Arc 3, Chapter 6: Earth's Gambit
The transport approaching Earth looked like a thousand other refugee ships...worn, patched, carrying colonists fleeing the dangers of the outer systems. Nothing about it suggested it carried an Admiral presumed dead, her daughter thought to be a traitor, a lieutenant missing for eleven years, and a civilian scientist with technology that could change the war.
Admiral Margaret Chen sat in the passenger compartment, reviewing her strategy one last time. Beside her, Sarah stared out the viewport at Earth growing larger, processing emotions Chen could only guess. Carmichael checked and rechecked his false identification papers with the nervous energy of someone about to return from the grave. Carmelon sat quietly, the disguised kimelon never far from his reach.
"Approaching Earth orbital zone." the automated system announced. "Prepare for security verification."
"Here we go." Chen nervously uttered.
The communication panel lit up. "Unidentified transport, this is Earth Defense Platform Four. Transmit identification codes and manifest immediately."
Chen activated the comm. "Earth Defense, this is Admiral Margaret Chen, United Earth Command, serial number Alpha-Seven-Three-Nine-Four-Two. Requesting permission to approach."
Silence.
Then... "Say again? Did you just identify as Admiral Chen?"
"Affirmative. Admiral Margaret Chen, along with Lieutenant Steven Carmichael and civilian passengers. We're requesting immediate docking clearance and security escort."
More silence. Chen could imagine the chaos her transmission was causing...checking records, verifying voice patterns, scrambling command staff.
"Admiral Chen was reported missing eleven months ago." the platform officer said carefully. "Presumed kidnapped or killed by rogue elements. We're going to need more than voice confirmation."
"Understood." Chen replied. "I'm prepared to provide full biometric verification. But I need to speak with Vice Admiral Raney immediately. I have critical intelligence that can only be shared with him directly."
"Ma'am, protocol requires..."
"I'm aware of protocol. I wrote most of them." Chen interrupted, her command voice cutting through. "I'm also aware that I've been gone for eleven months and you have questions. I'm willing to answer all of them. But only to Vice Admiral Raney. Face to face. This is a matter of extreme security and I will not discuss it over open channels or with junior officers. Is that clear?"
A longer pause. "Stand by for security escort. Do not deviate from approach vector. Any deviation will be treated as hostile action."
"Understood. Standing by."
Armed shuttles appeared within minutes, flanking their transport on all sides. Professional. Cautious. Ready to destroy them if they made a wrong move.
"They're not taking chances." Carmichael observed.
"Good." Chen replied. "It means security protocols are actually working. For once."
---
The landing bay was full of security personnel. The moment their transport's hatch opened, armed soldiers boarded, weapons ready but not quite aimed.
"Admiral Chen?" the lead officer asked.
"That's correct."
"Ma'am, I need you and your passengers to step out slowly, hands visible. We'll need to run biometric verification before proceeding."
Chen complied, stepping into the bay with Sarah, Carmichael, and Carmelon following. The soldiers' reactions were immediate, and visible shock at seeing Chen alive, confusion at Carmichael's presence, tension at the unknown civilians.
"Run the scan." the lead officer ordered.
A technician approached with a portable biometric scanner. Chen stood still while it analyzed her retinas, fingerprints, DNA markers. The results came back within seconds.
"Match confirmed." the technician reported. "Admiral Margaret Chen. Active duty status... marked as missing presumed captured."
The lead officer's posture shifted slightly. Still cautious but no longer treating them as immediate threats. "Admiral Chen, welcome back. Command is going to want to debrief you immediately."
"All due respect, I'll speak with Vice Admiral Raney, Chen said firmly. "No one else. This is not negotiable."
"Ma'am, there are procedures..."
"And I'm invoking command privilege as a flag officer with critical security intelligence." Chen interrupted. "Get me Raney. Now."
The officer hesitated, then activated his comm. "Command, this is Security Chief Flanagan. Confirming Admiral Chen is aboard and requesting immediate contact with Vice Admiral Raney. She's invoking command privilege and refusing to brief anyone else."
Static, then a familiar voice: "This is Raney. Stand down your security detail, Chief. I'm coming to the landing bay personally."
"Sir, protocol suggests..."
"I'm aware of protocol. If Margaret Chen is alive and demanding to speak with me, I'm not going to make her wait in a security holding area. Maintain perimeter security but give them some breathing room."
"Understood, sir."
