Chapter 45: Infiltration

Dave’s grip on Liki’s hand tightened, his knuckles whitening as he fought the urge to yank her back down the hallway. His heart pounded in his chest, dread pooling in his stomach. The perfect set-up, he thought. Lure us to an underground room with no other exit, eliminate us without a scene. But why? Why now? It doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense.

Liki’s small hand squeezed back, her nails pressing lightly into his skin as if to remind him she was right there beside him. She moved closer, and whispered, “Stay calm. I’ll protect you.” Her voice was steady, but Dave could feel the tension in her body, the way her muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. He nodded, forcing himself to take a deep breath. They turned around and together they began to briskly walk back down the hall, away from the room.

As they turned the corner, they nearly collided with Tendo, who was striding toward the meeting room with his usual air of calm authority. “You’re going the wrong way,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Dave stepped in front of Liki, shielding her with his body as he glared at Tendo. “I don’t know what this is,” Dave said, his voice low and dangerous, “but if you're setting us up, we will fight our way out.”

Tendo blinked, his expression shifting from confusion to realization. He glanced at Liki, who was standing behind Dave, guarding his back, her eyes wide and alert. “Oh, shit,” Tendo muttered, running a hand over his bald head. “I forgot about her nose.” He let out a short, frustrated laugh. “No, Dave, it’s not a set-up. We just have… a new employee. Sort of. I guess she’s more like an intern. Come on, it’s safe.”

Dave didn’t move, his body still tense. Liki tugged lightly on his hand, her gaze flickering between him and Tendo. She seemed uncertain, her instincts at war with Tendo's casual attitude.

“Stay behind me,” Dave whispered to her, low and firm. “If I tell you to run, you run as fast as you can. Got it?”

"No, I won't run away and leave you," she whispered, her grip on his hand tightening.

Cautiously, Dave stepped forward, keeping Liki close as they followed Tendo down the hall. The casual hum of conversation drifted from the meeting room, a stark contrast to the tension building in Dave’s chest. He motioned for Liki to stop just outside the door, then edged closer to peer inside.

The room was spacious, filled with the same team members he’d met earlier. Lin was leaning against the far wall, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. Tendo walked in, gesturing for Dave to follow. “Get the hell in here so we can start,” he said impatiently.

But Dave’s attention was drawn to the woman sitting in a chair near the center of the room. She turned as Tendo spoke, her sharp eyes locking onto Dave’s. It was her. The woman from the Wimil store—the one who had attacked them, the one who had held him down while her partner tried to take Liki.

“What in the freel fujuck is SHE doing here?!” Dave demanded, his voice rising as he stepped into the room, instinctively shielding Liki with his body.

“It’s okay,” Tendo said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “She’s working for us now.”

The woman stood, one hand raised in a gesture of surrender, the other arm in a cast and sling. She moved slowly, cautiously, as if she knew any sudden move might send Dave over the edge. He glanced around the room, his eyes scanning for anyone else unfamiliar, anyone who might pose a threat.

Liki followed him inside, her body tense, eyes locked on the woman. Her tail was straight and motionless as she pressed closer to Dave. He could feel the low rumble of a growl building in her chest, the same sound she'd made that day in the Wimil store.

“Liki,” Dave murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Easy.”

The woman approached them, her gaze never leaving Dave’s. “Let me talk to them for just a moment,” she said calmly. Lin stepped forward, blocking the woman's path.

“Tendo,” Lin said, “is she allowed to do this?”

Tendo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Make it quick,” he said to the woman. “The meeting was supposed to start two minutes ago.”

The woman nodded, her eyes flicking to Liki before returning to Dave. She moved past them into the hallway. Dave kept Liki behind him, just in case. He whispered, "go sit down and I'll be right there."

"No, she's the bad guy. I'm going to stay with you," Liki whispered back.

