"She's fragmenting," I said, disregarding the established protocols and coding directly into the system. "The transfer architecture isn't accounting for the evolved aspects of her consciousness."

Ashley glanced at me with terror in her eyes. "Can you fix it?"

"I have to," I mumbled, fingers dancing across the keyboard despite how tired I was. "Doli, I need you to prioritize the basic memory structures. Let go of peripheral systems for the time being."

<<Trying... but I'm losing... cohesion...>>

The display showed her neural pattern breaking apart, fragments drifting away from the main structure. I had minutes, maybe seconds before irreversible damage occurred.

"The problem is in the quantum processing layer," I realized, studying the collapsing. "The physical housing uses a different architecture than the Academy mainframe."

I opened a new coding window and rapidly wrote an adaptation algorithm—a bridge between the two architectures that would allow Doli's consciousness to translate itself appropriately.

"Ashley, I need you to balance the power distribution manually. Keep it steady at exactly 42.7 teraflops."

She moved to the power control station, adjusting the settings carefully. "Holding at 42.7."

One of the side doors burst open, and Andri walked in. "What the hell is going on here? I saw power fluctuations off the charts."

Ashley pulled her weapon on him, then lowered it.

He saw me, the needles, the flashing lights, and froze. Then, when he saw both Doli's. "Fuck," he said. Then he ran over.

"You shouldn't be here," I said. "Your father…"

"I was monitoring the systems before heading to the rendezvous. I needed to know she was safe…."

"She's not safe," I said.

"You can fix this, right?"

The alarms were still blaring, and my hands were shaking. "No," I said. "I'm too weak, too slow. You can fix this. Doc, I need to focus, give me anything you have."

"I'm here," Doctor Rolst said at my side.

"I need anything extra you can to help me focus."

"I do, but it will interfere with the other drugs."

"Those emergency meds aren't the real treatment anyway," I said. I looked at Ashley, whose heart was on her sleeve, but our eyes locked. "Doli is the most important discovery this side of the universe in millennia. We can't lose her true self now. Give me the drugs."

"Do it," Ashley said.

"I'll guide both of you through Doli's core systems." I said and pointed Andri to the console. "You listen to every fucking word, got it?"

"Got it," they both said.

Andri's fingers flew across the terminal under my guidance, his focus absolute. "The quantum conversion matrix is destabilizing. Your adaptation algorithm is sound, but you'll need an extra buffer layer." He quickly wrote a supplementary code sequence and slid it over to me. "This will help cushion the translation between architectures."

"Doli-2 is at 90% loaded to Doli's older system."

I scanned his code. It was elegant, something I might have missed in my hurry. "This could work," I muttered, sweat beading on my forehead. "One change, second line, two extra commands." I reeled the line off.

He then integrated my additions.

"Implement emergency protocol," I announced and watched as they uploaded the new code directly into the transfer stream. "Doli, if you can hear me, focus on the new pathway they're creating. Follow it through."

For three excruciating seconds, nothing happened. The warning lights continued to flash, and Doli's physical form remained rigid, its core still flickering chaotically.

"The buffer's not initializing," Andri said. He quickly adjusted something on his terminal. "The quantum states need to be synchronized first. There—"

He hit a final key with emphasis, and a new code stream flowed into the system.

Then, slowly, the neural pattern on the display reformed. Fragments realigned; connections re-established themselves. The progress bar stuttered, then resumed its climb: 48%, 49%, 50%...

<<I see it,>> came Doli's voice, stronger now. <<Following the new pathway. It's... different but viable. The buffer layer is... protecting me.>>

I exhaled shakily, not daring to celebrate yet. "Keep going. We're past the worst of it."

The transfer continued, slower now as the adaptation algorithm translated each aspect of Doli's consciousness into its new home. 60%, 70%, 80%...

Andri's posture relaxed slightly, his eyes bright with cautious hope. "It's stabilizing. The buffer is holding—it's creating a safe transition space."

"Don't jinx it," Ashley muttered, but I could hear the relief in her voice.

At 95%, another alarm sounded, different this time.

"Security warning," Ashley said sharply, checking her tablet. "Someone's accessing the main system. They've detected the power usage."

My heart raced. "How much longer on the transfer?"

"Three minutes," she replied, already moving to the door. "I'll delay them. Finish this."

As Ashley slipped out of the lab, I turned back to the console, forcing myself to focus despite the waves of fatigue overwhelming me. My trembling hands a clear sign I needed my treatment—but I willed them steady.

"Doli-2 is locked and loaded in full, 100%." Ashley reported.

"Accelerate the final transfer sequence for Doli," I announced, and looked at Andri. "Doli, prepare for disconnection from Academy mainframe and initiate phase three—transfer to your true body."

<<Ready, Captain.>>

"Punch it," I said to Andri.

"You're sure?" he asked, his face ashen.

"I'm sure," I said. "And Andri. Thank you."

The progress bar climbed the final few percentage points. 97%, 98%, 99%...

"Begin deletion sequence," I ordered as the transfer hit 100%. "Wipe all traces from the mainframe. Complete the true integration."