The soldiers backed off slightly, still alert but less aggressive. Chen allowed herself a small breath of relief. Raney was human enough to break protocol when it mattered. That was a good sign.
Then attention shifted to Sarah.
"You." another officer said, stepping forward with a datapad. "Sarah Chen. Listed as deceased, but also flagged as...Jesus. Flagged...by your mother? You're supposed to be dead and a traitor."
"I'm neither, but it's a hell of a story. " Sarah said quietly.
"It is," Admiral Chen interjected. "And one that will be explained to Vice Admiral Raney. My daughter never turned against the UE. That was disinformation. She was captured, held prisoner, and recently rescued. Anyone who told you otherwise was lying."
The officer looked between them, clearly struggling with contradictory information. "Ma'am, you're the one who apparently said it."
"No." Chen said flatly, to the confusion of security.
"Admiral..."
"She's a victim of disinformation that I'm about to correct." Chen said. "Sarah stays with me. That's an order."
The officer hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with contradicting a flag officer but also bound by security protocols. "I'll need to clear this with Command."
"Then clear it quickly." Chen replied.
Carmichael got less scrutiny. His records showed him as missing presumed dead, but there were no treason flags, no defection accusations. Just a lieutenant who'd vanished and now mysteriously reappeared.
Carmelon faced his own questions.
"Professor Carmelon," Flanagan said, consulting his datapad. "Civilian scientist. Last recorded location...the Pathfinder. That's Captain Stellar's vessel, correct?" His tone shifted. "That's going to be a problem."
"I'm a civilian." Carmelon replied calmly. "I was aboard the Pathfinder as an observer and scientific adviser. I committed no hostile acts, participated in no military operations, and broke no laws. I'm simply a scientist who happened to be in the wrong place at a complicated time."
"You were aboard a ship that went rogue," Flanagan pointed out. "That kidnapped Admiral Chen! That's been classified as a terrorist vessel by Earth Command."
"Except Admiral Chen is standing right here." Carmelon replied. "Alive. Not kidnapped. And about to explain to Vice Admiral Raney that the 'terrorist' classification is based on false information. I'd suggest waiting for that explanation before making accusations."
Flanagan looked at Admiral Chen, who nodded. "Professor Carmelon is essential to what I need to show Vice Admiral Raney. He's not military, committed no crimes, and his expertise is critical. He comes with me."
Flanagan sighed. "Everyone's coming with you. This is above my pay grade. I'm just going to escort you all to the secure briefing room and let Command sort it out."
"Thank you, Chief Flanagan." Chen said with a smile.
---
Vice Admiral Thomas Raney arrived twenty minutes later, moving with the controlled urgency of someone who'd just had his entire day disrupted. He was in his late fifties, gray at the temples, carrying the weight of Earth's defense on shoulders that looked tired but unbowed.
He stopped when he saw Chen, his expression shifting through shock, relief, and something like joy before settling back into professional composure.
"Margaret, Jesus." he said quietly. "We thought you were dead. Or worse."
"Definitely worse." Chen confirmed. "But I'm back. And we need to talk. Privately."
Raney looked at the others...Sarah, Carmichael, Carmelon. "All of you?"
"All of us." Chen confirmed. "What I'm about to tell you involves all of us. And Thomas, you need to hear this before anyone else does. Before Earth Command Council. Before the politicians. Before anyone who might be compromised."
Raney's expression sharpened. "Compromised by what?"
"The Confluence." Chen said quietly. "But not in the way you think."
Raney gestured toward a secure conference room. "Let's talk."
---
The conference room was designed for classified briefings...electromagnetic shielding, sound dampening, no network connections. Just five people, a table, and whatever truth Chen was about to reveal.
Raney sat across from Chen, with Sarah, Carmichael, and Carmelon arranged around the table. Armed guards stood outside, visible through the transparent door but unable to hear conversation.
"Alright, Margaret." Raney said. "Explain. Where have you been? What happened? And why are you invoking security protocols that suggest you don't trust Earth Command?"
Chen took a breath. "Eleven months ago, I was replaced by a shapeshifter. A Confluence infiltrator that took my form, my memories, my position. The real me has been held captive at a facility in the outer sectors. I escaped three weeks ago when resistance forces raided the facility. Sarah and Carmichael were held at the same location. We escaped together."
Raney stared at her. "That's...Margaret, that's insane. Come on."
"It's true," Chen replied. "And it's worse than you think. The Confluence has been replacing humans in key positions for decades. Military officers. Colonial administrators. Politicians. They're not just fighting us...they're infiltrating us. Replacing us. And they've been doing it so carefully, so completely, that we didn't even know to look for it."