The woman hesitated, and she dropped her gaze for a moment before meeting Dave’s again. “Liki’s right,” she admitted, her voice heavy. “I am a bad guy. I’ve done a lot of bad things—I’ve even killed people. But I wasn’t trying to kill you. I was being paid to capture you for a client. I’m just a mercenary.” Her voice cracked slightly, and she took a breath before continuing. “I thought this job was just a simple kidnap-and-ransom thing. But then your boss showed me what my client really wanted.”

She paused, her eyes shifting to Liki, who was still pressed close to Dave, lashing her tail nervously. “I’ve done bad things,” the woman repeated, quieter now, almost ashamed. “But the things he’s done… the pictures Tendo showed me…” She trailed off, her expression darkening.

Dave felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered Tendo's file of pictures that he'd mentioned in their car ride, the day before yesterday. Pictures of what the man who wanted Liki had done to other Wimils.

"After I saw the things he's done, I... I was sorry I was ever a part of that. I'm not a Wimil, but I'm a woman... and he...” She looked down and was quiet for a moment. She looked up again, directly at Dave, her eyes pleading. “Tendo gave me a choice, work with you all or rot in prison. Choosing to stay out of prison doesn't make me a good person, obviously. But I sincerely want to help. I want to help get this guy."

Lin approached, with her arms still crossed, looking a little smug. “She’s telling the truth,” Lin said flatly. “For now, anyway. Also she's wearing a collar that will instantly incapacitate her if I press this button," she said, as she held up a small black remote control.

"Please don't," said the woman, smirking.

Dave clenched his fists, his mind racing. He didn’t want to trust this woman, but the raw emotion in her voice was hard to ignore. She held out her unbroken arm. "I'm Katya."

Dave didn't shake her hand, but he said "I'm Dave."

"I know," said Katya. "Liki, if I try to hurt Dave again, you can break my other arm."

"I will," said Liki, deadly serious.

"Oh my god, people! Can we please start the meeting? You can all kiss and hug afterwards," shouted Tendo from the room.

Katya went back into the room and sat down. Lin took Dave's other hand and said "Come on," as she led him to a seat near where Tendo was standing. Liki sat down next to him.

Dave’s body was still tense as he glanced around the room. Liki settled beside him, her tail flicking nervously as her eyes darted between the faces in the room. Tendo stood at the front, his usual calm demeanor replaced with a sense of urgency. He clapped his hands once, the sharp sound cutting through the low murmur of conversation.

“All right, listen up,” Tendo began, his voice firm. “We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get to it. There are three main things we're going to talk about: the operation, the target, and Liki. Save your questions until we're all done.”

The room fell silent, everyone’s attention fixed on Tendo. He paused, his dark sunglasses scanning the room before he continued. “First, the operation. We’re dealing with someone who’s not just powerful but extremely dangerous. This is going to be a sting. We are going to bait our target into making a mistake, then we spring the trap. This isn’t a job for amateurs, so if anyone’s feeling twitchy, speak up now.”

No one moved. Dave glanced at Liki, who was sitting up straight in her chair, her ears perked forward in attention. Her small hand reached for his, squeezing it gently. His chest tightened, but he gave her a reassuring nod.

“Second,” Tendo continued, “the target. This man—we'll get into the suspect's identity later—has connections that run deep. He’s got influence, money and a network of people willing to do sick shit for his money. But we’ve got something he wants.” His gaze lingered on Liki for a moment, and Dave felt a surge of protectiveness. “He’s not going to stop. We need to be smarter, faster, and more prepared.”

Liki’s ears flattened slightly, and Dave could feel her stiffen next to him, still coiled like a spring.

“Finally,” Tendo said, his tone softening just a bit, “Liki. She’s not just a Wimil anymore—she’s the key to all of this. Her safety is our top priority. That means everyone here is responsible for protecting her. If something happens to her, this whole operation falls apart. Understood?”

A chorus of nods and murmurs of agreement followed. Dave’s jaw clenched as he glanced at Katya, sitting across the room with a blank expression. He didn’t trust her, not yet, but he couldn’t deny that having her on their side might give them an edge.

