What is my objective? To stop the Machinehood. To neutralize its capabilities.

She could do that as long as she had control over herself. Ao Tara said that Welga wouldn’t lose her agent or her mind after the transformation. The conversations with Clemence made it clear that the station tracked all her networked activity, including her interactions with her agent. Could they change her thoughts? Her motivations? As far as she knew, that technology didn’t exist, but that was also what she’d thought about smart-matter and human bodies. How could she make sure she’d remember what to do after her transformation? She needed to word her request carefully.

“Por Qué, every day when I wake up, say these words to me: ‘whatever it takes.’ ”

“I’ll do that.”

She would complete the mission for herself, for her conscience. The world might not know it if she failed here, but they would if she succeeded. She closed her eyes and repeated the words a hundred times in her thoughts: Stop the Machinehood, whatever it takes.

And how do I live with myself if I become my own enemy?

Just as she had after Mama died and after she left the force: by looking forward. By taking each day as it came. No second thoughts.

Her mother had made her promise not to use flow because it was too risky. Papa had aches and pains from his years of mech work, back when people thought that was safe. Nithya became pregnant because of flow. Welga ended up on the zips that were destroying her. She understood why Ao Tara and the Machinehood felt angry about what was happening on Earth, especially if they thought there was a better way.

The dakini hadn’t existed for long, not compared to the scale of human lifetimes. Agriculture had transformed humanity’s relationship with food, but it also created a long chain of trouble for the Earth. The Industrial Revolution brought pollution along with efficiency. The biotech revolution caused health problems even as it saved people from designer germs. What would be the long-term effects of a dakini revolution? Every technological advancement had repercussions. If the funders became obsolete, who would rise to occupy their power vacuum? If people and WAIs merged irreversibly, they could stop abusing their bodies, but at what cost? Could she live with the outcome, knowing she’d brought it about?

One step at a time. First, stay alive and capable. To do that, I’ll have to transform. Second, stop the other dakini and Ao Tara from inflicting further harm to the people on Earth. Earn their trust. Find their weak points. Third, make sure my family is safe. Get back home, find out if someone can restore my body. If not, then deal with the consequences.