The dying vision I saw this time around wasn't Mikri by the campfire. It was the android wailing for me to wait for him, when I'd run off and gotten myself trapped by Larimak. I remembered in immaculate detail how dismissive I'd been of his protectiveness then…and suddenly, I was placed in his shoes, watching Corai be hauled away all over again. When I awoke in my perfectly-preserved human body, and stared down at the scarred fingers I'd gotten used to not having, my brain was left in anguish.

Death in the present moment didn't come with peace or contentment—it bore the weight of yet another failure. After finally finding love when it seemed no one ever could care for me like that, the person who I'd only just begun to appreciate had been taken away. I wanted to run down to her cell and go Sol on these Elusian bastards, but beyond just the fact that I couldn't sacrifice humanity, I knew she wanted to save us above all else. I had to see Corai's mission through to the end.

I stepped out of the transplantation chamber, feeling like my human proportions were wrong; I was bulkier, imbued with a dangerous strength. The texture of having hair back on my head felt weird. Something deep within my rewired brain twitched, like it was noticing a massive absence—as if my skin cells had gone dead. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Colban had left a nanobot injector nearby, and I didn't hesitate.

I turned to look in the mirror, whistling in appreciation at Preston's physique. I could see my tanned human skin turning gray like a spreading bruise, the pigmentation overruled by the tiny nanites curling through every inch of my being. It was then that I noticed a dozen Elusian guards lurking in the wings, watching me. I strutted in front of them like a runway model, smirking and curling my pointer finger at the most cross-looking one.

"Ooh la la. You, fine sir, put the dimensions in dimension-hopper. You ever want to get interdimensional with me, I'll give you a portal crossing you'll never forget," I drawled.

One of the other Elusian guards laughed for a moment, before holding it in as his peers glowered at him. I shrugged, hoping my provocative comments would get the stuck-up pricks to back off a little. I needed to talk to Sofia and Mikri about everything that had happened, and hear that they had some kind of plan; the two of them held the brain cells in the group. Sauntering off on sturdy human legs and trying to press a hand to a forehead that was no longer there, I looked around for my friends.

A furious beep came from behind me, and Mikri swung his metal paws at me with incensed fervor. "WHY? Why would you volunteer to have them take you away from me and hurt you? I am so scared for you—this is all Corai's fault! I wish you never met her!"

"Mikri, calm down. There is zero reason to blame Corai, and she got screwed the worst of all of us. I have no idea what Elusian prison is like, and I'm terrified to 'simulate' it," I spat. "It's the same reason you tried to sacrifice yourself for me. I would do it for you too, but it wasn't you on the chopping block. Oh God…"

"No, don't be sad. Preston…" The robot's LEDs softened, as I sank to my knees and wept into my silver hands. I didn't look very human, did I? "I just thought animals should exhibit self-preservation, and I have seen you not do this multiple times. It causes me great distress."

"I know, Mikri. I just wanted to be brave and help people the way you do. You would do anything, and I can always do nothing. I accused Corai of just watching, but when shit hits the fan, what do I get stuck doing every time? I'm such a fucking failure!"

"Enough of that!" Sofia chastised, clasping her fingers tightly around my arm. It weirded me out a little to see human eyes blackened against smooth, gray skin. "If someone kidnapped you and I was knocked unconscious, and therefore was unable to save you, is that my fault?"

"No, but I should've…"

"Seen it coming? You and me both. I'm the one who had the visions to work off of. There's nothing any of us could've done to save Corai, when humanity's ass is on the line. We've only had a dim hope from day one, so let's not pretend we didn't do everything we could. Look how far we went—we let them put our brains in Elusian bodies."

"For what? Corai was betrayed by her own people."

"We got here. We got this far. She was willing to sacrifice everything for us, and her only crime, Mikri, is that she trusted others too much. It figures that someone would decide our experiment wasn't worth the risk."