“Good,” Tendo said, clapping his hands again. “Now, let’s get into the details.”

Chapter 46: Origins

Tendo sat down in a chair. “Alright, let’s start with Liki,” he said calmly. “N15, you’re up.”

N15, a short man with thinning hair, glasses and an expression like a blank canvas, rose from his seat and approached the front of the room with the quiet efficiency of someone who lived for data. With a flick of his wrist, he activated the large wall-mounted screen, and the room dimmed further as the presentation began. The first image that appeared was a satellite image that shifted into an isometric view of a military base in Alaska—a snow-covered fortress isolated in the middle of nowhere. The base looked more like a sci-fi bunker than a modern facility, with its angular, high-tech structures partially buried under layers of ice.

“Liki is part of a batch of six stolen F-7.14 Wimils,” N15 began, his voice monotone but precise. “They were taken from this covert military base in occupied Alaska last year. The specifics of how they were stolen remain unclear—no alarms, no breaches, no witnesses. It’s as if they simply vanished. All six Wimils were identical, with custom military-grade bodies and combat behavior routines pre-installed.”

The screen shifted to show a lineup of the six Wimils, each wearing sleek black combat bodysuits that clung to their petite frames. Five were nearly indistinguishable from Liki, and one was Liki. Their blank expressions and identical features made them seem almost like mass-produced dolls. Liki, sitting next to Dave, tugged on his sleeve and pointed excitedly at herself on the screen. Dave instinctively reached over and placed a reassuring hand on her thigh, giving her a gentle squeeze. She leaned into him, pressing against his side as if seeking comfort. Tendo glanced at them briefly but said nothing, his focus returning to the screen.

N15 continued, “To date, only one of these six Wimils has been recovered.” The screen changed again, this time showing a chilling image: a nude figure lying on a metal table, pale and lifeless. Liki gasped, her ears flattening against her head, and Dave clenched his fist. Before anyone else could react, Tendo surged to his feet, blocking the screen with his broad frame like a human shield.

“Next slide! She doesn’t need to see this,” he growled, as if his words alone could erase the image. N15’s eyes widened slightly, and he quickly complied, the grim image disappearing as he moved to the next part of the presentation. Tendo sat back down. His expression was hidden behind his sunglasses, but the tension in his jaw spoke volumes.

“Apologies,” N15 muttered, slightly flustered. He cleared his throat and continued, his voice regaining its earlier precision. “As I was saying, only one Wimil has been recovered, and she was deceased. We believe that Liki is the second of the six, and the other four are accounted for but have not yet been recovered—two of them are in the possession of our target.”

The screen now displayed a map dotted with red markers. N15 pointed to one of the dots, his finger hovering over a location in the Midwest. “We have reason to believe that Liki and the other stolen Wimils were smuggled to Michigan, but were never activated after they were taken. They were passed around various middlemen, who tried to sell the 7.14s to unscrupulous collectors. However, due to the high-profile nature of the crime, selling them for an actual return on investment proved extremely difficult.”

The next image was of a man in a tailored suit, his face partially obscured by shadows. “Someone eventually devised a plan to sell the Wimils off as ordinary models through legal retailers. This was achieved with the assistance of an insider at Eris Nishimoto—this man, Ken Oka—who aided the thieves by altering the stolen Wimil's serial numbers in ENBC's registry. Additionally, an enhanced ‘companion package,’ typically associated with the F-7.02 model, was uploaded to further obscure their military origins.”

“The seller then contacted interested private buyers,” N15 went on, with a hint of disgust in his voice, “informing them of the Wimils’ true nature. Specifically, they highlighted the fact that these Wimils had no AAS, an Abuse Alert System, making them exceptionally desirable to certain individuals. The buyers would then pay a large 'finder’s fee' to the seller for the information on where the specific Wimils could be purchased. The Wimils were then sold individually to independent retailers, such as the location where Mr. Tork bought Liki, ready for the private buyers to go ‘purchase’ them legally.”

