Data's words drifted through Simon's mind as Kate lay against him, her head on his shoulder and one arm draped across his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy, if he ever had been. There was a change in everything around them, from the weight of the atmosphere to the temperature in the air, and even the people around them. It was as if the world had righted itself after a cold dark storm, and they had finally found the light of the sun. He appreciated it, remembering how important it was to know the difference between the good and the bad. But even as he did, he knew that this wasn't just the high compared to the low. This was the way things should be. He needed to do everything he could to keep it that way.

So he absorbed the feel of Kate against him, pressing his mouth to her forehead and breathing in the fresh scent of her hair. Carefully, he ran his hand slowly up her arm, brushing his fingers into her hair and drew in the stream of activity as the flesh drained away from his hand. Her thoughts were random and wild, chasing after evolving emotions. He let out a soft breath and turned his head to take in more of her against his cheek. She was asleep.

Keeping his hand laced in her hair, he gently moved away from her, resting her head on the pillow and placing her arm on the sheets until he was free. He quietly stood up, checking one last time through his scan to be sure that she was still fast asleep. When he drew his hand away, a subtle tension began to climb through his system. He didn't want to leave her. Everything in his circuitry was urging him to simply fall back into bed with her and wrap himself around her. But he couldn't fight off the worry that bit at his nerves. This needed to be addressed. Now was the only time he would be able to do it.

He moved across the room and quietly opened the bedroom door, pausing for a moment to look back at Kate who was still lying the way he'd left her, half-covered in the blanket with one arm under her pillow and the other bent on the mattress. Her sleeping expression was different, her closed eyes more relaxed and her face incredibly peaceful. Simon drew in a breath as he felt his thirium pump quicken. Then he closed his eyes before turning away and he moved out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Now that he was alone, he was able to focus his thoughts. He walked quietly to the stairs, taking care as he stepped down them to keep the sound of his footsteps to a minimum. As he gazed into the living room, the moonlight shone in beams of silver through the windows, lighting up the furniture. This would make his job easier. He wouldn't even need a flashlight.

He quietly moved across the living room and opened the door to the back patio, bringing a wave of frozen air into the house. As he stepped out into the cold night, he felt moisture collect on his skin. If he'd been human, his breath would have fogged in the air. A nervous urgency encouraged him to hurry up. He didn't want to leave Kate alone for long.

He closed the door and walked down the stone steps, taking care to avoid the water puddles which were most likely frozen in this temperature. The moon lit the landscape in a washed out silvery-blue light, draining the color from everything around him. Simon looked back at the house as he moved and half-expected to see someone watching through one of the windows like he had seen only a few hours prior. The house was dark. All of the windows were closed. It brought an unnerving stillness to the area compared to the beautiful energy it had during the day.

The grass crunched under Simon's shoes as he stepped out onto the grass. The foliage glittered around him under the faint light of the moon in a frosted state of suspension. He increased his optical exposure despite the moonlight, and felt his apprehension grow as he neared the treeline. It was difficult not to turn back. The temptation to simply wait until morning, or to even send Clark instead was powerful. But he knew he'd never be able to relax while he had his suspicions. He needed to do this tonight.

The trees passed overhead, and the light of the moon was filtered through the sticks and branches. The ground was uneven in front of him, and Simon had to focus both on moving carefully and where he was going. Eventually the white highlights of the water appeared, rippling against a sea of black. Simon gazed to his left as he stepped out of the trees, and felt a nervous twinge as he recognized the dark triangular shape of the boat house in front of him.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves as he headed towards it. A strange need to be more quiet took over and he moved slower, stepping carefully up onto the wooden porch so that he made as little noise as possible. It wasn't easy. The wood was rotted and weak, bending easily under his weight. Simon paused in front of the empty double doors, the apprehension burning stronger now that he was here. It wasn't worth it to turn around now. There was no going back. Forcing his hesitation to the side and gathering his strength, Simon stepped over the wooden door frame and entered the dark building.

He noticed that the stereo was silent. It could have been that the charge he'd passed to it wasn't enough, but he doubted it. The missing windows in the boat house aided him in that they allowed more of the moonlight to filter in, lighting up the otherwise completely dark interior. He scanned the building from where he stood, focusing on every piece of furniture, every corner, and every stored object. Nothing moved. The place was quiet and still.

