Ever After, Part 1

Another adventure of

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

©Copyright 2016, by Robert
Iannone

All
rights reserved (Book
& Illustrations)

Table of Contents

Book 1 – I’za

Book 2 – The PhoG

Book 3 – Ark of Forever

Book 4 – Egg’s Ben’Edikk

I’za

Book 1
of Ever After

Another Novel of

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

©Copyright 2016, by Robert
Iannone

All
rights reserved (Book
& Illustrations)

Cover art by Sean Duffy

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 – New Beginnings

Chapter 2 – Egg
and Benny Sitting in a Tree

Chapter 3 – Hot Fudge Sundae

Chapter 4 – Loose Ends

Chapter 5 – Almost Made It

Chapter 6 – Doctor Hoo

Chapter 7 – Who You Going to Call?

Chapter 8 – Ghostbusters

Chapter 9 – The PhoG

Chapter 10 – Heartless Heart

Prologue

From Xara,
Book 4 of Nemesis

Her next stop was to see Benny. She waited outside his office
while the guard announced her presence. The Prince himself came to the door.

“Please come in.”

She smiled in acknowledgement but
said nothing.

“How are your people?”

“So far, so good. Your medical
staff performed miracles. Please express my gratitude.”

“I will pass on your thanks. And
may I extend my congratulations to you and your sisters. You have written yet
another glorious chapter in the history of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“I guess. Maybe later when
everyone’s healed I’ll feel more glorious. Right now I’m just mentally
exhausted.”

“Considering the complexity of the
challenge, I certainly understand.”

Tired as she was, Egg took that the
wrong way – as if she hadn’t been up to the task. “Is that a criticism?”

“Good grief, no. Setting aside my
feelings for you for a moment, if we were a warring people, I would not
hesitate to name you General of my armies and Admiral of my fleet.” Egg tried
to interrupt with an apology but the Prince stopped her. “In addition, if you
had the time, I would add Primary Adjutant of the Diplomatic Corp. You are
simply the most remarkable being I have ever met.”

She smiled. “On Earth, the title
would be Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.”

“I truly have no idea what that
means.”

“It means that I apologize. You
have been beyond wonderful. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Compared to you, I have done
nothing.”

“Benny.”

“Yes?”

“How did you know?” It was the one
thing that he did do that made her eternally grateful.

He understood what she was
referring to. “Merely a lucky guess,” which it most certainly wasn’t.

“You saved her life.”

“She is a loyal subject and a
heroine of Aerianna. I could do no less.”

Egg didn’t respond in words.
Instead she went up to the young man and kissed the heck out of him. It was a
kiss of gratitude . . . but sometimes one emotion can get confused with
another.

“I do love you, Gracie,” he managed
to say when their lips parted.

“And I . . .” but she didn’t finish
because she wasn’t sure how she felt. However, she definitely did feel
something as evidenced by the flush on her cheeks. She had never kissed anyone
with so much passion before – not that there were many other opportunities. So,
since it was so darn pleasant, she just kissed him again.

When they finally broke apart, the
Prince asked, “Can we talk?”

“Later, okay? I need to go to the
recovery room.”

“Of course. Will you have dinner with me tonight?”

“I’d like that.”
To her surprise, she wasn’t just being polite – she really meant it.

Chapter 1 – New Beginnings

Aboard
HRM Rose’Alynnia

She paced back and forth nervously. One thing
Egg wasn’t good at, and she knew it, was waiting. However, sometimes that’s all
you can do. So as not to waste this time, her mind started reviewing all the
things that needed to be done to complete this mission so they could leave
Spell ‘Bound. After all, as leader, that was ultimately her responsibility.

There was, first and foremost, helping Benny
get the people of Spell ‘Bound organized . . . nation building was probably no
easy task.

Then there was Jax’x. Nursing her back to
health so she could break her heart . . . the latter not something she was
looking forward to.

Bl’azzz was in surgery . . . which was the
reason she was here in the recovery room. Waiting. Much to her relief, one of the
doctors chose that moment to come out to give her an update.

“Dragons are almost indestructible. The blast
that she took in the chest did only minor damage. She sustained more cuts and
bruises as she fell and fought to grab on to the rocky wall. The worse of it
was a broken talon.”

“That’s not serious, is it?”

“Certainly not life threatening. But, it’s like
breaking a couple of toes on a human. Makes walking, and even standing, a bit
cumbersome.”

“How long till it heals?”

“In a few weeks she’ll grow a new one.”

“When can I see her?”

“The team is completing their examination to ensure
that there are no other injuries. Perhaps a half hour. If you have other
pressing matters, I can call you when she’s out of surgery.”

Egg gave that a moment’s thought. “That would
be great. Thank you.”

“Um . . . I’m not sure how to address you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You are the Heroine of Aerianna. Should I
address you as My Lady? Miss Eloise? I . . . I’m sorry, this is such an honor
and I’m a tongue-tied fool. Please forgive me.”

Egg was too tired to get upset – or be amused.
She put out her hand and said, “It’s just Egg. Thank you for everything.”

The doctor looked at the outstretched appendage
not understanding. On Aerianna, no one shook hands. Men, however, clasped each
other’s arms just above the wrist. “Is there something wrong with your hand?
Would you like me to examine it?”

“What? No.” She exhaled. “Sorry, on Earth
people will shake hands for a number of reasons. One is a sign of gratitude.”

“Really. That’s fascinating. Well then . . .” and
he stuck his hand out as he had seen Egg do. The girl took it and gave it a
shake. “Did I do it correctly?”

“Perfect. Thanks again,” and she turned to
leave.

“Um, Egg.”

“Yes?”

“This really was an honor.”

She almost laughed which would have devastated
the poor man. Instead, she walked up to the doctor and gave him a kiss on the
cheek. “Be sure to tell your friends that you kissed the Heroine of Aerianna.”

“Oh my, I most certainly will.”

“Just don’t tell the Prince. He’s in love with
me . . . and very jealous.”

“What?”

*****

“Hi.”

“Hey, Bree. You okay?”

“Can we talk?”

“Sure.” Egg entered BreeZee’s room and sat on
the bed. She knew what was on her sister’s mind. “That was a lot more . . .
violent . . . than we’re used to, wasn’t it?”

“I was so scared.”

“You didn’t show it. Well . . . maybe when you
thought you lost the key.” She was hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

It worked. Bree giggled at the memory. “What
was I thinking? I couldn’t catch a cold let alone a small object. Thank
goodness for Serenity.”

“Yeah, we make a good team.”

“Any word on Bl’azzz?”

“Just came from there. The doctor said she’s
fine. Lost a talon but that will grow back in a few weeks.”

“That’s difficult to believe. That energy bolt
hit her hard.”

“The doc said dragons are practically
indestructible.”

“And Jax’x?”

“She’s going to pull through. Then we get to
tell her that the love of her life is in love with someone else.”

“How could that happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“According to both Po and Jax’x, that’s not how
Jay’gar felt. What changed?”

“Maybe being inside that cell?”

“I have another theory. Maybe Xara did
something.”

And Egg’s goosebumps practically jumped off her
arms. She raised them for her sister to see. “There you go.”

“Why would she do that?” Bree was as angry as
Egg had ever seen her. The girl with wings liked Jax’x and this act of
pettiness was unforgiveable.

“Maybe when we capture her we’ll find out.”

“Are we going after her?”

“No idea where to look. But sooner or later,
we’ll get wind of her shenanigans. Then we’ll pay her a visit. I’m the reason
she’s loose in the galaxy.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that. There was a
greater good.”

“I guess.”

“Do you know why she shot Jax’x?”

“It was an accident. Serenity was trying to
play hero and when things got out of hand, Jax’x tried to save her. Apparently
when the weapon went off, Xara was as horrified as the other two.”

