“Well you’ve gotten popular.” C12 said as they set the food down on the table in their room. An easy, almost teasing grin flicked over their face, “I almost didn’t think you’d be joining me today. I didn’t think you’d get away from all the other synths.”

 

TO felt their ears burn, “I’m not popular.” They muttered as they ignored DH’s snickering, “I’m just being useful.”

 

“Well, that’s the important part of being popular right there.” C12 muttered, “You had seven other synths thanking you for helping them with their flying today; I’d say that counts.”

 

“You don’t have to put people in simulations with me anymore!” TO said, “My wings are all healed. I can help people after our vocational training.”

 

“It’s the last week of training before we start to specialize, so I’m putting the people who need the most help with their flight with you. It’s very helpful. In fact, it’s more useful than when a synth is put into training on their own.”

 

“TO’s a great teacher!” GiDi said from next to TO, “They helped DH and I a lot!”

 

“Maybe after their placement is done they might be drafted as a trainer, or even an Overseer.” C12 shrugged, “Well, that’s a ways away yet. For now, it’s enough that you’re helping a lot of synths improve.”

 

“I hope it’s enough.” TO said. “I… I hope it’s useful, given that the Commander and the Overseers are going to be watching.”

 

C12 gave a smirk as they regarded TO.“You know, that’s how I knew you’d be joining me for meal time today.” they said with a grin, “I knew you’d want some answers.”

 

“We would just want to sit with you anyway!” DH said, “Honestly! We look forward to it!”

 

Eating their second meal with C12 had become something of a special event for TO, DH, and GiDi. C12 only allowed it twice a period since they said that anything more than that would be considered suspicious. In C12’s room, they knew that they weren’t being recorded or listened to. At the very least, that’s what C12 assured them.

 

“I hope you don’t mind it.” GiDi said quietly, “Us being here so often.”

 

“I enjoy the company.” C12 said as they picked at their own food, breaking it into pieces as they normally did, “I’m unused to eating on my own.” their ears flicked down slightly, but only for a brief moment.

 

“Well...We enjoy being here with you.” TO said carefully.

“I know” C12 said, letting a brief smile flicker over their face, “And if you hadn't asked to join me today, I’d have told you to and not just for the company. This testing method… It’s a new thing they’re doing, and I don’t like it. Not at all. There’s something strange about it.”

 

“Why are they doing it like this now?” GiDi asked, “Does the Commander normally take any interest in trainees?”

 

C12 shook their head, “Not unless there’s trouble, and even then they don’t get involved directly; they request reports and give orders.” They shook their head, “No. no, if they’re getting directly involved, I don’t like it.”

 

DH frowned as they looked down at their food, “I’m sorry you have to be around the Commander all period.” They said softly. “Is that why you don’t like it?”

 

C12 frowned as their ears pinned back and their wings tightened around them, “Not entirely.” They hissed. “Though, the further away I can be from the Commander, the better.”

 

“Did they say anything today?” GiDi asked, “In front of the Overseers?”

 

“They always say things.” C12 said, “It’s always snide remarks and disrespect from them, just now they have an audience for it. Thankfully, among the Overseers I have too much rank for them to dare show outward disrespect. I’ll be glad when the testing is over.”

 

“And you don’t know why they’re doing it like this?” TO asked, “You have no idea why we’ve gone from automated testing to… this?”

 

A frown passed over C12’s lips as their ears flicked with contemplation. This was a look that TO had gotten used to by now; they were wondering what they could tell them; what was safe.

 

“...This batch of synths – your batch – have proven to have more abnormalities than normal.” C12 finally said, “More synths have been corrected than normal. There’s been a lot more than have failed their preliminary testing right out of the pod and had to be repurposed. There’s some research going on to try to find the source of the abnormalities…” They paused, then shook their head, “That’s nothing for you to worry about though. That’s why this is happening though.”

 

A memory suddenly struck TO. It felt like so long ago when they overheard Snout and PQ03 talking that time.

 

‘“And you know what will happen if we report this. You know what we saw.“ There was a stifled curse which surprised TO –they had never heard an officer curse before. “You know how many there were.”

 

“Yes, too many.” PQ03 snapped. “We should have caught it earlier.”

 

“It’s our own fault.”’

 

“...that’s what Snout was talking about, yes?”

 

C12’s face seemed to light up for a brief moment when TO mentioned Snout, but it was only a flash, “What?” they asked.

 

“Just before Snout was taken away, I overheard them and PQ03 talking.” They turned to DH and GiDi, “Remember?”

 

“Right.” GiDi said, “Something about there being more than normal.”

 

TO nodded, “More abnormalities than normal.” they frowned, “I suppose the Commander discovered it after all.” They wondered what the punishment was for PQ03.

 

“To be honest, I’m not well informed about it.” C12 saidas they glanced down at their food, “All I’ve been told is that due to an abnormal amount of irregularities, the exams will be far more hands-on than normal. That’s all.”

“... and what will failure mean?” GiDi finally asked. “At this stage of our training, what will the consequence of failure be? Will we be corrected?”

 

C12 was silent for several long minutes as they considered their answer, “It depends.” They finally said, “The test will be specific for each synth, as will certain fail states. Mediocrity won’t be punished, per se. Incompetence might just mean a better chance that you’ll end up on the front lines, or sent to mines. No…. as far as I know they’re looking at certain things for certain synths.” They looked up, “look, it’s nothing you three have to worry about, so long as you follow orders and do what you’re told. Understood?”

 

“That lesson’s been drilled into me.” TO muttered.

 

“I mean it!” C12’s ears pinned back as they leaned forward, “Whatever you’re told, whatever your orders, just do it. Don't think about it, just do it.”

