Hey! bestknight32 here! I gotta say im going to miss Contingency Contract :( . I'd like to thank dahliingg for making the base of story and Tim for making this chapter you two are the best! " Does anyone in class have the answer this question? I want to read the _ chapter? the choices are A. Last or B. Next.

THE PAST

To Closure, the Rhodes Island Engineering Department still looked and smelled uncomfortably new, even after a few weeks of living and working here. Brushed gray-metal walls were still flawless. Shiny stainless-steel or white ceramic work counters, depending on what someone was working on, had yet to be chipped or banged up from use. The floor's white ceramic tiles had streaks of blue to give it a calming feel, but there wasn't even a single stain or blemish. Not even a dirty streak or something. The robots kept it spotless.

It was almost…too clean and nice. Like, it was difficult to relax and get comfortable. As sterile as a lab or hospital. When Closure had left home and become a solitary, underground freedom fighter, she'd thrilled at abandoning all rules, loved the simple rebellion of wearing whatever she wanted, doing laundry whenever she wanted, eating whatever and whenever regardless of how healthy it was, and had gone days without cleaning up, allowing used dishes and empty food and drink containers to stack up in the darkest corners of her criminal hideout. It had been her first time away from home and all its rules, her first time 'adulting'. It had been awesome. And fun.

This new cleanliness was…fine. But it left her feeling awkward. Not least because she had zero idea of how to interact with the others working here, like Shaw, Pinecone, and Roberta. Thanks crappy, oppressive family with ultra strict rules and a hate for everyone who wasn't just like them. Not exactly a childhood that fostered healthy social skills and self confidence in room with people from all around the world. How was she supposed to get along with these people?

It was doubly messed because she was also technically the supervisor for all the other engineers and techies, the smartest one in a group of geniuses.

Like, how do you even talk to people, let alone people who are all as awkward and shy around you as you are around them? Yet they didn't seem to have any problem bonding with each other.

She sat at the workstation that had habitually become hers, partly because she liked how close it was to the kitchen and free food, partly because the others had all seemed to avoid it from the first day she'd sat there, treadingly lightly around it as if it were holy ground and casting at her what they thought were sly glances of awe whenever they passed.

She sighed to herself as she tinkered with the security protocols for the RI Control Room.

A female voice spoke from behind, "Wow. You were so joyful your first days here. Has it all worn off that fast?"

Closure leapt in her seat, practically jumping out of her skin, and whirled in surprise. Then she relaxed. "Cheese, Theresa. You gave me a heart attack." She shivered at the adrenalin spike.

The king put her hand over her lips and giggled. "Sorry about that."

Closure huffed. "You're a politician. Royalty. Shouldn't they announce you when you enter the room or something? Give us warning?"

Teasingly smiling, Theresa came around to stand next to Closure. "What find would that be? Also, can you imagine how tedious that would get, fast? Just how many rooms do we go in and out of every day?"

"But it would be hilarious. Every time you went to the bathroom, 'All Hail, Her Majesty!' And anyone already inside doing their business would try really, really hard not to fart or something gross in your esteemed presence."

Theresa burst out in laughter. "Oh my! Imagine how awful that would be for them, trying so hard to hold it in just because I'm there. I would feel terrible."

Closure looked around with mostly mock worry. "I'm discussing toilet stuff with the king. One of your ministers isn't going to have me shot for this, are they?"

Theresa leaned close and stage-whispered, "Why do you think I never invite them to visit with me?"

"Damn. I don't ever want to go back to living that rigid life again." Closure shuddered.

The teasing eased out of her expression and Theresa was more serious as she asked, "So why the long face and sighing?"

"Oh, it's…" Breaking off, Closure shook her head and waved like it wasn't important.

But the king wasn't fooled. "Don't say nothing. Talk to me."

As hard as it was to believe, Theresa was one of the very few people that Closure could say she was on friendly terms with. She wouldn't be so bold as to call them friends, of course-"

Theresa edged closer and nudged Closure with her shoulder. "Come on, we're friends. Friends share their problems."

Closure's jaw dropped. Could Theresa read minds?

Theresa giggled again. "What?"