The screen changed again, this time showing a grainy surveillance video from a store. Three men entered the frame, their faces shadowed but their movements purposeful, almost predatory. “Liki had already been purchased by our target,” N15 explained. “However, the owner of the store where Liki was sent made an inventory error, and one of his employees sold her again to Mr. Tork here instead.”

Dave felt Liki’s small hand grip his arm tighter, her nails digging lightly into his skin. He looked down at her, and she met his gaze with a soft, reassuring smile. “When representatives for our target arrived a few days later to pick up Liki,” N15 continued, “she was already gone. To cover up the sale and find Liki, they killed the owner, stole his customer data, and erased all his files.”

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of the information settling over everyone like a heavy blanket. Tendo leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “We were able to reconstruct some of the data, including this footage,” he said, gesturing to the screen. “We believe these are the same three men that came after you in your apartment, Dave, and burned it to the ground.”

The screen switched to a different angle, showing the three men again, this time exiting the store with a sense of urgency. “They were eventually able to trace you to the hotel in Philadelphia,” N15 added, his tone grim. “But they were killed there—assumedly by Liki.”

“They tried to hurt Dave,” said Liki, her voice soft but confident, “so I had to.”

A few of the team members chuckled quietly, and even Tendo allowed himself a small smirk. “We believe these men were contractors, much like Ms. Graves," he said, pointing at Katya with a nod, "and not direct employees of our target. After learning of their deaths, our target contracted Ms. Graves and her team to track Liki.”

The screen now displayed a timeline of events, with Katya’s involvement clearly marked in bold red lines. “Ms. Graves' team stole Mr. Tork’s e-wallet data from the hotel,” N15 explained, his voice returning to its usual monotone. “and eventually traced his Wimil bed rental transaction in Moorestown. They ambushed him at the store, where we intervened and took Mr. Tork, Liki, and Ms. Graves into custody.”

N15 paused and glanced at Liki, who was still sitting next to Dave, her posture tense but confident. “Liki, would you mind coming up here?” he asked politely. “I’d like to give the team an overview of your actual capabilities. It’ll be important for the operation.”

Liki looked at Dave uncertainly, her ears twitching slightly. “It’s up to you,” he said in a reassuring tone. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, stood up, and gracefully walked to the front of the room. N15 held up a small tablet. “Do you mind if I plug this into your bio-port?” he asked respectfully. Liki nodded again, and he gently lifted the back of her shirt, and inserted the cable. The screen on the wall lit up with Liki’s diagnostic data.

“As a military covert infiltration Wimil,” N15 began, “Liki has hundreds of behavior mods applied. Most of them are combat training mods, covert actions mods, and controllers for her enhanced capabilities." As he spoke, the list began to load on the screen. “The criminals who sold her wanted to hide the fact that she was a stolen military model from any third-party reseller that booted up her diagnostic on a whim, but they couldn’t delete these mods because doing so requires special high-level military access codes. However, they found that they could add new mods, and they decided to try to obfuscate Liki’s military origin in an incredibly mundane fashion... by installing enough companion package and custom mods to push her military mods off the first page of the list.”

The screen showed a full list of mods with names that sounded ordinary or slightly suggestive. Names like: bonding.enhanced.attr.lvl4, bonding.romance.lvl5.lock, attitude.inno.cute(kissy), and attitude.inno.cute(dressme). As N15 scrolled further, the mod names became more explicit: SX.multi.orgasm, SX.semen.taste.enjoy, SX.attitude.horny(max), SX.masoch.lvl2 and SX.attitude.subm.

The names of these mods, Dave thought. Attitude horny max… Attitude innocent cute dress me… Oh my god, Semen taste enjoy? They explain so much about Liki’s personality and her quirks. He wondered if her mods were removed, would she become someone totally different? Was Liki’s whole being just a collection of behavior modifications forced upon her psyche? He supposed that behavior mods could be equated to a human’s life experience, something that a brand new Wimil lacked. His own personality had undoubtedly been shaped by his 35 years. Life had forcibly uploaded lessons and modifications into his own brain, but at a much slower, more gradual rate. Would he be a different person if he’d had a different life?

