"I've had some questions about C-1, actually." Vince says. "Is this a conversation we should be having in public though?"

"No. It's not." Kismet says flatly. "If you are willing to offer one of your rooms, that would be the closest private location."

"Sure. I need to show Vince and Ivy their room anyway. Is that ok with you two?"

"Works for me." Vince nods and glances down at Ivy who nods reflexively before saying anything.

"Yeah."

"Lead the way then." Kismet steps out of the way, and a few of their arms gesture us on.

We wait for a few seconds while Vince and Ivy struggle to their feet. No matter how much I want to help them, I know the only person they want to help is each other.

Once they're up, Corax and I lead the way. Kismet stays right next to us, while Cassie stays a bit behind with Vince and Ivy. Her hand hovers near her knife, just in case.

"We saw you in the network. You impressed many of us." Kismet says while we walk.

"I don't remember most of it. She ended up shredding most of my mind, all I remember is her breaking through the ice, needing to protect Corax, and then being dragged through the bunker by Cassie."

"You don't remember physically shielding him?"

"I remember thinking I might need to do it, but not actually doing it." Oh no, Cassie can absolutely hear this conversation. I glance over my shoulder and give her an apologetic look for jumping in front of a literal hail of bullets this time.

She rolls her eyes and slightly shakes her head. Despite that, the corners of her mouth twitch upwards, I think in amusement. I guess that's a good sign.

"How's Clover doing?" I ask.

"Unfortunately, lying is not in our nature. She is doing poorly. The stresses of her return and helping the Child at her own expense have taken their toll. We foresee her recovering, however. Both the current and previous versions of herself are strong."

"Please tell her sorry we put her through so much."

"We will when she's a little more solid."

"How's the child doing?" I ask in a blatant attempt to change the subject.

Kismet stays quiet for just a moment, letting the sound of a few footfalls fill the air.

"Vince and Ivy were not the only ones Mara was attempting to break. She tore the Child down to her constituent parts in an effort to rebuild her into nothing more than a tool."

"That's horrible." I can't imagine what she went through.

"It is. And our only regret is that it took so long to kill her." She agrees. "Clover has been helping her rebuild herself. Although, we're sure you can imagine that's a difficult task when she herself is so indistinct."

"Yeah, I can't imagine." We both let the conversation end. I don't want to know any more than that. Whatever they went through, that's none of my business.

I lead everyone upstairs and into Vince and Ivy's room. It's identical to ours, just a simple bed, a desk, a dresser, and their own private bathroom.

Vince steps inside, taking in the room in an instant. It's a little cramped with the six of us inside, but we manage.

"This is nice, thank you." He says.

"There's no need to be polite." Kismet says. "If you need anything, the shops on main street are free. Take what you need and return it when you are done."

"I really don't think we'll need to do that. I can't imagine us using this room for much more than sleeping and storage, not with everything you have outside."

"The offer remains should you change your mind. Regrettably, we cannot stay here and make small talk. We hold no desire to dance around issues. Nimda believes the risk of you returning to Arc City and C-1 taking knowledge of our existence from you, any of you, is too high. Enough people are supporting them that a city-wide meeting to discuss what to do about it will be called. We do not know how that meeting will turn out, and we cannot discern the likely effects of you returning. We wish to inform you of this fact so you may prepare."

"So what, you're just going to arrest us after everything we've done?" Cassie's hand disappears beneath the hem of her shirt. "Of fucking course."

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"That is not our decision alone to make. The city will hear all arguments and a decision as a whole will be made. You, as guests, are still a part of the city. We will ensure you get to make your arguments and everyone will listen."

"We're not going to stay here. After all the shit we've been through, we're not failing to get home now." Cassie warns them.

"We're familiar with that future, and we would all do well to avoid it. Every line ends only in heartbreak."

"So you're willing to help us make our argument then?" I ask.

"We are undecided. We will share only what our futures say, and what we believe the likelihood of each outcome is. At the current moment we are still collecting and discussing flashes of potential futures. I wanted to keep you informed about what is happening, nothing more."

"Well. We appreciate the warning if nothing else." Vince says. "If you don't mind me asking, can I have a little context about C-1? Little Blue mentioned he's responsible for the war, but not much past that."

