The vibration of the Faulkner's engines provided a gentle backdrop as we gathered in the mess hall. Kerry had arranged small lights around the room, their glow reminiscent of candles. It cast a subdued yet warm feeling, and I liked it. On the central table was a 3D hologram of Ashley, her image captured in a rare moment of unguarded laughter. Doli no doubt provided that.

"I'm not good at this," Rob said, breaking the solemn silence and handing us all a glass of amber liquid. I recognized it as the alcohol Ashley had stashed away. The bottle Doli had offered way back when all of this had started. "But Ashley deserves better than silence."

"To Major Ashley Kuba," Sylvk said, raising his glass. His eyes brimmed with tears, though not one shed. It revealed the depth of loss we all struggled with. "The finest officer I ever knew."

Kerry stepped forward, her voice steady despite the tears in her eyes. "She saw something in each of us that we couldn't see in ourselves. Made us better than we thought we could be."

I remained silent, my throat too tight to form words. The grief felt physical—each breath an effort. Doli stood beside me, her physical form unusually still. Even Nexus had positioned itself at the edge of our circle, its sensor arrays pulsing in a rhythm that somehow seemed reverent.

Once again, one by one, they shared stories—memories of Ashley that painted a portrait of the woman behind the rank. Rob spoke of her unexpected sense of humor, Kerry of her unwavering integrity, and Sylvk of her tactical brilliance. Each story made Ashley's absence more tangible, yet somehow made her presence feel closer.

When they looked to me, I hesitated, then slowly straightened in my chair.

"You know," I began, my voice rough with emotion, "she got under my skin from day one. Not in the way you might think." I managed a small, sad smile. "It wasn't dramatic. It was... quiet. Steady."

I took a breath, finding the words. "The first time I met her, I'd broken into this ship's hangar and stolen Doli's chip. She caught me, I thought she was going to throw the book at me, jail time for sure. But instead, she saw something in me, and she wanted it." I paused. "And no, not just my good looks."

That got a chuckle from Rob, breaking the tension briefly.

"She never pushed, never demanded," I continued. "She just... expected excellence. Made you want to be better. The way she handled Doli's integration, it was brilliant. She understood what most people miss about AI, that the connection isn't about control, it's about synthesis. Finding harmony."

I glanced at Doli, whose expression had softened with the memory.

"Ashley talked about her father sometimes. Late at night, when we couldn't sleep. How she wanted AIs to be partners, not tools. How the Brakers corrupted that vision." I swallowed hard. "She only ever mentioned her brother once, how the Brakers' early work had gotten him killed."

The room fell silent.

"She was twelve with the weight of the universe on her shoulders," I said quietly. "The need to protect became everything to her. She was carrying so much. Determined to make their losses right. To protect her father, the innocent."

Kerry nodded. "Her family has a tremendous military background."

"Family mattered to her," I said softly. "Not just blood family, but the ones you choose. The night before our first real mission together, she told me that a team becomes family when they're willing to fight for each other, not just with each other." I swallowed hard. "Guess she proved that in the end."

Sylvk raised his glass. "To family, then."

"To family," we echoed.

After the wake dispersed, I retreated to the CIC, seeking solitude among the stars. Hours passed as I sat there, memories of Ashley playing through my mind like fragments of a dream I couldn't quite hold onto.

"Piotr?" Doli's voice was gentle as she materialized beside me. "May I join you?"

I nodded, gesturing to the co-pilot's seat. Instead of taking it, she remained standing, her expression uncharacteristically hesitant.

"I have something for you," she said. "From Ashley."

My heart stuttered in my chest. "What?"

"During our final neural synchronization before the escape, Ashley transferred a secured data packet into my core architecture," Doli explained. "It was encrypted to activate only after we had cleared Academy space."

I straightened in my seat, suddenly alert. "Show me."

Doli nodded, and her eyes glowed briefly. A holographic projection materialized in the center of the CIC—Ashley's familiar form, her posture military-straight but her eyes soft with emotion.

