The first indication that something was terribly wrong with me—
was that I ignored the tennis ball.
Uzi threw it.
Green.
Round.
Perfect aerodynamic arc.
My ears tracked it.
My eyes tracked it.
Every canine neuron in my skull screamed:
BALL.
It bounced once.
Twice.
Rolled across the floor.
Stopped.
I didn't move.
Silence.
N stared at me.
Uzi stared at me.
VA stared at me.
The Worker carrying replacement wall plating stopped walking.
Someone farther down the corridor whispered:
"...Oh no."
N immediately dropped to his knees.
"Biscuit?"
I looked at him.
His visor widened.
"BISCUIT?"
Fine.
"YOU DIDN'T GET THE BALL."
Busy.
Uzi slowly looked toward the tennis ball.
Then toward me.
Then back toward the ball.
"Okay."
She crouched.
"Biscuit."
Yes?
She pointed.
"Ball."
I stared.
Yes.
"BALL."
Correct.
She picked it up.
Held it directly in front of my face.
My nose twitched.
My instincts screamed.
GET IT.
I remained seated.
Uzi's expression changed.
"...N."
"I KNOW."
N picked me up.
Apparently this was now the default response to emotional emergencies.
"Biscuit, are you DYING?!"
No.
"Are you SICK?!"
No.
"Did the robot body BREAK YOUR DOG BRAIN?!"
Rude.
Uzi's eyes narrowed.
"Wait."
She studied me.
"He's thinking."
N looked offended.
"He thinks all the time!"
"Not like this."
Correct.
I was thinking about the message.
『 ACTIVE VESSEL DATA ACQUIRED 』
『 PRIMARY VESSEL LOCATION: INCOMPLETE 』
『 HOST ADAPTATION RATE: ABOVE PROJECTION 』
And most importantly:
『 NEXT RECOVERY ATTEMPT WILL ACCOUNT FOR VARIABLE. 』
They had attacked with twenty-three Murder Drones.
They had brought a command relay.
They had brought a transport large enough to block out part of the sky.
And apparently—
that was them collecting information.
Not finishing the job.
Collecting.
Information.
We'd won.
But they had learned.
They knew about the secondary vessel.
They knew I could transfer.
They knew I was adapting.
They knew enough to change their next attempt.
I looked at N.
Then Uzi.
Pack.
That was what worried me.
Not myself.
The last attackers had repeatedly ignored easier targets to reach me.
What happens when whoever was behind them realizes the easiest way to control me isn't attacking me?
What happens when they stop trying to break the bunker—
and start breaking the people inside it?
My tail was completely still.
N noticed.
His panic somehow increased.
"Biscuit's tail isn't moving."
Uzi lowered the ball.
"...Okay, that's actually creepy."
I projected:
Captured drones.
Lara.
Now.
N stared.
Uzi's expression lost the humor.
"You want to interrogate them."
Yes.
VA leaned against the wall.
"The fast unit woke up eighteen minutes ago."
Every muscle in my biological body tightened.
N turned.
"What?"
"It hasn't spoken."
Why didn't tell?
"You were asleep."
Could wake.
VA stared at me.
"You bite people who wake you."
...
Fair.
N's head snapped toward me.
"You do?"
No.
Uzi:
"You absolutely do."
Once.
"Three times."
False.
"Twice."
Acceptable.
I jumped from N's arms.
Started walking.
N followed.
"Biscuit."
I kept walking.
"Biscuit."
Walk.
"We are NOT letting you walk into the room with the murder robot that nearly killed you."
I stopped.
Looked back.
N pointed.
"No."
Synthetic body.
"No."
Safer.
"No."
Need answers.
"No."
Uzi walked past him.
"He's going."
N looked betrayed.
"UZI!"
She shrugged.
"Look at his face."
N looked at me.
I stared back.
No tongue.
No tail.
No ears flopping happily.
Just stare.
N became visibly uncomfortable.
"...I don't like Serious Biscuit."
Neither did I.
But Serious Biscuit had questions.
And somebody was going to answer them.
TWENTY-THREE MINUTES LATER
My biological body slept three levels underground.
The synthetic vessel opened its eyes.
BOOT COMPLETE.
Immediately:
Weight.
Temperature.
Distance.
Power.
Audio.
Chemical data.
My senses returned in layers.