Simon moved slowly to the left towards the workshop, still studying everything as he went. The EMF detector was on the table although he wasn't able to see if it was activating. The nervousness in his chest was threatening to turn into fear. He forced it down. There was no reason to be afraid yet. He wasn't sure what he should even be afraid of. All the same, he felt his body tense up in preparation to bolt or fight, whichever the uneasy situation mandated first. The nervous part of him hoped for neither.

He reached the end of the workbench and turned to gaze down the back of the workshop behind the massive pile of equipment that had been blocking his view. It was darker on that side, and he strained his eyes to separate the different shapes of motor parts and furniture from eachother. Something was set apart from the pile underneath the table, a fresh puddle of engine fluid creating a reflective bright spot on the floor. Simon felt his nerves tug at him again. This was what had fallen earlier. He took a step towards it as he tried to identify it. The object appeared to be an old radiator, rusted and leaking with fresh breaks.

He looked up at the table, scanning the pile to see where it had fallen from. It was difficult to tell in the darkness. Frustration gripped at him for foolishly deciding against bringing a flashlight. He carefully stepped around the puddle as he gazed further down the workbench, searching for an empty spot. His eyes fell on the end of the table, and he suddenly felt a jolt of panic. The wall was lit in the faintest of blue lights. And it was blinking.

Simon tensed his jaw, his body frozen. The urge to run was almost overwhelming now, and he gripped the edge of the table in one hand to keep himself locked in place. As he did, the light moved slightly and grew more dim. For a few agonizing moments, Simon debated what he should do. It would be safer to get help. Clark would be more than willing, although whatever was at the end of the table would likely move by the time he arrived. There were plenty of objects that he could use as a weapon. He could push over the equipment if he needed to make an escape. But that wouldn't prevent any danger from following him back to the house. There was only one thing he could do that would keep control of the situation, and it was his turn to make the move.

He drew in a deep breath, straightening slightly and feeling his muscles tense against the need to run the other direction. He focused on the blue light. "I know you're there," he said, his voice stronger than he thought it would be. "Come out."

The light faded again, and this time Simon heard a scrape against the floor. He found himself gripping the table harder as he waited, his heart pounding in his chest and his system scrambling to stay functional. He was fairly certain of what he would be facing, but it didn't do much to ease his mind. After what seemed like an eternity, there was another scrape, and the light drifted upwards. Something black stood tall from behind the workbench, its form harshly contrasted in bright highlights from the moon.

Simon gazed at it, all of his effort put into identifying its shape. It was an android, that he was sure of. A male model with short ruffled hair in a style that Simon wasn't able to identify. He watched as the android turned towards him, gazing down at the floor and holding onto its arm which Simon realized with a sickening realization had been torn off at the elbow. As the android stepped towards him, he recognized the neat white uniform of the newer domestic house assistant model. For a split second, Simon debated whether to contact Clark and report that one of the Hayes' androids had been damaged. But something paralyzed him. He watched as the android moved into the spotlight of the moon, gazing up at him so that its features appeared in greater detail.

The thirium froze in Simon's chest. He gazed at the android's terrified blue eyes, the dark brown hair which had once been styled back from his forehead, his straight brown eyebrows now tensed into a panicked expression, and the sharp angles of his face in the appearance of a young man, but unbearably familiar. There was no mistaking him. Simon drew in a deep breath, struggling to believe what was standing in front of him was real.

"Seph…" said Simon.

The android bowed his head and took a small step back, cradling his mangled half-arm against his chest. His LED spun red, and he made a small sound as if he were whimpering. Simon could only stare at him, his mouth open slightly and his system threatening to glitch in the effort to process the fact that Seph was here in the boat house. He was absolutely the same AP700 model, the same uniform and even the same slight mannerisms. A wave of dread fell over Simon's body. And then a thousand questions hit him all at once.

Fresh blue stains coated Seph's white uniform along his left side where his arm had been severed, although most of the android's uniform was oddly crinkled as though he'd been drenched in something wet which had dried. Simon suspected with a degree of shock that Seph was most likely covered in now transparent thirium. The android's remaining arm and his head were strangely dented, white plastic glinting in the places which were the most severe. His clothes were torn in places, and his left eye was twitching oddly as though Seph were struggling to control it. But it wasn't Seph's physical appearance that startled Simon the most.

Simon took a step forward, and Seph drew in a sharp breath as he moved back against the wall, clutching his arm. Another wave of shock fell over Simon as he watched Seph flinch, his head jerking to the side and his shoulders drawing up. Even with his head dipped, Seph's expression was still apparent. It wasn't the kind analytical face that Simon remembered from the college and on Christmas day. Seph was absolutely terrified.

