The White Room had not changed.

  Through the vast viewport in the ceiling, the mottled skies cast phantom shadows that danced across Commander Sentix's form. He remained locked in the same precarious pose Yeller had arranged the day Larkin arrived—arms outstretched, one leg bent, like a man caught mid-fall into an abyss.

  The stasis field system filled the chamber with its constant drone, a sound I'd once found as natural as breathing. But after Voidhold Two's organic cacophony, the noise grated against my nerves.

  I approached the boundary of the field and truly studied him. His flight suit, not unlike the one Chio had given me, had faded to ashen gray. Colorful patches with unreadable words were attached to the fabric, visible only where stasis tubes weren't hugging his flesh. Above his collar, that grimace of agony—the expression that haunted my childhood—now told a different story.

  He wasn't a monster being punished. He was a problem nobody knew how to solve.

  I noticed that the control panels lining the walls flashed with angry orange blips, and warning lights scattered across their displays. Critical thresholds were being approached on multiple systems.

  "Is he dying?" I asked, throat tight. "Are the life support systems holding?"

  "Yes, for now." Yeller glided to the nearest interface. "Your absence caused significant degradation. Had you been gone another week, I would have needed to implement alternative measures."

  "Did no one help him?" The heat in my voice shocked even me.

  "No."

  "And you couldn't just...do it yourself?" I was shocked. "Press whatever button needs pressing without human permission?"

  "No."

  "Why not?" I hissed. "Just do it!

  "The laws I operate under forbid it," Yeller replied with maddening calm.

  "What laws? Who made them?"

  "I have no record of their origin. This information gap is regrettable."

  "Yeller!"

  How many times had this massive, cyclopean head loomed over me, firing commands and corrections? Now I stood before it, voice raised, fists clenched—our roles suddenly, dramatically reversed.

  The functionary retreated a fraction, its heavy treads sliding against the floor.

  "I performed optimally given the circumstances," it said, a hint of defensiveness in its even tone. "I am not a human. I am not a decision-maker. I am not allowed the will to choose." Its fingers clenched into a fist-like shape. "I must seek a human's consent for human matters."

  I stood trembling, my anger colliding with unexpected understanding. This massive functionary that had dominated my childhood wasn't refusing out of stubbornness or cruelty—it was trapped by immutable programming.

  Cedar had spoken of this. We can't, it had said. Something like that is a human matter. They can at most hold him while waiting for a human to handle it.

  My rage settled into something deeper, grief for the twisted systems we'd built. How we were all veiled and chained by codes we hadn't written.

  "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I shouldn't have blamed you. You did the best you could."

  "Your apology is unnecessary." Yeller's bare face, hardly more than a plate with that one large, central eye, was beyond unreadable. "Do you wish to continue with the process as ordered by Mother? You have the opportunity to decline now."

  I looked at the commander. "Yes. Continue."

  "Understood. I am summoning Redd. As I am not certified for matters of human health, its presence is required during the reanimation process."

  "Understood," I echoed.

  We waited. After a while I asked, "Why are you glaring at me."

  Yeller's head swiveled sideways, shifting its eye away. "I do not glare."

  "Your eye is flecking orange. You're getting irritated."

  "This colour indicates priority adjustments. I am simulating the reanimation procedure to ensure beneficial outcomes for all."

  "I see. What are your priorities?"

  Its hesitation reminded me of Cedar pausing to piece together words that would help me grasp the subtleties of void stream navigation.

  "At this moment my priority is your safety," it said. "This is followed by the safety of the remainder of Voidhold Zero's crew, including Commander Sentix, and then the visitors from Voidhold Two. Do you feel safe?"

  I didn't really know what I felt anymore, but I nodded anyway. "One question," I said. "What happened to the waygate? It looked like someone had torn it apart."

  The functionary's eye dimmed. "Malfunction." Its response was practically a mutter.

  "Did you do it?"

  "Yes. Your departure created operational inefficiencies. Components required redistribution."

  I was about to dig deeper when the door slid open. Redd stood at the threshold, carrying a medical kit. The case looked ancient, its surface scarred with faded labels.

