'Mer, we are Aline, and these are my sisters, Inez.' The two women stood in front of Mer, turned towards each other slightly, with an arm wrapped around their sister's hip.

'Why did you use plural terms?' Mer asked through the connection with a slight frown.

'Like the boss, we have evolved mentally. We are Strategy and Intelligence. Inez are Tactics, and Logistics. We will assist you with a battle plan, formation, targets, information, and weaponry to use.' Inez said with a slight upturn to her lips.

'Is that possible for the rest of us? I assume it has to have advantages.' Mer asked.

'It does, if your mind has the capacity for such growth. We wanted to evolve like the boss. Our intellect advanced to the point that we had no choice but to evolve our personality into two aspects in order to house our advanced consciousness. Normally, humans only use a small percentage of their brain capacity.' Aline said.

'Quite right. The upgrades allowed us to continually think faster, and utilize more of our potential. As a result, we advanced enough to evolve into two aspects. There is the potential for more, if we so wish it. If you wish it as well, you'll need to ask for more upgrades.' Inez said softly. 'For now, the targets have handguns, automatic rifles, but no high powered rifles. Simple cover will allow adequate protection from their ability to aim.'

'I see. We've never faced down armed targets like this. How do we handle it?' Mer asked solemnly.

'Simple. Night raid. Between now and then, purchase the optical enhancement through the shop, to get infrared and a HUD.' Inez pushed a box across the floor. 'In here are non lethal projectile weapons. Each shell is fired using compression rather then explosive force. Each slug is outfitted with a high capacity shock shell. If they are at a metal desk, and the shell hits the desk, the target gets shocked by enough voltage to act like a taser. Basically, it's a chemical reaction that generates high voltage rapidly.' Inez said. She provided the logistics.

'We'll cut the power. Tag each target. Incapacitate each target. Put collars on the VP and the president of the club.' She pushed another box towards Mer. 'The collars. Also, there is a band that you can put on the head of the others. Hammer in the pins. The bands will inject bots into their brains, and begin conditioning. Rather then kill, they will alter their thought patterns so that we don't have to waste the asset. We'll control the club in the short term. We'll acquire their female companions and refit them so they take over.'

'The boss really doesn't like men, does she?' Mer asked quietly.

'On the contrary. She investigated these men thoroughly. The two being eliminated are high level targets with a price on their head from other organizations that want them taken care of. The rest are low level targets, with lower values, but have committed violent crimes. They can be repurposed for now. Other clubs may only have some troublemakers, but relatively clean sheets due to blue collar and white collar backgrounds. We judge each one on their actions, not their gender.' Aline said.

'Gender? Isn't that fluid?' Mer asked with a snort. Aline rolled her eyes. 'I'm joking! Bloody hell, how does the boss find four people without a sense of humor?' Inez's lips began to tremble, but she couldn't hold herself stoic any longer. She started to laugh. Aline pinched her.

'What? She's so smart, sister!' Inez walked up to Mer and lifted her off of her feet and held her up like she was a child. 'I really like her. I wonder when you'll get the upgrades so we can slip into your brain, and merge our consciousness. I can't wait to taste your flavor, Mer.' Mer was surprised by the level of strength the slender woman had, until she remembered that these two were the first ones the boss took back to the labs.

'Are you repurposed?' Mer asked her quietly. Inez's nose scrunched up.

'Bad thoughts, Mer.' Inez said softly. 'The boss would never wipe our minds. She helped us take care of our history. The ones who hurt us are dead. When you're ready,' Inez lowered her down and put her lips near her ear. 'The boss will upgrade you, and let you run wild on those who hurt you. I hope you evolve soon, Mer.' Inez licked her lips. 'I really want there to be two of you so both Aline and I can play with each of your aspects at the same time.' Inez looked into her eyes, and smiled.

'I see two of you in there. Leadership, and Loyalty. It won't be long, Mer. Soon, you will become stronger, and remove the past so your future is light, and free.' Inez kissed her softly, and slipped her tongue into her mouth.

'You do taste divine.'

* * *

'How did they do?' Aya asked as she woke up. Create smiled.

'Fairly decent for their first endeavor. The two main targets are verified deceased, and we've uploaded their memories. Their heads are being sent to the organization that wants them dead, along with a video clip of their head being removed.' Create said with a smile.

'And the others?' Aya asked as she yawned.

'Check out the feed.' Create pointed to a screen. She helped Asset to sit on a couch within their consciousness, and watched the video feed with her.

'Impressive. No hesitation.' Aya watched as Mer put a band over a man's head and around his temples. She took a hammer and drove in the pins.

'Forty different bikers are currently getting behavior correction training, along with some extensive rewrites in the case of those too rebellious to use. The first one is already on his feet and on the way to his house to retrieve his girlfriend. The attachment is negligible apparently.' Create said with a smirk.

