meladee asked. “A snail? A turtle?”

“How slow are those animals?”

“Slowest we’ve got. Unless you want a sloth. Oh, man, a sloth is perfect.” Meladee’s eyes widened as she imagined a giant version of the beast.

“Is that the slowest animal on Iruedim?”

“Not sure. I’ve only seen a couple when I hitched a ride on a southern sailing vessel. Saw them in the jungle. They were like this big.” Meladee held her arms apart.

Benham couldn't see because he walked ahead of her, so he glanced back.

Meladee held the pose as long as it took for him to get a view. She remembered the sloths and how hard they had been to spot. “Oh, and, they had moss growing on them.”

“Whoa, Meladee. That’s too slow.” Benham looked back again. “That’s probably slower than you like to move with relationships. Hey, wait, maybe you’re secretly a sloth in the love department.”

Meladee poked him in the back again. “Doesn’t bode well for you. I’ll enchant this sloth to go a bit faster than normal. It’ll be great. You’ll be the first sloth-riding man.”

“I don’t like this idea. Maybe, I’ll just walk.”

Meladee couldn’t see his face, but she knew he smiled. She heard it in his voice. “No, no. It’s too late now. The sloth thing must happen.”

Camellia lifted her head. She’d slept, with no dreams to remember.

Camellia felt well rested, like she’d spent a fourteen-hour day in a vampire’s coffin. She searched her surroundings and found herself still in the Lurrien tunnels, laying against Adalhard.

He leaned back against the tunnel wall. A blanket behind his head served as a pillow.

Camellia admired him. She was going to let herself love him freely.

A sudden feeling nagged at Camellia, and she felt she’d forgotten something. For the moment, it refused to surface.

Adalhard’s eyes blinked open. The first thing he did was search for Camellia, and he found her very close.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Oh yes. Camellia stroked his face, along the jawline.

Adalhard smiled faintly, and she saw excitement in his eyes. He reached for her.

Rooks ran by.

Both withdrew their hands.

Rooks stopped and turned back. “Have you two seen Meladee?”

Camellia sat straight. “No. Is she not here?”

“I happen to be right here,” Meladee announced.

Camellia looked down the tunnel. Rooks did the same, moving back so Camellia could see.

Meladee stood in the tunnel, arms thrown wide. Benham was with her. Both grinned.

“Good news?” Rooks asked.

“I have found evidence of a train,” Benham said. “There’s a yellow caboose on this line. Maybe we can find the engine further on.”

Camellia looked at Adalhard, with a new brand of excitement.

Sten joined in. “The train may be damaged, and we have to consider whether or not Ul’thetos can track it.” He glanced at Eva. “But, let’s see it.”

Eva nodded.

“Alright, let’s get going. Move out,” Rooks ordered. “Benham, take us to the caboose.”

Camellia hopped to her feet faster than Adalhard, rejuvenated from her nap and her realization that Adalhard could not be more sincere.

At that moment, she remembered what she forgot: the Obsidian Mirror. She still carried that lie.

Oh god no. No one has to know. I’ll switch them back when I get the chance. Change the bread for the mirror again.

Meladee skipped alongside her friends, staying well back from the live tracks.

Eva told her to knock it off.

Meladee obliged. After all, none of Rooks’ crew skipped down the dark tunnels. They were men – and a few women – real fighters and all that stuff.

Although men surrounded them, their men were across the tunnel, where they likely couldn’t hear a quiet conversation over the sound of marching feet.

“So, how’s it going?” Meladee asked her friends. “Any updates? Anything fun?”

Eva’s mouth dropped open. “Fun? We’ve been running from automatons, and Ul’thetos is awake and totally aware of us. We’re going to find a train and it might be useless. To add to matters, I saw one of my favorite locations in ruins.”

“But you saw it,” Camellia said. “And, you hadn’t seen it in a century.”

Eva’s voice was quiet. “Yes, I saw it.”