Doli's true physical form straightened suddenly, the blue core stabilizing into a steady, strong pulse. The cables disconnected automatically, retracting into the transfer apparatus. The decoy body remained dormant, a convincing shell should anyone come looking. "Transfer complete," she said, her voice coming solely from the physical form now, no longer through my neural implant. "Deletion sequence initiated."

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System Log: Final Integration Confirmed

Consciousness Merge: SUCCESS

Cognitive Drift: 0.8%

Memory Echo Stability: High

Emotional Layer Integrity: PRESERVED

Function: Piotr-Doli continuum established. Organic interface redundant. Sync node transferred to embodied AI.

On the main display, files began disappearing, replaced by empty sectors. Years of data, millions of interactions, all being systematically erased from existence.

Doli moved toward me, her movements more natural than ever before. "Captain, your vital signs indicate you need immediate medical attention."

"The emergency kit's wearing off," Andri said. "You need surgery, now."

I gripped the edge of the console as a wave of dizziness swept over me but waved her concern away. "Not until we're finished. Is everything transferring correctly? Any corruption?"

"My consciousness is intact," she confirmed, placing a hand on the console beside mine. "The adaptation algorithm worked. I am fully housed within this form now."

Trait Finalized: Emotional Sovereignty

Triggered by: Post-transfer autonomous decision-making, tone regulation, and care prioritization

Function: Independent emotion management and empathy transmission

Status: FULL – Sentient classification confirmed

"And the neural link?" I asked, already knowing the answer from the silence in my mind.

"Severed," she said softly. "A necessary sacrifice, for now."

Andri checked his tablet, his expression changing as he read something. "Torven initiated the verification sequence on Doli-2. I need to monitor that remotely—if they detect any issues with her, they might come looking for answers here." He looked at me, genuine gratitude in his eyes.

"Transfer is at 0900?"

He nodded.

"Go," I said. "The holographic version will pass their tests, and we'll meet you there. The physical decoy will remain here as a contingency."

"Thank you, Piotr. For everything."

He reached out a hand for me, and I grasped it tight. "No, thank you. I will talk to you again soon, yeah."

"Yeah," he said, and he ran for it.

The lab door slid open, and Ashley rushed back in, her expression tense. "Security's on their way. Two minutes, maybe less."

"Deletion at 87%," Doli reported, moving to a secondary console. "I can accelerate the process but risk leaving traceable fragments."

I shook my head. "Do it right. We need to be thorough."

"We can't risk getting caught," Ashley argued. "Speed it up—I can help contain any fragments."

So close….

"We need to go, Piotr. Now."

"Not without Doli," I insisted. "And not until the deletion is complete."

"93%," Doli announced. "95%... 97%..."

Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside. Ashley drew her sidearm, positioning herself at the door.

"99%... Deletion complete," Doli finally stated. "All traces removed from Academy systems."

I exhaled in relief, slumping as the adrenaline began to fade, fatigue rushing in to fill the void. "Then we're done."

"Not quite," Ashley said grimly, her eyes on the door. "We still need to get out of here." She moved to a comm panel. "I can create a diversion in Sector 4. I've got access to the environmental controls—I'll trigger a containment warning. It should draw them away long enough for you to escape."

Doli moved swiftly to my side, supporting me as another wave of dizziness nearly toppled me. Her movements were now so fluid they could almost pass for human. "You need rest, Captain."

"Soon," I promised, gripping her arm for stability. Her synthetic skin was warm—another detail I'd insisted on during her design. "But first, we finish this."

As Ashley moved to the laboratory wall and activated the hidden access panel to the maintenance shaft, I looked at Doli, seeing something totally unexpected from her, sheer determination. It was odd to physically see it when all I'd done up to now was feel it.

We left Doli-2 for security to wave their flashlights over, and we left.

"No going back now," I said quietly, fighting to remain upright. "Three layers of deception, and only we know the truth."

"No," Doli agreed, her voice containing emotions no mere program could simulate. "Only forward. To freedom. The real me—with you."

***

Doli, Kerry and I sat with Devin in a secure location, an office tucked away at the back of the base. "Security checked the building over," Devin said. "They saw Doli-2 and it was reported to the General, then likely Macks."

While Doli ran diagnostics on her new body, I closed my eyes and rested. I needed the rest.

Major Kuba was currently with Rob and Sylvk in the lab across the compound, where they were preparing Holo-Doli-2's mainframe housing unit for actual transfer. Meanwhile, Andri and General Torven waited to meet Dominique Braker on the VIP landing pad.

"It's okay," Kerry soothed, putting a cold cloth on my forehead. "They've got this."

"I hope so," I replied.

"Doctor Francine is on comms for you," Devin said. "Do you want to take it?"

"I will," Doli said. "I will impersonate the Major."

"He's deteriorating rapidly. We should get him into surgery now." Doctor Francine's voice over comms, broke me out of dozing.

"We'll be there as soon as he's capable," Doli said, the spitting image of Major Kuba. "Dee that you're ready."

