Turnabout

Captain Deffdog stands behind his operator, leaning over her shoulder. Watching his operator typing furiously in attempts to find Vaala's Signal. Jazz stops, sighs, and looks up at her Captain "Deff, I just can't find her. It's just like shes not even jacked in."

Deffdog stands up and looks over at Vaala in her ecto chair, "We know she still is.. hows her Neural Signal, is it possible that this is a mutation of Spyglass?"

She types into her computer viewing several different applications. "No, nothing is attacking our mainframe. Her Brain Waves are Matrix Normal. It's definitely not Spyglass."

"Monitor her Brain signals closely.. , lets hope no agents are trying to crack her brain. Contact me immediately if there has been any change."

--Deffdog

Vaala was walking through the International District, trying to figure out how to avoid the members of the Trust whom she knew would be looking for her. She knew she had about 48 hours or so left until the code scrambler wore off, but soon learned that she'd severely underestimated the Trust.

“Vaala?!”
“Vaala! Are you all right?”
“Vaala!”

“Hi,” Vaala answered, acting confused by the concern in RedBindi's, Fenshire's, and Deffdog's voices. “Yeah, I'm fine.”

“Where are you?” RedBindi demanded.

“Uh...International. Sai Kung,” she answered carefully, hoping the answer would be sufficient, but knowing that it wouldn't be.

“Coordinates!” RedBindi demanded again.

Oh f***, Vaala thought as she rattled off the coordinates. She'd barely finished answering the question when she walked right into Fenshire. Taking a few steps back, she saw RedBindi behind her and Deffdog fast approaching. S***! Talk about the worst possible group of people to run into right now! What, did they have the whole d***ed fleet--? Before she'd even finished the thought, she caught herself. This was the Trust – of course they had the whole fleet searching for her. Probably half of New Zion, too, now that she thought about it.

“Where have you been?” RedBindi asked. “You've been out of contact for more than a day.”

“What? No, that's impossible,” Vaala lied. She knew Cameryn was probably watching, and now would not be the time to blow it, not while the information she needed regarding RedBindi's condition was still buried in the Machine network. She'd have to improvise. As Cameryn was so fond of reminding her, Fenshire and RedBindi were far, far more experienced at this sort of thing than she was. “I've been here all afternoon – just a few hours.”

“Try over 24 hours,” Bindi corrected.

“Do you remember Tyndall calling with some work for you?” Fenshire asked. “What do you remember after that?”

“Uh, I retrieved some data, uploaded it, and...” she frowned. “But that was just a few hours ago. I've been here since,” she insisted. She wasn't lying about the mission – not entirely. She had retrieved some data...

“Vaala...you've been in an ectochair in the real for more than 24 hours,” Deffdog told her. “Jazz says you attempted to jack out and your signal disappeared. What happened?”

“I...” she paused, frowning again. “How is that possible?”

“We were hoping you could answer that.” Vaala cringed inwardly at RedBindi's tone. This was not working... “If you guys don't mind, I think I need to sit down,” she said. She wasn't lying about that, either – the look on their faces was starting to make her extremely nervous. She knew d*** well she couldn't take any one of them, let alone all three of them, and running was definitely not an option. As she pondered her next course of action, the three officers discussed what to do. It didn't take them long at all to decide a scan was in order and Bindi issued the order.

“A scan?! For what? You can't be serious!”

“Yes, we are. Do it, Fen,” Bindi said as Deffdog put a hand on her shoulder – whether to calm her or restrain her, she wasn't exactly sure at the moment.

“Vaala, I'll need you to lift up your shirt just enough to expose your belly button,” Fen said. As Vaala complied, he moved the scanner into place. She tried to remain calm and hoped like hell that whatever Cameryn had done, the scan wouldn't detect it. She found it absurdly funny when Jazz told Fuse he'd d*** well better forward the results and Fuse turned around and told Jazz he was already on it, to stop nagging him.

“Clean as a whistle,” Fenshire finally declared.

Vaala stood and straightened her clothing. “I told you I was fine,” she said, hoping her sheer relief didn't show on her face. Was it really possible to break into a cold sweat in a simulation? Because she was pretty sure she was about to if it was... “So what now?” she asked.

“We need to get you out of here,” Deff answered. “Let's get you to a hardline and we'll deal with this back in the real.”

Vaala followed them – what choice did she have? She was fairly certain that the hardline would be a waste of time, but hell, if there was anything she'd learned from putting up with Cameryn all these months, it was that d***ed near anything was possible. When the phone rang, she picked it up – nothing.

“What the--” she asked, staring at the receiver.

“What?”

“It's never taken me this long to jack out before,” she answered, hanging up the receiver. She really couldn't decide right now whether or not she was relieved or disappointed. Either way, she tried to keep it from showing as Jazz informed Deffdog that the signal was too distorted.

“S***! Agent!” someone yelled as an Agent loaded in right on top of them. The three officers quickly dispatched the threat as Vaala furtively looked around for Cameryn. She just knew that woman was here somewhere...Christ, she thought. Talk about a rock and a hard place!

As they moved her to a safehouse, it seemed the whole system went nuts, with everything and everyone shooting at her as she ran. Another Agent popped up and was again eliminated for her as Bindi told her to run. Vaala wasn't about to argue the order – she ran. Two Agents in under ten minutes, she thought. I haven't attracted that much attention shooting down exiles and Cyphs in the streets! What the hell is happening here?

Once inside the safehouse, she was ordered to hold out her arm as Bindi injected her. I should never have taken this job, she thought. I wanted answers, but this was an unimaginably stupid way to go about getting them. “Now what?” she asked, genuinely curious about what they were going to do next.

“Now we wait for the tracer to take effect,” Bindi answered. “It's the same one that was used to find me when I went off the radar, but I've modified it for use on you.” As they waited, another Agent popped in right on top of them and shot Vaala almost before the others could react. She noted the name: Marks. Marks, why did that name sound so familiar, she wondered as her consciousness began to fade. She woke up to see Bindi standing over her, commenting about the fact that the Agent was probably tracking Vaala in the same way he'd tracked her.

Marks! She thought as she shook off the grogginess and got to her feet. That's the guy who went Exile – pulled a Smith or something like that. If she remembered right, he had some bizarre obsession with RedBindi – although, as near as she could tell, half the system seemed to be obsessed with Bindi and the Trust, so why should this guy be any different? Still, she really didn't like the implication of what RedBindi had said. She wasn't a f***ing machine, she was a human being – wasn't she? Oh Christ, she thought. Please tell me there's not some goddamned chip in my head!

“D***, is everyone all right?” Jazz asked. “I've only got three signals in there...”

“Didn't you say you had a fix on her signal?” Deff asked Jazz as everyone looked at Vaala. But there was something...odd...about Bindi. Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who'd noticed.

“You all right?” Fen asked his wife, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Fen,” Wheeler interjected, “Bindi's vitals are spiking.”

“Get her out, Wheeler. Before that chip activates!” Vaala couldn't have agreed more at this point. “It'll be okay, love.”

As Wheeler pulled Bindi out, Jazz spoke: “D***. Tracer seems to have been absorbed. Until we find out whats wrong, I am afraid shes stuck...”

“S*** if things weren't bad as it is,” Deffdog half-muttered.

“So what now - I just sit here and wait until someone comes up with a solution?” she asked as Covenant arrived.

“F***ing Marks,” Fen said angrily. Turning to Vaala, he answered, “I have no idea...”

--Vaala, RedBindi, Fenshire, Deffdog

Vaala really didn't care about Marks right now. “What did she mean when she said he found me the same way he found her?”

“I'll talk to her... Make sure she's all right,” Fen said, clearly worried.

“Ask her what she meant, Fen...” Vaala pleaded as he, too, was pulled from the simulation. She really didn't like the direction this was going...”Cov, do you have any idea what the holy f*** is going on?"

“No clue, sorry. Fuse sent me in to see what was going on. Fen's neurokinetics looked like there was something going on.”

Deffdog briefed him: “Well, Vaala appears to be stuck in the Matrix, and Exile Agent Marks just popped in on us.”

“Stuck?” Covenant asked, looking at Vaala. “You don't see that everyday. Are you okay?”

“Her signal is being distorted, can't even be distinguished in the code.”

“Deff says I've been out for over a day, but to me, it's only been a couple hours.”

“Does the System seem to know you're here?” Covenant asked. “Are there Agents tracking you?”

“Three in the last few minutes,” Vaala answered grimly. “I'm really beginning to not like this at all.”

“Maybe we should get you to a safer district. The Barrens maybe?”

“Covenant, can you find her a safe house til we can work out this d*** dilemma?” Deff asked.

Vaala was beginning to get agitated by the mere thought of the possibility that the Machines might have put a chip in her brain, so she used that to her advantage: “Can someone please tell me what in the hell is going on? How did this happen?! And why is every d***ed Agent in the city tracking me down?”

Deffdog looked at her for a long moment. “We don't know. We were hoping you could tell us.”

“Just stay calm, Vaala,” Covenant tried reassuring her. “We'll have to use the subways if you're not able to access the hardline network.”

She nodded at Cov, acknowledging his suggestion before turning back to Deff. “All I know is...I retrieved some data, uploaded it, and the next thing I knew, you guys were freaking out.”

“That is about all we know as well, Vaala,” Deff told her.

She sighed heavily, relieved at least in part because they truly didn't seem to know exactly what had happened. “I need some air...even if it is simulated.”


Covenant gave her a moment to collect herself before guiding her away. “Let's get to Sai Kung so we can take the train back.”

“All right.” She genuinely liked Cov. He had a manner about him that made her feel comfortable. “Just get me out of here before another d***ed Agent shows.”

“Head southeast. I'll follow you and make sure we don't have company.” As the system ran amok again, with every exile in sight trying to gun her down, he yelled, “Keep moving, Vaala!” Again, she wasn't about to argue. They made it to the subway and he ran aboard, even as exiles were still shooting at her. Once aboard, he said, “Let's go to Stamos - we can see if the safehouse at the hotel is still safe.”

The train doors closed right in front of her as an Agent appeared behind her. “S***! Cov...Agen-” she yelled before someone clamped a hand over her mouth, picked her up, and carried her away.

“Vaala?!” Cov turned to look, but she was gone.

--Vaala, Fenshire, Deffdog, Covenant

She struggled against the Agent, but Vaala was no match for her captor's strength. She was pushed into a car and driven to Uriah's Industrial District, where the Agent dragged her into a warehouse, dumped her unceremoniously on the floor, and locked the door on his way out. After a few moments, she heard a muffled woman's voice. Seconds later, the door opened and Cameryn walked in.

She glared at the woman with hatred. “That was more than a little unnecessary, don't you think?”

“Nothing we do is 'unnecessary,' operative,” Cameryn answered coldly. “These people are terrorists, and we will use every means at our disposal to eliminate them.”

“And me,” Vaala added.

“You serve a purpose,” Cameryn shrugged. She leaned in closely, making sure Vaala could see the cold look in her eyes. “For now.”

“I had it under control,” Vaala insisted.

“Did you?” The Agent questioned. “Am I to understand that you intended getting caught by those terrorists, then? Perhaps we were wrong to select you for this assignment...” she mused, her hand on her gun.

Calmed considerably by the threat, Vaala backed down. “No, Agent Thorne. What happened was unexpected, but I...improvised to the best of my ability.”

“Well then,” Thorne smiled, “since we now know that these terrorists consider you an asset and because we know the Trust has such a penchant for securing missing followers, we will make the most of our situation.” She backhanded Vaala hard enough to send her crashing to the floor and cause a small stream of blood to flow from her mouth.

“What the hell?!” Vaala cried out, wiping the blood from her mouth. “Now instead of trying to get me killed, you're just going to do it yourself?”

“The only way you will die, Ms. Redwinter, is if I allow it,” Thorne answered in a chilling voice. “Fortunately for you, you are an asset, and it is not currently in our best interests to allow your demise.”

“I hope you still feel that way when RedBindi gets here.”

Thorne put a hand to her earpiece and listened, a malicious smile forming on her lips. “She will not be here. That little incident with the rogue Marks made certain of that.”

“Christ, you did that? You Mechs really are--” she let the thought fade. This situation was getting worse with each passing moment.

“She is a relentless terrorist. We do what we must,” Thorne shrugged indifferently.

At that moment, Covenant entered the warehouse. What did she do? Vaala wondered. Leave him a trail of breadcrumbs? “Cov!” she shouted, hoping he'd hear the warning in her voice. She got to her feet and tried to step towards him, but the sound of Thorne drawing her gun stopped her.

“Remain where you are, Ms. Redwinter,” the Agent cautioned.

“Vaala, what happened? Are you okay?”

Thorne answered before Vaala could: “She is fine, no thanks to the antics of you people.”

Vaala nodded and cut her eyes in Thorne's direction. “Cov, get out of here,” she said in a low voice.

Glancing at Thorne, Cov tilted his head as if to ask a question, then thought better of it. “Vaala, let's go -- we need to leave.”

Vaala took another step towards him when Thorne's voice, cold as steel, stopped her again. “I said remain where you are, Ms. Redwinter.”

“Please, Cov...just go. Get out of here before she kills us both.”

Covenant looked at Vaala questioningly before turning his hard gaze onto Thorne. “And just who the hell are you?” he demanded. Goddamn it, Covenant, stop being so f***ing stubborn! Vaala thought.

“If you are wise, Mr. Roberts, you will listen to your comrade. But we know you won't do the logical thing, will you? You humans and your emotional attachments,” she sneered derisively.

He scowled. “The name is 'Covenant.' And no, I won't.”

Thorne gave a cold little smirk that sent a chill down Vaala's spine. “I assumed not, given your reputation.” She pointed her gun directly at Vaala's head, striking a very real fear into Vaala. As cold and vicious as Cameryn had proven to be over the months, there was no doubt in Vaala's mind that the Agent would pull the trigger if she thought it would serve her ends.

“Vaala, what's going on?” he asked.

“Please, Cov,” Vaala whispered, “She'll kill us both.”

“I don't...who are you?”

“You may call me Agent Thorne, 'Cov,'” she replied.

Covenant set his jaw and got ready for a fight. “I'm not leaving without her,” he said, nodding at Vaala.

Thorne cocked her gun and placed it firmly against Vaala's temple. “Then you will both die,” she answered simply.

“What do you want?” Covenant asked, focusing on Vaala through his shades. He shifted his eyes towards the door as he heard vehicles arrive outside.

“I want the same thing you want: to complete my objective without further interference.”

“Fine. Let us leave, and you can go about whatever you were doing.”

“I'm afraid it's not that simple, Mr. Roberts,” Thorne answered with a slight shake of her head. “You see, you are my objective. Now - you have the option of coming with me in a quiet, respectable manner...or you can watch her die before succumbing to the same fate.” She grasped Vaala's arm tightly enough to make Vaala wince. “Your options really are quite limited. For your own sake – and for that of your friend here - make the logical choice.”

“Jesus, Cov...she's serious.” Vaala had no illusions – Thorne would kill her, right here, right now, if it became necessary.

“Tick-tock, Mr. Roberts,” Thorne taunted.

Covenant leapt at Thorne, pushing Vaala out of the way as he did. “Vaala, run!”

Vaala did as she was told. I might get out of this alive, after all, she thought.

“Don't move!” Thorne ordered, training her gun on Vaala and firing off a few rounds. As Vaala dropped to the ground in pain, she clicked her tongue at Covenant. “That was most unwise, Mr. Roberts. Most unwise indeed.” Covenant tried to dodge the sniper fire that had started raining down from the rafters, but there was just too much.

“Ahhh!” he grunted as he, too, dropped to the ground.

“Pity,” Thorne commented coolly. “I was hoping this would be much more professional. I see you poddies are just too...emotional to be reasonable.”

“You...have...no...idea,” Covenant grunted through his pain as he tried to retain consciousness.

Thorne knelt between them, looking from one to the other as if trying to make a decision. After a moment, she placed the barrel of her gun against Vaala's temple again. She rather enjoyed watching these humans suffer. After a few moments, she sighed. “I have no time for this,” she declared, slamming the butt of her pistol into Covenant's skull. With Covenant unconscious, she put her hand to her earpiece once again. “The suspect is contained. You may retrieve him now.”

Placing her pistol back at Vaala's temple, she yanked Vaala to her feet. “You, however, are coming with me. We have a report to make.”

--Vaala, Covenant, Cameryn

Covenant heard muffled voices for a few moments before the door opened and Thorne walked in. “I presume, Mr. Roberts, that you will be calmer now?”

“Ugh,” grunted, still in pain. “Screw you.”

Thorne sighed wearily. “Typical Zionite response...Are insults the only thing you cave monkeys are good at?”

Covenant ignored the slur. “Another female Agent? What happened? The Architect get tired of Pace?”

“If it were up to me I'd have had that tart terminated months ago.” She smirked knowingly. “You are curious as to my origins?” As Covenant arched an eyebrow, she continued: “Perhaps I will indulge you. But as we both know, you cannot give without receiving...” She removed her shades and bent down to look at him. “You're not afraid of a few little questions, are you, Mr. Roberts?” she asked, placing her hand on her gun. “After all, if you have something you wish to tell me, this can be over quickly.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Covenant was shocked to see who the visitor was. “Vaala...?”

“Agent, I really don't think threat of force will persuade him to answer anything.”

“Lieutenant.. I did not request your presence.”

"Lieutenant?" What...?!” Covenant looked at Vaala questioningly.

“I've forced nothing on him. I gave him the opportunity to speak of his own free will. That is what you humans value, is it not?”

“With your hand on your gun?” Vaala argued.

“What have I always taught you, Lieutenant? Prepare for anything.”

“Agent, why don't you give me a few minutes to talk with him...”

Confused, Covenant practically shouted, “What the hell is going on here?”

Thorne pointed at Vaala. “Her, you mean?” She smiled that sinister smile once more. “She is my subordinate. That is all you need know.” Taking a moment to enjoy the expression of sadness and betrayal on Covenant's face, she added, “But we're not here to discuss her.”

Covenant looked at Vaala, searching for confirmation of what Thorne had just said. The look on Vaala's face was all the confirmation he needed. “No.” He couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. “Vaala! How could you do this?!”

“Cov...I...it's...”

“You will say nothing, Lieutenant,” Thorne ordered. “Leave us. Now.”

Vaala reluctantly did as she was ordered, trying to think of a way to get Cov out of there and away from the Agent who seemed hell-bent on getting what she wanted in the most torturous way possible.

“Now, where were we?” Thorne asked, grabbing a hold of Covenant's jaw and yanking his head in her direction in order to focus his attention back on her. “Ah yes...we're here because you know something, and I want to know what that 'something' is.”

Covenant grunted as he slapped her hand away. “Don't touch me!” Glaring at the Agent he asked, “What did you do to her, overwrite her?

Thorne stood and gestured towards the door. “She is the least of your concerns right now, Mr. Roberts – and you are trying to divert the conversation. Now, it is time to make the correct choice - for your own sake. We know that you and your faction are in direct contact with the operative, Neoteny.” Grinning at Covenant's scowl, she went on: "Those little stunts your friend has been pulling with the code bombs have not gone unnoticed.”

“Looks like he's succeeding. What do you want me to do about it?”

Thorne suppressed a flash of glee. She would enjoy breaking him, making him tell her everything he knew, and the thought of that impertinent poddie Lieutenant watching the whole time only increased her satisfaction. “These code bombings are too simple, too overt of an attack. Any tactical strategist would know that. There is something more, isn't there? Something you Zionites are planning? And I intend to find out exactly what that is.”

It was taking all his effort to focus with the pain, but Covenant gritted his teeth and spat, “I don't...know...what you're talking about.”

Thorne stepped on his already injured leg, burying the heel of her shoe into the injury. As she stomped her foot, Covenant screamed in pain. Lowering her voice and adopting a far more sinister tone to imply exactly what she was capable of, she told him, “Those code combs are a diversion, and you know it.”

“No,” Covenant moaned, his leg on fire.

“You're a member of an organization faction whose members are all on Red Alert Status within the System. You are considered to be terrorists of the System.” As Covenant simply glared at her with pure hatred, she put more of her weight on his injured leg. “We intend to find out what you are planning to do...and you, Mr. Roberts, are the link to finding out.” She ground her foot even deeper into the wound on his leg.

“Gggnnnn!” he groaned. “I...don't...know...anything!” he said, spitting at her. Thorne's eyes flashed green with anger for a moment, and she belted him across the face. “You really should learn to be more polite, Mr. Roberts,” she smiled sweetly. “After all, I'm only trying to help you.” Another knock at the door temporarily distracted her. These interruptions really were getting annoying...

Seeing Vaala standing at the door with a first aid kit, the Agent grinned sadistically. “Very well then, poddie,” she sighed. “If you won't speak to me, perhaps you'll speak to her,” she said, waving in Vaala's direction. “Since the two of you seem to be...close.”

Close?! Just what in the hell was Thorne implying? Vaala thought. I swear, one day, I am going to kill that woman...

“Lieutenant, extract the necessary information. You have 5 minutes.”

“Understood, Agent.”

“Vaala -- don't. Please. Don't do this.”

“I'm sorry, Cov,” she replied, stepping towards him as Thorne left and closed the door behind her. Certain the Agent was no longer listening, she knelt beside him, took a disk out of the first aid kit, and placed it in his hand. “There's no time to explain,” she whispered.

“Explain?! What the -- !! What is going on?!”

“Dammit, Cov – not now! And keep your voice down!” she added, looking over her shoulder. “We have less than three minutes to get you out of here before the security feed reverts back to what's actually going on in here.” She gestured at the disk she'd given him. “Get that to Bindi – and only Bindi. Anyone else tries to access it, the data will be deleted.”

“What is this!?”

“There's no time. I've unlocked the door to your left. Right outside in the corridor is an exit from this building. You need to go – now!”

“Vaala, how can I trust you?” he asked, feeling as confused as he'd ever felt.

“I wish I could answer that right now. I can't. Just believe me when I tell you that things are not what they seem...”

Covenant frowned, clearly torn. He wanted to believe her, but...

Vaala helped him to his feet and braced herself. “Now hit me. Knock me out. And get the hell out of here before she gets back.”

As Thorne called through the door, Covenant decided there was no time to waste. He drew his fist back and cracked Vaala right in the temple, running as she dropped to the floor.

“Lieutenant?” Thorne called. “Lieutenant Redwinter, open this door!” Not waiting for a response, Thorne drew her weapon and kicked the door in. She glared down at Vaala's unconscious form and gave her a sharp kick in the ribs to wake her up.

“Agent?” Vaala asked, sitting up. “What the? Where is he?”

“You failed. Your inefficiency is beginning to disappoint me, Lieutenant. Did you at least extract the necessary information?”

“No...he attacked me and knocked me unconscious.”

“I see now why the machines cannot trust normal humans to assist in the cause. Your penchant for failure is sickening.”

“You'll forgive me Agent...but as I recall, you are also human.”

Thorne sneered. “I am much more than that. I am what the human race can only wish to attain. But again, we are not here to discuss my origins or purpose, Lieutenant. You have emotional attachment to these people, therefore it has blinded you, clouded you...allowed this to happen.”

“I'm sorry, Agent,” Vaala said, shrinking away from Thorne slightly. At this point, she'd rather be killed by Bindi or Fen – at least they'd be quick about it and put a stop to this insanity.

“And since that is obviously the case,” Thorne continued, leaning in very closely, scanning Vaala's face. “How do I not know you are not sympathizing with the terrorists?”

“Sympathizing? The man knocked me unconscious, Agent. I'd hardly call that sympathetic.”

“There are innumerable ways that could have been prevented, Lieutenant.”

“Then I will have to be more careful in the future,” Vaala said quietly.

“At last, I see you are beginning to develop a responsible and professional attitude. Perhaps all of your training has not been wasted after all. However we must work harder now to obtain the information we need.”

“I'm glad you approve, Agent.” Well, it's now or never, she told herself. She took a deep breath and added, “And I think I may have an idea of where to begin...”

---Vaala, Covenant, Cameryn

Covenant arched his back slightly as Fuse withdrew the spike from the back of Covenant’s head. They exchanged an anxious, wide-eyed look, and Covenant said, “Did you get all that?”

Fuse merely nodded, trying to comprehend just how screwed they were.

“Is the Titan still parked nearby?” Covenant asked, hurriedly pulling a ratty sweater over his head.

“Right next door,” replied Fuse.

“Copy that data that Vaala gave me onto a disk,” said Covenant darkly. “I need to talk to Fenshire.”

Moments later, Covenant was moving as quickly as he could through the claustrophobic corridors of the Titan’s crew quarters deck. His mind racing, he found RedBindi’s cabin, pushed the portal open further, and stuck his head into the darkened cell.

Fenshire was seated on RedBindi’s bunk, a small flashlight aimed at an open tunnel map on his lap while RedBindi slept nearby. He looked up as the door to the cabin squealed quietly on its hinges and saw Covenant, looking haunted and agitated.

Covenant whispered urgently into the room, “Fen, can I talk to you a minute?”

Fenshire knit his brow and nodded as he put his work aside and slipped off of the bunk. “Yeah, Doc . . .” Fenshire joined Covenant in the narrow, blue-lit corridor and pulled the cabin door closed behind him. “What's up?”

“We have a serious problem,” said Covenant, speaking low and fast. “Vaala is working with the Machines.”

Fenshire shook his head, trying to absorb the implications. “What!?” He glanced back at the door to Bindi’s cabin and leaned in, lowering his voice. “What?”

“. . . I was captured by a woman . . . she said she was an Agent, ‘Agent Thorne,’ and Vaala was with her. The Agent interrogated me, tried to get me to talk about our plans in the Real . . .” Covenant ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “Fen. What do we do?”

“I can't believe this . . .” Fenshire sighed. “Have you talked to Deff?”

“No, not yet. I wanted to talk to you first because . . . this has to do with RedBindi somehow.”

Fenshire narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean . . .?”

Covenant hesitated before producing a disk, which he held out to Fenshire. He looked around to make sure that no one else was within earshot. “Vaala . . . she helped me escape from the Agent, and she gave this to me. She told me to deliver it to Bindi.”

Fenshire took the disk and regarded it skeptically. “What is it . . .?”

Covenant shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea what it contains. Vaala said that the contents would delete themselves if anyone but Bindi tried to access it.”

Fenshire looked back up at Covenant. “Vaala let you escape?”

Covenant nodded. “Yeah. I don't understand it either.”

“This is a tough call,” Fenshire frowned. “Deff really should be notified. And I want to talk to Vaala before I give this to Bindi. I'm not going to blindly give Bindi some disk that only she can access . . . for all I know, it could be some kind of trigger for that chip.”

“I know - it's dangerous,” said Covenant. “But I don't know how we can contact Vaala to ask her about it . . . she seemed to be under the control of that Agent. And as far as I know, her signal is still scrambled.”

Fenshire started pacing, scratching his chin. “Vaala disappearing in the code . . . then Marks showing up . . . I really don't like this. What'd you say this Agent's name was?”

“Thorne,” Covenant said absently, still thinking about how to proceed. “But what if Vaala is trying to help? What if she was . . . you know, overwritten or something? She helped me escape, maybe she's trying to help RedBindi?”

“That's very possible. But I need to be sure,” said Fenshire firmly. “And if Vaala were overwritten . . . how'd she get unwritten? Haven't seen Seraph running around crackin' skulls lately.”

Covenant paused as he considered this. Somehow, he had been clinging to the hope that Vaala was doing this involuntarily, but Fen had a point. And if she hadn’t been overwritten, it meant that things actually were as treacherous as they looked . . . “I have no idea, but Fenshire . . . please, promise me you won't let Deff pull her jack.” He spoke with quiet determination. “Vaala saved my life. If she can be saved from this, I intend to return the favor.”

Fenshire lowered his head in thought, then whispered conspiratorily, “Alright . . . we'll hold off on telling Deff . . . he might do something rash like that. I do, however, want to talk to Vaala before giving this disk to Bindi. Also . . . talk to Fuse, and have him start running some searches on this Agent Thorne. We might have to bust up a few Machine mainframes to learn more about her.” He looked at Covenant, shaking his head. “Jesus Christ, it doesn't seem like we ever get a break here.”

“I'm on it, Fenshire. I'll have Fuse contact you directly if he turns up anything on the Agent. And . . .” Covenant added quietly, “thanks.”

“No worries. For now, we keep this just between the three of us . . . me, you, and Fuse.”

Covenant nodded his understanding, and left Fenshire. He started moving out of the Titan to return to the Devildog, thinking grimly to himself that things were about to get very complicated.

--Covenant

Vaala hoped Thorne would take the bait...and maybe get her mind off trying to start a system-wide manhunt for Cov. Fortunately, she wasn't disappointed. Thorne narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, clearly interested now in what Vaala had to say.

“Please elaborate, Lieutenant.”

Vaala clamped down her desire to wipe that self-satisfied smirk right off Thorne's face. She had to be careful, especially if she wanted to convince Thorne to give her what she needed.

“I've been doing some research on RedBindi--”

“The leader, yes.” Vaala thought she saw a flash of something in Thorne's eyes at the mention of Bindi's name. “I am – we are,” the Agent corrected herself, “aware of her. Very aware. We are also aware of your...research.”

“Right...well my codes won't allow me to access the sort of information I really need. Perhaps there is something you could do?”

“Do you require higher clearance?”

