"Don't worry, we'll take things slowly," Maya reassured Claire.  It would be pointless to force people to get along.  "So it seems both of your cogs are non-combatant-types.  That's kind of reassuring; it means that the committee evaluating cogs weren't just looking for weapons of destruction."  Maya knew from her time in the fleet that fringe groups in the Ascendancy thirsted for conquest and revenge, and she had seen their influence spread among the military.  That two out of seven cog prototypes could be non-combatants meant that maybe their influence hadn't spread as far as she feared.

[hr]
Mike's last statement struck Israfil.  It meant Mike didn't abuse his power.  "I guess you're a normal guy, like everyone else," Israfil said, reassured, "Thanks for showing me."