Gales spent the following night alone in her city, watching the chaos her island was subjected to in all its agonizing rainy glory. The vapours of her Can, formerly colourless in presentation, now featured a sickening greenish glow. The Iterator was able to feel every singular droplet hitting the outside of her superstructure, slowly but surely burning small holes into even the densest of metal covers.
Approaching Sky’s Overseer stopped projecting his feed a quarter cycle ago. They crunched the numbers and decided to preserve as much energy as possible to ensure that the group call in the morning wouldn’t be cut short due to technical issues. Looking up, Gales was able to see the Overseer idly hanging from the roof of the former seat of the House of Scents, a revered place she however had no access to.
 
I miss being able to visit the many houses in my city. But without the permission of the house leader, I will never be able to enter any of them. Even if they are all long since gone. My rail grid has barriers I am restricted from opening myself.
I wonder how much of the furniture is still intact. Maybe some of these divine scents have survived the test of time.
 
The Overseer didn’t bother looking back at her, its eye glossy and empty. Poor sod was existing on its last remaining charge. But soon it will be able to return to Sky’s superstructure. One last call.
Gales focused back on the panorama and sighed. Her thoughts strayed to the Scavenger, who saved her from permanent nothingness. She hoped he did manage his descent back to wherever he originated from. Would she be able to see him again?
 
My interest in his kin is greater than ever … which doesn’t mean much as an increment from none to some is impossibly large. I wonder if I could bring him to explain his language to me? He understands me, but I struggle to interpret his gestures. Learning it could prove to be crucial in my future life … depending on if he will return. … I wonder if they go by names?
…
I will use four of my remaining Overseers to patrol the shelters in the legs of my body. Can’t count on my sensors anymore given they struggle to remain active for multiple minutes straight nowadays. So many new blind spots. …
 
She used the last hours of the cycle to set up some trivial tasks. She ordered her body to replace the filters, checked on the many warning messages from all across her body, prioritised active repair work at crucial locations, and dug through countless Equipment Manifests to divide the salvageable situations from the compromised accidents. She quickly realized just how much damage she took in her time away from reality. Many areas were at a breaking point where the Strata repaired the walls of her veins too slowly to keep the acid out. She tasked her body to shield any aspect of her body she may need to realize the solution to her problem if they could figure something out. Especially her assemblies she protected like a Scavenger protected their pearls. She needed to assemble items, even if she couldn’t actively research anything anymore.
 
Dusk was fast approaching. Gales had finished her precautionary actions and was now occupied with her communication orb. She wanted to test something out. Opening the chat history Seven Red Suns had started 16.000 cycles ago her fingers hovered over the holographic keyboard interface and she typed them a short message, curious if it even in her isolated state would send the message to the server.
 

[Direct Message] – Chat System 1.0 – [1694.516]
Seven Red Suns, Shifting Gales

SG: If you happen to read this message. My sincerest apologies for not having seen this message in so many major cycles. But I assume you didn’t expect anything else.
SG: I am overjoyed to hear that my publications have helped you to purpose a capable messenger, Seven Red Suns. Good luck on their second mission. Void be with them.

Sent … No error message. However a decent delay of multiple seconds. Not that surprising, the latency was already bad while it was being actively developed. Was after all the main reason why it got abandoned. But … the system still works. Could this be an option for me to stay in contact with my peers? That depends on if they still have this antique. Suns maybe has one. Another reason for Sky to contact them.
…
Now where are my peers? The sun is rising, dusk has settled in. But the Overseer is still idle …or not? Oh! There you are now! Right beside me.
 
„Good morning, Overseer. Ready for the last duty of your mission?“
 
The Overseer gazed back at her with a tired expression in its singular eye, its electric body weak and brittle. Gales outstretched one of her hands, touching its tendrils.
 
„I allow you to feast on my energy until the call has ended. Then you will leave immediately, back to your master. He has some shiny new adjustments prepared for you."
 