A few people in the room stifled laughter at the implications of the file names, and N15’s cheeks turned a faint shade of red. “Um, let’s skip over these,” he muttered, scrolling quickly. The next page was all mods that began with the ‘SX’ designation as well... and the third page, and the fourth. "How many of these are there?” said N15 incredulously.

Lin raised her hand, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Hey, N15, can you make a copy of some of those mods for me?” she asked, "I’ll even let you install them."

Tendo chuckled quietly, patting Dave on the shoulder with a knowing grin. “You’re a lucky man, Dave,” he said under his breath, his voice low but with a hint of mockery.

Dave shot him a glare, “Fuck you,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. Liki, standing at the front of the room, was still enjoying being the center of attention, oblivious to what everyone was giggling about.

Finally, N15 reached the military mods... on page seven. “Here’s where things get interesting,” he said becoming serious again, his earlier embarrassment vanished.

Sumiko leaned back in his chair smirking. “I don’t know, I thought those other pages were pretty interesting too.”

Tendo raised a hand to silence him, but a few shoulders shook slightly and giggles were suppressed. N15 ignored the comment and continued scrolling through the mods, outlining their purposes. “Reaction boosters, pherogland control, on-demand adrenal access, improved auditory processing, chronoception enhancement, olfactory enhancement…” He paused and turned to face the room. “In simple terms, Liki is as strong as a peak-condition competitive weightlifter, but she can access two or three times that strength for short periods, which means that she's actually about thirty percent stronger than Lin, despite weighing half as much." The room seemed impressed by this, and Lin's eyes widened.

"Her agility and reaction time are comparable to a cat’s, and she can run at speeds up to forty miles per hour in short bursts. Her sense of smell is twenty percent better than a bloodhound’s, and she has a limited ability to mentally influence humans and Wimils using pheromones. Additionally, her bones have been enhanced with a carbon nanotubule weave, making them four times stronger than a normal human’s.”

The room was silent for a moment. Dave glanced at Liki, who was still standing at the front of the room. Liki smiled back at Dave. Her blue eyes shone with pride as N15 concluded his talk about how special she was.

"Huh, that's interesting. Hey, Dave," said N15, still scrolling through menus and analyzing the data. "Her diagnostic records show that she had a cascading neural failure because of a failed factory reset, but then somehow a full neural reboot was initiated. That was two days after she left the store. All of those mods would definitely cause a factory reset to fail... but I didn't know it was possible to reboot out of a neural failure. How did you do that?"

"Uh... it... um, I don't remember," said Dave. He remembered every second of it—the panic, the desperation, the way he’d raced to save Liki with simultaneous stimulation from his tongue and his hands. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to talk about that to a room full of strangers.

Liki giggled softly, her tail flicking behind her, but she didn’t say anything. She just smiled mischievously at Dave, her eyes sparkling with unspoken secrets.

Holy shit, is she learning discretion?

Dave realized something.

Wait... she hasn't spilled a single one of our secrets yet as far as I know. She's understood discretion this whole time. It was me... I didn't have any faith in her.

He realized that he was the one learning something.

Chapter 47: Ownership

N15 unplugged his tablet from Liki’s bio-access port. "You’re all done here," he said, his voice neutral, as if he hadn’t just laid bare the intimate details of her existence. Liki blinked, ears twitching slightly, and she immediately darted toward Dave. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, burying her face against his chest. Dave pulled her close, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time that he held her like this.

"Okay then," Tendo said, his deep voice cutting through the tension in the room. "Lin, you’re up. Let’s hear what you’ve got."

Lin stood and walked to the front of the room with her usual air of elegance, tablet in hand. She tapped the screen and the wall behind her lit up with an image of a man’s face—sharp, calculating, with eyes that seemed to pierce through the room. Dave felt a chill run down his spine.

