An unusual calm had overtaken the outer-ring since the raid on the underground just the day before. True, the news had described a vicious insurgent attack on the underground, and proclaimed that as the reason the authorities had gone in there… but people talked. Some who had escaped one way or another spoke in whispers about the authorities coming out and dragging them away. Others simply had friends living in the underground, and when they failed to contact their friends, they sought those people who knew things. From them, they heard the rumors that quietly described the scene, the screaming, the fear, the arrests.

Melissa, she got them four kids, right? Well, I heard she went to lockup, and then kids went to a group home. She’ll never see them again, even if she gets out.

Vale tried to rush ‘em. Get his kids and his husband out. Idiot. They shot him, and the others got caught just outside their home. 

That sweet Lendulin. She’s just gone now, you know? Well, maybe she got away in the water.

Pearla’s missing too. 

Yeah, illicit habitation, they said. Might as well arrest the whole damn Outer Ring.

The last idea they only uttered in a glib tone, and they always followed the statement with a chuckle that felt oddly wrong. It was a very true statement, and something that everyone logically knew, but with the raid on the underground it now felt too heavy and dangerous to take seriously. So, parents told their kids to stay inside. The small things that people did to their homes, small statues and decorations on the outside, or colorful blinds in the windows, suddenly disappeared so that the makeshift home would look more like random piles of discarded refuse, and not like ‘illicit habitation.’ 

And of course, certain phrases were always said in a glib tone and always followed with laughter, quickly stifled just in case the wrong person might hear.

Those who went outside - looking for food they could salvage since the announcement just the day before about the lockdown sent their food prices skyrocketing - spent more time looking over their shoulder, down the road, or to the sky than they did looking for food. Any minute, someone might swoop down and take them, arrest them, and take them away from their families. 

Of course, a good handful of these people screamed when they saw the two forms swoop out from the underground. At first most thought it had been a special agent—they had been around in such force the other day—but with a glance, they could see that they were not agents.

Most dropped whatever they had collected and ran for their lives as they realized it was a pair of synths rising ‌from the underground and making their way to the center of Okoia. 

======

It felt like forever since TO actually enjoyed flying. The last time they had the chance to fly any distance, it had been after the incident in Thalassa. The sudden absence of their mate had drained any ‌ enjoyment from though. Now, they could soar over the city, their mate by their side. Yes, they had a lot of work to do, and yes, what they were doing was dangerous, but it didn’t matter. Their friends were safe, their mate was by their side, and they were flying high above the buildings.

“I wish we could have just flown about all the time.” TO said over their communicator to DH. “We’d have gotten more exercise, we would have seen all this-” 

“And why didn’t we again?” DH asked. They were flying slowly today, since they were clutching their medkit with far more caution than it normally needed. 

“The vehicles were faster when we were out acting as synths.” TO said, “And we wouldn’t be hiding our status as synths very well if we just landed on the street and removed our armor, would we?” 

“I suppose…” DH muttered.

They soared over the city, stretching their wings and gliding to their destination. TO even removed the masking on their own wings so that they could enjoy the feel of the wind rushing over the thin membrane, feel the hum at the edge as they slipped between air currents and made their way to the center of Okoia. Along the way, several security vehicles approached them—likely seeking to enforce Okoia’s strict flight laws. The first time this happened it sent a thrill of panic through TO. Yes, all the information from the moment they entered the sewers had been wiped, and yes, DH helped Vik to redirect their chips recording from their ship to his own computer, but TO still worried that somehow their higher ups had all the information, that they had seen TO shoot Kei through their helmets, and heard them working with the insurgents.

The vehicle approached. TO’s helmet told them they were being identified, and then the ship immediately turned around and let them be. That was when TO knew that they were alright, that local authorities did not currently consider them criminals and traitors to King Decon.

Of course, TO know the truth. 

“They must have figured out who we are.” TO said when they saw the fourth vessel quickly turn away from them without checking their identification.

“Oh, yeah.” Vik said. The small hacker was, of course, patched into their communications. “By the way, the access I’m getting from your suits is amazing! This is so much easier. I can patch right into their channels.” 

“And?” 

“And what? It’s just what you’d expect. ‘Oh shit, they’re back’ and ‘Where the fuck did they come from?’ They’re also saying to contact that Gyrini person to let her know you’re here.”

“No talk of arrests?”

“Not yet. You’re in the clear. See what you can do.”

They approached their ship, and as they did, they saw several other vehicles following them from underneath; All security vehicles, flying in a single straight line to meet them.

“Should we ignore them and just head right on in?” DH asked.

“Would you do that normally?” Vik said. “Just do what you’d normally do; Don’t draw too much attention.”

“Bit late for that.” DH muttered as they eyed the vehicles below. 

They landed heavily on the other side of the gate and waited for the vehicles to catch up. It only took a moment, and from the first car hopped the diminutive Noss, clutching a stained handkerchief in his hand as he hurried to the gate. Gyrini stepped out of the vehicle behind him, and when she stood to her full height, she was about as tall as a synth; in fact, she was likely taller than GiDi was. 

“Minister Gyrini, in the chitin.” Vik said in their ears, “I’m setting your translator here back to its original setting so you won’t sound too different. Do your best and get inside quickly.” A beep sounded in TO’s ear, and words flashed across their helmet;

==Secure.tone.modulation Active==

“And… Action.” Vik whispered. DH stood upright and hesitantly slung their medkit over their shoulder as casually as they could manage.