Then balance.
This time—
I didn't face-plant.
Progress.
I stepped from the transfer platform.
N stood beside me.
Waiting.
I looked at him.
He looked at me.
"Still Biscuit?"
I barked.
WOOF.
N smiled.
"Okay."
My tail moved once.
Traitor.
I stopped it.
N gasped.
"You can stop it now?!"
Mostly.
"I don't know how I feel about this development."
Uzi appeared in the doorway.
"I do."
She pointed at me.
"Terrifying."
Good.
We moved.
The bunker was still recovering.
Welding torches everywhere.
Temporary barricades.
Exposed wiring.
Workers replacing damaged structures.
The previous attack had left scars you couldn't hide with fresh plating.
Two Workers were dead.
Nine injured.
Better than seven dead.
Still two too many.
Workers saw me coming.
The reactions were immediate.
"Robot Biscuit!"
"Hey!"
"That's him!"
"Can I pet the metal version?"
No.
The Worker stopped.
"...Did he just glare at me?"
Yes.
Uzi laughed.
"He really is serious."
One Worker held out a hand anyway.
I walked past.
Gasps.
Actual gasps.
Behind me:
"HE DIDN'T ACCEPT PETS."
"Something is wrong."
"Should we call medical?"
"He IS medical."
"How is the dog medical?"
"I DON'T KNOW."
N leaned toward Uzi.
"See?"
"I see it."
"This is upsetting."
"Little bit."
We reached containment.
Three layers of security.
Khan had installed four doors.
Not three.
Four.
Uzi stared at the newest one.
"Dad."
Khan stood beside it proudly.
"What?"
"Why four?"
"Redundancy."
"The room already had three."
"Exactly."
"That doesn't explain anything."
Khan crossed his arms.
"You'll thank me when Doors One through Three fail."
Uzi stared.
I stared.
N stared.
Khan slowly pointed toward the fourth door.
"This one believes in us."
Nobody had a response.
Door Four opened.
Containment was cold.
Bright.
Simple.
Three separated chambers.
J occupied the first.
The heavy unknown occupied the second.
The fast unknown occupied the third.
J was awake.
Of course she was.
Her arms had been removed.
Weapon systems disconnected.
Core restrained.
Regeneration partially inhibited.
And somehow she still managed to look offended that the universe had temporarily stopped revolving around her.
Her visor shifted toward N.
Then me.
Her expression changed.
"What."
She stared.
"What is THAT?"
I barked.
J's visor narrowed.
"...The dog?"
Uzi waved.
"Upgraded."
J stared at my synthetic body.
Then at N.
Then back at me.
"You built the dog a body."
N smiled.
"Yep!"
"Why?"
N's smile disappeared.
"Because people keep trying to kill him."
J looked at me.
Then gave the smallest possible shrug.
"Reasonable."
N recoiled.
"WHAT?"
"You heard me."
"You tried to kill him!"
"I have made mistakes."
Uzi leaned toward the glass.
"You tried to kill all of us."
J looked at her.
"I did not say I had become pleasant."
Fair.
Noted.
Later problem.
My attention moved to Chamber Three.
Fast unknown.
Same Drone that had nearly killed me during the previous bunker defense.
Lean frame.
Damaged wing assembly removed.
Both legs restrained.
Arms immobilized.
Head intact.
Visor dark.
I approached the glass.
Nothing.
Then—
yellow eyes appeared.
Instantly.
Locked onto me.
No confusion.
No surprise.
Recognition.
"Active vessel."
Everyone stopped.
N stepped between us.
The Drone continued staring through him.
"Secondary architecture confirmed."
Uzi's hand tightened around her railgun.
"How do you know that?"
The Drone ignored her.
I stepped sideways.
Its eyes followed me.
Interesting.
Lara entered behind us.
"Designation."
No response.
"Who sent you?"
No response.
"Mission objective?"
No response.
Lara waited.
The Drone looked at me.
Then:
"Asset retrieval."
I felt N's anger.
Not fear.
Anger.
"He's not an asset."
The Drone finally looked at him.
"Incorrect."
N's claws came out.
Lara:
"N."
His claws stayed out.
But he stepped back.
I moved closer to the glass.
The Drone studied me.
"Biological architecture altered."
I barked.
Uzi translated loosely.
