The boxcar bounced, jolted, and rumbled its way down the old, non-maintained rails of the abandoned tunnels west of Dawnseeker station. Inside the cramped cargo space, Rook and OC-1 sat side by side. Remembering that it had been nearly 24 hours since being captured by the Comrades and he'd barely had any sleep in that time, OC-1 tried to take a nap. But sitting on a hard sheet metal floor taking a rough ride over the old rail line which hadn't been maintained in decades was jarring for his biological parts and therefore not conducive to sleep.

“So, what is our purpose on this train?” asked the cyborg to pass the time;

“Our purpose? I'm here gathering information on a case, what I still don't understand what you're doing here.”

“I already told you, I'm here gathering life experience.”

Rook snorted pessimistically; “Well in that case, you really drew the booby prize of the birth lottery. Or manufacturing lottery, or whatever brought you into the universe on Grennow.”

“What do you mean? My memory may not be long, but I have experienced many things already. In approximately forty-eight hours, I have gained experience in repairing air recycling systems, being captured and subsequently rescued on two separate occasions, and warrens-diving in spider-wolf-infested caverns.”

“Let me teach you something, young man.” Rook told him, “You haven't felt with your skin until you've felt a cool breeze on a hot summer's day. You haven't seen with your eyes until you've seen the night sky, lit by a hundred million stars. You haven't heard with your ears until you've heard the patter of hail on the roof. You haven't smelled with your nose until you've smelled an open field, wrapped in a blanket of a thousand flowers. You haven't tasted with your tongue until you've tasted a dusty road after the rain.”

OC-1 had been following along, trying to vicariously undergo Rook's reminiscences, up until that last one.

“What power in heaven or hell would induce you to lick a dusty road?”

“When you've been a little kid on the Sister of Beauty, standing on a country road just after a light rain, knowing you're about to be sent away and locked in a place called the Devil's Basement for the next forever, you can tell me what power stopped you from finding out what it would be like.”

“Country road? This expression is unfamiliar to me.”

“See, this is what I mean. On Grennow, you people grow up without appreciating little things like the difference between a country and the country. You don't know what 'country' and 'city' are, instead you have 'stations,' 'tunnels,' and 'warrens.' No wonder your suicide rates are so high.”

“Hn.” OC-1 grunted, “I guess I'll just have to take your word for it. The chances of ever getting off this planet within my lifetime are mathematically impossible, unless I've overlooked something in my calculations.”

“You don't have to tell me the odds.”

* * *

On the train back to Ragnarok, Kyanite and the Comrades (who had come along only so as to find a 'civilised' competition in which they could prove they were better than the Tunnel Dogs) also remembered they'd been running on adrenaline for hours. Fortunately for them, they were travelling on a well-used and maintained rail line and were in cars with seats that had cushions which had actually been designed for sitting on. They slept like babies.

When they reached the crowded platform in the Neutral Zone, the rather large and unwieldy group spilled out and found a place where they could all stand together.

“According to this,” Travertine said, looking at the card given to him by Rook, “the place we want to be is the Labyrintelligence Tower, which is in the Union Zone.”

“Not a problem for me, I've got a pass.” Said Kyanite, who did work all over the station,

“So do we.” Immortal added,

“And of course I do too.” Finished Travertine. Everyone then turned to the Comrades.

“What's everyone looking at?” Asked Comrade Colonel;

“They're gawking at my good looks.” Grinned Comrade Sergeant,

“Maybe tunnel rats like you don't understand, but...” Immortal began,

“You need a pass to travel between the Neutral Zone and the Union Zone.” Finished Travertine,

“Oh. Oh yeah.” the Colonel chuckled without a hint of concern. “Don't worry, we got it covered. Right guys?” He was answered by uniform agreement; “What's the address?” Travertine showed him the card. “Right. Don't wait for us, we'll meet you there.” Conversation apparently over with, the Comrades marched off to parts unknown.

There was a constant flow of people between the two zones for various business-related reasons, so the line-ups were long as soldiers at the checkpoint ensured no one was attempting to smuggle contraband, and with the Union on red alert under the current tensions the searches were thorough. Still, with passes in hand, it wasn't terribly long before they were on their way again.

Finding Labyrintelligence Tower was not hard, it being the tallest structure in the station and surrounded by a high brick wall topped by barbed wire. As they approached the front entrance, they saw the Comrades already waiting for them. The Colonel and Sergeant had exchanged their customary old Republican military uniforms for civilian clothes and they had stashed their backpacks and weapons somewhere.

“How'd you get here?” Asked Kyanite as they approached,

“We have our ways.”