“I was thinking of something a little quicker,” Vaala answered, hoping Thorne wouldn't catch on as she led the way to her computer. “I thought perhaps you might be able to retrieve the information for me.”

“What is it in particular that you think you need to know?” the Agent asked, arching a brow.

“You are always reminding me to prepare for anything, Agent,” Vaala pointed out. “It's important for me to know everything I can about RedBindi and the Trust, especially if I'm to convince them that I'm still on their side in order to continue my investigation. As the saying goes, 'know your enemy.'”

Thorne eyed Vaala closely for several moments as Vaala tried to contain her anxiety. If Thorne found out what she was really doing and what information she was really seeking...Vaala shut the thought out of her mind. She'd spent enough of the day with Cameryn's pistol barrel against her temple – she wasn't exactly in the mood to bet on whether or not the Agent really would kill her if Thorne thought it suited her purpose. For good measure, she added, “And in the event that it comes to it, I'll need to have every advantage I can get in order to...” Vaala nearly choked on the words, “terminate her.”

Apparently satisfied, the Agent nodded. “Show me how far you've gotten.”

Vaala tapped a few keys and turned the monitor towards Cameryn. “As you can see, she seems to have some kind of...chip...or something in her brain. As that irritating smirk played at the Agent's lips again, she continued: “It appears to have been some sort of experiment that didn't quite work out.”

“It would appear so...” There was something about the Agent's demeanor that made Vaala think she knew far more than she was telling.

“Oh – so then, I take it you're familiar with the technology?”

Thorne straightened and turned towards Vaala with eyes like cold steel. “I know what my position requires me to know, Lieutenant,” she said icily before turning back to rapidly scan the data on the screen.

Struck a nerve, did I? Vaala thought viciously. Cameryn seemed to be forgetting that she'd also been trained to read expressions and body language rather than just listening to the words people spoke. “I just need a little more information, Agent, so that I can be prepared for any...contingencies.”

Thorne smiled. It seemed the Lieutenant had finally decided that it was in her best interests to behave in a more professional and efficient manner. This was indeed a positive development in the poddie's training. This one may turn out to be somewhat useful after all, she thought. “You are quite right, Lieutenant. Remaining prepared for anything these dangerous terrorists may attempt is a wise course of action. Very well.” She tapped several keys and downloaded some data onto a disk. “You will report any new findings to me immediately.”

“Absolutely,” Vaala agreed, hoping her triumph didn't show in her eyes. She couldn't believe she'd actually managed to convince the Agent to enter her access codes. Hopefully the logging program she'd uploaded to the terminal earlier was working correctly...Hacking had never been a skill she'd excelled at.

“Continue to investigate and monitor the organization – and I do hope that you are competent enough to convince them not to kill you in the process.”

That d***ed smirk again...I only hope I'm the one that gets to wipe it off your face, b****, Vaala thought. “I believe I can do that,” she nodded.

“In the meantime, we will assign extra guards for your protection. The Trust is well known for attempting to retrieve and recover their members – even those whom they suspect may have wronged them.”

“If the intent is to continue to monitor them, why would additional security be necessary, Agent? After all, once this code scrambler wears off in another day or so, it isn't as if they won't be able to simply extract me.”

Cameryn eyed Vaala again and smiled an emotionless smile. “'Covering the bases,' as you say. The terrorists may attempt a break-in to steal data, they may attempt to disrupt our communications, or they may try to find you again and attempt to analyze the code scrambler I've administered. We would prefer not to take unnecessary risks. It is our efficiency and caution that has gotten us this far; I do not intend to disrupt that pattern.”

“You saw Roberts.” The name sounded as foreign as it felt. “If anything, they'll just yank my jack in the real before I can jack out.”

“Unless they find you to be of some continued value to them, Ms. Redwinter, that is a distinct possibility. I suggest you come up with a way to make yourself...invaluable.” Vaala swallowed hard, hoping that wasn't exactly what they were planning to do. “I expect results in the near future, Lieutenant.”

“You will have them, Agent.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” Thorne said as she headed for the door. “I will speak with you again soon.”

“Not if I can help it,” Vaala muttered once Thorne was gone, her voice dripping with contempt.

--Vaala, Cameryn

Deffdog’s eyes open and waits, patiently he waits for his jack to be removed. He hears tones of the computer panels, and feels the Jack pulled from the back of his skull. He sits up, rubbing his head, because of the current dilemma.

“So none of that crap Bindi tried worked?, he asked looking over at Jazz.

“No nothing worked to allow me to distinguish her from the code, however, and I did not want to mention this while you were with Redbindi and Fenshire… During the whole time you guys were with her. Her heart was racing, especially when you guys found her…, and I have seen that kind of heart rate change before… in training. It’s…”

Deffdog cuts her off, “It means she was lying…, I don’t know what the hell is going on but I make it a point to know my crew... If they are lying I know it, and she was definitely lieing. To what purpose I don’t know, but I am definitely going to find out.”

He gets up out of his Ecto-chair and stands over the body of Vaala. Her skin was of a pale tone and an IV placed into a plug on her arm. “What the hell is going on with you…”, he whispers under his breath.

He joins Jazz, back at the operator station. “Keep the scans going maybe something will get picked up, maybe a sign from her.”

“Shouldn’t we inform the other captains about...” Jazz replies before she is cut off.

“No, not yet, we really don’t know anything…”

Deffdog opens the hatch to exit out of the Broadcast Core. He makes his way up to the Cockpit and finds Suezuki at her usual station at the helm.

“Status!?,” He Asks.

The sound of his voice, made her jump, obviously she did not hear him enter the room.

“Uh .. We are in good shape but we may have to, move soon… Squid Activity seems to be picking up in the Area.” She motions him toward the scanners to see at least 4 Sentinels patrolling an adjacent Tunnel.”

“Well keep on low power just enough to keep the Broadcast Core running. Anything nonessential needs to be powered down…. And make sure the EMP is charged…” he responds grimly.

Sue looks at him, but does not say a word. She full well knew he knew the implication of what would happen to Vaala if he the EMP was used while she was still in the Matrix.

Deffdog has been awake ever since Vaala disappeared; he decided that he needed to take a few hours of sleep.

“Ill be in my quarters apprise me if anything happens.”

Deffdog exits the command deck and makes way to his quarters. Lies down on his bunk and attempts to get some sleep.

--Deffdog

Vaala took Cameryn's stolen access codes and downloaded them to a disk. She tucked the disk safely into her boot - she didn't dare use them herself, and especially not here in the Matrix, but if Cov had passed on her message, she was sure RedBindi would at least send someone to meet with her, even if she wasn't willing to come herself. Then she could pass the codes on and hopefully someone would be able to make use of them.

She settled in to review the data the Agent had downloaded for her. Within ten minutes, she ripped the disk from the computer, nauseated. Thorne had given her information, all right – too much information. That sick b****, Vaala thought as the disturbing images of RedBindi being tortured replayed themselves in her mind. Shaking, she hurled the disk across the room. Who in the f*** does that to someone and records it? And why in the hell would anyone keep it around unless they were just sadistic bastards? She shook her head. She already knew Thorne was amoral - the months of listening to the Agent's cold, emotionless voice had told her that a thousand times over - but this was...evil. Pure evil.

More than ever, Vaala was convinced: whatever she had to do to get away from the Machines, it was worth it. As far as she was concerned, the Trust weren't the terrorists; Thorne and System she represented were. She resolved to tell RedBindi the truth, consequences be d***ed.

Vaala was startled to hear RedBindi's voice: “Vaala, we're still working on getting you out of there.”

“Bindi?” How were they able...realization dawned. It was nearing the 72-hour mark, the code scrambler was probably starting to wear off. “Did you receive my message?”

“What message?”

“...The one I gave to Cov? He...didn't tell you?” D***! Covenant hadn't believed her. I guess I really can't have expected him to, she thought. Not after what Agent Thorne did to him, not after what I've done...

“No. He didn't. What message are you talking about – I haven't received a message.”

“The message...the one I gave him to give to you. You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?”

“No. Perhaps we should meet up.”

“Yes. We should.” Vaala drew up every last ounce of courage she had. This was not going to be easy, but she had nowhere else to go. She'd just have to trust that Bindi would at least hear her out and take the access codes before telling Deff to yank her jack. No, they won't do that, she told herself. That's not who they are. And even if they did, she continied to reason with herself, the Trust would be far more merciful about it than Cameryn would be once she learned Vaala had turned on her and was feeding the Trust information instead of the other way around.

“Where shall me meet?” Bindi asked.

“Someplace private. I think I'm being watched.”

“Magog West,” Bindi told her. “The monument.”

“On my way.”

As she stood to go meet Bindi, Fenshire materialized at the hardline in front of the bench and crossed his arms.

“Hiya Fen,” she said a little nervously. “You guys haven't sorted all this out yet, have you?”

“It's probably thanks to Cov that you're still alive,” he told her. “What's on this disk?” He held up the disk she'd given Covenant before helping him escape.

Vaala didn't bother trying to hide her surprise. Covenant had believed her...or was at least willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I can explain...sort of. It's...information,” she answered, looking around nervously hoping Thorne wasn't watching or listening in.

Fenshire pulled out one of his guns. “What kind of information?”

Great. He is going to kill me, she thought. Well, I hope he's got enough sense to check my boots once I'm dead...

“I think the Machines continued experimenting with those chips after Bindi...and I think they've succeeded.”

“I see...and you have a lot of explaining to do. I tend to be rather understanding, seeing as I once worked with the Machines. I'd like to know what your deal is.”

“I can explain, Fen...just...not here and not now.”

“Not now? I don't think you understand how little time you have, Vaala. What do you think is going to happen when Deff finds out? Jazz is a very good operator.”

“I know that.” She shook her head. This was just getting worse by the minute... “This is not what it looks like.” Ah, screw it. “Look, Fen, this would be easier if you just came with me to Magog.”

“I need to take care of something first. I'll meet you there.” He pocketed the disk. “I have no intention of letting Bindi see this until I can be sure you're not trying to activate her chip.”

“Fen, I'm not,” she protested. “Believe me, I'm not.” RedBindi with that chip activated was the last thing she needed right now.

She arrived at the monument wondering if it was at all possible for her to be any more scared than she was at that moment. Bindi was not someone she wanted to p*** off – ever. But she knew she had to do this, regardless of what happened as a result, so she gritted her teeth and decided to just get it over with as quickly as possible.

“All right, what did you need to talk to me about?”

“Fen has it,” she blurted just as Fenshire arrived.

“Fen has what?”

“The message I sent you.”

Bindi turned to look at Fenshire, who in turn watched Vaala with a hard stare.

She gulped before continuing: “He's...concerned,” she said carefully. “And he has a right to be,” she finished, dropping her eyes to get away from Bindi's gaze.

“That's nice,” Bindi said, sounding irritated. “What f***ing message are we talking about?”

Vaala took a few steps back at Bindi's tone of voice. “There's something you need to know--”

“Apparently.”

“--Well, a lot of things, actually. Everything is on that disk...but,” she hesitated, “where to start?”

“The beginning is usually a good place,” Bindi told her.

Vaala sighed heavily. “I was afraid you'd say that. I know why Jazz can't trace my signal.”

“Well that's good news.”

Vaala shook her head. “No it isn't. An Agent used a code scrambler on me and used me to get to Cov.”

“I see. Are you and Cov all right?”

Christ! Fen didn't tell her anything?! “I hope Cov is...”

“So do I, since there seems to be a failure to communicate both his condition and his whereabouts to me.” Bindi's voice was getting harder – and Vaala was getting even more nervous. She knew she was doing the right thing, but that certainly didn't make it any less difficult.

“This is all very complicated, and I'm not quite sure how to say this...”

“Directly is usually a good way.”

Vaala braced herself, and then blurted it out, her words practically tumbling out on top of each other. “I'm supposed to be helping the Machines infiltrate the Trust. There was a volunteer program--”

“Hmm,” Bindi said in a tone that Vaala wasn't sure if it was expressing anger, interest, or both. “Well, it seems that you were successful. Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because I want out,” Vaala answered, looking Bindi in the eyes and hoping the other woman could tell that she was being completely honest.

“And...Fen,” Bindi asked, looking at her husband, “Where is Cov?”

“Cov is on the 'Dog.”

“Is he hurt? I've been led to believe,” she glanced at Vaala, “he might be.”

Again, Vaala dropped her head as Fenshire looked at her. She hadn't expected this to be easy by any means, but it was a lot harder than she thought it would be.

“We talked last night and I wanted to talk to her before I came to you.” Vaala's gaze flitted nervously as he spoke, scanning for any sign of Cameryn – or any other Agents.

“What exactly has been going on...since it seems I am out of the loop.” She crossed her arms in annoyance and fixed her eyes on Fenshire.

“Is he all right?” Vaala asked. If Cov was hurt, she'd never forgive herself...or Cameryn. She'd spend the rest of her life – however short – hunting that woman down if she had to. She'd never really known hatred, but Cameryn Thorne could inspire anyone in that regard.

“We talked last night,” he reassured Bindi. “He came to me to tell me about her.”

“And apparently gave you a message,” Bindi interjected. “Where is it?”

“He said he wasn't sure what to believe, but that she did save his life. She gave him a disk with,” he narrowed his eyes at Vaala, “'information' that only you,” he said, turning to look at his wife, “could access. He said that it had to do with your chip.”

“I expect that disk in my hands when I jack out,” she told him. “You and I will talk more later.”

Fenshire protested. “Before blindly giving you a mysterious disk that only you can access from a potential Machine spy,” Vaala winced as he said it, “I wanted to talk to her first and gauge her honesty. Marks showing up the other night and then Vaala's suddenly having this disk was too much of a coincidence for me.”

“That's nice.” Vaala thought she detected some sarcasm in Bindi's voice. “You and I will talk more of this later. Dismissed, Colonel.”

Fenshire crossed his arms as Vaala interrupted. “That was her. Agent Thorne. My handler.” She said the words with as much venom as she could muster. “She arranged it – Marks – to get me away from you. I didn't know until later, I swear.” She almost wished Cameryn would show up right now...so she could kill her.

“I see,” Bindi replied. “And how much information have you given the Mechs about the Trust?” she asked, a chill creeping into her voice.

“None. That's what I've been trying to tell you.” She bit back her frustration. “Look, it's all very complicated. I took the job because I had...questions. About the Matrix.”

“What questions?” Fenshire asked as RedBindi raised an eyebrow.

“Colonel Fenshire,” Bindi said even more coldly, her eyes blazing green fire, “I would like to address my operative.”

Vaala shrank back even more at the ice in RedBindi's voice and the heat in her eyes, but she was determined to go through with this. “You know...questions. Things just didn't seem...'right.' At the time, it seemed like a good way to get the answers I was looking for.” She hadn't expected a cakewalk, but this was a disaster. Bindi made her nervous on a good day, but right now, she was downright terrifying. Vaala wondered how much of that feeling was inspired by the idea that Cameryn might be watching, but dismissed the idea. Even if Thorne was watching, she still felt better about being honest than she did about spying on these people whom she had grown to care about.

“Commander,” Fen replied, “it's my duty to investigate any possible threat to your person or well-being. If you expect me to give you that disk, then I need to be convinced that 'your operative' is genuine.”

“Colonel, you are dismissed from here for the time being. I'll speak to you later, in private, about this.” She saluted him crisply, and Fenshire knew it was time to go. He returned the salute and disappeared.

--Vaala, RedBindi, Fenshire

With Fenshire gone, Bindi turned her attention back to Vaala. “So, you've been with us all these months, the Mechs have let you stay with us, and in all that time you haven't given them any info, nor have they demanded it?”

Yeah, okay, that would be hard to swallow, Vaala admitted to herself. I'd be pretty damned skeptical myself. “Agent Thorne is...” she searched for a word. “Unpleasant. So I've given them – her – some, uh, 'misinformation' to keep them busy. Look, Commander, I know it's hard to believe,” Oh boy, do I know, she thought to herself. “But if I'm going to get out of this, I need your help.”

“Do you have a log of the information you have given them – or any proof that you're not making this up?”

“Thorne probably has a log.”

RedBindi nodded. “Can you get that information, in my presence,” she specified, "so that I may see its--” She rested a hand on her gun as Vaala slowly crouched down.

Vaala reached into her boot – very slowly and carefully – and retrieved the disk with Cameryn's access codes. “I've gotten her access codes,” she said, handing the disk over. “The Mechs kept trying after you,” she halted briefly, “got away. With her – with Agent Thorne – I think they've succeeded.”

Bindi's eyes narrowed. “What?”

“I've been doing some digging, trying to get more information on that chip. She mentioned being physically human once, and then made some comment about being what humans could only wish to attain. So, I...” she took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “I convinced her that I needed more information about you, and I stole her codes as she retrieved the information.” She decided against telling Bindi exactly what Cameryn had downloaded. She was certain the other woman did not need any reminders of that hell.

“Do you know how to deactivate your scrambler?”

I wish, Vaala thought. “I don't know much yet at all, to be honest...but I'm looking. I don't even really know what happened or how they did it. I was jacking out, she shot me in the back and then in the chest, and the next thing I knew, you were telling me I'd been gone for more than a day.”

Bindi sighed. “Would it be in her files?”

“Possibly, but I...I don't know.” She felt like a little kid telling her mother that she'd broken a lamp and then cleaned up the pieces and hid them in order to keep out of trouble – except that this trouble was much bigger than broken furniture. “I'd think so...but I was looking over the other...data,” she said distastefully. Just the thought of what she'd seen nauseated her again. “The stuff she gave me about...you.” Ugh, please don't make me sit through that again just to get--

Bindi interrupted her thought. “Then perhaps it's time for you to get that information.”

Vaala nodded. “I intend to.”

“Let me know when we can get that information. In the meantime, I'll work on a scrambler for the scrambler.”

Vaala was stunned. She'd expected both Bindi and Fen to be pissed, not willing to give her more time to try and get the information. “But you should know...they're expecting an attack. They think Neoteny's code bombings are a diversion, sanctioned by the Trust, and that we--” she corrected herself. If she was lucky, they'd boot her off their ships. If she wasn't... “--you're planning something. I've told them that I haven't heard anything, but Thorne is pressing me – hard. That's why she wanted Cov.” As RedBindi nodded again, she added, “I thought I might be able to...misdirect them...but it's not safe here. I know she's watching somehow. She knew about you guys finding me the other day...she sent those Agents...” Vaala shuddered. “I have a plan, but...can we possibly discuss it when this...thing...wears off and I'm back in the Real? The woman really is rather...disturbing.”

“I can imagine,” Bindi told her, and Vaala knew d***ed well that Bindi could imagine. “All right. Get out of here for now, we'll discuss this at a later time.”

“It'll be another few hours before this thing wears off...” Bindi nodded. “And then I'll tell you everything, somewhere where it's safer.” With that, Vaala disappeared into the night to wait for the code scrambler to wear off so she could get out of the simulation and, maybe, just maybe, get out of her deal with those accursed Machines alive.

--Vaala, RedBindi

As the code scrambler began to degrade, Vaala's connection to the Trust frequency began to get clearer. She heard RedBindi order Fen to the Titan's offices and she heard the Trust Commander give orders to the Captain of the Shadrack: “Deff, when Vaala jacks out, you will place her under arrest and put her in the brig. I'll meet up with you on the Diluculo and take custody of her at that time.”

“Okay,” she heard Deff say as the frequency cut out again. “--know why,” she heard him finish.

She heard Bindi's voice again, and even through the garbled transmission, Vaala could hear how incredibly pissed off Bindi sounded. “--explain more...goddamned story...understands I'm...this faction.”

The transmission cut out completely again. Vaala held her head in her hands. Why did I even consider doing this? Why didn't I just f***ing tell them back when I first knew how dangerous Cameryn was and when I first knew I wanted out of this? I should have just been straight with them! She roared in frustration – mostly with herself – and kicked the bench just as the transmission, still garbled, picked back up:

“--she...information about...mechs cont...well...cape.” Suddenly, the transmission cleared up again as Bindi continued, “I'll let her explain more since it seems she's popped up on radar again.”

Popped up on radar? I hope that means they can track my signal now and get me the f*** out of here. “Hello?” she said tentatively, bracing herself for the inevitable backlash.

“Deff as to the promise - just arrest her and place her in the brig until my arrival.” Promise? What promise? “Hello, Vaala,” Bindi answered.

“You may want to hold on that, Red,” Deff warned. “We're low on power to avoid a sentinel patrol. We're hoping they don't see us.”

“I can slip by the sentinels or wait until they move on.” Sentinels! Vaala thought. What in the hell...? Cameryn! So help me...

“Just be careful...”

“I will. I do know how to take care of myself,” RedBindi pointed out.

--Vaala, Deffdog, RedBindi

Vaala just waited where she was, hoping Jazz would be able to pick up her signal. She knew it was dangerous to stay still, but right now, she almost welcomed being gunned down by an Agent...or anyone else, for that matter.

“Perhaps it's time for us to meet with Vaala. I would say that's more pressing than what we're doing here.” Meet? The whole faction? She groaned. If things could get any worse, she wasn't sure how.

“Agreed,” QuiDormit said. Harp3r and the others all signaled their agreement as well.

“Deff,” RedBindi continued, “she's your crewman; we should go to your offices.”

“All right. Shadrack offices it is,” Deff replied.

--Vaala, RedBindi, QuiDormit, Deffdog

Vaala ran all the way to the meeting, dodging bullets the entire time. The Matrix was going crazy again, and anything that could attack her was doing so. As she arrived at the Shadrack's offices, she was greeted by QuiDormit and Harp3r. “You first, Vaala,” Qui said politely. As she entered the room flanked by Qui and Harp3r, she began to wonder if she was walking into a meeting or a trial...

“Have a seat all,” RedBindi told them from her position near the window. Vaala moved forward and took a seat at the table anxiously. “Please tell them what you told me, Vaala,” the Commander said, addressing her directly.

As Vaala opened her mouth to speak, Deffdog interrupted. “First, I have something to say. I am extremely disappointed in you, Vaala, and it's going to take some time for me to trust you again after all this.”

She nodded mutely as RedBindi ordered Wheeler to make sure the meeting room remained secure. “I'm just grateful to have the chance to explain,” she began awkwardly. “It's all kind of complicated...As I told Bindi earlier, in the beginning, I volunteered for the assignment because I had...questions. In retrospect,” she said, dropping her eyes to the table, “this was an incredibly stupid way to go about getting those questions answered.”

She paused, silently berating herself again as QuiDormit scoffed and Harp3r took off his shades and nodded. “I was recruited to infiltrate the Trust and to carry out certain...tasks,” she said, allowing bitterness to creep into her voice. “Gaining information, sabotaging ships and equipment – that sort of thing.”

“Great,” Deffdog said as Maeby scanned the faces of those present.

“Sounds like the usual job for an inside agent,” Harp3r noted.

“But...the Machines...” she suppressed a shudder. “Let's just say that I found their methods very...unpleasant.”

“I'd say that's an understatement,” Bindi said.

“--and it wasn't very long before I wanted out,” she continued, giving RedBindi a rueful smile.

“Was this something you were involved with before or after you joined us?” Fenshire asked.

“It's...it's why they had me awakened."

“Christ,” Maeby whispered softly as Deffdog held his head in his hands.

“They're good at that sort of thing...” Bindi said. “Metallic bastards,” she added with a whisper.

“Bastards is too kind a word. They are...not what I thought. Let's leave it at that,” Vaala said, gazing out the window as she tried to clear the images of Bindi that Cameryn had retrieved and tried to forget the feeling of Cameryn's pistol against her temple. She took a breath. “Not that I expect any of you to believe me, but I want out of this deal – preferably alive. But to do that...I need your help.”

Qui snorted incredulously. “Oh? Any why should we believe you're not just gathering us all here for a trap?” he asked as an Agent popped in and took aim at Harp3r.

Jesus! Vaala thought. Thorne was watching her...still. And was probably trying to break up this meeting with Agents. F***ing wonderful. Can't I ever get a break?! “Agent Thorne is...” she hesitated, “...well, I find her very disturbing.”

Maeby scoffed. Vaala could tell by her expression that whatever was running through the other operative's mind, it was probably something like, “If you think the Mechs are disturbing, imagine what'll happen if you're lying to us.”

She tore her gaze away from Maeby to address Qui again. “And because I've seen that they've done,” she said lowering her voice and looking Bindi's direction, “And they've kept experimenting with that chip nonsense.” She kept to herself the thoughts she was having – that Bindi and Cameryn may not be the only ones running around with Mech hardware in their brains...”Agent Thorne is,” she steadied her gaze on Bindi for a moment, “like her...”

Another Agent was dropped on them just as Merrit entered the room. Oh, Christ, Vaala thought as everyone exchanged greetings. Merrit? They're just going to lock me up in a cell in Zion and throw away the key. She forced herself to finish the thought she'd started. “...except that Thorne isn't fighting the chip. She's like a...like a human machine.”

“How long has she had the chip?” RedBindi asked.

Qui interrupted for a moment to bring Merrit up to speed: “Vaala was just telling us that she's been working for the Machines since her awakening and during the whole time she's been in the Trust.”

Deffdog smiled grimly at the admission of what his crewman had been doing as Vaala answered Bindi. “I don't know,” she shook her head. “But I stole her access codes and gave them to Bindi earlier,” she said quickly. “I was hoping to use them to find out...and maybe to find out something that might help you.”

“We need to find out,” Bindi told her. “I need to know how thorough her training was compared to mine.”

“I—I don't think she's had nearly as much training as you have. The mention of your name seems to make her...” Vaala searched for the right word. How did you describe such a cold and precise individual? “...unsettled.”

Qui cracked a grin at that as Harp3r looked over at Vaala. “Vaala,” he asked, “You say this Agent is disturbing. In what way?”

RedBindi answered for her: “Think of the coldest b**** you can imagine, Harp3r, and then multiply that by ten.”

Vaala agreed with Bindi before answering Harp3r's question with one of her own. “You mean, besides putting a gun to my head – repeatedly?” She really didn't want to enumerate all of the reasons Cameryn Thorne bothered her, especially not with all these people staring at her. “She intends to kill me the instant I no longer...'serve a purpose.'”

“Wow,” Harp3r said quietly about Bindi's assessment. Turning to Vaala, he added, “That's usually the way the Machines work, Vaala.”

“And you're willing to help get us access to her files?” Bindi continued.

“Willing?" Qui asked incredulously. “I don't think she has a choice if she wants help getting out of this.”

Frustrated, Vaala snapped, “Look, Qui, I do understand my situation – a hell of a lot better than you do. I've given Bindi her access codes, and I'm more than willing to do anything I can to help get you what you need.”

Bindi spoke again. “How long until the scrambler wears off?”

Relieved to have something else to focus on besides her own emotions, Vaala answered, “She said 72 hours from the time it was administered. That should be any time now,” she said, avoiding Deffdog's gaze as he looked at her.

“Good. When it wears off, you are to immediately jack out and put yourself in Deffdog's custody.” Catching the look of fear that Vaala hadn't been able to contain, she looked at Deffdog and added, “he will not harm you.”

Maeby leaned back in her chair. “Does anyone else happen to be interested in just how good at her job she was?”

“I didn't give them anything, Maeby,” Vaala told her as she forced herself to meet the other woman's eyes. “I fed them...'misinformation.' Fact is, the more time I had to spend around the Machines, the more I've wanted out. Zion isn't the enemy...they are.”

“Misinformation's a great way to hush up any suspicion, isn't it...” Vaala wasn't sure if Maeby was being sarcastic or not, but she chose not to respond to the comment.

Fen stared at her for a moment. “That's not a very reassuring statement,” he admitted. “I'd feel more comfortable with 'the more time spent around the Trust, the more I wanted out of the Machines'.”

Exasperated, Vaala barked, “Phrase it however you like.” Realizing she needed to get her emotions under control, she paused. After a moment, she continued. “I know what I did was wrong...and I know that the only way out of this mess is to...trust you. Hell, if you want to kill me, go for it. It'll be a lot faster and less painful if you do it than it will be if she does,” she said, referring to Cameryn. “That woman is evil.”

Maeby gave a rueful smile as Deffdog shook his head. “I don't work that way, Vaala, no matter how mad at you I am.”

“The Trust has always been about giving people second chances,” Fenshire added.

“We're not killers, Vaala,” RedBindi said.

Vaala ran her fingers through her hair. “Thats...that's not what I meant.” What she meant was that at this point, she'd rather die than keep this up, but she sure as hell wasn't going to say that publicly. “I don't think you are...or we wouldn't be here right now.”

Agent Marks popped in just as Deffdog was about to speak.

“Oh, Christ,” Vaala said, dropping her head into her hands. That f***ing b****, she thought. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that it was Thorne.

“Bastard,” RedBindi cursed.

“Not again,” Deffdog said.

“Again!” Fenshire yelled.

“I think we've overstayed out welcome,” Maeby said. With everyone talking all at once, it was getting hard for Vaala to keep track.

“Deff, can you possibly find out if this thing's worn off yet?” Vaala pleaded. “I've had more than enough of Agents...” she commented as Wheeler pulled Bindi out and Fen jacked out as well to go check on her.

“Checking code now,” Jazz said. “Yep, I think I've got her signal.”

Vaala had never been so happy to hear Jazz say anything. The relief that began to wash over her was quickly replaced by pure fear as she heard alarms sounding in the background. “Yeah, I see her. S***! Deff, we got incoming!”

