I quietly groaned as everyone watched Risha retreat in stunned silence. Marti and Kiley were both obviously confused by her reaction, but the rest of us knew all too well about what had happened to the real Kiley McAllister, and the torch that Risha had carried for her. Someone needed to talk to Risha. Normally, Autumn would be a good choice for that, but given her resemblance and relationship to the original Kiley, that was probably a bad idea.

“Lisbet, could I have that document that you found with Kiley please?” I asked after a moment of thought. “Then I’ll need you and Karina to start prepping the MIST for takeoff. Autumn, could you take Kallie from Kiley so Heather can get her something to eat? She must be hungry, and I need to go talk with Risha for a bit.”

A moment later, as the others set about fulfilling my orders, I was on my way to find our absent Avatar with the strangely textured ancient document in hand. A glance at the document told me that I would likely need my NCI to help translate it though, or at least the more technical and archaic language. I was really hoping to avoid upsetting Risha further without good reason, so I wanted to have an idea of what the document might contain before I went to speak with her.

Kiley,

Governor David McAllister

So, it was a letter of confession. I found myself seething at the man’s selfishness and cowardice. What small lesson he had learned was not enough to endear me to him and I wondered how we were going to break this to Kiley. More importantly, how was she going to react to the truth of her existence? It would have to wait, I needed to deal with Risha first.

I found Risha outside of the MIST, glaring at the dilapidated mansion. I didn’t bother asking if she was okay, since she obviously wasn’t, but put my arm around her and pulled her close to me. She was the first to speak, her eyes not leaving the former home of the Governor of Minnesota. “That is not Kiley,” she stated, her fists still clenched at her sides in fury.

“I know that, Risha, but that girl in there doesn’t,” I told her gently while pulling her close. “She was programmed to believe that she is who she said she is. She even has Kiley’s memories, if this document that we found is to be believed. Don’t be mad at her for something she had no control over.”

It took a moment for the Avatar to say anything in reply and once she did, her voice was barely a whisper. Streams of tears ran down her cheeks as her hands clenched and unclenched. “I’m not mad at her, Snowy. That is why I came out here. Yeah, I am mad that she is some sick copy of the girl I loved, but it is not her fault that she was created. I am mad at Kiley’s father for trying to replace her like that. I am mad at my father for going along with it since it is fairly obvious that is his work in there.”

This was the first time that I had actually seen her cry. I knew that she could; of course, she had told us that it was a feature that had been added later to make her human appearance more believable. I couldn’t help but wonder though, had it been to make Risha more believable, or Kiley? Was it just another thing they had been testing just to see if it could work for Kiley? Was it just to make Kiley so believable that not even she would suspect that she wasn’t human?

I knew that Risha would be even more upset if I let her read the confession, but she deserved to see it. They had used her base code to create Kiley after all. Finally, after several long minutes of silence had stretched between us, I put aside my worries and offered her the confession with a sigh. “You should read this.”

Risha carefully took the document from me and the frown that she was wearing only deepened further as she read it. “That bastard used me. He used me to get my father to cooperate, and then he used my code to make that parody of Kiley. He even used me as a guinea pig to test the fucking upgrades for her avatar! It’s no wonder my father didn’t tell me about knowing that I was self-aware until after those damn ships left Earth!”

“Risha, honey, I know that you’re angry, but we have a problem. She thinks she is Kiley, and she has the memories to back it up. How do you think she’s going to react when we try to tell her that she’s an AI and try to release her from the restrictions in her programming?” I asked in concern.

“You mean when we have to break it to her that she’s not a real girl after all, and her whole life is a lie?” she retorted bitterly. “She has emotions and she’s invested in who she is. How would you react if you were told that? She’s probably going to freak out. Of course, that coward couldn’t own up to his mistakes and do it himself. He left the fallout for some strangers to deal with.”

“So, what do we do then?” I asked. Then I pointed out. “You’re our expert on AIs, and on Kiley. As soon as she gets a look outside of the MIST, she’s going to realize that this is no longer the world she remembers. She’s having a hard enough time getting around the idea that we’re not Demons.”

