Anna woke to find the bed empty. She reached in the covers for a moment before a beeping sound drew her attention. Turning to hit the button on her message machine, she heard John's voice fill the room with a hollow echo.

"Sorry I had to leave so early but they changed the departure time. They say they'll be back around in another week but I'd hazard two." Anna fell back against the pillows, "I didn't want to wake you since you were sleeping so peacefully and you told me yesterday your sleep is the most important thing to you."

"Not more important than you." Anna muttered, listening to the end of the message. "Nothing's more important than you."

"I care deeply about you Anna and I promise I'll be back the moment I can be. Please trust in that. This is a lousy goodbye but the next one will be better. The next will be in person. Stay safe."

The recording ended and Anna sat up. With a sigh she pushed out of the bed and went to activate the water in her stall. She stepped into the stream, shivering in the cold, and remembering John helping her warm it every morning for the past week. Closing her eyes at the memory Anna smiled. She could not wait for his return.

Her hair was still a bit damp as she tied it up and out of the way in the elevator on the way down to the ground floor. William bumped her in the hall and Anna waved at him before going to open the main doors. As she did she stopped in the doorway, frowning at the two androids standing there. She frowned, debating at their presence, and then opened the doors.

"We're not open for another hour. You'll have to come back then." Anna went to pull the door closed but one of the hands stopped her, pushing it back open.

"We're not here for drinks." The female android's voice grated, setting Anna's teeth on edge as the two forced their way into the bar. Anna took a moment, composing herself, and grabbed the door to close it while they took their seats at the bar. She eyed them from behind a moment, fingers caressing her pistol.

After a moment Anna let her hand drop and took her place behind the bar. She attempted a weak smile at them but it possibly resembled a wince, "Do you need rooms for your stay on Plutonium?"

"Stay here?" The female android sneered, "Not if it was the last power source on the Run."

Anna rolled her eyes, "Then what do you want? It's either drinks or rooms."

"We want information." The male finally spoke, his eyes glowing different colors a moment before returning to a steely blue that raised the hair on Anna's arms.

"Then go to the tourist office at the landing dock. That's where they give out information. Here we give out rooms or drinks, that's all."

"Not information about the planet," The male android leaned forward, his synthetic black hair held close to his head by a grease that burned Anna's nose when she accidently inhaled it.

Anna coughed, holding her nose a second to ease the uncomfortable tingling there, "Then what?"

"Information about one John Bates." The female intoned and Anna remembered she was there.

"Just one?" Anna whistled, risking removing her fingers, "Out of how many billions in the galaxy with the exact same name?"

"Only millions." The male android droned and Anna held up her hands in mock surrender.

"My mistake."

"Not your biggest though, was it?" The female android withdrew a badge from her pocket and the male android did the same. They flipped them open and Anna read them carefully. "We're here on behalf to the Division for Speech and Press, investigating violations made by Mr. Bates when he published government dealings for the galaxy to read."

"Dedicating your time to the best causes then?"

"We control the flow of information in speech and the press." The female sniffed, trying to make herself sound important.

"I'm glad you're not still trying to insist either of those is free Ms.-" Anna pretended to squint at the badge, "O'Brien."

"It's as free as it needs to be."

"Because no one deserves to think for themselves? Or speak for themselves? Or write for themselves?" Anna tapped her fingers on the bar, putting her other hand on her hip, "Sounds like a good world."

"You're avoiding the question." The male warned.

"Which question? I don't remember you asking one."

"It was implied." The male's tone modulator ran a little high and Anna hid a smirk.

"Sorry, I'm not good with 'implied'. Too many mixed signals."

"I don't think you're taking the gravity of a visit from two agents of the Department of Speech and Press visiting to heart, miss. Or the gravity of the mistake you made that brought us here." O'Brien hissed but Anna only shrugged it off.

"And what mistake could I've made to attract the attentions of the insanely busy Department of Speech and Press? I run a bar on a sideshow moon."

"It's more who you've been harboring in your bar." The male android stood, taking in the room.

"And who's that?"

"Mr. Bates." O'Brien repeated.

Anna shrugged, "As far as I know we've had no guests by that name."

"You don't check their identities?" The male android clicked his synthetic teeth, sending a shiver down Anna's spine. "What kind of lax security is that for an establishment like this?"

"The usual."

"And the owner doesn't mind?" O'Brien shrugged, "I can see why it's all going to hell in a hand basket."

"I'm the owner and no, I don't mind." Anna sniffed, immediately regretting it as the inside of her nose burned again, "If they pay in cash or bartered goods, there's no need for identities. It also doesn't help that I appeal to a clientele that tends to 'borrow' the identities of others and use them for gain so I can't trust the sources of identification they give me."

"What about the registry for the rooms?" O'Brien stood too, taking a go round the room. "Surely you keep a record."

"Of course I do but you wouldn't believe how many people go by the last name of 'Smith' when they're this far out in the middle of nowhere." Anna took a deep breath, "So, even if this Mr. Mates was here-"

"Bates." Both sounded off in unison.
"Whatever. My point is, even if he were here I wouldn't know." Anna waved toward the door, "You have a good day and don't let the door clip your carbon fiber asses on the way out."

She went to turn when the male android clamped down on her arm. "We're not finished here."

"Oh I think we are." Anna whirled on him, drawing her pistol and cocking it under his chin. "You may be half real, Mr. Barrow, but I'm sure if I lit the gas in this gun it'd serve to blow that pretty painted face off your clockwork interior."

"Then you'd be in trouble for assaulting an officer."