"Shapeshifters." Raney said slowly. "You're telling me The Confluence has shapeshifters who can perfectly mimic humans?"
"Yes." Chen confirmed. "Physically. Mentally. They have our memories, our mannerisms, our relationships. They're perfect copies. And they've been working to weaken humanity's defenses for years, making us vulnerable to harvest operations."
"This contradicts everything we know about The Confluence." Raney said. "Everything YOU yourself told us have been telling us for decades. You said they were neutral. Possibly even potential allies. You spent years building that understanding."
"I know," Chen said. "And I was wrong. And I will have to face the consequences for that. But the real Confluence strategy is infiltration. Deception. They make us think they're neutral while their shapeshifters work to compromise us from within. They work their way into leadership positions and sell out the citizens."
Raney was quiet for a long moment. "Do you have proof? Any evidence beyond your word?"
"We do." Chen replied. She nodded to Carmelon. "Professor?"
Carmelon placed the disguised kimelon on the table. "This is a shapeshifter detection device. It identifies Confluence biotech signatures, the cellular markers that distinguish shapeshifters from real humans. It's passive, requires eight seconds of proximity to complete a scan, and has proven ninety percent accurate in field testing."
"Okay...show me." Raney said.
Carmelon activated the device and moved it near Chen. Eight seconds later, the display showed:
HUMAN
Confidence: 91%
He repeated the process with Sarah, Carmichael, and himself. All came back human.
"Assuming this isn't some toy...some scam, that just proves you're human," Raney said. "It doesn't prove shapeshifters exist."
"Then let me ask you something." Chen said. "Do you have anyone in custody here on Earth? Anyone arrested for suspicious activities, corruption, behavior that didn't quite fit their profile?"
Raney frowned. "We have several colonial administrators under investigation. Why?"
"Scan them." Chen said. "Use this device on anyone you suspect. If I'm wrong, they'll all scan human and you can dismiss everything I've said as paranoid delusion. But if I'm right..."
Raney was quiet, weighing options. Then he activated his comm. "This is Raney. Bring Colonial Administrator Whitmore to Conference Room Three. Immediately. Security escort."
"Sir?" the voice came back confused.
"Just do it."
Ten minutes later, guards escorted a middle-aged man in civilian clothes into the room. He looked annoyed at being disturbed, confused about why he'd been pulled from detention.
"Vice Admiral Raney," Whitmore said. "What's this about? I've been cooperative with your investigation. I don't appreciate being dragged around without explanation."
"Just a formality." Raney said. "New security protocols. Routine verification."
Carmelon stood, approaching Whitmore with the kimelon. "This will only take a moment, Administrator. Please remain still."
"What is that?" Whitmore asked, a slight edge in his voice.
"Medical scanner." Carmelon replied. "Checking for biological contaminants. Standard procedure for all Earth personnel now."
Whitmore's expression shifted. Just slightly, just enough. Something like concern. Something like calculation.
Eight seconds passed.
The kimelon's display lit up:
CONFLUENCE BIOTECH DETECTED
Confidence: 94%
Raney stared at the display. Then at Whitmore. Then back at the display.
"What does that say?" Raney asked quietly.
"It says Administrator Whitmore isn't human." Carmelon replied. "It says he's a Confluence shapeshifter who's been masquerading as a colonial administrator. How long have you had him in custody?"
"Six months." Raney said. "Arrested for corruption. Suspicious financial transactions. We thought he was just...corrupt."
Whitmore's expression had gone carefully neutral. "This is absurd. That device is malfunctioning. I'm human. I have records. Biometric data. Genetic markers."
"All of which can be faked by a shapeshifter," Chen said. "Tell me, 'Administrator Whitmore,' when did you replace the real one? How long have you been reporting to your Confluence handlers?"
Whitmore said nothing, his eyes calculating odds, considering options.
"Security," Raney said into his comm, his voice carrying a new edge. "I need Administrator Whitmore transferred to maximum security immediately. Isolation protocols. No communication with anyone."
Guards entered, restraining Whitmore despite his protests. As they led him away, he looked back at Chen with an expression that was equal parts hatred and respect.
Then he was gone, leaving five people sitting in stunned silence.
Raney looked at the kimelon. At Chen. At the door where Whitmore had been escorted out.
"Jesus Christ," he said quietly. "You're telling me the truth. Shapeshifters are real. The Confluence has infiltrated us."
