“Okay, the way I see it, you all have a few choices,” Zoe said, straightening herself and tugging her gloves back on, one after the other. She came to a stop a few meters in front of the closest and looked over the line of captured commanders. Six remained. Someone had moved the body of the person Tyson had killed to the side, but it was still close enough that they were still eyeing it and Tyson.

“I do not want to pass judgement on you all. That is not who I am nor what my mission is. I also do not want to force you into a choice against your will. I can’t treat you as less than the ferals I’ve encountered in recent times. However, I want nothing to do with you if you are the ones who helped perpetuate the hate and killing. If you’re willing to change and work on changing, then you’ll have a place in the Community, but you know that people like Tyson exist who can read your intentions easily enough.”

Scanning the group, she met every set of eyes looking at her before she continued. “I’m going to set you all free and my team is under orders to not kill you unless you attack someone. You can either leave and go your own way, go crawling back to the Bloodless Pact or change your ways and head north with the majority of those who didn’t want this life and want something better. Your choice.”

Nodding once to Tyson, she stood barely moving, watching as he cut their ropes before sheathing his sword. One man, a hardened warrior type, stood, towering over Zoe even in her suit. He looked down to her and nodded once before heading towards the larger group of survivors. He’s going to make an effort. Three of the others, they’re trying to think of ways to hide in the crowd or to try and get in contact with the Pact in the south. The other two will go with them.

Zoe eyed the remaining five and shook her head in disappointment. “You know Tyson can read your minds. Word will be passed of your intentions before we leave. I hope you can change your minds about what you’re planning, and rest assured that if you try anything to any of the Community members or locations, retribution will be as swift as Tyson was earlier.”

The remaining five stood, helping each other to stand before all walking towards the base, now mostly picked clean by those leaving north already.

“Already done,” Tyson said, approaching her side. “Those who are in charge will keep an eye out for them. One of them will likely kill a few of them, but, who knows.”

“Why does there have to be so much killing in this world?” Zoe asked softly, watching as people went to and fro with bundles of supplies.

“I would guess human nature,” Tyson replied, nudging her to follow him towards Boo, who now sat in the shade of the truck with a bottle of water in hand, her top drenched from being in the sun and working on people.

“It’s not in everyone’s nature,” Zoe replied as Tyson reached out to take Boo’s hand, just holding it as their medic sat and drank. “Some people, like Boo, want to help. I know I can kill, I just have no taste for it. I guess for you, the silence from one less thought would be like a salve.”

“To a point,” he replied, keeping his eyes on Boo. “I’ve been taught a way to mute thoughts that I didn’t have before. I keep scanning for specific emotions or thoughts, but I can now ignore or even shut out the bulk of the thoughts now.” Bending a little, he kissed Boo’s fingers. “There are angels in this world.”

“Stop that, you sentimental fool,” Boo said, taking her hand from his and gently slapping his leg, a worn out, but amused smile on her face. “Go help your sister with security.”

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead and went off, glancing around the crowds while walking towards his sister in the distance.

“How’s the head?” Boo asked, bringing a tablet out and opening the scans. “The adrenaline must have faded by now.”

“Barely, my heart rate is still high,” Zoe said, mentally bringing up her own medical file in her mindscape. “Emotions are high.”

“Indeed they are. Come, sit with me,” Boo said, unfolding a chair for Zoe to sit on and putting it next to her. Zoe sat, thankful that the suit would be able to keep most of its weight off the small portable chair. It wasn’t too heavy, but it was likely going to be too much for the chair. “Everything seems to be within normal parameters,” Boo stated, looking over the scan. “You are just stressed, and I can’t blame you. You are doing an amazing job with what resources you have on hand.”

“Thanks,” Zoe replied faintly as she took the water bottle Boo handed her. “Am I really doing good though?”