Anna snorted, "This far out? They'd help me break down your bodies to use for spare parts. Now let go of my arm." She tore herself from his grip, keeping the pistol leveled at him, "Get out."

"We haven't finished our purpose here." O'Brien came back to the bar, "We know Mr. Bates was here."

"If you're so sure then why weren't you on him faster than a bloodsucking fly on the back of a cow?" Anna waited, "I think you're just strutting your stuff and you really have no idea what you're doing. There's been no Mr. Bates here."

"Mr. Bates?" Anna turned as William entered the bar area, wiping off his hands, "The war satirist John Bates? That Mr. Bates? He came weeks ago. Made a bit of a stir talking about the destruction on Monte Cristo."

Anna closed her eyes, screaming internally as William continued detailing the event of John's first stop to the Rock. Grabbing his arm just above the elbow, and a hold of herself, Anna squeezed and William hissed. He looked down at her and Anna forced a cringe-worthy smile, "I think you're mistaken, William."

"But you talked with him boss. You had a conversation with him and-" He gritted his teeth as Anna tightened her hold.

Her eyes were wide at him, voice leveled but holding a tinge to it that warned William not to speak, "He wasn't the real John Bates, William, just an imposter hoping for a free drink and a discounted room." William tried to argue but Anna set her jaw, "He wasn't the real John Bates."

William nodded and Anna released his arm. Her assistant massaged the spot as Anna turned to Barrow and O'Brien. "I apologize, he was excited to meet his hero and I thought it necessary to keep the details of the confusion to myself. He unintentionally lied to you."

Barrow sneered at Anna, "I don't think he did. His patterns weren't those of a liar. They registered as someone telling the truth."

"If one believes the lie, on a deep level, they can fool your scanners," Anna pointed between the glinting eyes, "Even for as advanced as I think your steam powered mechanics are, someone can still fool them. I read the story."

"Propaganda by the Rebels Alliance. Our scans are never wrong." O'Brien cut in, "Your assistant isn't lying."

"Just because he believes it doesn't mean it's true." Anna nodded to the door, "Even if he were right, and your Mr. Bates was here, he told you that was weeks ago. The war satirist passed through here already."

"Not enough to stay?" Barrow snorted.

"I told you, we're a shithole on the edge of bigger and better things." Anna pointed to her bar, "Why would anyone stay for this? Especially a war satirist with something or someone better to do? There's no war here and nothing exciting. We're the wart on the Yorkshire Run's ass and most are smart enough to get the hell away as fast as they can."

"Except you it would seem." O'Brien headed toward the door, "And you can thank the government for the peace and prosperity here... what little of it there is to be had."

"There's a lot of things I'd thank the government for, never that." Anna waited until she was sure they left and pulled William into the back room. "I'm sorry I did that William. You deserved better."

"What was that boss?"

"They're looking for John Bates and they mustn't find him."

William choked, "Is he here?"

"No," Anna waved her hand, "He was gone before I got up."

"He's been back?"

Anna sighed, "John Bates and I are involved with one another."

William's mouth gaped like a fish, his finger pointing at Anna, "You're involved in a seditious endeavor?"

"It's more of a sexual endeavor but I guess keeping an enemy of the state as your sex partner could be stretched for that definition." Anna put a hand up, trying to calm William before he hyperventilated beyond conscious thought. "William, William! It's alright, everything's fine."

"To be honest boss it's far from alright." William tugged at his hair with both hands, "This is… this is… it's like Vanity Fluoride."

"I really wish you wouldn't compare me to that idiot wives' tale."

"But how can I not?" William started pacing the storeroom and Anna folded her arms, "When you take from the government, no matter how you justify it, they'll find you. That's the moral of the story. You leave alone and they leave alone."

"And I heartily believe that. Additionally, since I hardly stole a stockpile of valuable elements to sell on the black market, I don't think your analogy holds water."

"But you're involved in something dangerous."

"William, if it was anything at all, then it was just a few tremendously enjoyable shags with a person I now discover is of interest to the Department of Speech and Press. They don't even have teeth."

"They have androids."

"Who are three models old, it's not as bad as you think."

"It's worse, boss." William stopped, pointing in the direction of the kitchen, "What about Daisy?"

"What about her William?"

"If you go down then they take us all. No one's innocent in things like this. We're all conspirators."

"Daisy's fine, William."

"Daisy's pregnant!" Anna's jaw dropped as William's voice hardened slightly, "If she gets taken they'll take our baby and who knows what would happen then."

"William I won't let anything happen to Daisy or to your baby."

William shook his head, "I can't let you put us in danger."

"I haven't." Anna insisted and put her hands on William's arms. "I'm not like Vanity, William. I'm not doing this to make a political statement or to make myself rich. I had a few enjoyable nights in the arms of someone I now know is a threat, nothing more."

"What if he comes back, boss?"

Anna shrugged, "Then I'll handle it. The point is, William, I know where my priorities lie."

"Where?"

Anna gestured around them, "This place, all of you… This is my life, William, and I won't endanger you or anyone else who depends on me. I promise." William nodded and Anna ducked her head to see him better, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." William straightened, "I trust you."

"Good. Then trust that I'm not an idiot." Anna smiled at him, "And I'm sorry about your arm. I don't know how you'll explain that bruise to Daisy."

"I'll find a way." William grinned, "She might even kiss it better for me."

"Get back to work William." Anna pushed him out the door. Once he was gone she leaned on the wall, closing her eyes to shake her head, "I'm in so much trouble."