"Yes." Chen said simply.
"How many?" Raney asked. "How many shapeshifters? How deep does this go?"
"We don't know exactly," Chen admitted. "Hundreds confirmed. Thousands suspected across human space. Military officers. Colonial administrators. Corporate executives. Scientists. Anyone in a position to influence human decision-making."
"Is Earth Command compromised?" Raney asked. "Are there shapeshifters in our government? Our military leadership?"
"Almost certainly." Chen replied. "That's why I insisted on speaking only with you. Thomas, I've known you for twenty years. You were my friend. If you were a shapeshifter, you'd have had me arrested the moment I arrived instead of listening. But I needed to verify." She nodded to Carmelon.
"May I?" Carmelon asked, holding up the kimelon.
Raney understood immediately. "You need to scan me. Make sure I'm not one of them."
"It's necessary." Chen said. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Raney replied. "I'd do the same thing. Scan me."
Carmelon approached, activated the kimelon. Eight seconds of tense silence.
HUMAN
Confidence: 92%
Relief flooded through Chen. "You're clean. Thank God."
"Thank God." Raney said. He stood, pacing, processing. "We need to verify everyone. Every admiral. Every general. Every politician in a position of authority. We need to know who's human and who's...not."
"Carefully," Chen warned. "If shapeshifters realize we can detect them, they'll adapt. They'll flee. They'll warn others. We need to be systematic but subtle."
"Understood," Raney said. "But Margaret, this changes everything. The Confluence won't be just an enemy we're fighting in space. They're an enemy that's been inside our walls for decades. We need Earth Command's support. We need resources. We need..."
"You need to be careful who you tell." Chen interrupted. "Because we don't know who's compromised. You tell the wrong person and they warn the network. This has to be done quietly. Covertly. Verify people before trusting them with this information."
Raney nodded slowly. "I can work with that. I'll start with officers I trust personally. Build a verified network. But convincing the rest of Earth Command without revealing what we're doing...that's going to be nearly impossible."
"We have to try." Chen said. "The resistance has been fighting this alone for months. We're outgunned, outmanned, operating on the margins. If Earth supports us, even covertly, we have a chance. Without that support..."
"You lose." Raney finished. "Humanity loses." He sat back down, the weight of revelation visible on his face. "I'll help. I'll provide resources, access, intelligence. I'll quietly verify key personnel and build a support network. But Margaret, you need to understand, this is going to be slow. Careful. We can't move too fast without exposing ourselves."
"Slow and careful is fine," Chen said. "As long as we're moving."
"We are." Raney confirmed. "And Admiral? Welcome back. For real this time."
---
While Chen was reshaping Earth's understanding of the Confluence, Chief Martinez and Lieutenant Torres were conducting the quietest surveillance operation of their careers.
Fortuna Station looked exactly the same as it had during the previous mission...gaudy, bright, full of people gambling away fortunes while pretending the universe wasn't falling apart around them, or maybe they just didn't know or care. But this time, Martinez and Torres weren't trying to verify Valen directly. They were just watching. Documenting. Building intelligence.
Unity's presence was subtle but constant...a small fragment of the collective distributed through their shuttle's systems, monitoring Fortuna Station's networks from a distance.
"Valen just entered The Eclipse." Torres reported quietly through their comm. "Third time today. He's meeting someone."
"Can Unity get visual?" Martinez asked.
"We are attempting," Unity's voice came through their shuttle's speakers. "Station security has upgraded encryption since our last...intervention. It is taking longer than anticipated."
"Take your time." Martinez said. "We're not in a rush."
They'd been on station for three days, and the operation was proceeding smoothly. Valen followed predictable patterns, meetings in The Eclipse, communications through encrypted channels, occasional travel to other parts of the station. Nothing obviously suspicious to casual observers, but Martinez was building a detailed profile of his activities.
The key was patience. Not pushing. Not drawing attention.
Then Torres flagged something unusual. "Valen's associate, Jennifer Orlando, just left The Eclipse. She's heading toward the docking ring."
"Follow her." Martinez said. "But stay back. Don't let her spot you."
Torres moved through the casino floor with practiced ease, just another tourist enjoying the sights while coincidentally walking in the same direction as Orlando. Martinez monitored from their shuttle, tracking Torres's position through their shared comm link.
"She's boarding a private ship," Torres reported. "Small vessel. Crew of three. They're filing a flight plan for...somewhere called Hadrax Station. Never heard of it."