Meladee tried to remember. What had been in ruins? Everything. Then, she got it. “Hey, if you’re talking about the pedestrian mall. I thought the place could be rebuilt in a couple of months. Clean up those nice metal tiles, and it would be right as rain.”

“I think you’ll find more places like that,” Camellia said. “Ul’thetos preserves what Ul’thetos covers.”

Eva cocked her head.

Meladee laughed. “Is that the new cult saying?”

“Possibly.” Camellia didn’t laugh, but she smiled slightly.

A long pause followed.

Meladee let them have it. Then, she tried again, “So...no fun?”

Camellia’s eyes brightened. “Well, Lurren is rich with well-preserved archaeological sites. Unfortunately, we barely have time to study these places. I hope there’s more to come.”

“That’s it?” Meladee gawked. “That’s what you count as fun? Well, I guess it is for you, but I was thinking something a bit more…”

“Oh, did you see the train murals on your way in?” Camellia scrambled in her pack and pulled out a sketchbook. “I copied some, well, most. Actually, I copied all of them. Here.” Camellia handed over the sketches and waited.

Meladee stared at the pictures of trains with uncanny faces. She frowned, half-disgusted, half-fascinated. “These were murals?”

“Yes, around the platform,” Camellia said.

“Wow, just wow. What are these abominations? I can’t decide if I love them or if I’ll see them in my nightmares for the rest of my days.” Meladee narrowed her eyes. “Why did you copy them?”

“Cartoon characters seem to be a feature of Lurrien art. Cartoons on the walls of the platform. Cartoons on the signs in the avenue. I think these imaginary creatures are important to Lurrien culture. There are similarities between these characters and the toys, even the repair robots.” Camellia took her sketchbook back and after a quick look through the pictures, she stowed the book in her bag.

Meladee thought about the toy synthetics. She didn’t think any of them had a face that scary, but Camellia was the expert. If Camellia thought the trains and the toys looked alike, who was Meladee to contradict her?

Meladee shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. What did they need train mascots for anyway? What did they think? This ride will be more enjoyable with Crazy Piston?”

Camellia made a face. “Benham dubbed them Loopy, Zaggy, and Sleepy. After their expressions and the shape of their lines.”

Meladee groaned. “Eva, what the hell are they?”

“I barely remember them.”

“Yeah, but what do you remember?” Meladee nudged Eva.

“Some of those names might be accurate,” Eva said. “And...I remember an entertainment program about them.”

Camellia’s eyes widened. “What do you remember about that exactly?”

“Hold on.” Meladee held up a hand. “First, we’re going to talk about fun, and by fun, I mean – have either of you had any fun with your beaus?”

Eva and Camellia gave her uncertain looks.

Meladee tried again, “Your men. Honies. Boyfriends. Prospective mates.”

Camellia put a hand over Meladee’s mouth. “Not so loud. They might hear you.”

Meladee swatted Camellia’s hand aside. Then, she glanced at their men. Their men appeared to be in conversation with Commander Rooks. Meladee also checked their closer companions. She noted the stoney faces of the navy and appreciated their discretion.

“Come on. It’s fine.” Meladee gestured at the disinterest around them. “Look, I’ll go first.” Meladee took a deep breath. “I like Benham. I might grant him status as a serious...I don’t know. What do you call serious boyfriends?”

“Husbands?” Camellia guessed.

“That’s a scary word.”

Camellia smiled. “I’m very happy for you Meladee. He’s a great choice of...prospective mate.”

Meladee’s shoulders tightened.

Camellia added, “If you want to go that far, that is.”

“I can’t have good time guys forever.” Meladee frowned. She needed to pick someone for the long term because she doubted she could pick up tons of younger men the way Cernunnos got younger ladies. Meladee gave her friends a sidelong glance and smirked. “Your turns.”

Camellia feigned interest in a tunnel wall.

Meladee turned to Eva. “Eva, come on. You’re always holding out on us.”

“How so?”

