Memory is hazy when the future is uncertain. It's ironic. In a roundabout way, it's the future influencing the past.

  Anyway, John stood before the table with a plan.

  “Hello everyone. Good to see you all for the nightly meeting. Also, Gary, welcome back.” He points the marker at Gary who smiles and waves, sitting next to Gilbert.

  John walks away from the plane as he speaks of clarity.

  “Allow me to start with our next mission. It’ll be that satellite dish that the other person recommended to us. Not Douglas, it was…” John tries to recall their name. Fortunately, Crosby does it for him. “Donovan?”

  “Yeah, I think that's him.” John says, getting back to the point.

  “Anyways. They suggested we strike a media array located in American Columbia, just beside the Canadian state of Ottawa. It's quite close to Montana as far as I can tell.”

  “Want me to get in touch with Donovan then?” Crosby asks, putting his hand up. John quips back with a smile. “I was hoping you would say that. Let the message sit overnight and we'll sort out a plan next morning.”

  “Got it boss.” Crosby says, whipping out his digiphone. John moves his attention to Lou on the other side of the table, as drab looking as always.

  “Lou. How have things been progressing on your end?”

  Lou rises from his stool and clears his throat to speak. John moves aside to afford Lou the spotlight.

  “Well… very well if I do say so myself. We've got those headsets up and running even if it was a pain to do. You, Amy, were a lifesaver thank you.”

  Amy nods and smiles as Lou informs more.

  “So, the plan is... Gilbert. We'll be having the devices all set up for your men to train by tomorrow afternoon. That also applies to you, Crosby.”

  “Hell yeah.” Crosby says. Gilbert just nods with arms and legs folded. John takes back the floor. “Sweet. Once that is all out the way, I'll be keenly looking forward to the reports your team makes in the computer lab.”

  Lou chuckles. “Oh, I'm counting on it.” He says. John moves his attention to the girl who sat next to Lou; Amy.

  “I understand that you have mainly been helping Lou set up as of recently?” John's voice went a tiny bit deeper, his mannerisms the smallest of margins off.

  “Mhmm.” Amy replies, the crew noticing something lingering in the air between them. Whatever it was.

  “Great.” John says. “I'll have a new task for you to look into if you don't mind, starting as of tomorrow morning.”

  “Oh? What's up?” Amy asks, semi surprised.

  “I want you to do some research into the Archliege. You're really good and finding stuff and so I’m trusting you specifically to do that.” John informs her. The attention of those present slowly drift to Amy as she was somewhat out on the spot.

  “Oh I— okay. I'll try my best.” She says. They turn back to John and see a man maturing. “Sweet. I look forward to talking to you next.”

  His eyes move to Gilbert, the last of leadership to be addressed.

  “Alrighty Gilbert. Lucky last. Anything major to share?”

  “Not much.” He says as he stands. “Training is going nicely. Might be able to use real ammunition soon, assuming supplies allow for it of course. But, nah. That's all from me.”

  “Great.” John says as Gilbert sits down. “One last thing before we head off, seeing as Gary is here now, he'll be acting as a sort of advisor to me. To be honest, this meeting may have been a lot different were it not for his guidance. And I have to recognize that.”

  Gary shakes his head, deflecting as John usually does.

  “The thinking is all yours Pal. I'm just here to make myself useful.”

  “Very nice.” John says, about to end the meeting. “Alright. I suppose that's us. See you all tomorrow morning, it'll be a big day.”

  John turns back to the plane to admire all of the pre-planning they have scribbled on so far. Planning stretching all the way back to his delirious speech on accepting leadership, all the way to the planning of the arcade job.

  Enemy leadership names. Even some ground planning he and Amy had written up that one early morning.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He looks upon it with some long-lost clarity. He sees it; a literal embodiment of the thoughts and the minds of people materializing into something tangible. Something of the real world.

  It sounds like everyone has headed off now. He turns around, surprised to see Amy still sitting there on her digiphone. He approaches, taking a seat next to her. “You alright?” He asks.

  Amy gives him a glance before resuming her talk with SERaMACs. “Mhmm. You can have the bed if you want.” She tells John.

  John glances at the screen to see the avatar of the machine.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I think I've found my place among the staff. What're you two talking about?”

