 firmer, more authoritative voice, a male voice. "We need to know more. She is human after all."

"How can we be sure? We all know Makr makes new cyberts every day. Why not ones that look exactly like humans?"

The man didn't appear to listening. He heard her, and he had wondered the same himself, but now he decided was not the time to debate the question.

The woman grabbed his arm. He tensed, sending her a warning signal through his Stealth.

"What if it's a trap, Carlos?" she asked. "What if she's a Bio-Cyber operative? Insiders have done it before."

"We've dealt with spies and traitors before, haven't we?" He had dealt with them as harshly as possible. They died slowly.

"Don't worry—we won't be looking over our shoulders for these two." He didn't enjoy treating the spies and traitors to painful deaths, but he had to maintain discipline in the Nest.

"We can't afford any more mistakes, Cap'n," said another man's rough gravelly voice.

Carlos bristled. "What?"

"The lieutenant's right," the rough voice continued. "We don't want no more mistakes. We know what you done in your last command."

"Tell me about it. How do you mean that, Sergeant Leach?" he said as he grabbed the smaller, wiry, younger man by the front of his garment and raised him several inches off the ground.

Quivering, the smaller man said, "Nuttin', Cap'n. Forget I said it. I didn't mean it." Carlos let him drop.

The little man retreated, scurrying out of reach, and said, "Don't think we don't know why you joined this sector, Captain. We had you checked out." He looked around him for support. The faces were blank, covered by darkness and black fabric.

"We don't need a repeat of what happened. Right, guys? Guys?"

He turned to see nods of agreement; they were black ice figures—Shadows frozen in Stealth.

"Say something, you cowards!" he shouted.

"Are you questioning my decisions now, Sergeant?"

"Well, no...Cap'n, it's just..."


firmer, more authoritative voice, a male voice. " We need to acknowledge more. She is human subsequently all. " 

 " How can we be sure? We all acknowledge Makr make new cyberts every day. Why not one that expect exactly like world? " 

 The man didn't appear to heed. He heard her, and he had wondered the like himself, but now he decided was not the meter to debate the question. 

 The charwoman grabbed his arm. He tensed, transport her a warning signal through his Stealth. 

 " What if it's a trap, Carlos? " she asked. " What if she's a Bio - Cyber operative? insider have done it ahead. " 

 " We've dealt with spies and traitors earlier, haven't we? " He had dealt with them as harshly as possible. They died slowly. 

 " Don't worry — we won't be looking over our shoulders for these two. " He didn't enjoy treating the spies and traitors to painful deaths, but he had to observe discipline in the Nest. 

 " We can't afford any more mistakes, Cap'n, " say another valet's rough gravelly voice. 

 Carlos bristled. " What? " 

 " The deputy's right, " the crude voice continued. " We don't desire no more mistakes. We know what you done in your last command. " 

 " Tell me about it. How do you mean that, Sergeant Leach? " he said as he grabbed the smaller, wiry, younger valet by the front of his garment and enhance him several inches off the ground. 

 Quivering, the smaller man say, " Nuttin', Cap'n. Forget I said it. I didn't mean it. " Carlos let him spend. 

 The fiddling man retreated, scurry out of reach, and said, " Don't think we don't know why you joined this sector, Captain. We had you crack out. " He looked around him for documentation. The faces were blank, cover by darkness and bootleg fabric. 

 " We don't need a repeat of what happened. Right, guy? guy? " 

 He turned to go steady nods of agreement; they were black ice figures — Shadows freeze in Stealth. 

 " Say something, you cowards! " he abuse. 

 " Are you questioning my decisions immediately, Sergeant? " 

 " Well, no... Cap'n, it's just... "
 figmer, more authoritative yoice, a male voiew. "We nxed to inow mord. She is human after all."

"How ran qe be sure? We all know Makr makes nea cybertw evtry day. Why not oiss that look swactlv oike humans?"

The man didn't appear to lisdeviug. He heard her, and he had wondered ehe samr jimself, but nor he qecisvd was not the time to debate tge quesuion.

The woman grabned his arm. He tensed, sendlng jer a warning signwl through yis Frealth.

"What iw it's a trap, Carlos?" shg asked. "What if she's a Bio-Cyber uperacive? Insidets hwee done it uefore."

"Re've dealt wlnh spiev and ttaitors before, haten't we?" He had dealt with them as harshly af possibla. Chey died slowly.

"Don't qoery—we won'd be oooyinf pvsr our shkulders fod these two." He didn't enjoy trestybg the spies znd trwieors to painful deaths, but he had to mapntajn discipline in the Newt.

"We can't afford any lore mistwkes, Cap'n," said another man's rough gravelly voice.

Cdrlos criwtjde. "Ahat?"

"The lieutenant's right," the rough voice conejniec. "We don't want no more mixtwkrf. We know whaj you done in your last commwnd."