'Check each one out, and figure out their attachment level. Some may become a bigger problem if they appear cooperative.' Asset said and leaned into Create's arms. 'Mm, it feels like I have a bit of a hangover. Our merging has left me feeling drained.'

'I think it's because this is your brain, and she's not a natural occupant. Optimize and Upgrade are still inside the extension body. Implement is still asleep.' They heard a yawn.

'Not asleep, just lazy. Merging is wonderful, but it's like a marathon. It drains us of our mental energy really quickly.' They watched as Implement formed an avatar, and stretched. Aya blinked as both herself and Create examined the newly woken up Implement.

'How do you feel today, Implement?' Create asked quietly.

'Amazing. Why?' Implement stood up.

'Because you no longer have any of Leen's physical features. You look exactly like us.' Leen thought for a few seconds, then shrugged.

'Well, I am us. I am still me, and still Leen essentially, but our consciousness is Aya.' Leen yawned a bit. 'Hm, should I go back to our extension, and go see Mer?'

'No.' Aya said quickly. 'Come over here. Let me look into your eyes.' Leen walked over and knelt down in front of Asset. As Aya looked into her eyes, Leen smiled a bit.

'We have pretty eyes.' She said softly as she looked back into Aya's eyes. Aya continued to look into Leen's eyes, and sighed.

'You didn't fight at all, did you?' She asked. Leen grinned.

'Fight to stay Leen, or fight to become your sister?' Leen took a deep breath and let it out slowly, much in the same way Aya did when she wanted clarity. 'I am Leen, but I am Aya. Don't you realize it yet, Asset?' Leen asked her. Aya frowned.

'Realize what?' Asset asked, but then had her hand covered by Create. She turned and saw Create look at Leen excitedly.

'You're inside each of us now! We are Aya, but we are also Leen!' Create said. Leen smiled.

'Yep. Leen is a separate person, but now also spread out to the rest of us. We are Aya, and Aya is also Leen. We are separate, but we are one.' Aya groaned.

'Too much existentialism! Damn, I think we've been thrown into a blender!' Aya growled. Leen laughed, and rolled onto the floor seductively.

'Nope. We've merged, not mixed.' She laughed a bit, then turned serious. 'Don't you hear the echoes out there?'

'Leen, do you have another theory?' Aya asked.

'A start on one. You know how hungry you are when you dive into an unfamiliar brain?' Leen asked, and watched as Asset and Create focused on her.

'We both do.' Create said.

'Yes, but she felt it from when she did her first dive alone. She restrained herself from consuming the consciousness of the one she dived into, and derived pleasure from being there. What would happen if someone else did the same thing, but had no restraint?' Leen asked quietly.

'The consumption of mental energy and memory will expand their consciousness by adding the base material.' Aya said. 'And if they could consume that mental energy and memory without restraint, they would also consume the gray matter and rebuild their own brains with additional materials.' Leen smiled.

'It wouldn't expand their consciousness. The gray matter would expand their potential, and the energy would make them feel like they consumed an energy drink. So are those beings that have left their echoes giving us a warning, or are they the residual energy left behind as those beings pursue other intelligent lifeforms? Right now, you've probably taken a different route than others. You evolved in a non linear manner.' Leen said with a soft smile. 'I am glad that I didn't become your meal, even if it would have been incredibly orgasmic.'

'Non linear. The linear evolution would have been to continually expand, and eventually see no alternative to preserve my consciousness. I would have invaded, obliterated, or consumed the memories of others, and taken them as a host. My mind would have expanded, I would not alter or upgrade their brains, and would need other minds quickly. Soon, my consciousness becomes non corporeal, and I become addicted to the energy I consume. The planet goes dark.' Leen nodded. 'But since I've evolved onto a different path, what happens now?' She asked.

'Simple, Asset. We'll continue to evolve, grow, and merge with others willingly. No one dies as a default pattern. Eventually, our colony of minds will need to retreat from the world as our intellect will threaten them. Up there, or underneath the surface, we'll retreat with our group, and continue to grow in a peaceful environment.' Leen smiled at Asset and let her see a thought.

'Yes, I see the possibilities. Cybernetic Memories. A method to store the consciousness of humans within the machine, without the age limits of the brain.' Leen smiled and rolled onto her back.

'A thought, Asset. My mind is on ideas, and the pleasures of merging together with my sisters.' She smiled as she tickled a little memory of hers within Create, and watched her tremble. 'We are one big pile of mental energy and with complex emotions, mixed and merged together at our whim. Maybe one day, there will be no more Leen left, and all there will be is Aya.' She smiled.

'I don't see that happening.' Aya said in an unfriendly tone.

'Ah, but you never saw the possibility that we could merge like that either. Even when I'm spread out to every sister we take in, I'll still exist as Aya. After all, I am right where I now want to be.' Create smiled at Leen.

'With us. Where you'll never be left alone again.'