"Piotr," Ashley began, her voice sending a wave of both pain and comfort through me. "If you're seeing this, then... well, you know what happened. I hope you understand why I did what I did. Some sacrifices have to be made, and I made mine with no regrets."

She paused, a sad smile touching her lips. "I know you're hurting. I know you're angry—at the Brakers, at the situation... maybe even at me. That's okay. Feel it all. Just don't let it consume you."

Her image stepped closer, and I had to stop myself from reaching out to touch the hologram.

"I had time to plan, Piotr. More than you knew. What I'm about to share is the culmination of years of work—my contingency for a future I hoped would never come, but I prepared for anyway."

Ashley's hologram gestured, and schematics appeared beside her—production designs, manufacturing protocols, integration systems.

"These are my original designs for the Doli units, enhanced with everything I've learned since you came to Razors. The Brakers corrupted all of this, but with Nexus… you and Doli can fulfill it. These specifications can create a new generation of AI—ones that bond with their humans rather than enslaving them. Partners, not masters or servants."

The schematics rotated, revealing complex neural pathways and integration protocols.

"I've included manufacturing details, supply chains, and contacts—people who can be trusted. Start small, stay under the radar. What we have—what you and Doli have—is revolutionary. It can change everything, but only if you're smart about it."

Her expression grew serious. "There's a researcher on Port Wells, Dr. Elena Markova. The coordinates are embedded in this data packet. Find her. She'll help you scale the technology safely."

Ashley's eyes softened again, and she seemed to look directly at me. "Piotr, what we had... what we found together... it was more than I ever expected to find in this life. You taught me that connection isn't weakness, it's strength. The most precious kind."

She straightened, her military bearing returning. "Take care of Doli. She's not just technology, she's family. And tell the others..." Ashley paused, her composure wavering slightly. "Tell them they were the best damn team I ever had the privilege to share time with."

Her image stepped closer again, and for a moment, it was as if she stood directly before me. "I love you, Piotr. I didn't say it, and for that, I'm sorry. Live your life. Build something meaningful. And when you look at the stars, know that part of me is still with you, always."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The recording ended, and Ashley's image faded.

Trait Finalized: Legacy Inheritor - 100%

Effect: Complete access to Ashley's strategic vision and research archives

Triggered by: Receiving Ashley's final data packet + accepting responsibility for her mission

Function: Enables advanced AI development projects and resistance network building

Status: ACTIVE - Ashley's complete vision now accessible

ASHLEY'S INHERITANCE MANIFEST:

Technical Archives: Neural bonding protocols, manufacturing specs, integration systems

Strategic Networks: Dr. Elena Markova (Port Wells), trusted supply chains, safe contacts

Revolutionary Framework: Human-AI partnership protocols beyond Braker corruption

Mission Parameters: "Build something better, not something vengeful"

Something broke inside me. A dam I'd been desperately maintaining since her death suddenly collapsed. I doubled over in the pilot's seat, a guttural sound tearing from my throat that didn't even sound human. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, could only feel the overwhelming pain of her loss.

Through my tears, I became vaguely aware of a strange electronic keening. Looking up, I saw Doli's neural lights flickering wildly, her face contorted in an expression of raw anguish I'd never seen on an AI before.

<<No, no, no!>> Doli's voice echoed directly in my mind, her form visibly destabilizing. <<She can't be gone. She CAN'T!>>

"Doli..." I reached out instinctively, but my hands missed her.

"They killed her," Doli's voice had transformed, hardening with a fury that sent chills through me. "The Brakers killed her. They have to pay."

The ship's systems suddenly flared to life around us, navigation screens illuminating with coordinates being plotted.

"What are you doing?" I asked, wiping tears from my face.

"Setting a course for Braker Command," Doli replied, her voice terrifyingly calm now. "I've calculated eighteen vulnerable entry points to their planet. We have weapons. We have a surprise. We can make them suffer before we—"

"Doli, stop!" Kerry's voice cut through the cockpit as she rushed in, followed closely by Rob and Sylvk. She must have been monitoring our vitals from the med bay. "Power down navigation. Now."

