"So what about friends? Who else do you guys love?" Ari's question echoes against the walls. 

"I have a friend named Lavinia." Elsa's voice is sad. "She's kind. She always finds a way to make my life brighter. I hope I did the same for her before I was taken away. She loved trees and clouds and nature so much. She was full of energy and spirit and hope." 

"She sounds amazing," I tell her.

"She really does, Finn adds.

"She is. I have another friend named Ashlee. She is quiet and dark and serious. She's gentle and kind and understanding. She has so many secrets. More than she could ever share with anyone. But she always tried to share them with us. I'm glad I had her in my life."

"That's amazing," Ari says. 

"She is. And I have another friend. Jack. He had so many hilarious, mischievous ideas. I wish he could act on them. It would be hilarious. He has so much rage inside him. But it's a bright sort of rage, not a dark sort. He hides it very well, though. He has to." 

"He sounds like Ari's sort of guy," I remark. 

"Is Ari mischievous?" Finn asks. 

"He's sneaky. And he's rageful." 

"Aww thanks, Luca. That's such a nice compliment." Ari's voice somehow, unbelievably, carries mirth. 

"And the other friend that I had is named Leo. He is always looking for ways to make us feel better. He lost his first mother, she was thrown away and replaced. I don't think he ever gotten over that loss. It tore him apart inside. He carries such sadness."

"That's terrible," Ari says. 

"It really is," I echo. 

"They all sound like amazing people," Finn tells her. 

"They are. And I'm going to miss them so so much."

"We're all going to miss our friends," Finn says. "But at least that means we loved them." 

"We'll see them again one day. I promise you all," Ari asservates. 

"Part of me definitely believes that," I tell him. "But part of me has doubts."

"Me too," Finn agrees. 

"I believe we'll see them," Elsa states. "What about you guys? Who are your friends?" 

"I have a friend named Stella," Ari tells our new friends. "She's very thoughtful. She sees beauty even in this world. She shares with us all the beauty that she can. So that we could find beauty too. She has such a strong spirit that has been through so much hardness yet she still has hope." 

"She sounds beautiful," Finn says. 

"And my other friend is named Riannon. She has a certain grace to her. She can hold herself up tall even when the whole world tells her to keep her head low. She's an inspiration to me. She gives us strength. She's sweet and kind and has a temper that she has to hide, though not from us."

"She must be so sweet," Elsa tells him. 

"And I have a friend named Carlos. He's very serious. A little bit shy. But he's very curious. He has so many questions. I wish I could answer them all. He is the one who makes sure we all stay level-headed and calm. I don't know what we'd do without him." 

"That's amazing." Elsa says. 

"You're very lucky to have them," Finn tells him.

"Though I don't have them anymore," Ari sighs. 

"You have us," I tell him. "And you have your soul bonds with them." 

"You're right, Luca," he replies. 

"So Finn. Who are your friends?" I ask them. 

"My friends are amazing. I have one friend named Brae. And he's so sensitive. I don't think I've ever seen him smile. But he's so attentive and understanding. He always knows just how to make us feel better. I wish we could make him feel better. I feel like we always let him down."

"You guys try," Ari says, "and that's what matters. And I'm sure he really appreciates it." 

"Thanks. I hope he does." 

"Oh he does," Elsa assures. 

"My other friend is named Devin. He has such a wild imagination. The things he comes up with. They're just amazing. And he's got a good sense of humour as well. We all love his jokes. Though of course he has to tell us them in secret. All the rain in the world couldn't put out his fire." 

"That's beautiful," Ari speaks. 

"How about you?" Finn asks me, "who are your friends?" 

It hurts incredibly to talk. But I have to talk. I have to keep myself distracted ad much as I can. So I tell them about Hari and Haynen and Aleni. And they understand how much I love them and how much I miss them. And they understand my constant state of devastation. 

We keep talking through dry, parched throats as the hunger and the thirst grows and grows. We keep naming our emotions, naming each other, and trying to give each other strength. 

We all talk equally. As equals. And this is so much better than the millions of conversations I've had with my owners. 

Eventually we are tired enough to be able to sleep. And we all huddle together for warmth. And it's beautiful, the camaraderie that we have. I don't know how I'll bear to watch them die. I hope I die first. 

When we awake there is another figure in the shadows. Another person in our cell. 

"Hi," Elsa greets them. "My name is Elsa, she her. Who are you?" 

