Perhaps part of me had seen it coming. Maybe a small part of my mind dreaded the success of AI capture and subsequent termination of my time with the Reds and Blues.

Now, that time was here. I tried to think of a way around it. I could give Donut a secret radio. I could continue to send messages to the mastership. I could…

No. It was impossible. Any future mission of mine could be sabotaged by my connection to the Reds and Blues. They could get involved and hurt. My job wasn't safe. My months and months with the Blood Gulchers had proven that well enough.

I turned back from the cockpit and entered the main area. The Reds and Blues had scattered mostly away from Donut, who had begun to chatter with a raptly-listening Doc.

"Um, guys?" A flock of Red and Blue helmets turned to me. "We need a slight debriefing."

"Oh, I love those!" Donut beamed.

I smiled sadly as Sarge rolled his eyes and Tucker laughed.

"So…" I began. "We did it. We got all the AIs. And no one died."

This announcement was met with murmurs of general congratulations alongside an irritated growl from Sarge, who must have muttered something about Grif.

"So what needs to happen now is a delivery of the AIs to my headquarters," I continued. "Since this mission has been completed."

"Sounds good," Simmons said, already bustling to the flight controls. "What are the coordinates?"

"…No. Listen. The mission is over. I have to go home." I swallowed. "Alone."

"But—you'll come back, right?" Donut asked.

Silence.

"No. This is bullshit!" Tucker glared. "You can't just leave!"

"I have to." I cut off any protests. "I just got my orders. You are going to take the mastership back to Blood Gulch, and I'm going to take one of the travel pods. I have to deliver the AIs." I couldn't meet their eyes. "Every single one."

"You're turning me in."

Church's statement was short. Terse.

"You're part of the package. You're the Alpha."

"And do you know what they intend to do with us?"

My jaw tightened. "No." But I could probably guess.

"They're either going to shut me down or put me in storage," Church snapped. "Do you expect me to let you do that?"

"No. But if you stay here, you won't be any safer. Now that Hale knows we have all the AIs, if you don't come with me, they'll come here and take you by force."

"So what do you expect me to do ? Just say yes?"

"No."

I thought hard.

"You need to come with me…" I said slowly, "but I may have a way to save you."

"Do you need all of the AIs?"

"Yes, of course." Hale's tone was colored with surprise. "Did you really need to place an emergency call just to ask that?"

"But what about Alpha?"

"What about Alpha?"

"He's different!" I insisted, swiveling in the cockpit chair once more. This time, I had made sure to lock the door behind me. "He was the Blue Team leader for ages. He thought he was human for most of that—and when he did find out what he was, that didn't change him. You can't let him go into storage or be destroyed. He's too valuable—too good. We can't lose him."

Hale was quiet for a moment. "I had been debating a… plan for Alpha, actually. So that it—he—would not have to suffer whatever consequences befall the other AIs. And your request has just confirmed my decision. I will have a case file written up right away and the status of Alpha transferred. He will be assigned to a recruit who recently joined our forces and will certainly be able to handle him."

"And who would that be?"

"Agent Carolina."