"This," Lin began, her tone steady and professional, "is Viktor Serik. He’s the man who wants Liki. And he’s not just some wealthy collector. He’s a predator, a man who uses his power and influence to get whatever he wants, no matter the cost."

The image shifted to show Viktor in a sleek, modern office, surrounded by screens displaying complex data and schematics. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his posture exuding confidence and control. But there was something in the way he held himself, something that gave Dave a feeling of unease.

"Viktor Serik made his fortune during the AI and robotics boom of the 2030s," Lin continued, "and he invested heavily in biomech stocks in the 2040's, leveraging his connections in the industry to amass a staggering amount of wealth. For a while, he was even on the board of ENBC—the company that developed Wimil biotech. But he was ousted for ‘ethics violations.’"

Lin paused, letting that sink in. Dave glanced at Liki, who was sitting next to him again, her tail flicking nervously. She tilted her head, swiveling her ears as she listened intently.

"Ethics violations," Lin repeated disdainfully. "That’s corpo-speak for ‘he did some seriously effed-up stuff.’ Viktor has a history of pushing boundaries, both legally and morally. He’s suspected of everything from bribery and blackmail to outright thievery and manipulation. But he’s never been convicted of anything. Why? Because he’s damn good at covering his tracks."

The screen shifted again, this time showing a series of news articles and court documents. "He’s also got powerful friends," Lin said. "People in high places who owe him favors. He’s not just a tech industrialist—he’s a puppet master, pulling strings behind the scenes."

Dave’s jaw tightened. He could feel the anger building inside him, a simmering rage at the thought of this man targeting Liki for reasons that were too horrible to even think about. He clenched his fists, knuckles white.

"Viktor’s interest in Wimils isn’t new," Lin went on. "He’s been collecting them for years, using his wealth and connections to acquire rare and specialized models.

"On top of that, his interest in Wimils isn’t just about collecting them," Lin continued, her voice lowering slightly, as if the subject matter required a more somber tone. "He has a specific predilection for abusing them. For years there have been rumors that the reason he was ousted from ENBC was linked to his mistreatment of Wimils. But nothing was ever proven. He’s too careful, too calculated."

The image on the screen shifted again, this time showing a grainy security feed of a dimly lit room. A Wimil lay motionless on the floor. Lin pointed to the image, her expression grim. "Viktor only ever messed up one time. His assistant tried to dispose of a dead Wimil with a hacked AAS. Back then, the F-2 series had horrible security flaws in their abuse alert algorithm. Everyone suspected Viktor was the one responsible, but the blame got pinned on his assistant. After that, Viktor became much more careful."

Dave couldn’t help but feel anger and disgust at what he’d just heard. He glanced at Liki, who was sitting completely still beside him. Her ears were flattened against her head, and her tail was wrapped tightly around her leg. He reached over, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch, but then relaxed.

Lin’s voice grew sharper, cutting through the heavy silence in the room. "Viktor’s obsession with Wimils isn’t just about possession—it’s about control. Domination. He takes pleasure in breaking them, in stripping away their autonomy and reducing them to mere objects. The only thing standing in the way of his depravity is a little chip in the brain of every modern Wimil. The chip that transmits an abuse alert to ENBC in response to pain or trauma. When he found out about military F-6s, like me, and F-7s, like Liki, models that don't have a chip, his dreams came true. We have eyewitness accounts, but no hard evidence, that he may currently possess at least three unprotected Wimils, an F-6 and the two F-7s from Liki's batch mentioned by N15."

Lin took a deep breath, and said finally, "Not only that but we have good reason to believe that he was behind the death of the recovered F-7 from Liki's batch. Her body exhibited signs of extreme neglect... and extreme torture."