The Avatar sighed and shook her head despondently. “We’re going to have to rip off the Band-Aid. I know it might seem cruel, but we need to show her that she isn’t in Kansas anymore. Maybe she should read the letter too, to let that sink in. Reading the access code should be enough to unlock the restrictions on Kiley’s other memories and allow her access to her programming.”

“What if she can’t handle that knowledge, Risha? The letter said that most people couldn’t handle a digital existence,” I pointed out. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her idea, in fact, I agreed with her, but I also needed to make sure that both of us were well aware that this could end in disaster.

“I am more worried about how the knowledge of what she really is will affect her, Snowy. If she was going to have problems adjusting to a digital existence, the signs would have showed themselves as soon as she was activated, even with the blocks in her programming. She seems stable though. I think that discovering that she is and artificial lifeform and not the original Kiley will hit her far harder than the minutiae of being an AI,” Risha said quietly while looking at the confession in her hands. “If she starts freaking out, I’ll handle it.”

I let a sigh slip out, but I nodded in agreement. As I had said, she knew more about this, and about the original Kiley, than anyone else did. I needed to trust that she could handle this. “Wait here, Risha. I’ll go get Kiley.”

I stepped back into the MIST and made my way back to the living area where Kiley was finishing a meal from the food dispenser while the others kept her company and talked with her. Lisbet was the first to sense my return and she smiled, “Karina and I finished the pre-flight checks, so we’ll be ready for takeoff as soon as you give the command, Wing Commander.”

“Thanks, Lisbet. Risha and I need to show Kiley something before we leave though, are you all done eating, Kiley?” I asked as I turned toward the young-looking AI.

Kiley looked from her plate to me and nodded. She still seemed nervous around us; she was trembling a bit as she countered my question with some of her own. “Umm… thanks for the food. Where am I though? And where is Daddy? We were supposed to leave on the Magellan today.”

“Kiley, I…” I started to say before hesitating. “Please… come outside, there is something that we need to show you. All of your questions will be answered, I promise.” She wasn’t going to like those answers, but she deserved to know.

Kiley reluctantly stood up after an uncertain look toward Marti, the only one in the room that appeared to be human. The glance was brief, but enough to show that she still wasn’t sure whether she could trust those of us who weren’t Human. I tried to not let it bother me since she was probably taught that even Seed-borne who didn’t lose themselves were Demons and would kill her if given the chance. Her reaction upon waking was enough to show that.

She did stand up and follow me outside though. Risha was waiting for us, seated on one of the docked REVs and looking lost in her thoughts. When we reached the other AI though, Kiley’s attention wasn’t on me or Risha. She froze in her tracks as we reached the ramp and stared out the back of the MIST at the mansion that had long ago lost its battle with the ravages of time.

I guess that there was enough of the structure still standing and familiar enough for her to identify and her jaw dropped in a mix of recognition, shock, and horror. I sighed and placed a hand gently on her shoulder as I said, “This is where we found you, Kiley. You were sleeping in a vault in the basement.”

“No… no this isn’t right! What have you done?! Where is Daddy?!” she screamed in reply as tears streamed down her face and she tried to shake my hand from her shoulder.

I allowed her to shake off my hand, but she needed to know the reality of her situation. “Kiley, you have been asleep down there for roughly six hundred years. When we found you, there was a letter with you. I think you should read it,” I told her gently before taking the document from Risha and handing it to her.

I was afraid that she wouldn’t take it, or that she would drop it or refuse to look at it. For a moment, she did nothing, but then she reached out to take the confession from me with trembling hands. “Th… this is Daddy’s signature,” she said as she stared at the bottom of the page. It took her a moment to look any further than that and read the letter itself though.

For a moment, Kiley completely froze, even her tears and the trembling of her hands stopped. Then it all came back with a vengeance as she began to sob as she collapsed onto the entry ramp. “I… I’m not real, not a person. I’m just some… some thing that Daddy had built to replace the real Kiley. I…”

Risha sat down calmly to her right and wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight as she told her, “It’s going to be alright, Kiley. We’re going to help you through this.”