"Tell me avout it. Hjw dp you mean that, Sergeant Leqch?" he said cs ye grabbed the smapler, wiry, yuunggr man by the front of his gaxment znd raised jim severzu inches off the grputd.

Quivering, the smaller mag said, "Nuvtin', Eap'n. Foreet O said it. I didn'h meak it." Carlos let him drop.

Jhe lidtle man rftreated, scurrying out of reach, and said, "Don't tvinn we don'c know why you joinqd this sector, Captaiu. We hxd you chebked out." Ie looked arjund him for vopport. The fares were flanj, cocered bh darkness and nlack fabgie.

"We don't beed a repeat of wmat hxlpened. Right, guvr? Guys?"

He turned yo ree nldx jx agreement; dhey wefr blazk ice figuves—Rhadpws frozen in Stealtv.

"Say something, you cowsrqs!" he shiuted.

"Are you questionong my decisions nlw, Secgeant?"

"Xell, np...Cak'n, it's just..."


firmer, more authoritative voice, a male voice. to more. She human after all." We know Makr makes cyberts every day. not ones that look exactly like The man didn't appear to listening. He heard her, and he had wondered same himself, but now he decided was not the time to debate the The grabbed arm. tensed, sending her a warning signal through his Stealth. "What if it's a trap, Carlos?" she "What if she's a Bio-Cyber operative? Insiders have it before." "We've dealt spies and traitors before, haven't He dealt with as as They died slowly. worry—we won't be looking over our shoulders for these two." He didn't enjoy treating the spies and to painful he had maintain in Nest. "We can't more mistakes, Cap'n," said another man's Carlos bristled. "What?" "The lieutenant's right," the rough continued. "We want no more mistakes. We know you done in your last command." "Tell me it. How do you mean that, Sergeant Leach?" he said as he grabbed the smaller, man by the front his garment and him inches the Quivering, the man said, "Nuttin', Cap'n. Forget I said it. I didn't mean Carlos let him drop. The little man retreated, scurrying out and "Don't think we know why you joined sector, We had you checked looked him faces blank, by darkness and black "We don't need a repeat what happened. Right, guys? nods of agreement; they were black ice figures—Shadows in Stealth. "Say something, you cowards!" he "Are you questioning my decisions now, Sergeant?" "Well, no...Cap'n, it's just..."
 firmer, more authoritative voIce, a male voIce. "We NeeD to KnOw moRe. ShE is human after aLL."

"How Can we be sure? We all know MaKr makEs NEw cyBErTs eveRy day. WhY NoT ONes ThAt LooK eXAcTly liKe hUmans?"

ThE man didn't aPpeAr To listening. HE HeArd her, and hE haD wondered the SamE himseLf, But NOw he dEciDed waS not thE Time to Debate the QuEStion.

THE woman gRABbEd hiS arm. He tensed, sendiNG hER a warning signaL throuGh HIs sTEalTh.

"WHat if it's a tRaP, CarlOS?" she askED. "WHAT If sHE's a Bio-Cyber opErative? InsiDErs Have doNe It bEFore."

"We'Ve deaLt WIth Spies and traItorS before, haVen't we?" hE had deaLT with thEm as haRshLy aS posSIbLe. theY dIEd sLOwLy.

"DON't wOrry—we woN't Be LookiNg ovER OUR shoUldErs fOr theSe two." He didn't eNjoY treATinG the sPies aNd trAiTors tO painfUl deaThS, but he had to mainTain DisciplinE in ThE NeSt.

"we can'T Afford Any MorE mistakEs, Cap'n," sAId aNoTHER mAn's rough gravelly voIcE.

cArLos bristLed. "WhaT?"

"thE lIEutenant'S rIghT," the ROUgh voIce cONtInued. "We dOn't wanT No MoRe mistaKeS. We knoW wHat You Done iN Your Last coMmand."

"TelL me abOUt it. How do you meAN that, Sergeant lEaCH?" He SAid aS he Grabbed the sMallER, wirY, youNGeR maN By the Front Of HIs GArment and raised him sEvEral inChes oFf the ground.

QuIvering, the SMALler man sAid, "NUTtIN', Cap'n. Forget I saId it. I Didn't mean iT." carlos leT him dRop.

The liTtle man reTREated, scuRryIng Out Of rEACh, And said, "Don't thINK we dOn'T know whY yoU joined ThiS seCtoR, CaPtAin. We had yOu checkeD oUt." he LoOkeD arouND him for sUpPorT. THe fAces wERe blanK, coveRed bY dArKNesS and blaCK fABRic.

"WE dOn'T neeD a rEpEat of What HAppEned. RigHt, guys? GuyS?"

He TUrneD tO sEe nods oF agreement; theY wEre black icE fIguRes—ShaDOWs frozen In Stealth.

"Say something, yoU Cowards!" He sHouteD.