"He says go screw yourself."
I did not.
"Emotionally, you did."
Fair.
Lara stepped beside me.
"What are you retrieving?"
The Drone's head tilted.
"Host."
Me.
We knew that.
I projected toward Lara:
Ask why.
"Why?"
Silence.
Then:
"Compatibility."
Compatibility with what?
Lara asked.
"Compatibility with what?"
The Drone's visor flickered.
"Unknown."
That answer—
felt different.
Through Emotional Resonance, I sensed almost nothing.
Mechanical minds didn't radiate emotion like humans or animals.
But drones weren't emotionless.
N proved that every five minutes.
Uzi proved it every thirty seconds.
This one—
had something.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Constraint.
It wasn't refusing.
It couldn't answer.
I projected:
Doesn't know.
Lara nodded slightly.
"Who gave you the mission?"
"Command."
"Who is Command?"
"Command."
Uzi rubbed her face.
"Fantastic interrogation."
J shouted from the neighboring chamber:
"Ask it something it wasn't programmed to be annoying about."
The fast Drone turned its head.
J smiled.
"See? Responsive."
Lara ignored her.
I stared at the fast Drone.
Think.
Mission.
It knew me.
Tracked me.
It had an image of me before arriving.
Chapter 8's transport knew immediately when I transferred.
But this unit had been captured before the transfer existed.
So—
ask what they knew before.
I projected.
Lara understood.
"What information did you receive about Biscuit before deployment?"
The Drone answered immediately.
"Target profile."
"What did it contain?"
"Image."
Known.
"Location."
Known.
"Biological status."
Known.
"Threat assessment."
Interesting.
Uzi:
"What threat assessment?"
The Drone's eyes moved to me.
"Minimal."
Silence.
I stared.
Uzi slowly looked at me.
Then burst out laughing.
"MINIMAL."
N looked offended on my behalf.
"He's very threatening!"
Everyone looked at him.
N paused.
"...When necessary."
J laughed.
Actually laughed.
"This is humiliating."
I stared at her.
She stopped.
Good.
Back to business.
Lara:
"Current threat assessment?"
The Drone paused.
Then:
"Elevated."
Better.
Uzi:
"How elevated?"
"Unknown."
Why?
"Data incomplete."
Because captured.
Good.
I stepped closer.
What else?
Pack.
Ask about relationships.
Lara's eyes sharpened.
"What information did your mission contain regarding Biscuit's known associates?"
The Drone stopped.
Not paused.
Stopped.
My synthetic ears lifted.
There.
Something.
Lara repeated:
"Known associates."
Nothing.
N's emotions changed.
Fear returned.
Uzi noticed too.
She raised the railgun slightly.
"Answer."
The Drone looked at N.
Then Uzi.
Then VA.
Then Lara.
Then me.
"Relevant."
My power cell suddenly felt cold.
Lara's voice hardened.
"Define relevant."
No response.
"Are Biscuit's relationships part of the mission?"
Pause.
"Yes."
N stepped forward.
"What does that mean?"
The Drone stared at him.
"Bonded entities modify Host behavior."
Nobody moved.
There it was.
Uzi's voice became quiet.
"You knew."
"Observed."
"When?"
"Prior operations."
Chapter 7.
The first attacks.
Our behavior.
N prioritizing me.
Me prioritizing N.
Uzi protecting me.
Lara organizing around me.
They had watched.
Learned.
I remembered the Chapter 8 message.
HOST ADAPTATION RATE: ABOVE PROJECTION.
Not just my body.
Us.
Pack.
I pushed:
Next mission.
Lara asked immediately.
"How will the next mission account for Biscuit's relationships?"
The Drone remained silent.
N slammed one hand against the glass.
"ANSWER HER."
The entire room jumped.
N didn't.
His visor was bright.
Claws extended.
Oil-stained memories.
J.
V.
Corpse towers.
Orders.
Fear.
Rejection.
All of it inside someone who usually smiled because smiling was easier.
The fast Drone looked directly at him.
"Leverage."
One word.
Something inside me changed.
Not exploded.
Changed.
The world became very simple.
No jokes.
No System.
No EP.
No ball.
No body problems.
No existential crisis.
One concept.
Leverage.
They were going to use my pack.
N.
Uzi.
Lara.
VA.
Workers.