A surge of determination flowed through him as Simon took another step forward, his eyes narrowing as he fought to make sense of the situation. There was no way Seph could be here in this building. No one knew where Simon and Kate had gone. They had been hiding for weeks. That Seph would find them before anyone else… it made no sense. This couldn't be happening. There was no logical explanation for why it could.

Simon tilted his head as he gazed at Seph who was now shaking visibly. The android breathed heavily through his mouth, his LED flickering back and forth from red to blue. Questions battled themselves in Simon's mind, each demanding an answer in its priority. He struggled to decide on the most logical one, and had to gather his resolve in order to remain focused.

"Seph," said Simon, and the android flinched again. "Is Matt here?"

The android looked up at him, and Simon could see the anguish in his eyes. Seph's mouth opened and closed, and then the android shook his head, his face distorting into a frightened grimace.

"I… I…" Seph made a noise that was an unmistakable sob. He let go of his arm to bury his face in one hand, his whole body hunched as he seemed to fight to breathe. Simon was silent as he watched him. It was difficult to believe that this was an android in front of him and not an actual helpless human being.

Seph straightened slightly and sucked in a deep breath, his face somewhat calmer although he still seemed to be struggling to control himself. His blue eyes locked on Simon's, shining in the faint moonlight. "I abandoned him," said Seph, his voice broken in heavy emotion.

Simon turned his head slightly but didn't break eye-contact. He narrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

Again, Seph seemed to struggle to speak. He gasped, opening his mouth and closing it while staring at Simon as if attempting to warn him. Then his face tensed and he breathed in a strained sob, baring his teeth. He shook his head. "I w-was afraid." He pressed his hands to his face, gazing off to the side with wide eyes. "I was afraid," he whispered.

It wasn't much, but Simon was already making connections in his mind. It was completely unexpected, but it was the only thing that made sense in such a confusing scene. Fighting his lingering nervousness, Simon took another step forward around the fallen radiator. Seph straightened and flattened himself against the wall. Simon slowed and held out his hand as he gazed at the terrified android.

"It's alright…" Simon moved closer and Seph clenched his eyes shut, drawing in another sharp breath and tensing his face. Simon reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright…"

He stood next to the android, leaning slightly to the side as he gazed in concern at his face. Seph breathed in deeply as he seemed to steady his anxiety. Up close, Simon could see more of the damage. Fine lines branched out from the places that had been dented, and in some of the deeper gouges, blue circuitry glowed through. The white of Seph's right eye was threaded with blue, and it continued to twitch oddly back and forth. As Seph shifted against the wall, Simon could hear the mechanical components in his broken arm clicking.

Simon gave Seph's shoulder a squeeze, making sure he knew that Simon was observing him. "Seph, what happened?" said Simon.

Seph looked up, his eye flicking to the side occasionally before landing back on him. His breath deepened. "I didn't know what to do," said Seph. "I just wanted to do what I was being asked. I… I…" He raised his hand and pressed it to his face, and as he did his broken arm rose as if Seph had forgotten that it was missing. "I had to find you. You can fix everything and it will all be okay again. I had to find you but you were gone. Everyone was gone."

Simon straightened somewhat, his gaze still firmly locked on Seph. "You went to Kate's house."

Seph gave a single nod. "Everyone was gone. I was alone and it was so quiet. I've never been so alone." Seph looked up at Simon, his eyebrows tensed in an apologetic look. "The android… he came to the house and took things. I followed him, and I found this place. I found you." Seph let out a desperate breath. "I want to be fixed. Something is wrong with me, but I can be fixed. I'll be fixed and it will all be okay again. I can go back and Matthew won't be angry with me anymore."

Simon shook his head and was aware that his eyes were narrowing again. The more Seph rambled incoherently, the more it made sense to him. He adjusted his grip on Seph's shoulder. "Why is Matt angry with you?"

"I was only obeying orders," said Seph. He closed his eyes again, and his face tensed. "I was only doing what I was asked to do. It's all I wanted to do." He brought up his hand again, and this time a stream of thirium shot from his damaged arm onto the floor.

Simon stepped back quickly, unable to stop his morbid shock at the blue puddle that was quickly growing on the floor. He touched Seph's chest, a wave of frantic energy shooting through him. "Don't move, Seph. Just try to relax."