“Sten. He’s like the only synthetic man that is anything like you.” Meladee felt her eyes grow wide. “Oh wait, maybe that makes you feel like you don’t have any choice. That would stink if there’s only one guy in the whole world that you could even consider…”

“Meladee,” Eva cut her off. “Sten is not the only synthetic like me…” Eva’s words stopped short, and she stared a thousand yards.

Meladee nudged Eva. “Who are the others?”

Eva huffed. “No one precisely like me. But, there are several synthetics that I considered advanced. Some AI that inhabited computers. One in a ship, and several security systems.”

“What are they like?” Meladee asked. “The ship…AI?”

“Artificial Intelligence,” Eva said. “AI without humanoid bodies think very differently from other synthetics, even from toys and robots. They can usually move between locations, travel in an instant. They see through several cameras, and thus have several eyes. There are many more differences, but I won’t go into them.”

Meladee knit her brow and nodded. “So those are the people you considered romancing before Sten?”

“I never romanced anyone,” Eva growled.

Meladee raised her eyebrows. “Weird.”

“Definitely a different viewpoint,” Camellia agreed. “Like Ul’thetos.”

Meladee turned her head slowly to look at Camellia. “Don’t start this again. Ul’thetos is a bitch. We’re going to take care of that. Now, let’s go back to talking about Sten.”

A pause followed in which Eva frowned and fought to keep her embarrassment from her face.

Meladee smiled. “What about Sten?”

Eva never answered.

“Eh.” Meladee dismissed Eva’s surliness with a wave. “Oh hey, Camellia, I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“About Florian?” she whispered.

“No.” Meladee narrowed her eyes. Who the hell is that? She shook her head. “I wanted to ask if you sat on my basan. He complained. Said you sit on people. You’re a sitter.”

“What!? That was over a month ago.” Camellia blushed. “I tried to ride him to the beach. I only sat on his back a moment, and then I got off for fear he would freeze all the feeling out of my nethers.”

“Yeah, don’t sit on him. He doesn’t like it.” Meladee walked a few paces.

While she walked, she planned, Now, I’ll ask her about this Florian while she’s off-guard. Wait...Florian….Adalhard...Florian Adalhard.

Meladee put a companionable arm around Camellia’s shoulders. “Hey, so I lied. I did want to ask you about Florian. Florian Adalhard. Tell all. Is he impossible to get? Or attainable after all?”

Camellia glanced at Adalhard. “Keep your voice down. He’s not used to hearing that name. It may draw his attention.” Camellia paused and looked side to side. “He’s attainable.”

“Told you so.”

“Yes, you did,” Camellia agreed, without a smile.

Meladee frowned. “Does nothing make you happy?”

“He does. You two do.” Camellia stared straight ahead. “But happiness – real maintained happiness – is a matter of endurance. Not a default state of being. I don’t have it.”

Meladee fell silent.

As they trekked through the tunnels, short, quiet conversations sprang up around them. Musings on the tunnels, rations, and potential train came to Meladee’s ears.

She blocked them out and thought about Camellia’s view of happiness. Meladee didn’t know anyone who had the endurance to be happy forever. She didn’t. Eva didn’t. Camellia definitely didn’t. Even their new Lurrien colonists didn’t maintain eternal happiness...

Rooks sidled close. “What’s going on back here?” She smiled. “Were you having an interesting conversation?”

Meladee and Camellia gaped. Eva maintained an expressionless air.

“Pairing off?” Rooks joked.

Camellia mumbled an answer that sounded suspiciously like a yes. Eva acted like the conversation didn’t exist.

Meladee glared. “How good are your ears?

Rooks shook her head. “Oh, not my ears. You’ve got to be careful, Meladee.” Rooks walked back to the head of the line.

Meladee blew out a long sigh. She wanted to lay the blame at Adalhard or Sten’s feet, but she didn’t feel that was fair. “Sorry guys. That was my fault. My fault.”