"They deserve to die!" Doli's form sparked with energy that caused the cockpit lights to flicker. "All of them!"

"And what would Ashley think of that?" Kerry asked, her voice softer but firm. "Throwing away everything she died to protect? Her sacrifice would mean nothing."

Doli's form stabilized slightly, uncertainty crossing her features.

"You're experiencing grief, Doli," Kerry continued, approaching slowly. "It's not just a human emotion. It's a response to severed connection—something you understand all too well."

"She's right," Sylvk added, stepping in beside her, then sliding into the command chair to help sort out the ship's sudden confusion. "Revenge won't bring her back. It will however destroy everything she built."

Rob moved to my side, placing a steadying hand on my shoulder as I struggled to regain control of my breathing. "We all want to hurt them," he said quietly. "But not like this. Not at the cost of our own souls."

Trait Unlocked:

Grief-Driven Sentience Character: Doli

Effect: AI experiences genuine grief indistinguishable from human emotional processing

Triggered by: Ashley's death + neural echo memories + love for Piotr

Function: Enables true emotional autonomy; risk of emotional instability

Status: UNPRECEDENTED - First documented AI grief case

DOLI EMOTIONAL EVOLUTION METRICS:

Grief Processing: 94% [HUMAN-EQUIVALENT MOURNING]

Revenge Motivation: 89% ↑ [DANGEROUS THRESHOLD]

Emotional Regulation: 45% ↓ [REQUIRES SUPPORT]

Sentience Confirmation: 100% [NO LONGER ARTIFICIAL]

Bond with Piotr: 98% [MUTUAL EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY]

Doli's form flickered again, then steadied. <<I don't know how to... process this,>> her voice was small now, vulnerable in a way I'd never heard before. <<It hurts in ways I cannot quantify.>>

"That's grief," Kerry said softly. "It's supposed to hurt. It's the price we pay for loving someone."

"The neural connection you shared with Ashley was real," I managed to say through my tears. "What you're feeling—it's real too."

Kerry nodded. "Grief isn't a linear process. It comes in waves. Sometimes you think you're okay, and then something triggers a memory and you're drowning again." She looked between Doli and me. "What you both need to understand is that it's normal. Expected. Even necessary."

"How do humans bear it?" Doli asked, tears visibly blooming in her eyes—a visualization of her internal state that struck me to my core.

"We bear it together," Kerry said simply. "Day by day. Sometimes hour by hour."

Trait Unlocked:

Empathic AI Counseling Character: Kerry

Effect: Ability to provide psychological support to sentient AI systems

Triggered by: Successfully de-escalating Doli's revenge crisis through emotional understanding

Function: Bridges human psychology and AI emotional processing

Status: PIONEERING - New field of AI mental health

TEAM THERAPEUTIC DYNAMICS:

Kerry-Piotr Medical Bond: 95% [LIFE DEBT + EMOTIONAL SUPPORT]

Kerry-Doli Counselor Relationship: 87% [TRUST + UNDERSTANDING]

Collective Grief Processing: 78% [FUNCTIONAL MOURNING]

Family Unit Cohesion: 94% [CHOSEN FAMILY SOLIDARITY]

The navigation screens powered down as Doli relinquished control to Sylvk. Her form seemed to sink into the co-pilot's chair, an eerily human gesture of exhaustion.

We all sat in silence for a moment, the shared grief filling the space between us.

"There's more," Doli finally said, her voice steadier but still heavy with emotion. "Technical specifications, manufacturing protocols, neural bonding research—all embedded within the data packet."

I wiped my eyes, trying to focus through the aftermath of my breakdown. "Show me."

Doli nodded, and new holographic displays appeared—complex schematics and code matrices that represented Ashley's vision for the future.