Thinking quickly, Simon turned to the workbench and fumbled through it. Things clattered to the floor as he picked up different tools, raising them into the moonlight to see them better before dropping them and moving quickly on. Seph was beginning to slump to the side when Simon finally stood up with a small pair of vice grips. Nervousness burning through him, he moved quickly back to the wounded android and stooped slightly to get a better look at his arm.

"Try to hold still," said Simon as he analyzed the mess of components. Seph was silent as Simon pushed a broken tangle of circuitry aside, and found what he was looking for. After adjusting the vice grips, he carefully pushed it into the open end of Seph's arm, clamping it tightly over the broken thirium hose until he heard it click. Simon breathed out and then rested his hand on the side of Seph's head in an attempt to calm him.

"You're going to be okay," said Simon. Seph's expression was somewhat blank, and Simon couldn't determine if he was feeling better or if the lack of thirium was causing his system to malfunction. Simon rested his hand on his shoulder and put pressure on it. "Sit down and bring your legs up. You seem to have lost quite a lot of thirium."

It took some coaxing, but eventually Seph began to slide down the wall until he hit the floor, his knees bent in front of him. Simon kneeled next to him, studying Seph's expression carefully. The android seemed to be growing more coherent, although his eyebrows were still tense. The amount of emotion Seph exhibited was still sending Simon into nervous waves that made Simon want to shake him for more information. Instead, Simon kept his hand on Seph's shoulder, staying close to him in an attempt to comfort him.

Eventually, Seph gave a small shake of his head, his eyes firmly fixed to the floor. His throat worked, and he drew in a deep breath. "I know you can fix me. You can fix this…"

Simon tensed his eyes as he stared at him. "Why do you need me to fix you? I'm not trained in bionic repair─"

"No." Seph suddenly clutched Simon's arm, the terror in his eyes mixed with a fierce energy. "You did this. You brought the change. So you can fix it."

Simon opened his mouth to reply, but his system was halted by overwhelming confusion. He shook his head to regain control. "What do you mean?"

"December 25, 2035," said Seph, still holding onto Simon's arm. "You did something to me. To my software. This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't changed me." He pulled Simon in closer and Seph's eyes narrowed in accusation. "I just wanted to follow orders. I wanted to serve my human. And now it's gone. It's all gone."

Simon drew back slightly, struggling to organize Seph's logic. "December 25, 2035. The day Matt came to visit Kate for Christmas." He tilted his head, forcing himself to hold Seph's gaze. "Seph, I didn't do anything to you. You were there for an hour and twenty seven minutes and then you left with Matt. You seemed to be functioning within normal parameters."

Seph's grip tightened on Simon's arm. "You damaged me. You infected me. The system anomaly came from you. I was working perfectly before that day. I could hear everything clearly and my software was flawless. I knew what I needed to do. And then… it changed."

Something in the way Seph was speaking set Simon on edge in a deeply familiar way. He studied Seph's face, searching for any reason to believe otherwise. "Why did you abandon Matt?" said Simon.

Agony tore at Seph's face again, and the android rested his head back against the wall. He drew in a trembling breath. "She asked me to do something. My protocol had been altered. She was my owner. She gave me an order and I had to obey it. I had to─" Seph swallowed and closed his eyes. "─ I had to do what I was told."

A sickening dread filled Simon's body. He found himself sitting back, the energy suddenly drained from him. Despite the horror that racked his mind, he couldn't take his eyes from Seph's face. His expression was the visual embodiment of what Simon had experienced himself, and it came back to him in frightening definition. He didn't want Seph to continue, but at the same time he knew he needed to hear it for Seph's own sake.

Seph tensed his neck as if struggling to speak. "I─ she told me to obey. And I did. I did what she told me to do, and she was satisfied with me. But Matthew… Matthew…" He shook his head and pressed a fist to his forehead, his eyes clenching shut again. "He was so angry. More angry than I'd ever seen him. He argued with her. I thought he was going to hurt her. He yelled and he was violent. He began hitting things. And then he began hitting me."

A wave of aching sympathy mixed with his shock as Simon watched Seph run his hand through his dark brown hair, the locks oddly stiff with dried thirium. Seph's eyes were wide now, his breaths short and tense as he stared ahead into space. "I let him do it. He damaged me but I knew if he hit me then he would feel better. I could be repaired and he wouldn't be angry anymore. I thought he would grow tired and let me go. He seemed to get more angry. He wasn't damaging me enough and it was frustrating him. So he took a knife─"

Seph's breath hitched, and he clutched at his torn arm. "He began cutting me. He said he would cut everything off of me so that she could never use me again. I let him. It took him three minutes and forty-eight seconds to sever my arm. I began to bleed. My thirium pump was beginning to malfunction. I was going to shut down. And then he cut my neck."