"My name is Aveni. My pronouns are also she/her. It's nice to meet you all." Her voice rings calm and confident and clear. She has none of the fear the rest of us have. How? 

But we all introduce ourselves to her. And I ask her why she isn't afraid. 

"Because we're not going to die," she says. "I promise." We're not going to die? What kind of absurd assertion is that? But still, hearing her words sends a shiver of hope running through my chest. 

"How?" Finn asks.

"Exactly. How?" Ari echoes. 

"Because you're going to be free."

"How?" Elsa asks, voice infused with doubt. Yeah, exactly. How? She's not exactly being very specific here. She's probably just some poor girl who has lost her grips with reality. I don't know how to break the news to her that there's no getting out of here. I don't know if I should. 

"I'm a communist. Well, a lot of people are communists. But I'm a fighter in the communist resistance. And I'm going to cut through the walls with a laser. And then we're going to sneak to the gilder my team has prepared on the outskirts of the prison complex. 

My whole heart lights up with hope. It feels as if I've been struck by lightning. But in a good way. In such an incredibly glorious way. I can hardly breathe with joy. We're going to get out of here. We're going to get out. We're going to get out! We're going to live! 

"Where will you get the laser?" Elsa asks. And she has a good point. Where will she get the laser? The elation in my heart dampens a bit but still I have hope. 

"Well here is the gross part," Aveni starts. "I swallowed the pod containing the laser before I got myself arrested. I'm going to have to throw it back up." 

"That's an amazing plan!" Ari exclaims, voice full of bright joy. I smile at him and he beams back at me. 

"Guys, we're going to be free!" I almost shout. 

"We are!" Finn echoes. 

"But why can't you just do this from the outside?" Elsa asks. 

"Because the light would give us away."

"That makes sense." 

I'm going to open the cell when it's bright outside, so that I can see. But we'll get out when it's dark."

"Sounds like a perfect plan," I tell her. "Thank you so much for saving us."

"Think nothing of it. It's what communists do." 

We talk until the beam of light coming in through the ceiling brightens. This time instead of melancholy, our words and voices are exhuberant. I have never felt such joy in my life. It feels like every single part of my body and soul is burning with bright light. Aglow with hope. I'll finally be able to taste real freedom. I don't even know what real freedom will be like. I tell them this. 

"Oh real freedom is beautiful. It's glorious. It's intoxicating." Aveni's words are tantalizing. 

Finally the light burns brighter and Aveni sticks a finger into her throat and vomits all over the floor. She pushes out a small capsule the size of a small rock. And she takes off the casing to reveal a tiny laser. 

Then she runs it over one small square of the wall, again and again and again, agonizingly precise each time. We watch her with baited breath. She asks us if any of us want a turn. And of course we do. And so she watches us as we run the laser over the wall again and again and again. 

Soon it becomes too dark to work anymore. But we're not done, so we take a break. Exhausted, starving, and dying of dehydration, we find a way to sleep. When we awake,the room buzzes with talk of freedom and rebellion. 

"So what's it like, being a resistance soldier?" Ari asks Aveni. 

"It's beautiful. I really feel like I'm working towards creating a better world. I feel like we can win against all the injustice and inequality. Or at least we can take a stand against it."

"How did you come to join the resistance?" Elsa asks.

"A couple of years ago my neighbourhood got taken over by resistance fighters. My owners were killed and all the synths freed." 

"That's amazing," I say. "That must've been one heck of an opportunity."

"It was. I had the choice of living in society as a civilian or of joining the fight. Of course I chose to join the fight. And I'm going to keep choosing to fight until I die."

"Wow you're really awesome," Elsa tells her breathlessly. 

A large part of the day is spent cutting into the wall. Until finally, the wall is almost broken.

"Give me this last part," Aveni says and Finn hands the laser to her. We wait with bated breath. And ever so slowly, finally, finally the wall is cut clean through. 

We cheer elatedly and come together for a group hug. Next, we gather the last of our strength and push the block we cut out away from the rest of the wall. Oh so slowly it moves. And then we crawl out of the small hole, helping each other through. 

We put the block of stone back into the wall where it came from. So no-one would know what we did. But we keep look outs and scatter every time a guard comes anywhere near. 

Finally we are following Aveni through the maze of buildings, padding softly on bare gray stone, hearts clenched with fear and hope and terror and promise.