“So when you say ‘upgrades,’ what do you mean?” Anderson asked.

Nessa and I had brought Anderson down to the Floor of Coalition. That was where our good friend, Opifex, was working on something alongside a few Megas. His tools were laid out on the counter before him. There were massive versions of the same beside them. Those were the ones that the Megas used. Not only was Opifex working with the Megas, but he was also chatting with them. It had been a while since I’d seen him laugh that hard.

Nessa tapped Anderson’s red and white space suit. “Your suit’s lacking the abilities it needs to be a force of nature. As incriminating as it was, even your Constellations suit offered more than this one.”

Anderson shrugged as he looked away. “Yeah? So what? It’s not like you nerds have time to do anything. We leave for the mission in like an hour.”

Nessa scoffed. “We’ve been planning this for a month. Opifex has been working on it for at least a day too. There’s also the assistance that the Megas are offering him. It’s a team effort, fool. Just like I always say: ‘A little help goes a long way.’”

“Wha—you would never say that!” I elbowed Nessa, eliciting a giggle from her. Since when was she ever in a joking mood? Now I regretted having to leave on a mission. I strolled up to Opifex and patted his shoulder. “Hey big guy, how’s the project going?”

Opifex’s eyes lit up. “What’s up, little man? I’m just practicing some of that ‘unity’ crud. The Megas are cooler than I thought. They even gave me one of their tools; check it!”

He held up some sort of combination between a drill, a screwdriver, and a…I don’t know, a raccoon? I had no idea what I was looking at, so it must have been advanced.

“That’s good to hear. I’m glad you’re fitting in down here. Even I haven’t gotten used to these guys yet.” I snuck a glance at a Mega, who glared at me. Harsh. “How are Andy’s upgrades coming along?”

“Just about done. We just need to apply them to his actual suit.” Opifex leaned in and furrowed his brow. “He’ll use these to punch that green guy to the Moon and back, right?”

“That’s the plan.”

Opifex grinned. “Then let’s get going.” He motioned for Anderson and Nessa to step closer. “Step out of the suit, A-Man. Let’s see what we’re working with here.”

I stepped back as the three of them got to work. It was still weird seeing them interact, considering that nothing short of this war would ever have brought them together. Speaking of being together, I couldn’t believe that the Megas were helping out. They were supposed to because of the alliance, but I didn’t think that meant anything to them.

I approached the Megas. “Hey, why are you guys helping him? We’re all humans.”

“Are you? A highly intelligent machine such as myself hasn’t noticed.” The Mega said all of that without even looking at me. He was still hard at work on the upgrades. What a multitasker. “We’re helping out because, unlike the rest of ya, the brown fellow doesn’t give us dirty looks or backhanded insults. I doubt he has a rude bone in his large body. If all of you were more like him, this would be much less complicated.”

I folded my arms. “Sorry, but your past deeds haven’t made the transition all that easy either.”

“I could say the exact same thing to you.” Mega finally swiveled toward me. He couldn’t emote, but his anger was obvious. “I have countless memories of you bloodb—you humans destroying AI. When a human dies, you don’t know how their last moments were spent. Thanks to the Knowledge Stream, we get to relieve the destruction of AI over and over again. Consider that, Alpha.”

I…I really hadn’t considered that until then. Everything a destroyed AI felt when they died was just floating around the Knowledge Stream. In a way, killing an AI was worse than killing a human. Maybe that was why they preferred repairing AI to replacing them.

“I’m sorry,” I said so softly that they might not have heard me. “I didn’t mean—I’ll get out of your hair. Thanks for helping out.”

I walked away as the Mega went back to work. The conversation hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped, but it wasn’t a loss. I understood the AI a little better now, and it hadn’t even been my intention to do so.

I oversaw the operation from a distance. Not that my supervision was really needed: everyone was getting along fine. Times like these were reassuring. They proved that humans and AI could get along pretty easily even without me acting as an ambassador. I needed to work on that particular skill set.

The only problem was the tension between Anderson and Nessa. They weren’t enemies anymore, but they hadn’t reached “friendship” either. I wondered if they’d ever get there…

“Why?” Anderson suddenly asked Nessa. She was working on the legs of his suit, while Opifex and the Megas worked on the torso at the other end of the counter. The group had essentially split into two, allowing these guys to share a private conversation. “If you hate me so much, why fix up my suit?”

Nessa huffed. “It’s so you can use these upgrades to defeat Connolly. Hmmh, feels odd calling him by my own last name. Anyway, the hatred I felt for you pales in comparison to what I feel toward that monster.”

“Felt? Like, past tense?” Anderson asked. Nessa didn’t respond or even look up from her work. “Fair enough. Look…you know I used to hate your boyfriend’s guts, right?”