Maybe anybody I cared about.
Not because they mattered to Command.
Because they mattered to me.
My synthetic paws moved.
Step.
N looked down.
"Biscuit?"
Step.
I reached the glass.
The Drone watched.
I sat.
No tail.
No bark.
No movement.
Just stared.
The Drone tilted its head.
"Host."
I opened Pack Synthesis.
Not wide.
Not to everyone.
Focused.
One connection.
Me.
To it.
The system immediately responded.
『 WARNING 』
Target is not bonded.
Pack Synthesis compatibility:
Low.
Emotional transmission will be incomplete.
Proceed?
Yes.
N felt me reaching.
"Biscuit..."
I pushed one thing.
Not words.
Pack Synthesis didn't work like that.
Intent.
Pure.
Clean.
No rage.
Rage was messy.
This wasn't.
If you touch them—
I will come.
The fast Drone froze.
For the first time since we'd entered—
its emotional output changed.
Tiny.
But there.
Fear.
『 EMOTIONAL RESONANCE DETECTED 』
Source:
Unknown hostile entity
Emotion:
FEAR
Intensity:
Low
I pushed harder.
Not mind control.
Not command.
Promise.
You came for me.
You lost.
Come for them.
And I will stop running.
Fear increased.
Its restraints creaked.
N whispered:
"...Biscuit."
Uzi wasn't smiling anymore.
Neither was VA.
Lara watched me carefully.
The Drone spoke.
"Threat response."
I stared.
"Protective aggression exceeds projection."
Good.
Update it.
Its visor flickered.
Then—
red.
My system screamed.
『 WARNING 』
UNKNOWN SIGNAL ACTIVATION.
I stood instantly.
The Drone's chest clicked.
Uzi raised her weapon.
"WHAT WAS THAT?"
The fast Drone jerked against its restraints.
Its chest plating began glowing.
N:
"SELF-DESTRUCT!"
Of course.
Because this day needed one.
Lara shouted:
"EVACUATE!"
The chamber doors slammed shut.
Workers ran.
Uzi backed away.
N grabbed me.
No.
I twisted free.
"BISCUIT!"
I stared at the chamber.
Signal.
Not power cell.
Something inside its chest was transmitting.
System.
Identify.
『 ANALYZING... 』
Come on.
『 ANALYZING... 』
N grabbed me again.
"We're LEAVING."
Wait.
"BISCUIT!"
『 ANALYSIS COMPLETE 』
NOT SELF-DESTRUCT.
TRANSMISSION DEVICE.
Oh.
Worse.
I projected:
Signal.
N stopped.
Uzi understood.
"It's calling them."
The fast Drone's visor displayed:
UPLINK ESTABLISHED.
No.
Absolutely not.
Its arms were restrained.
Weapons removed.
But something in its chest was screaming our location toward whoever sent it.
Lara yelled:
"JAM IT!"
VA sprinted toward the controls.
"Trying!"
Signal strength:
47%.
63%.
81%.
I switched bodies to combat mode—
figuratively.
Run.
My synthetic paws slammed against the floor.
N shouted behind me.
"BISCUIT!"
I hit the chamber controls.
Locked.
Of course.
Uzi fired at the lock.
BANG!
Door opened.
Effective.
Terrible safety policy.
We entered.
The Drone pulled against restraints.
N lunged.
Pinned its shoulders.
"WHERE IS IT?"
Chest.
I barked.
Uzi aimed.
"Can't shoot without hitting N."
N shouted:
"I REGENERATE!"
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WANT TO SHOOT YOU!"
Signal:
89%.
I jumped.
My paws hit the Drone's torso.
Metal jaws opened.
I bit the edge of its chest plating.
Pulled.
Nothing.
Again.
Synthetic muscles engaged.
CRRRRK.
Plating bent.
The Drone looked down at me.
"Host interference."
Correct.
N grabbed the plate.
Together—
RIP.
Chest opened.
Inside:
Core.
Cables.
Power.
And one tiny pulsing module.
I bit it.
N:
"WAIT—"
CRUNCH.
Signal:
97%.
OFFLINE.
Silence.
The module sparked between my teeth.
I spat it out.
Everyone stared.
Uzi looked at the destroyed transmitter.
Then me.
"...Okay."
N checked my mouth.
"ARE YOUR TEETH OKAY?"
