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"Or we monitor the authority's activities so that we can respond in the way we will need to," the letters now read. "If we are to defeat them, we have no other choice but to do so."

"I don't trust them," Kink said. 

 "Clearly," G'fon replied. 

 "Who do you trust, Kink?" I asked. "You don't trust anybody." 

"It's kept me alive this long, hasn't it?"

"We've broken the timeline multiple time, who knows what's kept anyone alive. But trusting nobody is unlikely to be it. We're stuck in this era and we need to find out somehow why. So far this is our only option."  

"Fine, Frank, you want to go bumbling into the Lion's den? " Kink replied. "Then we'll go, but don't start whining to me when it turns out they're horrible people who want to do bad things to us because I already know."

We followed the drone back toward the habitat, but it did not stop when we entered the structure, it continued onward. It did not stop when we reached an empty elevator shaft, it continued downward. It did not stop when we reached the bottom of the shaft, it continued forward. We followed the drone to a group of grimy looking people. 

"Hello," one of them said. "I am Deseree. We are the Counter Party. We work in opposition to the ruling class. You said you are not from here and need help returning home. We want to help you."

"Great," Kink said. "How do you plan on doing that?" 

"You could try to me a little more courteous," I told her. 

"They say they want to help us, let them help us, Frank." 

to be continued here next week