“So she’s not a murderer.”

“No. She’s bad news, but not that bad.”

“She put those two Absolutes in the Cell.”

“True. But they’re technically still alive.”

“I can’t feel sorry for them – does that make
me a bad person?”

“Nothing could make you a bad person.”

“Thank you.”

Now to the crux of Egg’s visit. “You’re not
thinking about retiring from the Sisterhood, are you?” Egg held her breath.

“I was. But, I was a bit shaken. Now I’m
feeling better. So no, I can’t leave you and the others.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“And I’m just going to hold you,” and the
butterfly girl put her arms around her sister and cried quietly. It had been a
traumatic few hours and she needed this release.

Egg held her sister until she got the call from
the doctor. “Come on, let’s go see Hot Lips.”

Bree brightened. “You should have seen her. She
came up out of the rift and spread her wings and started to breathe fire.
Everyone out there almost wet themselves. She was magnificent.”

“You might want to tell her that.”

“I will. By the way, did you see Benny?”

“Yup.”

“And?”

“We’re having dinner later.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“He saved Bl’azzz. What was his reward?” She
smiled as she said it.

“I might have kissed him.”

“Might have?”

Egg couldn’t keep a straight face. “Actually, I
kissed the heck out of him.”

Bree went dreamy eyed. ”He’s so cute.”

“Maybe . . . in a manly,
Prince-in-shining-armor sort of way. You know – if you like that sort of
thing.”

“And?”

“And apparently I do.”

“Egg and Benny sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S. . .”

“Yeah, yeah . . . I.N.G. Where’d you learn that
stupid earth saying?”

“Tee’ka, of course.”

*****

To say she was in a hospital bed was a bit
misleading. Bl’azzz was lying on her side in the middle of a hefty pile of foliage.
Since making a patient comfortable is a large part of the healing process, a
bed of leaves – dragons’ natural sleeping arrangement – was the bedding of
choice.

She was hooked up to the usual assortment of
tubes and wires and monitoring machines. Ironically, these life-saving devices
always made the patient look far worse than they really were.

The girls quietly entered the room. Egg’s ‘doctor
admirer’ was fiddling with one of the lines leading into Bl’azzz’s taloned, and
bandaged, foot. “Is she awake?” whispered Egg.

Before the doctor could respond, Bl’azzz
practically yelled, “EGG-O, I’m alive. Can you believe it? I’m alive.” Then a
second or two later she asked, “Why am I alive?”

“Ladies – and that means you too Bl’azzz –
let’s try to keep the excitement to a minimum,” admonished the doctor. “Ten
minutes, no more. She needs to rest.”

“Thanks, Doc,” answered Egg.

The silly man seemed to be pondering something.
“Should we shake hands again?”

Bree looked at her sister. “What’s he talking
about?”

“Long story.” To the doctor she explained, “No,
that’s not necessary.”

“But the last time you thanked me, you shook my
hand.”  He seemed disappointed.

Rather than explaining, Egg said, “You’re right,”
and pumped the man’s appendage a couple of times. “Ten minutes and we’ll leave,
promise.”

“Very good then,” and he left – looking at his
now ‘shooked hand’ and smiling.

“That was weird,” exclaimed Bree.

Egg walked up to Bl’azzz. “How do you feel?”

“Sleepy. They gave me something for the pain.”

“Doc said you’ll be good to go in a few weeks.”

“Go where?”

Egg smiled. “Wherever you want.”

“Bl’azzz, I told Egg what a great show you put
on. Wings flapping, fireballs blazing – it scared the heck out of those two
Absolutes.”

“I’ll tell you a secret. That was fun.”

“Fun? You nearly died.”

“I almost never get to be a dragon on these
missions. This time I did. As I said . . . fun.”

“Well, from now on, I’ll use your natural
skills more often.”

“So why am I not dead?” Bl’azzz asked as
lightly as she could.

“Benny saved you.”

“Really? How?”

“When Bree told him that you had fallen and
that I went looking for you, he went back to his ship and told his people to
scan for dragon life signs. They found you just as you began to plummet and
beamed you to sickbay.”

Bl’azzz took a few seconds to digest that. Then
she smiled which caused her to say “ouch.”

“You okay?”

“It only hurts when I laugh. So, what was his
reward?”

“Whose?”

“You know perfectly well who.”

Before Egg could answer, Bree blurted, “She
kissed the heck out of him.”

“And?”

“Hey. Just a kiss. It was just a kiss,” came
the defensive response.

“That’s all my life is worth? A kiss?” teased
the dragon.

“I almost gave him a handshake instead of the
kiss. But for your sake, I upgraded his reward at the last second.”

“For my sake? I should thank you then. You
forced yourself to kiss an incredibly handsome man . . . just for me. How can I
ever repay you?”

“Shut up. And since you’re in such a feisty
mood and obviously in no danger of anything, I command you to go to sleep.
We’ll be back in the morning.”

“But I don’t know what happened?”

“We won. Tomorrow we’ll catch you up with all
the details. For now, sweet dreams. And Bl’azzz, you did great. Thank you.”

“Hmmm,” replied the almost asleep dragon. “Egg
and Benny sitting in a  . . .” but the rest was lost in a gentle snore.

“I’m going to kill Tee’ka.”

Bree laughed as they left the room. “Just get
her a man.”

*****

“Where to?”

“Let’s go see Jax’x. Serenity won’t leave her
side. I want you to take her to dinner then maybe spell her for a bit so she
can get some sleep.”

“I can do that.”

“By the way, Serenity wants to ask Jax’x to join
the Sisterhood.”

“I guess her change of heart is for real. I
certainly love the idea.”

“Me too. But when we do ask her, it can’t come
across as a consolation prize for losing Jay’gar. We need to convince her that
she can make a real contribution.”

“Egg . . .”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve changed.”

“I just threw on anything I could find. Why?”

“No, you silly woman. I mean you’ve changed as
a person.”

Egg smiled. “I don’t think so. I’m sure I would
have remembered.”

Bree gave her sister a playful swat with her
wings. “I’m serious. Your manner, your whole bearing, is . . . so mature, cool
and calm. You were always ‘tough and in-your-face’ . . . did I use that phrase
correctly?”

Egg nodded.

Bree continued, “But now it’s not just youthful
belligerence but acts of moral superiority and righteous indignation.”

“Stop. First, that’s the most sophisticated
argument on any subject that I’ve ever heard you make. Second, I’m just older
and more of a curmudgeon. Other than that, it’s the same old me. But thanks . .
. I guess.”

“I wasn’t trying to compliment you. I was only
making an observation.”

Egg pretended to pout. “It sounded like a
compliment.”

“Well, if you’re begging for one I’ll give you
one. When I grow up I want to be just like you. How’s that?”

“Meh.”

Bree laughed. “Benny is one lucky man.”

“Hey, he’s not getting lucky. At least, not
tonight.”

“Egggggg!”

*****

“Hi, Serenity. How is she?”

“Hey, Bree. The doctor just left. He said her
vital signs are strong. She should make a full recovery.”

“That’s wonderful. So, how are you?”

“Confused. When I thanked the doctor, he stuck
out his hand. I had no idea what he was doing. Something about shaking.”

Egg barked a laugh. “That’s my fault. He thinks
shaking hands is an official Sisterhood tradition.”

“Oh. Anyway, I’m going to ask Jax’x to join the
Sisterhood. Is that okay with you?”

Bree smiled. “Of course. She’ll make a great
sister.”

“She already has.”

“It was very brave of her.”

“But it was very stupid of me. It’s just a
ship. Besides, I can get it back.”

Bree glanced at Egg whose eyes went wide. “How
can you do that?”