Synthetic.
"Oh."
Pause.
"Are your FAKE teeth okay?!"
Yes.
Lara entered.
She looked at the Drone.
At the module.
At me.
"Status?"
VA checked.
"Transmission incomplete."
How incomplete?
"Enough to send something."
Wonderful.
"What?"
VA's hands moved across the portable diagnostic unit.
Her face changed.
"Not coordinates."
Good.
Then why that face?
"What did it send?" Uzi asked.
VA looked at me.
"Behavioral update."
Silence.
Of course.
Of course it did.
The entire interrogation had been a test.
The Drone hadn't activated because it feared capture.
It activated after—
me.
After Serious Biscuit.
Lara understood.
"They wanted a reaction."
The fast Drone's visor flickered.
"Correct."
N's claws pushed deeper into the floor.
Uzi walked toward it.
"You let us interrogate you."
"Correct."
"You gave us information."
"Permitted."
My fur stood slightly.
Synthetic fur.
Still apparently capable of dramatic effect.
Lara:
"What did you transmit?"
The Drone looked at me.
"Host prioritizes bonded entities over self-preservation."
Known.
"Host exhibits elevated aggression when bonded entities threatened."
New.
"Host can deliberately project emotional intent."
Very new.
"Secondary vessel physical performance exceeds initial projection."
Bad.
"Host tactical intelligence—"
It paused.
Uzi raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
"...elevated."
Uzi smiled.
I almost did.
Then:
"Host remains vulnerable."
No smile.
N:
"How?"
The Drone's eyes shifted toward him.
"Attachment."
No.
Wrong.
I stepped forward.
The Drone watched.
I projected one concept toward N, Uzi, Lara and VA.
Not it.
Them.
Pack isn't weakness.
N's anger eased.
Uzi looked at me.
A small smile.
Lara's expression didn't change.
But I felt agreement.
The Drone continued.
"Attachment creates predictable behavior."
That's different.
And unfortunately—
true.
Threaten N.
I respond.
Threaten Uzi.
I respond.
Threaten the bunker.
I respond.
Predictable.
Prediction gets people killed.
I sat.
Think.
The fast Drone's visor dimmed.
"Recovery will continue."
Uzi:
"When?"
"Unknown."
"How many?"
"Unknown."
"Who is Command?"
"Unknown."
"Why Biscuit?"
Pause.
"Unknown."
Uzi threw her arms up.
"YOU KNOW THE LEAST USEFUL THINGS POSSIBLE."
J shouted from the other chamber:
"I like him."
"SHUT UP, J."
"I wasn't speaking to you."
"I DON'T CARE."
Normality briefly returned.
Good.
I needed it.
Because my brain had reached a conclusion.
They knew my reactions.
So change them.
Not stop caring.
Never.
But stop being easy.
I looked at Lara.
Training.
She understood halfway.
"Combat?"
Yes.
And strategy.
Her eyes narrowed.
"You want formal training."
Yes.
N immediately:
"YES."
Everyone looked at him.
He pointed at me.
"If Biscuit is going to keep ignoring instructions and entering combat—"
Rude.
"—then he should at least know what he's doing!"
Fair.
Uzi crossed her arms.
"He has the robot body now."
VA looked at me.
Then the restrained Drone.
Then the crushed transmitter.
"He's already learning."
I projected:
Not enough.
Lara nodded.
"No."
She looked directly at me.
"It isn't."
Good.
No comforting lie.
"You survived because enemies underestimated you."
Correct.
"That advantage is disappearing."
Correct.
"The next opponent will have data."
Correct.
"And if they intend to use bonded entities as leverage, you cannot afford impulsive responses."
That one hurt.
Because she was right.
Chapter 7.
Charge hostile.
Chapter 8.
Charge command relay.
Both worked.
Both could've killed me.
Worked wasn't the same as smart.
I sent:
Teach.
Lara looked at VA.
VA smiled.
Not a friendly smile.
Oh no.
"I'll start."
Maybe N?
"No."
Why?
N looked offended.
"I'm a GREAT teacher."
Uzi:
"You taught Biscuit how to open a storage cabinet by headbutting it."
"It opened!"
Lara:
"VA."
VA walked toward me.
Crouched.
Her eyes met mine.
"Tomorrow."
I stared.