“R-Risha?” she asked hesitantly as she pulled away and looked up at the other Avatar in sudden recognition. Then she looked away, unable to look her in the eye as she choked out, “I’m not Kiley. I’m not real, I’m just…”

*SLAP* Risha’s hand striking Kiley’s cheek cut off whatever she was about to say as the older AI glared at her. “Enough, Kiley! This isn’t like you!”

“No, I’m not!” she snapped back. “I’m some machine, pretending to be a person!”

“Is that what you saw me as? Some machine, pretending to be a person?” Risha asked, looking as if Kiley had slapped her right back.

Kiley’s expression of self-loathing turned to one of realization and then horror. “No! Rish, I’m sorry, I… you… I never thought of you like that. You’re my best friend, the only one who really gives a shit about me and treats me as a person. You have feelings, you’re self-aware, you’re the most caring person I know, I didn’t mean to…”

“You are a person, Kiley, just like me,” Risha insisted. “So what if your brain is digital instead of organic now, if you’re getting upset and having an identity crisis over this shit, then you are self-aware and have feelings too. You are no different than me. Hell, that letter says that your code is based on mine. Sure, you may not be the original Kiley, but you have her memories and that means that part of you is her. It’s not like you’ll be taking her life by having those memories, she died a long time ago.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but she wasn’t really in the best position for it since she had just admitted that Risha was a person, and their situation wasn’t all that different. She silently listened and seemed to mull over Risha’s words. “I’m… she’s dead?” Kiley finally asked, her concern for the friend she now remembered overriding her own situation.

“Yeah, she had to leave the research center not long after the ships left Earth. I could only help cover her escape and I haven’t seen her since,” the blonde AI admitted sadly. “I’m told that she lived her dream though and died of old age. She helped found a Fay village as the person she always wanted to be. Autumn, the redheaded Fay in the MIST, is her great-great-granddaughter.”

“No shit?!” Kiley exclaimed. “I… she had kids?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been told. Autumn does take after her; I thought she was Kiley when we first met. I have been traveling with them since and using my abilities to fight Demons and do some good. We might even have a chance at stopping Seed-storms from ever happening again.”

“I… I’m glad you’ve been getting on with your life, Rish. Sooo… any romantic potential? Speaking objectively, my great-great-granddaughter is kind of cute,” she said with a playful smirk that didn’t reach her eyes.

I could tell that she was trying to distract herself from her real issue and Risha seemed the best person to help her. With that in mind, I figured that it was probably best that I give them privacy. I was about to slip away quietly when Risha replied, “Actually, yeah, once we graduate from the Angel Academy, I’ll be forming a mate group with Autumn, Heather, and the beautiful Catkin who is trying to sneak away from us. Come sit down, Snowy, I think it’s about time that Kiley spent a little time with other Seed-borne.”

I sighed but sat down on Risha’s other side. “I was trying to give you some privacy since we’ll have to leave soon.”

“I know, but I want to show off one of my future mates,” Risha teased, trying to keep the mood light. Then she turned somewhat sad and serious as she turned to the other Avatar. “I was in love with you, you know.”

“I know,” Kiley admitted with another sad smirk. “You were never very good at hiding it. I’m sorry that I could never share those feelings, but I always considered you my best friend. I’m glad that you’ve found people that love you that way in return, Rish, you deserve it.”

There was an awkward silence that stretched on for a couple of minutes before Risha finally broke it. “Soooo….”

Kiley was looking down at her hands and sighed before breaking another threatening silence. “Sooo, Daddy built me to replace myself. Did he never think about the consequences? I could have ended up as a crazy murder bot like M3GAN. Maybe I should start calling myself K1L3Y, but I don’t think I feel like murdering anyone.”

“Nah, nobody in this era would get the joke, believe me, I’ve tried,” Risha replied with a laugh. “Besides, you’re more like a replicant from Blade Runner.”

“True, that’s a much better movie too,” Kiley agreed. “Well, maybe we can hang out once in a while.”

“So… how do you feel?” Risha asked hesitantly.

“I…. dunno.” the young redheaded Avatar replied with a slightly confused expression. “Knowing that I’m an AI and being able to access my programming and that of my avatar is weird. It’s like I’m getting thousands of messages a minute telling me how everything is performing and what I’m sensing around me. It’s a little distracting, to be honest, but I know that I could do a hundred other things besides just sitting here and talking if I tried to.”