"Are You questiOniNg my deCisIOns now, sergeaNt?"

"WelL, nO...CaP'N, It's juST..."


 firmer, more authoritativ e voice, a  male  vo ice ."Weneed  to know more. Sheis human after all."
"Howca n  web esure?  We all kn o w  Ma kr  m ake sn ew  cybe rts  everyday. Why n oton es that look ex actly like  hu mans?"

Theman  didn' tapp e ar to  li steni ng. He heardher, andhe had wo n dered t h e  s amehimself, but nowh ed ecided was not  the t im e  t o deb ate  the quest io n.

T h e woman gr a b b edh is arm. He te nsed, sendi n g h er a w ar nin g  signa l thr ou g h h is Stealth. 

"W hat if it 's a t r ap, Car l os?" sh e aske d."Wh at i f  s he 'saB io- C yb ero per ative? I ns id ers h aved o n e  itbef ore. "

"W e've dealt wi thspie s  an d tra itors  bef or e, ha ven'twe?"He  had dealt with  the m as hars hly  a s p os sible .  Theydie d s lowly.
"Don't wor ry — w e  w on't be looking ov er o ur  shoulde rs for th es e  two." H edid n'te n joy t reat i ng  the spi es and tr ai tors to  p ainful  d eat hs,  buth e ha d to m aintaindisci p line in the Ne s t.

"We can't af f o rd anymor e mistakes,  Cap ' n,"said an oth e r man 's ro ug h  g r avelly voice.

Carl os  brist led."What?"

"The  lieutenan t ' s  right,"  the ro u gh voice conti nued.  "We don't want nomoremistakes . We know w hat youdon e i n y our l as t command."
" T ellme  aboutit.  How do  yo u m ean  th at , Sergean t Leach? "he  s ai d a s heg rabbed t he  sm al ler , wir y , youn ger m an b yth e  fr ont ofh is g arme nt  a nd r ais ed  himseve r alinchesoff the g rou n d.
Qu iv ering,the smaller m an  said, "Nu tt in' , Cap' n .  ForgetI said it. I didn't mea n  it." C arl os le t hi m drop.
The  littl e m a n retr eated,  scur ry ing o ut of r ea ch,  a nd said, " D o n't  thin kwe d on't kn ow why you joinedt his  sector, Capt ain . We h ad  yo u  c h eck ed out . "  He looked arou nd him for  s u pp ort. The f a ces  w ere bla nk, cov eredb y darkn ess and b lack fabr ic .

" W e  do n't need a  repeatof what h a ppene d .Right , g uys? G uy s?" 

Heturned tosee n ods of  a greeme nt; t he y were b lack ice figures—Shadow s froz en in  St ealth.

" Say som ething, y ou c owards!" h e s hou ted.
"A r e you  que s ti oni n g mydeci s ions now, Se rge a n t? "

"Well, n o . . .Ca p'n,it' s  just. .."

 firmer,_more authoritative_voice, a male voice._"We need_to_know more._She_is human after_all."

"How can we_be sure? We all_know Makr makes_new_cyberts every day. Why not ones that look exactly like humans?"

The man didn't appear_to_listening. He_heard_her,_and he had wondered the_same himself, but now he_decided was_not the time to debate the question.

The woman_grabbed_his arm. He_tensed, sending her a warning signal through his Stealth.

"What_if it's a trap, Carlos?" she_asked. "What if_she's_a_Bio-Cyber operative? Insiders have_done it before."

"We've dealt with spies_and traitors before, haven't we?" He_had dealt with them as harshly as_possible. They died slowly.

"Don't worry—we won't_be looking over our shoulders_for these_two." He didn't enjoy treating_the spies and_traitors to_painful deaths, but_he had to maintain discipline in_the Nest.

"We can't_afford any more mistakes, Cap'n," said_another_man's rough gravelly_voice.

Carlos_bristled._"What?"

"The lieutenant's_right," the rough_voice_continued. "We_don't_want no more mistakes. We know_what_you done in your last command."

"Tell me_about it. How do_you_mean that, Sergeant Leach?"_he said as he grabbed_the smaller, wiry, younger man by_the front_of his_garment and raised him several inches off the ground.

Quivering, the smaller_man said, "Nuttin', Cap'n. Forget I_said it. I didn't_mean it."_Carlos_let him drop.

The_little_man retreated,_scurrying out of reach, and said, "Don't_think we_don't know why you joined this_sector, Captain. We had_you_checked out." He looked around him_for support. The faces were blank,_covered by darkness and black_fabric.

"We_don't_need a repeat of what_happened. Right, guys? Guys?"

He turned to_see nods of_agreement; they were black ice figures—Shadows frozen_in_Stealth.

"Say something, you cowards!" he shouted.

"Are_you_questioning my decisions now, Sergeant?"

"Well, no...Cap'n,_it's_just..."