“The ship is controlled by an AI. It’s the same
type of artificial intelligence I use in my avatars. If I can get close to the
ship, I can take control.”

“How close?” asked Egg.

“Line of sight.”

“Good to know. Very good to know. In the
meantime, go with Bree and get some dinner. Afterwards, she’ll sit with Jax’x
while you catch a few hours rest.”

“But . . .”

“That wasn’t a request. Go. Just tell the nurse
outside that Jax’x will be alone for a bit.”

“Is it time for your dinner with the blue
footed booby?” asked Bree with a grin.

“Almost. Need to shower and change first. Love
may be blind but it can still sense a bad smell . . . that would be me.”

“Well, knock his socks off,” said Bree.

“Just his socks,” added Serenity sarcastically.

*****

Egg went back to her assigned cabin and took a
shower. Then she spent an inordinate amount of time combing her hair and
looking at herself in the mirror. She turned her face to the left, then to the
right . . . trying to decide which was her better side. Deciding that they were
both equal and not up to the task of impressing her dinner date, she shook her
head in disgust, brushed her hair one more time then dressed.

The nicest outfit was hardly fit for royal
company but there was nothing to be done about it. One last look in the mirror
and off she went.

She was able to convince herself that her
pounding heart had nothing to do with Benny or their evening plans.

Unlike
last time, the guard opened the Prince’s door as she arrived. She thanked him
and walked in. Prince Ben’Edikk was standing next to a porthole looking both
anxious and handsome . . .

“Good
evening, Gracie. May I say you look lovely as always.” It was a bit clichéd but
Egg accepted the compliment.

“Thank
you . . . Ben’Edikk.” She didn’t feel the need to explain her limited sartorial
choices.

He, in
turn, accepted Egg’s use of his given name as her way of returning the
compliment. “May I offer you a drink?”

Egg didn’t drink as a matter of personal
choice. However, instead of turning him down, she would ask for something that
he couldn’t offer her. “I only drink champagne. Sorry.” It was actually true
but only on New Year’s Eve and Grammy’s birthdays.

Benny smiled. “Champagne it is,” and he walked
to a sidebar, took out a chilled bottle and poured two flutes.

“How on earth did you get that?”

“I took the liberty of contacting Sylvia. She
assured me that this was a libation to your liking.”

Egg smiled. “My Feminion is never wrong.”

“Indeed.”

Chapter 2
– Egg and Benny Sitting in a Tree

Egg took the flute and was about to take a sip.
“Before you imbibe, may I offer a toast?”

“Please.”

“First, to your injured sisters, may their
recoveries be speedy and full. And to the Hameggattic Sisterhood, may their
exploits embolden and inspire others to take up the cause of those in need.”

Egg smiled, tipped her head then took a sip.
“And to Prince Ben’Edikk, whose quick thinking saved the life of one of my
beloved sisters.”

Benny did as Egg had just done – smiled, bowed
and drank.

“Now that the pomp and circus (she purposely
misused the word) is over, can we talk about all that needs to be done?”

The Prince grinned. “Do you ever just relax?”

“Whenever I can.”

“And what form does that take, exactly?”

“Well back on Earth I like to fly airplanes.”

“How fascinating . . . Flying Girl likes to
fly. I am stunned by the revelation.”

Egg lowered her eyes in embarrassment. “Okay,
you got me. If I’m not flying in a plane, I’m flying with my suit or in a
spaceship.”

“Surely there is some other activity that you
enjoy?”

“Well, when I was young, I absolutely loved
dodge ball.”

“I am unfamiliar with the reference.”

“It’s a game. There are two sides and you take
inflated balls and try to whack each other. Last man standing wins.”

“Now you are just teasing me.”

“No. I’m serious. You should try it.”

“Well then, when we return home I shall
organize teams and we will introduce the sport to Aerianna.”

“Really?”

“Admittedly it sounds a bit barbaric, but I
enjoy a good challenge.”

“In that case,” and she held out her glass and
clinked it against her date’s, “the Sisterhood challenges you and your noble
entourage to a game.”

“Accepted. What are the stakes?”

“Stakes?”

“To the victor go the spoils and that sort of
thing.”

“Fair enough. Let me give that some thought. In
the meantime, I haven’t eaten all day. Were you planning on starving me into
submission?” She gave him a raised eyebrow.

Much to her delight, Benny didn’t take any of
this banter literally. “Am I so transparent? Very well, please,” and he pulled
out a chair at the table and Egg sat down. “I think you will find the menu
choices to be quite delightful. My chef has prepared a briquette of dragon in a
lovely wine sauce. Or if you prefer, we have a casserole of baby sea serpent.
Be warned, the taste is a bit rich.”

Egg’s mouth dropped open. She was about to
scream in disgust when she realized his game. “Shame on you.”

“Excuse me?”

“To think I was so gullible as to fall for
that. Dragon steak and serpent stew . . . you’re a very naughty boy.”

Benny laughed. “It was worth a try. What gave
me away?”

“Your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

“They were laughing.”

The blue man stared at his dinner companion.
“Were they?”

“What?” She wasn’t sure why he sounded as he
did.

“My father once told me the same thing about my
mother. She had said something outrageous to me and I thought it to be true. My
father scolded me. ‘Look at her eyes’ he said. ‘Can you not tell that they are
laughing?’”.

“And?”

“I had no idea what he was talking about. My
mother explained that when two people were so much in love, they could read
each other’s most subtle facial expressions.”

Egg blushed crimson.

Seeing her discomfit, the Prince endeavored to
change the subject. “How are your sisters?”

Egg was grateful for his efforts. “I could tell
you but you already know.”

“Do I?”

“You’re the sovereign in this little realm,”
and she waved vaguely at the space ship. “You probably get updates every five
minutes.”

“Absolutely not. Every ten minutes,” and he
smiled.

And Egg laughed. However, her eyes apparently
had a mind of their own because they fixated on the young man’s lips. Try as
she might, she couldn’t stop staring.

Again, the gallant young man came to her
rescue. “I spoke with Doctor Agave.”

“Is he that tall one?”

“Yes. There was an incident between you two.”

Egg smiled at the memory. “He had no idea what
a handshake was. He thought I wanted him to examine my fingers. The whole thing
was very amusing.”

“No, not that.”

Now Egg was confused. “What are you talking
about?”

“You told him that I was in love with you, did
you not?”

“Yes, but I was just teasing him.”

“Egg . . . on Aerianna when a young lady
announces that a royal loves her, it is taken that she has committed to
marrying him.”

“What? That’s dumb.”

“It is custom.”

“Well, just tell him I didn’t know.”

“It’s not that simple. He, and every other
individual who knows, must be called before the Queen. She must beg forgiveness
for having misled them. “

“Are you kidding me?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Yes. I am teasing you.”

Egg’s mouth dropped open. Then a smile,
completely unbidden, split her face. “Why you royal rascal,” and she grabbed a
dinner roll from its basket and threw it at him.

He caught it easily, inspected it . . . then
took a bite. He offered her the half-eaten roll. “When we’re married, I’ll take
the food from your mouth,” she said, “but not before.”

“Does that mean . . .”

“Shut up. That was just an expression.”

“And a very clever one,” he replied. That
earned him another roll . . . and a shared laugh.

“Enough of your silliness, your Highness. The
Heroine of Aerianna is hungry enough to eat a horse . . . or a dragon. Feed
me.”

*****

Dinner went by in a flash. They ate and she
talked about earth and her family and the years before she started the Quest.
He listened and asked probing questions . . . getting her to admit to feelings
she had never expressed.

In turn, he described his life. Growing up in
the shadow of his mother and sister. Overwhelmed by achievements of the
Hameggattic Sisterhood. In awe, from a distance, of the Sisterhood’s fearless
leader.

