"Yeah, Cepheus was a border planet, but we didn't spend much time there," Israfil said.  "What's your family like?" Israfil asked, thinking it as the next natural question to ask when getting to know someone.

[hr]
"I suppose you're right about that," Tera said.  But something about the cogs made her uneasy.  Being a Quantum, she was comprised of man-made hardware and software, whereas a cog, if it had the ability to enter her mind, where was the separation?  Maybe Blythe felt secure in the fact that the cog could never truly bypass her biological 'hardware' to threaten her sense of self.  On the one hand, some humans held on to the notion that no matter what, human sentience was a miracle, while Quantum sentience was not.  On the other hand, there were some who felt threatened by Quantums, claiming that Quantum sentience 'cheapened' the miracle of sentience altogether.  "Aren't you afraid of something entering your mind?  of losing your sense of self?" Tera blurted out, seeking empathy.

[hr]
"I have no real issue with your sister.  For one, Sion's always managed to take the brunt of it; he's always looking out for me in his own way.  Secondly, your sister follows orders and is quite capable.  She also doesn't appear to have any intention of harming those around her for personal gain..." Maya trailed off, realizing she had said too much.  She knew Solomon was too ambitious for his own good, her main fear right now was letting success get to Solomon's head.  On the other hand, if he felt threatened by being overshadowed by his teammates, he might also resort to doing something awful.  Maya didn't want him on the team, but the higher-ups were already furious that there would only be two Ascendeds.