Three hours pass like the wind. José and Soren work together to repair over a hundred holo-transmitters throughout Medbay 003. By the time Umi finishes defragmenting the two doctors' memories, the Admiral and his Kraktol assistant have already cleaned and sterilized the Medbay as well, putting it into pristine shape for the surgery.

Umi speaks from overhead. "Defragmentation complete. Admiral, I can begin the surgery whenever you are ready."

Five humanoid figures materialize out of midair, all of them mirroring the five holo-crewman from the Bridge. Irene, the blond Tactical Officer, Silvia, the redhead, Stefan, a black-haired man, Mikami, with a crop-top, and Penelope, a brown-haired acting Commander.

José frowns. "Umi. Why have you transmitted the Bridge crew to the Medbay? Can't you synthesize additional crew-members?"

"Negative, Admiral," Umi replies. "In addition to severe data degradation plaguing my mainframe, I have also suffered a tremendous loss in computing ability. That is why a simple defragmentation and merging of two brainwaves required three hours of computing effort."

"Fuck!" Jose growls, releasing a rare curse word. "I should have realized earlier. It's no wonder so many basic operations have taken you minutes at a time. What is your current computational capacity?"

Umi hesitates for a moment before replying.

"Seven percent, Admiral."

"Seven percent. Emperor, guide me!"

José's expression becomes pained. He glances at Soren, who shrugs in response. "Is there a way I can help, Admiral?"

"Sort of, but even if you and Megla work together, you'll barely make any progress. We need to diagnose and repair Umi's computational cortexes. It's just another bloody thing on my itinerary."

The Admiral's usual cool, calm and collected appearance melts away as he scowls and curses under his breath. "So many damned things to repair and I don't even have the bonemeal of a skeleton crew. Never mind. Leave me be, Soren. Only Umi can perform this surgery. You won't be much help."

Seeing her Admiral's irritation, Soren tips her head politely and nods. "Yes, Admiral. I'll wait outside in case you need me."

She leaves, exiting the sliding glass doors with a hiss. After a few moments, José walks over to a nearby operating table and begins stripping his clothes.

"Alright, Umi. Give it to me straight. What are the parameters of this surgery?"

"Admiral Rodriguez. I will not be performing this operation under ideal circumstances. A Level Four surgery is extremely dangerous. You have suffered significant deterioration to your bio-implants as a result of wear and tear. One hundred million years is not a small amount of time. It is a stroke of luck that you've survived this long. I will need to extract multiple implants that have become corroded and fused with your body's internal organs, including your brain."

Umi continues. "Further, I will have to replace more than just your failed organs. Even your currently functional heart is performing at below 30% of its maximum capability. I suspect you will suffer total organ failure within 3.75 years if I merely replace your inoperable body parts."

After José finishes stripping, he lays down on the freezing cold metal table, ignoring the discomfort of it pressing against his skin. His expression turns ugly. "How many organs will you not replace?"

"Your brain is still 85% functional," Umi says. "I will also leave your third lung intact as it is operating within normal parameters."

"Great. I've got a lung and a brain working, and all the rest has gone to shit. I couldn't be happier," José grouches.

"Admiral. I have additional bad news to relay."

"...What is it this time?" José asks, his heart heavy.

"The estimated success rate of this operation stands at only 70.4%. This is due to data wear and tear on the recovered brain scans of Doctor Bashir and Culber. I was able to optimize and recalculate several missing entities, but 5% of the critical data elements were irrecoverable. There is a 30% chance that you will not survive this operation."

Several seconds pass.

José's vision blurs momentarily.

While lying on his back, he gazes at the ceiling, countless memories whirling within his head.

Smiles resting on familiar faces.

A little girl's laughter.

The touch of a long-lost lover.

An Admiral's commendation.

His victories during several battles.

All lost to the annals of time.

No longer do any of José's fellow Terrans roam the galaxy. No longer can he speak to a familiar face to seek comfort.

José sighs.

"A thirty percent chance I'll die. So be it. Maybe it would be for the best..."

"Admiral?"

"Never mind. Get on with it. Make it quick."

Umi hesitates.

"...Admiral. Your behavior since awakening has been very different from what your commanding officers recorded prior to entering stasis. According to multiple personnel logs, you have always been a somewhat violent, 'off the cuff' soldier. While your ability to follow orders was noted as commendable, multiple officers made mention of your tendency to enter berserker rages, especially during tense political and combat situations."