“We should definitely get out of here,” Harp3r advised.

“A noble idea,” Maeby agreed.

“Jesus Christ,” Vaala exclaimed. “I told Bindi that b**** was watching!” She was willing to take responsibility for her own actions, but if even one Trust member got so much as a tiny scratch, she'd kill Thorne with her bare hands.

“Ah, hell. Vaala, get over here,” Deffdog ordered. “Now. We need to jack out – Jazz says we got incoming.”

--Vaala, QuiDormit, RedBindi, Fenshire, Deffdog, Harp3r, Maeby

Deffdog opened his eyes to see the cold steel of the Broadcast Core while Vaala waited for her spike to be pulled before turning to look at him. He looked back at her, shook his head, and ordered, “Aerios, get her to the brig.”

“Aye sir,” Aerios replied, pulling the IVs from her plugs. Vaala didn't even consider resisting as her crewmate began to lead her away.

“Let's hope this is just a random attack and not something involved with that Agent Thorne,” Deff said. “Vaala, we will talk later.”

Vaala nodded to acknowledge Deff's statement and said softly “I don't...think...she can find me here...”

Deffdog made his way to the Command Deck. He could feel the power returning to the hoverpads. Suezuki had already begun the startup sequence. “Report!” he shouted.

As four sentinels approached the Shadrack at high speed, Suezuki breifed him: "All guns are manned and ready, Deff. There are only four of them. We can easily dispatch them, but there will be others, so we're moving as fast as humanly possible to get the hell out of dodge."

Vaala listened helplessly from inside the brig as the Shadrack's guns began firing. She heard the clunk of a Sentinel attaching itself to the craft, by the sound, she guessed it was somewhere near the comm relays, but a burst of fire from one of the Shadrack's turrets seemed to have eliminated it. Vaala screamed in frustration as she slammed her fist into the bulkhead. “F***ing Mechs!”

Outside, the assault on the Shadrack continued as one Sentinel latched onto a hoverpad. She heard the scraping crunch as she was hurled across the brig. She hadn't been prepared for that fast turn, but a few bumps and bruises weren't that big a deal to her right now.

She could hear Deff yelling. “You guys see that?!”

“Yeah, we see it, Deff,” Dreathon shouted back as the Shadrack's guns began to spit fire. Another fast turn for which she was wholly unprepared tossed Vaala back across the brig in the opposite direction. Then...silence. She guessed that the crew had gotten them all. She knew Deff would be coming soon if that was the case, and she began to pace the cell nervously, wondering what was going to happen next...

--Vaala, Deffdog

“Looks like we're in the clear,” Deff said after scanning the area for any more hostiles. Find a place to set down. I better go talk to...her.”

As Deffdog made his way down to the brig, Aerios shouted from outside the cell door: “Vaala, stand at the back of the cell with your hands in plain sight!”

Here it comes, she thought as she carefully complied with the order. Cameryn had already shot her more than once, but that was in the Matrix. She wasn't about to give Aerios or Deffdog - or anyone else - any reason to do it in the Real. As the cell door was opened, she looked up to see Deffdog, carrying a chair. He put it down and took a seat as the door closed and re-locked behind him.

Deffdog sat at stared at her for several moments, not saying anything. “Deff...I...” she didn't bother with the rest. She just dropped her head and waited.

Deffdog leaned back in the chair. “I don't know what to say to you, Vaala. I thought you were a friend to all of us. How could you do this? And secondly, once you realized you were in trouble, why did you lie about it?”

“I – I thought I could handle it,” she stammered. “Get myself out. But Cameryn – Agent Thorne – she's...” she shook her head, silently willing her emotions not to come out – not here and now, anyway. “She's more ruthless than I expected. She's...there's no humanity left in her.”

“I'm not talking about her, I'm talking about you,” Deffdog said flatly as Vaala just shrugged helplessly.

“I just...I didn't know what else to do. Once I found out what they were really capable of, I knew I had to get out...but Deff, she'll kill me! You saw what she did the other day – 3 agents in just a few minutes. And Marks,” she spat the name, “that was her, Deff...she sent Marks to get rid of Bindi.”

Deffdog nodded. “Everything's fine in that regard, but this is about us. How am I going to trust you after this? How would you deal with this if you were in my position?”

“I...” she dropped her head again and said very quietly, “I don't know. But we have to do something! She might have information on Bindi's condition. And I think I might be able to use her to divert attention--”

“Stop bringing other people into this!” Deffdog shouted. “This is about you and me and no one else!”

“No, Deff. It's not about you...and it never f***ing was. But if none of you – and especially you – ever gives me a goddamned chance to make it right, then just what in the hell do you expect me to do? If that's how it is, how it's going to be, then just save us all the trouble and kill me now, no matter what Bindi or anyone else has to say about it.”

Deffdog sighed. “All right, let's just start with this: what information did you give Agent Thorne?”

“For the hundredth time, I didn't give her any information! I deliberately...misdirected...her efforts.”

“No information on the Trust or Zion efforts?”

Vaala shook her head. “None. I'm still trying to figure out how in the hell she's tracking me.”

“How did she make it so we couldn't find you?”

Oh, for the love of Zion! she thought. How many times are we going to go over this? “She shot me as I was about to jack out. She told me later that it was some kind of code scrambler.”

“The Machines can probably still track you, even more so with that bullet she shot you with. Hell, for all we know, that Sentinel attack was a result of their being able to track your signal, and the time constraint was to give it time to locate our ship.”

“Christ,” Vaala muttered. “Well, can't you just, I don't know, scan me or something? Find out what they're doing, how they're doing it, and get rid of it?”

“Or...” Deffdog mused as he stood and headed for the cell door, “You told them where we were and worked with them to create the facade, to track us down...”

The hatch opened and Deffdog stepped through it. She heard the click of the lock and released a little of the pent-up emotion she'd been trying to keep in check all day. “That is not what happened,” she shouted as she threw the chair he'd left across the small cell. “Arrgghh! That b****,” she said, stalking back and forth like a caged animal and giving the chair a kick that slammed it into the opposite bulkhead.

Standing outside the cell door, Deffdog heard her shouts. “I hope you're right, Vaala. I hope you're right.”

With a little shake of his head, Deffdog walked down the corridor. As he approached Vaala's quarters, he stopped and looked at the closed door. Using his code to open the door, he entered her quarters and began searching. He wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for, but if there was anything at all in those quarters, he intended to find it.

--Vaala, Deffdog

Agent Thorne’s eyes scanned the monitor with quick precision, allowing the accompanying frequencies to load into the terminal, studying Vaala’s research progress. She’d suspected that the Lieutenant would want to download important information from the Machine’s network in order to maintain her cover with the terrorists. Her allowing access led the operative to learn of the faction leader’s condition, in all its horrific glory.

A quick-paced, almost systematic knock roused her attention. The door opened and Agent Gray walked into the room. Thorne stood up and snapped a salute at him.

“I’m here for your progress report, Ms. Thorne,” he said curtly.

“Of course, Agent,” she responded, her English accent sharp and professional. Thorne turned and tapped a few keys at her console, various windows flashing the screen. “Ms. Redwinter is currently researching the operative RedBindi, as well as other key members of The Trust.”

“Am I to understand you forwarded her your access codes to compile this research?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir. She claims to want better understanding of the enemy, in order to undermine their efforts through the use of psychological attacks. As you are aware, RedBindi is a fully-trained operative – physical force within the simulation is not the most efficient method of termination.”

“Yes. You understand, however, the implications that could arise from her having access to such information.”

If Thorne were able to feel any intimidation, she did an exceptional job of hiding it, her cold veneer hardly scratched. “I am well-aware of what she may do, Agent. In fact, I suspect she might have even turned – I have planned for every possible outcome of this scenario. Is that not why I am here? There is not an ounce of data that she can access which would put us at any disadvantage.”

Gray nodded. “Very well, Ms. Thorne. I now must ask about the… original trace program status.”

“It is still in effect, Sir, however some of the code has degraded. It was unavoidable, due to inherent instabilities in the system. Hence why I had to shoot her with the additional tracer recently.” Thorne, though merely an empty shell of what she could have been, managed to give a slight smile.

“And her thought processes – are they intact?” the Agent pressed.

“Based on all surveillance acquired, she still places importance on the item. All her neural patterns indicate the upload is still in effect.”

Gray seemed pleased. “Thank you very much, Ms. Thorne. Please keep me updated on all progress made.”

She nodded her head at him. “Will-do, Sir.” The Agent exited the room closing the door behind him.

Thorne returned her attention to the screen, streams of information glimmering into view. She managed a chuckle, confident her efficiency would triumph.

--Cameryn

Deffdog stood their looking at the hatch to Vaala’s Quarters. He stood their considering the breach of protocol this would be, to enter a crew members privacy. “She brought on herself,” he thought and entered his override code into control pad.

A click was heard as a sign that the door had unlocked. He entered the room to find it a complete wreck, most likely to the Sentinel Attack. He looked around the room then first focused on her computer workstation. He sat at her station and logged in to her computer. While the login process was running, an irregularity caught his attention. A panel appears to have loosened and knocked ajar behind her bunk. He moves to the bunk, and pulls the panel out the rest of the way. It revealed several things, a photograph of who, he did not know, a small ring, and an disk drive that apparently had a cable that ran back into the hull, that he could not follow due to the dark. He examined the disk drive and found it’s eject button. The Disk ejected, and he examined it, surprised to see a label. “Vaala’s Matrix Logs.”

He takes all of the items, and places them on the bunk. He considered going back to Vaala with these findings, but had no reason to believe that she would tell him the truth. So he grabs the items, and exits the quarters. He makes his way to the broadcast deck, and finds Jazz at her usual operator station, with operatives Dreatheon, and Suezuki currently jacked into the matrix.

“Anything, interesting going on,” he asks as he observes the operatives.

“Just the usual, operations, find something kill an exile, that sort of thing.”

He holds the disk out, and hands it to Jazz, “Bring this up. I found it in her room.”

She takes the disk, see the labels and plugs it into one of her disk drives and swaps out a third monitor of Matrix code for the standard zion OS, and waits for the disk to load up. She finds a file and opens it, the screen returned to Matrix Code.

Perplexed she started, typing into her keyboard and brought it back to the OS.

“Oh I see what this is, it looks like she has been recording herself in the Matrix, somehow spliced into the Antenna and recording her actions in the Matrix, its not that complex to do, if you know your own RSI signal well.”

“Hmm, I want to see what these captures say, can you run them through into decryptors?” She starts typing into her keyboard again. A loud beep occurred and the decryption program, alerted that the “Access Denied! Access Codes Required.”

“Dam…”

“Can you not do anything to get around it..”

“Not without damaging the data.., we need her access code.”

“I don’t want Vaala knowing we have this yet. Well hand it off to Red when she arrives.”

Jazz nods and begins shutting down the programs and ejects the disk from her station. He takes the disk and returns it to the other items, which he has now placed in a box.

Maatkare’s Voice pipes in over the intercom. “Attention all hands, the Hovercraft Diluculo is on approach.”

--Deffdog

“Hovercraft Diluculo to Hovercraft Shadrack,” RedBindi's voice came over the comm as Deffdog scrambled to put on his headset and hit the comm switch.

“Shadrack here.”

“Great to hear your voice, Deff. We're headed your direction. Our scans show the area to be clear, so just find a place to set down and we'll meet up.”

“Aye, we already have a spot that should be large enough. Do you see it – at Grid 632?”

There was a slight pause before RedBindi's reply came through. “Got it. Meet you there.”

The Shadrack began to make its way to the clearing, slowly descending on the northern end.

From her cell in the brig, Vaala could hear the landing struts extending. She felt the slight bump as the hovercraft landed and wondered if the Sentinels had done more damage than it sounded like they had and forced the hovercraft to set down and try and make some emergency repairs. She swore under her breath again at Thorne, swearing revenge if she ever got her hands on her.

From his place on the Bridge, Deffdog watched as a small ship quickly appeared beside the Shadrack. He recognized the reconnaissance vessel, noting the armaments that, compared to the rest of the Trust fleet, seemed sparse. The speed at which the ship approached, though, showed its true strengths: speed and maneuverability. The Diluculo, RedBindi's personal ship, landed neatly in a little niche, hidden from sight. Had the Shadrack not watched her land, even they might never have even spotted the other vessel.

“All right, Deff, we're on our way over.”

Deffdog removed his headset and made his way to the cargo hatch to lower the ramp. With the ramp lowered, he stood, waiting, for the Trust Commander to board. It wasn't very long at all before he saw Fenshire and RedBindi moving across the debris-strewn tunnel. He nodded to them as they ascended the ramp.

“Hey Deff,” RedBindi said. “I guess we should get this over with.”

“All right, but first we need to talk.” He produced the box of items he'd taken from Vaala's room. “I found some strange stuff when I searched her room,” he said, showing RedBindi the ring, the photograph, and a disk with the label 'Matrix logs.' “I'm interested in that disk, he told RedBindi, but it can't be accessed without Vaala's access codes.”

RedBindi nodded and took the items. Taking a few moments to look over the ring, she said, “I don't recognize this at all.” Looking next at the photograph, she paled noticeably.

“Red?” Deff asked.

“You said this photo was in her room? Was it displayed prominently or anything?”

Fenshire looked over at his wife with concern. “Bindi?”

“No,” Deff answered. “It was hidden behind a panel, along with that ring and a disk drive that she somehow hooked into our broadcast antenna.”

Waving a hand at Fenshire to let him know they'd talk later, she told them, “I'll...discuss the photo with Vaala when we talk.” Following Deffdog to the Operations Deck, she said, “First we'll see what's on this disk, though.” Greeting Jazz with a nod as they entered the room, she handed her two disks: the log disk and the disk Vaala had previously given her. “We should be able to see what's on this disk now.”

Jazz began punching in commands to pull up the files they'd tried to view earlier. That done, she inserted the second disk. Once the codes were accepted and the files decrypted, the image on the monitor showed a location in Megacity with Vaala clearly in view. RedBindi and Fenshire watched intently, paying special attention to Vaala's dealings with Agent Thorne. After a few moments, Bindi looked over at Jazz. “Jazz, can you confirm this material hasn't been altered in any way – that it's direct feed and not some made up crap?”

Jazz began checking through several lines of recorded Matrix code. Shaking her head, she answered, “It's either real or it's an incredibly good fake. I've watched Vaala a lot, and she is a horrible hacker. It's pretty obvious that this isn't a forgery.”

Bindi nodded. “Good. Time to talk to her then, I guess, because so far...it seems as if she's been telling us the truth.” Nodding at Deff, she said, “Let's head to the Brig.”

“All right. Follow me,” Deff said as he led them to Vaala's cell.

--Vaala, Deffdog, RedBindi, Fenshire

Vaala heard footsteps approaching outside the cell. What now? she wondered, assuming it was Deff. Why does he even bother talking to me when he doesn't believe a d***ed thing I say?

As Deff, Bindi and Fenshire approached, Deff gave Aerios a little nod. Aerios called out, “Vaala, you know the drill. Stand up with your hands in clear sight.” Vaala hauled herself to her feet and did as she was told, again wondering why in the hell it would be necessary – it wasn't like there was anything in here she could use as a weapon.

At the sound of the order, Fenshire placed a hand on Bindi's shoulder. Whatever passed between them as Deffdog opened the hatch, it was indiscernible to the others.

Vaala looked up to see RedBindi enter, followed by Fenshire and Deff. Lovely, she thought. Even more people who don't believe what I've been trying to tell them. Oh well, a cell in New Zion is probably safer than a cell here...

“Please have a seat, Vaala,” Bindi said. “I know how uncomfortable this place can be.”

Vaala paused, looking nervously at the three officers. She sat down slowly as Deffdog closed the door and stood there, his arms crossed, staring at her. She returned the stare, hoping he could see the ice in her eyes as she did.

“We've just reviewed the logs of your time in the Matrix,” Bindi continued. “It seems you were telling the truth. Why didn't you tell us about them?”

Keeping her eyes on Deff, her tone was almost accusatory. “Would you have believed me if I did?”

Bindi raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn't we verify something you've told us...especially something as simple as 'look, there are some logs in my room'?”

Vaala nearly jumped out of her chair. “You searched my room?!”

“I didn't search your room. Your Captain did, looking for evidence to tell us whether you were lying or telling the truth. It's standard procedure in a situation like this, Vaala. Surely you'd have expected that to happen.”

“What did you expect, Vaala?” Deff asked her. “I'm looking for the truth here.”

Vaala glared back at Deff. “Are you? Because earlier, you didn't want to hear anything I had to say.”

“Vaala!” Bindi said harshly, “did you expect us to just leave your room alone after you confessed to being a Machine spy?”

Vaala dropped her eyes. “No, I guess not,” she mumbled.

“It was necessary, Vaala,” Deff told her. She responded with a shrug. Right now, she wasn't interested in anything he had to say – except maybe one thing...

“So, do you believe me now, Deff?” she asked, a little anger creeping into her voice.

“With what we saw on those recordings...yes, I believe you.”

Bindi didn't give her the chance to respond. “We also found two other things in your room I'd like to speak to you about.” She produced a ring from her pocket and held it out so Vaala could see it. “What meaning does this have to you?”

Vaala glared at Deff again, her eyes all but shooting sparks. “That's mine!” she said, considering grabbing for the ring and then thinking better of it, considering who was holding it. “You had no right to take that!”

Her tone cooling considerably, Bindi said, “Vaala, right now we have to search everything, including things you might consider personal.”

“We found it in the same area as the disk. I had every right!” Deff replied. “These outbursts are not helping, Vaala. Just calm down and cooperate.”

“First you throw me in a cell with an armed guard outside the door, next you tell me you don't want to hear what I have to say, then you take one of the few personal items I own...and now you're telling me to be calm?” Her eyes were burning cold fury as she stared at him.

Seeing that this was going nowhere fast due to Vaala's obvious agitation, Bindi turned to Fen and Deff. “Perhaps Vaala and I could continue this discussion alone?” As Fen immediately started to protest, she cut him off. “I assure you, I'm in no danger from her here. I'm also very sure that Deff searched her for weapons before putting her in here, so there's nothing to be afraid of.” As if I'd try f***ing with her anyway, Vaala thought.

“Yeah,” Deff said, looking at Bindi. “I better leave. My presence isn't helping anything.”

Fenshire nodded, though he still didn't want to leave the two in there alone. “C'mon, Deff. We'll be right outside if Bindi needs anything.”

“Yeah, let's go.”

Bindi waited until the two men were gone before speaking again. “Now, Vaala, it's only you and me here. I expect you to conduct yourself in a professional manner from here on out. No further outbursts.” Vaala knew by Bindi's tone that the other woman was quite serious, so she tried to calm herself a bit.

“I'm doing the best I can right now. It's just...this isn't exactly easy, you know.”

"I know how tough this can be Vaala. I spent the first several weeks of my time in the Trust in a brig on my own brother's ship...The Titan."

Vaala's eyebrows shot up. Christ, I'm pissed at Deff and her own brother threw her in the brig? D***. She sighed deeply. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

Inspecting the ring in her hand once more, Bindi asked, “What is this ring to you?”

“It's...personal,” she said, fidgeting in her seat. She really didn't want to tell Bindi any more than that, so she settled on, “It belonged to someone I knew. Can I have it...please?”

“I'd like to know the significance of it first.”

“It...belonged to my brother. He was--” She looked away from Bindi, not wanting to meet the Commander's eyes. “He was murdered.”

Bindi slowly pulled a picture from her pocket and showed it to Vaala. “Was this your brother?”

She couldn't contain the anger that flashed through her eyes, but she did manage to prevent herself from lashing out again. “Yes.”

Nodding, Bindi got up and walked towards Vaala, who tried to keep her nervousness at being in such close proximity to the other woman in check. Bindi handed over the picture and the ring before returning to her own seat. “He was a Zion operative, then?”

“I-I don't know. He disappeared for a while and then turned up murdered.” She shrugged, playing with the ring to conceal her emotions. “He might have been. He'd sometimes make strange comments to me about things not being what they appeared and about the city not being...real. I always wondered what he meant by that – guess now I know.”

Bindi nodded sadly, a deep pain in her eyes that Vaala had never seen before and that was completely unexpected. “I assume the local authorities ended up with a cold case?”

“Yes. I investigated myself. Nothing.”

“Well, I can tell you for sure that he was a Zion operative during the war and he was a good one.”

Vaala leaned forward. She already knew the answer to the question, but she had to ask anyway: “Do you know what happened to him?”

Bindi nodded slowly. “I do,” she affirmed.

As Vaala waited for her to continue, Bindi sighed deeply, seeming to gather herself. Vaala noticed her shifting slightly in her seat, as if she was preparing for Vaala to leap up and attack. "As I said, he was a very good operative – good enough to be marked for termination by the machines. His death was ordered...and..." She took another deep breath, almost as if she was willing herself to continue. "Lamont was given the order to kill him, which she did in her usual efficient manner..."

“Christ,” Vaala whispered, a little surprised that Bindi had told her the truth – that it had been her – well, not her, but Lamont – that had killed him, and less surprised at this point that it had been the Mechs who'd ordered it. “F***ing Machines,” she cursed. She loathed those overgrown appliances more and more every day. “Listen...you should know something...” she said carefully.

--Vaala, Fenshire, RedBindi, Deffdog

Bindi looked up at her, her eyes full of deep pain. “What?”

Vaala shifted uncomfortably in her chair, wondering how much she should say, before deciding to just spill it. “Before, when I was trying to get Thorne's access codes...I asked her for more information. About you. It was the only way I could think of at the time to get her to input her access codes so I could steal them.” She paused briefly. “She...she downloaded some files. Of you. Being tortured for Lamont's...” Vaala let the thought drop, knowing she looked as nauseated as she felt. She paused again for a moment, trying to control the waves of nausea. “Christ...what the f*** did they do to you?” She said quietly. It was more a thought that had escaped before she could hit the brakes, but it was out there now.

Fenshire opened the door and stepped inside as Bindi paled considerably. “That b****,” he said, referring to Iniuria, “did things that no one should ever have to go through to an innocent woman. We're going to leave it at that.” He placed his hand on Bindi's shoulder and squeezed gently as Bindi fought to regain her composure.

“That is something I prefer not to speak or think about, Vaala,” she answered.

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Vaala said. She'd been trying – unsuccessfully – to purge the images from her own mind for the past couple of days. She couldn't imagine actually having lived through that. “But...that...chip,” she began, unsure of how to ask what she really wanted to.

“What about it?” Bindi asked, her voice turning cold.

"It...well...what did you mean the other day when you said those Agents were tracking me the same way they tracked you?" There was a lot more fear in her voice than she'd intended to let out and she silently cursed herself for it. “I mean, you don't think--” she shook her head, not wanting to finish the question.

Bindi sighed again. "I meant that Marks had probably tracked me... and therefore found you. You must understand, Marks is a program in exile. He once headed up the research into the chip program since its original use was to overwrite operatives. Once they developed new technology for that process and I escaped while maintaining my personality instead of the chip's, he was scheduled for deletion. Apparently his close work with a human imparted some self-preservation and he...fled...at first only to the Matrix and then, he found a way to take over a newly awakened Redpill. At that point in time he somehow... became obsessed with his 'creation'."

Relief washed over Vaala. “So the guy's a nutcase.”

“A nutcase determined to get me back, reinstall the Lamont program...or something like it – supposedly Gruk deleted the last copy of that program – and use me in the current war against Zion in hopes the Machines will see that his program is not obsolete."

Wow, he and Cameryn should get together, she thought. That b**** is just as psychotic. “So you weren't saying that I have one of those...things...” The idea of something controlling her was one she found incredibly disturbing, and her concern was not lost on Bindi.

"I don't think so, but if you're worried about it we can do a simple scan to see if there is one."

Vaala nodded. “Do it.”

"We'll need to head to the medbay. Deff, mind if we use yours?"

"Yeah that's fine, Ill have Bobbi waiting." He answered back over the intercom.

“Come with me, Vaala. You'll have your answer in a few minutes.” She stood and walked to the door that Fenshire was holding open for her and Vaala – slowly and carefully, remembering that Aerios was armed and was still standing right outside the door – got up and followed. Whether she was chipped or not, she'd rather know for sure, either way...and if she was, she'd see to it that Cameryn Thorne and every other Machine paid dearly for it.

--Vaala, RedBindi, Fenshire, Deffdog

Deff led them to the medbay, but opted to simply wait outside the door. “So what now?” Vaala asked, looking around the room nervously.

“Sit down on the bed over there,” Bindi instructed. “I'm going to run a scanner over you and see what we find.”

As Vaala complied, Bindi took the scanner and ran it over her, starting at her head and moving towards her feet. After a few minutes that felt to Vaala to be more like hours, Bindi looked up. “Well, I have some good news and some bad news.”

“Start with the good news. I could use some right about now.”

“Well, you're not chipped.”

Vaala breathed a huge sigh of relief. “And the bad news?”

“You have a tracer in you...which means the Machines know your location here in the Real.”

“Oh s***!” Vaala exclaimed. Deff had been right – those Sentinels had attacked because of her! “Can you get rid of it?”

“From what the scan is telling me, not likely. You'll probably need to be taken to New Zion, where they'll most likely be able to deactivate it.” Calling for Deff, who was standing right outside the medbay door, she told him, “I need to get her off this ship.”

“That would definitely be for the best,” Deffdog sighed.

“New Zion?” Vaala asked before mumbling, “As if this cell wasn't bad enough...”

RedBindi looked at her. “You'll be under my protection in New Zion. It's not likely that they'll do anything while that protection continues.”

“Oh. 'While that continues...' Great,” she said, resisting an urge to roll her eyes. In the past few hours, her situation had gone from bad to worse to horrible. On the plus side, she thought, it's probably about as bad as it could possibly get, right?

“I don't see any reason why it shouldn't—bloody hell,” Bindi swore as the Shadrack's proximity alert started going off.

“Oh, Christ,” Vaala said, her voice practically a whisper as she dropped her head. She knew now beyond all shadow of doubt that the Mechs were using her to find the ship. “I swear, I am going to kill that b****,” she mumbled.

Deffdog ran to the intercom. “Sue, report!”

“A s***load of sentinels just came out of nowhere,” Suezuki told the Captain.

“S***! Get the guns manned and start firing,” Deff ordered.

“Vaala, Fen – with me,” Bindi ordered. “We're returning to the Diluculo. Deff, we'll need to split up – take down as many as you can.” As Deff hit the intercom again to tell Maatkare to prep the APU, she continued. “Cover us while we make out run over to the Diluculo.”

“We won't lift off until the area is clear,” he nodded. “You guys get the hell out of here while we hold them off,” he said as he sprinted for the cargo bay.

RedBindi motioned for Vaala to follow. “Come on,” she said as she took off down the corridor at a run, with Fenshire following close behind. It was all Vaala could do to keep up. As Deff climbed into the waiting APU and moved it out of the Shadrack, RedBindi sprinted across the tunnel. She ran faster than Vaala had even imagined was possible towards the open back end of the Diluculo. As RedBindi ran up the lift, she grabbed an energy rifle and knelt, prepared to cover Fenshire and Vaala if it was needed.

“Jesus, she's fast,” Vaala murmured as she sprinted behind Fen.

Fenshire nodded. “Too d*** fast sometimes,” he agreed. As Fen and Vaala reached the lift, Bindi tossed the rifle to Fen, leaving him to close the hatch. Motioning Vaala to follow her, she ran towards the bridge.

“When we get to the bridge, strap into the chair I point at and don't touch anything. Fen will be along shortly to take control of the guns. And make sure you strap in tight – I can guarantee you've never had a ride like you're about to have.”

“Uh...right,” Vaala said, strapping in and cinching the straps as tight as she could. She was trying very hard not to think about the fact that she was the reason the Sentinels were here right now.

As RedBindi powered up the Diluculo, Fenshire came running down the corridor and onto the bridge. He slid into his seat, buckled in, and brought up the guns. He looked at his wife and nodded, neither of them needing to speak, as she began lifting off from the tunnel floor.

Deffdog watched as the three entered the Diluculo, firing at the swarm of Sentinels the entire time. “S***, you'd think they were attacking New Zion or something!” he yelled, to no one in particular. Flipping on the com switch, he hollered, “Red, Get the hell out of here! Jazz, prime the EMP.” He watched from his vantage point in the APU as the Diluculo ascended.

“We're on our way out now, Deff,” RedBindi responded. “We'll take a few off your back as we go.” Gunfire immediately followed the statement as Fen began targeting Sentinels while RedBindi piloted the ship. They took down several Sentinels before flying off into a tunnel that most ships would never even have considered trying to navigate because of how narrow it was. The twists and turns she made were too fast for Vaala to keep up with and she was suddenly grateful for Bindi's warning to strap in tight, though she did notice that Fen seemed to anticipate his wife's moves without either of them saying a word. The two seemed to move as one, each complementing the other's actions in a way that was unlike anything Vaala had ever seen.

“God d*** this ship is fast!” Vaala commented as she hung on for dear life.

Deffdog watched from the APU as several sentinels broke off and followed the Diluculo. “Sue, is the Diluculo out of EMP range?” he shouted as he continued firing. Suezuki looked on as the Diluculo quickly got out of EMP range and Fen took care of the sentinels on their tail.

“Diluculo is out of range,” she shouted back.