“I don’t have that answer,” Boo said, looking over at her friend. “If I knew answers to questions like that, then I’d be able to steer the entire Community towards the best horizon. However, we have to make do with what we have and with whatever blinders we wear.” She patted Zoe’s armoured knee. “I think you’re doing the best you can, and that is significantly more than what others here were doing. You’ve inspired those who thought they had no hope and have given even our enemies a second chance that they’re probably going to squander. If anyone here was doing good, I’m pretty sure you are.”

Zoe sighed and leant her head on Boo’s shoulder. “I can’t help but keep thinking and questioning myself.”

“You’re human, it’s something we all do,” Boo replied, leaning her own head against Zoe’s. “That makes us trust you more. You’re stronger than you realise. But, for now, we need to make sure that we continue with our own mission.” Patting Zoe’s knee again, the pair stood, looking over the mess they’d made. “Back to Asquith?”

Nodding, Zoe went about helping their former enemies with lifting and gathering, answering any questions asked of her, hoping to give them the best start she could.

~

“There’s an influx of, well, refugees, coming,” Zoe explained to Lerma as the truck came to a stop behind her. “Tonight or tomorrow morning, I reckon.”

The older woman nodded. “Are they going to provide for themselves?”

“As much as they can. There are limited weapons in the group, but still enough for them to be dangerous. We’ve tagged the few who have no intention of changing and they’re being watched by those in charge. Tyson has vetted the ones who are in charge, and unless they’ve managed to develop a way to hide their true intentions from him, they should be fine.”

Lerma nodded again. “Okay, well, we have stores that we can share for the night, which should help them on their way, to?”

“Warnervale airport, Mackay will pick them up from there by boat. I’ve already sent in the request.”

“You try to think of everything, don’t you?”

Zoe gave Lerma a wry smile. “I try to. I like seeing connections, possibilities and outcomes. The more I can see and the more I can plan, the less surprised I can be. I don’t mind some surprises, but knowing a lot helps me, which helps others.”

“You’re a good kid Zoe,” Lerma said with a smile, passing her a cup of water. “I was against you and your mission when you first arrived, but now that I’ve seen it, well, the parts I’ve seen, I’m glad my mind was changed.”

~

Spreading out through the town, the small influx of people helped each other and the remaining residents of Asquith opened their doors to the strangers. Zoe watched as Heidi collided with Tim, giving the surprised man a solid kiss. “We can do what we want now, without others dictating to us,” she whispered to him. “I’m also sick of waiting for you to make a move.”

Zoe smiled in amusement at the newly formed couple, telling Nix to lower the sound sensitivity again. She didn’t need to overhear conversations like that one.

~ It is not advised to lower the sensitivity, ~ the AI replied to her request.

~ If anyone was thinking anything adverse, Tyson would pick up on it and alert me. I don’t need to hear every little conversation, as the majority of them do not concern me, like that one. Okay, how about a compromise? Record all conversations, analyse them, then you either delete them if irrelevant or you report them to me? Does that satisfy your programming?

~ Adjustments acceptable. Beginning conversation analysis. ~

~ I’m going to put in some specific requirements, ~ Zoe added, taking a seat at Lerma’s table before plunging into the mind scape. ~ May as well build an entire program as a guide. ~

~

Zoe felt her body move with someone nudging her shoulder. Sighing in annoyance that she hadn’t quite finished everything she wanted to do, she opened her eyes. The room was dark and lit only by an electric lantern someone had placed on the table in front of her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Boo, fronwing at her.

“It is late and you haven’t eaten,” Boo said in a stern tone, making Zoe wince like an admonished child. “Eat then go to bed. I’m sure that whatever you are working on can wait till tomorrow.”

Nodding, Zoe shifted, wincing at the tightness of her muscles, as Boo put a simple meal on the table before sitting with her, a sweet smelling drink in hand.

As Zoe ate, Boo sipped her drink, the pair sitting in silence with only the sounds of the night animals reaching them.

“I’m sorry,” Zoe whispered as she finished her meal and pushed the plate away.