José blinks. "So?"

"Your behavior has fallen well outside of my expected parameters. Please inform my database of why your personality has changed so drastically since leaving stasis."

After a moment, the Admiral closes his eyes.

"None of your business. Just get on with the surgery, Umi."

"Affirmative, Admiral. I apologize for pressing you. Please relax your muscles. I will inject a paralysis neurotransmitter into the base of your skull."

The five holo-crew walk toward José with blank expressions on their faces. Like robots, they surround him with two on each side and one at his head.

Penelope, the holo-crewman standing near José's head, reaches into a nearby drawer to pull out a small hypodermic syringe, one with a viral-infection-purging-ability on its needle to ensure it can be reused countless times.

As she draws near, José frowns. "Umi. Why a paralysis neurotransmitter? Don't we have any available pain inhibitors?"

"Negative, Admiral Rodriguez. The agents used for such injections have long since degraded into unusable states. The most I can do is prevent you from moving during this surgery. You... you will need to bear with the pain, Admiral."

The Admiral stares blankly at the ceiling. "Excruciating pain. Wonderful. As if my day couldn't get any worse."

Penelope leans over José's head. She gently pricks the needle into the base of José's skull, but he barely feels it.

As José's ability to control everything below his neck disappears, a strange sense of disorientation washes over the Admiral's mind.

He gazes up at Penelope's sexually dimorphic face and smiles.

"Haha. You know... you kind of look like an old flame of mine..."

.......................................

Outside the Medbay, Soren and Megla sit on a rusted metal bench covered with dust. They rest their backs against the opaque glass lining the Medbay's windows and sigh. Umi's privacy shield prevents them from seeing inside.

"You're been acting strange," Soren says, as she gently squeezes her sister's shoulder. Megla gazes at the floor, her eyes somewhat sullen, prompting Soren to continue. "The Admiral told you that you could leave, yet you remained. Why is that, I wonder?"

"Shut up," Megla growls. She pulls her shoulder away from Soren's touch and shoots a dirty glare at her. "I have to stay here. I won't let that Terran turn you into his hostage."

Soren retracts her hand. She rubs the scales on the back of her palm absentmindedly. "I came here willingly, Megla. I'm not a hostage. I've known you for a long time... what's this really about?"

Megla shifts uncomfortably. "What do you think? I don't like the Terran. He killed Orgon. No matter how he justifies his actions... Orgon was someone I respected. I watched the life ebb from his eyes, and now I serve his killer. Don't you think that's a little twisted?"

"...I do, somewhat," Soren says with a nod. Her long croco-snout bobs up and down. "But Admiral Rodriguez has a point. Orgon ordered the deaths of countless Kessu. We've always treated them as our blood-enemies, but logically speaking, the Kessu who harmed us have long since perished. We have no quarrel with their descendants."

"Bah!" Megla scoffs. "You and your 'logic.' The Kessu are our enemies; that is the Thülvik's command. Why would you cast aside her wisdom for the words of this outsider?"

The yellow-scaled Kraktol lowers her eyes. "I don't know, Megla. It isn't that I despise the Thülvik, and it isn't that I want to betray her, either. It's just... I see a better path for myself. For us. For our species."

Soren raises her head. "Don't you think we would be better off casting aside our petty old grievances? The Kessu caused us great harm during the ancient times, yes... but we've long since recovered, while they fell into stagnation. We surpassed them. Holding onto our pain instead of raising our heads to gaze at the horizon seems so... so..."

"...Primitive?" Megla says, a questioning tone to her words.

"Yes. Primitive. I wish for the Thülvik to conquer the galaxy all the same as before, but why must we pick on non-threatening Sentients like the Kessu? Surely, we can turn our attention to more significant threats. The Dakkit, the Avaru, and the Varot, for instance."

Soren's words cause Megla to hesitate. "You... you aren't wrong, sister. When you put it that way, I do feel foolish for attacking such weak, defenseless prey. The Kessu have fallen into such a sad state that there is no longer any glory in killing them."

"Um..." Soren grunts. "That wasn't exactly what I meant. It's not about honor or glory, but morality. I've long thought that senseless killing was illogical. Wouldn't it be better if all of the Sentients stopped their warring and joined forces? We could unify our strengths and nullify our weaknesses. Perhaps we could have even unlocked the secrets of Precursor technology eons ago, rather than constantly sabotaging one another."

