K9 thinks. "No. I don't feel cold, or empty."

Empty. That's a new thought. Perhaps the Coursers feel like husks without that chance to be themselves.

"That's good! We can work on warm later. For now, welcome to life!" Thek grins, and holds out a hand, this time to shake. "I'm Thek."

K9-56 takes the hand, but frowns. "You already know my name."

"No, I know your designation. What's your name?"

"I...do not have one."

"Nonsense. Every one has a name. I'm Thek, he's Fred-" Fred waves from the table. "-and out in the main street are Bug, Emily, Jason and Frogleg. We didn't ask why Frogleg, we just went with it." 

Thek grimaces. "That reminds me, better tell them to back down." 

"They were going to try and attack me?"

"Try had nothing to do with it. They have EMP's."  Thek grabs a nearby radio. "It's okay guys, I hacked her!"

There's a flurry of noise, people jabbering over the top of each other, questions upon questions, but Thek shushes them.

"Later. Just letting you know it's all good."

"EMP's would take you down too."

"Mmmm, kinda. You'd be down for longer than me." Thek looks at their joined hands. "You're really hanging in there, huh?"

"You didn't give me a name yet."

"Kin usually pick their own names."

"Kin?"

"Synths! Kin. My kin. Everyone here picked their own names."

An entire town of synths and the Institute only knew about Thek. Huh.

K9 ponders for a moment. "Kin."

"...yeah?"

"No, I like Kin. For a name. I like the word."

"Ahhhh..." she looks over at Fred. He shrugs. She shrugs back. 

She turns a huge grin on K9- on Kin. "Okay! Kin it is. Welcome to the family, Kin."

"Thank you, Thek."

They shake hands.

Elsewhere...

“Hold her still,” the bandit orders, laughing.

His friends barely have to move. 

The ghoul barely stirs, focused as she was on sucking every bit of air from the Jet inhaler. It hadn’t lasted very long, why is it Jet never lasts? Never enough in the capsule. 

The leader laughs at her struggle. She wasn't a pretty thing, ghouls are horrible to look at, but she was pliable enough. Wasn't fighting back.

Made things easier.

He steps between her legs, her dress already hiked up around her waist.

"There's none left!" Leena yells, throwing the Jet inhaler at his head.

"Agh, fuck!" She manages to hit him directly in his eye. "Hold her still. Fuck!"

A little cut bleeds straight into his eye.