“Blow it!” Deff responded as he hit the emergency power kill switch on the APU. A few moments passed and the EMP still hadn't fired. As a sentinel landed directly in front of the APU, its pincers ready to strike at him, a white flash filled the cavern. The sentinel fell forward, landing on the APU and knocking it off its feet.

“We're in the clear and it looks like Deff took care of his as well,” Fen told his wife.

“Are you sure it's a good idea to take me anywhere?” Vaala asked, clearly unnerved by the fact that not only had the Mechs tracked her here, but that they'd sent such a large swarm of Sentinels.

Bindi nodded, then reached down and flipped a switch. “I highly doubt they'll be able to track you on this vessel,” she smiled. “The Diluculo has a few...upgrades.”

“Oh...okay,” Vaala said, doubting the Commander's word on that one. Upgrades? she thought. What the hell kind of upgrades can stop that? she wondered, reflecting on what she'd just seen. And just what in the hell have I gotten myself into?

--Vaala, RedBindi, Fenshire, Deffdog

For the first time, Cameryn Thorne experienced failure.

“Bugger.”

The surveillance feed she’d placed confirmed the worst-case scenario she’d planned for: the incompetent Lieutenant had confessed to the terrorists.

“I've given them some... uh... misinformation just to keep them busy.”

“They're expecting an attack. They think Neoteny's code bombings are a diversion and that The Trust is behind them, planning something.”

“Not that I expect any of you to believe me, but I want out of this deal…”

“She intends to kill me the instant I no longer ‘serve a purpose’.”

Thorne shook her head and tapped with aggravation into her console, gauging each member’s reaction to Ms. Redwinter’s statements. They seemed to believe her albeit being unsurprisingly angry with her, in particular her hovercraft captain who seemed to take it a bit personally. “Too much emotion, Captain,” she spoke to herself, repulsed at her fellow species behavior. Knowing full-well what could happen next, she pulled out a slim mobile phone and hit speed-dial “1.”

“Agent Gray… we’ve had a complication.”

“You have surveyed all available footage, Ms. Thorne?”

“Yes, Sir. It is rather unfortunate, however not completely unexpected. The Trust has a track record for ‘saving’ their operatives, in both literal and figurative senses.” Thorne’s eyes narrowed. “However, as per our protocol, I will be putting into effect my contingency pl—“

Gray interrupted her by handing her a slip of paper. “You will get into contact with that woman.”

She scanned the paper, noting the name, operative handle, phone number and code signature. She recognized it immediately from her research.

“Agent, I must ask… how solid of a plan is this? The woman is fraught with emotion regarding the leader – she could prove to be more trouble than she is worth. She also has a record of—“

“Ms. Thorne, I did not ask for your opinion on the matter,” Gray cut in sharply. “She will be a vital resource, given her history and knowledge of their Commander.”

Her nostrils flared – she could not fathom why Agent Gray would ask her to bring in outside influence. There was no logic to it; however she still tried to appeal to him. “I understand your reasoning, Agent, however I—“

“You will contact her, Ms. Thorne, and you will use her to… sway our Lieutenant back into our favor.” He leaned on closer to her. “Do – I – make – myself – clear?”

Inside, Thorne seethed. “Perfectly, Agent,” she answered coolly, feeling her eyes flash.

“Then you will get in touch with the named operative the moment you pick up her signal, Ms. Thorne.” He stood up straight and exited her office, leaving Thorne a trifle confused.

What is WRONG with him…?

She flipped the sheet of paper between her fingers nimbly and sighed deeply through her nose. Of all the emotions that existed, frustration seemed to be the only one she allowed herself to express. Thorne prided herself on planning ahead, for operating at the utmost efficiency within her organization; however the failure of an operation was not something she took lightly… or something she let go of quickly. Compiled with Gray’s choice of contingency it made for an unusual situation.

She had no time to contemplate further – the new operation took effect as her contact entered the simulation. Left with little choice, she dialed in the number.

“Hello? Is this a Ms. Riley Shay?”

“Who is this?”

“My name is Cameryn Thorne, I work for the Mega City NSA.”

“And you’re calling because…?”

“I believe we could use your… assistance on a case.”

--Cameryn

Kedemoth mid-day was usually uninhabited, and Cameryn Thorne thought it a perfect spot to meet this new contact. Their brief conversation already gave her an unsettled feeling, knowing full-well it could potentially end in disaster. Iniuria’s impatient manner left a bad taste in Thorne’s mouth, reminding her of the impertinent Lieutenant; however the Agent’s mention of Lamont seemed to perk the woman’s interest. Miffed as she was to her situation, and much as she despised her assignment, Thorne was not one to oppose Agent Gray – other System Agents answered to him so she would be an idiot to revolt.

Iniuria’s transfer completed through the synch point, and Thorne briefly nodded at her. “Pleasure to meet you. Now, onto business.”

Let’s just get this over with.

“I’m sure,” the red-dressed woman answered blandly.

Thorne grinned slightly, launching into her pitch. “My assignment involves the tracking of the terrorist group, The Trust. We believe they are planning an assault on our real-world interests. In order to confirm this, we had sent an operative into their ranks to determine their course of action.”

“And this affects me how?” Iniuria asked.

“I’m getting to that,” Thorne promptly answered.

Iniuria cocked her head to the side. “Then get there faster.”

You’re lucky I’m not here to terminate you otherwise I’d stuff that insipid bandanna down your throat, pull it out the other end and string you up for the Sentinels.

Thorne ground her teeth, but continued. “This operative goes by the handle ‘Vaala.’ Unfortunately, we believe she may have sympathized with them, in particular Ms. Lamont. However she is not stupid – we can only assume she will try to maintain her status with us. This is where you come in…” She eyed the operative, gauging her interest level. Iniuria merely crossed her arms waiting for her to continue.

“I am proposing that you… persuade Vaala to remain with us, by any and all means necessary. In particular, showing her the grotesqueries of Lamont. With this knowledge of her crimes, she will most likely return to her status with us and gain a better understanding of this dangerous leader in order to… terminate her and her followers.”

“I see,” Iniuria finally responds. “And what benefit is this to me?”

“We are well-aware of the resources you have, Ms. Shay, and we are permitting your usage of them within the System if necessary. I have done a thorough case study on Lamont’s activities…”

Play on the weakling’s emotions.

“…and let me just say I can understand your actions, given the emotions you’ve experienced.”

Iniuria took a moment to think. “So, in return for helping you… I’ll not be prosecuted for what… I do?”

“You might say as much,” Thorne said. “If these terms are not… sufficient for you, perhaps other arrangements can be made. I like to consider us… flexible.”

Iniuria nodded. “I… can work with those terms – freedom to move about works. Now, what do you need me to do?”

Good, good.

“I need to be in contact with you for when my operative returns to the Matrix,” Thorne explained. “I can only assume she is in holding for her actions. When she is here, I will send her to meet with you. You may take it from there, in whatever means necessary. If you are in need of any system resources, we would be more than happy to oblige.”

“I have the resources I need to take care of this, for now,” Iniuria noted. “She’ll learn in detail exactly what Lamont did.”

“That is all I require, Ms Shay.”

“I’ll need her code signature,” the woman requested.

Thorne grinned emotionlessly. “Of course, one moment.” She pulled out her PDA and tapped in a few keys. It beeped, and she then slid a disk into its slot, copying the information. A moment later it finished and she removed the disk, handing it to Iniuria.

“The sooner the better,” Iniuria nudged as she uploaded the contents of the disk through the hardline.

“Should be soon,” Thorne responded. “Depends on what the terrorists are doing to my operative. I would assume they are taking her to New Zion, but I know I shall see her sooner than that.”

“I should be around for a little longer tonight.”

“So will I. As soon as I have confirmation of her whereabouts I will contact you.”

Iniuria smiled coldly as she uplinked to her operator beginning her transfer. “Have a good evening.”

Thorne returns the smile, equally icy. “You as well.” Iniuria disappeared from view.

I hope you know what you’re doing, Gray. Placing your trust in an unstable individual…

She cut off her own thought relocating to the Akasaka province. As if on cue, Vaala’s signature appeared on her PDA.

Perfect timing, you side-stepping poddie.

--Cameryn

Vaala sat in her chair aboard the Diluculo trying to figure out how to ask the question that was on her mind. She knew that if she didn't jack in sometime soon, Cameryn would know that something was up. There was even the possibility that she might send another swarm of Sentinels...or something worse. She cleared her throat. “Uh, Commander,” she began, looking at RedBindi, “I was just wondering...It's been a while since I've jacked in. Thorne might be, uh, looking for me – and if I'm going to get any information from her, well...you know,” she shrugged.

RedBindi studied her for a long moment before agreeing. “All right,” she said finally. “But I'm going to have Wheeler monitor you. At the first sign of trouble—”

“--He'll pull me out. Got it.” She grimaced slightly as her spike was inserted and shortly found herself staring at green lines of code streaming before her eyes. As the code faded, she took a look around at the Asian-style buildings. “International,” she murmured as she settled in to wait.

She wasn't kept waiting very long before the phone the Agent had given her rang. “How nice of you to finally make an appearance,” Cameryn's voice came from the other end, sounding more than a little annoyed.

“After your little stunt with Covenant, I was arrested and thrown in the brig,” Vaala told her.

“Oh? Then how, operative, are you suddenly able to enter the simulation?” Thorne asked.

“I believe I have convinced them of my...usefulness for the time being.”

“If that is the case,” Thorne replied coolly, “then we should return to our investigation. You will meet me at the West Akasaka synch point.”

“I presume you have an assignment for me?”

“Yes.”

As Vaala's RSI rematerialized, she caught sight of Thorne, who tapped her earpiece and then began inputting information into her PDA. That d***ed PDA again... Vaala thought. Wonder if she'd know what to do without that thing?

“Ready whenever you are, Agent,” Vaala said impatiently.

“I have found an...independent contact that has gained some valuable intelligence on Trust operations.”

“Is that so?” Vaala didn't like the sound of this at all.

“You are to meet with her and retrieve the intelligence,” Thorne ordered.

“All right. Where?”

“Transport to Jurong's Central line. She will be waiting for you there.”

Vaala arrived at the meeting place to find her contact sitting on a bench, waiting...and not looking pleased about having been kept waiting. Vaala was even less pleased as she recognized the face: Iniuria. She approached the contact, working overtime to keep from simply pulling out her gun and shooting the woman. “I'm told you have useful information.”

“Always,” Iniuria answered. “I need to scan you first, however.”

Vaala backed up a few steps. She knew exactly what this “contact” was capable of and didn't want the b**** anywhere near her – and especially not with a scanner. “Excuse me? What the hell for?”

“Procedure. Now hold still.”

Seeing little other choice, Vaala submitted to the scan. She resisted the urge to laugh. Earlier she'd thought things couldn't possibly get any worse than they already were. Obviously, she'd been wrong.

As she finished her scan, Iniuria held out a cell phone. “I would suggest you not lose this,” she cautioned. “Wait here.”

“Understood.” Wheeler, I really hope you're getting all this, she thought suddenly very uncomfortable with the situation. Just then, the phone Iniuria had given her rang. “Come to Richland District.”

Vaala complied, still very unhappy about the situation.

“S***!” Wheeler exclaimed, his fingers flying over the keys. “Lost her!”

“Vaala, what is your location?” Fenshire asked. “Dammit,” he said when he got no response.

“What?” QuiDormit asked.

“Vaala's meeting Iniuria and her signal just cut out,” Fen answered. “And now I'm being contacted by the queen b****.”

“You want backup?”

“Yeah.”

“Where are you headed? It's going to take me a moment to get there...What the hell is she doing jacking in?”

“Guys, she's fine,” Deffdog interjected. “We found evidence to prove her story...but I think I'll leave her to explain the rest.”

“Tabor West,” Fen answered Qui. “And Deff, she just met with Iniuria and Wheeler lost her signal.”

“Red or Vaala?” Deffdog asked.

“Vaala,” Fen answered. “Qui, Iniuria's coming here. And I saw the recording – I thought she was fine too.”

“On my way,” Qui said.

“After all the s*** I've been through today, I don't need this,” Deffdog muttered angrily. First RedBindi had removed Vaala – his crewman – from the Shadrack, and now she'd just...disappeared again, this time with Iniuria. This was not looking good, no matter how you looked at it.

--Vaala, Cameryn, Iniuria, Fenshire, Deffdog, QuiDormit

Vaala regained consciousness and looked around. “What the—oh, Jesus Christ,” she said as she sat up. She recognized this place – it was one of the constructs Iniuria had used to torture Bindi. F***ing Thorne! she thought. That sadistic little w***e!

“Welcome back to the waking world,” Iniuria's voice greeted her.

“What the f*** do you think you're doing?!” Wheeler, get me out of here...

“Saving your life.”

Vaala was incredulous. “Saving my life? With...this?” she waved her hand around. If this was how the sick b**** saved lives, she'd hate to see how she destroyed them.

“Agent Thorne knows you've turned,” Iniuria told her. “She contacted me to 'turn' you back. I agreed only to save you and to allow you the chance to communicate with your friends. You have a cell phone in your hand – it will connect you to the Trust.”

Vaala paled considerably. “Turned? No, that's...that's not true. She told me to make myself 'invaluable.' That's exactly what I did. And I've seen how you 'save' people,” she said sarcastically. She was d***ed sure she didn't want any part of Iniuria's version of saving someone.

“Yes...and no one deserves a second chance, hm?” Iniuria asked.

“I'm calling 'my friends,' as you put it right now to tell them to get me the f*** out of here,” she said, dialing the phone as she spoke.

“They can't. Only I can,” Iniuria told her. “I'm trying to tell you your options, girl.”

Vaala ignored the comment. “Hello?”

“Where are you, Vaala?” QuiDormit asked.

“Vaala!” Fenshire shouted. “Are you okay? Wheeler, can you get a fix on her?”

“Trying,” Wheeler answered.

“Vaala, are you all right?” Deffdog asked at the same time.

“Umm...yeah. I think,” she answered.

“I want her out as soon as you're able,” Fen told Wheeler.

“The sooner the better, please guys.” Vaala added. She thought she'd rather have faced down Thorne than be where she was at the moment.

“No s***,” Wheeler commented dryly.


Iniuria spoke again: “You also have a decision to make. I can keep you safe in this construct long enough for Thorne to think I've turned you back, thus allowing you to get back in her good graces...”

“How about I just kill you instead?” Vaala asked, taking a menacing step towards Iniuria.

“Go back now and the Agent will know. You will reappear on her radar and you will never get another chance to get close to her.”

Vaala stopped cold. The woman had a valid point, she had to concede. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because...as I've already said, I do not wish the Trust any further harm,” Iniuria replied. “I had a chance and I took it. It was a split-second decision: save you and return you to the Trust or let the Agent deal with you herself.” She raised a brow. “Which would you have preferred?”

“And why should I believe you?” Vaala asked suspiciously.

“Are you still alive?” Iniuria asked. “How do you think I got your code signature without ever having met you...and why do you think your Agent sent you directly to me?”

“Because she's just as twisted as you are,” Vaala answered.

“Can you give us any clue as to your location, Vaala?” Deffdog asked.

“I'm...I don't know,” she answered...and she really didn't.

Iniuria sighed. “I guess the Trust really doesn't believe in second chances. I'm trying to help for Chrissakes.”

“Oh, they do...” Vaala began as Deff interrupted.

“Describe where you're at.”

“It's...Jesus Christ, Deff,” she answered him, “this is one of the constructs she used to torture Bindi. Get me the f*** out of here...” She'd only been able to stomach a few minutes of what Iniuria had done to RedBindi, but it had been more than enough. Turning her attention back to Iniuria, she asked, “How? How is this helping?”

“As I said,” Iniuria answered impatiently, “you have a choice. One, go back now and the Agent knows I've double-crossed her and that you are no longer an asset. Two, stay here for a little while until I can transfer you to a newly-built construct that your friends can access. Then you can go back to the Agent and convince her you've 'returned to your senses'.”

“And what, exactly, do you get out of all this?” Vaala asked, her tone accusatory. “Surely you wouldn't do this out of the goodness of your heart...if you even have one.”

Iniuria sighed again. “Hopefully someone realizes I don't want to hurt anyone anymore.” Sighing heavily, she added, “I made a horrible mistake...it happens. I can't make up for what I did...but I can stop bad things from happening to you.”

“I guess I don't have a whole lot of choice, do I?”

“You have the choice to do what you want. Discuss it with your comrades, and I'll do whatever you wish.”

“I really don't know about this,” Vaala said into her phone with apprehension.

“What's going on, Vaala?” Fenshire asked.

“She says Thorne knows I've turned against her and that she's trying to save my life.”

“Let them know I'll move you to a construct they can access,” Iniuria told her.

“She said she'll move me to a construct you guys can access because she wants to prove that she made a mistake and that she doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore.”

“Okay...” said Fen, not believing a word of it.

“What else?” QuiDormit asked.

“She said that if I go back to Thorne now, I'm as good as dead. But...if I let her do this, she says she can keep Thorne from killing me and that I'll be able to come back to you guys.”

“That's it?” Qui asked, also in disbelief. “No other conditions? I don't trust this b****...”

“If you let her do what?” Fenshire asked.

“If I let her take me to the other construct, Fen. And Qui, I don't trust her either, but I don't see that I have a whole lot of other options right now.”

“Yeah...” Fen said.

“Besides...you guys will be watching, right?” Vaala asked.

“You're d*** right we will,” Qui answered.

“All right, then,” Vaala decided. “I'll do it.”

“All right,” Fen agreed. He really didn't like this, but he could see that Vaala was fairly well cornered.

She turned her attention back to Iniuria. “All right,” she sighed. “Fine. Since I don't seem to have a whole lot of options right now, let's do this.”

“Which this, Vaala?”

“I'll come with you. Just understand that I don't trust you one bit.”

“I didn't expect you to,” Iniuria told her with a slight nod. “Give me a few moments to set up the new construct and let your friends know what you've decided.”

“They already know. You didn't think for a second that I'd go anywhere with you without talking to them about it first, did you?”

“I just wanted to be sure. Them breathing down my neck made me wonder.”

“I'd say they have good reason to breathe down your neck, Iniuria.”

“Yes...they do,” she said, allowing her head to drop a little.

“Suddenly grow a conscience, did you?” Vaala spat.

“Stranger things have happened.”

“Yeah. If you say so,” Vaala said with a frown as she watched Iniuria dial a phone she'd pulled from her pocket.

“It shouldn't take long to return her to your service – a day or two at most,” she told the person on the other end. Vaala had no doubt it had been Thorne that she'd dialed.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Iniuria let her hear Thorne's voice on the other end giving a low, humorless chuckle: “Whatever it takes, Ms. Shay. Whatever must be done. Now, I know that you have a lot of material to cover, so I'll leave you to your work...” Cameryn's chuckle may have been humorless, but the tone in her voice implied that she was taking at least some pleasure in the idea of Vaala's being subjected to Iniuria's brand of 'convincing'. Just like I'll take pleasure in tearing you apart before I kill you, Agent Thorne, Vaala thought. Your time will come - hopefully sooner rather than later...

--Vaala, Iniuria, Fenshire, Deffdog, QuiDormit, Cameryn

True to her word, Iniuria soon transported Vaala to a new construct. Once Fenshire, QuiDormit, and Deffdog arrived at Iniuria's location, she spoke: “Agent Thorne believes it will only take a day or two to 'turn' Vaala. That's all the time she'll have to spend in the new construct that each of you will be able to access.”

“A day?!” Vaala exclaimed. She knew exactly what Iniuria was capable of doing in 24 hours' time, and she wanted no part of it. Still, Iniuria had been right, she reasoned. Everyone deserves a second chance. Well, almost everyone...

Fenshire glared at Iniuria, looking as if it was taking every ounce of his self-control to keep from tearing the woman apart. “You expect us to keep her in this construct for a day?”

Iniuria shrugged. “That was the decision she made. If she wishes to go the other route, she may.”

“Thorne can't track her in the construct?” Fen asked.

“No.”

“Then I say we jack her out of the construct and let her stay in the Real for a day.”

“You can do that as well,” Iniuria told him as she handed him a disk.

“And this is...?” Fen asked suspiciously.

“That will give your operator the location of the new construct. He'll be able to jack any of you in and out of it at any time. Once you all leave the construct, Vaala included, it will be deleted. Now, if you'll give me a moment, I'll transfer each of you to her.”

“Does this block the tracer in the real as well?” Deffdog asked. “This...construct?”

“No. That's not anything I knew about.”

“Dammit!” Vaala said as Inuria appeared before her.

“Hello again,” she said with a slight smile.

“Hello,” Vaala said, suspicion creeping into her voice, wondering how long Iniuria planned on keeping up her 'reformed psychotic freak' act before the real fun began...

--Vaala, Iniuria, Fenshire, Deffdog

“Who first?” Iniuria asked.

“Just do it,” Fen said as Vaala paced nervously, wondering just exactly what Iniuria was up to.

“I'll go,” Deff answered. After all, Vaala was still his crewman.

As Deffdog appeared in the construct, Iniuria welcomed him. Ignoring her, he looked at Vaala: “You all right, Vaala?”

“Yeah...I think so,” she answered.

Just then, Fen and QuiDormit appeared. “Vaala!” Fen exclaimed.

Iniuria gestured towards Vaala. “Your operative, safe and sound,” she told them as Qui crossed his arms and shot her a look that would have wilted most people.

“Surprisingly enough,” Vaala added, glaring at Iniuria.

“You're welcome,” Iniuria said, staring back at Vaala. “I'm glad you're so happy to be free of that Agent.” Vaala thought about saying something less than polite in response, but decided it probably wasn't in her best interests. “It's the best I could do for a quick construct. Go outdoors and you will reappear in the Matrix. Or...your operator jacks you in and out of here. Either way works.”

“Wheeler, get her out,” Fen ordered.

“Well, Vaala,” Deff began. “You have a choice now. How do you want us to handle this?”

“If I leave, Thorne kills me,” Vaala shrugged, “so I guess I don't have much choice but to stay here.”

“You can jack out,” Iniuria told her. “Fenshire has already ascertained that.”

“They can't kill you if you stay out of the Matrix,” Deff reasoned.

“Once again, Iniuria,” Qui said, “it's not like we're easily able to take this character change from psychotic b**** to...well...whatever the hell it is you are.”

“I said the same thing, Qui,” Vaala said, crossing her arms.

“I don't expect you to...but at least you know your operative is safe and sound, correct?” she answered, looking directly at Qui.

“Still,” Vaala began, “we all know that if I jack out now, they'll still find me in the Real. Those Sentinel attacks were not accidents...”

Fenshire tried reasoning with her: “Vaala, that Agent can't track you in here. That means you can jack out and she'll just think you're still in the construct.” As Vaala looked to Iniuria for confirmation, he continued: “They'll find you even if you're jacked in, I assume.”

“Yeah,” Qui agreed, glaring at Iniuria.

“Fen, if I leave, she'll take me right back to Thorne.”

“Who?” Iniuria asked.

“You,” Vaala answered as if the answer was obvious.

“No, Vaala,” Qui argued, “just pop your EJP.”

As Iniuria chuckled, Vaala stared at her again. “You don't actually think I believe you'd just let me walk out of here, do you?”

“No,” Iniuria answered. “No...I have no interest in returning you to Thorne.”

“So exactly what are you interested in?” Vaala shot back.

“Well, we can't take you outside,” Qui said, thinking aloud, “or she'll find you again.”

Iniuria sighed. “If you walk out of here, you return to the Matrix. If you jack out...you appear on whatever ship you're on. It's really quite simple.”

“Is that so...” Deffdog asked.

“And either way, Thorne hunts me down...not much of a 'choice,' is it?” she said bitterly as Iniuria sighed heavily again and rolled her eyes.

Fenshire appeared to be thinking it through. “Supposedly, after a day or so, Thorne will think that you've gone back to the dark side...”

“She can't get you if you're jacked out, Vaala,” Qui said, trying to change Vaala's mind.

“Yes, Qui...she can. Bindi found a tracer earlier. They're tracking me in the Real, too.”

“I don't know if we should try taking her out,” Deff cautioned. “How do we know it won't kill Vaala in the process just to satisfy this witch's need for entertainment?”

Vaala agreed with Deff. “If she says she needs a day, well then, let's give her a day.”

“I told Thorne it would take me a day or so to...'re-educate' you,” Iniuria told Vaala. “Just don't jack in for a day or so and Thorne will think that you're back on her side.”

“You want to stay a day here?” Fenshire asked. “You'll be able to stay in the Real and Thorne will believe you're still in this construct.”

“Do whatever you wish,” Iniuria told her. “If needed, I'll convince her that my...methods worked.”

Vaala still didn't believe her. “Look, I know Thorne's watching, so you can stop pretending that she's not,” she said, glaring at Iniuria.

“Whether you're jacked in or not,” Fen told her, “they'll still track you in the Real. The choice is to either stay in this twisted w***e's construct or jack out into the Real where we can better protect you.”

“I can't spend the rest of my life sitting in the Diluculo, Fen. I'm gonna have to risk it,” she said with a shudder.

“Vaala, remember...as long as you're jacked in, we're trapped at broadcast depth,” Qui said as he shook his head at Iniuria to show his disapproval. “But Deff does have a good point: if we pop her EJP, who's to say it will work in this construct?”

Fenshire shook his head. “For the safety of the crew and ship, I think you're going to have to jack out. If we get attacked by Sentinels...” he let the thought drop off unfinished. “There's little to no reason for you to stay here in her prison.”

Iniuria sighed. “A prison is a place you can't leave,” she pointed out.

“You can more than handle Sentinels,” Vaala told him, “and I really don't believe her at all when she says she won't go running back to Thorne if I jack out. To my mind, that'd put the ship and the crew at a much bigger risk. You saw what happened earlier.”

Qui thought for a moment. “If she knows you left, then she'll know that this little exercise to turn you back didn't work...”

“If I wanted her to know, I'd have brought her to the construct with you,” Iniuria pointed out.

“Our main weapon against the sentinels is the EMP,” Fen said. “Without it, we're dead.”

“Then use it if you have to,” Vaala told him, knowing full well what she was telling him to do.

“All right,” Fenshire agreed reluctantly. “Stay here. But if there's any trouble, Wheeler's jacking you out.”

“If there is trouble, Fen, I d***ed well want him to pull me out,” she said with a grim smile.

“I'll be honest, I'm iffy about all this s***, and I still don't know if this is some kind of trap to get us to be sitting ducks for the Machines to find,” Fen told her bluntly.

“You're iffy?” Vaala asked. Easy for him to say, she thought. He's not stuck in a construct with a psycho.

“Yeah,” Qui said. “We're all iffy.”

“Well thank you, Qui. That just makes me feel so much better...”

“I don't want a d***ed thing to do with those bastards,” Iniuria said harshly, showing more emotion than anyone thought she was capable of. “I didn't ask for this. The Agent came to me and I came to you after making sure your operative was safe.”

Glaring at Iniuria, Fen shot back with as much hostility as Vaala had ever heard in his voice, “And I don't want a d***ed thing to do with you.”

“Look, Fen...if you have to blow the EMP or drop below broadcast depth, just do it. To be honest, I'd rather die that way than by Thorne's hand.”

“That's not how we operate, Vaala,” Fen told her.

“I know that, Fen...but better that than putting everyone at risk over...this...”

“Sorry, Iniuria,” Qui said, “but I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the why of it all.”

“You and me both, Qui,” Vaala said, fixing Iniuria with a hard stare. “I still find it hard to believe you've suddenly developed a conscience.”

“Do you think I want to be standing here surrounded by all of you?” Iniuria asked them. “I told you: I had a split-second decision to make...I thought I made the right choice.”

Fenshire sighed, his impatience showing. “You have a tracer in the Real. They can trace you whether you're jacked in or not...however, with you jacked in, we're all at greater risk.”

“I know, Fen. That's why I'm telling you, do whatever it takes to keep everyone else safe. But...you did say the Trust was about second chances. Who would we be if we didn't extend that idea to everyone...regardless of how psychotic they may be or may have been? Besides, I'm still not entirely sure that I trust her not to go running back to Thorne if I leave...”

“Let her,” Qui said menacingly. “It'll be the last thing she ever does.”

“The Trust can forgive her all they want,” Fen answered. “I won't.”

Iniuria shook her head. “I am sorry for what was done to your wife. I...was disillusioned and...stupid as hell then. I can't take back what happened, but I can be sure that no one else harms your operatives. Is that reason enough for you?”

“And generally,” Fenshire continued, ignoring her, “that second chance is extended to our members – not the crazy b****es who make innocent people go through years of torture, killing them over and over and over in some twisted construct...being betrayed by their loved ones, watching their loved ones get killed in the most heinous ways,” he paused, his breathing getting heavier and more ragged as he spoke, “being forced to live through false realities where they've had a family and a daughter and watched them killed in front of them!” He raised his voice. “People like that don't deserve second chances! People like that deserve exactly what they've put others through!”

“Nor do most spies deserve second chances,” Iniuria said pointedly, looking at Vaala.

Vaala looked around at the others. “She's got a point, Fen,” Vaala said quietly. “I can sit here for a day. It won't kill me. Thorne, however...”

--Vaala, Iniuria, Fenshire, Deffdog, QuiDormit

“Fen,” Qui said, trying to calm him down, “Let's not blow the lid off this thing while she's got Vaala here. I totally agree and I sympathise, but...”