“I’m quite aware.”

“Hating him like that turned me into the worst version of myself. That’s who I was when we first met, and I’m sorry for that. When me and Locke made up, it was like a weight was lifted. I didn’t feel that self-inflicted expectation to be an asshole anymore. I was just…whoever I am. I’m still figuring things out, but this talk ain’t about me.”

“Could have fooled me,” Nessa muttered. “What is it about then?”

“Hating someone is a curse. And just like all those cheesy curses from the movies, it’s gotta be broken. I ain’t talking about killing the person who cursed you, I’m just talking about moving on. Do you feel me?”

Nessa had stopped working to listen to Anderson’s words. She didn’t pick back up, so I guessed that she was processing them. She looked up at him. She wasn’t scowling or frowning. Her expression was totally neutral.

“I understand,” she said calmly before going back to the space suit. “I suppose I appreciate the advice. Shows that you care. That’s my favorite thing about Wander: he actually cares about me. I hope he heard that because I’m not saying it again.”

“Yeah, I got it.” I rested a hand on my hip. “Nice speech, Andy. I’ve never heard you sound so…complex before.”

Anderson’s eyes became globes as he stared at me in horror. “You were listening?!”

“Dude, I’m like ten feet away. Of course I was.”

Anderson looked at Nessa, and she just shrugged. Seemed like he’d been the only one who hadn’t known. I was sure the Megas had been listening too. Anderson slumped against the counter as he groaned. Nessa turned away to emit a small chuckle.

As everyone finished up with Anderson’s suit, I decided to go check on the teammate I knew the least about. Ben had been headed for the fourth floor, so that would be my destination too. I hadn’t even been there yet. Assuming it was a Tera floor since four was their number, I steeled myself for the annoying dialogue that was to come.

When the elevator opened up, I encountered a bunch of AI lying beside beeping machines. It was like they were patients in a hospital. Teras floated around their AI patients like balloons as they inspected the monitors. A glowing blue box sat beside each AI. A Tera floated up to one and flashed her orange eyes. The box glowed the same color as it spat out a tool. Then it went back to being blue.

That meant it was an AI storage box. They reminded me of the cloud storage I had for my phone: the one that probably didn’t work since Frost had taken the Oppressed base. It was a good thing that I could store the AI cruiser’s key in my suit.

I understood that that floor was a medical bay for the AI, but what would Ben be doing there? I looked around for the only human and spotted him in the next row. He was wearing a helmet with glowing bulbs on it (why did everything glow around these guys?). The Tera assisting him shook her head as she stared at his monitor. This sure warranted investigating.

Standing over Ben was Rebecca Stein. Her arms were crossed as she gazed down at him. I wondered what she was doing there too.

“What, is it time for your annual checkups?” I asked as I approached them. “Also, you couldn’t find a better-looking nurse?”

The Tera literally hissed at me. “Bother some other AI! I’m too busy for this childish banter.”

“I can see that. I just want the story behind this floor. Why are you guys even here?”

Ben grinned at me. “Despite how it looks, I assure you that the Tera is not reading my mind. Well, I guess she kind of is. This weird doohickey studies my brain. It’s gonna give me an idea of what’s going on in here.”

“Huh? Why do you need that? You having nightmares or something?”

Ben’s grin strained as if he was struggling not to laugh…or cry. “Definitely ‘something.’ Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal. Rebecca’s the one you need to talk to. She doesn’t even want to be here.”

Rebecca scoffed. “Quite the understatement, Benjamin. What I want is to accompany you on your mission. Upton is one of the only people I have left. Why was I excluded on the mission to rescue him?”

I averted my gaze. “If you were in better shape, you definitely would have gone. I just can’t risk you exerting yourself anymore. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To get your Implants looked at?”

“It crossed my mind. Benjamin told me about this floor and I thought I’d see it for myself. However, it doesn’t look like it’s for me. I prefer a quick fix rather than to become a patient. I’ll seek another way, and then I’ll return to the team.”

I sucked air in through my teeth. “Or…maybe you should retire? It’d be safer. You’ve been fighting your whole life, right? That’s got to stop eventually.”

Rebecca glared at me. “Retiring is for civilians. I am a soldier! My job is done when the war is.”

That sort of mentality was probably why her Implants had become toxic in the first place. She’d overused them, and her body had been unable to handle the massive stress that had been placed on it. My body was safe since I was so young, but, once I got to her age, who knew what would happen.

“Wander’s got a point,” Ben said. “Leave this to us. I’m a soldier too, but I’m nowhere near retirement. This Dwarf thing was just a bump in the planet—I mean, road. I’m totally fine.”

The monitor beeped, causing the Tera to give it a closer inspection. She groaned as she did, which wasn’t reassuring. Her face was frozen, but, if she could emote, she’d probably appear concerned.