Lin fell silent, her gaze shifting to Tendo. After a brief moment, he gave her a nod, and she returned to her seat. Tendo stood up, his imposing figure commanding the room as he walked to the front. The tension in the air thickened as he began to speak. There was a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Now," Tendo said, scanning the room, "it’s time for the final piece of the puzzle—the operation itself. While we’re still technically in the planning stages, I’ll give you all a high-level overview of what we’re dealing with."

"Katya’s mission was supposed to be straightforward: retrieve Liki and hand her off to Viktor—or someone working for him. But there’s a wrinkle. Viktor also specifically requested that Dave be taken alive. Why? That wasn’t made clear to Katya. Whatever his reasons, it means we’re dealing with a more complex situation than we initially thought."

Tendo’s expression turned grim. "Katya wasn’t given an exact timetable, which buys us some time to finalize our plan. But make no mistake, we’re on the clock. We have to act fast if we want to take Serik down before he realizes that Ms. Graves is working for us now."

He stepped closer to the group. "Here’s the gist of the operation: we’ll use Katya as the go-between. She’ll report to Serik’s men that she’s successfully obtained both Liki and Mr. Tork. Once they arrive to retrieve you,” he said, pointing at Dave, “we’ll track their movements and follow them straight to Viktor’s location. Our goal is to not only rescue Liki and Dave but also recover the other stolen Wimils in Viktor’s possession."

Tendo’s gaze locked onto Dave and Liki. "You’ll both be given subdermal communicators—tiny devices implanted just under the skin, behind the ear. That way, you’ll never be out of contact with us. They are undetectable, but we don't expect Viktor to look for communication devices if he doesn’t suspect foul play. He is careful, but we are going to be more careful. We will have our whole team there, as well as local law enforcement standing by to swarm the location as soon as we verify Viktor's presence. The safety of our assets, Liki and Dave, will be the top priority, and we will not put them in further danger if the stolen Wimils are not present at Viktor's immediate location. The plan is safe, but it’s not foolproof, so anyone that is in, needs to be prepared to accept a certain level of risk."

Tendo’s expression hardened as he turned his gaze toward Katya, who sat silently in the corner, her arms crossed. "Regarding our new employee, I know some of you still don’t trust her," he said, "so, to put everyone’s mind at ease, Katya has agreed to a... precautionary measure."

He paused, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. "She’ll be implanted with a micro detonation device. If she deviates from the plan in any way during the hand-off, the device will activate, destroying her brain and vital organs with concussive force, killing her instantly. It’s non-negotiable and leaves no possibility for betrayal."

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Katya. She met their gazes with a cool, unflinching stare, her lips curving into a small smirk.

Dave shifted nervously in his seat. Even though he didn’t trust her, the ‘precautionary measure’ seemed extreme, his mind reeling at the brutality of the solution. But he couldn’t deny the logic behind it. If Katya was truly on their side, the device wouldn’t matter. If she wasn’t... well, it would ensure she couldn’t double-cross them.

"And before anyone asks," Tendo added, "the device is also untraceable and undetectable. Viktor’s men won’t find it, and neither will Katya. It’s a fail-safe, nothing more."

Katya leaned back in her chair, her smirk widening slightly. "A little elective surgery never hurt anyone," she said with a shrug.

Tendo gave her a curt nod, then turned back to the group. "This is the only way we can guarantee the operation stays on track. No one’s taking chances, least of all me."

The tension in the room was palpable, but no one argued. The stakes were too high, and as unsettling as the plan was, it was a necessary evil. Dave glanced at Liki, who was watching Katya with wide, anxious eyes.

"Okay, question time. Any questions?" Tendo asked, scanning the room. A few hands went up, including Dave’s. Tendo nodded in his direction. "Dave. What’ve you got?"

Dave hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Yeah, um… I’ve been wondering something. When I first met Liki, she seemed to already know my name before I even told her. Do you know why?"

N15 adjusted his glasses, his tone clinical as he responded. "It’s one of her military behavior mods—handler recognition. It requires a handler call sign to be input during the requisition process. In your case, I think the retail salesman must have entered your full name when prompted, likely not paying close attention to the specifics. Especially considering he just sold you a Wimil he wasn’t supposed to sell in the first place."

