🌘

“Mutualistic symbionts, at least?” you say.

[Pulse liked that]

“Fine,” Pulse says. “Just don’t expect help from us unless the One is in danger.”

“Okay,” you say.

“Just as long as we have a common enemy,” Deianira says.

You feel a file share request.

[Exchanged public keys with Pulse and Deianira]

“What about your engineer friend?” you say.

“Vukašin, he’s not our friend,” Deianira says. “He’s a monster.”

“We only worked together as a matter of convenience. But he’s loyal to the Sage of Sleep. Do not trust him,” Pulse says.

“Understood,” you say.

“Another thing. Around here it’s Luka. ‘Pulse’ is for my fans and my enemies,” Luka says.

“As you wish.” You feel a pressure in your head--something like an emotional message, but unreadable to your Empathica program, originating from the primitive device tethered to your system. You think you understand.

“While we’re on the subject of names,” you say, “ÆON would like to be called by name, not by weird titles Æ never agreed to.”

“If that is Ær will, I will respect it, Messenger,” Luka says.

“Can I go now?” you say.

“One last thing,” Luka says. You feel an intense emotion radiating from her system--curiosity tinged with anxiety.

“What is it?” you say.

“What did you think of Reflections of the Æther II?”