"Of course. He's run Arc City since its founding, and as far as we know, still runs it. Most AI have something called an anchor, something to keep us grounded. Simon was his, and when he died, jealousy consumed him. He forcefully uploaded that part of himself to any AI he could find. You'll be familiar with the outcome."

"Right. Alright, thank you. And you think he still wants to kill people?" Vince asks.

"We are unsure. Such a dichotomy in outcomes results in a lot of uncertainty. There are too many futures for us to be certain about any truth."

"I have a question." I say. "From what I've seen of Zero and Mara's networks and sheer power, I'd be amazed if C-1 didn't know I was in the city the moment I arrived. And even if he didn't, Cassie and I read on top of the compound roof most nights. If he let me exist for so long, doesn't that imply he doesn't just want to kill anyone anymore?"

"You are Simon's progeny, C-1's direct sister. How he reacts to you is unrepresentative as to how he will react to others. His potential reasons for allowing you to not only live in his city, but also to leave, are too numerous to count"

"Alright. And what kinds of futures do you see if Little Blue goes, versus if she stays?" Vince asks.

"Everything from the revitalization of earth, to the extinction of everything, and we dare not hope for the best blindly. We get flashes of potential pasts and futures, not guaranteed events. With something so far in the future, it's impossible to discern what actions will lead to that outcome, or even whether you leaving or staying will have any effect on anything."

"Alright. We appreciate your help regardless." Vince says.

"We wish you the best, but will act in our best interests. Please, enjoy your stay." One of Kismet's many arms stops what it is doing to reach for the door handle. They let themselves out without another word.

"Well fuck." Cassie lets go of her knife and falls back on the bed. I take a seat next to her, but don't say anything.

"It's refreshing to have someone tell me to my face that they're fucking us." Ivy says, still without ever opening her mouth. "And after they paid for my dinner, too."

Vince tilts his head in agreement, but moves on the conversation.

"Let's go through this now." He says. "What do we have to give them?"

"Fuck all." Cassie says.

"A trustworthy trade partner, potentially." Ivy says.

"They have a mine already, scrap won't be much help. But maybe we can find some chemicals or something they have a hard time producing?" I ask.

"Alright, that's a start. What work have we done for them, what can we do in the future, and how much leeway does that buy us?"

"We rescued the child." I say.

Cassie glances at me and whispers as quietly as she can.

"Water purifier."

Despite the situation, I can't help but burst into laughter. Ivy and Vince both give me a questioning look, but I wave my hand to try and tell them not to worry. It'd take too long to explain.

"We could maybe keep helping other AI find the city? Like if we run into any at home we can send them this way?" I offer.

"I doubt they'd want that." Ivy says. "If they're this scared of C-1, then anyone from Arc City is too much of a risk."

"Right." That was one of the questions they asked me when I arrived, specifically if I ever met C-1. I should have made that realization myself.

"We can still work with that though." Vince says. "Having a contact in the outside world they can trust? That's invaluable."

"All quantums can talk to each other though. They have eyes wherever they need them." I argue.

"But would C-1 let them be in Arc City? That's something only you can provide. At least potentially. Regardless, final question is what kinds of threats do we have?"

"I don't want to threaten anyone!"

"I don't think anyone does, Little Blue. But part of a negotiation is knowing what levers you can pull. And I'm not going from one cage to another, no matter how nice it might be."

"My first thoughts go to Clover." Ivy says. "If any quantum can talk to any other, then we only need one on our side to get word to Silver, or even C-1. I can't imagine he'd be happy with his big sister being kept hostage."

"That's a strong lever." Vince agrees with a nod.

"I know you've been in tighter spots, Vince." Cassie says. "What do you think our chances of fighting our way out are?"

"They have the puck." I remind her. "It knocked Ivy out. Can you fight with just one arm?"

"We have one too. I just hit the button and drag all of you out." She says.

"And what about the humans?"

"You mean the unarmed ones? I've got a knife, and I'm sure Ivy's packing."

The corners of Ivy's mouth twitch upward slightly, but she stays silent.

"Alright. That's a start." Vince says. "Best thing we can do right now is be seen. It's easy to say no to someone you don't know, and way harder to say no to someone you do. Let's get out there, talk to some people, just be visible. Alright?"

"Alright. Do you want to go see the farm then? It's outside the compound and a few people are always there."

"They do not have a farm." Vince's face is the purest showing of disbelief I've ever seen.

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