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bring it to Neveed’s attention. While the PsychHAgs no longer officially operated as a part of Peacemaker training, their unique brand of ‘motivation’ still had its uses. And while I dealt in darkness, I didn’t think of myself as an unnecessarily cruel person. The PsychHAgs, however, were even less human than I. Possibly less than Ahriman, since his cruelty at least served a purpose, even if it was self-serving. The PsychHAgs by comparison, at least the ones I’d been intimately involved with, seemed to revel in pain and misery. It was what made them effective at their jobs.
    It wasn’t lost on me that I was surrounded by degrees and gradations of evil and yet so little good.
    I had yet to meet anyone that I could have said was pure in their intentions or selfless in any way. Perhaps people like that no longer existed, if they ever had.
    The door to the control room opened and I expected to see the usual cadre of analysts beginning to filter back in, but only Jegs came through the door. I was entirely sure I didn’t want to see anyone at this moment, but Jegs was at the bottom of that list. Primarily because of that last conversation we’d had before Armise and I had gone out on our mission where she’d questioned my loyalty to the cause.
    “You and I have something we need to discuss. You have a moment?”
    “My time is the Revolution’s,” I replied sarcastically.
    “Noted. I suppose you’re still fuming about me questioning your integrity before you left. Let’s just say I’m not in that mental space anymore. I fully expect it will take time to rebuild your trust in me.”
    “Noted,” I grunted, and left it at that.
    Jegs hesitated for a second then said, “That last bit of our aircomm was interesting. Lovers’ quarrel?” she probed with a lighthearted lilt to her intrusive question.
    I frowned. That was definitely not the approach to earn herself back into my good graces.
    It was the first time Jegs had outright acknowledged to me that she knew Armise and I were involved. I hadn’t bothered to hide our affair the first time Armise and I had been in this bunker and I wouldn’t do it now, even as infuriated as I was with him. “Something like that,” I gave as a non-answer, then grimaced as my login was denied once again.
    Jegs leaned over my shoulder and tapped on the BC5 screen. “Here. Use my login. Neveed had your credentials frozen after you left. He wanted to make sure your identity couldn’t be used to access the Revolution mainframe against your will if you were captured or killed. Plus, he fully expected Armise to stab you in the back as soon as you landed in the UU.”
    “You all must be supremely disappointed,” I retorted and flicked the BC5 screen away without doing any searches. I wasn’t in the mood to accept any help from her, rebuilding trust be damned.
    Jegs yanked out the chair next to me and plopped down, crossing her arms. She shook her head slowly. “Fuck, Merq. You sound like him.”
    I bristled. “Give me one reason why that’s bad. I spent five months on an undercover op with him—with the two of us working together for the cause. He put his life on the line just as readily as I did.” I ran my fingers through my hair and slumped against the back of my chair. “Didn’t I just have this fucking conversation with Neveed?” I gritted out, but Jegs didn’t back down from her defensive posture.
    I put my elbows on the table and leant forward, invading her personal space and staring her down. “I really don’t give a shit what you think of him or the fact that I’m fucking him. Or that your act of contrition is more selfishly contrite than sincere. When I transported into this bunker five months ago I told you that this shit ended. That order is still in effect. I haven’t asked for your opinion, and don’t expect me to.”
    Jegs huffed. “Oh, I know you’ll never ask me. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold back. I happen to have learned from the