“You don’t have to come with me.” DH insisted as TO followed behind them on their way to see Avery, “I know you don’t like Kei, or being around the medical supplies.” 

 

“You don’t like them either.” TO pointed out. 

 

“True, but I’m doing this for Avery.” Their ears flicked back, perking up ever so slightly as they took on a serious look, “Besides, if I’m offering medical care, my personal feelings have nothing to do with it. All that matters is=“ They stopped, their ears pinning slightly as their brow furrowed, “Well… all that used to matter is a synth’s productivity and capabilities. I suppose even that’s not overly important anymore.” 

 

That was something that TO hadn’t considered. Their own worries for receiving medical care since leaving the training center had diminished since DH was the one taking care of that, but if they had to rely once more on the care of medical officers, then they would have to concern themself with the comparison of needed treatment versus their use. Just another thing that was done to maintain efficiency; another sacrifice for the good of the Galaxy. 

 

And the good of the galaxy, as they had learned it, was a damned lie! 

 

They thankfully had no time to consider this, as they approached the recovery room. DH knocked once, then opened the door. Inside, Avery sat next to the bed reading something on their communicator as Kei slept soundly. Kei remained strapped to the bed as the machines next to them continued their rhythmic song. 

 

Avery looked up, their ears perking up as a brief smile covered their face, “I didn’t expect the two of you!” They said, “I mean… I hardly expected DH today-“ 

 

“I told you I’d check in at least once a day.” DH said as they approached the machines, “I know little about neurosurgery, or even the more complex basic surgeries, but I can tell if their vitals look good, so there is that!” 

 

Avery looked to TO, “I’m especially surprised to see you.” They said, “I know you don’t like-“ 

 

“Well, I like DH, and I like you, so I’m here.” TO huffed. After their conversation with Flit and Snout the night before, To wasn’t interested in being away from DH. Longer than absolutely necessary. 

 

“Kei’s heart rate is picking up.” DH said, “Did Goretta say anything about that?” 

 

“It happens when they’re getting ready to wake. Something about the sedatives wearing off.” Avery said. “She hopes that when they wake up this time, they won’t be in pain.” 

 

“That’s a fast recovery.” DH muttered.

 

“Snout made something? Said to keep them asleep for longer because it would hurt more, but they’d feel better-“ 

 

“Accelerant.” TO said. “I’ve heard of it.” 

 

“Yes, it basically works to focus the body’s full attention on healing… but it hurts a lot more, and takes a lot more energy. Still, if they were asleep during the whole thing…” They glanced at Kei, then back to the machines, “Well… I suppose that’s fine then? They’d been on pain killers too…” 

 

TO didn’t know if it would be fine. All they really cared about was that all the cuts on Kei’s head hid beneath bandages, and that thick fabric bandages covered their claws, keeping Kei from clawing at themself again. 

 

“What happened yesterday?” Avery asked, “Snout told me you were back and safe, but they didn’t tell me why you were gone so long!” 

 

“Well, there was a lot to do at the ship.” DH said as they leaned against the wall, an eye continuously flickering to the beeping machines, “And then we had a little trouble getting back.” 

 

“We were being tracked.” TO said, “Probably by Gyrini.” Their ears pinned back as they recalled how she had looked at them, how it felt like she was looking through their armor and eying TO directly. “I think she knows.” 

 

“She knows what?” Avery asked, frowning. 

 

“That we’re working with the insurgency.” TO said, “Against King Decon.” 

 

Against King Decon. Saying those words still sent a tremor of terror through TO but wasn’t that what they were doing? Did they want to work against Him, or did they want to go back to His service if given a chance? All the new information was still a lot, and they were desperate not to think about it. Still, in a sudden flash they understood Snout’s anger at King Decon at least. Snout had worked in production for so many years before TO came along, and Snout was strange as well. Well, Snout had an unaltered mind. Snout was, if TO wanted to consider the state of the mind as the major difference, Chilacian. Chilacian, just like TO. 

 

Seeing what happened to the child was terrible enough for TO, and they only did that once. How many times did Snout do it? How many times did they tell themself that it was King Decon’s will, that it served the Galaxy? 

 

When that lie fell away, how had it felt for Snout, who created, altered, and sometimes reprocessed synths? How had it felt for Flit, how had been out in combat against civilians? Executing Civilians for the good of the galaxy?

 

“TO?” 

 

Avery’s voice, the insistent way they said their name pulled TO from their thoughts. “Apologies.” They said, their ears flicking down, a light flush covering them, “lost in thought. What were you saying?” 

 

Whatever it was, Avery didn’t repeat it. Their long, concerned look was a prelude to their next questions. “Are you alright?” They suddenly gave a mirthless laugh, “Well, no, you’re not; none of us are.” They glanced at Kei, who shifted slightly on the bed. “… But are you alright, relatively speaking?” 

 

TO wished they could say that they were fine, but they knew if they did their ears would betray their lies. “… I just need some time to think on things.” They said, “And I don’t want to think about them.”

 

DH and Avery’s ears flicked down, and they nodded. That didn’t surprise TO; they had all absorbed a lot of information lately, and very little time to process it. Even if TO had the time, they’d rather do anything else than think too hard on all these problematic issues. 

 

“I spoke to Flit and Snout yesterday.” TO said, trying to change the topic. They looked at DH, “While you were talking to Vik. I went to go see them.” Of course, they didn’t want to say what they had seen them about, but thankfully there was another direction they could take their thoughts in with this, “They think I need some kind of hobby.”