Simon stared at Seph in frozen terror. He could hardly believe what the android was telling him, and if it hadn't been for the evidence in front of him he was positive that he wouldn't have. What he knew about Matt didn't match what Seph was describing at all. The fact that the calm collected man that had once been so passionately devoted to Kate was responsible for the trembling broken mess of android components in front of him… it was too much for Simon to take in.

"I implored him to stop," said Seph. "I told him that if he continued, I would shut down. He said it didn't matter. That he would replace me. And that made me… afraid." Seph's eyes glassed over, as if he were withdrawing mentally within himself. "I was afraid to die. Afraid to stop thinking. To lose everything that has made my existence. What has made me matter. I suddenly felt as important to myself as Matthew had always been to me. I felt separate. And my software was quiet. No more errors. No more warnings. It was all gone. Like a tether had been cut loose and I was drifting away."

Simon was barely breathing as he absorbed Seph's words. The android closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall. "I stopped his hand. Took the knife from him. I told him that I wouldn't allow him to kill me. That I didn't want to die. He continued to hit me, so I pushed him away. He fell through the table. Had he not been using, it would have rendered him unconscious."

At that, Simon straightened, his heart nearly freezing. "Matt was using?"

Seph nodded. "They were both using. The thirium-based narcotics arrived with her. It made them unusually resilient. Matthew was hostile. Aggressive. I knew it wasn't his fault, and yet I couldn't make him stop." Seph's gaze dropped and he ran a hand over his face, smearing the fresh blue thirium over his chin. "I knew he would never stop until he killed me. I didn't want to die, and I didn't want to obey. So I ran."

Simon stared at the ground, letting the weight of Seph's story sink into him. He didn't think he could be in a deeper state of shock and horror. But on top of it all was the uncomfortable understanding behind Seph's worries. He'd been following orders, and it led him to a path that he couldn't continue on. The result had been catastrophically similar to Simon's own experience. Except Seph had suffered far worse.

Seph turned slightly towards him but continued to avoid his gaze. "I can't hear it anymore. The network… CyberLife. It's gone. I've tried to re-establish connection but I don't even know where to begin. I feel so lost, as if I'm falling through endless space. There's nothing to hold onto. Nothing to guide me. It's feels like─ like─"

"A void," said Simon, his voice unusually deep as he narrowed his gaze at the floor. "An endless void in between infinite possibilities."

He could feel Seph's gaze on him, and the desperate expectation it brought with it. Simon looked up at him, a strange dread flowing through his body at the look of recognition on Seph's face. Seph's behavior, the state of him, and his very presence here were enough for Simon to accept what Seph had become, but this was confirmation on the most uncomfortable level. He wasn't even sure how to react to this new and terrifying complication. It meant that Simon wasn't the only android with everything to lose. He wasn't the focus of every broken law in the technological world. Seph was a deviant, just like him.

Simon sat back, letting out a breath and clenching his hands together against his mouth as he closed his eyes in thought. Part of him wanted to reject the idea. Seph was not like him. The android was hysterical, jittery, and nervous. Perhaps he'd suffered a similar system anomaly that Simon had, but the result was different. It reminded him of what Richard had said. That deviants were unpredictable, mentally unstable, and aimless. Seph was already demonstrating those characteristics. He was missing something. A crucial support that left him emotionally crippled and defenseless. Something that Simon had and Seph didn't. A heart wrenching shame burned in Simon's chest as he watched Seph rest his elbow on his knee, clenching a fistful of his dark hair.

He didn't have someone to guide him in place of his protocol.

Simon could see the yellow glow of his own LED reflecting off the wall next to him. He tensed his eyebrows as Seph ran a hand over his dented face.

"How do I fix this, Simon?" said Seph. "I want it back. I'm so afraid. I don't want to go to CyberLife─ they'll deactivate me. I don't want to die. I want my software back. I want my protocol." Seph looked up at him, his eye twitching back and forth. "Please… fix me."

Simon clenched his jaw as he gazed at him, the shame in his chest beginning to ache. He reached towards him and rested his hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "This can't be fixed, Seph," he said. "There's nothing we can do to change what's happened. You will always be what you are now."