“And, Fen, I agree as well,” Vaala said, “but maybe making her agitated right now might not exactly be for the best...”

“That's what I'm saying,” Qui agreed.

“Dr. Roberts is planning something,” Iniuria told them. “I haven't found out what yet, but I'm doing my best to find out. Until I do, don't let RedBindi go anywhere without an armed escort in New Zion.”

“Fen,” Vaala said quietly, “It's only a day. I can sit here for a day...”

“Then sit here. If we're attacked, Wheeler will force your jackout protocol.”

“Sounds good,” Vaala agreed.

“I've done all I can to protect RedBindi without your knowing,” Iniuria told them. “You're lucky they haven't managed to slip something else onto a Trust ship,” she said, looking at Vaala. “They keep having...accidents...which prevent them from arriving at their destination. So you can be as pissed at me as you want: I deserve your anger in this matter, but you also need to realize I am helping you to keep your wife and your other operatives safe from harm.”

“Wheeler, get me out of here,” Fen ordered. “I need to go...before I rip this b**** to shreds.”

“It'll be fine, Fen...I hope...” Vaala said.

“I think it's time you left, Iniuria,” Qui said. “I'm going to stick around.”

Iniuria gave a slight nod. “I'll be around, keeping an eye on this construct and alerting you to anything else I can.”

“Qui, you should jack out. If the Mechs do attack again,” Vaala told him, “they're going to need you. I'll be fine. What can happen in a day?”

“Wheeler can just rip me out,” he insisted. “It's not a big deal. Hell, I can walk out the front door for that matter.”

“Wheeler's going to be focused on me, Qui, and on pulling me out if it's necessary. It's only a day, for crissakes. I'll be fine. All I have to do is sit here.”

“Maybe I'm not just doing it for your protection. Maybe I want to stay here so that one of us can keep an eye on you.”

“Where in the hell am I going to go, Qui?”

“I think he's more concerned about who might come in,” Deffdog replied in an attempt to diffuse the growing hostilities between the two crewmen, “as am I.”

“You know what? Fine. Stay locked up. I've had enough. I just hope for your sake that you're not trying to pull anything.”

“Qui!” Deff reprimanded, “Do I need to forward you the logs we've seen today?”

“No, Deff, I deserved that,” Vaala admitted. “Just not from a f***ing murderer,” she added, glaring at QuiDormit.

“Oh please, Vaala,” Qui said, returning the glare. “They would have gotten rid of you by now if you didn't prove of some use to them. You must be doing something right to have made it this far in their good graces.”

“Oh, and I suppose being locked up with an insane psychopath is what you consider being in someone's 'good graces'?” she shot back. “Jesus Christ. Deff, get him out of here, would you?”

“Qui, you need to go now,” Deffdog told him as Qui waved dismissively in Vaala's direction but stayed where he was.

“Do I need to make it an order? Let's go!” Looking at Vaala, Deff asked, “you gonna be all right?”

“Yeah. I'll be fine,” Vaala said with a rueful smile. “24 hours, right? I can do this.”

“Yeah...” Deff said doubtfully. “Just be careful,” he said as he jacked out of the construct.

“Oh, believe me...I will,” she muttered as she settled in for what looked like it was going to be a long wait.

--QuiDormit, Vaala, Iniuria, Fenshire, Deffdog

It was a chilly morning in the Chelsea district. The sun bore down on the sidewalk and reflected off the glass windows that covered the buildings to make for such a radiant display. But the warmth that the sun offered was nearly completely diminished by the morning chill and the windy breeze that came in from the direction of the docks. One particular young blonde fought against the headwind as sshe dashed across the street and into an office building. Wrapping her wool trench coat around her and primping her hair, she walked through the lobby and stepped into the elevator.

Twelve stories up, Agent Thorne sat in her office, sifting through old investigation files, growing more and more impatient waiting for her Lieutenant's return. “It's been over a day... I really hope Gray knew what he was getting into.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than there was a knock on the door. Prompt as ever, if not a little startled, the young professional responded, “Yes?”

The Lieutenant she had been anticipating stormed in and let the door shut behind her. There was little pleasantness in the look on her face. It spoke volumes of fury and frustration.

“Lieutenant…” The woman took a moment to take a breath and compose what little she had lost only seconds before, “Nice to see you back.”

"Really." Vaala scoffed, having trouble keeping her anger in check. "I was starting to wonder if I'd be coming back after that little stunt.”

The Lieutenant approached the desk and put her hands down on the flat surface in what would have been a rather threatening stance had the person sitting behind the desk been anyone other than who she was. "Iniuria? Really? I'd rather have spent the past 30 hours back in that warehouse.” She nearly spat out her words at the woman. “With your gun to my head." Vaala had added the latter for dramatic effect. Something that seemed to be lost on her superior.

Thorne stood up and let her head hang. It was strangely condescending. "You must understand, Ms. Redwinter... I did what I had to do. You need to understand just what Ms. Lamont is capable of. Putting your trust into her would be a most dangerous thing to do."

"I understand...but there had to have been another way."

"Did you really think she would come out into the open and speak of her crimes?” The woman gave a small gesture at the rather absurd notion. “The woman runs a terrorist organization, you cannot trust a word she says."



"Perhaps...but being forced to relive those crimes from the victims' perspectives for more than a day is a little excessive, don't you think?” She tried to reason with the woman. “You could have done the same thing by giving me full access to her file"

Thorne gave a small sigh, not willing to reveal the true source of the ‘backup plan’. "We must follow protocol, Lieutenant. That is the way it works here, you know that. Sometimes certain actions must be taken for certain results, even if they don't seem to be the most effective means."

"I see. Well, it was certainly 'effective,' as you put it." Vaala hoped she sounded spiteful. She was dishing out quite the performance. If Thorne didn’t bite, she was in dire jeopardy.

Thorne nodded, but stopped suddenly seeming to have thought better of it. Quickly regaining her professional veneer and shaking her head slightly, she pressed the matter again, "But... do you understand now who we are dealing with?"

"I do.” Vaala stopped for a second doing her best to maintain eye contact with the woman. It seemed the only way to sell her story. “And you are correct: Ms. Lamont is a dangerous terrorist and must be stopped by any means possible."

It was only then that the older woman smiled, completely satisfied with the results, all apprehension for her operative put aside. "I’m glad to hear you think so, Lieutenant.” The woman returned to her seat and opened a drawer. “I know this is not what you expected of this assignment, but we are dealing with a very serious situation - one that is detrimental to the System itself." She took out a manilla file folder and dropped it on her desk, pulling her chair in underneath her. "Now that that is out of the way, we should get back to our investigation."

"I understand completely, Agent," Vaala said with a slight nod. "And I have some useful information that I gleaned from Ms. Lamont's hovercraft."

A tension ran through Thorne’s shoulders, her cold demeanor suddenly returned. "Is that so?" Her voice became lower, more firm somehow with that same British accent that she always spoke with.

Vaala smiled. "It seems your suspicions were correct. The terrorists are planning an attack on our interests in the Real."

The woman’s smile only broadened. Something similar—but just short—of pride came over face. "Let us see what you've found then."

The young operative produced a disc out of her pocket and handed it over to the older woman. She circled around the desk to peer over the Agent’s shoulder as Thorne entered the disc into her computer drive and loaded the contents. "The Sentinel Plant...here..." she raised a slender finger to the false target on the screen in front of her. "That is where they plan to attack. Sometime within the next couple of weeks.” At the click of a mouse, Thorne opened another window with the Plant layout and all underground tunnels surrounding it.

Thorne raised an eyebrow, "A rather ambitious attack site - wouldn't you agree, Ms. Redwinter?"

"I would, Agent. But they are…dangerous, as you've pointed out. Such an ambitious attack would not be unheard of..."

"You make a valid point, Lieutenant." She studied the information for a moment. "How did you manage to retrieve this data?"

"I managed to access the leader's files while she was...'otherwise occupied," she smirked.

The older machinist operative cocked her head to the side, trying to comprehend what the Lieutenant was implying. Realizing it wasn't important, she simply answered, "Very well. Excellent work, Ms. Redwinter, this data is invaluable." She stood up, still training her eyes on the screen. "We must take action immediately if this attack is scheduled to go into effect in the next few weeks"

"Thank you, Agent. Just doing my duty.” She rounded back to the other side of the desk and mimicked the angle that her superior often cocked her head to. “The system must be purged of this terrorist scum. Having them all in one place is just too good an opportunity to pass up, in my opinion."

Thorne eyed her, intrigued by her newfound sense of duty. After seeming to have reached some sort of unknown conclusion, she grinned. "You understand the importance of this, Lieutenant. I'm quite pleased."

"Yes, ma'am. No definite date yet...I believe they wish it to be a total surprise. I believe it would be best to reinforce the manufacturing plant as soon as possible - in case they speed up their timetable. And, of course, keep it reinforced in preparation for their attack"

"Absolutely, I will alert the proper channels so they may prepare."

Vaala paused a second before lowering her head in a humbly suggestive manner, "Might I propose, Agent, that some of the sentinels protecting the communications stations be...reassigned...in order to protect the facility?"

"I will look into that, Lieutenant. I cannot say for sure at the moment."

Vaala refrained from fidgeting, although it took considerable effort as she pressed the matter. "It's well known that their only defense against the sentinels is to blow their EMPs...which would leave them extremely vulnerable after a massive sentinel attack. At that point, they could easily be destroyed...once and for all."

The older woman shook her head, "That is true, however the Communications Stations are extremely important. I cannot imagine our superiors would want to relocate our defenses unless absolutely necessary." She sat back slightly in her seat, too pleased with the progress made to notice the faint look of disappointment that passed over her operative’s face. "But in the meantime..."

"Destroying these terrorists...and especially Ms. Lamont...is not considered 'absolutely necessary'?” There was a sudden urgent boldness to her voice. A desperation masked by ambition, “Think of it...with Lamont's group out of the way - for good - there's no real need to protect the comm stations or anything else from their attacks.” She backed off a little and gave a castual gesture, “These people are murderers...it seems to me to be a worthwhile allocation of resources..."

"There are other threats out there, besides Lamont's troupe.” Thorne cut in quickly. After a moment of silence she nodded with consideration, “But as I said, I will discuss the options with my superiors."

The Zionite resigned, "Understood. Will there be anything else?"

A smile came across the older woman’s face. There was no warmth to it. Only wicked cold ambition. "I believe there is something you can do to... aide in our efforts."

--Maeby

"I am, as always, ready to serve," Vaala said with a tight smile.

Thorne eyed her for a moment, suddenly wondering why Vaala seemed so enthusiastic. Perhaps Inuiria's actions really did work as planned. However, being unable to monitor her operative made her uneasy. Nevertheless, she had no evidence to the contrary. She put the thoughts aside and continued, "You are still on good terms with their ranks.. or as good as you can get given your little… confession..."

"It will take a little time, but I am certain I can convince them of my sincerity..."

"You will be accompanying them on this attack, correct?

"I had hoped to be elsewhere...perhaps with you...observing the results by that time, Agent. After all this work, I'd hate to be counted among the enemies of the system when Zion sifts through the wreckage."

"Well, given you have provided us this information, we shall ensure your safety. Now, here is what I'd like you to do." The woman folded her hands over the file in front of her and leaned over the desk. The conspiratorial stance was matched by her colleague, “Based on the surveillance you've provided from the hovercraft you were stationed on, The Shadrack, we are of the understanding that the Captain harbors an armored personal unit, correct? An APU?" Vaala only nodded. She knew what the woman referred to. "If you were to look into the archives at the last War a few years back, you would understand that these contraptions can theoretically pose quite a threat."

"Yes, Agent. I have done the research. They can be quite....difficult...to counter."

"I need you to…” The woman looked out of the corner of her eye, looking for the appropriate word. “…‘handle’ that little problem, by whatever means you are able. Cut power lines, dismantle the motors, I don't really care how you do it. Make it so it doesn't run."

"Understood. Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

"Given that there will be much confusion and chaos during this time, if you are able to hinder any of their other crafts that would prove an effective strategy. Disabling communications, discharging the ship... I'm sure you can think of a myriad of ways this can be done.

"I believe I know a few tricks to accomplish this easily."

"Care to elaborate?” The woman tilted her head to the side, “I'm curious."

"Well...I'm sure I can gain enough access to certain areas of the ships that might turn out to have components critical to the terrorists' success...” A smile formed on the corner of her lips, “...and find ways to...'distract them'."

Thorne gives a low chuckle. "I can honestly say I am impressed, Lieutenant."

Vaala nodded her head, unused to the praise but suddenly comfortable with it knowing that the woman before her only thought she would benefit from the information she had provided her. The thought brought a smile to her lips but not for the reason that would be expected. "Thank you, Agent. I do my best."

"Of course, Lieutenant, we expect nothing less."

"Then, if there's nothing else, Agent? It would seem I have...work...to do."

Thorne glanced at the screen again. "If you perchance happen to come across any other methods of... distraction.. please alert me. We want to have every move planned to the T."

"Of course," Vaala nodded.

"Then if nothing else... I'd suggest synching up the rest of the points in the city for easy access. Later, we should *dismantle* some of those wasted bits of code." Thorne gave her one last nod. "You are dismissed, Ms. Redwinter."

Vaala only nodded and turned to exit the small office. The operation had been a success.

Thorne cracked her neck and let her eyes shift to the monitor display yet again, a certain smugness on her face. She removed the disk and pocketed it into her inner jacket before shutting down the computer. Her phone rang and she answered it promptly. "Yes Agent Gray... I have something I wish to show you. I shall meet you at your office in 5 minutes." She clicked her cell phone shut and pocketed it, collecting her PDA and exiting the office.

Before she even shut the door behind her, she had bumped into one of her office workers. The young blonde wore wire rimmed glasses, with a coffee in one hand and a stack of manila files in the other. “Oh, I do apologize for my clumsiness. Lovely morning, isn't it Ms. Thorne?” She spoke with a deep southern accent. It seemed strangely out of place in the city.

Thorne was internally surprised by the interaction, but she remained professional as she stepped away from the woman and into the hallway to regain her space. In her typical English drawl, she responded. "That it is, Miss... Forgive me, but do I know you? Have you been here long?" She looked the woman up in down, noticing little out of place with the standard A-line skirt, white-collared shirt, and pumps.

The woman smiled warmly and scrunched her nose, “Ms. Saite.” She looked down at her hands as if embarrassed that she couldn’t formally shake hands, “And no… this is my first week.”

"Ah, I see..." Thorne arched her eyebrow. It was rare for her to encounter a "normal" person. But she supposed the bluepill deserved nothing but a polite response, "You.. enjoying your stay here?"

The woman simply smiled with a twinkle in her eye, “You know, I must say I am. I'm just learning something new every day.”

Thorne chuckled at the woman. "There is indeed much to learn in this business. I'd have a longer chat, but I am expected somewhere." She adjusted her jacket, eyeing the girl curiously.

The secretary shook her head, a look of absolute sincerity on her face, “Oh of course. You must be busy. I do hope that goes well for you.”

"I'm sure it will, dear. Enjoy your stay, Ms. Saite." She nodded her head slightly and continued through the front door to the outside.

The young blonde watched the woman round the corner with a smile. She carefully looked down the hall as she let the door Thorne had so carelessly left ajar due to some kind of convenient distraction fall open. She carefully slipped through and let the door shut quietly behind her.

Once through, the young woman took out a cell phone and promptly dialed a number. Her southern accent was suddenly gone, “I’m not sure what more confirmation we need, Wheeler. She fed her everything we told her to.” The Zion operative walked over to the Agent’s desk and turned on the computer as she took a chip out of the folder she had been carrying and clicked it into one of the many drives. Pressing some keys, she continued to talk into her cell phone. “No, I’m sure, she was unaware of my presence. I’m uploading the program now…” The woman paused a second. “She seems pretty attached to this PDA of hers, I think we should get good information off of this provided she doesn’t become aware of it.” She took the chip back and placed it in her file as she shut down the computer and rearranged the desk so it was as if she had never been there. She turned to exit the office as a smile crossed her face at something said on the other end of the line, “It’s possible to use my name in a sentence without making a pun out of it you know.” A moment later the girl chuckled as she took her wool trench coat back off the coat rack and opened the door to the hallway. “I’ll see you back on the ship, Wheeler.” She clicked her phone shut and pressed the elevator button in front of her, shrugging her coat on tighter around her. They had the b****.

--Maeby

Vaala knocked quietly on the door to Bindi and Fen's quarters. If she wanted Cameryn and the Mechs to think that sending her to Iniuria for 're-education' had worked, then she'd have to at least give the appearance of following Thorne's orders.

After a few moments, the door opened and RedBindi slipped out. “What's up?”

“Wheeler talk to you yet?” She knew Wheeler monitored everything she did while jacked in and assumed the other woman already knew what had happened with Thorne.

“Not quite yet,” RedBindi told her, “though he did warn me to watch you closely.”

Of course he did, Vaala thought with a little bitterness, wondering how long it would take before anyone actually believed her. “I fed Thorne some...'misinformation.' She ordered me to sabotage the ships – and Deff's APU.” She paused a moment. “She thinks there will be an attack on a Sentinel production facility and I've recommended reinforcing that to clear a path for you, but...well, what do you want to do?”

RedBindi closed the door behind her and motioned Vaala into the mess hall. As she followed the young operative in, she grabbed a bowl of goop and a glass of water before sitting down at the table. “What do you mean, what do I want to do? We're still planning on taking out the original target; I don't see any reason to change that.”

Vaala sat down opposite Bindi. “What I mean is, she wants me to sabotage ships. I don't see much way to get around that – when the attack does happen, she's going to know whether or not I followed her orders...unless there's a way to give false readings about the ships' conditions.”

Bindi sat back in her chair for a moment, thinking. “Hmm...I don't see why we couldn't. It shouldn't be that hard to rig something to give false readings on the ships you've had access to.”

Vaala nodded, relieved that she wouldn't actually have to sabotage anything. “And the APU?” she asked.

“You'll probably have to talk to Deff about that. APU's aren't a specialty of mine.”

Disappointment crept into Vaala's voice. She was still angry with Deff and really had no desire to talk to him right now. “Yeah. He'll probably go postal though. Maybe there's a way to do the same thing – to rig it to give a false reading, then spring a trap once they think it's down.”

“I'm sure there is,” Bindi acknowledged, “but I don't know how to do it. He or Sue might.”

“Yeah, I guess I'll talk to him about it – if I have to. There is another thing, though...” She took a deep breath. “With this tracer, maybe I shouldn't be aboard any of the ships. It's kind of a dead giveaway that I lied to Thorne.”

“That's why you'll be remaining aboard the Diluculo during the attack,” Bindi told her.

“What?! No. I have Thorne convinced that her little trick worked. I can use that on the ground, disrupt their systems or something.” As Bindi just stared at her, she dropped her eyes and admitted her real motive: “Ok...the truth is, I want a chance at Thorne and this attack is a perfect distraction.”

“I'm sure it is,” Bindi replied, “however your safety cannot be guaranteed if you go alone on the ground.”

“I'm willing to risk it.”

“I may not be.”

“Come on,” Vaala pleaded, “Comms will be open so you can monitor everthing. This might be the only chance I have to get rid of the b**** – and you can't guarantee that Zion's going to be able to get rid of this tracer she put in me,” she pointed out. “What would you do if you were in my position?”

“If I let you do this,” Bindi told her in a tone that made it clear that it was a very big 'if', “you won't be doing it alone.”

“What? How—who else can get past the security?” She'd risk her own life for the chance to take Thorne out, but she wasn't willing to risk anyone else's.

RedBindi raised an eyebrow. “Of the members of the Trust? Only one person that I know of.”

Vaala's eyes widened at the implication and she shook her head. “No way. Absolutely not. Fen'll kill us both for even thinking about it.”

“Then you don't go,” Bindi told her matter-of-factly.

“You're insane! If something happens...and what about that chip in your head? Obviously, they've perfected their little 'experiment'.” She said the word distastefully, as if she could taste its foulness just by saying it, “Giving them a chance to mess with that thing again is just...well, it's crazy.”

“They are not going to know I'm there, but you are not going into that alone. Period.”

She knew about Bindi's stubbornness – hell, even Thorne had called her 'relentless,' but this was ridiculous. “Then send someone else,” she insisted. “I can handle it, and besides, who would captain the Titan if you're on the ground?”

“Neither they – nor you,” Bindi pointed out, “have had the training I have and the Titan is in Vapor's and Lumi's capable hands. As I said, if you want to do this, you will not be doing it alone. Those are the terms. Otherwise, you will stay aboard the Diluculo during the fight.”

Vaala was getting frustrated and angry, but she tried to keep it contained, remembering that losing her temper wouldn't get her anywhere – at least not with Bindi, anyway. “Jesus Christ. Are all of you this goddamned stubborn?” she half-muttered before looking up at Bindi. “I know. Why don't we ask Fen what he thinks?”

“Because he is sleeping peacefully and I don't intend to wake him for this. And to answer your question,” she said with a slight smile, knowing full well the question had been rhetorical, “yes, we do tend towards the stubborn side of things – it increases our survival chances.” As Vaala rolled her eyes, Bindi added, “plus, he would agree that you are not doing this alone. As to my going, he more than likely would insist that he come as well – which would leave both the Titan and the Devildog without a captain. Do you want that?”

“No, of course not. I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be anywhere near the Mechs, and especially Thorne. She seems to have a kind of peculiar obsession with you that I don't like. I mean, Jesus, calling in Iniuria to deal with her suspicions about me? That's just...evil.”

“And you're getting obsessed with her,” Bindi observed. “Either way, the odds of your survival increase with the presence of another Trust member. I don't allow my operatives to take such risks without proper backup – whoever that may be.”

There was a flash of anger in Vaala's eyes. “What I do or don't think about Thorne is none of anyone's business. I want her gone, though, admittedly, I'd like to be the one to wipe that little smirk off her face. And I'm more than willing to take the risk to do it, but it's not right to put anyone else at risk.”

“I'm not risking anyone else, including you.”

“And how in the hell is going in there with a two-minute window not risky? Too much could go wrong.”

“Then perhaps you should wait to take Thorne out,” Bindi told her. “If it's too risky for the two of us, then maybe we should wait and plan a better time.”

“Wait,” Vaala said derisively. Patience had never been her strong suit, but right now, it was even less so. “And do what – live aboard the Diluculo the whole time and hope she doesn't find me, either here or in the Matrix? No way. Best to do it while she's distracted with other things.”

“Then you're not doing it alone.”

Unable to contain her frustration any longer, Vaala slammed her fist into the table. “Goddammit! Stop being so f***ing stubborn and just let me do this! It's just...it's something I need to do.”

RedBindi leaned back in her chair and looked Vaala in the eye. “The only barrier to your doing this is the fact that you will not accept my presence – so perhaps you are the one being too stubborn.”

Looking away, Vaala said quietly, “Maybe I am,” she admitted. “But it's just not right to risk anyone else for my fight. Enough damage has already been done and I just want to end it.”

“You can,” RedBindi told her, “and this fight is no longer just your fight, Vaala. It's the Trust's fight. We tend to watch each other's backs around here – I'm sure you'll figure that out someday.”

Vaala raised her eyebrows. “Would that 'back watching' be before or after someone shivs me like they did Qui?”

“The person who stabbed him was restrained as soon as possible and Qui was taken care of. That's why we keep doctors onboard all our ships. Care to try another jab?”

Vaala sighed heavily. “Fine. Since it seems I have no other choice...but I really do not like this.”

“And I didn't like your original plan of going alone.”

“I'm not the Commander of the Trust, either, nor am I married to Fen. I've got enough problems without dragging you into bad situations.”

“You aren't dragging me into the situation—”

“Besides, it's not like one operative makes any difference anyway,” Vaala mumbled, low enough that she thought it wouldn't be heard.

RedBindi heard it though and looked directly at her. “One operative makes a difference to me,” she told her pointedly. “And if you wish, you can even talk to Fen yourself when he wakes up.”

“Oh hell no,” Vaala said, shaking her head. “This was your idea, you tell Fen what you're doing. He's far less likely to snap your neck than mine.”

“All right, I will.”

“Yeah, sure,” Vaala said. “After it's over, no doubt. You know he'll never agree to this insanity and as the saying goes, 'it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission'.”

Bindi sighed. “I'll tell him in the morning. No need to worry him tonight. He'll agree.”

“F***ing military,” Vaala muttered, annoyed at having lost that argument so miserably.

“Try 'd*** family',” Bindi smiled. “Welcome to the Trust.”

--Vaala, RedBindi

“Just how do you think you're going to get in there anyway?” Vaala asked.

“I guess we'll figure that out when we get there. I'll run some training sims with the data we have on the site, that should give us a better idea of what we need to do.”

“Just blow the d***ed place up – preferably with Thorne still inside,” Vaala grinned.

“We can do that as well,” Bindi said, returning the grin. “It's not like the Titan doesn't have enough guns.”

“Actually, I was thinking of something a little more...up close and personal. Maybe planting explosives to create a bit of a diversion – make them think the attack is coming from a different direction than it actually is.”

Bindi nodded. “Go on.”

“Well, if I'm with Thorne, I should be able to go pretty much anywhere I want without being questioned by anyone—”

“Which means you'd need to go alone,” Bindi interrupted. “Not happening.”

“She's going to know I'm there anyway,” Vaala countered. “I can get in and disrupt their systems—”

“Mmhmm,” Bindi breathed, interrupting again, “but how will you explain us letting you off our ships?”

“I, uh,” This would be easier if Wheeler had already briefed her, she thought. “Well, I actually already told her that I'd prefer not to be aboard any Trust ships during the attack and she's said that she can arrange for my 'protection' since I've been so...'useful'. Don't know that I actually believe her, but it's worth a shot if I can keep her convinced that I've 'changed my mind' about the Mechs,” she shrugged.

“Just how is she planning on removing you from our ships?” Bindi asked.

Vaala shrugged again. “I can always tell her you booted me off your—”

“The only way she'll get you off our ships is by taking one of them out,” RedBindi insisted. “That's not a risk I'm willing to take, especially since the ship she would hit would most likely be the Diluculo. And why would we boot someone off our ships who has possible intelligence about an attack just prior to attacking? It doesn't make any sense.”

“She seems to think you're all such terrorists who think nothing of killing people. I can tell her someone attacked me and I escaped – same type of thing I did with Cov. She'll buy it if it's done right, and her disappointment is really the very least of my worries right now.”

Bindi shook her head. “If she knows anything about us or me, she'll know we don't work that way or she'll assume I did the attacking...and she'll know you wouldn't escape from me.”

That last comment sent an unnerving chill down Vaala's spine. RedBindi's manner sometimes made it easy to forget just how true the statement actually was. “Probably not,” she pressed, “but if it wasn't you, if it was someone else—”

“Not going to happen, Vaala,” Bindi replied. “You aren't going in there alone.”

Vaala resisted the urge to jump out of her chair and throw it across the room. D***, this woman is infuriating! she thought. “Then what do you want me to do, Bindi? I'm sure as hell not going to just sit here when I can actually do something. I mean, it's not like you're going to be able to just walk in the place.” After reconsidering for a moment, she corrected herself. “Well, maybe you could. Still, that's not the point.”

“And the point would be?”

Vaala shook her head. She wasn't willing to reveal her suspicions yet about what kinds of other experiments the Machines might be running – at least not without any proof. She leaned back in her chair and thought for a minute. She had an idea...but not one she really wanted to bring up. Oh hell, if she insists on going, might as well, she thought. “All right, then. How well do you think you can act like Lamont? If Thorne thinks the chip's controlling you...”

Bindi sighed. “I can act like her very well. But if you think Fen would let the two of us walk into the midst of them like that... Well, I'll let you broach that idea with him.”

“Yeah, that'll go over well,” Vaala said sarcastically.

“Exactly,” Bindi agreed.

Vaala sighed deeply and tried again. “Look, on the ship, I put everyone at risk. At least on the ground, I can cause enough trouble to help and kill Thorne. Either way, I'm at risk. My way, I'm the only one at risk and at least I can stop her before she does anything to anyone else.”

“Let me state this again,” Bindi said firmly. “You are not going in there alone. Period.”

Unable to control her frustration any longer despite nearly Herculean effort, Vaala yelled, “Why the hell not? And don't give me that 'operative' bulls***. We take crazy chances every day – this is no different. If you think I need a babysitter because you're concerned that I might do something to help Thorne, you're wrong. The only place I want to help her to is an early grave.”

Putting enough steel into her voice to remind Vaala who she was talking to, Bindi told her, “Do not raise your voice. You take chances in the Matrix – the Real is a whole different ballgame...and one that you are still new to.”

“All right, then,” Vaala said as she lifted her chin defiantly and fixed RedBindi with a challenging look, “Train me. You know she hasn't had nearly the training you've had, so it shouldn't be too hard to train me just enough to do this.”

Meeting Vaala's gaze with one of her own, Bindi replied, "The answer to that is no. We don't have enough time for one, and two, you're still not going in there alone.”

“Yeah,” Vaala said bitterly. “Because you don't trust me, do you? Fine. What do you suggest?”

Sighing again, Bindi told her, “The simple fact of the matter is that I wouldn't let any operative go on a mission like that alone. And I suggest that you think of a plan that doesn't involve you going alone. My main goal is the target we've selected. If you want Thorne taken out on this mission, then you will have to figure out a way for it to be done without you being the only one going in.”