"Uh, nothing. Ok, well, um, I love working here. The tech, the problem-solving, it's so cool. But…it's kind of lonely."

"Really?" Theresa looked up at the trio of others currently in the room. The lively chatter that had been going on between them had ceased and all three were conspicuously focused, heads down, on their own projects, deliberately not looking at the king or Closure. They must have noticed her come in and were now dutifully focused on their work. "You're not getting along with the others?"

Closure sighed again. "Look at them. They get all quiet and stuff whenever you come around. Because you're the king. And you're the one behind this whole Rhodes Island thing. They're like that with me too. Every time we talk it's strictly work stuff. And it gets really awkward if it goes on for, like, more than two minutes. We never talk about anything personal. Just the idea of trying to ask something personal makes me cringe. And they don't try either."

Theresa nodded in sympathy and pulled over a stool so she could sit at the island workstation next to Closure. "I know exactly what that's like. It's ever worse for me. Being in my position, no matter what, for many people there will always be a royal barrier they refuse to cross. You're an underground legend, someone who rose to that height in no time at all. And a genius. And very cute. That is probably intimidating.

Closure protested at the idea of being a legend or cute. "That's not—!"

Theresa overrode her objection. "Just give it time. Go slow. You all have so many interests in common. Once they get to know the real you, to see you as one of them, they'll relax."

Hanging her head like a kid, Closure shrugged. "I hope so. I've never…well, had friends before. Or coworkers. I don't know how it is supposed to work." Her mind flashed back to the one person she'd ever trusted. How she longed to feel the safety and love she'd felt in that woman's arms, head on her chest, listening to her soft reassurances. Then old guilt spiked when she thought about how she'd gotten the wonderful woman killed. Closure looked away, not wanting Theresa to see the pain on her face.

Theresa, thankfully, seemed wise enough not to press or ask questions. She changed direction instead. "Have you tried reaching out to the other department heads? Maybe it's easier with people on the same level or responsibility?"

Closure gave her a side look. "You mean Doctor Kal'tsit? Or Doctor Hayden?"

"Yeah."

"You notice I'm the only one without Doctor in their name?"

"Oh, come on. What's the big deal? You're all super smart, passionate people. Titles don't matter to either of them, trust me. I wouldn't have chosen them if they were the type that did."

Closure leaned back and shook her head. "Uh, yeah, they're, like, waaay older. And more experienced. I don't feel like I fit in with them at all. I don't know how I'm supposed to be a department head like they are. I'm just a kid."

Theresa gave her a direct look, challenging her. "We often get thrust into unfamiliar situations. We can either grow into them or give up and fail. Which do you want to do?"

Feelingly slightly ashamed for her negativity, Closure straightened. "Grow. Of course. I don't want to give up on myself."

Theresa made a single node, then became thoughtful. "Let me think. Kal'tsit is…"

"Prickly? Distant?"

"Yes." The king chuckled. "But There's much more to her than that. She has a very strong sense of justice. And while she might act…distant…in truth, she's very compassionate. Maybe not always in her bedside manner," more laughter, "but she is dedicated to saving lives."

Closure's eyes widened. "Yeah. I can see that. She works like she's in demon mode all the time. I never see her rest."

Now it was Theresa who sighed. "I've tried to speak to her about that. But what can I do? All three of you are workaholics who constantly neglect your own health. Something else you have in common."

Closure ignored that comment as she had absolutely no intention of working less. Gaming counted as a break, right? "You mean Doctor Hayden is, too?

"Yes. He's…"

"Cold? Stern? Quick to snap at you?"

Theresa almost blushed. "Uh, yes, well, I suppose that's often true. Perhaps his heart is even more buried beneath the surface than Kal'tsit's is. But he, too, is extremely dedicated to his research and finding a cure for oripathy. He cares, even though he doesn't really show it the way others might like. And without him, I don't know how we'd survive on the battlefield."

"Yeah, Babel sure gets in a lot of fights, huh? I mean, I knew we were going to be in for some given what we're trying to do. But…I guess it's different thinking something and seeing it in person."

Theresa became conflicted. Remorseful. "Yes. I try to find peaceful solutions whenever I can. I hate that blood gets shed. But our opponents don't share that feeling. They embrace violence, forcing us to act in kind. And I fear things are going to get worse before they get better."