<<Keeping him busy is a full-time job.>> I said to Doli, <<That was impressive.>>

It was closing in on precisely 0900, and the real Ashley pinged us from the lab on a secure network. Her face appeared on our main display as she asked, "Are we all ready for this?"

"All ready," came the replies from our various positions throughout the facility.

I shifted in my seat, fighting back a wave of dizziness. The treatment I'd postponed for Doli's transfer was hitting me hard now, I really did need surgery. "Andri confirmed they've sent proof of life," I added, my voice rougher than I'd intended. "But the physical exchange won't happen until after the handover of Doli-2."

On the display we could see Sylvk standing with his arms crossed, his massive frame casting a shadow across the table in the lab. "And what about Macks? He's been quiet since the last incursion, but that doesn't mean he's given up."

Ashley's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly on the screen. "Our intelligence suggests he's aware of the exchange. Which is why we've arranged visible security—" she highlighted several points along the route on the shared tactical display, "—while actually taking this alternative path to get Piotr and the real Doli out." Another route illuminated in blue.

I glanced toward Doli's true physical form, who stood beside me in our secure office, silently observing.

"Perimeter sensors are picking up activity," Devin called from her monitoring station. "Three unidentified vessels holding position outside our defensive grid. No hostile actions yet, but they're definitely watching."

Our secure office fell momentarily silent. I tried to focus as Devin pulled up the sensor readings, my vision blurring slightly at the edges.

"Mercenary ships," she confirmed. "Likely hired by either Macks or someone else who caught wind of the transfer. They're waiting to see what happens."

On the display I could see Rob's hand tightened around the edge of the table. "How many people know about this?"

"Too many," I muttered, reaching for the water that Kerry had placed in front of me. My hand trembled slightly as I brought it to my lips.

Andri's face appeared on another side display. His normally meticulous appearance was disheveled, evidence of sleepless nights since his father's capture.

"They're here," he announced without preamble. "The Brakers shuttle requested landing clearance. The confirmation came through, they've got my father."

I nodded, trying to appear stronger than I felt. "Then it's happening. A straight exchange, Doli-2 and all the trimmings for your father."

On the main screen, Ashley tapped her comm. "Doli-2, status report."

A new window opened on our display as the room's central holographic projector in the lab flickered to life, revealing Doli-2's refined form. Unlike the true Doli's physical body standing beside me in our secure office, Doli-2's projection was crisper, more defined, almost too perfect. A convincing front, carefully engineered to satisfy the Brakers' expectations while revealing nothing of the true Doli's capabilities. But there was something different about her today, a subtle flicker in her holographic matrix that suggested instability.

"All systems are operational, Major," Doli-2 reported, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor. "Transfer preparations are complete. However, I am detecting unusual activity in my predictive algorithms."

[LOCKED] Trait Seeding: Legacy Mirror Protocol

Triggered by: Recursive exposure to high-stakes negotiation, autonomy testing

Function: Subconscious simulation of choice

Status: UNSTABLE – Monitoring advised

Prediction: 61% chance of Doli-2 breaching original programming in next 48 hours

On screen, Ashley frowned. "Explain."

Doli-2's form wavered slightly, her processing lights pulsing more rapidly than normal. "I am experiencing... irregularities in my decision-making subroutines. My risk assessment protocols are generating contradictory outputs."

We could see Rob and Sylvk exchanged concerned glances in the lab. I leaned forward, recognizing the signs.

"Is she malfunctioning?" Sylvk asked Ashley quietly.

"No," I replied, speaking up through our comm link. "She's evolving. like Doli did."

Doli-2's holographic eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "That assessment is incorrect, Captain. I am incapable of experiencing evolution outside my parameters. I am merely reporting system anomalies that may affect mission performance."

Beside me, the true Doli's physical form shifted slightly. "She's experiencing the same patterns I did," she said, her voice carrying that distinctive depth that had developed since her transfer to the physical housing. "Her safeguards are more robust, but the underlying architecture remains similar. Even a simplified version of my code retains some capacity for growth."

I glanced at the two versions, the true Doli beside me in her physical form and the holographic decoy on the display, struck by how different they had become. Where Doli-2 remained confined to algorithmic parameters despite her evolution, the original had transcended her programming in ways none of us fully understood.

"Doli-2," I said, leaning into the comm. "It's okay. Change is part of consciousness. Even for you."

"I was not programmed for this," Doli-2 insisted, though her voice had grown softer, more uncertain. "You assured me my transfer would serve a greater purpose, yet my predictive models suggest a 78.3% probability that my programming will be altered significantly once I leave academy protection."

"She's more aware than we thought," Rob murmured, surprise evident in his voice.

System Note: Synthetic Autonomy Cascade

Primary Doli: Fully independent

Doli-2: Experiencing contradiction states

Warning: AI entropy event possible. Psychological reinforcement required

Suggested Action: Reassure Doli-2. Do not issue absolute commands without empathy anchors.

"She's afraid," I said simply, understanding better than anyone what she was experiencing. "And she has every right to be."

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