 

There were three separate mumbles of “understood.” From the younger synths, and an awkward silence fell over them as they all focused on their food.

 

“Apologies.” C12 said, “I didn’t mean to snap. But you have to do what I say.”

 

GiDi had seemed very far away as they ate, but suddenly they seemed to return to themself. “...C12.” they said, “These abnormalities; Are they intentional?”

 

“What?” C12’s ears flicked back in panic, “What do you mean? Why would it be?”

 

“Well, I recall TO said that Snout told them that some abnormalities were good. What if this is just an experiment to make more synths. I mean-” They looked to TO, “Didnt you think that maybe we were strange because of some experiment anyway?”

 

“What?” TO’s ears flicked out in confusion, “I don't’ think I said-”

 

“No… no you did.” DH said, “It was a long time ago. I was wondering why we were strange, remember? Why King Decon would allow us to be so different if He has control over everything. You said maybe we were the first wave of some new type of synth, and if we succeed, maybe they'll be more of us later on. Do you remember that?

 

It came back to TO now; they did say that, “But that was before I know how we were made. That was before I knew so many Synths were involved in it. It’s easy enough for us to be a mistake-”

 

“But what if it’s not!?” GiDi said, their ears twitching with excitement, “What if we’re not the first wave? What if we’re just the first batch with so many strange synths. Maybe they’re testing us to see if we can integrate-”

 

“But wouldn’t the Officers know then?” TO said, “Snout and PQ03 didn’t know!”

 

“Of course they wouldn't.” GiDi said, “That would affect the outcome, wouldn’t it? What if we were made strange on purpose, and the Officers, the Overseers, maybe even the Commander didn’t know about it?” They looked to C12, “Doesn’t that make sense? Why else would there be so many strange synths all at once? Something must have happened. Either this was intentional, or something big had to fail and be missed by all the Officers involved with synth production.” They shook their head, “Accidents like that don’t just happen-”

 

“They’ve been doing this more lately.” DH said as they gave GiDi a flat, steady look, “I swear, they dig through the galactic news and find all these things happening at once-”

 

“Oh? Is that so.” C12 said. They leaned towards GiDi as their ears flicked forward, “What kind of things are you digging through the news for?”

 

“Well, the attack on King Decon first.” they said, “Then the attack on this specific training center. There were no reports of attacks on other centers and this one was just described in passing as a “failed attack” being the reason for added security at wormhole gates! So I wondered why this center was chosen! But if this center is the location of an experimental, potentially advanced, form of new synths, then wouldn’t the insurgents want to target it?”

 

“Do you really think so?” C12 said, their voice deadpan even as their ears twitched with worry. To could feel their own ears twitching with the same worry; GiDi was getting themself too worked up over the news they were consuming.

 

Just… there’s a lot more insurgent activity as of late in general compared to before the attack on King Decon, and a lot more of the attacks on planet-side centers have been more successful-”

 

“They’ve been keeping an eye on insurgent activity like this since the attack.” DH said, “It got worse after the attack on Shipping and Receiving. They probably know more about the insurgents than the insurgents do!”

 

“Look, that’s all besides the point.” GiDi said. They turned back to C12, “It’s possible, isn’t it? This batch of synths could be riddled with individuals that were purposel y made different, right?”

 

C12 took a long, deep breath, then shook their head, “While it is possible.” C12 said, “I can assure you and King Decon has not tried to create any kind of new synth.”

 

“How do you know.” GiDi pressed.

 

C12’s ears flicked back as they picked up a piece of their food, “It’s enough that I know.” They said, “Trust me, it would do none of us any good to know how I know that.”

 

GiDi frowned and looked down at the food. “Well… I suppose it doesn't matter how you know.” They said, “I still don’t think it could be accidental. There's too much that happened.”

 

“Well, what else could it be!” TO said, “If we weren’t made by King Decon to be like this, then it has to be one colossal mistake, right?”

 

“Not quite.” GiDi said as they leaned forward. In that moment, TO couldn’t get over how much GiDi seemed to have aged in the last couple of periods. They had bags under their eyes from their lack of sleep, but their eyes seemed so much more focused. Even when they seemed like they were off in another world, they now seemed so focused on that world, and so troubled by it.

 

TO knew now that they didn’t love GiDi the way they loved DH, but they still loved their smaller friend. They wanted to protect them, and take care of them. They wished they could keep them away from all this information, and keep them from worrying.

 

“If King Decon didn’t make us this way.” GiDi said carefully, “Then what if our development was sabotaged by the insurgents?”

 

“You have been reading too much of the galactic news.” C12 said quickly, “You’re looking for patterns when you shouldn’t be. You’re getting obsessed with the insurgency when you should just be worried about your examination-”

 

“How can I just worry about that?” GiDi said, leaning forward. To TO’s surprise, their ears flicked back and their wings puffed up around them, “How can I focus on a simple examination when this is a question of our entire being!? We’ve been told all our lives that we’re created special by King Decon to serve him! If the insurgency changed that, if the insurgency had a hand in our creation-”

“I assure you.” C12 said as they learned forward as well, “That is nothing you need be worried about. You do, however, need to worry about this ‘simple examination’ as it could cost you your life if you don't!” GiDi could be disconcerting when they were getting angry, but with C12, you could feel their anger starting to build– slowly but powerfully. GiDi instantly backed off. Their wings tightening around them and their ears flicking back. As soon as they did that, C12 seemed to calm down. They sat back in their chair.

 

“You’re made exactly as you should be.” C12 finally said, “That much at least I can tell you.”