"I hope not." But Closure didn't believe her own words. She intimately knew the type of people they were up against. You couldn't change the mind of someone like her grandfather. Or even her parents. They'd die for their cause. Or hurt a lot of people before being forced to give it up.

Theresa shook herself out of her own negative feelings and got back to giving advice and speaking with an upbeat tone. "Anyway. For Kal'tsit, I think it's best to be direct and no nonsense. Don't make small talk; she hates it. But go to her with your thoughts or a problem and speak sincerely, and she'll respond in kind."

Easier said than done, but Closure didn't want to be a loner forever. "I…I'll try."

"As for Hayden…." Theresa made a mischievous smile. "You know, being such a serious man, it is awfully fun playing little tricks on him."

Closure blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Theresa's eyes darted around, and she whispered, "I once called a meeting and sent him to the wrong room. Then had someone go and give him the 'right' room twice more before he realized I was pulling his leg. Oh, he was so angry that afternoon. But I did succeed in giving him a short break from his work, which the overextended man dearly needed whether he wanted to admit it or not."

Closure was flabbergasted. "So, you think I should play practical jokes on Doctor Hayden? Uh, I think he'd kill me."

"No. He wouldn't. But he might get you back. That's how you know you'll have won his respect. He'll see it as a game. Otherwise, he'll just ignore you as not worth his time."

"Huh. I never would have guessed." Closure evidently had a lot to learn about other people. Like, loads and loads more.

Theresa shrugged one shoulder. "You could also challenge him to chess but good luck ever winning a game. He stomps everyone who challenges him. The only one he plays on a regular basis is the computer."

"The computer, huh?"

"Yes. That's right, little Miss Hacker. The computer."

"You dropped that hint on purpose, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're trying to insinuate." Theresa stood and straightened her dress. "Now, I'm off. Baron Filvael arrived three hours ago demanding an audience. I suppose I should go see the infuriating (ahem) before he explodes."

"Did you send him to the wrong room too?"

"Three times. With sincere apologies for my continued delays." She rolled her eyes, obviously not a fan of the stuffy noble.

Closure looked up at her king more than just literally. Theresa was so poised and cool and, actually, kind of fun. "I wanna be like you when I grow up."

Theresa threw back her head and laughed.

THE PRESENT

Flickers of flame reached down the corridor for a moment before the closing doors cut them off.

From where he lay face-down on the ground, arms over his head, Hayden felt the heat through his clothes. Then he felt it growing worse on his right buttock. He uncovered his head and looked back. His ass was on fire! He slapped at it, ignoring the pain in his hand until the flames went out. Then he slowly got to his feet.

He waited for almost a minute outside the door before the red warning light over the touch panel turned green, indicating environmental conditions in the other room had returned to something survivable. He pushed the button, and the doors slid open.

The computer didn't fully understand the situation before allowing him entry.

The fire had scorched the room, blackening it in places, but doing little real damage because it had been mostly heat and very little force. That heat had burned all the oxygen out of the room, so when the doors opened, the sudden flow of air into the vacuum gave Hayden a bit of a push. This is the start of what firefighters call the backdraft effect. When fire burns in an enclosed space and all the oxygen is used up, the fire kind of goes out and only embers are alight.

But that fire is only waiting, quietly slumbering until fresh fuel arrives. When new oxygen enters, combustion suddenly reignites, often explosively, sometimes killing those entering the room.

As oxygen flooded the room, THRM-EX shouted a warning, "Doctor! Do not enter!"

Hayden flinched and instinctively dropped into a crouch.

Luckily for him, he did not get a fireball to the face. That's generally fairly painful, and not everyone likes having their eyeballs cooked in their skull. However, in this room, there was very little combustible material, and most of it was the body of the man they'd been chasing. So while the fresh oxygen turned into a wave of flame, most of it went over Hayden's head, only singing his hair before computer systems opened a vent in the ceiling to suck heat and air out that direction while jets in the ceiling unleashed water, which rained down.