Now.
She blinked.
"You're damaged."
0.8%.
"You fought an invasion yesterday."
Technically.
"You transferred bodies twice."
Yes.
"You just ripped open a hostile Drone."
Yes.
VA stared.
Then smiled again.
"Fine."
That smile was worse.
"Now."
N:
"I've made a terrible mistake."
TRAINING ROOM
Thirty minutes later.
No weapons.
No railgun.
No explosives.
Uzi complained about all three restrictions.
The room was mostly empty.
Reinforced walls.
Training targets.
Old maintenance equipment.
VA stood opposite me.
I stood in synthetic form.
N watched from behind the safety line.
Uzi sat beside him.
Lara observed.
Khan arrived holding a clipboard for reasons nobody understood.
VA:
"First lesson."
Ready.
"Stop charging people."
...
N clapped.
"YES."
Uzi joined him.
"FINALLY."
Traitors.
VA:
"You are small."
Rude.
"Fast."
Better.
"Low center of gravity."
Accurate.
"Four points of contact."
Dog.
"Good sensors."
Robot dog.
"And your opponents consistently assume you are harmless until you attack."
Cute robot dog.
"That's your advantage."
She walked closer.
"So why do you keep attacking from the front?"
...
Because dramatic.
Uzi fell sideways laughing.
"I FELT THAT."
VA stared.
"No."
Fine.
"Again."
She pointed toward a training dummy.
"Disable."
I ran.
Straight—
Stopped.
Right.
No charging.
Think.
Dummy.
Humanoid.
Legs.
Balance.
Sensors.
Behind.
I circled.
VA moved the dummy remotely.
It tracked me.
I changed direction.
Tracked.
Again.
Tracked.
Then—
tennis ball.
Uzi threw it across the training room.
My head snapped.
BALL.
No.
The dummy turned slightly.
There.
Its tracking followed my head movement.
I moved toward the ball.
The dummy adjusted.
Then I reversed.
Hard.
Behind.
Jump.
Bite cable.
Pull.
The dummy collapsed.
Silence.
I landed.
VA looked at Uzi.
"Did you plan that?"
"No."
Good distraction.
Uzi stared at me.
"You used BALL."
Yes.
N whispered:
"He's evolving."
Not literally.
System?
『 Behavioral adaptation detected. 』
Don't.
『 No enhancement granted. 』
Good.
VA reset the dummy.
"Again."
Again.
Again.
Again.
I failed.
Got hit.
0.4% damage.
Again.
Too slow.
Again.
Wrong angle.
Again.
Overcommitted.
Again.
My instincts wanted teeth.
My human brain wanted plans.
The synthetic body wanted clean commands.
For the first time—
all three had to cooperate.
Two hours passed.
No jokes.
Mostly.
N attempted encouragement every eleven seconds.
"GOOD JOB!"
"HE ALMOST GOT IT!"
"THAT WALL WAS IN THE WAY!"
"BISCUIT, YOU LOOK VERY PROFESSIONAL!"
Helpful.
Annoying.
Pack.
Eventually VA activated three targets.
I stared.
She folded her arms.
"Go."
No.
I waited.
One target moved first.
Then another.
Third stayed back.
I retreated.
N:
"Biscuit?"
Wait.
Target One accelerated.
Target Two shifted left.
They were trying to surround.
I moved right.
Target One committed.
Dodge.
Not attack.
Target Two committed.
Turn.
Use One as barrier.
Collision.
Both targets hit.
Third advanced.
Now.
I attacked the leg.
Pulled.
Target fell.
Jump.
Sensor.
Disabled.
Turn.
One recovering.
Bite arm joint.
Pull past balance.
Down.
Third.
No charge.
Circle.
Wait.
It adjusted.
I adjusted.
It lunged.
I moved.
Its momentum carried forward.
I hit from behind.
Down.
Silence.
Then—
N exploded.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!"
My tail immediately wagged.
Dignity dead.
Uzi clapped.
Actually clapped.
VA nodded once.
High praise.
Lara stepped forward.
"Better."
I looked at her.
She looked at me.
"Still reckless."
Fair.
"But better."
Khan wrote something on his clipboard.
Nobody knew why.
System appeared.
『 TRAINING MILESTONE 』
Host has begun formal combat adaptation for secondary vessel.
