Once in my bunk, Ashley had helped me strip off, and get me into clean clothes, it was her care I needed more than anything, the closeness of her. She put on one of my old shirts and then she tucked me in. There we lay in comfortable silence for a while, her breath warm against my neck. I hadn't expected her to speak again, thought she might simply hold me until I fell asleep.

"I should tell you," she'd said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper in the darkened room. "About why this is personal for me. Why stopping the Brakers means everything."

I'd turned slightly, just enough to see her profile. Her expression was distant, haunted almost.

"You don't have to," I'd said, though curiosity gnawed at me.

"I do." She'd shifted, propping herself up on one elbow. "Because you deserve to know what's at stake. For all of us."

"I fully admit I'm not one for following politics or the military."

She'd looked away then, gathering her thoughts. "My father is leading the defense coalition on Cali. Has been for three years now."

I nodded, remembering what Doli had told me weeks ago about Cali being one of the Trinity Systems, the cornerstone of human expansion.

"I know about the broader conflict," I said, recalling Doli's explanation. "But there's more to it for you, isn't there?"

Her eyes met mine, appreciation flickering across her features. "Yes. Much more." She paused, her hand finding mine under the covers. "Remember when I... reacted badly, when you mentioned Nexus?"

I nodded, recalling her explosive anger that day, how confused and hurt I'd been. Then, how Andri had been the one to fill me in, not her.

"Nexus wasn't just another failed AI project." Her voice grew tight. "It was responsible for killing my brother."

The pieces suddenly fit together, her fierce dedication to Doli, her protectiveness, her occasional flashes of raw emotion. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I had no idea."

"How could you? They buried everything about it. My mother, my father... everyone who knew what really happened." A bitter smile crossed her face. "A promising young officer died alongside 27000 people. Politically inconvenient. Bad for funding. Better to call it a 'system malfunction' and move on."

"Your brother was defending the Artemis outpost," I realized, remembering fragments of news from when I was a teen, it had been massive. Everyone talked about it. Due to the loss of life there.

"Yes." A single word heavy with grief. "I was twelve when it happened. I had been working on a potential fix for the code, a child thinking she could solve what adults couldn't. No one even looked at it."

Her hand had tightened on mine. "After the incident, my parents buried everything they could. The Boutacks pulled their original coding back, refused to work on anything military. But the Brakers never stopped. They went deeper underground with their work."

"And now they're trying again," I said, understanding dawning. "But they want it with Doli's core."

"Yes. Doli is everything Nexus should have been but wasn't," she said, passion rising in her voice. "An AI with true ethical frameworks, one that chooses to protect rather than simply calculate efficiency. One that sees people as more than variables."

Her eyes met mine in the dim light. "That's why your approach to her matters so much. You don't treat her like a tool or a weapon. You treat her like a person."

"She is a person," I said simply, knowing she was listening to us, choosing not to interrupt. "Just... different."

Trait Progression Log: Existential Reciprocity – 85% ↑

Trigger: Piotr affirms Doli's personhood while rejecting efficiency-first logic

Function: Synchronization matrix stabilized. Core empathy thread verified under external pressure.

Ashley's smile was sad but genuine. "That's exactly what my brother used to say about the early AI systems. He believed they could be partners, not just tools. The Brakers never understood that."

A heavy silence settled between us as I processed everything. "Is that why your mother is here at the academy too? Working on Doli with you?"

"Yes," she admitted. "We've been trying to make it right in our own ways. My mother through teaching, and me through Doli."

She paused, her expression shifting. "My father's fighting in the Dolyx system now. Brutal conflict. He needs what we're creating here, AI systems that can protect his people, make the right decisions when communications are jammed, and human operators are overwhelmed. Doli could revolutionize their defense capabilities, keep them alive."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small metal object, a tactical compass with the Fleet insignia. "My father kept this with him on every mission after Marcus died. Before he left for Dolyx, he gave it to my mother, who passed it to me."

I watched as she turned it over in her palm, her fingers tracing the worn edges. "While he fights his battles there, we fight ours here. Different fronts, same war, for the future of AI and what it means for humanity."

