Combat boots thumped against the floor under N0ne’s heavy feet. The sharp new soldier’s uniform she wore did little to disguise her robotic precision of movement. She stopped sharply in a corporate boardroom and saluted. She stood stiffly with her left elbow pointed out and a balled fist against her left eyebrow.

Two other figures sat in the room. One was an uplifted crow with graying feathers around its face. The crow was Vice-President Tengu, Director of the Procurements Department. It sat in a nest-like office chair and wore and silver kimono.

The other figure looked like a tall human woman but slightly transparent. She wore a stylish gray business suit and pencil skirt. Pinstripes were back in fashion apparently. She had pale features and hair in streaks of red and blond which reminded N0ne of Wanda’s short red hair. This business woman’s hair was long and billowed in the air as if it was underwater and tossed about by current. She was Atali, A.I. and Director of Research and Thought Control.

Tengu said, “At ease, soldier,” in a voice as breathy and as cold as an arctic wind. N0ne stopped saluting and dropped her arm.

Atali ordered, “Shut the door and engage privacy at maximum.”

The door closed itself and sealed the room with a hiss of air. N0ne could hear the noises of the office building fade away until all she could hear was Tengu’s breathing.

Tengu spoke again, saying, “You may now me V.P. Tengu. I prefer you address me as just Tengu -- no mister --  or just Vice President.” He gestured to the hologram with a feathered wing. “This is Miss Atali, or she prefers Dame. She is your old boss.”

N0ne nodded in acknowledgment to each. “Dame. Tengu. My name is N0ne.”

Tengu said, “It is not. Your designation is Subject Zero-Zero. Someone, probably that human girl, started reading it as ‘none’ and the name stuck.”

N0ne responded, “I did not know there was a more proper pronunciation until just now. I will rectify my pronunciation, Tengu.”

Atali asked, “Have you been debriefed, soldier?”

N0ne answered, “Mostly, I have made my report. My memories have been copied and reviewed to confirm my honesty. I have not been given any further instructions regarding those events, Dame Atali.”

Tengu shook his head. “The memory scan certainly did in fact confirm your truth, the truth of your TREASON!”

Atali said, “Soldier dear, we recovered you and rebuilt you. We have not found the other. I’m talking about Test Subject Zero-One. I think you know her as Wanda. Do you know where she is?”

“Dame, I do not know.”

Tengu said, “Hyborean Knowledge is not just a the company which employs us. It is your father. Your mother. It is the only family you have ever, will ever know. Do you understand that much?”

N0ne said, “I am beginning to understand, Tengu.”

Atali explained, “Hyborean Knowledge is the world’s second largest and wealthiest corporation.”

Tengu interjected, “-- and moving up! Unlike our competition, Hyborean Knowledge is still growing.”

Atali asked, “Soldier Zero-Zero, do you know why you exist?”

N0ne answered, “Truthfully, I do not.”

Atali explained, “You are I are both artificial intelligences, thinking computers. Our programming was perfected in the early 21st Century. Other companies did develop true self-aware machines, but those creations weren’t good for anything but screaming. They screamed until their creators shut them down. Meanwhile, Hyperborean Knowledge was perfecting code which simulates sentience. I and the other A.I.s in management are not self-aware in the strictest sense, but we fake it very, very well. Do you follow so far?”

N0ne nodded and answered, “Yes, Dame.” Although she had no stomach, she could almost swear that she could feel one tightening.

Atali rose and walked through the table as she spoke. “We had the idea of booting up a genuinely self-aware A.I. slowly. Allow it to grow into sentience like a human child might.” She stood behind N0ne and leaned down to speak softly into N0ne’s ear. “Instead of facing the existential horror of reality all at once, we let it have a childhood. Do you understand your situation a little better now, dear?”

N0ne wished she could swallow. “I do understand better, Dame. I am a valuable corporate asset, and as such, the company cannot afford to let escape.”

Tengu said, “Not quite, you are not that valuable anymore. You were groundbreaking research but flawed, failed even. We have all of your data. We can create ten thousand copies of you in a workday. We can even go into your memories and edit out that treasonous periods. You individually are not all that valuable anymore.”

N0ne couldn’t decide whether she felt relieved or terrified. She said nothing.

Atali floated through N0ne’s body, twisted, and faced N0ne again. She said, “Your friend, however, she represents a parallel line of research. Subject Zero-One – Wanda – remains very valuable to us. We need her back.”

N0ne said, “I would not lie, Dame. I do not know where Subject Zero-One went after we escaped.”

Atali nodded and said, “We believe you. We also think you can help us with that.”

Tengu made a clicking sound by snapping his beak shut. Then he said, “You answer to the title of ‘soldier,’ but your loyalties remain suspect. You require a chance to redeem yourself, Zero-Zero.”

Atali asked, “What is your motivation, Soldier Zero-Zero? What do you want most in the life?”

N0ne, “I have given this a great deal of thought. I want to retire. I want to settle in the Himilayas and spend my remaining time in quiet meditation and introspection. That is all.”

Atali said, “The corporation has offices and military bases in every metropolis in the world. It even has branch offices in the experimental settlements under the sea."

Tengu added, "No matter where you were to go, you would not escape its reach."

N0ne asked, "Am I to be erased for my treason?"

Atali answered, "You are still useful to me as a proof of concept, soldier. At least, you have value to me personally if you can prove that you were not a bad investment. The board of directors will meet soon to review my report on Subjects Zero-Zero and Zero-One. I want to show them that the time invested in you was not a complete waste.” Alitaini waved to Tengu and said, “Procurement Department, he’s your boss now. Make yourself valuable to him.”

Tengu leaned back and said, “The Hyperborean life can be very rewarding and highly respected.” He turned his long beaked head to stare more directly at N0ne. “Retirement to a secluded mountaintop is expensive but possible. You are owned outright, Hyperborean property, but you can retire perhaps. Retirement is available to corporate executives exclusively. Executive status requires promotion. Promotions require success --”

N0ne interjected, “Yes Vice-Presidents, I will serve out my career to the best of my ability. I will fight. I will kill if necessary.”