“Why did you even come here?” Tera asked Ben. “With readings like this, surely you already know what’s wrong. The discord wracking your brain should be obvious.”

Discord?

Ben flinched. “Harsh diagnosis, doc.”

“What discord?” I asked. “What’s she talking about?”

Ben’s cheery expression dissipated as he squirmed in place. “It’s…nothing. Jason doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Jason? Don’t you mean Tera?”

Ben’s eyes widened as he realized what he had said. “What? Of course I do. What did I say? Never mind, don’t worry about it.”

Rebecca raised an eyebrow as she gazed at Ben. I did the same. That was nowhere near the first time that Ben had flubbed his words. I’d assumed that was part of his personality, but it seemed like I was wrong. Something was up, and he’d been keeping quiet about it. That was dangerous.

I looked at Tera. “What’s wrong with him?”

“His thoughts are not alone. It’s as if there’s a second voice in his head scrambling them up. I cannot imagine how much effort it takes just for him to speak.”

Rebecca gasped as my jaw dropped. Ben avoided looking at either of us. I didn’t need any more details. This was obviously a side effect of being in the White Dwarf. Ben was probably hearing the echoes of Frost’s voice, or whatever voice had given him orders while he’d been in that suit. I didn’t think anyone else we’d rescued had suffered from the same side effects. Ben was suffering alone. It may have had to do with how long he’d been in the suit.

“Have you told Anderson?” I asked.

“No, and neither will you.” Ben’s voice adopted a deadly tone when he said that. His face fell as he realized it. “Sorry about that. I just mean that Andy can’t know. He’ll be worrying over nothing. If the Tera can’t help me, then there’s nothing I can do to stop the Epsilon Explorer—I mean, to stop this. This will just be me now.”

“Well, Tera? Can you help him?”

“Tinkering with human minds is not a field we’re experts in,” Tera said. “I’ll review my options and let him know if I can conceive of a brilliant idea. Let me know when you quit being stubborn, Rho. Then I may assist you as well.”

Tera floated away as Rebecca rolled her eyes. This was one occasion on which I agreed with Tera, but we weren’t talking about that. I still had to wrap my head around Ben’s situation. I regretted assigning him to my team, but there was no way he’d stay behind now, especially not when I was also taking Andy along.

I gripped Ben’s shoulder. “If this is permanent, you have to tell Anderson. He deserves to know.”

“No. I think that one needs to focus on himself.” Rebecca looked at the ceiling. She massaged her arm. “He shouldn’t concern himself with us until after the war. The progress he’s made during our few sparring sessions is incredible. I sense it’s due to his desire to repent. He lives a troubled life, and we should not add our troubles to his.”

In a way, I actually agreed with that. Anderson would kill all of us if he knew we were hiding this from him…but I couldn’t have him distracted at a time like this. As his leader, I’d hold on to this secret for a little bit.

Ben sighed. “I know that Andy acted up when he was a kid, and it was because I wasn’t there enough. I left him to fight this stupid war. I left my only brother alone, while I ended up as a puppet for the woman I trusted. That’s why I have to be there for Earth Three—I mean, for him—now. Besides, I’ve got to make up for last time.”

“You were being controlled by the White Dwarf suit!” I said. “Andy knows you weren’t actually out to kill him. I understand your point, but you’re of no use to anyone like this. Stay here and seek help. That’s an order.”

Anger flashed on Ben’s face. “An order? Last time I followed an order, I got betrayed, kidnapped, and brainwashed. No offense to you, Wander, but I think I’d like to embrace this rebel thing for a while.”

Ben stomped off. At that moment, he bore a close resemblance to his brother. If he didn’t intend to listen, then there wasn’t much I could do. I only hoped that, after the mission, he’d be willing to listen. That was assuming he didn’t get himself killed before then.

My new team and I stood in the entrance bay as we waited for Exo to prep the Beam Bulb. The cruiser I’d used the previous time sat on the transpad, waiting for my return. I glanced at my team, more specifically at Ben. His eyelids drooped, but they snapped open every time Anderson looked at him. Ben even flashed him a confident smile: that was the cherry on top. As a former celebrity, I knew how tiring an act could be. He couldn’t keep it up forever.

“You bloodbags bringing along some fine weapons?” Peta asked as he stomped up to us. “That Connolly guy sounds tough. I doubt you’ll last without some heavy firepower. What are you packing?”

Ben held up his rifle, Anderson patted the pistol strapped to his side, Manning tapped his head, and Dylan and I held up our hands.