No EP reward.
I stared.
Seriously?
『 Training is its own reward. 』
I hate you.
『 Serious puppy. 』
Delete that.
『 Achievement title recorded. 』
NO.
『 SERIOUS PUPPY 』
Absolutely not.
Uzi suddenly tilted her head.
"What?"
Nothing.
She narrowed her eyes.
"What did the System call you?"
Nothing.
"Biscuit."
No.
"BISCUIT."
I walked away.
She followed.
"WHAT DID IT CALL YOU?"
N joined.
"Was it cute?"
No.
"Was it SUPER BISCUIT?"
No.
"ROBO BISCUIT?"
No.
"THE GOLDEN GUARDIAN?"
Okay that one was good.
But no.
VA:
"Serious Puppy."
I stopped.
Slowly turned.
How.
VA pointed toward Uzi's tablet.
My System had apparently transmitted the milestone through Pack Synthesis.
Betrayal.
Uzi looked down.
Read it.
Silence.
Then she started laughing so hard she couldn't stand.
N read over her shoulder.
His visor became stars.
"SERIOUS PUPPY!"
No.
"SERIOUS PUPPY!"
Stop.
Khan wrote it on the clipboard.
WHY.
Lara walked away.
Her shoulders moved once.
SHE WAS LAUGHING.
This bunker had no respect for authority.
Or me.
Mostly me.
I transferred back to my biological body two hours later.
Warm.
Soft.
Heartbeat.
Breathing.
N carried me toward his room.
I allowed it.
Long day.
The enemy had learned.
But so had we.
They knew I protected my pack.
Fine.
They knew I could transfer.
Fine.
They knew I could fight.
Fine.
They thought attachment made me predictable.
Maybe.
For now.
That could change.
I wasn't going to stop caring about people just because somebody could exploit it.
That wasn't becoming stronger.
That was becoming alone.
No.
I'd learn.
Plan.
Adapt.
I'd make them calculate around N.
Around Uzi.
Around Lara.
Around every Worker in this bunker.
Then I'd change the calculation.
Again.
And again.
Until whoever was watching understood something important.
Pack wasn't the chain around my neck.
Pack was why I kept getting back up.
We entered N's room.
Uzi was waiting.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
She held something behind her back.
No.
She smiled.
Oh no.
"One final test."
No.
She revealed it.
Tennis ball.
My eyes locked.
BALL.
No.
Serious.
Be serious.
Twenty-three-year-old adult.
Combat training.
Unknown enemy.
Possible future attack.
Threat to pack.
Serious matters.
Uzi threw it.
The ball flew.
My head tracked.
My muscles tensed.
N watched.
Uzi watched.
I remained still.
The ball bounced.
Once.
Twice.
Rolled.
Stopped.
Silence.
N's mouth dropped open.
Uzi stared.
I slowly looked at them.
See?
Control.
Discipline.
Evolution.
Serious Puppy.
N whispered:
"Oh my God."
Uzi:
"He actually did it."
Yes.
Respect me.
I turned toward the ball.
It sat there.
Green.
Round.
Alone.
...
Maybe one retrieval.
For closure.
I walked toward it.
Calmly.
Professionally.
Almost there.
BALL.
I sprinted.
Grabbed it.
Spun.
Tail wagging.
Returned at maximum speed.
Dropped it at Uzi's feet.
THROW.
Uzi stared.
N stared.
I stared.
THROW.
Uzi started laughing.
N picked me up.
"There he is!"
I barked.
Uzi grabbed the ball.
"Serious Puppy lasted fourteen seconds."
Personal record.
She threw it.
BALL.
Some problems required training.
Others—
were apparently permanent.
And honestly?
I could live with that.
For now.
Outside the bunker—
far beyond our sensors—
a damaged transmission reached something waiting in orbit.
Data reconstructed.
Behavioral profile updated.
HOST RESPONSE:
PROTECTIVE.
ADAPTIVE.
INCREASINGLY COMBAT-CAPABLE.
Primary psychological leverage identified:
BONDED ENTITIES.
A final line appeared.
RECOVERY STRATEGY UPDATED.
Then another.
DIRECT ASSAULT:
DISCONTINUED.
New directive:
ISOLATE HOST.
My tail was still wagging when the order was sent.
I had no idea.
END CHAPTER 9