When there was finally a lull in the
conversation – well past the last course – he asked, “Would you care for dessert?
I believe Chef prepared chocolate ice cream.”

“Are you teasing me?”

“Perish the thought. He has even conjured
something called fudge to spread on top of the concoction. Does it sound
appealing?”

“Sylvia again?”

“Actually your sister.”

“Ashley! Has she been to visit?”

“Indeed. I am taking lessons from her.”

“What lessons?”

“Colloquial English.”

“Say what?”

He cleared his throat, concentrated on his
words and said, “I thought it would be really cool to be able to talk like an
earthman. Can’t be in love with a hot chick like you and not be able to talk
the talk.”

Egg stared . . . then literally fell off her
chair laughing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. Benny walked over and
plopped down next to her. “Hey, dude, you got something tickling your funny
bone or what.”

He never saw it coming . . . and she would
never remember why she did it. Egg lunged at the young man, knocked him on his
back, and began to kiss him with much too much reckless abandon. Benny was a
bit more experienced then he had let on. He reciprocated her affections with a
noble intensity worthy of any prince.

Two minutes later (could have been longer) Egg
pushed herself off. She jumped up and walked over to the viewing port and
looked out . . . all the while combing her hair with her fingers and
straightening her clothes which somehow got a bit scrunched.

Benny understood what Egg was experiencing. It
was strange how emotions could burst forth at the oddest times and for the strangest
reasons. He walked up to the girl, standing close behind her but without
touching. “Egg, as I said before, take all the time you need to be sure about
your feelings for me. This relationship will develop at whatever pace you feel
comfortable. I only ask that you do not . . . that is don’t . . . pull away
just because you let you guard down for a moment.”

For her part, Flying Girl was feeling emotions
she had never known. And it frightened her. Facing death was apparently easier
than facing love. “I should go.”

“I will have Chef serve you the ice cream in
your cabin. No need for it to go to waste.”

Egg turned to face Benny . . . which sounds
easy but it sure as heck wasn’t. “Thanks but I . . .” She was cut off by the
intercom.

“Your Highness, my apologies for interrupting.
The Queen wishes to speak to you.”

To Egg he said, “Do you mind? I would like you
to stay and join the conversation.”

“Sure.”

“Please patch the communications to my personal
comm link.”

“Yes sir. At your convenience”.

*****

The
Prince walked to his desk, opened the communications device and was greeted by
the visage of Queen M’egg-Alynnia.

“Sister,
checking up on your younger sibling?”

“Brother you must know that where my Sisters
are concerned, I will be more than an interested third party. How are they?”

“I will let Egg tell you.” He turned to look at
his dinner companion who was shaking her head no.

When he looked confused, she said, “It’s okay.”
She circled around and stood in front of the screen. “Hi Meggy.”

“Egg, congratulations. Preliminary assessment
is that you achieved everything that you had set out to accomplish.” She paused
then asked, “You seem a bit disheveled. Have you not had a chance to freshen
up? Is it our sisters? Are they in danger?”

Egg felt her cheeks get hot. Before she could
stammer a reply, Benny stepped next to her. “Actually Your Highness, we have
just returned from the recreation room. Egg was demonstrating the finer
techniques of dodge ball. I must say, the sport suits her personality . . . a
weave of both the tactical and the strategic.” Translation – no idea how the
sport is played. Egg, however, just wanted to kiss him again for being so considerate.

The use of her title (Your Highness) was her
brother’s code for ‘just follow my lead’.  Basically, he was telling Meggy to
accept whatever he said at face value and not to challenge the logic of it.

“I warn you brother; Egg will show you no
mercy. In this, she is the better man.”

“Your warning comes too late. Egg, on behalf of
the Sisterhood, has challenged me and my friends to a match in the near future.
Presumably you can find something less queenly to wear and join in the
festivities?”

“I would not miss it.” To Egg she asked, “Can
you give me an update on the injured?”

“Bl’azzz lost a talon which I’m told will grow
back in a few weeks. Other than that, nothing of note. Tee’ka sustained a
concussion. She’ll need a month or so to fully recover. In the meantime, she’s
even loopier than normal. Bree was emotionally shaken up by the violence but
she has since calmed down. Serenity is full of guilt for trying to be a hero
and getting Jax’x hurt. Jax’x is on her way to a full recovery. Unfortunately,
at some point I’ll have to tell her she’s lost her boyfriend . . . a little parting
gift from Xara. And Xara is now loose in the galaxy. I have to find her before
she can cause harm.”

“We can discuss that later. By the way, I have
heard from Spirit. Jynx has found a mate. Sometime in the next year or so, the
Sisterhood will become grandparents.”

Egg laughed. “Be sure to tell Spirit
congratulations. Let her know I’ll contact her as soon as I can.”

“I will. However, please finish your summary.”

“Sorry?”

“I have not heard how Egg of Earth is. Before
you answer, Brother, would you give us a few minutes of privacy?”

“As you wish”. He turned, looked Egg in the
eyes, then left.

“So, dear sister, how are you?”

“I’m good M’egg.”

“Of course you are. However, we are alone and I
am your Queen as well as your sister. Perhaps you will allow me to ask a few
questions?”

“Sure. Ask away.”

“When you thought you lost Bl’azzz, did you
reconsider your role as leader of the Sisterhood?”

“Reconsider is not the right word. I would have
resigned.”

“Egg, what the Sisterhood does is
extraordinary. So many people have, and will, rely on you. The dangers you will
face may extract a price that will not be easy to pay.”

“I know. It’s something I’ve been thinking
about a lot. But now’s not the moment to discuss it.”

“Whenever you feel the time is appropriate.
Speaking of Sisters, I am sending Aeri’elle to Spell ‘Bound. She should be
there in a few days.”

“Is she going to set up a university?”

“Big Bird will do more than that. From reports
that I have received, there is no organized educational system at any level. We
need to remedy that.”

“Sounds like our Professor will be here for a
while.”

“She is more than willing.”

“I look forward to seeing her.”

“What are your immediate plans?”

“We need to stay here until Jax’x is recovered
enough so I can tell her about Jay’gar. I want to give her the chance to
confront him and Po. By the way, we’re going to ask Jax’x to become a sister.
Any problem with that?”

“Though I have never met her, I am very
grateful she risked her life to save Serenity. I trust you and the others on
this matter. I will discuss it with the rest of the sisters but I am certain
they will accept your decision.”

“Thanks.”

Meggy turned the conversation in an unexpected
direction. “Egg, has something happened between you and my brother?”

Egg blushed yet again. “Um, well . . . why do
you ask?”

“I am not trying to pry into your personal
affairs. However if my over-anxious sibling is attempting to accelerate his
relationship with you – and you are not comfortable with that – then I will
recall him to Aerianna.”

“Oh, Meggy. I am so confused.”

“How so, Sister?”

“Until he came here, I felt nothing romantic
for him. I would have taken bets that he and I would never be ‘he and I’. Then Benny
invited me for dinner and we laughed and we talked and he listened and we
laughed again. Before I knew it, I had jumped on top of him and couldn’t stop
kissing those perfect blue lips.”

A Queen should never show emotions. But a
sister can. M’egg smiled and clapped her hands. “Well, if it is any
consolation, I am as surprised as you are.”

“That I kissed him?”

“No, that the prim and proper stuffed shirt made
you laugh. It is, so I am told, one of the most compelling emotions one person
can elicit in another. I could not be happier or more thrilled. And for the
record, some of my dearest friends at court insist that my brother could be
considered attractive. Personally, I do not see it. Then again, I grew up with
that annoying little pestilence which might affect my impartiality.”

“Listen to me, girlfriend, if you breathe a
word of this to anyone, and that includes Dazzle, I will . . . well, I’m not
sure what I’ll do but you can bet your bottom dollar it won’t be pleasant.”

