Quickly, he contacted the syndicate, agreeing to their terms. And then he dove, deep into the swirling data streams where he’d hidden their funds. He pulled the fractional amounts back together, rushing from all corners of the universe. It couldn’t be instantaneous, of course. At such great distance, data could only move so fast, but the closest transactions would reach his enemies soon. The main question was if the credits would all be returned before he presented himself to Toth Krag.

It might not matter. The hunter might kill him for amusement. Helix had been shocked to learn that some organic beings took pleasure in inflicting pain.

No matter.

As long as he showed up within the time frame, he believed that Krag was one who followed his own code. His cooperation should be enough to safeguard Qalu.

Setting a tracker to monitor the return of the stolen credits, he eased it to the periphery of his attention. Finally, he glanced at Aevi, who had leapt from his shoulder and was prowling the space, a tiny, enraged predator.

“We’re going now,” she said. Not a question. More of an order.

“Yes, I’ve done what I can. The rest is…” Beyond my control. He couldn’t bring himself to say it when he’d once been so good at factoring probabilities, able to juggle a thousand tasks at the same time without really caring about the consequences. All work was the same after all.

Before, as an AI, he hadn’t understood emotional ramifications or possessed any sense of what injury might occur if one of his predictions failed. As he’d been, it was more of an interesting experiment, a means of solving a problem or gathering information. He hadn’t truly grasped the harm he’d inflicted on Beryl Bowman in severing her connection to her homeworld.

Now he understood pain. Desire. Loneliness and expectation. Emotions were an indescribable boon and an invisible weight; they simultaneously provided the reason to continue and the potential to wish everything would stop. Such a contradiction, this organic state.

“Yes. We must go to the station’s lowest level.”

“I’m with you,” Aevi said.

The Pherzul stalked ahead, hissing when the door didn’t budge for her. Helix opened it and followed the little one out. With great effort, he kept his terror in check, refusing to let those emotions further compromise his ability to strategize. I can do this. I’ll save her.

And if he didn’t?

There was no reason for him to exist.

Qalu studied the bounty hunter, but she could discern little about Krag’s appearance beneath the heavy mechanical armor he wore.