“This team’s prepared for combat, but we’re not anticipating it,” I said. “We plan to avoid it altogether if we can. The plan is to sneak in, free Upton, and get him out of there before Connolly shows up. I wish I’d gotten his ETA from the soldiers, but—”

“All right, I get it: this is the boring team. No wonder I’m not part of it.” Peta pretended to yawn as he stomped off. “Let me know when you’re ready for some fun. Maybe then I’ll tag along.”

Why were AI so annoying?

Nessa patted Anderson’s arm. “If you do encounter my father, remember your suit upgrades. They should be more than enough for him.” I expected similar words of advice when Nessa walked up to me. Instead, she grabbed my face and kissed me. Only the warmth that spread through my chest was a match for the shock I felt. By the time I recovered enough to close my eyes, she’d already pulled away. She grinned at my awkwardness as if it were an actual attractive quality. “Return to me alive. If I hear that you’ve died on a mission, I’ll have to slaughter everyone responsible. Don’t turn me into a murderer.”

I couldn’t come up with a response even if I tried, so I just nodded.

Rebecca gave Manning a quick hug. “I can’t wait to see Upton again. Just make sure you come back with him.”

“I can only promise to try,” Manning said. “Remember that he won’t be who he was. The Implantation process warped his mind.”

Rebecca scoffed. “I only hope to see him alive. Whoever he is now doesn’t matter. He’s still our Upton.”

Kaela smacked Dylan’s back, which must have been her version of a friendly pat. “Good luck out there, bro! As long as you act opposite to who you usually are, you’ll be fine.”

Dylan rubbed his back. “Mikaela, they should pay you to be a personal trainer. Your inspiring advice hits deep.”

Exo cleared his robot throat. It was time to go. I took a step toward the cruiser, but then I met his gaze. Something was off. He wasn’t telling us to go. He was trying to say something else.

“If I may, Alpha, I have a request,” Exo said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Depends on what it is. Shoot.”

“I wish to accompany you on this mission,” Exo said. “I wish to visit the hospital that I’ve essentially created. Perhaps I could help those who are damaged.”

That was the nicest thing I’d ever heard this red metal man say. Too bad it was stupid.

“How many times do I have to reiterate that my missions are AI-free zones?” I asked as I shook my head. “It’s kind that you want to help those people, but this is a stealth mission.”

“Yes, and the last one was diplomatic in nature but transitioned into something more. This one could as well. Learn from your mistakes, and allow me to accompany you this time.”

Learn from my mistakes? The thing I’ve been doing for months just so I can survive in this galaxy? If we had time to argue, Exo would have gotten a cybernetic earful.

“Teleport us down, Exo.” I stepped into the cruiser and crossed my arms. “Now.”

He had no reason to listen to me. I was a seventeen-year-old human, and he was a centuries-old AI. That was why I was shocked when he lowered his head and returned to his computer. He was doing as I’d said. Maybe he’d built up some respect for me, or maybe he knew something that I didn’t. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter as much as the mission. I had to focus on that.

The familiar warmth from before flooded me as we were beamed outside. I looked up and saw nothing but the dark sky. The Mainframe was still cloaked. We needed that long-lasting tech in all ships. It would have saved my butt too many times to count.

I drove my cruiser of deceptively quiet men toward the hospital. My hands trembled around the wheel. Logically, I shouldn’t have been on this mission. I hadn’t repaired my cloak yet. If anyone recognized us, it’d kill Upton’s chances of getting out. This would be one of many impossible missions.

“Do you think I deserve to be here, Wander?” Manning asked from the passenger seat beside me. “I have this nagging feeling that I’m not worthy to take care of my brother. The last time I visited him—several months ago—I stunned him to protect you. After that, I never even suggested returning to save him. Now, it’s too late. He’s hours, perhaps even minutes, away from falling into Frost’s grasp. I have failed him.”

“Manning, we haven’t exactly had the freedom to save him until now. You were not wrong for never suggesting it because it was always your endgame. When we save Upton, your journey ends. This is the third time I’ve had to talk about this, but I’d say you’ve earned retirement.”

“Retirement?” Manning raised his head to the sky. Wrinkles adorned his face as he grinned. “Yes, that sounds lovely. After the war, I’ll consider it.”

I watched Ben’s face fall in the mirror. I hoped that Manning’s answer would influence his ultimate decision.

The red hospital reared its sunny head as I pulled up to its parking lot. Just seeing it and the sign that broadcast its name brought back polarizing memories. I remembered when I’d first found out that I was a Hybrid and Manning had brought me here to meet Upton. I didn’t have time to reflect on that crazy day because of what awaited us in the parking lot.

“Crap!” Anderson said. He’d spotted the same thing I had.

A black and purple lite ship sat in front of the hospital. Two Black Dwarfs were blocking the hospital’s entrance. We hadn’t arrived early at all.

I clenched the wheel like I was trying to break it. “We’re too late.”