“Honored synths!” Noss huffed as he ran up to them. “We thought you were dead. There was that incident in Thalassa, then more synths came, then you all disappeared-”

Gyrini stood alongside Noss and cleared her throat. In person, she was more intimidating than she seemed on the screen, her eyes far more calculating as she let her unblinking gaze travel over them each, appraising them. She had a presence to her that made TO feel like they were back in training; like the commander was talking to them and watching their ears oh so carefully for any hint of deception. Impossible, of course. She was just a civilian, and couldn’t have read their ears even if they had their helmets off. 

TO repeated that in their head. She’s just a civilian. You have the authority here.

“Clearly, we did not die.” TO said, watching Noss flinch as the words came out of their helmet.

“If you ever wonder why some people think all you synths are robots; it’s shit like this.” Vik said, “I don’t know what you said there, but it came out as, ‘We are obviously still functional.’ Nice and snappy too.”

“It pleases us that you are.” Gyrini said as she took a step forward, coming right up to the gate, standing so close that TO was certain she could feel the hum of the electricity pulsing through the shiny metal bars. “With your return, I would like to convene with you and discuss information. I have implemented a lockdown to prevent the insurgency from escaping, and -”

“Unnecessary.” TO said, “We will continue our investigation from here. Lift the lockdown immediately; your services are no longer required.”

She dipped her head slightly, but did not step back. “As much as I would like to comply, I cannot.” She said, “My orders have come from King Decon himself, who has bid me to take whatever measures I must in order to keep the situation stable until more honored synths arrive. To reverse my decisions now would be to go against His orders.” She looked back up, watching the two carefully, her eyes flicking from their hands to their wings. “Of course, I am certain you can contact the proper people to reverse the orders, at which point I will happily do as you say.” 

“Shit.” Vik said, “That would have been too easy, wouldn’t it have been? I suppose we’ll have to be happy enough that you have access to your ship.”

“Should we press her?” DH asked.

“No.” TO said through their helmet, “We wouldn’t do that normally.” They switched back to talking to Gyrini. “Very well. We will confer with our higher ups and determine the best course of action from there. Now, if you’ll excuse us-”

“Of course.” Gyrini said, “But would you like to make time to discuss my own findings? You’ll find them quite interesting, I think.”

“You can send them to us.” TO said as they continued to their ship, “In the meantime, we have important work to do.”

“Might you have information on the insurgency?” She asked. “If they took you, and you escaped, you must. You’ve been gone for over a week-”

“Our methods at this point are entirely confidential.” They said, They paused, then turned around again. “Furthermore, I will say only that I fear I suspect that people with lofty ranks in the Arkanian government are involved.” They stared at Gyrini, meeting her eyes even though they knew she couldn’t see theirs. “Likely… People even higher than mere planetary governments may well be involved.”

They hoped their suggestion would startle her, make her back off, or at least make her worry that maybe TO was talking about her. To their surprise, she didn’t. Her eyes widened slightly, and the moveable parts of her mouth widened around her mandibles, creating an odd, unsettling smile.

“You know what?” She said, her voice soft, “I suspect the exact same thing.” Her mandibles clicked, and her antenna wavered in the air. “If so, that is such a disappointment. Some people, I suppose, do not treasure their positions, and their ability to serve King Decon.”

“... Precisely.” TO said. They turned and left without a word, but they were very grateful for the helmet they wore, hiding the terrified tilt to their ears.

======

Once inside their ship, they hurried up to the main floor to see their old living quarters left exactly as it had been. With a sigh of relief, TO removed their armor, letting it dissolve once more into the bracelet around their wrist.

“I don’t like her.” They said, sitting heavily at their workstation. “I feel like she knows.”

DH removed their armor, and gently set the medkit on the medical table. “Yes.” They breathed, “I thought she was going to try to arrest us.”

The bag shuffled, and after a minor struggle, Vik popped out. They had a tiny communicator in their hands and an earpiece in one large ear. “Probably.” They said, “Or perhaps they just suspect everyone. I patched into her channel too- it was harder than local authorities, and even once I got in, she didn’t say anything of interest. I thought for sure she’d say something to Noss” They gave a heavy sigh. “Waste of effort. Oh, well.” 

“Maybe she’s just not a talker?” DH offered.

“I don't think anyone here wants to talk to Noss.” TO said, “You ‌remember how Minister Sally treated him, yes?”

“Whatever. Noss is a tool.” Vik snapped. They looked around, taking everything in before letting their eyes land on the giant consol that DH normally worked at. An enormous smile stretched their cheeks as they jumped first up to DH’s shoulder, then to the back of the chair, then onto the desk before the computer. “Ahh.. that bag was too damn hot, too stuffy, and moved around too much. I thought I was going to be sick at least three times, but this? This?!” They stepped up to the large keyboard, and gently stroked the space button, “This was worth it all.” They opened up their communicator and looked expectantly at DH. “Well, come on; are you going to give me access, or do I have to crack your system open myself?” Their eyes went big. “Please tell me you’re going to make me hack it. I want to try so bad!”

DH grinned, and went to the medical cupboards, “You have until I’ve restocked my medkit.” They said, “Then I will give you access if you can’t get in by yourself.”

Tail swishing behind them and their eyes wide with excitement, Vik turned around and dove into the process of accessing their computer.