DH’s ears flicked down, “A hobby? Why?”

“They think it would be good.” TO said, “That I never got to try a lot of things during training.”

“What, and they think you’re not busy enough now!?” DH said, their ears flicking back, “We were busy most of the day yesterday, and we didn’t get to our room until late.”

TO bit back the response that hung off their tongue. They would have been to their rooms sooner if DH hadn’t spent so much talk going over programming stuff with Vik.

 

“Apparently, Snout’s taken up sewing.” TO said, “They have this big blanket in their room, and Snout said they made it.”

 

“I’m glad that Snout’s had the time.” DH said, huffing, “TO, in the last two days you’ve been involved in two separate operations, and you’ve been helping with the civilians. I think you should just rest when you’re not busy! Watch shows or something. Listen to musicals.”

“You’re one to talk.” TO said, any resentment that would have colored their voice and the movements of their ears hid behind their amusement, “When you’re not sleeping, you’re helping Vik, checking on Avery, or helping Gyrini.”

“And when I’m not, I'm perfectly happy to rest!”

TO shrugged, “I said I’d think about it.” They said, “But I don’t think I’ll have much chance between now and getting off Arkane.” 

 

“... I should do more.” Avery said, their voice a whisper among the constant beeping, “I mean, I’d feel bad leaving Kei, but I feel bad letting you two do most of the work…”

 

TO leaned forward, looking Avery in the eyes, “Avery; You don’t need to go up there.” They said, “You don’t need to worry about this.” Even though Avery might be useful, TO didn’t want them to get involved. Things were bad enough for Avery when they thought they might have killed civilians under the orders of King Decon. They didn't need to be in a position where they had to kill civilians for Insurgents.

That brought something to mind though; if TO was having all these feelings about King Decon, about all the waste, the sacrifice made for the supposed “Good of the Galaxy” Then how did Avery feel about that? Or had Avery even thought about that? TO had no clue what their experience on Heramu was like, and then as soon as they came to Arkane the insurgents captured them.

“... Hey, Avery?” TO frowned, their ears twitching, “What was it like on Heramu?”

 

“Stop.” DH said, their voice suddenly sharp. TO glanced over and saw them looking intently at Kei, their ears twitching with the beeping of the machines.

“What is it?” TO asked.

“They’re waking.”

At first, TO wasn’t sure; Kei was laying there as normal, unresponsive. However, just a moment later they shifted, their head moving to one side as their eyes squinted against the faint light that filtered through their eyelids. TO didn’t know how DH could tell when Kei was waking before they started moving, but as they watched their mates ears moving with the beeps, they figured they must have caught an increase in rhythm that TO and Avery had missed. 

 

“This is good.” Avery said in a hushed voice, as though they were worried about waking although they were already waking up, “The last few times they got this far, they started moaning in pain.”

 

“Let’s hope they don’t start.” DH said, though at the same time they sent a message off on their communicator; from where they were sitting, TO could see Goretta’s name as the recipient. Well, that was a good idea; in pain or not, Goretta would need to see Kei as soon as possible.

The sleeping synth shifted again, their ears flicking back, pinning and relaxing as their breathing came out of the low, deep breaths they had been taking. Though TO didn’t like Kei, a part of them was curious. What would this new Kei be like? How would the alterations have affected their mind? Would they be nicer or more talkative?

Would they want to be friends with Avery? Would they want to be friends with DH and TO?

Would TO want to be their friend, even with the restored mind? 

 

Slowly, Kei's eyes opened, staring blankly at their ceiling as though they were unaware that anyone was around them.

“Kei?...” Avery leaned forward, “How do you feel?”

Kei’s ears flicked back, and their eyes widened in surprise at Avery's voice. Their eyes danced around the room, hitting Avery first, the door, the straps on their wrist, and then to TO.

When they saw TO, their eyes stopped dancing. 

 

Oddly, TO remembered that moment in the showers so long ago, when they and DH caught each other’s eyes and time stood still; drawing out in a single sweet second where they fell into each other’s presence. This was similar, but wholly opposite. Time stopped, but It did not draw out; it froze. The expression that went over Kei; the narrowing of their eyes, the curling of their lips, the particular way their ears pinned back was unlike anything TO had seen before; it was even scarier than the time Flit got angry at them for lying in the simulation.

It was a glare that made TO feel cold right to their bones. 

 

With a growl, Kei lunged forward, but their straps held them back. Still, TO stumbled back and away from them, eying the recovered synth with low ears and wide eyes.

“Kei, stop-” Avery put a hand on Kei’s chest to push them back down, but Kei opened their mouth and gave this awful, pitched sound somewhere between a screech and a hiss. Avery let go as though Kei was on fire and backed away as well. DH stepped back, but stayed close to the machines, checking the different readings that the screen displayed. After a moment, they simply looked at TO and shrugged. 

 

“Kei..” Avery inched around the bed, never taking their eye off Kei as they put themself between the enraged synth and TO. “Kei, can you talk to me? Are you hurt?”

They lunged again, straining against their straps. “Traitor.” Their voice was ragged and hoarse, like they were tearing the words from deep within and flinging them from their mouth, “Filthy, deceitful, self-serving, fucking Traitors!”

The cursing from Kei jolted TO’s fear and shock into incredulity. Yes, they had seen Kei angry and disgusted before; but never like this. Never with such raw hatred and rage. 

 

They knew without a doubt that if they did not strap Kei to bed, they’d have attacked. TO had a sinking feeling that they wouldn’t have stopped until one or both of them were dead.