New test: think of something only Wayta would know.

"One more question," I say.

Both Killas study both mes curiously.

I glance at Nicholas. "This is private."

He frowns at me. "This is my room."

"This is my ship," I counter. "So unless you want me exposing your every thought on the monitors-"

Glaring at me, Nicholas reaches up to cover his ears.

The Killa in his room glances between us nervously. "What is this about?"

"I just wanted to ask," I say through both my mouthpieces, "one last question to add to your updated security profile."

Both of them nod slowly. "Okay..."

"How many nights have you spent alone with Captain Orion?"

As if they are in some kind of synchronization, both Killas step back as if I've slapped them.

Then the Killa in Nicholas's room answers, "There was never anything untoward between the captain and myself. We have always been good comrades, siblings in uniform."

"That is not a clear answer to the question. It will be hard to program your profile with that."

Nicholas's Killa sighs. "The way the world would answer that question, zero. But the number of times I've helped Orion as a friend when we were an early team, you would have been the only one to number the nights."

Meanwhile, the Killa on the other side looks at me once before demurely dropping her gaze. "Just once. And I don't want to talk about it or have it as my profile question, so choose something else." She lifts her gaze again, and there is a strange spark there.

I believe I catalogued that expression before. Ah, yes- the expression of a woman scorned.

And Orion never scorned Killa. He never had need to.

Communicating with the ship, I turn on the special lock-down security on Killa's room alone. With a metal plate sliding over her door on both sides, there's no way she can escape the room that has no other exits.

Not that it'll be Killa escaping.

I find my hallucination lifting my mouth in what I have identified as a smug smile. And this without even having someone else in on my work to give the smile, too. Must be a malfunction in my programming.

Killa and Nicholas give me strange looks. "What exactly is going on?"

"I've just detained a threat," I answer.

Their eyes widen. "What?!"

"I'm going to go alert Orion to this latest update. Until then, Killa, I need you to spend the night here. But like you did with Orion, of course."

Nicholas jaw drops. "What?"

Killa stiffens. "Alicia Ivy, what in the galaxy are you talking about?"

"Just stay here," I order before materializing in front of Orion.

-Banner by CannibalisticNecro

-Signature by -krystallite