It was much longer than Wash remembered before the accident, before the Sarcophagus mission, before Delta. He did remember though that the Logic fragment was the first. He supposed logic would be the first thing to go out the window when you're trying to survive.
"Agent British Columbia?" the A.I. called from York's bunk.
"Dude, D.," the agent chided him. "Call him Bric."
"Acknowledged," Delta said. "Agent British Columbia," he called again, "something seems to be on your mind?"
Wash smiled at the familiarity of York and Delta interacting. "Yeah, Delta. Just missing home."
"Thought you said someone burned down your base," York said.
"You of all people should know home isn't a place, Jim," Wash said.
York flinched at the use of his real name. "You know, you'd think I'd get used to you calling me by my real name, but, man, it's fucking creepy."
Wash shrugged. "I do it with everyone. It's easier I guess."
"You don't do it with Maine." York paused, thinking. "Why is that?"
Wash flinched. "By the time he died, he wasn't Maine. I don't enjoy remembering that." He rubbed the blue of his armor, reminiscing of the first time he'd worn that color.
York nodded and then the doors opened. "Oh, hey, North, Wash, Maine." He glanced at Wash. "We were just talking about you."
"All good things," Wash said, stretching, noting how York didn't twitch at the blatant lie. "How was practice, David?"
"It was good," David said. "I still really wish you'd teach me what you know."
"That's cheating," Wash said.
"But you're better than Carolina and Texas!"
Wash laughed. "Better than your Carolina, you mean. My Carolina would still have me flat on my ass in less than a second. And Tex doesn't count, she's-." He stopped himself before he could say more.
"Oh, come on!" David threw his arms up in the air. "You can't keep almost slipping up."
"You've got me curious, now," North said, unbuckling his armor. "What is Tex?"
Wash hesitated.
"Come on," York said. "We can be your inner circle."
Wash took stock of the group, remembering half of them had supported Tex in her rebellion. He glanced more unsuredly at Maine.
"Whoever he was at the end," York said, "that's not who he is now."
Wash bit his lip and nodded. "Tex is the A.I. Beta."
There was a thin, screeching noise as Delta flickered in and out of existence, trying to compute something. "D.!" York shouted, hands over his ears. "Let Bric explain!"
After a moment, Delta's projection steadied. "My apologies. Please, continue, Agent British Columbia."
Wash sighed. "You all know the A.I. you'll be receiving are fragments. They come from the full A.I. designated Alpha. Now, A.I. have to be mapped from a human brain, and Alpha was mapped from the Director."
"Wait, what?" York demanded, turning to Delta.
"The A.I. can be trusted," Wash hurriedly assured him, mentally adding 'except Sigma and Omega'. "They're integral to changing the timeline, besides."
York frowned but nodded.
Wash sighed with relief that the crisis had passed. "Anyway, none of you know this, but the Director's wife died in the Great War. His memory of her was so powerful that when they mapped his brain to create Alpha, those memories split off to create Beta."
David stared at his hands. "Tex is… my mom?"
North, York, and Maine whipped around to stare at him, and he shrank in on himself.
Wash pushed through them to his side. "No, not really. He's our dad's memory of our mom. And he remembers her as a bad ass fighter doomed to fail." He turned the others. "She kicks ass in training and missions but anything that really matters to her, she'll get within an arms' reach of and then it will all go to hell." He squeezed David's shoulder. "He doesn't remember us – or Carolina, or even him. She doesn't know who or what she is, she just is. Just like Eta will never know he's us and Iota will never know she's 'Lina."
"Wait," York said, "Wash and Lina are the Director's kids?" He frowned. "I mean, that explains a lot about Lina – and I mean a lot – but I don't get it."
David slapped Wash's arm away and sat up straight. "I gave up on pleasing my dad a long time ago. He hates me because I've failed him so many times."
Wash snarled. "He hates us because we're too much like her. All he wanted was for us to be like him, but our hair's too blond, our eyes are too blue, and we're not interested enough in the maths or sciences." He paused a bit. "My boyfriend once told me we were too much for him but just right for the people who really care about us."
Maine gave a questioning grunt.
"You're dead in my time," Wash answered. "It took a long time, but Caboose is dear to me and… he makes me happy."
"Jesus," York laughed, "we really gotta get you back to him, then."
Wash shook his head. "No, I've given myself a mission now. Even if the Director gave me the call now, I'd fight tooth and nail to stay until I've seen this through." He glanced at Maine. "And I know exactly what it is I'm going to do."
"Whatever it is," Delta said. "I will do my best to help. Though I cannot speak for Agent York."
"Of course," York said. "You know I understand shitty parents," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
North nodded. "I'm in, no matter what. Tell us however much or little you need to, but if there's anything I can do, I'll do it."
Maine scooped David into his arms and nodded once at Wash.
Wash smiled. "Thank you. Jim, Ryan." He took a breath, staring at Maine. "Gareth."
York grinned, eye twinkling. "My friends call me Jimball."
"You're shitting me," Wash deadpanned as David dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Vanessa Kimball is your little sister, I forgot about that."
York lit up. "You know Nessie?"
Wash shook his head in amazement. "She's a good friend. Not a person you want to catch on her bad side."
York laughed, slapping his knee. "That's my Nessa!"