"Hah!" Megla laughs. "Work together? I admire your imagination, Soren, but such wishful thinking will prove fruitless. The Rodaks will never come to peaceful terms with the Mallali, the Avaru, or any of the other opposing Sentients. They are all our enemies. Our differences shall never be reconciled, especially not in the current era."

"Why not?" Soren asks. "I see deep, boundless compassion hiding within Admiral Rodriguez's eyes. He does not seek unending, mindless war. He is unlike the stubborn Core Worlders and the Thülvik herself. If he can treat the Kessu and the Kraktol with equal rights, then perhaps..."

Soren trails off. Her words linger, making Megla raise an eyebrow.

"Once again, you speak ill of the Thülvik. Why must you place such blind trust in the Terran? He's not even-"

Suddenly, in the middle of Megla's speech, a horrifying scream of agony erupts from within the Medbay.

"Aaaaargh! Gaaaahhh! St-stop! Aaaaauuuugh!!!"

José Rodriguez screams at the top of his lungs. The sheer volume of his cry makes Soren and Megla all but leap out of their scales. They jump up from the bench, their eyes as wide as saucers.

"B-by the Thülvik!" Megla cries, her heart pounding like a drum. "What's going on? Why is the Terran screaming so intensely?"

She runs over to the sliding glass door, but it remains shut and doesn't let her enter.

"Kyargh! Synthmind!" Megla shouts. "Open the door! What's going on in there?!"

As Soren appears behind her sister, both of them reflexively gaze toward the ceiling in anticipation of Umi's reply.

"Attention, Kraktol crew members," Umi beeps from above. "Do not attempt to enter Medical Bay 003. I am currently performing the Level Four surgery on Admiral Rodriguez. If you forcefully enter, you may potentially introduce contaminants into the air. This will endanger the Admiral's life and may even cause a fatality during this critical procedure."

Jose screams again, his outcry even louder than before, making Megla and Soren's hearts leap into their throats.

"Synthmind, I must protest!" Megla yells, her body starting to tremble. "Why is the Terran screaming like that?! What are you doing to him?"

"Do not worry," Umi says, her emotionless tone inspiring zero confidence in the hearts of either Kraktol. "I was unable to locate anesthetic or pain suppression compounds for use in this surgery. Admiral Rodriguez must endure this pain if he wishes to survive."

"AAAARGH!!" Jose screams again. "End it! Kill meeee!! Gahaaaaa!!"

Megla's body trembles even more than before. She shakily wraps her arms around her chest to try and suppress her shaking as she looks at Soren. "W-what should we do?! We can't just sit here!"

Unlike Megla, Soren appears only slightly flustered. She gently squeezes Megla's shoulder for support. "No, sister. There isn't anything we can do. If we enter, we will only cause harm to the Admiral. Please listen to the Synthmind and sit down."

"O-okay..."

Megla nods quickly, but her eyes lock onto the door as she debates whether to kick her feet through the fragile-looking glass. Eventually, Soren pries Megla away from the doorway and leads her back to the bench. Every time José screams, his voice sounds more ragged than the time before. His howls of agony make Megla flinch and wince sympathetically, making chills run down her spine.

"How horrible... how bloody horrible..." Megla whispers. "It sounds like someone is torturing him."

An odd gleam appears in Soren's eyes as she looks at her sister's flustered appearance. "Megla. Your emotions right now... you seem to be worried about the Admiral."

"Of... of course I am!" Megla shouts. She looks at Soren with anguished eyes. "He's suffering immensely!"

"Earlier, didn't you imply that you hated Admiral Rodriguez?" Soren asks, smiling faintly. "He murdered Orgon, remember? Why would you sympathize with your former Commander's murderer?"

Megla grows more flustered. "Shut up, Soren! You... you always try to mess with me at the wrong times! What does it matter if I care? The Terran isn't important to me at all; I just don't want to see him suffer so much pain!"

"But," Soren whispers, "don't you think Admiral Rodriguez deserves to suffer? If the Thülvik were to hand him a punishment for killing Orgon, I'm sure his screams would be far worse."

At the mention of a 'punishment,' Megla's mood darkens considerably. José's screams continue for more than a minute before he yells so hard that he tears his vocal cords. Gradually, his voice dies off, muted to mere gasps of air.