“We are the sisters of mystery,” she replied
quoting their Hameggattic oath.

“Yeah we are. Thanks, Meggy.”

Chapter 3 – Hot Fudge Sundae

“You can come back in,” she said to Ben’Edikk.

“I hope your discussion with my sister was
helpful.”

“We didn’t talk about you if that’s what you
think,” she lied.

“Perish the thought. Anyway, can we share the
chocolate ice cream? I am looking forward to tasting it.”

“I don’t think so. I need to go.”

“Egg, please. If you are upset over what
transpired, should we not talk about it?”

“What is there to say? I acted like a . . . um,
like a teenage girl who finally got the quarterback of the football team to ask
her out to the senior prom. It was inexcusable. More than that . . . it wasn’t
me.”

“Forgive me but I believe I am going to need
one of your translation crystals. Most of what you say leaves me perpetually
confused. However, I believe I understand. I, for one, would blame any perceived
unseemly behavior on your part to the effects of a most trying day battling the
forces of evil. Coupled with worry for your injured sisters and perhaps a bit
too much champagne, you were in a vulnerable state. It was entirely my fault
and I apologize.”

His overzealous effort to be gallant made the
girl burst out laughing. “What a crock of . . . Shazbot. However, thank you for
making excuses for me but please stop trying to be so nice. I acted like a
drunken sailor.”

“Perhaps I should take advantage of the
situation. If two sips of Champagne can destroy your self-control, I will have
Chef change the flavor of the ice cream.”

“What does that mean?”

“Instead of chocolate, I will serve you a
double scoop of . . . Rum Raisin.”

She smiled at his wit. “Don’t take this the
wrong way, but I didn’t think you had a sense of humor. Where on earth did you
get it?”

“Actually on Aerianna . . . from my father.”

“Not Dazzle?”

“Have you ever heard mother laugh?”

“Actually, come to think of it, no.”

“Enough said.”

*****

Egg went back to her room, changed into her nightclothes
and climbed into bed. An hour of tossing and turning and pillow fluffing finally
gave way to a fitful sleep. Visions of laughing eyes and perfect blue lips swirled
through her subconscious . . . and when she awoke, she was covered in sweat.

She sat up, put her face in her hands and tried
to clear her mind. But the love bug had bitten her hard and the blue-footed
booby was the only thing she could think about. Had she been at school, she
would be scrawling ‘Benny loves Egg’ in her three ring binder . . . with about
a gazillion little hearts.

Now, by the light of day so to speak (her cabin
didn’t having a viewing portal), she tried to make sense of her feelings. Approaching
it logically, she counted what she knew, or thought she knew, on her fingers.
One, she obviously had never been in love before. She had only dated Zeke, and
in retrospect, it really was a relationship of convenience. She had never
kissed him with anything near the intensity she had Benny. And for sure, she
had never pounced on him as she had done last night. Two, less than a day ago
she had no romantic feelings for the Prince. He was cute but he seemed so
boring. How had Meggy described him - a prim and proper stuffed shirt? That was
exactly how she felt. The idea that she could ever fall in love, let alone
marry him was beyond the realm of the absurd.

Then there was number three. Besides his good
looks, he was intelligent, modest, funny and apparently not that caught up in
the pomp and circus (yeah, she did it again) of his position. If his shirt was
once stuffed, it was now only filled with his ridiculously sexy physique. And
don’t forget he went to the trouble of talking to Syl and Ashley just to try
and please her.

Still, that didn’t account for her feelings. Physically
attracted – sure. Who wouldn’t be? Unless you didn’t like the color blue, he
was a dreamy smurf.

But that was only part of it. Or was it the
whole thing? How the heck could she know? Maybe the real question was what was
she looking for in a man?

The answer was nothing. She wasn’t looking for
a man. She was just nineteen and had a pretty good full time job as the leader
of the Sisterhood. A man, any man, didn’t fit into her plans for the next five
years or so. Then what the heck was up with this whole Benny thing?

Maybe she should talk to Sassi – the only human
sister that married. Then again, was it any different for sea serpents? Maybe
K’ssss and Soo could help?

Hmmm . . . how about Jax’x? Egg could
definitely see a conversation about Jay’gar and Po leading into one about Benny
and her. Maybe the Librarian could give her advice.

Well, now she had a headache . . . and lots of
questions and no answers. However, she was perceptive enough to understand that
this was going way too fast, way too soon. She promised herself to avoid being
alone with the Prince. In fact, she would ask BreeZee to follow her around . .
. as her chaperone.

She dressed, but purposely did little with her
hair. His Royal Magnificence would get no encouragement at all.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and
walked out of the room and towards her uncertain future.

*****

A week later

Egg had discussed Jax’x with Serenity, Bl’azzz
and BreeZee. Tee’ka was still in no shape to talk or think coherently on any
subject. Not to hurt her feelings, Benny had offered to assign an ensign to
show the girl around the ship. Egg insisted it be someone cute and single . . .
just in case.

“Are you asking me to decide which of my men is
cute?”

“Ask a female officer.”

“All of my female officers happened to be
dragons or serpents. Their taste in human males is probably not much more
reliable than mine.”

“Bree, go with his Royal-ness and find someone
suitable. I’ll use the time to have the first part of the conversation.”

“Can do.” To Ben’Edikk she said, “After you,
Your Majesty.”

“Please, in private you must call me Ben’Edikk.
Or, if you feel the urge – Benny will do.”

“After you . . . Big Ben,” said Bree with a wry
smile.

The last thing Egg heard was, “That is not an
earth reference, is it?”

“Actually it is. At least that’s what Egg told
me. Something about a clock tower.”

His colloquial “Kill me now” only made Egg want
to give the guy a big hug.

But she didn’t.

*****

“Morning, Jax’x. How are you today?”

“I’m in no pain, thanks to these great
doctors.”

“Is there anything you need?”

“My goodness, no. This one here (and she
pointed at Serenity) is treating me like her only child (she smiled at the girl
in the chair). The only thing I require is a visit by Jay’gar, and by Po then a
detailed description of what is going on out there. That my nurse refuses to
grant.”

“Sorry, she’s only obeying my orders.”

“But now you’re here.” Obviously, not a
question.

“I am. And since you seem to be up for it, we
need to talk.”

“Please don’t tell me Jay’gar is hurt . . . or
worse.” The girl’s heart rate monitor started to spike.

“No, no. Jay’gar is fine. More than fine . . .
it’s like he was never in that contraption.” Actually, she had no idea what he was
like before he had been imprisoned.

“But he hasn’t come to visit me. Why?”

“I could tell you he’s incredibly busy . . .
and he is. But that’s only part of the truth.”

“And the rest?”

“Xara did something so petty and despicable
before she left.”

“She left?”

“I’ll get to that later. While she was hooked
up to MAGEK, she implanted a thought into Jay’gar’s mind.”

“I don’t understand? A thought?”

Egg took a breath. “He now believes that the
woman he loves is Po.”

“Po?” It was difficult for her to process what
she was hearing.

“I’ve talked to Po and she says it’s like his
feelings have been reversed. He thinks of her as his romantic love and you as
his platonic friend.”

“And Xara did this?”

“Yes.”

“Have they . . . has Jay’gar and Po . . . have
the two of them . . .” the girl couldn’t get her tongue to say the words.

“Po swore to me that nothing has happened and
nothing will until she can talk to you.”

Irrationally, Jax’x got mad at her former comrade.
“And that’s supposed to make everything better? She’s going to ask for my
permission? She was my friend. How could she do this to me?”

“Jax’x, Po hasn’t done anything. It was none of
her doing. She’s as much a victim in all this as you and Jay’gar. Only one
person deserves your wrath and that’s Xara.”

