I didn't want to talk about this.

"My head hurts," I said, lamely changing the subject. I wasn't lying, however. The ache in my temple had not receded.

"It must be the aftermath of shutting down Gamma."

"You think it'll go away soon?"

"Dunno. Guess we'll have to wait and see."

I didn't like this. I didn't want the deceit fragment fused to my mind. "How am I going to get rid of it?"

Church shrugged. "I don't know. You can't just rip him out. We'd need to find somewhere that has a removal system."

I looked up at Church and knew we were thinking the same thing.

"So we have two choices then," I said. "The Freelancer facility… or the Mother of Invention."

"One other choice," Church reminded me. "The Freelancer storage base. We might have some luck there too."

"Okay, but that might be the least of our problems right now," I said, gesturing around to the cells. "Where the hell are we, Church? With Meta and Tex?"

Church nodded. "And the rest of the AIs. This is the ship they're using to track down the Director."

"What happened to the others? Are they all right?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "After Tex forced me to go with her, Meta appeared carrying you. He dropped you on the ground and went back. I didn't hear any gunshots so I don't know if he killed anyone or not. He just came back with your helmet and all of your armor. Then they transferred us both here, shoved Gamma in your AI slot, and we've been locked up ever since."

"I don't..." I breathed. "I don't get it. How have they been keeping me alive?"

Church frowned. "What?"

"Did they use, like, tubes or something to feed me? How did I even go to the bathroom?"

The powder blue soldier was staring at me strangely. "Eleven, what are you talking about?"

"Gamma—he's been inside my head for almost a week!"

Church shook his head. "No. It's only been today. Hours."

I gasped. "Wh—what? That bastard!"

"Listen, Eleven," Church interrupted. "I know having Gamma in your mind was horrible, but we really have to focus on getting out of here."

"Sorry. You're right." I thought hard, trying to clear my mind. "I have no idea where to even start. Is your radio working?"

"No. They shut mine down when they dragged me here. Is yours?"

I checked my radio manually, not daring to turn it on. "I'm not sure. It seems functional. They probably kept mine on so they could speak to zombie Eleven out in the field."

"I wonder..." Church began. "Do you think you could call the others?"

I frowned. "If I turn on my radio, O'Malley might sense it and jump inside me. Then we'll be in trouble."

Church cursed. "We have to figure out a way to get out of this!"

"Wait," I stopped, staring at the AI. "Why can't you just leave?"

"What?"

"You're not stuck inside your body!" I insisted. "Just pass through the bars of your cell!"

True, I had never actually seen Church outside of his body, but there was a reason the others would periodically mention "that ghost thing" he did.

He sighed. "You really think Tex, another AI, didn't think of that?" he asked. Without another word, he exited his body, and I inhaled sharply, my body tensing up. His form was an opaque white, and, for the first time, he looked like an AI. I took a couple steps backward automatically, my face lined in apprehension.

Church looked at me, and I swallowed, embarrassed. "S—Sorry. I've just never seen you like that."

"So being a ghost is what it takes to freak you out," he replied grimly. "Here, look. I've already tried getting out this way." He walked toward the bars of the cell, but as he reached the door, he bounced off the metal and skidded backward. "They must have installed some sort of blocker to keep me in here."

I looked around and saw the space outside my cell as Church returned to his body. The brig's electronic dashboard flashed dimly just down the hallway. I couldn't see the buttons from where I stood, but it was our only hope of escape.

A sharp clang sounded came from the entrance of the brig.

"They're coming!" Church gasped. "They'll kill you if they found out you shut down Gamma! Get down!"

However, before I had time to lie on the ground, Tex appeared and saw me awake. There was nothing I could do. She approached the cell and stared at me.

"Agent Eleven," she said coldly.

"Yes?" I responded uncertainly.

"Are you ready?"

I paused, wanting to look at Church for guidance but restraining myself. "Yes."

"Well, that was fast," she smirked. "I always knew you had a weaker mind than the Freelancers did, but that's just pathetic. Gamma, status report."

I thought fast, trying to remember how Gamma's voice had sounded when he was partnered with Wyoming. There was no way I could mimic it perfectly, but... well... I had to try. I discreetly activated my voice changer and put it on the male setting, praying that might be good enough. I hadn't used the device since I had arrived at Blood Gulch for the very first time.

"The subject is ready for action," I said, trying to make my voice sound mechanical. It wasn't a perfect imitation by any means. "Her mind is easy to control."

"Good," Tex commented. I had passed. I almost breathed a sigh of relief but caught myself at the last second and turned off my voice changer again. "Time to go."

I stood up slowly as Tex walked back to the entrance of the brig. As I suspected, she hit some button on the dashboard, which unlocked the cell. As I strode away from Church, I could feel his eyes on me, wishing that I wouldn't do something stupid and get myself killed. Meta would certainly maul me in an instant if he knew that I had temporarily deactivated Gamma.

As we headed toward the exit, I stared at the dashboard controlling the cells, falling behind Tex a little. The buttons seemed to be organized by cell location, and I had seconds to choose which button to hit. I moved my hand discreetly to the board and pressed what I thought might be the correct button, but I heard no noise behind me as we left. I had missed.

"We're almost at the prison," Tex explained. "You were here before when the Director escaped, so you can help us do it again."

"Yes ma'am," I replied, emotionless.

Tex rolled her eyes. "Gamma, you didn't have to teach her manners, for God's sake. We just need her brain."

Shit. I activated the voice changer again. "Etiquette comes with the package, Agent Texas," I said, wincing internally.

"Whatever."

We reached the cockpit and I glanced out the window. Swallowing hard, I recognized the jungle below us. The last time I had seen the tops of these trees, I was speeding toward the ground thinking I was taking my last breaths.

That wasn't exactly the best feeling.

When Meta saw me, he growled crankily. Tex turned to the white soldier. "How much longer is this going to take?"

Delta answered from Meta's helmet. "We are currently scanning our chosen landing area. According to my calculations, if we decide the outcropping of earth we have located is adequate, we will be on land in twelve minutes and forty-two seconds."

Twelve minutes and forty-two seconds later, we were perched on a clearing of dirt just large enough to carry the ship. The forest seemed to lean into the clearing, begging to grow around the aircraft, so it was well hidden. Delta and the other AIs had confirmed that the guards would not patrol here, nor would they be alerted of our presence.

We snuck through the greenery and reached the detention facility in no time. I stayed quiet and only spoke when spoken to, keeping my voice void of any expression.

"Eleven, where is the Director?"

"Cell 665," I replied, not daring to lie to them. If they succeeded with this mission and found out I fibbed, I would surely suffer the repercussions.

"Theta, you let us know when would be the safest to head in," Tex continued.

"Um, well, okay," Theta replied uncertainly from Meta's armor. "Are you sure you want me to do it?"

I could tell Tex was really struggling to stay patient now. "Yes, Theta. Just tell us when."

"…Okay," Theta replied timidly.

"Don't worry, Theta," a soothing voice said. "I'm right here to help if you need it."

"Oh, thanks, Sigma," Theta said a little more brightly. "Okay, just a second. Let me think."

The AIs were quiet for a moment, tracking the guards' scouting. I scanned the patrols myself, trying to determine some sort of pattern in their walking. Again, each guard was dressed in royal blue and I fought hard not to think of a certain soldier I missed.

All of the outer edges of the wall seemed to be covered with the monochrome soldiers.

Blue... blue... blue... blue... teal...

Teal?

I took a double take and saw distinct blue-green armor disappear behind the front wall of the prison followed closely by pink and maroon. Then orange… red... a stumbling royal blue…