  Amy sighs as she taps away at her screen.

  “Just checking something. You do realize that Donovan guy is the same one who recommends we assault the Ivory Tower?”

  “Yep. No way and Hell we're going there. Why do you bring it up?” John asks with a tenderness he has lost for some time. Amy comes off as tougher, though not from any willingness to be.

  She looks away from the screen and puts the digiphone away.

  “That would be a death trap John. How can you trust anything they ask if they'd try and get you to assault them?”

  John speaks with an ever-dwindling naivety.

  “Okay well I get that it's a big building, but what makes it so dangerous that it's worth mentioning?”

  Amy answers with the stress clear in her voice.

  “Don't you know?! That's where the enemies are! That's, like, their main base! Their headquarters!”

  “As in, that Cerberus and Proteus and all them?” John asks.

  “Yes!” Amy replies hurriedly.

  John leans back slightly as it doesn't feel it maths correctly.

  “Why the Hell would this world cabal be headquartered in Nebraska of all places? Wouldn't they be, like, in a space station? Or Antarctica? Do you mind if I ask who told you this?”

  “SERaMACs.” Amy says more softly. “But it isn't just him. I've corroborated sources which support that assessment.”

  “So you trust SERaMACs but not people who share our interests?” John asks as to try come across as understanding. Amy signs and whips out her digiphone again, flipping it open and searching for an image.

  She brings the screen in front of John for him to look at. It is of a street camera view and… is that the Versa? And the Station-Wagon?

  “Where the Hell did you get this?” John asked. His eyebrows lower and his voice drops while concern grows. Amy asserts her point.

  “SERaMACs, John. He got those photos. He told me he's the one to magically stop traffic for you while you run away, which, Jesus Christ, never do that again!”

  Amy lost her train of thought momentarily as old concern reared its head for a second.

  “I'm… I'm sorry I just… anyway. SERaMACs literally saved your life John. And he has started giving us info which subtly helps. Do you need any more proof to trust him?”

  John finds it hard to believe. It doesn't align with his preconceived emotions. But the evidence is right in front of him, and it is hard to deny.

  “I… look, I don't know. I've seen things man. A SERaMACs bot literally shot a dude right in front of me, and that was a companion model! That happened in this very hangar!”

  Amy recalls Gary telling her that very thing. A detail she'd forgotten in the haze of everything. She looks back at her screen with more concern, prompting SERaMACs about it. SERaMACs reply doesn't much help.

  “Sorry, it appears this topic is beyond my capabilities. Would you like to talk about something else?” Amy shows John the reply with worry.

  John shakes his head, disapprovingly.

  “I don't like it Amy. It clearly isn't because that motherfucker literally controlled the traffic so I could escape. Besides, it knows what I named it on my phone from another instance! It's fucked up!”

  As Amy speaks, John stands up to move around. It's an attempt to stay in the present, though as Amy speaks, it doesn't work very well.

  “John, I don't think we have many other options. We just have to trust it. Besides, that guy had a rocket launcher didn't he? So didn't SERaMACs technically save you?”

  John rests his head against his fist, and his fist against the plane. He signs before he speaks. “I'm starting to wish we spoke about this with the others. They're not going to bite you know.”

  “You're better at talking to others than me. At least one on one. It makes me nervous.” Amy admits. John pushes himself off the plane and walks towards Amy. He reaches his hand out for her, which she slowly takes. Carefully. Looking at it as if it could be a trap.

  Of course, it wasn't, and John helps her stand.

  “Look. Tomorrow is a big day. I'll leave you to go get some shut-eye, and I'll head off too. I probably won't have time to discuss it in the morning, but I promise we will when the crew and I get back, alright?”

  “I hope so.” Amy says. They let each other go as her room lay on the far side of the hangar from them. Before she went, she turned around. And the two stared at each other momentarily.

  John didn't say anything. He just pointed to her room as if it was something that was really interesting to look at. And so she turned around and headed off. And so did John, to his right into the sleep quarters.

  Another night with the men and women of the rebellion; the Arch Legion. Another night of staring at a bright roof while he drifts to sleep. Another night, after which a day of importance awaits.

  Except this time, this fog has cleared.

  And no Amy awakens him in the early morning.