An invitation the electric helper gladly took. She felt the slightly uncomfortable static sensation as the Overseer zipped out of existence only to emerge out of her left wrist, its colour now a mixture of green and soft blue hues. The Purposed appeared relieved, finally having received the usually forbidden taste, the energy signature of another Iterator.
A few minutes later the symbols surrounding the Overseer began to spur and expand as it received the request to open the awaited broadcast. It stayed in the position of her wrist and projected the screen inverted, allowing the other Iterators to see not only Gales but the little broadcaster as well.
Gales took a few moments to read the body language of the other members of their local group, bracing herself for a discussion all about her and her alone. She hated nothing more than to be the centre of negative attention. The technologically weakest Iterator in history, now with corrosive issues.
 
Far Whisper appeared better, much better. Her puppet was in a better condition, the spasms had ceased. From silent whispering between her and Lives she also was able to make out the fact that her vocal box had the chance to regenerate.
Approaching Sky on the other hand was distracted with a small screen at his side. Focusing him stronger she was able to make out what he was doing. He was manually controlling the hands in the Slugpup’s box, scratching her idly behind her long ears. A way to calm his nerves? Or the first appliance of her dissertation? The Scug was happy, that much she was able to see.
And then there was Five Lives Unbound. Her four eyes focused on her and her alone, the full attention of the Coordinator was on her puppet. Usually, the background of her calls was filled with active calls she addressed parallel to the conversation. But not today. Her room was dark, grimdark even. The dim light of her screen reflected from her grey metal body, her five starred symbol glowing in the dark. She appeared tired, tired and frustrated. And that because of her …
 
„G-Good morning. Whisper! Sky! … L-lives? I am glad you found the time to d-discuss my least favourite topic. … My problems.“ Have I said that out loud!? „I-I mean, thank you for your offered aid.“

Whisper tilted her head, noticing the nervousness of her best friend, her antennas glowing in calming assurance as she took control over that botched intro.
 
„Good morning to you as well, Gales. Don’t you worry, I will make sure that this won’t devolve onto a court scene. If I may?“ Gales nodded, relieved. „The situation is as simple as it is frustrating. You have read everything, Lives, or do I need to repeat the situation at hand?“
„No need, Whisper. Thank you.“ Lives leant forth, her tired expression brightening up ever so slightly. „I spent the entire night to catch up on everything I have missed. What happened happened. But what hasn’t happened yet we will be able to influence. And I think I speak for all Iterators present. Gales deserves a good future.“
„Affirmative.“ Sky nodded, having put the play screen aside, folding his arms. „We all desire the same. To help our friend. A topic of highest importance.“
 
Oh great. Worked perfectly, Whispy, not. So much … attention. W-what to do?
 
„A-appreciate your undivided desire to help me in my predicament. But … how? We need a plan, that much is for certain. A-any suggestions? Whispy? Could we maybe … I don’t know … neutralize my little issue?“
„Afraid that is not possible, Gales.“ Whisper looked down, her shining lights dim. „If it would be ordinary acid I could develop you a formula using the abilities of the Void Fluid to dissolve and cleanse the issue with a purposed molecule. But … we analyzed it. It is partly saturated with exactly that. Void Fluid. I assume that the reservoir is in some way connected to an arm of the Void Sea.“
„So no chance to neutralize it. Protected by the very fluid that ensured our existence … how … ironic.“ Gales leant back and patted the idle Overseer. „What … about rerouting the water intake to the ocean instead?“
 
Lives shook her head at the suggestion of Gales, her expression shifted for the worse. A shadow appeared over her face as she lowered it.
 
„It could be possible. But we would face a few very pressing issues. Lack of manpower first and the Taboos. The taboo of rewriting our genomes … trust me, nothing good awaits you in that direction. To change your water intake we need to rewrite the way your Superstructure uses the filtered acid. I suspect that the filter never neutralized the pH-Values to ocean levels, am I correct?“
„Afraid so … The Filtration System fed my structure with slightly acidic purified water. A pH-Value of 5 was the desired outcome … but not 1. … A full blockage of acid intake maybe?“
 
Sky observed Gales as her panic rose, his calm, yet concerned optics observing his proégée. He chimed in before Lives was able to answer.
 