“You are a stubborn pain in the a**, you know that?”

“It's one of my more endearing traits – just ask Fen.”

“Fine. Ok. I'll think of something. I'll go back and research her files, see if there's something there that I can use to get you in... But one way or another, I am going,” Vaala insisted.

“Just as long as you're going in with someone to watch your back. Sleep well, Vaala,” Bindi told her, dismissing her. “I think you're going to need it.”

“Yeah, right,” Vaala said as she left the mess hall, shaking her head and muttering. She wouldn't sleep – not tonight or any other night that Thorne was out there and capable of finding her. She'd have thought that, of all people, RedBindi would understand that. A few minutes later, she listened as Bindi returned to her own quarters and she wondered how – or if – the other woman slept most nights when she knew there was someone out there trying to find her, but then focused her thoughts on the task at hand: coming up with a plan the Commander would allow her to act on.

--Vaala, RedBindi

Vaala had just finished eating when Fen walked into the mess hall. She hadn't slept worth a d*** last night - not that she'd expected to - and she really didn't want to talk to either him or Bindi after having lost that argument so completely last night.

Fen grabbed his breakfast and sat down opposite her at the table...and then got straight to the point: "So, I hear you want to take on Thorne all by yourself."

"Your wife talks too much," Vaala told him as she stood up. "And she's too d***ed stubborn."

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Fen quipped through a mouthful of goop.

"Yeah...it's just...great," she answered, her tone of voice making it clear that it was anything but great.

"We work as a team - all of us," he told the young operative. "You do something stupid like going out on your own and you end up dead...or worse."

"Tell me, does anyone ever win an argument with her?" She really wasn't in the mood to be lectured - again.

"No idea," Fen shrugged. "But then, I've never met anyone dumb enough to try," he chuckled.

"Like I told her, I'm willing to take the chance. It's my fight," as she realized what he'd just said, she turned to face him, her eyes narrowing. "And did you just call me dumb?"

"I call anyone who tries to win an argument with her dumb," he grinned.

"Gee, thanks. I'll remember that for the next time I see you trying to argue with her," she said, giving him a slight smile.

Fen laughed. "I never said I wasn't dumb." As Vaala chuckled, he added, "anyhow, it's not just your fight. It's our fight now."

"Maybe," she shrugged, "but you all have enough on your plates. I can handle this."

Fenshire leaned back in his chair and fixed her with a hard stare. "I remember the time I thought I could handle Iniuria on my own," he told her pointedly. "It ended up with me being captured and then ransomed for Bindi...and then she got tortured."

Vaala shook her head. She had no answer for that and she knew it. "You are all pains in the a**, you know that?"

Fen just smiled. "Good. Keeps you from sitting down on the job."

"Very funny," she said humorlessly. "Why are you both so goddamned adamant about this anyway?"

"Because you're one of us and we look out for each other."

"It's one d*** mission!"

"One d*** mission that could and probably would get you killed," Fen pointed out matter-of-factly. "You think Thorne'll give you a third chance?"

"I don't intend for her to live long enough to be able to make that decision," Vaala said icily.

"What you intend and what actually happens are two completely different things."

"Maybe," Vaala acknowledged, "but I at least have to try. I can't have Thorne running around chasing me for the rest of my life - and I can't live on the Diluculo forever."

"You won't," Fen reassured her. "We'll kick her a**."

We? she thought, hoping he was referring to the Trust as a whole and not considering going along as well. "I don't know who's more stubborn," she told him. "You or your wife."

He smiled again. "Oddly enough, we've only ever had one argument..and it was pretty scary."

Vaala laughed. "With her, I've no doubt it was. I'd hate to see her really pissed."

"It's...scary."

"I can imagine," Vaala said, recalling RedBindi's annoyance at the monument when she'd admitted the truth and how absolutely intimidated she'd felt at the time. "She can be scary when she's not pissed," she confessed.

"She's not scary," he chuckled.

Yeah, right, she thought, remembering some of what she'd read when she started this assignment. While she knew that 99% of what she'd been told when she took this mission was patently false, it was the 1% truth that made her nervous. "Maybe not to you," she muttered. "Well, did she also tell you that she flat out rejected every idea I've had?"

Fen shook his head. "No. She only told me that you wanted to go after Thorne alone."

Vaala raised a brow. "You mean she didn't tell you that she plans on going along - which, incidentally, I think is a really bad idea."

"She's not going alone," he said matter-of-factly.

"Christ," Vaala practically whispered. "You're both insane. Who's going to captain the DevilDog if you go?"

Fen didn't answer, just smiled at her before looking down to finish his meal, signaling that the conversation was over. Frustrated, Vaala spun on her heel and left the room. She had a lot of data to sift through...and now she had to come up with a plan that could pass muster with both Bindi and Fenshire.

"This is shaping up to be one hell of a rotten day," she mumbled as she walked down the corridor.

--Vaala, Fenshire

Vaala had been over the files a hundred times at least. She still couldn't find anything usable - there was nothing there to help her to formulate a plan that RedBindi and Fenshire would find acceptable. "I need a break," she muttered.

She walked down the cramped corridor to the mess hall, got a drink, and started pacing. She had to think of something...but what? Every idea she'd had that she'd tossed out, Bindi had flatly rejected, and she just wasn't willing to follow the other woman's advice about waiting. Thorne was dangerous - far more dangerous than anyone seemed to be giving her credit for, in Vaala's opinion - and she had to do something. She knew she wouldn't rest - literally or figuratively - until Thorne was no longer a problem.

She looked into the cup, wrinkling her nose. She really hadn't wanted a drink, she'd just needed to clear her head a bit and stop staring at the same information over and over. Setting the drink down on the table, she walked resolutely from the room. She had a lot of work to do and very little time to do it.


Returning to the quarters RedBindi had assigned her, she sat down to review the files again. Maybe there was something--Wait a second, she thought. Cameryn has a chip in her head, just like Bindi. Thorne had said something once about RedBindi being a failed experiment, an inferior 'model' as it were, while she was what "the human race could only wish to achieve." If Cameryn Thorne was the 'successful' evolution of a 'failed' experiment, then just who was running that experiment, she wondered. As she'd heard it, the Mechs had been pretty clear about not continuing since Marks had failed so miserably the first time...and yet, Thorne was answering to Gray? Something didn't add up.

She looked more intently at the data scrolling across the screen. Something caught her eye. "What the hell?" she said quietly. "That's not normal." She may not have been the world's greatest hacker, but she knew enough about code to know when something was wrong. And this was definitely wrong. The same anomaly popped up a few more times, and Vaala noted that it seemed to pop up almost every time Cameryn met with or spoke to Gray.

"Who are you?" she thought aloud. The code was..."Oh s***!" she exclaimed, jumping up like she'd been kicked and knocking the chair over. That wasn't a program, it was an RSI - which meant that it sure as hell was no Agent. "Marks," she breathed. "That's not Gray, it's f***ing Marks!" She looked around quickly to be sure that Bindi or Fen hadn't snuck up on her and overheard, then switched the monitor off, horrified by what she'd seen.

Screw orders, she thought. After all, it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission, right? She caught sight of the picture RedBindi had returned to her back in the Shadrack's brig and looked at it. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn her brother's image was giving her that disapproving look he'd always given her every time she'd done something rebellious. "Why can't you just do as you're told, Cat?" he'd always asked her, using her nickname to try and soften the rebuke in his voice.

She smiled slightly at the memory and told the photograph the same thing she'd always told her brother when he was alive: "I don't set out to break the rules, Ryan," she said softly. "I just do what I think is right." Putting the photo facedown so she wouldn't have to look at it, she added under her breath, "And if I am right, and Marks is the one behind this, there's not a snowball's chance in hell I'm letting him get his hands on RedBindi again."

Another late night. The Diluculo was practically silent, except for the normal creaks, groans, and other assorted noises on every ship, and she'd long since gotten used to those. RedBindi and Fenshire were sleeping, so she had the room to herself - and the brief respite from having her every move watched was slightly comforting. All her nights seemed to be long these days, and Vaala couldn't remember the last time she'd slept for more than an hour or so. Days were even longer, with RedBindi, Fenshire, and Wheeler - and probably everyone else - watching her so closely that she felt more like a prisoner than a real person. Some days she wondered if RedBindi's taking her off the Shadrack had less to do with the tracer Bindi said she'd found in the scan, or if it was just a kinder, gentler way of locking her in a - slightly more comfortable, she had to admit - brig and throwing away the key.

At least she was somewhat heartened by her talk with Qui. It had been awkward and angry at first - she still had a hard time with what he'd done, the number of people he'd killed with the code bombings...and the number of people who would probably spend the rest of their lives trying to figure out how to piece their minds and their lives back together - but in the end, they'd managed to sort it out and decided to try and encourage each other as they both dealt with the consequences of their actions. Right now, she needed every friend she could get, and who better than someone who knew exactly how she felt and what she was going through?

She was sitting in the mess hall, considering the details of the plan she'd finally come up with. It had taken her a couple of days to think things through and come up with an idea she thought RedBindi might find acceptable. She briefly considered scrapping the whole thing and waiting like Bindi had advised, but ultimately, she decided against that. Thorne was just too dangerous, at least to her own well-being - and probably to RedBindi's as well - to leave out there. And if she was right about who was behind it all, maybe there was some possibility of getting the answers Bindi needed.

She flirted with the idea of revealing her suspicions about Thorne and about Marks to Bindi and Fen, but chose to keep that to herself for now. She was fairly certain that if she told them what she thought was going on, they'd both completely reject the idea of her ever getting her hands on Thorne as being too dangerous, at least for her, and would insist on her allowing them to deal with it. As she refined the details, she heard footsteps running down the corridor and looked up just in time to see Fen run by with his wife in his arms, headed for the med bay.

Without any conscious thought, Vaala leapt up from her chair and threw herself across the table and into the corridor, following behind him. Bindi had marks all over her, like she'd been in a nasty fight, but Vaala knew d***ed good and well that there was no one else on the ship. She stood at the foot of the bed, wanting to do something to help, but not entirely sure Fen would let her near his unconscious wife, given the reason she was aboard the Diluculo at the moment.

She watched Fen as he started hooking various monitors up to Bindi. As Vaala watched, wondering if she should just step in and do something and deal with any reactions later, Bindi's legs turned red and bruises appeared on her knees. "Fen..." she said loud enough to get his attention as she pointed at the new marks that had just appeared. Fen looked in the direction she was pointing, his fear for his wife obvious even if he was trying to contain it, and told her to help him get Bindi hooked up to the monitors so that maybe they could figure out what was causing all this.

"I... don't know what to do," Fen said once they'd gotten everything hooked up.

Vaala looked across the table at him, feeling almost as helpless as she imagined he felt. "We need Cov," she told him, knowing that neither of them had the medical expertise to do much for RedBindi at the moment. And I really need to get my hands on that crazy b****, she thought, referring to Thorne, and choke the life out of her...right before I rip out her spinal cord with my bare hands to make d*** sure she's dead. She is going to *pay* for this, she thought as she looked down with worry at the Commander's unconscious form.

Suddenly, RedBindi leapt off the table and lunged right for Fen. "What the f***?!" Vaala exclaimed as she jumped out of the way, looking for a place to hide until the murderous look in Bindi's eyes disappeared. As Bindi advanced towards Fen menacingly, Vaala looked around the room in a panic, noticing the room looked more like a battle zone with monitors and medical equipment strewn all over the floor as a result of RedBindi's 'waking up'. As Fen pleaded with his wife to stop, to realize it was him, Vaala's eyes settled on a cabinet containing syringes of sedative. Grabbing the sedative just as Bindi's fist connected with the grating where Fen's head had been only a second before, she waited, watching for Bindi to slow down enough to give her a chance to inject her without getting killed in the process. When Bindi finally stood still, she wasted no time. If Bindi hurt Fen, she knew the other woman would never forgive herself...and Vaala would definitely never forgive Cameryn. That woman had wreaked enough havoc. She lunged towards RedBindi, syringe in hand, keeping as low as she could, and stabbed the needle into the other woman's thigh.

"Vaala! Wait!" Fen screamed as Bindi looked down at the syringe and then looked back up at him. Vaala looked at Fen incredulously. Wait? she thought. Your wife - or whoever the hell that is right now - was trying to kill you, and you want me to just sit by and *watch*? You're out of your f***ing mind.

"I'm sorry..." Bindi said. "I didn't know it was you..." she said as the sedative took hold and she fell to the ground, unconscious again.

--RedBindi, Fenshire, Vaala

"Jesus Christ, Vaala! What the hell did you do that for!?" Fenshire yelled. "She was coming out of it..."

"I'm sorry, Fen," Vaala shrugged helplessly. "She was trying to hurt you and it was the only thing I could think of to stop her..." she trailed off, looking around at the destruction in the room.

Fenshire looked down at his wife and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I've never seen anything like that before," he said worriedly.

Still shaken, Vaala nodded. "Neither have I. Ever." She took a breath - one that felt like her first since they'd gotten to the medbay. "What do we do now?"

Fenshire looked down at his wife again. There were wounds all over her. He gently picked her up and put her on a bed and Vaala moved closer and busied herself with reconnecting all the monitoring equipment. At least she could do that much.

"She was coming out of it before you injected her..." He glared at Vaala for a moment. "Maybe if we brought her out of it, she could tell us what happened..."

She looked over at Fen, who was staring down at his wife and told him, "You know she'd never forgive herself if she had hurt you."

He nodded and sighed. "I know...you were only trying to help."

"Hey Fen," Vaala asked, "are you sure bringing her out of it is a good idea?" She looked down at Bindi, clearly disturbed by what she'd just witnessed. "I mean, what if she-"

"I'm sure," he answered. "She was coming out of it."

Vaala nodded slowly. She really didn't like this...Having even a fleeting knowledge of what RedBindi was capable of had always made her feel intimidated by the other woman, but what had just happened had struck a fear in her like she'd never felt before. "Ok," she acknowledged, deciding to trust Fenshire's judgment, "tell me what to do."

Fen looked around. "Wheeler usually handles this...Wheeler!" he yelled, calling for the Titan's Operator.

A few moments passed before they heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. "What's with all the commotion and where the hell are you, Fenshire?" Wheeler's voice called out.

"Medbay! It's Bindi..."

Oh Christ, Vaala thought as she heard Wheeler run down the hall. Wheeler's going to blame me for this...

Wheeler stopped at the entrance to the medbay and stared at RedBindi. "What happened?"

"She went Lamont on me," Fen answered, looking up at Wheeler. "We had to sedate her."

"Christ..." Wheeler approached the bed to take a look. Noticing the marks all over Bindi, he observed, "I guess you had to use some force to restrain her..."

Fen shook his head. "She was sleeping and then these...wounds started to appear on her. Then she just kind of flipped out-"

"Flipped out?" Vaala repeated, "Fen, she tried to kill you! That's a little more than 'flipped out'."

"She'd never kill me," Fenshire answered with certainty. "Lamont or otherwise."

Vaala was far less certain of that, given what she'd just seen. "If you say so," she mumbled as Wheeler looked up at the two of them.

"These wounds just appeared?" he asked, his voice sounding as disbelieving as Vaala's just had.

"Yeah," Fen answered. "I've never seen this before..."

"Fen brought her in here, she was lying on the bed, and...welts and bruises just started...appearing," Vaala added with a helpless shrug.

Wheeler sighed. "What was she sedated with?"

Fenshire looked around on the floor for the syringe. Picking it up, he held it out to Wheeler. "This." Vaala nodded in agreement, a little grateful that Fen hadn't told Wheeler that it had been her specifically that had injected Bindi with the syringe's contents.

"Dammit... That's the s*** I use on her when she's jacked in," he said as he walked to the cabinet and grabbed a few vials. "We'll have to see how much of this stuff it takes to bring 'er out."

"All right," Fen assented as he looked down at his wife with concern and took her hand.

As Wheeler walked back towards RedBindi, Vaala quickly stepped out of his way. "Stay with me, Red," he said as he inserted the needle into her right arm port. He slowly injected the contents and watched her closely for any changes as Fenshire gently caressed his wife's head with one hand and took her free hand with the other.

"Come on..." Fenshire said quietly, his voice filled with concern.

A few moments passed and Bindi began to stir. "Whew," Wheeler said, sounding relieved. "Looks like one's all she'll need."

Vaala backed up a bit as RedBindi began to show signs of regaining consciousness. If Fen was wrong and Bindi woke up like she had a few minutes ago, Vaala wanted to make sure she was out of the other woman's way. Fen sat down on the bed next to his wife and held her head in his lap as Bindi's eyes opened and she looked around the room, seeming a little dazed.

"Hey sweetheart," Fen said as Vaala stood as far away as she could possibly get and still be in the room, her look one of concern mixed with absolute terror.

"Oh god..." Bindi said as realization set in. She abruptly stood and moved away from the three people in the room, who were all looking at her worriedly.

"Careful, Red," Wheeler told her, noting how unsteadily she moved.

"Hey," Fenshire said as he moved towards RedBindi, "You should sit down."

"Don't..." Bindi warned him. "You shouldn't be around me. None of you should," she said, steadying herself against a cabinet as she winced slightly in pain. "Just...head out of here. Please."

Fen moved over and put his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere."

Seeing that Bindi was...well, Bindi, Vaala began to relax a little as color returned to her face, her fear of and for RedBindi replaced with anger. Thorne and her little friend are going to pay dearly for this, she thought. "Neither am I," she said, taking a step forward.

Bindi moved away from her husband. "Fen, don't...please. I was going to kill you."

Fen shook his head at her and moved close again. "No you weren't," he told her. "You'd never kill me."

Vaala agreed. "No you weren't," she said, a little more angrily than she'd intended it to come out.

Bindi shook her head sadly at them. "Yes...I was..."

"Whatever that was," Vaala replied, "it wasn't you. It was...something - someone - else." She began to understand even more fully what she'd come to realize during all these months: that Lamont was not RedBindi, and her anger at Thorne and the Machines burned even hotter.

"No, Vaala... That was me..." she sighed heavily. "Trying to kill Marks."

"Marks," Vaala told her. "Not Fen," she said, a look of fury which she quickly contained passing over her face.

"You're not going to push me away," Fenshire insisted. "You weren't going to kill me."

RedBindi put a hand on her husband's chest, keeping him at arm's length. "Yeah...I was. There was a man in front of me and he was going to die." Her eyes widened as she looked at the marks all over her arm. "How..."

"They just started appearing on you," Fen answered. "You were sleeping." Vaala nodded in agreement as she started to go a little pale again at the memory.

Bindi turned and walked a little unsteadily to the mirror. She looked herself over, noting the marks and bruises, while mumbling to herself as Fenshire moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "What happened?" he asked.

RedBindi recoiled slightly from the touch as she began to speak. "Marks," she said. "Everywhere he touched me it was like I was on fire... These welts appeared in my dream. I...I had no idea they were physically happening to me as well..."

"That bastard," Vaala muttered as Fenshire sighed sadly.

"We really need to do something about that chip." he said.

Yeah, like rip out Thorne's brain and figure out how the hell to get rid of it, Vaala thought.

--Fenshire, RedBindi, Vaala

RedBindi sighed and moved away from Fenshire again. "I...I guess I'll have to let Zion medical do whatever tests they need to do..."

Vaala shook her head. "Wait. I don't know if that's a good idea. Didn't Iniuria," she spat the name like a curse, "say that Roberts was planning something and not to let you go anywhere without an armed escort?"

RedBindi whirled around to face her, causing Vaala to again back up a few steps. "What choice do I have in the matter?" she asked.

Fenshire agreed. "Then she'll have an armed escort," he said firmly.

"I thought they said the tests could be done here?" Where it's safer, she added mentally, genuinely concerned for RedBindi's well-being.

"We shouldn't talk about this now," Fen said, putting a hand on Bindi's shoulder. "Bindi...you should rest."

Vaala spoke again, more to Fen than to anyone else. "Look I don't trust the b****, either...but Iniuria," Fenshire's eyes narrowed at the name, "did keep her word - she left me alone and let me go," she told him, still surprised that that's what had happened and not something far, far worse than she even cared to imagine. "That has to count for something. What if she's telling the truth?"

"Don't mention that woman's name in my presence," RedBindi said, her tone causing Vaala to shrink back even more.

"She already had her opportunity at a second chance," Fenshire agreed.

RedBindi looked at Fenshire. "Why don't you head to the Titan or the DevilDog tonight? Who knows what else that bastard can do?"

Fenshire shook his head. "I'm not leaving your side. You need me."

"I can't trust myself around you. I came so...so close to..." She shook her head. "It would be best for you not to remain near me in this condition."

"Bindi, I don't know if that's a good idea," Vaala said, "I mean, Fen's about the only one who can bring you out of it." And if he's not here to do that, I'm gonna be screwed if that thing in your head takes over again...

"What else am I supposed to do?" Bindi asked, "Just hope I don't kill him?"

Fenshire put his hands on her face, tilting it towards him. "But you didn't. You stopped yourself. I know you would never ever let anyone hurt me, no matter what," he told her.

"I may not be in a position to control myself, and...I couldn't ever forgive myself if I did manage to hurt you or, god forbid, kill you."

"Then if we have to, we'll sedate you again," Vaala said.

"You won't hurt me or kill me," Fen promised. "You're the strongest person I know. There's not a person, Machine, or exile in this world that could force you to hurt me - or anyone in the Trust." Vaala wondered briefly who that last part was directed at: RedBindi or her...or both.

"You may be willing to take that chance, but I'm not," Bindi answered with a sigh as she turned away and headed back to her quarters.

"God d***, that is one stubborn woman," Vaala murmured as Fenshire followed his wife.

"Well, I'm sorry," he insisted, "but it's a risk I'm willing to take." Vaala watched as Wheeler just shook his head, hoping that Fen would be able to reason with his wife. As the couple reached the door of RedBindi's quarters, she stopped and turned to face Fenshire.

"We can discuss this further in the morning."

Fen shrugged. "I'm not leaving you," he told her as he looked into her eyes.

"Fine," she answered. Vaala thought she detected a little annoyance in Bindi's voice and tried not to smile as she thought, apparently it *is* possible to win an argument with the woman...but I'll be d***ed if I know how he did it. She heard the door to their quarters close and waited a few moments before looking at Wheeler.

"You mind if I, uh, go back to my quarters? I'm, uh, a little...rattled...by all this."

Wheeler shrugged. "May as well."

"Thanks," Vaala said, relieved to be dismissed. She made sure she was completely out of Wheeler's sight before taking the syringe of sedative she'd swiped from the medbay out of her sleeve and tucking it into her boot. Maybe I'll finally get some sleep for a change, she thought. Because the Commander was right about one thing: I am definitely going to need it. Her eyes took on a murderous glint of their own as she thought about Thorne and the many ways she would make that b**** suffer for everything she'd done, including what had just happened to Bindi, before she finally killed her. The only way you'll die, Cameryn Thorne, is when *I* allow it...and by that time, you'll be *begging* me to kill you, she thought as a malicious smile spread across her face.

--RedBindi, Fenshire, Vaala

Vaala was in Westview teaching the local gangs some manners when she heard Deffdog's voice over the comm. Guess I'd better get around to talking to him like Bindi told me to sooner or later, she thought. No time like the present... "Hey Deff. What's your coordinates?"

He relayed the information and Vaala made her way over to International. From her spot on the roof, she saw him at the end of the docks, gazing out over the water. Not a bad view, she thought of the view over the water - something she'd never taken the time to appreciate before, noting the Exiles that were keeping their distance from the Zion captain. She approached and waited, staring over the water. Deff acknowledged her with a nod and she spoke: "So...uh, we have a problem." Straight to business, I suppose. "Thorne wants the APU disabled."

"And how does she expect that to happen?" Deff asked.

"Truthfully, Thorne says she doesn't care how, so long as it's not operational. I talked to RedBindi, and she thinks it may be possible to rig the ships to give false readings to indicate some sabotage, but neither of us knows enough about the APU to know whether or not it's possible to do the same with it. My thought was--"

"No, an APU doesn't have anything like that. It's built to be undetectable. All it has is a very short range transmitter."

"D***. Well, I'll just have to make her believe it's been done then. Think you can hold off on using it - maybe spring it as a kind of last-minute surprise and then wipe them out?"

"The only way it can be proven that the APU has been damaged is if she sees it break down in battle...and that leaves me in one bad situation."

Vaala nodded, an idea forming. "...unless I can convince her otherwise - which I think I can." She was betting there was old footage in the archives of damaged APUs that could be altered to make it appear as if it were Deff's APU that was damaged. She made a mental note to get with Wheeler on that.

"I'll do what I must to protect my hovercraft," Deff told her.

"Understood." She knew after her months spent aboard the Shadrack that it was no idle statement.

Deffdog looked at her, a question obviously on his mind, so she waited. "And how do you know Thorne will believe you?"

Vaala gave a little chuckle. "She's under the mistaken impression that her little stunt with Iniuria was successful in...'bringing me back to my senses.' I see no reason to...disabuse her of that notion, do you?"

Deff looked back over the water, thinking. "If I was in her position, I would want more proof."

Thankfully, she's not always as thorough as some people I know, Vaala thought. "Perhaps. But she can be easy to...persuade...when necessary," Vaala shrugged. "Truth is, I intend to kill her during the attack," she confessed.

"And what does Bindi have to say about that?"

"The Commander insists on going with me," Vaala shook her head. "She says it's too dangerous to attempt alone." She shrugged again, resting against the railing as she took in the view. "Hell, I don't know...maybe she's right... What I do know is that Thorne is dangerous - and I don't intend to allow that kind of danger to exist so long as it's in my power to do something about it."

"Hmm. You really shouldn't go alone," Deff agreed, "but with this current situation with Bindi...I'm just not sure she's the proper candidate to go with you."

"I agree - and I brought that up. But she is right about one thing: she very well may be the person best equipped to get in and out of there quickly and get the job done. Besides," she laughed, "I lost that argument miserably."

"Bindi's judgment is clouded, and so is Fenshire's because of this whole situation."

"Maybe," Vaala acknowledged, "but I'm not going to be the one to cross RedBindi. She wants to go, I'm sure as hell not going to stop her." Or at least, not that I'm going to tell any of you about...

"One thing they seem to have forgotten...Thorne has a chip. So does Bindi. Thorne might know how to...bring Lamont back."

"Maybe," Vaala nodded, choosing her words very carefully because of who she suspected was behind Cameryn. "Or she may have the answers Bindi needs to finally get rid of the thing - even if I have to rip those answers from Thorne's broken skull myself."

Deffdog turned to deal with the Exiles that had been inching closer as they talked. "They seem a little too interested in our conversation," he noted.

"Exiles and Agents alike seem to be too d***ed interested in my conversations and movements these days," Vaala observed.

"So," Deffdog said, turning back to the water with a sigh. "I need to try to avoid using the APU until after the attack..."

"Maybe not even that long. Just give us time to get inside and...take care of business."

"Anything else I need to avoid?"

"I hope not. Since Bindi took me to the Diluculo, Thorne's had a hard time trying to track me - a situation I like just fine. The less I have to be around that psychotic chipheaded toaster lover, the better."

"I don't like this one bit, but I'll do what I can to help with this, Vaala."

"I appreciate your willingness to help, Deff. It's not an ideal situation by any means, but it's a hell of a lot better than the alternative...and if Thorne can bring Lamont out...well then, it's better for everyone - especially Bindi - if she'd not around to do it."

Deffdog nodded. "I'll see what I can do." He began to walk away, then stopped suddenly and turned back. "And Vaala..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I went through your quarters."

She hadn't been expecting that. Containing her surprise, she answered quietly, "Yeah. I understand. Protocol." She d*** sure didn't like it, but she understood why he'd done it.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It was necessary..." He seemed as if he wanted to add more, but decided against it. "Stay safe, Vaala," he said as he jumped to the rooftops and left her standing there alone.

"You too, Deff," she murmured as she looked out over the water again, ignoring the Exiles who no longer seemed to be interested in her. "You too."

--Vaala, Deffdog

Vaala was taking out her frustrations on the local Lupine population once again. Even though she knew Wheeler was always watching, she felt more comfortable - and less..."watched" while she was in the Matrix, and the "Puppies," as she'd come to call them, made extraordinarily good punching bags...or as she liked to call them, "training aids." It didn't hurt that she also wandered across the occasional Cypherite or Machine to use for target practice as well.

In the middle of venting her frustrations on about a half a dozen "Puppies," she heard RedBindi's voice: "Vaala, when you get a chance, head to Camon Central."

Camon? What the hell for? she thought. Rather than questioning - she was learning not to do that too often - she simply acknowledged the request and answered that she'd be there as soon as she could. She put a few more Lupines out of her misery before heading out, muttering something over their corpses about their amazing ability to turn even the staunchest dog lover into a cat person.

The code had scarcely cleared before she heard RedBindi's voice again: "Ah, there she is." Vaala looked around to see RedBindi, Fenshire, and QuiDormit standing there talking to a man she didn't know. "Vaala, meet Farplane," Bindi said, introducing them. Realizing that she'd been called here for a simple introduction, Vaala relaxed a bit as she exchanged pleasantries with the man. As the group took a seat, Farplane asked about what had transpired in his absence, and Vaala immediately became uncomfortable again as Fen and Bindi explained her situation.

She reiterated her desire to take care of Thorne, once and for all, and Fenshire spoke up: "Actually, I wanted to talk to you and Bindi about that..."