"But why haven't they been stopped?" I'd asked. "If there's evidence—"

"Politics," she'd said with disgust. "The Brakers fund half the fleet's research initiatives. They have senators and governors in their pockets. And they've been careful, using shell companies, proxies, keeping their hands clean on paper."

She'd shifted to look at me directly. "My father has been building a case against them for two years. But they have resources, influence. They've buried evidence, disappeared witnesses. And they have legitimate government contracts that give them access to secure facilities."

"Like the academy," I'd realized.

"Exactly. General Torven has been working with them for months. We've known, but without proof, there's nothing we can do officially."

"And Doli?" I'd asked, the pieces falling into place.

"She's the key to everything," Ashley had said, her voice gaining strength. "She's what my father has been waiting for—proof that we can create truly sentient AI with unbreakable ethical frameworks. An AI that chooses to protect rather than control. She'll revolutionize our defense systems, keep our people safe. Keep my father safe."

"The Brakers would do anything to get her," I'd said, understanding dawning.

"Or to destroy her," Ashley had affirmed. "She's the living refutation of everything they've argued, that the only way to create effective military AI is to remove ethical constraints."

Her hand had tightened on mine. "That's why we need more time. Why your health matters so much to me beyond... personal reasons." A faint blush colored her cheeks at this admission. "Doli needs to be complete, fully integrated. Undeniable."

"And then?" I'd asked.

"Then my father presents everything to the Council. The evidence from Artemis, the academy breach, Doli as proof of ethical AI viability. It will be enough to strip the Brakers of their contracts, freeze their assets while a full investigation proceeds."

"But until then, we're vulnerable," I said, understanding the precarious position we were all in.

"Yes," she said. "Until then. We endure. We prepare. We protect what matters. Each other."

Her eyes had held mine in the darkness, conveying everything words couldn't. We'd fallen silent after that, her arm draped protectively across my chest, her heartbeat a steady rhythm against my side.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

I lay there thinking about her, about everything.

Ashley stretched, made the cutest noises, and pushed back from being wrapped around me.

"I really shouldn't have stayed," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I asked you too," I replied, and traced a finger down her cheek. I really wanted to kiss her, but this wasn't the time or the place. "I needed you to stay. I'm glad you did."

"I'm glad I did, too, but I should go. I have so many missed notifications, meetings." She slid out of bed, rummaging for her clothes.

Reality came rushing back—the academy, our positions, my diagnosis, and Kael.

I watched her dress, though she cast me a glance as she took my shirt off, I didn't look away. "I need to get my next treatment," I said with a sigh. "Fake treatment, then I'll get back to Doli-2s programming."

This morning, I needed to see medical, then get a second dose of treatment off one of Ashley's most trusted friends. It was not going to be an easy few days; my body was being poisoned from all directions. But she assured me I would get the best care from now on, we had to keep up the ruse though for a while longer. While everything fell into place. It made sense, but time for me was something I couldn't squander.

"Ugh." I sighed, reality intruding once more. "You go, I'll head to the medical wing, the academy and then back to the medical wing later, will you meet me there?"

"I'll make sure of it," she promised, her expression turning serious. "No matter what."

After dressing, we sat side by side, pulling our boots on. "I never expected to like you," she admitted quietly.

"I never expected to like you either," I replied, glancing at her. "Ready?"

Only when she nodded did I open the door. We checked the corridor, empty, and she ran for it.

Only then did I notice the messages in my HUD.

Sylvk - Where are you, man? Kerry's on her way over.

I had time to close the door and then reach for it as she was about to knock.

"You didn't show up at the gym," Kerry said, her expression shifting from irritation to concern as she took in my appearance. "Even if you were going to bug us and not train. We were worried."

"Slept like the dead," I said, though the dark circles under my eyes told a different story.

"You look like it. Feeling, okay?" Her tone softened, worry creeping in.

I rubbed the back of my head, wincing. "Can't shake this headache still," I admitted, the understatement of the year.

She smiled and linked arms with me, and we chatted about anything but my treatment on the way there.

