Unable to help the deceased, Aptat flew to Naecia next. Her eyes bumped open. Aptat unsnapped a piece of armor from around their neck, a thin ring of black – I quickly realized it was the axon diadem – pulled it to shape and set it on Naecia’s head.

Aptat summoned the holographic readings just as they had done with me, and made some adjustments, moving little bars up and down like tuning a stereo, eyes flicking between it and Naecia. More adjustments, additional readouts. Another look. One more tap.

Naecia sat up – nearly springing awake – eyes wide like she’d received a shot of adrenaline, then slumped again, groaning and holding her head. Aptat helped steady her. “Naecia. Sit, sit.”

She pushed herself up slowly, blinked her eyes while regaining her equilibrium. Aptat lowered their voice and began speaking, quietly, privately. The pacing of the exchange was that of the coherence test I was given. I hoped she was okay. I remembered what Aptat had said about useless mass. I wasn’t ready to see someone get dumped into the void.

I’d become invested in the welfare of this stranger. I didn’t know her, but we were all in the shit now. It’s not like I wouldn’t have empathized with anyone who had just undergone the apparent torture that Naecia had... but she seemed just as alone as I would have been without Patton. So I was suddenly, deeply concerned for her. Or maybe I was projecting. Just because I’m fragile doesn’t mean she is.

Aptat ran through the test and stood away, leaving the diadem in place – I hoped it was just to keep her monitored. I let out a lungful of air, realizing I’d been holding it. Aptat gestured to the rest of the chambers, closing them. I stared in disbelief as the glass on my own chamber slid closed like it was in slow motion. After all of that, I was going back down without any chance to understand what I’d just seen?

I shoved my arm through the opening. “No!”

Aptat whipped their hand into a “halt” position, pausing the glass. The other chambers continued down.

“Idiot,” said Aptat. “That would have sliced through your arm like a yorp sausage if I hadn’t stopped it. What do you want? I’m a little busy right now, what with my latest negotiation going to holes and two of my merch full of them.”

The three other chambers with still-living prisoners – excepting Naecia’s – sunk into the floor. Patton wore a puppy-dog’s lament as we were separated. I turned back to Aptat. “Dekies said anamnesis,” I said. “I know that word.”

“What about it?”

“Is that what I have?” I swallowed nervously, not sure I wanted the true answer, not believing I was going to say it out loud. “Memories of a previous life?”

“Lives,” said Aptat. “And call it what you like, but yes.” A sweep of the arm over the gleaming floor. “Same as all the others.”