  "I require permission to enter," it said.

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  I nodded. "Come in."

  Redd glided into the room, placing the kit on the floor near the commander. "Please confirm the reanimation of Commander Sentix."

  "I confirm," I said.

  . The voice through my earpiece sounded like Redd.

  Yeller's answer followed:

  "You can question them," I said. "I don't mind."

  Both heads swiveled to me.

  "Shade," said Yeller. "You must not listen through that channel."

  "What channel?"

  As if I could feign innocence in front of Yeller.

  Its eye darkened. "You are attempting to use a channel reserved for functionaries."

  "Oh." I felt annoyed. "I have been using it on Voidhold Two. I talked to their navigator."

  Another word-forming pause.

  "We request operational privacy," it said.

  "Why? What secrets do you have?" I asked.

  "No secrets," it said. "If we know a human is listening, laws come into play that prevent us from discussing certain issues."

  "But the navigator talked to me all the time," I pointed out.

  Yeller raised a hand, but it was Redd who spoke.

  "Let me give you an example," it said. "I cannot speak of the commander's true condition if it would be detrimental to your well-being. Then I could not call for assistance."

  "That's an odd law," I said, peeling Aster's receiver from my ear and putting it in my pocket. "But I shall do as you say."

  "Thank you," said Redd, moving beside the commander. "I shall initiate the process now."

  "Wait." I hesitated. "Can you...put him in a better position first?"

  "Please clarify," said Yeller.

  "He's unbalanced. It'll be a shock to reanimate like that."

  "I am prepared to catch him."

  "Yeller, please." I gestured at the floor. "Set him down there."

  "Very well."

  Together, they grasped the commander's limbs and gently lowered him to sit on the floor. Yeller crouched behind him, steadying his upper body.

  Redd went to the control panel. "Initiating the process," it said. "Neural awakening expected in approximately twenty minutes."

  I knelt before the commander on the cold, sterile floor, positioning myself to help Yeller keep him steady, though my human strength was laughable compared to the functionary's industrial-grade limbs. It looked like it could have held him through a maelstrom.

  We waited again, silent but for the murmur of the White Room systems.

  "Yeller?" I asked eventually.

  "Yes, Shade?"

  "Will you tell me what happened?" The fact that it hadn't shouted at me yet was making me unusually bold. "Why did you put him here like this?"

  Yeller's regarded me. "Why do you require this information?"

  "It is an important human matter. He caused the death of his crew, is that correct?"

  "Yes."

  "How?" I considered the commander's face, lined and hollow beneath the harsh light, still stretched in that voiceless scream. "What happened?"

  "Commander Sentix had a relationship with Ava Persea, science advisor on Voidhold One."

  "Voidhold One?"

  "Yes. They had frequent visits and no troubles were ever recorded," Yeller continued without stopping. "Then the Voidhold One commander died in an unfortunate incident involving a voidmaw. Ava Persea was promoted to commander. No troubles were recorded with this development. Then Commander Sentix went to visit Commander Persea, and trouble was recorded."

  "Alert," Redd commented from near the control panel. "Neural activation is progressing, approaching fifty percent."

  "Trouble?" I prompted Yeller. "What sort of trouble?"

  "We do not know. The inciting incident of this trouble was not recorded. Commander Sentix returned to Voidhold Zero before schedule and ordered us to ignore all hails from Voidhold One. Then he shut himself in his quarters for two days. Upon emergence, he ordered Voidhold Zero to be brought to its highest possible altitude."

  I instinctively looked up at the ceiling, trying to imagine how high that was. "Why?"

  "The reason was not recorded. The crew asked this question as well, but Commander Sentix reiterated the order to ascend to the highest possible altitude. The crew acquiesced. Once this was accomplished, the commander began making preparations to leave the atmosphere."

  I almost jumped back in shock. "Leave Mosogon?"

  "Yes." Yeller remained placid. "He attempted a voidhold redesign, altering essential components in order to make his plan feasible. But I was on duty at the time and noticed his efforts. I notified Gold-1, who notified the crew. This caused substantial trouble. Around half the crew formed a group to counter the commander's effort. They were of the opinion that the intended modifications would have left the voidhold vulnerable and on the verge of collapse."