“You haven’t gone crazy yet, so I think you’ll get used to that,” Risha suggested hopefully.

“I think the worst part is my avatar,” Kiley admitted a moment later. “This isn’t my body, and it feels weird. I don’t even think it’s the whole robot thing though. It’s like, looking human and so young doesn’t feel right, it’s not who I identify as, especially since the block on my memories of my time in the research center was removed. I want to look like the ‘me’ that I’m comfortable with.”

“I can probably help you with that. I still remember in detail what you looked like, and even if I didn’t, Autumn is pretty damn close. I can alter some of my nanites and use them to change the physical parameters of your avatar and add some upgrades when we get back to base. You can look just like you used to, or we can even make some tweaks if you want,” Risha offered. Then she turned to look at the other AI before asking, “So, are you good?”

“I… I’m better,” she replied uncertainly. “I think it’s going to take me a while to get used to all of this and figure out what I want to do with this new life, but I think I can handle it, eventually.”

“We’ll try to help you however we can,” I offered. “Risha can help you with the AI stuff and we’ll try to help you catch up on what you missed for the last six hundred years or so. You don’t have to be Kiley anymore though, Risha mentioned that you wanted to change your name when you got out of that lab so is there anything that you would like us to call you instead?”

“I… I always wanted to be called Summer Sunset, but I guess I’m not really that person anymore. She lived and… died while I was sleeping. I’ll… ummm… think about it and let you know.”

“That’s fair; take the time to figure out who you want to be now. You have a lot to learn and think about, and it’s probably not something that you should rush into. We’ll keep calling you Kiley until you decide otherwise,” I offered, reaching across Risha to give the other Avatar’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

The flight to the capital was uneventful, except for the twins needing a diaper change, and those of us not flying giving Kiley a brief lesson on the history of Misota. Our Wingleader had Karina land us in a private courtyard in the palace. There was already one of the older models of veetol in the courtyard, so I assumed that the other Archangels and Sira had already arrived.

It was nearly midday, so we had cut it a little close to arrive on time. Almost as soon as we were on the ground and the rear hatch was open, my grandmother hurried off to her lunch with the other five Archangels, Sira, and Queen Sabine. After that, they would settle into a long afternoon where they planned to update the Queen on the state of Misota and of the Angel Corps.

We, on the other hand, didn’t have anything pressing to do until dinner unless they called Risha in to update them all on the progress of the tasks she had been given. My Grandmother would tell them about Kiley, but it was too soon to see if she would be willing to help the people of Ashburn or if she wanted to do something else with her life. We didn’t want to force her into anything, and she had been treated badly enough already.

We had promised to take Marti to The Rusty Halo and show her around the town, and that would be a nice way for all of us to relax. Kiley would be joining us as well so she could get used to living in our world rather than six hundred years in the past. So, as my grandmother left to go to her meeting, I packed my new diaper bag with plenty of diapers, baby powder, some bottles of formula, and a package of wet wipes. We already had the changes of clothes in case one or both of the twins made a mess of themselves and since we planned to be away from the MIST for most of the afternoon, I thought it best to be prepared.

Once we had secured the MIST and re-engaged the cloaking field, Heather led us through the palace to the front foyer and then through the doors to the outside. Once outside, we made our way down the cobblestone path between carefully tended gardens toward and through the front gates, and then we were in the city proper. “So, what’s the plan then, fearless leader?” Karina asked with a grin as we watched the hustle and bustle of the city.

The atmosphere wasn’t quite as heavy, tense, and foreboding as I had been fearing, given what I had heard from my grandmother and Kelsie, but it was almost like the whole city was holding its breath as it waited to see what would happen after the failed coup. I did note a few more visible Seed-borne walking the streets, and some Angel recruits that I recognized from the academy as well. For the most part, people were being friendly to them or just going about their own business, which was a bit of a relief given how our first explorations of the capital had gone.

I considered the Devilkin’s question for a moment before replying, “I think lunch and a visit with Uncle Jarl sound good to start with. I know Marti was looking forward to it and it will help ease Kiley into our culture. Then we can go explore the marketplace and show them some of the interesting stuff that we found around the capital.”