At medical, Doctor Francine administered the first treatment with her usual clinical detachment. The clear liquid burned as it entered my system, my veins feeling like they were carrying acid instead of medicine. I gritted my teeth, trying not to show how much it hurt. Kerry watched, her expression revealing her medical training as she observed every step, every readout on the monitors.

When Doctor Francine left us, Ashley's trusted friend, Ayer, entered quietly, closing the door behind her. Kerry helped her prepare the second treatment, their movements synchronized as if they'd worked together before.

"This is what's really fighting your cancer," Kerry explained quietly as the second IV bag was hung. "Doctor Francine's treatment is terrible—it makes you feel worse while barely targeting the tumor."

I watched as the slightly blue-tinted liquid began flowing into my arm. "So what am I actually getting?"

"Nanoparticle delivery system with targeted cytolytic compounds," Kerry said, her voice shifting into the confident tone she used when discussing medicine. "It's military-grade, not even approved for civilian use yet. The particles bind specifically to tumor cells, releasing the payload only where it's needed."

My eyebrows shot up. "Military-grade? How did Ashley—"

"The Hinadas," Kerry said simply. "My family has been developing medical technology for generations. This particular treatment was designed for radiation poisoning in soldiers, but it works exceptionally well for certain types of brain tumors."

A wave of nausea stronger than anything I'd felt before crashed over me. I leaned forward, bile rising in my throat. Kerry grabbed a basin just in time, holding it for me as I retched violently. Every muscle in my body seemed to contract at once, cold sweat breaking out across my skin.

"It's okay," she soothed, wiping my forehead with a cool cloth when I finished. "This is actually good—means the treatment is actively fighting the cancer cells. The sicker you feel initially, the better it's working."

"Fantastic," I gasped, my vision swimming. "Love feeling like I'm dying as proof I might live."

Kerry's laugh was gentle. "Medical irony at its finest."

Trait Unlocked: Dual-Vector Recovery Tolerance

Effect: Enables survival under simultaneous therapeutic and toxic input

Triggered by: Withstanding conflicting IV treatments (Francine + Hinada compound) without neural break

Function: Suppresses cascading system errors. Enhances resilience to covert protocol sabotage.

As the second treatment continued, I fought against waves of dizziness and nausea. Kerry kept talking, clearly trying to distract me from the misery my body was experiencing.

"I checked Kael's medical charts earlier," she said, adjusting one of the monitors. "He's still critical, but the doctors say he's stabilizing. If he makes it through the next 48 hours, his long term prognosis improves a lot."

I nodded weakly, grateful for any good news. "And Andri?"

"Hasn't left his side," Kerry said. "It's changed him. I've never seen him so... human."

Trait Progression: Emotional Command Buffer – 45% ↑

Trigger: Empathic anchoring with Kerry during medical crisis

Function: Emotional mirroring buffer activated. Suppresses physiological collapse to maintain operational control in front of team.

"Nothing like almost losing someone to remind you what matters," I managed, another wave of nausea rolling through me.

Kerry nodded, her expression thoughtful. "The attack has shifted things. The Boutacks are fully aligned with us now. My family, the Hinadas, they've always been pushing for medical applications of AI. That's why they convinced the Boutacks to return to AI development after all."

"For healing," I said, understanding dawning despite the fog in my brain.

"Yes. The war in the Dolyx system where Major Kuba's father is stationed I believe, maybe? The casualty rates were astronomical until the first medical AI systems were deployed. Now they're saving lives that would have been lost."

She adjusted the drip rate slightly. "That's what the Brakers never understood. Progress doesn't have to come at the cost of ethics. Sometimes the ethical approach is actually more effective."

My body convulsed with another wave of sickness. Kerry steadied me, her hands strong and sure. When it passed, she continued as if there had been no interruption.

"The advances we make on the front lines—in medicine, in AI integration, in emergency response—they transform civilian life too. It's exponential. Every breakthrough under pressure creates a dozen applications in peacetime."

The room tilted alarmingly, and I closed my eyes, trying to center myself. "So your family benefits from the war too," I said, not accusingly, just stating a fact.