Hayden eventually stood again, trembling as one does when nearly killed twice in the span of a couple of minutes, and wondering if he was going to develop an aversion to fire after this. Quickly soaked from the water, he waited only a minute more before the system cut off, and the now-cooler room seemed safe and fire-free.

The body of the infiltrator lay in a mess of deeply charred, black flesh, now turning muddy from the water. It gave off the smell of burned meat. Hayden stood over the unrecognizable corpse, his face and heart grim. Yet he was also filled with a disturbing sense of justice. The murderer had suffered the same fate as those he'd killed. And the fate Closure might soon share.

He felt his heart squeeze thinking of her. Affection? Respect. And lots of worry. It still felt odd, yet he trusted in these feelings, some remnant of his past self that he was desperate to hold onto once having felt it.

THRM-EX wheeled over. "Doctor Hayden. This is a victory. Yet you appear disappointed in the result."

"I…don't know. Conflicted, I think."

"I don't understand.

Hayden struggled to organize his feelings. "I just wish we could have found a non-lethal means of dealing with the situation." That was at least partially a lie. Because while he did feel remorse at this ending, part of him was glad for it.

THRM-EX was confused. "Doctor Hayden, this person was capable of creating a virus that could eliminate a substantial portion of the people on this planet. In fact, as there is currently no cure for oripathy and the mineral continues to infect more and more people, that virus might have eventually killed every organic person in the world. He was an existential threat to your species. What possible peaceable means of restraint could have guaranteed the safety of so many? Logically, it was the most practical and expedient resolution to the problem."

"One life for billions."

"Yes. While I understand something of organic conflict when weighing lives, was my math in this case not correct? Or have I erred?"

Hayden quickly shook his head to reassure the robot. "No, THRM-EX. You were right. I realize that. It's just…still hard to accept on an emotional level. Taking a life isn't easy."

"In my experience, you have made many such calculations before, always weighing a ratio much less than billions to one, and have eliminated people without seemingly being affected by it. What is different in this case? Did you know the killer?"

"No. But I'm not the person I was before. I lost my memories, my past identity. I'm trying to be someone different now. I'm trying not to be someone who coldly throws away lives anymore."

THRM-EX deliberated a moment, then continued, "Is that really something to aspire to? If an emotional argument had led to sparing that person's life, and they then released the Arts virus so that millions or billions or even one other person died, then wouldn't it have been better to have eliminated the threat before that could happen? Even if such an event wasn't guaranteed, surely the risk level was simply too high."

Hayden sighed and nodded. "Like I said, I agree. But for living beings, killing is wrong. Feeling bad about it keeps us from going around and killing each other for no good reason all the time. It makes us fight to live. And fight for the lives of others. Sometimes what we think and feel are different, and we have to choose which one to give in to."

"I understand completely. Normally, I am entirely logical in my reasoning. But when it comes to Ms Blaze, I get hot hot hot and would do anything to please her." He rolled over even closer and lowered his voice. "And when I say anything, I mean—"

"Closure really did give you an incredibly advanced personality for a robot designed primarily as a weapon."

THRM-EX perked up with pride. "Ah. That is because she does not believe in making pure weapons. In fact, she refused to be involved at all at first. She was only persuaded to become involved when convinced we were a necessary way to fight fire with fire in order to protect lives. And because she was allowed to give us human ethics and the ability to say no when asked to give lives."

Hayden's brows rose in true surprise. "You have autonomy? You can refuse orders? Even in a military setting?"

"Yes. Ms. Closure believes that it is the duty of every fighter to question the orders they are given and to refuse if the orders are deemed morally wrong or even if there is any doubt, especially when lives are at risk."

"She shared her sense of humanity with you."

"She gave us ways to balance good and evil and the ability to check evil behaviour. Given human propensity for violence and selfishness and how often humans abuse others and make tools of them, this seems sensible. Perhaps if more people questioned the orders they were given, we would have fewer conflicts."

"Closure sounds like a remarkable person. I wish I remembered her."

"Losing data must be a painful experience. My condolences, Doctor."

Hayden turned for the door. "I'm going to go back to the infirmary, see how she's doing. Do me a favour? Burn that thing until there's not a single possibility any of the virus might have survived?"