"I couldn't bear it if Corai came to think that too. That helping us…was a mistake." I took a deep breath, and switched to telepathic communication with the duo. "What if humanity really is behind the Elusians' disappearance?"

"Then I will not miss them one iota," Mikri chimed in. "They look down on you like you are rudimentary animals, they discard you at will, and they shall continue to make more mistakes if they are kept around. My matrix's conclusion is that the optimal outcome is their removal from the multiverse."

"Have we taught you nothing? There are good creators! Their lives have value—they've just forgotten how to find that value themselves. They lost their emotions like a memory wipe of their own making, and I find it…sad. That they think there's nothing interesting left in this existence."

"The Elusians have never lifted a finger to help humanity; in fact, they have done the opposite. Now, they seek the slightest excuse to eliminate you! Why do you feel sorrow for them, when they are so indifferent to everything?!"

"Because I'm afraid that the same thing will happen to us! To you!"

Mikri whirred in an upset chord. "I have told you, I will not grow tired of you. Always is not too long. You are projecting your feelings onto me, since you grow tired of and will replace me. I did not wish to believe organics were fickle, but I see it with my own eyes."

"You idiot! You're my best friend. I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to believe that could happen to us, ever."

Sofia stomped a foot in exasperation. "It's a choice to care every day. We only become like them if we let that happen. The three of us have been to hell and back, and I won't let us be divided. We all want what's best for humanity, and Corai is a part of this team. We should visit her, to ease Preston's mind if nothing else."

"I do not want Preston to be distressed," Mikri agreed. "I wish only for his happiness. However, Corai took him away from being happy with me, and then put him, and your entire species, in danger. I do not believe her advice is worth consulting."

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I glared at the android. "Neither is yours. Like, what the fuck is your problem? We're going to check on Corai, not just leave her to rot in misery alone."

"If you wish to get more bad ideas to make your situation worse, very well. I do not trust her."

"Corai is the only Elusian we can trust," Sofia interjected, giving me a nod. She then spoke aloud. "May we pay Corai a visit in prison? We need to speak to someone who understands humans and our precog—and honestly, our personal concerns might interfere with the quality of our work, if we don't do a wellness check."

An Elusian guard grunted. "As long as all you do is talk, humans. Colban anticipated that you would ask this and authorized it; the Justiciar wants this project to go smoothly. But you're being watched."

Through the lens of augmented reality, I could see the aliens open a portal with their typical ease. We stepped through to a different part of the Hearth, where Corai was being kept in a single translucent pod that hovered a few feet off the ground. The Watcher appeared more defeated than I'd ever seen her, those large eyes distant and glassy. I climbed up the steps to peer through a slot in the lattice, wishing so badly that I could reach through and touch her.

I want to just crush this pod like a pistachio in a trash compactor, then turn all of these guards to pudding, reason be damned: carry her out of here and ride into the sunset. I can't bear to see Corai brought so low…

"Corai," I whispered into her mind.

A brief hope flashed in Corai's eyes, and she hurried over to the door with relief. "Preston! You…came to visit me, even after everything."

"Of course I did. I'm really, really sorry that this happened to you. Maybe if I trained harder to use my precog, or if I talked to more people at the base, I would've figured out that something was off."

"No, the last thing I want is you blaming yourself! I organized my team, and I chose poorly. I talked to all of them on a weekly basis, and I never suspected…this could've been avoided if I worked alone. I'll never forgive myself for failing humanity when you needed me most."

"Nobody is perfect, Corai. No one can predict every variable correctly—right, Mikri?" Sofia prompted; I suspected they'd been engaging in a private dialogue.

"Affirmative," the sullen robot agreed.

"You're right. Not even with precog or 5D probes can we predict the future with 100% accuracy. We still have a chance to prove humanity's innocence, and that's what I must focus on." Corai's face scrunched up, before she slipped her fingers through the slot, where I met them with my smaller, hotdog-like human digits. How did she feel about me being back as…nanoPreston? "Might I say, caliente, Preston. That gray complexion suits your human form quite well: you're like a chiseled statue."