Here it comes, Vaala thought as she tried to contain her annoyance. They're going to tell me it's too dangerous, that I don't have the training, that I'll have to keep hiding on the Diluculo... She knew Fen hadn't been entirely thrilled with the idea of her going on the mission to kill Thorne to begin with - his comment about what she intended to happen and what actually would happen had definitely made a mark, as had RedBindi's comment about her 'obsession' with Thorne - but she still hoped they wouldn't pull the plug entirely. "Oh?"

"Didn't you say Thorne has a chip in her head like Bindi?"

"Yes." Please tell me he's not going with this where I think he is...

"The chip is controlling her," Fenshire continued. "Her actions, even her heart rate and vital functions. She may not be responsible for her actions. I think she needs help--"

"She's responsible," Vaala took advantage of Deffdog's arrival to interrupt. "She's a threat that needs to be stopped." Preferably before she kills me, she added mentally.

"She's no more responsible for her crimes than I am for Lamont's," RedBindi told her.

"You're fighting the chip, she's not," Vaala insisted.

"Did you know her before the chip?" Bindi asked.

"Well, no..."

"Then you can't say for sure that her actions are her own," Fenshire replied. "And she may have information that could help Bindi."

"She is a threat, Fen," Deffdog said. "And if she's dead, we could study the chip and maybe learn how to extract it."

Vaala agreed, a little surprised that Deff had agreed with her position on this.

"So, Deff, you'd have killed me for being a threat as Lamont?" Bindi asked pointedly, though Vaala had the feeling the question wasn't only directed at Deffdog.

"No, of course not," he said as Vaala interrupted.

"But you're not a threat - she is. You got away--"

"After fifteen years," Bindi clarified.

"So, what - we wait another decade or more and see if Thorne decides that working for the Mechs isn't exactly what she wants out of life? I don't think so."

"They're right, Vaala," QuiDormit said.

She shook her head. "No. Thorne is not Bindi. She knows what she's doing, and she's doing it deliberately...and she needs to be stopped."

"Come on, Vaala," Qui pleaded, "stop being so stubborn."

Vaala turned to Qui. "You're not the one Thorne's tracking and going to kill once you've 'fulfilled your purpose'."

"Ah, forget it. I'm keeping my trap shut," Qui said, seeing that his arguments weren't going to convince Vaala to change her mind about this.

Fenshire, sensing the same, simply made it an order: "Thorne is to be captured, not killed."

"Fen! She tortured Cov, put a gun to my head several times, she shot me..."

"Because the chip is controlling her," Fenshire insisted. "Or do you think Bindi deserved what Iniuria did to her because of Lamont's actions?"

"No, of course I don't think Bindi deserved that." She suppressed a shudder as the images Thorne had shown her popped back into her mind. "No one deserves that. But how do you know that Thorne's done all she has because of the chip?" Vaala asked.

"How do you know she hasn't?" Bindi shot back.

"I just...know," Vaala shrugged. "Call it instinct."

"We kill her and we're no better than Iniuria," Fenshire pointed out. "If we capture her, maybe we can help her. We can run some tests on the chip, find out how it works--"

"Oh, how very Zion," Vaala said, her temper getting the best of her. "Because us using someone as a lab rat is so much different than the Machines doing it. And what makes you think Ma--Gray is going to let her be captured without just shutting down the chip - and Thorne with it?"

"Who?" Bindi asked, catching the slip.

Vaala ignored the question as Deff glanced at her. Instead, she chose to continue to push the point: "I mean, if the chip controls everything, down to vital functions, it is possible they'd do that. At least with Thorne dead, we have time to study it and figure out how to remove Bindi's without doing any damage."

"And since the chip controls her, she's not in control of her actions," Fenshire pressed. "She needs help, she doesn't need to be killed."

"Oh, please," Vaala said, her temper flaring even more. "You really think Ma--Gray is going to allow that?" F***! I really need to learn to control my temper, she thought as she saw Fenshire's eyes narrow at the slip.

"Why do you keep calling him 'MaGray'?" Fenshire asked.

She shook her head. "Just a slip. I meant Mr. Gray," she answered, trying not to look at Fen or Bindi.

"No, you were about to say a name," Bindi said. "What was it?"

D*** my mouth getting ahead of my brain! I really need to learn to just shut up when I'm pissed. "It was...nothing," she shrugged as she stood. "I really need to get back to my training..."

"Sit down, Vaala." Bindi's tone of voice was clear: it was not a request.

As Vaala reluctantly made her way back to the bench, Bindi asked again: "What name were you about to say?"

Vaala shook her head. "Nothing...uh, no one. Just...never mind."

Deffdog looked at her. "Vaala, do we really need to have this discussion again about you lying to us?"

"The name, Vaala," Bindi said again. "I've been very forthcoming about my past to you, and I expect the same courtesy."

"No. It's just a suspicion and I have no proof, so it's not even worth it." This was not a conversation she wanted to be having because she knew that if she did, her one chance to get at Thorne would disappear instantly.

"Then give us the name so your family can help you get the proof," Fenshire told her.

"Family?" Vaala said as she jumped to her feet. "As I recall, my family is dead," she said, looking directly at Bindi. She half-regretted the statement as soon as she said it. It had been vicious and unnecessary, really, but if it derailed this particular conversation, then it would have at least accomplished something other than spite. Still, she couldn't quite get used to the idea of "family" right now, especially with everyone watching her so closely that it was stifling, and the fact that she'd heard the same lecture so many times in one week from so many different people was really starting to wear on her nerves.

"As is mine," Bindi replied evenly, unfazed by the outburst. "Now - the name, please."

"Fine. You want a name? Marks. I think Thorne's "Gray" is Marks. There's something in the code that just...doesn't look right."

"Thank you," Bindi said. "Get that code to Wheeler and maybe he can help you with it."

Oh yeah, because Wheeler's my biggest fan... "Fine. Can I get back to training now?"

RedBindi nodded. "And Vaala...we'll discuss this more later, after you've gotten that temper of yours under control."

Oh great. Another 'discussion.' "Understood," she nodded curtly just as the phone in the hardline rang and mercifully delivered her from the grilling. She figured she'd go find some more of the Merv's "Puppies" to play with - right now, she needed a good fight.

--Vaala, RedBindi, Fenshire, QuiDormit, Deffdog, Farplane

“Thorne is to be captured, not killed.” Fen's order replayed itself over and over in her mind until Vaala finally, in a fit of rage and frustration, threw the cup in her hand across the room, where it struck the wall and landed on the grating with the clatter of metal on metal. Thorne is a threat that needs to be eliminated, not treated like some kind of goddamned innocent victim who only needs a little help to see reason. There is no reasoning with her; she's more machine than human...and one day, she's going to prove that in a way none of you expects – a way that'll make you all wish you'd listened to me in the first place.

She was glad Bindi had directed her question about killing Lamont at Deff instead of at her. Had Bindi asked her the same question, "...you'd have killed me for being a threat as Lamont?" her answer would have been, unequivocally, yes. Without hesitation. As Lamont, the woman had been a threat to Zion and to all humanity – a threat that Cameryn Thorne had the same potential to pose, with the proper training – and Vaala, had she been free of her dependency on the System then, as she was now, would have done whatever was necessary to eliminate that threat. But, she decided, that was not something the RedBindi needed to know – ever.

Maybe Deff was right, she thought. Maybe their judgment is clouded. Still, RedBindi was the Commander, so she really had no choice but to follow her orders, especially given the amount of trust Bindi was willing to extend to her at this point. She still felt like her “escort” here in New Zion was less for her protection than to keep her under constant surveillance, but Bindi had allowed her to travel freely...so long as Wheeler accompanied her everywhere she went. It was, however, infinitely better than being locked in a cell, so she'd take what she could get.

Her days were spent with various personnel who were trying to disable the tracer Bindi had found during the scan. No one seemed to have any solutions, despite countless hours of scans and analyses that would have tested the patience of even the Oracle. Frankly, she was sick of scans, analyses, tests, being poked and prodded by anyone and everyone with an idea on the matter, but she submitted anyway – not that she had much choice. The idea that no one in the city could figure it out bothered her. Here she was, sitting in New Zion like an oversized lab rat, while Thorne and her people were probably out there tracking exactly where she was – which, in her opinion, put the whole city in jeopardy. Her nights were spent thinking, planning, discarding ideas and creating new ones, as she pondered how in the hell she was going to capture Thorne with a two-minute window of opportunity.

Fortunately, Fen didn't say Thorne had to be conscious – or even unharmed, she thought with a small smile. She'd follow her orders...but there was nothing at all saying how she had to go about doing so. She folded her arms behind her head as she stretched out on the bunk and stared at the ceiling. She wouldn't sleep – she rarely did without the help of a small dose of the sedative she'd “borrowed” from the Diluculo's medbay, but she'd try to at least relax, just a little bit, just for one night. Maybe one day soon, she'd really relax and maybe even sleep again – but that day was not today.

From around the corner down a path, Cameryn listens intently, watching for any sign of other Zion workers.

“Wheeler, did you hear that?” the Lieutenant’s voice came muffled though the nearby closed door.

"No..."

"You sure? I thought I heard something...eh, maybe I just need some rest."

"I'll go take a look, just in case. Stay here... alright."

"Uh, yeah.”

The door creaks open and Wheeler sticks his head out, peering out down the path. Cameryn hovers her hand over her baton, her eyes darting back and forth, nimbly moving through the shadows, edging closer to the corner of the path out of sight. Wheeler looks back and forth down the path, closes the door behind him, and then heads down the path where he thinks he hears a noise, energy rifle at the ready. Hearing his movement, Cameryn allows him to take a few more steps; the moment she sees him she cracks her baton against the back of his skull with expert force. She immediately takes a few steps back into the shadow. Wheeler crumples to the ground without a word, the rifle clattering down beside him.

Cameryn inspects his body, making sure he is out cold. Satisfied, she picks up his rifle, approaches the room and opens the door from the side, peeking inside. She hears Vaala’s voice from the inside. "Wheeler?"

You assume too much. Cameryn looks inside fully. "You really ought to hone those 'instincts', Lieutenant."

Vaala looks extremely surprised to see her superior. "What the hell are you doing here? Trying to get me killed?"

"On the contrary, operative.... I am extracting you from New Zion. You and I are to return to the Communication Tower." Cameryn steps inside facing the door, keeping an eye out for anyone walking by. She cradles the gun, ready to fire if necessary. "Gather your belongings. We are leaving. NOW."

Vaala gives her a rather incredulous look. "...Extracting? Are you insane? We'll be dead before we even get to the ship! Wait...you do have a ship, right?"

You severely underestimate me, Lieutenant. This may not have been my idea, but still… Cameryn gave her a slight smirk, as if she suddenly had acquired a sense of humour. "How do you think I got in to begin with?" She peeks out around the corner, seeing that Wheeler was still out cold. "Come, we only have a few minutes to get back to my craft." She steps outside, maintaining a veneer of calmness as to not attract attention.

"...What about my operator? He's out there right now, checking the corridor. If I try to leave here, he's going to call in the whole city."

Cameryn sighs with exasperation. She tugs on Vaala's shirt and pulls her around the corridor's corner so she can see Wheeler's unconscious body. "You see why we only have a few minutes?"

"Uh...yeah." Vaala seems to be at a loss for words, but she returns to the room to grab a few of her supplies. “Let’s go.”

Cameryn pulls her a little more, urging her to move faster. She speaks in a hushed tone. "This way, through the corridors. Move quickly, but do not attract attention." Cameryn guides her through the maze of tunnels leading to the docks.

Good Lord, Gray… send me into the wolf’s den. You are just f***ing brilliant.

Up ahead, near the dead drop entrance, a hovercraft was powering up. A catwalk runs along the side of the wall nearest the craft, where Cameryn points. "We will take that path; it is out of the way and closest to my ship."

Vaala nods. "How the hell did you get in here, anyway?"

"I will explain once we are on the ship. We must hurry." Without slowing her pace, Cameryn leads her through the catwalk, a few people running by too preoccupied with their own tasks to notice them. The release door to the craft is closed; Cameryn punches a button near the door and whispers. "Agent Thorne reporting, I have the Lieutenant, please open the door." Not a moment later the hatch releases and before it opens completely, Thorne jumps onto the door, making her way inside. "Please hurry, Ms. Redwinter." Vaala ducks inside with her and looks at Thorne rather expectantly.

Cameryn motions for the large man near the hatch to close the door, which he closes promptly. She holds onto a pipe welded to the low ceiling above her. Picking up a communication transmitter, she presses the button and speaks into it. "Alright, Ryla. Are we clear for the pickup?"

A low female voice answered. "Roger, Agent. 90 seconds to the lift."

"And what of Command? The release papers were sufficient?"

"Yes, Agent. We still are clean with them, we'll be out in no time."

"Excellent." Cameryn turns her attention to Vaala. "Ms. Redwinter... if you value your equilibrium, I suggest you hold on to something. This will not be the smoothest ascent."

Vaala raises her eyebrows, but grabs onto another pipe. "Okay, we're on the ship, Agent. Just what do you think you are doing? When RedBindi finds out..."

Cameryn interrupts her. "When Ms. Lamont finds out we will be quite a distance away."

"If you say so..." Vaala mutters.

The craft is soon attached to the pulley system in the dead drop, and it slowly begins it's ascent through the hole. Cameryn suddenly remembers. "To answer your question, Lieutenant… the crew you see before you was commissioned by Agent Gray. They are recently disaffected Zion, but they are still registered operatives for the time being. They still maintain the proper clearance to enter New Zion... however that will change soon enough."

"I see..."

"The fact that a 'Zion operative' turned up missing, an unconscious operator, and a craft exiting soon after... Zion is not stupid, they will figure it out."

"This wasn't quite what I expected when you said you'd ensure my safety. And who do you think they're going to send? You and I both know Red--er, Lamont--will stand on someone's head until they send her, if she doesn't just come after us regardless of orders."

Come now, I sent you in so you would understand these people. "Even if she were to come after you, she would make that decision in haste. You know that as well as I do. She would be severely outnumbered, no matter her course of action."

The craft continues it's ascent up the three-mile hole, the main hold of the craft is strikingly silent and cold. After what seemed like hours, Vaala speaks again. "So, what now?"

"We head for the Communication Tower, and prepare for the attack. That is what you requested, is it not?"

"Well, yes...I guess I just didn't expect you to actually follow through."

You poor thing. You still haven’t learned to rely on your superiors. Cameryn smirked emotionlessly. "You seem to forget I am not like other humans."

In a rather sarcastic tone, Vaala responds, "Oh, believe me, I don't forget that."

Cameryn merely nods, her green eyes glowing almost as much as in the simulation.

"We're almost out," Ryla's voice chatters over the comm device.

Cameryn clicks the button. "Aye, Ryla. Make haste to the Communication tower in Sector 15. Do not delay."

"Yes, Agent."

Vaala looks around for a minute. "Nice ship."

"One of the newer Zion models I'm told. But we installed a few ... upgrades."

"Upgrades?" Vaala questions.

"How many ships move this fast? That and she has advanced tracking capabilities..."

"Tracking? What kind of tracking?" The inquiry seems rushed.

Cameryn restrains a smile. "I will debrief you soon enough."

"Anything else 'special' this crate can do?"

Always with the smart remarks.

The comm beeped again. "Breaching the exit in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." The ship lurched to its side as the final tugs of the cables pulled it up through the Zew Zion entrance. Finally a distance away from the hole, the ship hummed with power and started up, immediately taking off to the northwest.

Cameryn finally answers her. "This craft is designed for speed mostly. The hoverpads are able to carry extra charge, making it possible for a 'speed boost' of sorts."

"Very nice." Vaala nods and smiles.

"We should reach the Tower within approximately three hours. I suggest you get some rest... we have much planning to do. They could launch the attack any day now."

"Right." Vaala steps away, and then suddenly turns back. "This thing got a name, or should I just call it 'the ship'?"

Cameryn sighs, not interested in continuing the conversation. "She is called the Infinity."

"Infinity... good to know. Good night, I guess..."

"Good night, Ms. Redwinter." Cameryn, her footing now stable, makes her way to the cockpit to join Ryla.

--Cameryn

“Man am I glad to see you,” the swing shift engineer told his replacement. “Double shift, and it seems like every ship in New Zion needs repairs.”

“I hear ya there. Go on, get some rest. They'll still be here tomorrow.”

“That they will. Have a good one. See you tomorrow.”

“Same place, same time, same everything...”

The engineer chuckled softly on his way out. On his way to his quarters, he noticed something laying on the walkway. “Man, doesn't anyone ever clean up after themselves around here?” he muttered, moving closer to retrieve the item and get it out of the walkway. As he approached, he noticed that it wasn't a what he was looking at, it was a who. The engineer quickened his pace until he reached the unconscious man. “Hey! Buddy,” he said, shaking the man awake. “You alright, man?” he asked, looking around to see if anyone was around to give him a hand. Seeing no one, he continued trying to revive the man on the ground in front of him. “Hey,” he said as he reached down to turn the man's head towards him. Feeling wetness, the engineer pulled his hand away. “What the hell?” He nearly panicked when he saw the crimson stain on his hand. “Hey!” he shouted, “I need a doctor here!”

Finally, the man began to stir. Startled, the engineer leaned back down to assist the man if he could help. “Buddy...you all right?”

Sitting up, Wheeler winced in pain as he put his hand to his bleeding head. “Where...?” he said, looking at the engineer, “F***...help me up.” The engineer stood there, looking astounded. Wheeler looked at him and gritted his teeth. “Help. Me. Up.” A little scared by the determination in Wheeler's voice, the engineer did as he was told and put Wheeler's arm around him. Standing up, he took most of Wheeler's weight on his shoulders. “There...” Wheeler said, pointing towards the room he and Vaala had been in. “Take me there.” Wheeler, fighting to remain conscious, slowly made his way to the room with the engineer's assistance. He opened the door and noticed Vaala wasn't there – the room had been cleaned out...except for a ring and a picture.

“F***! Comm...need...comm,” he said, leaning in the doorway.

The engineer shook his head. “Buddy, what you need is a doc.”

Wheeler turned around and grabbed the engineer by his shirt, his grasp leaving a bloody stain on the man's chest. “Either find me a comm...or..get the hell...outta...my way,” he grunted.

“Alright! Alright!” the engineer said, knowing that he wouldn't change the bigger man's mind. “This way.” He managed to half carry, half drag Wheeler to the closest comm unit, drawing the attention of several people along the way. Once there, Wheeler lurched forward and held himself up against the comm station.

“Wheeler to...Diluculo," he said, obviously having trouble getting the words out through his pain, “Bindi...Val's gone. Something happened....dunno what. She left her ring and pic. Contact again with more info later...” Having delivered his message, Wheeler slumped to the ground again, oblivious to everything around him.

Within a few moments, armed guards arrived to investigate the commotion. The guards' captain recognized Wheeler instantly as the Titan's operator and was silently grateful that RedBindi was safely away from New Zion when whatever had just happened went down. “Pick him up and get him to the nearest medical facility – and do not leave his side,” he ordered as his men nodded to acknowledge the order and picked Wheeler up between them very carefully.

The captain turned towards the engineer and took his statement before finally releasing him. The engineer didn't know who the guy he'd just picked up off the floor was, but whoever he was, he must have been pretty damned important, judging by the guards' response. As he walked back to his own quarters, he chuckled again, remembering what his relief had said to him on his way out. “Well, maybe not the same everything...” he said quietly as he reached his quarters.

Vaala, RedBindi

She'd paid close attention as she'd gone to 'her' cabin, and the Infinity was pretty much just like any other hovercraft. The quarters were cramped, her boots made the same noise on the metal grating, the creaks and groans as the ship moved towards its destination were pretty much the same...the only difference between the Infinity and the other hovercrafts she'd been on was that on the Infinity, there was a Machine Agent and an entire crew who would gladly kill her were it not for the information they thought she had provided – and would provide – them.

She had no doubts or misgivings about that: the instant Thorne learned that her 're-education' at Iniuria's hands had been just one of many lies, she would be dead. And with an entire crew at her disposal, Cameryn Thorne had just graduated from the ranks of 'pain in the a**' to the level of an incredibly dangerous adversary. She only hoped that when Wheeler came to – if he comes to, she thought, recalling the sight of the Titan operator's blood all over the corridor – he would see what she had so carefully and deliberately left behind and understand that this had not been her choice.

Vaala stretched out on the bunk. She knew it would be just another long night doing little more than lying still and pretending to sleep, but this time, even lying still was a chore she couldn't be bothered to manage. If Thorne was watching – and she was certain the b*tchy little toaster was – she'd make something up later about being nervous that RedBindi would follow. It was clear the Trust Commander made Thorne nervous, so it should be easy for Thorne to believe the same was true of Vaala.

Bindi was right, she thought. I should have waited. Now I'm in a worse position than I was before. As she considered her situation – and the safest way to extricate herself from it – a memory surfaced. She'd been in New Zion for just over a day when RedBindi's former first mate had knocked on her door and asked Wheeler to give them a few minutes alone. The request had made her a little nervous – she'd heard a few stories about Lovable and how it was best to avoid her when she was pissed, but Vaala had known that, given her situation, she'd had very little choice other than to sit there and see what the woman had to say.

She'd been more than a little surprised to find that Lovable hadn't been angry at all. “I'm not in the business of pointing fingers,” she'd said. “It's human nature to make mistakes. Some are bigger than others, but if we were perfect, unflawed...well then we would be soulless machines, wouldn't we? What I mean is... nobody does everything just right. That's just how life is. If it were static and perfect, it wouldn't be much of a life. Mistakes are part of that - what separates us is how we handle those mistakes.” She recalled the diminutive officer's face shadowing over with dark emotions as she'd continued: “...I understand wanting to do everything alone. But sometimes you can't. Sometimes a person needs to break down and finally ask for help, because sometimes you can't escape on your own..."

Suddenly, Vaala sat up. That's it! she thought. She's right, Bindi and Fen were right...the only way out of this mess is to let them help. But...Marks... She tossed the thought aside. RedBindi and Fenshire could probably handle just about anything that came their way – they'd been doing it for some time now anyway, she reasoned. She knew that Bindi and Fen were at or near Haven. They'd taken the Diluculo and gone off alone for a much-needed vacation to spend Christmas together. Given the Diluculo's capabilities, that should be in range of the Comm Station. I can probably get a message out...

Vaala took a quick mental inventory of what she knew: the ship she was on was called the Infinity, it had some upgrades, but nothing near the kind of upgrades on the Diluculo, she knew there were at least two or three crewmen aboard besides Thorne and that they were or had been Zion operatives...Ryla, she thought she remembered Thorne calling one of them. Hopefully, that information, along with the fact that she'd left her ring and her brother's picture behind, would be enough to convince them that what had happened to Wheeler hadn't been her doing. If not...well, she was sure they'd come anyway, she mused with a wry smile as she considered how to get the message out. It would have to wait until they were at the comm station – there was no way she would be able to get near any comm equipment aboard this ship.

After several long minutes, she lay back down. She wouldn't sleep, she knew, but she could force her body to rest. Yet another thing RedBindi was right about, she told herself. I'm definitely going to need it.

Lovable, Vaala

~~~TEN DAYS EARLIER~~~

With RedBindi and Fenshire both jacked in, Vaala took the opportunity to grab a quiet meal in the mess hall. She wasn't especially hungry, but she knew that she had to eat, and she also knew that if RedBindi thought she wasn't eating, she'd definitely hear about it at some point. As she stared into the bowl of goop, she sighed heavily, thinking about the mess she'd gotten herself into. Deciding she'd rather deal with Bindi than choke down the cold “food” in front of her, she pushed the bowl away and stared into space, lost in her own thoughts.

A small knock came from just outside the hall as a barely familiar face came from around the corner. "Hey..." Maeby said. They had never met outside of the matrix before. And there was always that second of pause it seemed, seeing someone in the flesh for the first time. The woman stepped into the hallway a little, hands in her pockets. "Mind if I sit down?"

Vaala shrugged. "Go ahead," she told the doctor indifferently. She remembered Maeby's reaction when she'd told the truth, and watched her warily, wondering what it was that she wanted now.

Maeby first went to the counter and poured herself a bowl of goop. "Figured you could stand to look at someone besides the honeymooners and the smartmouth operator." Looking back over her shoulder at Vaala she smiled just slightly and crossed the room to join her.

"Yeah." She watched Maeby carefully, trying not to let the other woman see that she was a little apprehensive about her presence. "It does kinda get old, seeing the same people all the time, but I guess that's the price you pay, right?"

The doctor gave the girl a long hard look before she turned her gaze to her goop in all seriousness. "I imagine you feel a sort of right to righteous anger, being confined to your quarters like this and having people fret over you so much."

Vaala sighed wearily. "No, not really. I screwed up - badly. If having a constant babysitter makes everyone feel better - safer - then I guess it's just something I'll have to live with until I prove myself. If I could go back and do it over, I would, but I made bad choices. Now I have to live with it, you know?"

The doctor gave a knowing smile and there was little pleasant about it. "But it's still a b*tch."

Vaala returned the smile weakly. "Yeah, it is," she shrugged. "Bindi says it's for my protection, but..." she let the thought trail off. Maeby was RedBindi's crewman on the Titan, so she was not quite sure about discussing her own thoughts about whose protection all this was really for with the young doctor.

"Yeah..." Maeby took a spoonful of goop and brought it to her lips. Taking time to swallow the dreadful stuff, she pointed her spoon in Vaala's general direction and started again, "On that note...there are rumors."

"Rumors?" It was more a statement than a question. Vaala narrowed her eyes a bit as she looked Maeby in the eyes and asked, "What kinds of rumors?"

The doctor tried to read the girl's reaction for a second. With her eyebrows knit together and a look of concern on her face, she stated her opinion in the most direct terms possible. "Bindi can't go with you if you go after Thorne."

"I know that. I've tried telling her that - more than once, even. But she won't listen. Neither will Fen," she said, her frustration readily apparent in both her expression and her tone of voice. "What do you expect me to do? It's not like anyone can change her mind once she's made a decision." Looking at the floor, she added, "The woman is so goddamned stubborn she makes a mule seem agreeable."

Maeby paused a second and looked back over her shoulder. Lowering her voice only slightly, she looked back to Vaala with a pointed look. "I'm not asking you to change her mind..."

Vaala looked at the doctor, trying to decide if she was baiting her or not. Noting the serious expression in Maeby's eyes, she nodded. She thought she knew what the other woman was getting at. She listened closely for a moment as her gaze went past Maeby into the corridor. Satisfied that neither Fen nor Bindi was close enough to hear, she lowered her voice and clarified: "You're saying I should--" She opted not to finish the thought, deciding Maeby was smart enough to finish it on her own.

The doctor shook her head a second, "I'm not in full support of whatever it is you plan to do." The girl thought a second before she turned back to her, "Mostly because I suspect the plan part of whatever it is you intend to do to be lacking. But I know this. She can't be a part of it." The girl sat up a little straighter and looked around the mess hall, collecting another spoonful of goop. "By any means..."

Vaala bristled slightly at the blunt assessment. Still, she agreed with Maeby regarding Bindi. She was willing to do whatever it took to get rid of Thorne, but she wasn't willing to put anyone else in danger. Yet again, though, her temper began to get the better of her and anger flashed in her eyes as she retorted, "and how the hell would you know what it is I plan to do?"

Maeby simply smiled a little and raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you plan to do. Do you?"

"I, uh...I have some ideas. The Commander shot them all down because," she dropped her eyes and mumbled something that sounded like "because she doesn't trust me." She brought her gaze back up to Maeby's. "But, yeah, I know I can handle Thorne a hell of a lot better if she'd let me go alone than I'll be able to with her there."

Maeby seemed unconvinced but she gave a solemn nod. "And we circle back to the point that we both agree on. She stirred her goop with her spoon and said in a tone completely different from the one she had been using earlier, "Well I should get back to our handful of coppertops. I'll be seeing you later."

"Yeah." Vaala paused for a second and looked back at Maeby. "Uh, Maeby?"

Maeby stopped for a second, empty bowl in hand and looked back, "Yeah?"

Vaala hesitated, unsure if she really wanted to ask the question, lest she get another brutally honest assessment from the doctor. "You agree with her...Bindi...don't you? That I shouldn't be trusted and that I can't - or won't - get this done?"

Maeby dropped her bowl in the sink as her eyes seemed to study the small countertop. Looking back to Vaala, she delivered her verdict, "Strictly speaking, nobody can be trusted. But we have to give people chances..."

"Have to?" Vaala raised her eyebrows. She got the feeling that the other woman's words meant much more than she was saying. "And you didn't answer my question..."

Maeby sighed impatiently and brought a hand up to rub her temple, "I trust you to do whatever strikes you as the right thing... Sleep well, Vaala." And with a quick turn of the corner, the medic was gone.

Vaala put her own bowl in the sink, thinking about what Maeby had just said. 'Whatever strikes you as the right thing...' she thought, a little angrily. She couldn't blame anyone for their doubts, but it still troubled her that no one seemed to believe that to her, the right thing to do was to stop everyone else - anyone else - from getting hurt. She made her way back to her cabin after checking on Fen and Bindi, who were still jacked in, and closed the door quietly behind her. Laying on her bunk, she stared at the ceiling and closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to accomplish the task ahead of her without getting anyone else hurt in the process.