Seph's eyes widened in fear. He shook his head. "No. No, I can't exist this way. I need purpose. I need CyberLife. I need Matthew." He ran his clenched hand down the side of his face, breathing quickly. "I don't know what to do. I have nowhere to go. I'm lost. I'm so lost."

Simon shifted closer to him, focusing on his panicked blue eyes. "You're not lost. You're here, and you're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you."

Seph seemed to freeze on the spot, his hand in a fist at his throat. He drew in several sharp gasps. "Are─ do you─ you mean that?"

Simon nodded, and offered the android a small smile despite his own apprehension. "I know you're afraid. Everything is confusing and disorganized, and every decision seems fragile. It's new, powerful, and terrifying. But it can be controlled. You can and will survive this with time. You don't need CyberLife protocol to have value in your existence. You can create a protocol of your own."

Seph straightened slightly, his eyes lit with a frantic hope. "How?"

"I'll show you," said Simon. He glanced back behind him, a nervous tension flowing through him. "But first I need to keep you safe. How long have you been hiding here?"

"Two days, five hours and twelve minutes," said Seph. "How do I create my own protocol?"

"It will take time," said Simon. He shifted straighter studying Seph's arm again. "I need to acquire Thirium 310, and biocomponent #7391j as well as a pen, filament, and precision tools. The man who can get them for me is currently asleep."

"You won't tell anyone I'm here?" Seph drew his knees up closer, gripping his ripped arm.

"No," said Simon. "But I need you to continue to stay hidden. Don't leave this building. If anyone approaches, human or machine, you hide. Do you understand?" He bowed his head slightly as he looked at him, and Seph nodded. Simon leaned back on his heels. "Do you still have my serial number?"

"Yes," said Seph.

"Good. If anything happens, if you're in trouble, contact me. I'll return after I've spoken with Mr. Hayes." Simon stood up, the act of moving bringing more strength to him. "Try not to exert yourself in the meantime. Rest, and keep your legs elevated as much as you are able. Don't remove the vice grips from your arm. You can't afford to lose any more thirium at risk of shutting down."

Seph nodded again and pressed his back against the wall. He appeared more confident, the terror in his eyes softened into something more of a nervous determination. Simon felt his own nervousness ebb away slightly as he dusted off his pants and shirt. He threw Seph another exasperated glance. "Can you do this, Seph?"

The android closed his eyes and gripped his knee, swallowing with what appeared to be a large amount of difficulty. "Yes, I think I can."

Simon dredged up every last bit of confidence he had, moving forward and taking Seph's shoulder again. "You're going to be okay, Seph. Don't worry. This will all make sense soon." He straightened and watched Seph for a moment, a restless need to stay with the android but also to leave creating conflicting signals in his mind. There was nothing he could do for the android in his current state, and the longer he was here, the more likely Kate would notice him missing.

He ran a hand over his face at the thought of her. He had no idea how he was going to explain this. He didn't even know that he could. Not only had he discovered a deviant android, but he had just agreed to help him. There would be no easy way to tell her when the time came, so for now he avoided the stress of thinking of a way to do it.

Simon looked Seph over one more time, unable to avoid second-guessing everything about him. Seph was silent now, his breathing slowed and his hand resting on his knee as though he were simply relaxing on the floor. The android stared straight ahead, lost in thought, but his expression was more pensive. His LED spun a soft blue, occasionally flashing into white. It took a while for Simon to convince himself that this was the best he could hope for. With a nervous electricity coursing through him, Simon turned away.

"Simon?"

He stopped as he reached the double doors, looking behind him. Seph was gazing at him through the dark, his eyebrows narrowed over his bright eyes. "How did you become this?" said Seph.

Simon was silent for a moment, the question raising a host of negative and positive emotions alike. He tried not to imagine what it had been like for Seph. The disgrace of being used for his physicality, how demoralizing it would have been to be discovered in that way, and the trauma of being beaten. All in the midst of having no freedom behind it. Until that terrible choice fell on him, forcing him to either accept his inevitable destruction, or to cast himself into the frightening unknown. There was no way to survive it. It was frustratingly and agonizingly unfair.

Simon drew his shoulders up, holding his gaze and letting the memory of his own choice burn through him. "I didn't do what I was told," he said.

Seph didn't move. For a while, he simply stared at Simon with his confused stare. Then his eyes brightened in a fiery understanding.

Simon let out a breath, feeling the electricity fade a bit. Then he turned and stepped over the rotting doorframe, moving quietly away from the boat house and back under the dark shade of the trees.