“For what?” Boo said, looking at her with curious eyes.

“The trouble I’m causing.”

Boo snorted. “Mon ami, you are less trouble than my own partner. I know you and your habits and I am your treating physician. You are not causing any more trouble than you used to do before you became an operative or a leader. Tyson, however, is just a bundle of trouble, as he just reads minds and likes to play with people. Now, quit feeling sorry for yourself and head to bed. Play some music. Hell, take a sedative if you need to, I don’t think we’re likely to head off south again for a couple of days. Mads and Ty are being very protective of Asquith and likely won't move on until they consider it safe.” Stretching and yawning, she pushed Zoe’s shoulder gently. “Go for a short walk, then bed. Don’t make me order you around.”

~

As Boo predicted, the next three days were spent in and around Asquith or along the path north, setting markers for those heading to Warnervale. Mackay promised to send their fishing vessel south again after barely making it back to port and unloading.

Lucas had taken command of those who were temporarily residing in Asquith, unwilling to bend to those who had once been his leaders. On equal ground, Zoe would bet that Lucas would win a fight against any of them except two, but those two did not argue against Lucas’s orders, but rather immediately worked with him as second in command.

Zoe spent the few days tinkering with her tech and answering any questions anyone had, all the while being monitored by Boo. The headaches came and went, but none of them were bad, just mildly inconvenient and mostly to do with the fact that she kept forgetting to drink and eat.

She found that a few of the younger people were interested in tech as well, so she made an impromptu class on the second day, teaching some basics of the communications devices that she handed out. Regardless of the fact that they were once enemies, the majority of them were younger than her and just looking for leadership somewhere. She was glad for Lucas and the others for taking charge of their group, as she knew it would interfere with her mission to have to look after them all.

Checking over the digital maps from the satellites and the cloud, she plotted her route south and inland, deciding to check out a few cities on their way towards Melbourne. Goulburn, Canberra, Gundagai, Albury, Wangaratta and Shepparton. Some showed signs of life, like Canberra, where others were just larger areas and may have something useful left in them still.

After finishing breakfast on the third day, Zoe saw the last of the stragglers head north and bid the residents of Asquith fare well.

“I’ll fly with you for a while,” Tweet said, stretching her arms out as she shifted into a wedge-tailed eagle.

“Oh, hold still a moment,” Maddison said, taking out a phone and taking pictures all around Tweet, who’s bird head eyed off the woman as she circled around. “Thanks,” Maddison said, sending the pictures off. “The kids back home will love that.”

The bird head nodded before the massive bird lifted off into the morning air, lifting the spirits of the team with it. Smiles on their faces, they climbed into vehicles and began their short drive towards Goulburn.

~

“I can’t hear more than a handful of thoughts,” Tyson said, his eyes closed as he lounged on the back seat. “Maybe fifteen people all up? A few ferals nearby, but not many.”

Opening her own eyes next to him, Zoe pulled up a map on a tablet. “I don’t have much cloud information, other than what I’ve pulled from harddrives. There's likely to be a hauling company that was here, so trucks, and a bus company, so maybe some larger vehicles to tag for later acquisition. I doubt we’ll find anything useful to trade.”

“If there’s a hauling company, they might have a storage yard with unopened containers,” Maddison said as she slowed their truck as a green sign approached.

“Next exit for Goulburn,” Boo stated from the passenger's seat as the truck sped back up with a nod from Maddison. “We don’t really have a time frame at the moment other than the six weeks we had. We’ve used almost two weeks so far, but it will take us, what, three days, to drive from Melbourne to Cairns, provided the road isn’t too bad.”

“Less than two days to drive it between me and Anisha,” Maddison replied.

“Regardless, we have plenty of time to scout along our way, so we may as well use it,” Boo said, looking over her shoulder at Zoe, who nodded.

Maddison slowed the truck and drove up the exit ramp, turning and crossing the bridge, following Boo’s signals.