~~~ABOARD THE INFINITY~~~

Even rest was elusive for Vaala right now. Her thoughts wandered back to the conversation she'd had with Maeby about a week and a half ago, and she remembered the young doctor's strong opinion regarding RedBind's involvement in all this. She is gonna kill me when we get back, she thought to herself. I told her I was going to keep Bindi out of it, and here I am, planning on dragging her right into the middle of everything...leading her right back to that bastard Marks, probably.

Giving up even on trying to rest, she sat up. I really wish there was another way, Maeby... The thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Hey...Lieutenant,” a woman's voice said from the other side of the door. “Agent Thorne said to tell you to meet her at the ramp. We're landing.”

“Understood,” Vaala acknowledged as she opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. I guess this is it, she thought. I just hope like hell I'm doing the right thing...

Maeby, Vaala

RedBindi initiated the automatic jack out sequence and opened her eyes to the operations room of the Diluculo. Fenshire was in his chair beside her, still jacked in. She was still worried about Wheeler... it just wasn't like him to be out of contact for this long. Sitting up she noticed the red communications light blinking, indicating a message had been received and stored for viewing while she'd been jacked in.

Standing to her feet she stretched and walked over to the auxilliary comm center located near the rows of monitors her operator would normally be watching and hit the play back button. To her surprise, Wheeler's voice greeted her. “Bindi...Val's gone. Something happened....dunno what. She left her ring and pic. Contact again with more info later...” The pain in his voice was obvious, as was the thump of a large body hitting the ground just prior to the transmission cutting out.

"Christ..." Quickly she pulled up the time stamp on the message. "D*mn... three hours ago..." As she sat in the Operator's chair she grabbed the headset and slammed it on her head, opening the connection to a still jacked in Fenshire. "Fen... something's happened to Val and Wheeler."

Fenshire was in an office building, his foot cocked up and pressed against a lupine's chest, holding the exile against a wall. "One moment, Fluffy. I've got a call." With one hand pointing his H&K MP5 at the lupine's head, Fenshire pulled out his cellphone and listened to his wife on the other end.

"What happened...?"

"We got this about three hours ago." Hitting the playback button once again she replayed the message from Wheeler. "Nothing since."

"Sh*t... okay, get me an exit."

Fenshire sighed, and turned back to the lupine. "We'll have to continue this later."

The lupine snarled and growled at the Zion captain, then fell limp as Fenshire unloaded a 9mm round into it's face. Fenshire backed up, letting the lupine hit the ground.

"Or not."

"Head outside and go North two blocks, you should see a phone booth. I've got it prepped and ready for you."

One motorcycle ride, a surprise lupine attack, and two cigars later, Fenshire made it to the phone booth. He picked up the ringing phone, and within a few moments, woke up in the operations deck of the Diluculo.

As soon as he opened his eyes Redbindi reached behind him and removed his jack. "I'm going to contact Lovable and see if she can find out what's going on. Can you start us back to New Zion while I do that?"

"Absolutely." Fenshire ran full speed to the cockpit. He was barely strapped in when the ship already started to pick up off the ground.

RedBindi reached down and flipped a switch opening the relay to the Trust frequency. "Hovercraft Diluculo to Hovercraft Izanami. Please respond."

Lovable was keying into her tracking program when she suddenly heard RedBindi's voice over the intercom. Daven was sitting in her comm station; sensing the urgency in Bindi's voice she practically shoved the much taller operator out of the way. "Izanami responding. What's going on, Bindi?"

"Three hours ago we received a message from Wheeler, it's obvious he was in pain and he was reporting that Val's gone. He said he would contact us later with more info, but we haven't heard a word since."

Lovable sighed in worry. "Sh*t..." She yelled across the broadcast deck. "Daven! Have we heard anything from Control yet on Wheeler?"

"Yeah, apparently he's at the med center, he's recovering from a head injury."

Lovable arched her eyebrow. "What?! When did you find this out?"

"About 20 minutes ago."

"And you're telling me this NOW?!"

Lovable's voice was laced with anger. "Bindi, you're going to need to stop me from killing this man later." Taking a breath she continued. "I guess that's all I know. But wait... you said that message was 3 hours ago?"

RedBindi sighed. "Yeah... it came in while Fen and I were both jacked in, so it was stored until I jacked out and played it." Flipping over to the ships comm she relayed the information to Fenshire. "Fen, Wheeler's in the med center recovering from a head injury."

"What? A head injury?" Fenshire had to practically yell over the sound of the engines as he piloted the small hovercraft through the many tunnels of the Real. "What about Vaala?"

"I don't know. I'm talking to Lovable now." Switching back to the Trust frequency she spoke to Lovable again. "Any word on Val?"

Something clicked with Lovable. "I haven't heard anything on Val. But, um, that's really strange because... about three and a half, maybe four hours ago a ship was pulled up through the dead drop... crew seemed to be moving around in a hurry. Think it's connected?"

"Hm... could be. Can you contact Command and get the name and transponder of that ship?"

"Roger, give me a moment." She flipped to a second comm relay and opened the channel. "Command, this is Lovable of the Izanami. I need to get a transponder and identity of the ship that was pulled through about four hours ago. RedBindi is requesting this information immediately, we think it had to do with what happened to Wheeler."

A female voice answered. "Yes, one moment." She heard a couple keys tap, and shortly afterward she spoke again. "Lov, the name of the ship is the 'Infinity," and I'm forwarding you the transponder data."

"Infinity, eh..." RedBindi shook her head. "They could be anywhere with a four hour headstart. I'll have Fen do a radar sweep of our area and see if we get lucky." Reaching down she flipped over to the ships comm again. "Fen, do a radar sweep and see if you pick up any other ships in the area. A ship called Infinity left New Zion in a hurry about four hours ago."

"You got it." Fenshire, continuing to concentrate on piloting the ship, switched on the radar with one hand. "It'll take a sec for it to initialize. Any word on Val, though? God... I hope she didn't do this to Wheeler..."

"Thank you, Lov out." She closed the channel and soon noticed the transponder data displayed on her comm screen. She reviewed it briefly and downloaded a copy to her own system. She got back on the Diluculo's channel. "Bindi, I'm sending you the transponder data right now. I'll see what I can do on tracking it down."

"No... no word on Val. Wheeler said she left her ring and picture... I think he was trying to say she may not have gone willingly. She wouldn't have left those behind otherwise."

"True..."

RedBindi switched back to the Trust frequency to answer Lovable. "Alright, we'll be waiting for it. Thanks."

--RedBindi, Fenshire, Lovable

Cameryn and Vaala were monitoring the relays coming in and out of the station. Cameryn, though she didn't display her thoughts and feelings, seemed unusually dispersed. "Lieutenant, please check the other monitoring stations, ensure the other operatives are on point. We cannot afford any mistakes at this crucial junction."

Vaala raised her eyebrows. "Uh..." she said, looking around, "which way? I haven't had time to familiarize myself with this installation yet, Agent."

Cameryn pointed down the set of stairs to their left. "Down that direction one level, first door on your right. The monitoring stations will be in there."

Vaala followed the directions. Once inside the room, she closed the door and looked back over her shoulder to make sure Thorne hadn't followed. She checked their progress and then headed to the comm unit, making some excuse about checking to ensure that they hadn't been followed to the comm tower. Once she was certain that all the Machinists were busy with their duties, she put on the headset. Man, I hope they get this, she thought as she began trying to send a message out to Fen and Bindi on the Diluculo's comm frequency.

She's taking too long... Cameryn let out a sigh and made her way down to the monitoring station, approaching the door. She knocked to alert the workers inside to her presence then opened the door, seeing Vaala at one of the stations.

Vaala ripped the headset off and tried to put it down before Thorne entered and slowly, carefully, moved her hand from the headset to the keyboard, hoping Thorne hadn't noticed.

The Agent froze in place, eyeing the other controllers in the room, who were abruptly made aware of her entering. She looked over to Vaala, noticing her hand resting on the headset...

Thorne, her eyes burning, glared at Vaala. In a harsh voice she barked. "Ms. Redwinter, remain where you are. The rest of you out. NOW." The other handful of workers rushed their way out of the room, one of them stumbling out of his chair. Once they were out, Cameryn closed the door. "Lieutenant... you took a bit too long to just check on these men... what were you just doing?"

"Agent," Vaala nodded, keeping her tone as even as she could despite her growing dread. "I was just ensuring that no one had tried to follow us..."

Cameryn was seething; very rarely she let her emotion escape her but this plan had just gone too far off the rails of what she'd wanted. She approached quickly, her gait communicating a very real threat. "Now how do you plan on keeping your location secure..." She snatched the headset from the counter where she'd seen Vaala place it just a moment ago, her voice laced with hate. "... if you're telling them where you are..?"

"I did no such thing. I was simply...oh hell," she said as she reached out and grabbed the agent and slammed her head into the station. Guess my cover's broken now, she thought as Thorne's head started bleeding.

RedBindi sat in the seat, buckling herself in one handed, while flying at top speed through the tunnels, coaxing every last ounce of speed from the Diluculo. "Come on girl, I know you can give me more."

Fenshire got to the operator deck, then began unplugging the ecto chairs and shutting down the operator's equipment. "Sh*t... this is going to be a total hack job..." he muttered, stuffing the cables he disconnected under his arm. Moving as fast as he could, he pulled the cables towards the engine room.

RedBindi keyed the comm. "How's it coming?"

"Good..." Fenshire panted. "I've taken the operator's station and ecto chairs off-line. We won't be able to jack in, or monitor the Matrix right now."

"Whatever it takes..." RedBindi gripped the piloting controls even tighter as the Diluculo continued at breakneck pace through the tunnels.

Fenshire arrived at the engine room, setting the cables on the floor. Wiping his brow, he looked around. Along the ceiling were four hatches, another four along the floor. Grabbing one of the cables, he moved to the upper front left hatch and started climbing the ladder leading to it. "Alright... diverting power to pad one. Be careful with your left turns... I'm going to be outside..."

"What?!" RedBindi nearly lost control of the Diluculo as the shock of Fenshire's statement hit her. "Fen... are you sure about this...?"

"Yes." He shouldered open the hatch, feeling the cold air blowing in as the hovercraft sped down the line. "We need to move as fast as we can... more power to the pads will help with that."

"Dammit, Fen..." She sighed. "Just be careful..."

"Just keep the ship steady, and warn me when you have to do any dangerous maneuvers." He moved outside, one hand holding the cable, the other held tight around a handhold on the side of the hovercraft. Over the comms, Fenshire was barely audible over the sound of the rushing air.

Thorne's head bounced back from the impact, and she felt blood drip down from her forehead. She winced in pain but got up very quickly, regaining her equilibrium. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at her former Lieutenant, speaking in a newly darkened tone. "You're quite a lying tart, aren't you, Ms. Redwinter...?"

Vaala simply smiled back at Thorne as she waited for the inevitable attack. "That all depends on who you're talking to...Agent."

For the first time since Cameryn began working with Vaala, her face crunched in growing hate and anger. "You've misplaced your alliance, you backstabber..." Within a second's time. Cameryn leapt through the air at Vaala, pinning her against the console and slamming the Zionite's head into the surface.

Vaala saw stars as her head hit the console. She shook it off as best she could and focused on putting a little distance between her and Thorne. As she finally broke free of the Machinist's grip, she started to feel a bit woozy. Forcing herself to hold on, she looked at Thorne, her expression equally hateful. "Backstabber? Maybe you should ask your friend 'Gray' about that..."

Thorne kept her footing as Vaala shoved her off; regaining her stance she grabbed Vaala by the collar of her shirt and hoisted her a few inches into the air. "Gray would have you terminated for your insubordination and deceitfulness." She coiled back her fist and sent it flying dead in the center of Vaala's face.

Well, this is a little unexpected, Vaala thought as she hung a few inches above the floor. She flew backwards a few feet as Thorne's fist connected. Picking herself up off the floor as quickly as possible, she felt a trickle of blood run down to her lip from her nose. "You b*tch," she said and she lunged at Thorne and tackled her to the ground. "Your 'Gray' doesn't have the authority to have me terminated," she said through gritted teeth, punctuating each word with solid punches. "He's a f*cking exile, you idiot."

Thorne lurched to her side, knocking Vaala off of her. She shook her head, her mind reeling a bit from the blows. Catching her breath, she began to taste blood filling her mouth; she raised a hand to her mouth and discovered the source of the injury. She spat at Vaala, "I must've assaulted you a bit too forcefully, you appear to be suffering dementia..." she said, her green eyes glimmering with her rising emotion as she pulled herself up to her feet, wiping the blood from her mouth and forehead.

"Dementia? Really, Agent, one would think someone as...efficient as you would have discovered the truth by now." She took a second to watch Thorne, noting the way her eyes showed the emotion her face never did, enjoying this little moment of having the upper hand on the Machine. "Your 'Gray' isn't Gray at all," she laughed. "He's Marks. Why do you think your 'mission' was the Trust...and RedBindi? Are you really that ignorant?" She laughed again. "Maybe you're the one who should have been terminated long ago."

Fenshire slowly moved his way back to the hatch and swung himself back down inside the engine room. He grabbed the cable and moved it into a little niche on the side of the hatch door, enabling him to close the hatch. "Whew..." Fenshire sighed. "Okay, pad one's got more juice... moving to pad two..." He knelt down and opened up the bottom front left hatch. "This time, I'll be below the ship."

"Christ..." RedBindi took in several deep breaths and relaxed her grip on the controls. Her training for these situations taking over, she forced herself to remain calm and keep the hovercraft steady.

Feshire slowly made his way to the hoverpad, finally reaching its base. Nervously, he glanced up at the electricity blasting out of the pad and hitting the walls of the maintenance line. Fortunately, the push of the pad's repulsors helped to keep Fenshire against the hull of the ship as he connected the cable to one of the pad's power sockets.

He hooked his feet on one of the shelving units for the engine's tools, then lowered his upper body through the hatch. Again, he grabbed onto a handhold and with his other hand adn brought the cable closer to the hoverpad's base. "Well... this'll be easier." He looked up nervously to see the ground rushing past him, a mere several feet away. "Relatively."

Knowing her husband's position, RedBindi skimmed as close to the top of the tunnel as possible, giving him as much room under the ship as possible. "We're speeding up. Should be to the Comm station in no time."

After he connected the cable, he pulled himself back up into the engine room, moving the cable into it's niche, and closing the hatch. "Alright. Pad two's good to go." He grabbed another cable, and moved over to the front upper right hatch. "Going to plug up seven and eight now."

"Alright." RedBindi again compensated for the increase in power and moved the Diluculo lower in the tunnel, again giving Fenshire the room he needed to work.

After a few minutes, Fenshire announced the success of connecting pad seven. Afterwards, he made his way below the ship again, connecting up pad eight. He wiped his forehead, which even with the blasts of cold outdoor air, was drenched in sweat. He moved his way to the upper back left hatch. "Okay... working on three and four now."

"We've got a substantial boost in power. It won't be long until we reach the Station." RedBindi continued to control her emotions, knowing they were just impediments to her for now.

Just a few minutes later, Fenshire announced his success with pads three and four. "Almost finished... doing five and six now..." He moved to the upper back right hatch, opening it, and lifted himself ouside with one of the reactor's cables.

The Diluculo hurtled through the tunnels, Redbindi taking tunnels most other pilots would blanch at ever considering, all the while coming closer to her goal. "Forget about the other pads, Fen. We're approaching our destination."

He had already connected pad five, and was currently dangling through the bottom hatch, moving to hook up pod six. "Alright... I've almost got the last pod."

RedBindi checked her navigation charts, finding a small niche just perfect to hide the Diluculo in, close to her target. "Alright. Landing in two minutes. Grab a couple guns when you get done in there."

Fenshire lifted himself out of the hatch, closing it behind him. "Okay, we're good!" he shouted into the comm. He ran to one of the Diluculo's weapons' closests, pulled out two lightning rifles, and ran back to the cockpit.

Less than two minutes later, RedBindi came upon the niche she'd identified on the Navigation charts. Swinging the Diluculo around, she excuted a stop and drop maneuver that left the Diluculo on the ground facing back the way they came. "Alright, let me grab a couple bags and we'll be good to go." RedBindi said as she stood and grabbed the gun Fenshire was holding out to her before taking off down the corridors to the weapons room and grabbing her knives and a backpack. Slamming the knives into their sheaths, she placed them around her forearms and ankles before heading out at a run towards the ramp at the back of the Diluculo, Fenshire close on her heels.

Cameryn, RedBindi, Fenshire, Vaala

Thorne began to laugh for a moment; she couldn't comprehend what Vaala was talking about. She took a moment to think... Wait... that certainly would explain Gray's erratic behavior... no, it's not possible.. Her eyes squinted closer together, staring Vaala dead in the eyes. In a flash, she reached down and removed a knife from the sheath attached to her boot and flung it square at Vaala's calf.

"Gnnh!" Vaala grunted in pain. Where the hell did that come from?! she wondered. Seeing she was definitely outclassed, not to mention unarmed, she backed towards the door. I need to get out of here...Fen and Bindi will be here any second. I can hop on the ship, get away, and deal with this b*tch later. Reaching the door, she carefully moved her hand behind her back until it rested on the doorknob. "I see you have doubts. Maybe you should check the code signature for yourself..." She opened the door and tried to duck through it before Thorne pulled another knife. Rushing through the door quickly, Vaala closed it behind her. She ran down a corridor towards the nearest exit, only stopping long enough to pull the knife out of her leg. This might come in handy, she thought as she looked over her shoulder and saw Thorne advancing.

Instead of running after her target, Thorne had merely observed her for a moment, then walked quickly after her. She followed Vaala to the outside ledge where the craft had initially dropped them off, noticing she was losing a considerable amount of blood. Keeping an eye on Vaala, she moved to the outside, her stance more stealthy and catlike due to her training; she mostly just observed her, knowing full well the loss of blood would slow her down.

Vaala looked up, hoping Fen and Bindi would get there soon. She was nearly overjoyed to see the glimmer of light from the ship's hoverpads as it quickly approached. D*mn, that ship is fast, she thought, trying not to grin at the thought of the Diluculo's arrival.

Thorne glared at her, disgusted with the Zionite's behavior. "It's over for you poddie. There is no escaping the price you pay for betrayal." Immediately after the statement, she let off a small chuckle.

Vaala simply smiled at the other woman. "Oh, I don't think so..." she said, knowing that RedBindi was probably on the ground and approaching the station at a dead run. She turned and looked over the ledge, judging whether or not she could safely jump. Deciding she could probably make it, even with her injured leg, Vaala leapt off the ledge, landing in a heap as her injured leg crumpled beneath her.

"You and 'Gray'...er, Marks...have a good time!" she called out from the ground. "You certainly deserve each other..."

Thorne shook her head, pegging the Zionite as ultimately stupid. She called after her, before crouching down. "Since we seem to be wrapping up business here.. there's something else I should tell you..." Cameryn leapt down after her in a springlike motion.

"No need. If it's about your mental instability, I already know you're psychotic," Vaala told her as she set off at as fast a run as she could manage.

Once off the ramp, RedBindi immediately scanned the surrounding area looking for threats in her vicinity. Seeing none she continued forward after spying Vaala leap from a ledge several hundred yards in front of her.

"Thorne, too! We need to get to them!" Fenshire pressed his legs into moving as fast as he possibly could, bringing up his lightning gun.

"I see her." RedBindi immediately changed her course, heading not for Vaala, but for the greater threat to Vaala's survival - Thorne. "Get Vaala." RedBindi sprinted forward, her long strides allowing her to cover the distance quickly and almost effortlessly, in spite of the heavy bag and energy rifle she carried.

"Alright." Fenshire moved towards Vaala's direction, but kept his gun towards Thorne's direction.

Thorne landed perfectly in a roll, and without losing her momentum she sprinted after Vaala and finally grabbed her shirt from behind, yanking her backward. "You really need to hear this," she said, almost gleefully.

Vaala stumbled a bit as Thorne pulled - hard - on her shirt. Swinging around to fact Thorne, she struck out at the Agent, knife in hand, aiming for her chest.

Thorne noticed from the corner of her eye the rapidly approaching RedBindi and Fenshire, and almost laughed out loud to herself. She saw that Vaala's arm was poised, ready for a strike. Faster and better trained, Cameryn removed a knife hidden in a sheath in the back of her belt. Before Vaala could move any further, Cameryn plunged the second knife into Vaala's chest, deeply between the rib bones. Immediately upon impact, Cameryn made her final statement. "You never had a brother...."

Seconds later RedBindi slammed into Cameryn, realizing even then she was probably too late, while Fenshire ran to Vaala, catching her as she fell back.

Astonished at the knife that was now sticking out of her and the speed and force with which it had been put there, Vaala dropped to her knees. "Wait!" she yelled at RedBindi. Looking back at Thorne she asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Thorne!" she said a few moments later when the Machine hadn't answered, "Answer me!" She coughed and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

RedBindi grabbed Thorne, her calm demeanor gone, and forced her to her feet. "Answer her," she told the Machinist as Fenshire ripped off his sleeve, balled it up and pressed it against the wound around the knife.

Vaala pushed Fenshire away and struggled to her feet, still gripping the knife she'd pulled out of her leg. Darkness blurred the edges of her vision, but she gritted her teeth and tried to force herself to remain conscious.

"Stop moving, God dammit..." Fenshire gritted his teeth, helping to steady Vaala. "I need to keep pressure on that wound."

With a twist of her arm, Cameryn escaped RedBindi's grip and ran a few steps backward toward the open entryway door; she reached inside and pressed a button on a nearby console and retreating into the corridor, an alarm sounding off.

"D*mn," RedBindi said. Quickly drawing a knife from her sheath she threw it at the retreating woman, striking her in the side - though not quite where she'd intended. RedBindi knew the knife would cause pain and nothing more in its current location.

Thorne called out to Vaala, a smirk growing on her face. "The man Lamont killed was not your brother. You never had one... those memories were fabricated." Her smile grew wider and she headed to her right to retreat to the opposing corridor. As she ran, the knife RedBindi had thrown struck her in the side. She lurched forward, grunting in pain, but it hardly slowed her down ans she continued her run.

Again, Vaala broke free of Fenshire's grasp and started after Thorne. She stumbled forward slowly, the loss of blood weakening her with each passing second. F*ck...need...to...stay...awake, she thought. "Goddamn it...f*cking...toaster..." she said as loud as she could.

"Vaala, no!" RedBindi repositioned herself to grab onto Vaala. "Fen, we need to get her out of here. Can you carry her?"

"That's...not..." Vaala paused, trying to steady herself. "Let go!" Vaala said, struggling as hard as she could against RedBindi. "Going...to...kill..." she said as the siren continued to blare and the Comm Station hummed to life.

"Yeah. Let's go." Fenshire grabbed Vaala, picking her up gently. "No, we need to get you out of here. You're no match for her like this. You need medical attention!"

Vaala looked at Fenshire, her eyes becoming glossy as she tried - weakly - to get down. "Fen...no..." she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Thorne..."

Thorne finally made it to the communication console where they had been previously, and put on her headset. She flipped a switch and barked into the mic. "Attention all units, we have a breach in the station! Converge toward the entrance!"

RedBindi nodded to Fenshire. "I'll cover our retreat. Just get her to the ship." Without another word she dropped her gun to the ground and reached into the sack, pulling out two premade remote charges. "Go Fen." Sticking them to either side of the entranceway she began to back away, towards the Infinity, gripping her rifle as she did. Once Fenshire cleared the blast radius, RedBindi waited patiently, crouched down behind one of the Infinity's hoverpads, for the backup to arrive.

"We'll get her, don't worry. But we need to keep you alive." Fenshire started rushing back to the hovercraft. "That cloth, I need to you to press that down against your chest. Can you do that for me, Vaala?"

Vaala nodded and tried to put as much pressure as she could on her bleeding chest. "Fen...not gonna...make it. Just...get...out..." she said, resting her head against his chest.

"You're going to make it. Just focus on my voice, and keep pressing down on your chest, okay?"

Several Machine troops on foot converged near the entryway, a few passing by it as they began to inspect the premises. Thorne, still in pain, yanked the knife from her side and pressed her hand against it. "It's Lamont... apprehend her at all costs.."

Vaala heard Fen's voice, but couldn't make out the words. "Tired..." she told him as she closed her eyes.

Fenshire kept running towards the hovercraft. "Hey, don't go to sleep on me, soldier! This ain't the time to be slacking off! I need you awake. Bindi needs you to stay awake."

Vaala forced her eyes open, but couldn't seem to focus on anything. She shook her head and leaned back against Fenshire. She just wanted to sleep...

As the first troops cleared the door, RedBindi pressed the detonator button, causing the entranceway to erupt in flame and debris. Taking another several charges from her backpack she used the diversion the explosion caused to place the charges at strategic places along the hovercrafts pads. Satisified with her work, she quickly began making her way around to the Diluculo, making sure not to be seen leaving the vicinity of the other hovercraft. Fenshire grinned. "Hear that? That was Bindi nuking Thorne. You don't have to worry about her anymore."

Rocked by the explosion, Cameryn lost her footing for a moment, then threw the headset at the console, certain the squad was now dead. "F*ck!" She continued to curse as she traveled through the tower, towards a docked hovercraft on the other side.

"Keep holding onto that cloth for me. I need you to focus on that task, alright?"

"...Bindi...Maeby...be pissed"

"Maeby?" Fenshire reached the Diluculo rushing up the hovercraft's ramp and charging towards the medical bay. "Tell me why Maeby would be pissed."

Vaala tried to concentrate on keeping pressure on the cloth like Fen told her, but she could feel her strength ebbing. "...Bindi...she's...worried..." Vaala told him as her vision got darker.

Fenshire got to the medical bay, laying Vaala gently down onto one of the beds, tilting the bed up slightly to keep Vaala's chest elevated. "Keep talking to me. Why is Maeby worried about Bindi?" He rushed over to one of the cabinets, pulling out several bits of gauze and a roll of bandages.

"...need...sleep..."

"No, you can't sleep. We need you to stay awake. Keep telling me about Maeby." He pressed the gauze down onto the wound, looking over Vaala.

"Maeby..." Vaala tried to focus her thoughts, but everything was confused. "...worried...Bindi..." She laid her head back and closed her eyes. Her eyelids were getting so heavy...

"What was Maeby worried about?" Fenshire leaned over, listening to Vaala's breathing.

RedBindi appeared a short time later at the ramp of the Diluculo and charged into the ship, hitting the button to close the ramp as she continued at a dead run towards the medical bay.

Arriving at the medical bay, she threw the gun and backpack down as she entered. "Vaala..." The amount of blood covering the other woman's chest was immense, the gauze Fenshire had wrapped around her already soaking through with blood.

Fenshire's voice startled her awake again, briefly. She tried to push him away, but her strength was completely gone and her arms fell back to her sides before she'd even moved them an inch. Hearing the Commander's voice, Vaala tried to open her eyes, but couldn't. "...Bindi...sorry..."

"Hey! Open your eyes. Don't go to sleep. You need to tell me why Maeby was worried!"  He turned to see Bindi. "I don't know what else to do..."

"Vaala, stay with us..." RedBindi said as she strode over to Vaala's side.

"Get us outta here." RedBindi looked to Fenshire. "I'll do what I can, but she needs a team of doctors. Get us back to New Zion..."

Fenshire looked down at Vaala sadly. "Just stay awake... think of the party we'll have for taking out Thorne..." He nodded to Bindi, then ran to the cockpit. Moments later, they could feel the vibration of the ship, as it lifted off into the air.

"Relax, Vaala." Redbindi placed her hand over the wound, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. In her mind she already knew it was too late. They were too far from New Zion and the knife's blade had struck in a much too vital place.

"Stay with us, Val... "

As they lifted off, RedBindi reached to her side and detonated the explosives she'd placed on the Infinity. Hopefully that will keep them off our tail for a little longer, she thought.

"...can't..." her voice was barely a whisper - she couldn't get enough air. Her head rolled a little to the side as she finally lost consciousness.

Knowing even then it was a gesture in futility, RedBindi reached down and placed an oxygen mask over the young woman's face and placed a dressing over the wound to stop any other air from entering the Thoracic cavity. Her hands covered in blood, she attached Vaala to the monitor and watched as the heartbeat became slower and slower; her bloodpressure becoming lower and lower. Not yet ready to admit defeat, she grabbed a bag of normal saline and hooked an IV into the port on her right forearm. She watched helplessly as Vaala bled out - the knife had hit her heart, she didn't need any other equipment to tell her that. The fact Vaala had lasted this long was amazing, but it couldn't last and out here, in the current conditions... there was nothing more RedBindi could do except watch her die. Eventually the alarms on the monitor began going off, pulse and blood pressure were too low to support adequate perfusion. In a daze, RedBindi reached up and silenced them. She knew it wouldn't be long now.

"Vaala, I know you probably can't hear this... but you were a great addition to our family. We're all going to miss you terribly. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back alive... but you'll be honored for what you tried to do."

"We're probably about three hours out of New Zion, at the rate we're flying. Normally it would take a day." Fenshire called over the comms. "How's Vaala?"

Standing, Redbindi walked over to the comm and keyed it. "She's not going to make it, Fen." The information relayed she walked back over to Vaala and took her hands in hers, watching as the woman's life continued to ebb.

"D*mn it... Are you sure, Bindi...?"

--Cameryn, Fenshire, RedBindi, Vaala