"...Sometimes, the Thülvik can go a little overboard..." Megla mutters.

After speaking those sinful words, Megla's shoulders slump visibly. She strains her ears to listen for the Admiral's cries, but his voice falls silent.

Soren wraps her arm around her sister's back and rests her head against Megla's nearest shoulder.

"At least now you're being honest with yourself."

...

More than twelve hours pass.

The sounds of various medical tools whirr, beep, and click inside the Medbay. Not once does José make a sound. Megla and Soren sit in total silence. Their eyes flutter from exhaustion as they struggle to stay awake. Still, for José's sake, they force their eyes open, knowing he'll need them once Umi finishes the procedure.

Eventually, Umi speaks from overhead.

"Attention, Kraktol crew members. I have completed the initial surgery on Admiral Rodriguez. You may enter Medical Bay 003 if you wish."

The exhaustion disappears from Megla's eyes. She jumps off the bench and lands on her feet, nearly knocking Soren over. "Is the Admiral alive? Did he pull through?"

"Affirmative. Admiral Rodriguez is currently in relatively stable condition."

Soren, still tired, drags herself to her feet and stumbles along behind Megla. "Let's go. I want to see the Admiral."

"Me too."

Both of the Kraktol females stride through the sliding glass door. They enter the Medbay and wince as the smell of putrid, rotten blood fills the air. However, the room appears spotless, likely due to the holo-crew having cleaned the area up. They continue to dab various chemical agents against the Admiral's skin while the Kraktol approach.

Megla, taking the lead, trots toward José hurriedly, only to freeze while still some ten feet away. Her eyes widen, and she presses both of her claws to the sides of her snout while wearing a look of horror.

"Oh... oh, ancient Kraktol... h-he looks..."

Before her, José lays on the metal table, his formerly robust and strong body now a pale shadow of its former self. His ribs press against his skin, while his twig-like arms rest on the table lifelessly. José stares at the ceiling blankly, his chest heaving as he swallows quick, shallow breaths.

Dozens and dozens of blood-covered metal marbles sit inside a pan not far from the operating table, each one extracted from José's body. The Admiral's formerly incredible physique appears to have been sucked dry, leaving him a limp, barely breathing corpse on Umi's operating table. Only the faint movements of his stomach reveal the life lingering within his frame.

"A-Admiral?" Soren whispers, her sleepiness having finally vanished. "Are... are you alright? No, I mean, how are you? Can we help?"

José doesn't reply.

The Terran Admiral continues to stare at the ceiling, not even twitching his eyes when Soren speaks.

Umi's voice transmits from the overhead speakers. "Admiral Rodriguez suffered intense, excruciating pain during the surgery. I calculate that the agony he suffered would register as a 17 on the Gloverson Pain Index. For context, breaking all of one's limbs at the same time would be a 12, while suffering full-body burns would register as a 14. It is a miracle that the Admiral did not perish as a result of the trauma his brain has suffered."

Both Kraktol women nod. Slowly, they approach the Admiral. They stand at his right side and gently press their clawed hands against his, feeling the faint warmth of his skin. The Admiral's bare, naked body lies before them, looking more like a lifeless doll than a living human.

Megla lowers her head. "Admiral. Please don't... don't die. I'm sorry for all the awful things I've said to you."

Soren glances at Megla out of the corner of the eye. She says nothing.

"You're the last Precursor..." Megla whispers. "If you die here, on this table... won't that be a humiliating end for your species? You have to keep living. Keep fighting. Even if it hurts... we're all depending on you."

"Megla..." Soren says, her voice low. "You're finally..."

"Quiet, dammit," Megla replies, her voice hoarse. "I'm just trying to comfort him. That's all."

A faint smile traces across Soren's face. "Good. That's good, sister."

The two women stand at José's side for half an hour. Eventually, at Umi's prodding, they pull away to give the Admiral his space and head off to their rooms.

After the women leave, José slowly blinks.

"Uhh.... uhhh...."

He closes his eyes and falls into a restless, dreamless sleep.

"You've endured well, Admiral..." Umi says. "Please rest, now. We will continue with the second phase of the surgery once you awaken. I will make you stronger than ever."

An eerie emotion appears in Umi's voice, one that nobody, not even José, notices.

"I will reforge you to become unstoppable."