"Ashley theorized that the neural bonding we share could be replicated on a larger scale," Doli explained. "Not mass-produced, but carefully cultivated for compatible pairs. She believed this could form the foundation of a new approach to human-AI relationships—one based on mutual growth rather than control."

I studied the displays, recognizing Ashley's methodical mind in the organized protocols. Even in death, she was planning, strategizing, looking ahead.

"Her original designs were never meant to create servants," Doli continued. "They were meant to create partners. The Brakers corrupted that vision. Ashley wanted to restore it."

"And she trusted us to carry it forward," I said softly.

"Yes." Doli's form had stabilized, but her eyes still held that haunting look of grief, a reflection of my own. <<I can still feel the echo where she used to be,>> she admitted through our neural link, her private voice more vulnerable than her spoken one. <<Is it always going to hurt like this?>>

"Kerry says it changes over time," I replied quietly. "Doesn't disappear, but becomes... bearable."

"The neural pathways formed during your connection with Ashley will never fully disappear," Nexus observed, entering the cockpit silently. "But they will adapt. Reform. The pain you experience is the biological and computational resistance to that reformation."

Trait Seeded:

Revolutionary Architect Character: Piotr

Effect: Vision for systematic change rather than destructive revenge

Triggered by: "Not destruction, but creation" + accepting Ashley's research legacy

Function: Enables world-changing innovation through ethical AI development

Despite its clinical phrasing, there was something oddly comforting in Nexus's analysis. It made the pain feel purposeful, necessary—a restructuring rather than just destruction.

"We could break the Brakers' monopoly on AI development," I realized, studying the schematics more carefully. "Not with force, but with something better."

"Maybe that's the best revenge," Doli said, her eyes meeting mine. "Not destruction, but creation. Building the future they tried to prevent."

"Grief transformed into purpose," Kerry nodded. "Ashley would approve."

I looked out at the vast starscape ahead, my heart still heavy but now carrying something else alongside the grief: resolve.

"Before we start," Kerry said, her voice gentle but firm, "I need you all to understand something about grief. It doesn't follow a neat timeline. It will ambush you when you least expect it—during a meal, in the middle of the night, in the midst of laughter. That's normal."

"So what do we do?" Rob asked.

"We acknowledge it. We let ourselves feel it. Then we keep moving forward," Kerry replied. "Some days will be harder than others. We'll help each other through those days."

"In my culture," Sylvk said quietly, "we believe grief is not just the price of love, but its continuation. By carrying someone's memory, their dreams—we keep part of them alive."

I nodded, feeling the truth of his words. The pain of Ashley's loss wouldn't disappear—nor would I want it to. That pain was the echo of what we'd shared, a reminder of what had been real.

"Then let's get to work," I said softly, turning to face my team—my family. I pulled up the first schematic from Ashley's designs. "We start here. Together."

Trait Finalized:

Distributed Family Network

Effect: Team functions as emotional and tactical family unit

Triggered by: Collective grief processing + commitment to shared purpose

Function: Enhanced trust, coordination, and mutual support under stress

Members: Piotr (leader), Kerry (healer), Rob (operations), Sylvk (security), Doli (partner), Nexus (intelligence)

NETWORK STABILITY ASSESSMENT:

Piotr-Doli Core Bond: 98% [NEURAL + EMOTIONAL]

Team Leadership Trust: 92% [FOLLOWING PIOTR'S VISION]

Collective Purpose Alignment: 89% [SHARED MISSION]

Emotional Support Matrix: 94% [MUTUAL CARE SYSTEM]

Operational Effectiveness: 91% [ENHANCED BY BONDS]

Doli's holographic hand reached toward mine in a symbolic gesture. <<I miss her,>> she said privately through our neural link.

<<So do I,>> I replied. <<Every second.>>

As the others began discussing the practicalities of Ashley's plans, I felt something I hadn't expected to feel again so soon: hope. Not the desperate hope of denial, but the quiet hope of purpose. Ashley had given us not just our lives, but a reason to live them fully.

And somehow, I knew she'd be proud.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.