THRM-EX happily beeped and began glowing again. "It would be a pleasure! I will scour his existence from the world until only his base elements are left. I would also like to ask a favour. If you would be so kind, please save Ms Closure's life."

Hayden hurried out the door, eager to avoid another blast. "Hopefully, that's exactly what they're doing right now." He kicked himself up into a jog. He deeply wished for Closure to survive. They had been friends once; he was pretty convinced of that now. He'd like to be again. He'd never get that chance if she died.

THE PAST

Closure rubbed her fingertips into her temples as she talked to herself in her bedroom while lying down. "A gag. A joke. A practical joke. How hard can that be?" She groaned, crossed her arms over her face, and groaned. "Arg. Why is this so hard?"

To be fair, and most people aren't fair to themselves, Closure had never had much experience with jokes. She recalled a few extremely speciesist things that people back 'home' had said to get a laugh, but she'd rather die than repeat any of that garbage. A practical joke? She couldn't imagine her miserly grandfather allowing such things, ever.

She could…uh…make Hayden slip on a banana peel? She'd seen that in a cartoon once. No, that would be stupid.

Hayden was really smart. Highly regarded. An expert medical researcher and strategist. She would need something incredibly clever, something he wouldn't see coming in a million years.

So Closure did what she always did when she needed to learn up on something: she hit the internet and started reading.

A couple of days later, she surreptitiously hid outside the cafeteria and waited. When Hayden finished his lunch and came out the doors into the hall, she staggered forward. "Help me! I need brains!" She lurched forward in classic zombie fashion.

Doctor Hayden, in a typical black suit and white lab coat, paused, arched one brow, and spoke flatly, "You need more practice doing makeup." Then he strode by her and was gone.

Well, that had totally failed. Closure slunk off, feeling stupid and hiding her face from those she passed on the way back to her room.

Her next attempt at a practical joke was hacking into Hayden's files and completely rearranging his schedule. She giggled to herself as she did it from a terminal in the IT room, thinking how clever she was to have rearranged dates and times into this really complex code that—

He soon stormed into the admin office, shouting at the poor guy he thought had been screwing with him, railing at the man for being beyond inept and wasting his very valuable time.

Closure, who'd been watching via the security feed for his reaction, sprinted (read, walked fast while breathing hard cuz she was so out of shape) to the admin office and blamed the error on a work thing that had accidentally corrupted some other files and said that she was working on fixing it.

Doctor Hayden glared at her. Then he apologized to the young man, who was now near tears from the shouting, and told the young man to tell Closure everything that Hayden had just said about being an incompetent idiot. "I'd say it myself, but I don't want any more precious time wasted." Then he stalked off.

Closure profusely apologized to the young man for the screwup, her face red, and then squirrelled herself away in humiliation for a week.

Though she steadfastly tried to avoid every other human being in the mobile base, at some point, she was forced to attend a head of departments meeting with Kal'tsit and Hayden, amongst others. She snuck into the room at the last moment, hunched down and trying not to be seen as she found a chair.

Of course, because the universe was evil, Hayden immediately noticed her. His face screwed up. "This is a meeting for department heads."

"Uh, yeah. I know."

He seemed honestly bewildered. "Then why are you here?" An act? Or real?

She could barely look up at him before glancing away, unable to meet those piercing eyes. "I'm Head of Engineering and IT."

He scoffed.

Ever-stern Kal'tsit didn't look up from the papers she was skimming. "Theresa brought her in weeks ago. We've had two meetings together already. How do you not remember this?"

Closure gave Hayden a little wave.

Hayden huffed and turned his head away. "I guess she wasn't worth remembering."

Ouch. Closure, sitting amongst her peers, feeling overshadowed by them because she was the youngest, felt that public statement like a gut punch. She shrank down in her chair even further.

Then she got angry.

Wasn't he being a real jerk? Ok, she's tried to mess with him a couple of times and failed. But the whole reason she'd done it was to try to break the ice with him. She was trying become friends. She'd been joking around. Or so she'd thought, at least.

But she wasn't even worth remembering? How harsh was that?

It was the kind of thing her jerk grandfather would have said. Thing is, she didn't have to put up with that kind of crap anymore.