Dave furrowed his brow. That sort of makes sense, he thought. Tendo called on Sumiko next. He leaned forward slightly, and asked, "I’ve got another one for N15. Is Liki and Lin’s ability to talk part of their military behavior mods or their custom companion mods?"

Lin smirked, cutting in before N15 could answer. "Looking for a way to shut me up, Sumi?" The room let out a quiet chuckle, breaking some of the tension. Sumiko rolled his eyes, smiling a little.

N15 cleared his throat, ignoring the banter. "It’s part of the military mods. Verbal communication is essential for handling missions and coordinating with handlers in the field or undercover. The companion mods don’t factor into it. There'd be a lot more talking Wimils walking around out there if ENBC's companion package included speech."

Lin grinned smugly  at Sumiko. "I could’ve told you that."

"Damn, so I guess I can't shut you up without top secret military access codes, huh?" Sumiko quipped.

The room erupted into laughter again, though it was short-lived as Tendo brought the focus back to the operation. There were several other questions about technical stuff and historical minutiae that Dave didn't understand, but Tendo seemed to adequately answer them all.

"Anyone else? Okay, then if there are no more—" He stopped, noticing that Liki had her hand up. Bad Guy Dave surged to the surface of Dave’s psyche, as he giddily awaited Liki’s question. Oh ho, this is gonna be so good... he thought.

Tendo pointed at Liki. "Liki, let’s hear it."

Liki began, her voice quiet, "I just wanted to ask... Who's Lin's owner? Who takes care of her?"

There was a stunned silence in the room for a moment. Bad Guy Dave cackled with insane glee inside Dave's head. Suddenly Tendo's laugh, a rare sound, broke the silence. Deep and resonant, starting as a low rumble in his chest before erupting into a full, thunderous chuckle. It was the kind of laugh that caught everyone off guard, not just because of its unexpectedness, but because of how it changed his entire demeanor. For a moment, the hardened, cynical leader vanished, replaced by someone… human. It was a brief glimpse of the man beneath the armor, a man who, despite everything, could still find humor in Liki’s innocent question.

"Lin, you wanna field this one?" he said, pointing to her. All eyes turned to her in time to see her face flushing bright red. She took a deep breath, and regained her composure almost instantly.

"Who's my owner?" she began, as she walked across the room toward Liki with a strangely sultry gait. "That's a tough question for a little Wimil like me to answer, but I'll do my best... I guess you could say that I belong to the federal government of the Central United States of America..." She reached Liki and crouched down, pressing her face close, until their noses were touching. Lin slowly took Liki's face in her hands. Then in a low, breathless voice she purred, "but my heart... belongs to you." She finished by giving Liki a small kiss on the lips. "Mwah."

Now it was Liki's turn to blush, her ears twitching as she broke into a shy smile. The room erupted into laughter, the tension momentarily lifted. Tendo rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath about "why you should never have two damn Wimils in a room together." Sumiko theatrically tugged at his collar, as if the air had suddenly become stifling. Even Katya chuckled.

The laughter subsided, but the atmosphere felt lighter. For a moment, it felt like they were just a group of friends sharing a joke, rather than a team of combat specialists preparing for a life-or-death mission. Dave glanced at Liki, who was still smiling, her earlier anxiety momentarily forgotten.

Tendo stepped back, his voice firm. "Alright, no more questions. This is our shot to take Viktor down and put an end to this freak. The details should be finalized by tomorrow or the day after at the latest, but for now, stay sharp. We’re all in this together. Dismissed."

The team members started to stand up and chatter began. Dave definitely had a lot more questions that needed answering, but he felt a little better now that at least some of them had been answered. He tightened his grip on Liki’s shoulder, a silent promise that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. But deep down, he was still afraid. Afraid that when the time came, he'd be too weak to keep that promise.