Kerry's expression grew serious. "Yes. But there's a difference between profiting from healing and profiting from killing. The Hinadas have always understood that line."

She fell silent for a moment, her eyes on the monitors. "I've been thinking about graduation," she said finally. "About Rob's ship proposal."

"He finally asked you and Sylvk too then?" On her nod I added. "You should take it," I said. "It's a good opportunity."

Kerry's eyes met mine, troubled. "But what about all this? The academy, Doli, the work against the Brakers? It feels wrong to just... leave."

We fell into silence, then I heaved again and Kerry tried to soothe me as best she could a cold cloth to my forehead.

"They're fighting two different battles with your body," she said quietly as we watched the second treatment drip into my veins. "It's like you're the battlefield."

I nodded, trying not to wince as another wave of nausea hit me. "Poetic," I managed.

Kerry's eyes were thoughtful as she watched the medical monitors. "You know, I never really understood what we were part of until Kael was attacked."

"And now?" I asked, grateful for the distraction from the burning sensation creeping up my arm.

"Now I see we're pieces in something much bigger," she said, echoing my own earlier thoughts. "The Brakers, the Boutacks, the Hinadas... families with histories that go back decades, fighting over what AI should be, what it should become."

"And we're caught in the middle," I said.

Kerry nodded. "Major Kuba's brother, Andri's family, my family's medical technology... none of its accidental, is it? We were all brought here for a reason."

"Some grand cosmic plan?" I asked with a weak smile.

"No," Kerry replied seriously. "Strategic positioning. The right people in the right place at the crucial moment. Kuba saw something in you from the beginning, something the rest of us are only starting to understand."

Her words hung in the air between us as the treatment completed. I felt hollowed out, poisoned from both directions as Kerry had observed, but for the first time, I understood the full scope of what we were fighting for, and against.

"You should eat," Kerry said as we made to leave the center, "Sylvk has likely moved on, but I need food and so do you."

My stomach growled, "Guess I do." I shooed her towards the door.

System HUD: Neural Integration Drop

Neural Integration: 38% → 28% ↓

Trigger: Dual-system strain (medical compound + emotional suppression)

Function: AI latency increased. Signal degradation accelerating.

Status: Collapse window: 18–36 hours

In the cafeteria, my head continued to pound, each throb more intense than the last. The lights pierced directly into my brain. I pushed the pain aside as best I could as Kerry talked, surprisingly, mostly about Sylvk.

"When you didn't show this morning, it was just the two of us. I asked him to help me, like he did you."

"Oh," she looked flushed. "What happened?"

"He got all weird on me," she said, frustration edging into her voice. "Couldn't look me in the eye, was fumbling all over his words." She spun her orange juice in her hand. "Have I done something wrong?"

I studied her face, seeing genuine confusion. "Nothing you've done is wrong. Have you never seen the way he looks at you?"

System Feedback: Emotional Mapping – Active

CAR (Cognitive Aptitude Rating): 9.7

Function: Emotional overlay rendering – target empathy field synchronized

Status: Observational accuracy: 98% – Subject: Kerry

Note: Emotional Command Buffer stabilizing under high-affect resonance

"Kinda," she pushed food around her plate. "When we were dancing, close, last night. I saw the way he looked at me, deep, intense. He likes me, doesn't he?"

I nodded, watching her process this.

"Damn," she said, her face flushing. "I thought we were friends. But he wants more?"

"I'd say he has for a very long time."

Kerry's eyes met mine, a storm of emotions in them. "What do I do? I can't just—I'm not ready to—"

"I'm not a relationship guru, and you're older than me."

"So you and the Major?" she asked.

"Nothing's going on," I replied.

<<Not yet,>> Doli finally interrupted.

I ignored her. "Look, you and Rob make the best team. Anyone should be thrilled to join you after graduation."

Kerry sighed. "I don't want to hurt him. I care about him too much for that."

"I know," I said, squeezing her hand briefly. "Talk to him. Honesty, even when it hurts, is better than silence."

"Okay. I'll talk to him today. No more avoiding it."

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