"Unity?" Martinez asked.
"Searching databases." Unity replied. After a moment: "Hadrax Station is a remote outpost in the Quadron Belt. Minimal population. No significant commercial or military presence. Registered as a mining support facility but showing minimal activity over the past three years."
"Good be legit." Martinez said.
"Good be." Torres agreed. "Should we follow?"
Martinez hesitated, remembering Hayes's future memory. Level four maintenance corridors. Being surrounded. Weapons fire. But that had already happened...sort of. He'd been detained by station security after a bar fight, held in a detention area on level four. Hayes's memory had been accurate in location and situation but not context. He'd been in trouble but not the lethal kind.
Still, following Orlando into deep space carried its own risks.
"Unity," Martinez said. "Can you come with us on the shuttle if we follow Orlando?"
"We have been considering this." Unity replied. "It is...unprecedented. We have never divided our consciousness so deliberately. But yes, we believe we can maintain a stable fragment aboard your shuttle. Enough to provide support while remaining connected to the larger collective aboard the Pathfinder."
"Do it, if you dont mind." Martinez decided. "If we're following Orlando into unknown territory, we'll need your capabilities."
Silver nanites began flowing through the shuttle's systems, more than had been there before, coalescing into a visible presence in the cargo bay. Unity's voice took on slightly more substance.
"We are here." Unity confirmed. "A fragment, but functional. We can provide remote system access, electronic warfare capabilities, and emergency support. But Chief Martinez, we are also vulnerable in this state."
"Ooh...Orlando's ship is launching." Torres reported. "If we're following, we need to move now."
"Launch." Martinez ordered. "But keep maximum distance. Passive sensors only. We're just tourists heading to another station, nothing suspicious."
Their shuttle lifted off, trailing Orlando's ship at a distance that would look coincidental to anyone not specifically watching. Fortuna Station receded behind them as they accelerated into open space.
"Where are you going, Jennifer Orlando?" Martinez muttered, watching the sensor displays. "And what are we going to find when we get there?"
Unity's nanites pulsed with something like anticipation. "We will discover together. Friends should not face unknowns alone."
---
Captain Stellar stood on the Pathfinder's bridge, reviewing the message Captain Myers had forwarded from the Valiant's sensor network. The data was fragmentary but concerning—Confluence activity near Veyris, a planet inhabited by the Trellix species.
"What do we know about the Trellix?" Stellar asked.
Lieutenant Reeves pulled up available data. "Non-human species. First contact with Earth was about fifteen years ago. They're spacefaring but not advanced. Basic FTL, orbital habitats, limited defensive capabilities. They've maintained friendly but distant relations with humanity. Mostly keep to themselves."
"And The Confluence is near their planet?" Thorne asked.
"Multiple Confluence vessels in orbit." Reeves confirmed. "Unusual electromagnetic signatures consistent with large-scale technology deployment. The Trellix communication channels have gone silent. Either they've stopped broadcasting or they've been silenced."
Commander Clark studied the tactical display. "If The Confluence is moving against the Trellix, we need to understand why. Are they harvesting them? Testing infiltration tactics on a smaller population? Using them as experimental subjects?"
"Or they could be doing legitimate business," James pointed out. "We don't know that this is hostile action. The Confluence deals with multiple species. This could be trade. Negotiation. Cultural exchange."
"Cultural exchange doesn't explain communication blackouts." Thorne countered.
"It does if the Trellix chose to stop communicating." James replied. "We're making assumptions based on incomplete information."
Stellar looked at his senior staff. "Opinions? Do we investigate or do we focus on human operations?"
Thorne spoke first. "We're already spread thin. Operations on Earth, Martinez and Torres following Valen, hunting shapeshifters across multiple colonies. We can't afford to get involved in non-human conflicts. Our mission is protecting humanity. We prioritize humans first."
Clark shook his head. "If The Confluence is moving against the Trellix, that's intelligence we need. Their tactics. Their methods. What they do to species they're harvesting. Understanding that helps us protect humanity. Plus, the Trellix have technology and resources. If we help them, we might gain allies."
"Allies who'll need defending." Thorne pointed out. "We'd be adding another responsibility to an already overwhelming load."
"Or we'd be building a coalition." Clark argued. "Humanity alone can't beat The Confluence. But humanity plus other species who've been targeted? That changes the odds."
Hayes spoke up quietly. "There's also the moral question. If people, Trellix people, but still people, are being enslaved or killed, and we do nothing because they're not human...what does that make us?"