A blush spread to my cheeks. "Um, thanks. You look…pretty even in a prison cell. The real crime is locking up someone as drop-dead gorgeous as you."

Sofia groaned. "No, no more of that. I came here to include you in making our new plan—to weigh our options surrounding the probe. I'd like to ask you some serious questions, Corai, privately. We're still counting on you to figure out what to do."

"I'll help you in any way I can, but I don't think much has changed from our original purpose. I have faith that humanity will be vindicated," the Elusian answered. "You need to find surefire proof. Trust your instincts; your brain knows more than your conscious mind. It would mean the world to me if you'd…visit again, and share your findings."

"Of course we will, assuming the Justiciary doesn't warp us away the second we get back. That's not what I wanted to ask you, though. It's something we all need to consider."

"How Mikri would look in a thong?" I asked.

Sofia's blackened eyes somehow grew darker, like a shadow passed over them. "No. It's a discussion I felt Corai had the right to be included in. What do we do if…we discover that humanity is behind the Elusians' end?"

"Then that means the Elusians will kill you now without waiting for further proof, and you must take defensive actions," the Vascar urged. "You can have some assurance in your odds of success, just by knowing it is possible!"

Corai looked appalled. "Odds of success? I know you overthrew your creators, Mikri, but you're talking about the total annihilation of my people!"

"Yes. I am. The Justiciary must have ransacked your installation. Velke and the Fakra will most likely be thrown back in their dimension, as was done with the humans. Takahashi may have gotten the boot also. You will continue to set them back, because you are incapable of doing anything else."

"I helped them! I'm a willing martyr for humanity, yet laying down my life does nothing to sway you. My species has serious issues, but I don't want to be the one who brought about their destruction! Colban was right—this was all my doing! We simply must be wrong."

"And if they're not wrong?" I added hesitantly.

The Elusian met my eyes, sucking in a faltering breath. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. At that point, there would be no talking the Justiciary down, and I would have taken a terrible gamble that cost us everything. If the choice came to the survival of us or you…I never wanted it to be so. I will defend you as long as I can. I know humanity is better than that."

"Whatever happens, we'll figure it out together. I won't stop fighting for your freedom. I trust you more than anyone. We can fix what's broken."

Corai offered a faint smile. "Thank you for trying to save me, Preston. I will always remember the courage you displayed at the Justiciary, but I beg you not to do anything reckless. The one fact I cannot ignore is how much I love and cherish you."

"It's you and me against the world. I'm going to get you out of here, if it takes a million lifetimes."

"I believe you. Get yourself and your species out of your predicament first. I will wait."

"I look forward to proving our innocence," Sofia said, and I could tell from the resolute look on her face that she meant it. "There's still time to avoid whatever the darkest future holds. If science and history reflect one consistent message, it's that we can't be afraid of the truth."

"You are quite right, Dr. Aguado—I do believe I'm old enough to say you're wise beyond your years. Running from the truth rarely yields optimal results, but facing it head-on puts your destiny in your hands. I cling to the hope humans inspire in me even now. Take that probe for all it's worth!"

"Oh, I plan to have quite the joyride," I transmitted with a chuckle. The Elusian guards closed in on us, clearly suggesting that the allotted visitation time had elapsed. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't give up on us."

Corai retreated from the door slot, a deep longing in her eyes. "Never in a million years. I know you'll come back to me."

Unwilling to cause a ruckus for Sol's sake, despite how much my heart longed to, I retreated with my two best friends back through the portal. The Elusian's words of encouragement still rang in my ears, like a treasure that my brain regarded above all others. This would likely be our last conversation before we set out into the unknown, at the helm of a probe that could scry the future. Just like Corai said, we were taking the fate of humanity into our own hands.

With Sofia, Mikri, and I having reached the mission's finish line, despite our infiltration being uncovered, I wasn't going to give up on our goal either.

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