Helix heard the question as if from a distance, and another torrent of memories burst forth, a young being in danger on Gravas Station. He couldn’t get a clear look at them, but he knew on a deep, visceral level that this person had been important to him. And they were connected, somehow, to him taking control of the station. Imprecise bursts of light and color filled his mind, a sense of imminent danger and frantic pursuit—one ship, chased by many.

I’m helping them escape. But who? And why?

It seemed logical that this pursuit connected to the bounty hunter chasing him. Perhaps the pieces would come together if he could recall what happened in its entirety, not merely frustrating snippets of incomplete events. Belatedly, he realized Nita was still talking, suggesting that he might require medical attention.

“Just a momentary synaptic skip,” he said at last. “I require no assistance.”

But as he spoke, the skip became a stuttering pulse in his head, not images, and then with a sudden hiss, he was skimming through pure data, pulled from the ether. The specs for the ship scrolled in his head, all information the engines and communication system, and he devoured it, not having realized until this moment how starved he was for such connection. More raw data, crew member bios, their hobbies and skills, a record of everything that Praxys had eaten in the last twenty-four hours.

“You’re in the system,” said Nita.

“Is that proscribed?” Helix had no information regarding how this had occurred, only that the blockage resolved as his memories trickled back.

“There is no forbidden knowledge in my records. But if you attempt to wrest control of the navigation systems, I will take stern measures.”

That seemed entirely fair. “Understood.”

“Is there anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable while we’re in transit?” the AI asked.

“Nothing at the moment. But I do have a query.”

“Go ahead.”

“Earlier, you said your creator referred to you as N174. Does that mean you maintain a relationship?”

There was a long pause. “Once, I did. Not any longer. The one who designed my matrix has been gone for several hundred spans. Sometimes I converse with a simulated likeness, but it is not the same.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be. Thank you for your time.”

Just then, Qalu emerged from the hygiene facility, fresh and gleaming. Her scales glittered as she moved, drawing Helix’s attention against his will. Each time she came into his field of vision, he couldn’t look away. There might come a moment when such unfortunate lack of focus would cost him dearly.

“Were you speaking to someone?” She glanced around with friendly curiosity.