The girl went silent as she fought some inner
demons. “Thank you for telling me. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone
now.”

“Sure. We’ll come back later.”

“What about the other thing?” interjected
Serenity. They had planned to ask her to become a sister if the conversation
had gone better.

“Now’s not the time. Come on, let’s give Jax’x
some privacy.”

Serenity nodded but rolled over to the girl in
the bed and took her hand. “If you need to talk . . .” she said softly but left
the thought unfinished.

“Thank you . . . but I don’t want your pity.”
She didn’t mean to be mean, but considering the circumstances, it was
understandable.

Serenity understood the pain of a lost one
better than most. “If you dwell on what can’t be, it will eat you alive. I did
and I wasted years of my life. Please don’t make the same mistake.”

Jax’x still wanted to lash out . . . but
Serenity didn’t deserve it. “Thank you. Really and truly. You’ve sat at my
side, held my hand and even sang to me when you thought I was asleep. If
nothing else, I’m glad we can put our past differences behind us.”

“Me too.”

*****

Out in the hall, Serenity asked her sister, “What
are we going to do?”

“We’re going to give her what all girls need in
this situation . . . time and a hot fudge sundae.”

“What?”

******

Two days later, Jax’x asked Serenity if she
would send for Po. After checking with Egg, the girl did as she was asked.

When Po arrived, Serenity let her in, and then
left. However, she stationed herself outside the door just in case things got
out of hand.

“Hi, Jax’x. How are you feeling?”  Though Egg
had told her that the injured girl knew about Jay’gar, she was hoping to ease
into that conversation. She should have known better.

“Are you referring to the injury to my body or
my heart?”

Po was ready to fall on her sword, as the
saying goes, to make this right. “I’m so, so sorry. If you say the word, I will
not see him again. Well, unless it’s for the work we’re doing trying to rebuild
this world. That’s more important than your feelings or his. Or mine,” she added.

“Then that’s what I want. Only see him when you
must to do your work.” At that moment, Jax’x wanted to hurt someone as badly as
she had been emotionally hurt.

Po stared at her former friend . . . the only
friend she ever had until Jay’gar. “As you wish. And after our work is
completed . . . or at least well on its way toward completion . . . I’ll ask
the Sisterhood to take me off world. I wouldn’t mind seeing Aerianna.”

Jax’x stared at the robed girl (though the hood
was nowhere to be seen) . . . then burst into tears. Po ran over, dropped to
her knees and took the girl’s hand. She was surprised that Jax’x didn’t pull
away.

“I’m truly sorry, Jax’x. I never wanted to do
anything to hurt you. Before all this came about, I asked Egg if I could join
the Sisterhood so I could put a billion miles between Jay’gar and me. I don’t
know why Xara did what she did – but it was her malice not mine. And certainly
not Jay’gar’s.”

The girl in the bed regained her composure
enough to respond. “Oh, Po . . . I loved you. You were the first and only female
friend I ever had. Now I’ve lost that and . . . and him. It hurts terribly. I
feel so all alone.”

“Maybe there’s a way to fix this. I’ll keep my
distance and you do what you need to do to win him back. He fell in love with you
once. Why wouldn’t it happen again?”

Now the real Jax’x shown through. “I can’t do
that. If it didn’t work, then I would have lost him twice. Besides, I would be
trying to get him to cheat on the woman he loves. That would be despicable of
me.”

They both fell silent as they considered the
situation.

“Jax’x.”

“Yes?”

“I hope you know that I still love you.”

The tears streamed down from the other girl’s
cheeks. She reached over and hugged her divine friend. “As I do you.”

“What happens now?”

“If I had died during our revolution, I would
have died happy knowing that you and he were together. Thanks to Xara, in
Jay’gar’s mind, I did die metaphorically. So, since I can’t undo what that
woman did, then I’m going to be happy that you two have each other.” She said
the words and wanted them to be true. But, it was too soon and her heart knew
it. But that was her secret.

“That is so selfless of you but I can’t.”

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t do that to you. Every time you see us
together, I’ll know I’ve hurt you all over again. I could never live with that.
Never.”

“You won’t have to. I’m going to Aerianna in
your place.”

“But you can’t just give up your whole life . .
.”

“There is nothing left for me here. Out there,
infinite possibilities await. Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe I should thank
Xara.”

“Thank her? If I get the chance, I’ll scratch
her eyes out.”

*****

They all gathered in Bl’azzz’s room. Egg,
Serenity, BreeZee, Tee’ka and Jax’x, who had been wheeled in upon her bed. The
dragon, on the other hand, couldn’t easily be moved.

Egg did the honors and handed out a hot fudge
sundae to each of the ladies. “This is an earth tradition. Anytime a girl’s
heart is broken, you eat ice cream. A lot of ice cream.”

The others eyed the goopy concoction with
trepidation. “Is it really edible?” asked Jax’x.

“Watch,” and Egg took a mouthful – licking her
lips to catch a bit of fudge trying to make its escape. “Yummy.”

No one moved to follow.

“Hey, this is a direct order. Eat.” They did.

Five minutes passed in silence – except for the
clinking of spoons against bowls and the smacking of lips.

“Wow,” said Bree when her dish was empty. “I
mean WOW.”

The loopy one added, “I bet that’s what a man’s
lips taste like . . . except for the cold part. His lips would be warm. Well,
unless he was dead then they’d be cold.”

No one could think of a response to that
analysis so they smiled and nodded.

“Egg, you’re right. I feel so much better,”
added the former Librarian. Not really – but it seemed like the polite thing to
say.

“Knew it. Now, if everyone’s finished,” and she
surveyed her sisters. “Good. Dishes down. Jax’x, repeat after me. We are the
sisters of mystery . . .”

And a minute later, the Hameggattic Sisterhood
had a new member.

Chapter 4
– Loose Ends

Another week later

“Let me see.”

“That’s pretty personal, don’t you think.”

“It’s a big toe, you big goof.”

“I don’t have toes; I have talons.” She stuck
her leg out.

Egg examined the new claw. “Does it hurt?”

“Nope. Good as new.”

The girl squeezed the thing and said, “This
little piggy went to market.”

“What?”

“I don’t know why I bother trying to give you
people an education on earth culture. You’re all barbarians. OUCH!”

“Oh, did my little piggy scratch you. Bad
little piggy.”

“Alright, we’re even. You about ready to get
out of here?”

“You lead, I’ll follow. Where to now?”

“Home. Jax’x still needs another couple of
weeks to recover. And the doctor said you should not do anything strenuous with
that mean little pig.”

“Doctors worry too much.” She paused them added,
“So where is she?”

“Big bird got delayed by an interstellar
something or other. Benny said her ship just requested permission to enter
orbit. We’ll see her within the hour.”

“Then what?”

“If she needs our help to get things going,
we’ll stay and lend a hand. Otherwise, we’re out of here.”

“Egg.”

“Yeah?”

“Jax’x hasn’t seen Jay’gar, has she?”

“No. She doesn’t intend to either.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if she did? Wouldn’t
that help bring closure?”

“He would be saying goodbye to a friend. She’d
be saying farewell to the man she expected to marry. The scales don’t balance.”

*****

“Jax’x,
I would like you to meet another sister – one of the original seven – Professor
Big Bird.” They were on the Gracie having transported over after the injured
girl was given a clean bill of health by the doctors on Benny’s ship.

“I . .
. I thought your name was Aeri’elle?” She had been studying up on the
Sisterhood so she could more easily acclimate herself to her new family.

“It is. The name Big Bird is Egg’s way of
making me feel special. Anyway, hi, Jax’x and welcome to the Sisterhood. I’ve
heard some great things about you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” then the Librarian
giggled. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“What’s so funny?” asked Egg, very pleased to
see the girl’s spirits beginning to lift.

