"The fuck do you mean we're here?" Cassie asks, gesturing vaguely at the empty clearing.

"This is where Zero's map led us." I tell her. "Whoever we're looking for, they're here."

"There's nothing here! If Zero played us again we're going back and killing him."

Corax takes off from my shoulder and flies over to the bare mountain. He perches on a small ledge and stares into a smaller alcove. He returns to me a few moments later.

"Card." He asks.

I safely stored it in Cassie's book, right next to Kara's letter. I remove it and hand it to him. Corax takes it carefully in his beak and returns to the alcove, displaying the card to it.

"What's he doing?" Cassie asks, stepping out of the car. She carries Vince's rifle in her hands, just in case.

"I don't know." He seems confident though, maybe he's just following one of his feelings? That'd be quite a leap of faith if so.

A section of the bare rock slides silently into the mountain a few inches, before sliding to the side. Cassie levels her rifle the instant it starts to move, and I draw my pistol.

The door reveals a well lit metal room, big enough for a few cars to fit inside. The entirety of the back wall is a massive, heavy metal door. In front of it stands a clearly unarmed robot with a gentle smile on their face, beckoning us in.

Corax lands on my shoulder, and hands the card back to me.

"Good feeling." He reassures me.

I glance at Cassie, who still hasn't lowered her rifle. Her eyes lock onto mine without turning her head away from the robot, and I nod at her. If Corax thinks this will turn out well, it will. I slide my pistol back into its holster.

Cassie slowly lowers her rifle, but keeps it at the ready to fight if needed. She backs into the car, and I take the driver's seat. I slowly bring the car inside, and the doors behind us close.

Being sealed inside only makes Cassie more worried. She places Vince's rifle by her feet and draws her pistol, leaving it just below the windowsill. Her artificial arm wraps tightly around her knife, which she also keeps just out of sight.

"Welcome." A masculine voice comes from the body. His eyes flick between Corax, Cassie and I. "Is your friend going to shoot me if I approach?"

"AI." Corax whispers to the two of us.

"Not if you're unarmed." Cassie calls back.

"I appreciate your honesty." The man strolls casually over to my open window and leans down to be face to face. "My name is Video, G-17. And you are?"

No, no please. I'm not going to introduce myself as B-11. That's not who I am. I'm not going to be able to handle it.

"Please tell me I don't need to use the designation every time I introduce myself." I'm sure he can hear the desperation in my voice.

"Not if you don't want to, no. However, people often find it useful to know what to expect when they are talking to someone. Speaking to a biological AI and a software AI is inevitably a different experience due to the fundamental differences in how our brains work and how we think. That said, I do need to know it now. Zero's blessing got you this audience, but is not enough on its own to be let inside."

So there are more AI here? Enough that they have standard practices when talking to each other? How many are here? A hundred thoughts flood my mind, but none of that matters if I can't get inside.

"Why is it important?" There has to be some way to avoid sharing. I will not be called by that name again.

"Based on your reactions, I assume you're a Biological AI?" Video asks.

I give an unconfident nod. I'm not sure what's happening here, but if he already knows, there's no point in hiding it.

"Different generations of biological AI tend to have different fundamental abilities. For instance, the earlier generations have a much harder time hiding their emotions, whereas the later generations are less constrained by their subconscious. Of course, there are large variances depending on the individual, but where you lie on that spectrum dictates how this will continue. Plus, knowing your generation will help verify who you are if any of the AI you grew up with live here."

That confirms it. There are more AI here, free to be who they are. Fuck, we have to get in there. There's no other way. I can deal with it once.

Corax leans his body against my cheek for support.

"I'm Blue, B-11. This is Corax, a mind rip. He was never assigned any kind of designation. And this is Cassie, a human." Corax puffs his feathers when I introduce him, and Cassie clutches her knife tighter at hers.

"An interesting strategy, but now is perhaps not the best time to lie." Video's warm, welcoming voice completely disappears, replaced with something far more serious and cold.

"I'm not lying! I was born forty years ago in a lab before the end of the world!" The words rush out of me with barely any thought behind them. I just need him to understand, I'm not going to fail when we've come this far. "I spent that entire time locked underground and was only found a few months ago! I was found by Vince, if a quantum AI named Clover lives here, or if anyone knows her, she knows Cassie!" I know that's a long shot, but I have to try.

Every last ounce of Video's processing power is dedicated to me, analyzing every detail, every last twitch, and dissecting every syllable I spoke.

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"Lie to me." He says simply.

"Ok." About what though? Does it matter? "The sun exploded seven years ago."

His eyes narrow, and a look I can't decipher flashes across his face.

"You hacked into a quantum's server in Vegas, correct?"

"Yes." How did he know that?

"And you witnessed the Quantum Hivemind?" He asks the instant my answer finishes, before I get the chance to ask.

"Maybe? I saw a green, swirling mass after I gained control of the server, was that it?"

"You found yourself in the web and you had connections to a few people. Who were they?"

"Corax, Vince, Lucas, Cassie, Ivy, Silver, Jade, Sonia, Hummingbird, Trochilidae, Kara, Finn, Simon, Jared, and Mary." I rattle them off as quickly as possible. I don't have time to ask questions, I just have to say whatever I can and hope it's right.

"When was the last time you saw Jared?"

I have to wrack my mind for an answer. It was so long ago. Even after I find it, how do I word it without leading me down a spiral? Corax is with me, he can pull me back. I just have to get through this.