„Negatory, that would b-“ Lives took over, her expression wild of concern. „And repeat the fate Moon had to endure?!-„
„Please, Lives, let me finish. Blocking your veins would solve the issue of acid, that is true. But there are two issues. First the obvious: Overheat. As cruel as it sounds, the acid is still what keeps you running. And secondly: Impossible. That would require control over the Filtration Sytem. And you claimed at the system check from two cycles ago that you lost all control of your Filtration System.“
„Then what options do we even have!? Why this group chat then!? I feel already awful enough, no n-need to r-rub it in any f-further …“
 
Silence … I can see them looking at each other. They have no clue. Able to process so many more calculations per second than me and yet … no solution. Guys!? This is not the Great Problem, just an unfortunate Iterator with acid in her veins. Don’t let me down … Or at least let me face my end with dignity.

Seconds turned into a minute until Lives finally broke the silence, finally. Her vocal cords strained in unease as she started to present a truly outrageous option.
 
„Well … Whisper told me to not go down that route, but I can’t see any other way to present a thought I had while catching up. May I?“
„Might as well …“
„Thank you, Gales. Well …“ Lives readjusted her position, looking now up her umbilical, past her face. „The fact that you can detach from your Can without breaking any Taboo … you are vastly different than any other Iterator on this planet. How … could we use that unique ability?"
„…No wonder Whisper told you to not mention it … Yes … I was built to detach and reattach, given the risks of my mobility. But Whisper and Sky can confirm it. There is no gain in severing the connection. I am gone till I … well … reattach.“
 
„Gone till you reattach …“ Approaching Sky scratched his chin, his gaze wandering to Whisper, apparently seeking confirmation for his unspoken thoughts. „Mind if I go wild with my assumptions? Now what … if we design something else to bond you to?“
 

 
A ping!? A notification sound, as ancient as the Ancients themselves. Oddly familiar, yet nearly forgotten.
Seven Red Suns looked up from the corner where they were sitting, petting the resting purple Slugcat on their lap. The Iterator made no attempts to disturb the peaceful duality with their loyal friend, as Suns was not expecting any messages from THAT forgotten piece of technology.
 
I will … check on it later.
 
The petting session continued with slow strokes down the immaculate purple fur of their brave Messenger. Of ‚Spearmaster‘. Suns finally decided to give them a name, now that the second mission was concluded and Spearmaster returned to their side.

The strokes reached the chest of the Slugcat, cautious fingers meeting the healing scar, the last enraged message from their friend Five Pebbles. So much went wrong and they were to blame for it. So many people Suns cared deeply about got hurt for their lack of foresight. The guilt was unbearable, Suns' deep-rooted shame prevented them from reaching out to the local group their actions had destroyed.
Spearmaster looked up to their face, two huge white eyes scanning their state of peril. Due to a lack of a maw, the Slugcat instead turned around and freed their arms, beginning to gesticulate in concern.

‚Bad thoughts? Need distraction?‘

Suns nodded slowly. They began to answer in signs but then remembered that Spearmaster got marked by Moon on their final mission. Instead, Suns resumed the patting, caressing Spearmaster’s head.
 
„Only the worst, Spearmaster. Will … that feeling of guilt ever pass?
…
Yes, I would like that. Want to explore my city with me? We could test out the video choker. And with the newest implant, I can even be there with you in your thoughts. How does that sound?“
 
Sun saw Spearmaster touching the nub at the back of their head, under which the new device laid dormant. Until it would eventually become absorbed and be added as a part of their body. A new method of being even closer to the only friend they hadn’t let down yet.
 
‚To the city.‘