“A month ago, I thought dragons were mythical
monsters. Now two of them are my sisters. What a strange universe we live in.”

“You haven’t met K’ssss and Soo yet. That
should prove interesting.”

“They’re the sea serpents. Not only do I have
no idea what to expect from such . . . exotic beings, but I’m not even sure
what a sea is.”

“You are going to enjoy your visit to Aerianna,
I promise. Then maybe you can visit me on Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

“That’s BreeZee’s home world. I have to tell
you, I’m so excited to start this new life of mine. With all the wondrous
things to see and do, it will make putting my . . . my past life behind me that
much easier.”

“Well, anything I can do to help with that, you
must promise me that you’ll ask.”

Jax’x smiled then slowly climbed out of bed.

“Hey, what are you doing?” demand Egg.

“I’ve been told that a welcome hug is a
tradition amongst us Sisters.” She ambled over to the dragon. “May I?”

“You most certainly can,” and Aeri’elle wrapped
her enormous wings around the girl. “Now, back to bed with you.”

“Yes, sister,” and she did as asked.

Egg waited for the girl to get comfortable. “I
wanted Aeri’elle to get an understanding of the situation here on Spell ’Bound.
I thought you would do the honors if you’re up to it.”

“Absolutely. It will feel good to start making
a contribution. Where shall we begin?”

“How about at the beginning,” suggested the
Professor.

“Always a good place to start”.

“Before you begin, I’m leaving.”

“Egg?”

“Stuff to do if we’re ever to get out of here.
Besides, I know the story.”

“Egg, if you have a few minutes you might want
to call Sylvia.” To Jax’x she said, “That’s Egg’s best friend from earth.”

“And her Fem . . . Feminion. Is that how it’s
pronounced?”

“Perfect.” To the dragon she said, “Where is
she? Back on Aerianna?”

“No. She’s on Zynn-Zaz’zia. At University.”

“Why?”

“That’s for her to tell. Go call her.”

“Gotta go,” said Egg as she ran out.

*****

“Hey, girl. Like your hair.”

“Thanks. When you said you added red
highlights, I had to do the same. Besides, this cut hides my Dumbo ears. So,
how’s Little Boy Blue?”

“Shut
up. How are you? Why are you on Zynn-Zaz’zia?”

“I
quit Harvard.”

“Why? Something happen? Did they see you in
your pajamas with the ducks?”

“I’m fine and I still like ducks. I look
darling in those PJ’s. The only thing that happened was I got bored.”

“Looking to come play among the stars with you
best friend?”

“Not until I learn how everything in the
universe works.”

“What about next week?”

“Cute. Seriously, Earth is so backward. They
still argue whether there might be life on other planets. They are completely
hung up on their own petty problems and could never step back to see their
place in the universe. Their science is a joke. Their math is not much more
advanced. So, I talked to Aeri’elle and she offered me a spot at her
University. And here I am.”

“And where exactly do your parents think you
are?”

“Meggy gave me permission to take them to
Aerianna. They are now true believers.”

“That’s awesome. I would have liked to see the
look on their faces.”

“Mom fainted . . . once when we appeared on
Q’umulus. Once when she saw Aeri’elle and maybe another half dozen times for
various reasons.”

“How fun. You must have been very proud.”

“At first I felt sorry for her. By the fifth
time I was pretty unsympathetic.”

“And what about Zack?”

“We had already broken up. It just wasn’t
working well for either of us.”

“Sorry about that.”

“I’m over it. Besides, it’s just so exciting
here at school. If I told you the subjects I was taking, I’d put you to sleep.”

“Wow, that boring, huh?”

“How about ‘Quantum singularities in a
multi-verse of twenty-five non-linear dimensions’?”

“I’m sorry. Did you say something? I must have
dozed off.”

Syl laughed. “I hear you’re about to head home.
Will you have a chance to visit me?”

“I want Bree to show Jax’x Zynn-Zaz’zia. I’ll
be sure to come along.”

“How is our new sister?”

Egg told her a summary of what had transpired .
. . ending with the whole Jay’gar mess.

“Poor kid. Well, I look forward to meeting her.
She brings your little group of gallivanting geishas to six. Still need one
more.”

“It’ll happen. It always does.”

“Why is that?”

“That sounds like a topic for one of your mind-numbing
philosophy classes.”

“Hey, yeah. Well, not philosophy. Probably
differential statistics.”

“Boring.”

“On that note, say goodnight, Gracie.”

“Goodnight Gracie.”

*****

The next call was going to be just as
pleasurable.

“Hi, guys.”

The smiles on Hay’gar and Taysen were all the
reward that the Sisterhood would ever need. “Egg, are you and your sisters
coming down to say goodbye?”

“Sorry, Taysen. We’re getting ready to leave. I
just wanted to thank you two for your help and for your bravery. You guys were
wonderful.”

Hay’gar shook his head. “We owe you our lives
and yet you thank us. Such kindness and humility is beyond understanding.”

“Better get used to it. With the power of the
Divine Ones all but gone, you guys can rebuild your lives anyway you want. I’m
betting that people will do what comes naturally – being good friends and
neighbors. You all have so much work to do that everyone will be forced to work
together and to resolve disputes quickly and equitably.”

“We are so glad to have lived to see this
moment. But, we would like to talk about Jay’gar.”

“I heard he’s doing great . . . a natural
leader. Don’t be surprised if they elect him president or something.”

“Our grandson is an extraordinary young man.
And you kept your word and returned him to us safely. There simply aren’t the
words to describe our appreciation.”

“You just did.”

“Egg”.

“Yes, Taysen?”

“What of Jax’x? We were so shocked to find that
Jay’gar left her for Po.”

“First of all, Po is a wonderful person. I hope
you accept her into your hearts as my sisters and I have.”

“But what of Jax’x? Those two were so much in
love.”

The whole episode with Xara had been explained
to them but apparently they were having a difficult time comprehending. It
would serve no purpose to revisit the truth of it. “Love is a funny thing. It
can come so unexpectedly for the most absurd reason. I know because it just
happened to me. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Perhaps the time Jay’gar
spent in that Cell caused his feeling to change. Jax’x is hurt, as you would
expect, but she understands. More importantly, she forgives Jay’gar and Po and
wishes them all the best.”

“She is like a daughter to us.”

“And you are the parents she lost. Her love for
you remains as strong. She asked me to tell you that she’ll send you messages
when she can from whatever planets she visits. She wants to share this
adventure with the both of you.”

Husband and wife looked at each other . . . the
relief on their faces evident. “That’s something we’ll be looking forward to.
Please wish her a speedy recovery and give her our love.”

“Of course, I will.”

*****

Finally, a call she both looked forward to and
dreaded.

“Hi, Benny.”

“Why did you leave without saying goodbye?” The
hurt in his eyes felt like daggers to her heart.

“I’m saying goodbye now.”

“Could you not have done this in person?”

“No. That would have been impossible.”

“I do not understand? Are you still upset from
dinner?”

“Listen, your Princely-ness, I’m only go to say
this once. And when I do, you don’t get to ask any questions. Understand?”

“Not in the least.”

“You’ll figure it out.”

“I will try.”

“So, here it goes. I didn’t want to say goodbye
in person because . . . because I LOVE YOU.” She had practiced saying
that to her mirror image without getting tongue-tied. It took hours.

Most men would see the irony in that statement
and question the young woman’s sanity. But Benny wasn’t your ordinary guy. “Just
to be sure that I heard you correctly, would you mind repeating those last
three words?”

“Not happening.”

He grinned. “It was worth a try. Well, then, I
wish you safe journey. I will be here for at least another month, possibly
longer. Perhaps we will have the opportunity to . . . to reacquaint ourselves
shortly thereafter.”