Shrugging, Travertine went to the booth next to the closed gate.

“Pass, please.” Monotoned the guard. Travertine handed him Rook's business card. “What's this? Rook Pearlfolk, private eye extraordinaire?”

“Look on the back. We need to see Kharlyria.”

“Well, I see Rook's signature here, but Kharlyria doesn't see just anyone off the street, you know, she has better things to be doing.”

“That's a handwritten signature. Check it against the printed one on the front and you'll see they're the same.”

The guard scanned the signature on both sides of the card into his computer. “You're right, this is Rook's own signature. Rook is pretty well-known around here, if he sent you to see Kharlyria, then you'd better be on your way.” He hit a button and the gates opened. “Once you get through security, go straight to the top floor. I'll let them know you're coming.”

Security was just inside the door and it was a bit of a hassle convincing the Colonel and the Sergeant to give up their concealed weapons. Then up the elevator they went, straight to the top where they found Kharlyria's office. It was a large, open room with a huge window giving a wonderful view of the station. In the middle of the room in front of a long conference table stood a human woman.

“You're the ones Rook sent.” She informed them;

“Yes.” Answered Travertine,

“Are you Kharlyria?” Immortal asked,

“I am.”

“I wasn't expecting a human with a name like Kharlyria.”

“Would you like me to appear as a zene instead? I'm the only girl who can be whatever you want me to be. Almost.” She grinned.

Seeing the quizzical expressions on their faces, Kyanite jumped in; “Don't you guys know? The CEO of Labyrintelligence is an artificial intelligence built way back before the Isolation. That there's just a hologram.”

“Oh, I was wondering what was with the voice.” Muttered Travertine in surprise, “I heard about an AI named Kharlyria before the Uprising... there were more than one back then. But I never heard anything about it being started up again.”

“It's something of an open secret, I suppose.” Smiled Kharlyria, “Yes, I was repaired, rebooted, and commissioned to rebuild the great machines and advanced technology of the past. Perhaps even find a way back into the stars one day, although that's a pipe dream at this point in my calculated opinion. Though it'd be easier if my handlers didn't keep holding me back.”

“How do your handlers feel about your meeting with us?”

“They don't like it, but they also know I'd be doing this behind their backs anyway, so they tolerate it—but I'm getting dangerously close to the limits of what my programming will allow me to say, so let's get back to the matter at hand. Have a seat.” All sat down. “Now, first of all, why'd Rook send you here without coming himself?”

“Last I saw, he was catching on the fly at the Dawnseeker platform, along with one of our companions.”

“You mean he stowawayed on a train? Why?”

“I don't know.”

“Well, he must have a reason. What'd he send you here for?”

Everyone turned to Kyanite. “Oh, that's me.” She said; “Uh, well, two days ago... was it only two days? Yeah, it must have been. Huh. Anyway, two days ago I walked into a hardware shop...”

Kyanite related the full story of the past two days. It seemed like it had been far longer than that, but that really was it. When she got to the part about the Comrades, they somewhat surprisingly were enthusiastic about corroborating it,which made Kharlyria look at them strangely. But she promised not to report them to the authorities as long as they behaved themselves while in Labyrintelligence Tower. When it came time to talk about the rescue of Kyanite and OC-1 from the Red Wolf base, Comrade Sergeant jumped up and whipped out a roll of paper;

“OC-1 and I took this from the base before we left!” He set it proudly in front of Kharlyria. She looked down at it blankly.

“Would you open it please?”

“What? Can't you open it yourself?”

“No. I'm speaking to you through a hologram. Holograms can't physically grasp objects.”

“Oh yeah.” The Sergeant unfolded the map and held it open.

“We have a map?!” Asked Kyanite in surprise,

“Hey, I never had the chance to tell you about it. I haven't looked at it myself since OC-1 and I nabbed it.”

“Well, I was sceptical of your story, but this corroborates it nicely.”

“We have this too.” The Sergeant set his recording of the Red Wolf's conversation with his superior in Ragnarok on the table and played it, “And this.” He set down the flash drive with the sabotage program on it.

The rest of the story didn't take long to tell, since it didn't have much relevance to the matter at hand.

“This is all very disturbing.” Said Kharlyria at the end of it. “I assume that you came straight to me without going to the authorities?”