"Him, Kara, and Finn had an argument. He left the day before I got trapped underground." My voice wavers with a lifetime of unresolved emotions.

"Many of your connections live in Arc City. Have you ever been there?"

"Yes."

"Do you know C-1?" He puts weight behind this question instead of just throwing it at me. It feels like he knew the answer to every past question already, and this is the first real one.

"No." I answer. I don't risk asking a question of my own.

"Does he know you?" Video asks.

"I don't even know who C-1 is, so I have no idea." I'm certain that's the wrong answer, but it's the only one I can give.

Video steps back, his eyes distant before snapping back onto me. He steps towards the wall, and a hidden compartment opens, revealing a wire. It extends out of the wall as he pulls it towards me.

"You're going to be melding with E-1, the largest biological AI ever created. Do not resist her poking around your memories. She can be trusted to keep your secrets so."

"No!" The word comes out far louder than I meant to. "I don't want to live another life." I accidentally overcorrect, and my second sentence is barely audible.

"What do you mean?" Video asks, genuine confusion dominating his face, wiping away his serious mask.

"When Corax and I connect together, we live each other's entire lives. Or at least, the parts that have happened since the last time we melded."

"You didn't implement any breaks or safety measures?" His serious, intimidating voice has completely disappeared, reverting to the same voice he originally greeted us with.

"No? I didn't know that was possible." In my defense, how could I? "Other than another mind rip who attacked me, and Zero, kind of, Corax and I are the only AI the other has met. We don't actually know how any of this works."

"Huh. In that case, E-1 will guide you through it." His voice has changed again into something softer, as if he's comforting a small child. "She will ensure you're comfortable and understand what's happening before doing anything."

As much as I want to, as much as it would help, I can't ask to let Corax enter with me. If anything goes wrong, we have no chance of escaping whatever den we're walking into if we're both in there. Zero proved that. If something goes wrong, Cassie is never going to be fast enough, even if she could tell when I'm in danger. I need Corax here to pull me out, and I think he's made the revelation too. He climbs down my shirt and gets comfortable in my lap.

"Alright." I take the cord from him and lower my wrist down next to Corax. "I'll be right back." I force a smile to give to Corax and Cassie.

"You fucking better." Cassie's unhappy eyes bore into me. "If you don't, I'm coming in after you."

"I'm counting on it." My smile grows a little more genuine.

I close my eyes and plug the cord into my wrist.

My body looks normal. The two large holes where a human heart would sit still remain, still pumping out red hair with every would be heartbeat. My body feels light for some reason, as if a one ton weight I've carried all my life has been removed. I feel as though I could fly, like I could do anything. This is nice, if unexpected.

I find myself in the living room of a small cottage. Overstuffed couches with hand-knit blankets draped over the back surround a small table with a vase of flowers in the center. A firepit is softly crackling in the corner, letting its heat and light drift lazily through the room. Large windows dominate one of the walls. Trees sway, birds chirp, and a river trickles across the landscape outside. Scattered cabinets hold objects that I'm certain hold some sentimental value. Pictures cover the rest of the walls, both snapshots of time and hand painted groups of people laughing and enjoying life together.

"One moment deary!" A gentle, ancient voice drifts through an open archway into a kitchen.

An old, short plump woman shuffles through the doorway, carrying a small tray of cookies and glasses of milk. Dull fabric is pulled tightly around her, leaving only her storied face and hands remaining.

"Oh my, you look wonderful for forty!" Her sharp eyes drink me in and she sets the tray on the table. "Take a seat! Take a seat!" She waves her hand at me until I finally sit down.

This isn't at all what I expected. Despite that, I won't let myself relax. Everything could change at literally any moment. Even if she's restraining herself, she could undoubtedly kill me in an instant, just like Zero.

She slowly lowers herself into a wooden rocking chair that gently creaks with every movement.

"You're Blue, right?" She asks.

"Yes. And you're…" Do I just call her E-1? Or is that rude? I'm not going to make a bad impression at the first possible moment. Or is not knowing what to say rude? Maybe I should just call her E-1?

She laughs a gentle, twinkling laugh at my internal conflict.

"E-1 is fine deary." She reassures me. "It's grown on these old bones."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Why thank you! It's nice to meet you too. It's not every day I get to teach someone older than myself new tricks."

I'm not sure if the forty years I spend in the dark should count towards my age. I only have a few months of experience actually living, which is nothing compared to her. I don't want to instantly bring down the mood with my own problems though.

"So how does this work?" I ask. "Video said you can meld without living each other's entire life?"

"Oh, that can wait." She waves her hand dismissively. "I'm sure you have questions you're dying to ask."

Where do I even start? Where are we? That's not even the most pressing question I have. Do I dare to ask how to stop the hallucinations? Or will they kick me out as the danger I am? Can I bring myself to even talk about them without breaking down without Corax? I tried once with Ivy, and instantly failed. No, no I can't. Sever those thoughts before they grow larger.

"I think it'd be easier to meld, and then you can just check what I need to know." Even if that's dangerous too, it's easier than talking.

"Alright deary, if you're sure. You're going to feel a wall around my mind. You won't be able to break through, but it's easier for both of us if you don't try. I'll be as gentle as I can, although I must apologize in advance. It can be an unpleasant process, and may bring up some bitter memories. If you're ready, may I see your hand?" She holds out her own, her palm upwards waiting for mine.

I rest my shaking hand on hers, and her second hand clasps mine tight.

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