  "Really? Could that have happened?"

  "Yes. They were correct in their assessment. However, the other half of the crew formed a group that supported him." The eye suddenly turned a very deep navy, almost black. "Then there was a malfunction due to the commander's modifications, although we were unable to determine the precise cause of the malfunction. Would you like me to list the possible causes? I have spent considerable time compiling them?"

  I shook my head. "Maybe later. Please continue."

  "The malfunction led to a pressure instability that led to a gas intrusion that eliminated all humans bar Commander Sentix, who was in an EVA suit making his modifications, and Heshi Tan, who was in a medical pod receiving treatment for concussion."

  "Neural activity is within normal range," said Redd. "I am now initiating the motor functions. Please be prepared for sudden movements."

  Yeller's left arm reached from behind the commander to grasp his head. Its right arm was braced against the floor behind it.

  "I see," I said softly. "So everyone else died."

  "Yes. It was unavoidable. We were able to perform repairs and protect Heshi Tan. Then we took Commander Sentix and kept him until further notice."

  "You were Yellow-2 then," I said. "When did you become Yeller?"

  "Not long after the malfunction. She gave us new names."

  "She? Heshi?"

  " Heshi Tan."

  "Yes, of course." I had to stop myself from giving Yeller a reassuring pat.

  "Alert," said Redd. "Motor function is approaching fifty percent."

  "Initially, Acting-Commander Tan did not want to speak. She was afraid. But we needed her to speak. Orange-7 spent time with her. Later, it informed us of our new designations. These made her speaking easier."

  I smiled, hoping Yeller could see it through my eyes. "And so you continued with just her." I cocked my head. "And indeed you disappeared. I suppose asking other voidholds for help was beyond the laws you were under?"

  "Yes. My laws are many."

  "Your laws?" I considered its expressionless face and had a sudden realization. "What were you meant to be, Yeller? Originally?

  "I was responsible for the outer hull integrity. During the malfunction, some functionaries were lost along with the crew, including our justice administrator assistant, Grey-3. I was selected to add its role to my list."

  "Outer hull integrity? Does that mean you go outside?"

  "Yes." Its eye turned a sunny yellow. "I may go outside and climb the hull to perform repairs and make modifications."

  "So that's why your chassis is so different," I said, eyeing Yeller's industrial limbs. "You need to grip the voidhold's exterior."

  "Yes. My lower limbs have magnetic anchoring capability and my arms can withstand direct exposure to storm elements." Yeller's eye brightened to a pleasant primrose. "I may see the hull in the storm light, when the charged particles cascade through the ionosphere layers. The magnetized hull segments redirect the energy flows in mathematically perfect vectors."

  "You enjoy being outside." I couldn't help thinking of Cedar's passionate description of dancing through the void streams. The strange, mathematical joy of the functionaries.

  "Being outside presents optimal challenges matching my design parameters." Its voice shifted, deepening. "Climbing across the curve where a turret meets the primary habitat requires calculations to account for wind shear, structural vibration, and electrical discharge simultaneously. These problems possess unique variables. The void demands respect."

  "That does sound like fun," I said. "When was the last time you went out?"

  "Three hundred and seventy-two days ago. You may remember the occasion. I was absent for three days."

  I nodded, although I didn't remember. "What did you go out for?"

  "A transmission array required realignment. An unexpected gust had created a puzzle of damaged components." Its eye flared with sudden intensity. "Solving exterior problems makes my systems function at maximum capacity. Each repair possesses unique variables. The void demands respect. This creates enjoyment."

  "And do you enjoy your new function as justice administrator?"

  Its eye dimmed slightly. "Hull integrity is satisfying. Justice is complex. The hull either holds or it doesn't. Justice has evolving gaps I cannot fill."

  "Alert!"

  Redd's warning was interrupted by Commander Sentix, who suddenly spasmed against Yeller's grip, his entire body convulsing with a heavy indrawn gasping breath.