“Yes.” Answered Travertine,

“Good. Hmmm...” She leaned back in her chair (which, bizarrely, didn't move with the appearance of her weight shifting) and crossed her arms. The hologram gave the appearance of being deep in thought: presumably the AI itself was calculating all possible options and their potential outcomes. “If we do nothing, there are three possible outcomes. One: The Republic takes the opportunity to strike the Union while it's weak. Likely. Two: whether by popular pressure or the will of the powers that be, the Union blames the Republic and launches an offensive. Also likely. Three: A lot of political hot air is breathed, and nothing comes of it. Very unlikely. The first two would result in war and are clearly unacceptable, while the third is too remote a possibility to be left to forces outside our control.

“We could, however, go to the Union authorities ourselves with this information. There would be three possible outcomes from this point. One: the Union huffs and puffs but does nothing. Most unlikely. Two: the Union blames the Republic and starts a war. Very likely. Three: we also present the evidence Rook and I have been gathering that the Red Wolves' backers are not the Republic at all but are in fact corporate elements within the 1st Ring Cooperative.”

“What?!” The gasp rose from everyone simultaneously except for Travertine, who already harboured such suspicions thanks to the witness he'd patched up not so long ago.

“Yes, you heard me right. I can go over the evidence later if you'd like, but there's no time at the moment. The potential outcomes of this are two. Either war or nothing substantive.”

“Like I told Travertine.” Said Immortal, “War either way.”

“Hold on, I haven't exhausted all the options yet. Tell me, why do nations go to war?”

“Sorry, I skipped philosophy in university.” Immortal replied sarcastically;

“Nations go to war when they believe they have more to gain by going to war than by remaining at peace, or at least less to lose. Now tell me what keeps nations from going to war? If nations believe they have more to gain by remaining at peace than by going to war, then they will remain at peace. What can convince two nations that they have more to gain by peace than by war? Interdependency. If two nations engage in mutually-beneficial business with one another, they may find war will upset both their economies and benefit no one.”

“But the Republic and the Union don't do business.” Travertine pointed out; “They hate each other, people aren't allowed to do business across the Line without going through all kinds of red tape.”

“No, I think I get what she's saying.” Said Kyanite; “I live in the Neutral Zone and do business in all three sections of the station. I might buy parts in the Union Zone to fix an air filtration system in the Republic Zone, or buy a tool in the Republic Zone and use it in the Union Zone. And I know lots of mechanics who do the same thing.”

“Exactly.” Kharlyria smirked; “I doubt the political leaders of either side have realised it, but their economies have become deeply linked by all the trade being funnelled through the Cooperative. For example, the Republic is not self-sufficient in terms of food while the Union produces a surplus. Cooperative businesses import it from the Union, then export it to the Republic—some of that goes on right here in Ragnarok. The Union, meanwhile, isn't self-sufficient in hydrogen. Without fuel for their trains, their civilian economy would fall apart along with any hope of an effective war effort. There are hydrogen deposits elsewhere, but they're further away and therefore much more expensive—as is producing hydrogen through electrolysis. The Republic, of course, is rich in hydrogen.”

“So you want to try to convince them to sign a permanent peace treaty on the basis of this mediated interdependence?” asked Travertine,

“What makes you think they'll go along with that?” Immortal sceptically wondered;

“Because I have the documents to prove it.” the artificial intelligence responded. A TV screen on one wall flicked on and started flipping through documents and graphs detailing transactions in various goods between the three major powers. “I've been compiling these for years. Without boring you all with a lot of economic details that would probably go over your heads, war would have a major negative affect on all three economies. Not counting war profiteers, everyone would be much better off if the current state of affairs remains as it is, minus the high tensions.”

“Cut all the extra stuff and tell us your plan.” Said Comrade Sergeant, who was leaning comfortably back as far as his chair would allow;

“My plan is—shit.”

“If it's that bad, maybe you should re-evaluate it.”

“No, look!” Kharlyria pointed at the TV, which was now showing a view of Labyrintelligence Tower's lobby, where masked terrorists wearing Red Wolf armbands were yelling and shooting at staff.

“That's not good.” Agreed the Sergeant, sitting up in his chair,

“Where's your armoury?” Asked Comrade Colonel, standing,

“Oh, your help isn't necessary. I've got security on it right now. That said, they've apparently already cut the phone lines so we can't call for help, and they're also blocking all other exits...”

“I've got a squad of hardened fighters here, and we're not going to just sit and get shot.” said the Colonel;

“I could say the same.” Immortal chimed, also standing.

“Oh, it is on!” Exclaimed Comrade Sergeant with no small amount of excitement; “You said we should find a worthy competition, Comrade Kyanite!” With that, he headed for the door,

“I said a civilised competition!”

“Yeah, and civilisations have been killing each other since their inception—what could be more civilised than a kill-count competition?”