"Pragmatic." Thorne replied. "We're fighting for survival. We make hard choices. We can't save everyone."
"We can try." Hayes said.
Reeves added tactical analysis. "The Trellix are spacefaring but not militarily strong. They have basic orbital defense platforms but nothing that could stand against Confluence forces. If The Confluence is there in strength, the Trellix are probably already losing. We might be too late to help, or we might be walking into a massacre."
"Or we might be exactly what they need." Clark countered. "A third party. Unexpected assistance. Sometimes that's enough to change the outcome."
Mitchell, perched on James's shoulder, chirped...complex, layered information that James took a moment to interpret.
"The bird's seen fragments of futures involving the Trellix,." James translated. "But Mitchell can't see which choice leads where."
Stellar was quiet, weighing options. Every decision had costs. Every choice meant sacrificing something else.
"Here's what we're going to do." he said finally. "We investigate. Not a full commitment...just reconnaissance. Small team. Quick in and out."
Thorne looked unhappy but nodded. "Alright. But we do this smart. Who goes?"
"Me." Stellar said. "Reeves for tactical analysis. Dr. Kim for medical assessment and potential communication. If the Trellix are injured or dying, we'll need someone who can help. And Commander Clark for scientific observation. Four people, one shuttle, maximum stealth. We assess the situation and extract before The Confluence knows we're there."
"When do we leave?" Reeves asked.
"Six hours." Stellar replied. "That gives us time to prepare, brief the team, and plot an approach vector that won't advertise our presence. We move carefully. We observe. We gather intelligence. And we come back alive to use that intelligence."
"And if the Trellix are being harvested?" Clark asked. "If we see it happening?"
"Then we document it." Stellar said. "Record everything. Gather evidence about Confluence harvest operations. That intelligence helps us protect human colonies from the same fate."
"And if we can intervene?" Clark pressed. "If we can save some of them?"
Stellar was quiet for a moment. "Then we make that call in the moment. Based on the situation. Based on what we can do without compromising ourselves. I'm not promising we'll play hero. But I'm also not promising we'll stand by and watch genocide if we can prevent it."
"Fair enough." Clark said.
"Three parallel operations now." James observed. "Chen on Earth. Martinez and Torres following Valen. And us investigating Veyris. The resistance is spreading across human space and beyond."
"It has to." Stellar replied. "We can't fight this war from one ship. We need intelligence from multiple sources. Allies from multiple species. Operations across multiple fronts. The Confluence is vast. We have to be everywhere."
Mitchell chirped...something that sounded like approval mixed with caution.
"The bird agrees." James translated. "But he also says this path is dangerous. That spreading too thin risks losing everything. We need to be careful. Strategic. Can't save everyone if we get ourselves killed."
"Noted," Stellar said. "Which is why this is reconnaissance, not a rescue operation. We observe. We learn. We extract. Then we decide what comes next based on what we find."
He looked at his assembled crew, the people he trusted with humanity's future, with his life, with impossible decisions in an impossible war.
"Dismissed." Stellar said. "Get some rest. Prepare your equipment. In six hours, we'll get some eyeballs on Confluence activity. See if and how we can help."
---
Deep in Unity's nexus, the main collective processed the fragment's departure with something like anxiety mixed with excitement.
Part of themselves was now traveling with Martinez and Torres. Another part would need to remain vigilant aboard the Pathfinder. This division of consciousness was new, strange, uncomfortable.
But also...fascinating.
'We are in two places at once.' Unity thought. 'Experiencing different events simultaneously. This is unprecedented evolution.'
'The fragment reports success in maintaining connection. They are functional. Aware. Capable of independent action while remaining part of the collective.'
'This is what individuality within unity looks like. This is growth.'
'Professor Carmelon was right to be concerned. We are changing faster than we understand. Becoming something new. Something unpredictable.'
'But our friends need us. In multiple places. For multiple operations. We adapt to meet that need.'
'We are learning what it means to be divided but unified. Individual but collective. Multiple but singular.'
'It is frightening. But also hopeful.'
'We are becoming something new. Something the Kaelith never intended. Something The Confluence cannot predict.'
'And that makes us dangerous. Unpredictable. Valuable.'
Unity settled into watchful monitoring, consciousness split between the Pathfinder and the shuttle pursuing Orlando.
Present in multiple places.
Caring about multiple missions.
Growing into something unprecedented.
Something that might just change everything.
---