Currently up to Chapter 43 for patrons, and 45 for tier 2.

"Boss, they are in horrible shape." The man said as he carried one young woman into the room and set her on the medical bed. His wife wasn't far behind him with another in her arms.

"He's right, boss. These girls have been tortured heavily in the last few days. I think they were leading up to the finale." She said quietly, and ran her fingers through the girl's hair. Fear ran through her eyes.

"Where am I?" She said fearfully. Aya walked over, and began to examine her.

"In a place those people won't find you." Aya said gently. She looked at the woman. "Get your partner to bring the last one in." She shook her head.

"She didn't make it, boss. We didn't notice, but she smashed her head on the floor of the van repeatedly. She didn't want to be tortured to death." She said sadly. Aya's eyes hardened.

"Get your partner to examine the list. Plan and hunt those beasts down, Lena. This ring must be shut down permanently. Save as many as you can, but kill everyone who has a part in the making of these films. Use as many collars as you need, and coordinate with the twins." Lena shivered. "What's wrong?"

"They scare me, boss. So cold." Lena said quietly.

"They were victims like these two. I made them strong enough to pull off those bastard's arms. They will work with you, Lena. Just don't show any disloyalty. They hate disloyalty." Aya said firmly. Lena nodded.

"As do I, boss. You saved his life, and linked us together. We'll always be your eyes, and hands." Lena recovered her calm. Aya smiled.

"Doesn't hurt that you two have a much more vigorous sex life, inside the construct, does it?" Lena blushed.

"Boss. That's not something I talk about." She said demurely, but the smile on her face said it all.

"You can keep him to yourself, Lena. The girls prefer the company of their pets to men. Go on. Start the hunt. I have some people to heal, and they need some reassurance." Aya smiled gently down at the young woman who listened to their conversation, and was quite confused by the words.

"Computer, subject Kata. What is her condition?" Aya asked.

"Seventy percent healed from the surgeries. She is ready to be reintegrated." Aya sighed.

'Ladies, I have need of your assistance in the medical bays. Two survivors. Please...oh alright, finish up or Kata will pout until her lips fall off.' Aya smirked.

'Boss! So mean.' Kata whined a little, but within her consciousness, there was an overwhelming sense of affection and stubborn pride that she belonged to Aya as one of her people.

* * *

'Reintegration process initiated. Ninety nine point four percent recognition of pathways. New memories have caused a small bottleneck in reintegration speed.' Tandy said quietly. Aya pursed her lips a bit.

'Let me check.' She slipped into the system. 'Ah, yes, here we are. The new memories and emotions that she cultivated while within the construct have changed her neural net layout a bit. Reshuffling, processing, settings reconfigured. Diagnostics?' Aya said as she ran through Kata's memories, and smiled a bit.

'It was the loyalty program chip. The sudden surge in readings caused a slight delay as it scanned, and made its calculations.' Tandy's computer voice spoke this time.

'Makes sense. Let me see which memories were the issue. Oh. I see. Hm, I guess I can let the doctor have some fun at the club when she's up and around.' Aya slipped out of Kata's configuration, and moved over to Tandy's consciousness. She found similar motivations, and a new affection buried underneath her clinical mind.

'It appears that my Kata made an impression on you, doctor.' Aya said quietly. 'I don't mind sharing.' Everyone, including the doctor, felt a surge within the system.

'OVERLOAD OVERLOAD OVERLOAD.' Aya growled a bit as her alarms for evolution kicked in. She quickly activated another frame. She started the machines in the back lab and got them to build another two frames for her.

'Fuck. I'm leaving my girls so far behind. I guess I have no choice but to encourage them to be together, and share their affection.' Aya felt a bit of sadness. There was a time when she looked forward to being able to have relations with her doctor, and even the rest of the club.

Every time she evolved, and her consciousness expanded, she could see new possibilities, and she became less tied to her human body. If she didn't have these frames to hold pieces of her consciousness, she might have evolved into a being without a body, and become pure mental energy.

Aya felt that it was possible, but she also sensed the trap within that evolutionary pathway. Unlike the hoax Darwin foisted on the public, in order to sell books or become important in the scientific world, her process of evolution was completely based on her expanding intellect, as well as her mental willpower.

As she would not release the other aspects of her humanity, such as desire and need, or love and lust, she could maintain her current form.

Aya knew she had to do something, as she could sense that this control she maintained would not last forever.

* * *

'Baby?' Tandy said. Aya looked up at her.

'It's time for your frame, doctor. You won't be able to get out of the vat until your skin grows back, which will take a few additional weeks. You will need Jill and Sol to anchor you, but you can remain within the construct while the surgeries occur.' Tandy tilted her head.

'What happened?' She asked, her eyes suddenly hard.

'I evolved again.' Aya said softly. 'I struggle to maintain my hold on the physical, as my mind integrates with the possibilities beyond the body.' Tandy growled a bit inside her mind.

'Still growing, and I'm not yet out of this fucking vat! How in the hell am I supposed to catch up to you now?' She said angrily.

'I don't know if you can, doctor.' Aya said sadly. 'I'm barely maintaining my hold on my body now.' Aya's eyes twitched a bit.

'What? Did you think of something?'

'The neural net.' She whispered. 'I can change the plates that house the brain into interface implants, or other neural upgrades.' Tandy's anger seemed to dissipate.

'I think I understand. With the neural upgrades, more of your evolutionary path will be held within your own body, preventing you from spreading out your consciousness.' Aya nodded. Tandy pursed her lips. 'I hate to say this, but you may also need to seat your real body into an interface, and continue to upgrade yourself. It may put you far out of reach, but you'll stay with us longer.'

'I agree, doctor. However, that is a short term solution. The free mental energy scenario is a trap of some kind. I can sense residual energy signatures around the solar system, hundreds of thousands of years old. Stray thoughts sent out, searching and hungry for strength.' Tandy frowned.

'Parasites? Or hunters?'

'They may be only echoes. Of more powerful beings that passed through our system far in the past. Mental energy without a form can not defend itself in its infancy. These beings may wish to force their own evolution into a higher plane by adding the energy to their own.' Aya flicked through Tandy's mind.

'I think I see. Foolish concept though.' Tandy read Aya's intentions, and realized what path Aya considered. 'How can food do anything other then fuel them? Would that make them desperate?'

'Possibly. Or there could have been a planet where beings evolved their minds into pure thought. A war ensued as some sought to evolve faster, and dominate like they did while in physical bodies. They may still seek to consume their brethren in a feeble attempt to grow.' Aya said softly. Tandy smirked.

'No wonder they stop their growth. Still stuck on formless and worthless ideas of power when intellect can guide to a higher plane of thought. However, can you use the implants to not only allow your consciousness to stick more inside your own body, but also expand the abilities of your current frames?' Tandy felt a surge within her mind, and nearly blacked out.

'Such wonderful thoughts, doctor. Maybe you will join me in a higher plane of existence some day. I can't wait to see you evolve in the future.'