The next day, Hayden went to open the door to the samples room in the oripathy research labs. He pushed buttons on the key panel.

The computer spoke, "Access denied."

He frowned and tried again.

"Access denied."

"What the damnation is wrong with you?" He punched his code in again.

"Access denied. You are not worthy."

He blinked, then his nostrils and eyes flared, and he raised a fist. For a moment, he stood there, ready to bash the door. Then he took a breath and tried a fourth time. This time it opened.

The next day, looking like he'd worked all night and badly needed sleep, hair messy and eyes red, he shuffled out of his office and tried to enter the restroom.

The computer was again unwilling. "Access denied. You're not worthy."

"Oh, come on!" He tried three more times to no avail. Growing desperate, he rushed to the next closest restroom.

"Access denied. You're not worthy."

"Stop it! This is no time for your stupid games, child!" He probably guessed who was behind the issue. He ran to the next restroom.

The computer was as unsympathetic as ever. "Access denied. You're not worthy."

"Gah!" He kicked the door, frustrated and angry. But he was too desperate to give more time to his rage.

Watching the video feed from the security cameras, Closure chuckled, feeling a dark glee from watching his suffering. Serves him right.

Not willing to risk another locked restroom, Hayden ran into the infirmary. Ignoring questions and looks, he blew past the curtain hiding the toilet used for those needing assistance and finally relieved himself, rather publicly. For all the curtain hid him from direct view, it didn't dampen sound.

Closure braced herself for his anger the rest of the day and the next, but it never came. She was both relieved and disappointed. Morbidly curious, she went out of her way to walk past him in the hallway a couple of days later. He didn't even deign to look at her, let alone address her, though surely he must suspect who had been messing with him.

Being ignored should have been a good thing. But she saw his silence as arrogance. Guess she still hadn't earned his notice. Well, she'd better try again then.

So she hacked the computer chess program.

THE PRESENT

The secret agent, the one still alive and still in hiding, silently watched Hayden charge past on the way back to the medical department. The air in the doctor's wake smelled of death and smoke.

After Hayden had gone, the agent sighed and shrugged. "A disappointing failure of a mission, I suppose. Though I can't say losing the source of that virus is the worst thing. Far too unpredictable. In fact…" He slipped into the hall, just another Rhodes Island worker about their business. He came to a hidden stash of food the cleaning crew had tucked away behind a wall panel in their break room.

Opening the panel, he tossed a small timed grenade inside the opening, where it landed on the snacks and salty treats stored there, and next to the fruit that the other agent had liberally infected with the Arts virus. A quick check indicated that none of the fruit was missing and presumably hadn't been touched yet.

Slamming the panel back into place, he whisked himself away and was on another floor when the viral stash was incinerated with a soft boom that set the station's alarms going again.

He smirked to himself. "Good riddance. Imagine unleashing a global plague. It would cause mass chaos. So many would die. I'm a spy. If everyone was dead, I'd be out of a job." Hopefully, that one woman still infected would burn herself to a crisp and take the last of the virus with her.

Footsteps pounded on the floor, coming in his direction. Many footsteps. They had the telltale heaviness of soldiers.

"Oop. Time to make myself scarce." Diffusing his entire body with Arts, he walked right into the outer wall — and through it.

Too bad he hadn't managed to get down another floor or two first because he found himself outside Rhodes Island three stories up. And falling.

If he stayed diffuse, he'd pass right through the planet's crust until his Arts ran out, leaving him some kilometres underground and very dead. Or boiled in liquid metal in the planet's core, and very dead. Or he could turn the ability off and break his legs when he landed. Possibly die.

This wasn't his first time in such a position, though.

He drifted down, slower than he normally would because of the diffusion until he hit the huge tracks that the mobile base rolled on. Then, partially reducing his ability so that he was slightly more tangible, he slowed as he fell through the metal tracks and wheels, like slogging through mud. Once near the ground, he swam free of the vehicle into the open air, using the resistance to propel himself, then materialized only a meter over the ground. He barely grunted on impact.

He sighed and started walking. "Great. Only a four-hour walk to the rendezvous point. I guess…exercise? Yay?" He sighed. Sometimes, being a spy was so boring.

Thank you for reading!