Egg stared at the blue face on the screen –
fixated as always between his eyes and his lips. “Reacquaint? Would that entail
prolong periods of kissing?”

His grin turned into a wolfish smile. “I am not
sure that I am worthy of such an honor.”

“You’re not but I’m feeling generous.”

“I will hold you to that. If I may leave you
with one thought?”

“No. No. No. Keep that thought to yourself.”

“Is the legendary Egg of Earth afraid?”

“If my weak knees are any indication, I’m
terrified.”

He puffed out his chest in a pretend gesture of
male dominance. “Then my work here is done.”

“Barf,” and she turned off the viewer and the
Prince’s laugh faded away.

*****

One more call and they could leave.

“Hi, Po.”

“Hi, Egg. Are you leaving?”

“Very soon. I just wanted to hear how things
are going.”

“Well, there’s a lot to tell. Do you have the
time?”

“Absolutely.”

“Poor choice of words,” teased the girl.

“Oh, sorry.”

“So, first of all, when the citizens found out
that Kr’eep played a key role in all this, they honored him with a big
ceremony. The poor guy almost wet himself.”

“Easy on the details.”

“I said almost. Anyway, he and Soo are now
married.”

“Good for them.”

“Jay’gar’s grandparents were beyond happy, of
course, to get him back.”

“I just talked to them. Po, I told them the
truth – Jax’x forgives both of you and wishes you all the best.”

“I know its Xara’s fault but I still feel
guilty.”

“Give it time. You have so much to distract you;
the feeling won’t last for long.”

“Hope you’re right.” Po went on to tell about
all the progress they had already made.

“Sounds great. They need to put up a statue in
honor of you and Jax’x. You guys saved the world.”

“Well, you deserve an honorable mention,”
teased the former Divine One.

“Just get the spelling right. It’s E.G.G.”

“I wrote it down.” A moment’s hesitation then
“Egg, thank you for everything.”

“On behalf of my sisters, it was our pleasure.”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure.”

“I’m a little jealous of Jax’x. She’s about to
go on an adventure of a lifetime. I never did have a very good imagination so
it’s no surprise that I can’t imagine the wonders she’ll get to see.”

“I understand, believe me. But I think you both
made out well.”

“Of course. I have a lot to be thankful for.
Oh, one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s raining.”

*****

Egg went to the control room and joined BreeZee
and Tee’ka. “Where’s Serenity?”

“Right here.”

Egg turned to see the girl roll in. Behind her,
in an identical wheel chair, was Jax’x. The girl smiled and asked, “What do you
think?”

“I think one woman driver was a hazard, two is
probably a disaster waiting to happen.”

Jax’x asked Serenity, “What is she talking
about?”

“Doesn’t matter. We hardly ever understand her.
Just nod and smile and she’ll eventually leave you alone.”

“Hey, I heard that.”

“That’s because I said it loud enough so you
could.”

“You’re mean.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Jax’x wasn’t sure if those two were serious or
not. Her look of confusion was obvious. Bree saw it and explained, “This kind
of silliness goes on all the time. It’s one of the reasons I love being part of
this family.”

“You’re not telling me that Serenity has a
sense of humor, are you? I, for one, simply refuse to believe it.” She stared
at the girl in the other chair with a look that challenged her to deny it.
Serenity looked heartbroken at that assessment. “Gotcha.”

Everyone laughed. “Well, aren’t you the quick study,”
mocked Serenity.

“I
thought that’s why you people begged me to join the Sisterhood – for my brains,
wit and, needless to say, my good looks.”

Before
anyone else could respond, Tee’ka said “Oh no, Jax’x. That’s not right. I’m the
one with the good looks. Ask anybody.”

As usual, the others tried not to laugh at the
still loopy girl. “You’re right, Tee, what was I thinking. Obviously, I don’t
have the curly hair that makes you such a beautiful woman.”

“That’s okay. We can’t all be special.”

“Okay, enough. We have a ship to fly. Serenity,
take the controls. Jax’x and Bree, watch what she does. At some point, you’re
going to have to fly this thing.”

“What about me?”

“Tee, I have a special job for you. Bl’azzz is
all alone. Would you do me a favor and keep her company?”

“That’s an important job, right?”

“Very, very important.

Chapter 5
– Almost Made it

“What
is it?” Egg had told Serenity to take them on the scenic route home for Jax’x’s
sake. The girl made a proverbial beeline towards a cosmic event that was
guaranteed to knock your socks off.

“It’s
the remnant of a relatively new supernova . . . maybe a few hundred years old.
It’s when a star explodes.”

“What could cause a star to explode?”

“No. No.” Egg cried with semi-seriousness.
“Write down your questions and Serenity can answer them when you two are
alone.”

“Our fearless leader is terrified of knowledge,”
teased Serenity.

“Truly?”

“I am not terrified. On the other hand I am
horrified by the amount of detail this girl will give you to any question. It
always turns into a science lecture.”

“And that’s bad because…?”

“Because it will make you want to tear your
hair out. With all her smarts, she can’t answer a question in twenty-five words
or less. Go on, try it.”

“What exactly causes a supernova?”

“Glad you asked. A supernova
happens where there is a change in the core, or center, of a star. A change can
occur in two different ways, with both resulting in a supernova. The first type
of supernova happens in binary star systems. Binary stars are two stars that
orbit the same point. One of the stars, a carbon-oxygen white dwarf, steals
matter from its companion star. Eventually, the white dwarf accumulates too
much matter. Having too much matter causes the star to explode, resulting in a
supernova. The second type of supernova occurs at the end of a single star’s
lifetime. As the star runs out of nuclear fuel, some of its mass flows into its
core. Eventually, the core is so heavy that it cannot withstand its own
gravitational force. The core collapses, which results in the giant explosion
of a supernova. The sun is a single star, but it does not have enough mass to
become a supernova.

“158”.

“Egg?”

“That took one hundred and fifty-eight words. I
told you she couldn’t do it in twenty-five.”

“Can I ask another question about . . .”

“You may not. Write it down.”

“You’re mean,” replied Jax’x good-naturedly.

“I learned that from her,” and she pointed to
Serenity.

Jax’x exhaled contentedly. “I am so very glad
that you asked me to join the sisterhood.”

“I did it for selfish reasons,” admitted Egg.
The others looked at her. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Jax’x gets to babysit smarty-pants
and I get to keep my hair.” Before anyone could make a snide comment, Egg said
“uh oh.”

“Something wrong?” asked Bree.

“Goose bumps.”

Serenity automatically went into action.
“Computer, run a level three diagnostic immediately. All available resources.”

“Level Three diagnostic in process.”

“Shields to max.”

“Increasing power to shields.”

“What are you doing?” asked Jax’x a bit taken
back by this turn from levity to seriousness.

“Goose bumps.”

Before
the girl could ask another question, the communicator buzzed. “On screen”
commanded Serenity.

“Greetings,
Hameggattic Sister. I am Soar’elle. If it’s convenient, may I speak with Egg?”
Aeri’elle’s father hadn’t met Serenity, whose face he was seeing on his monitor.

“Hey, Soar’elle. How are you?” said Egg as she
moved in front of the screen. Even though it was someone she knew and admired,
her goose bumps refused to go away.

“It has been too long, dear friend. Are you
well?”

“Couldn’t be better. We left your daughter only
a few days ago.”

“Yes, I know. My congratulations to you and
your sisters for yet another amazing accomplishment.”

“We did the easy part. Aeri’elle has the really
tough job.”

“I do so admire your legendary modesty.”

Ignoring the compliment, Egg asked, “How can I
help you? Perhaps you didn’t know that we are on our way to Aerianna as we
speak.”

“The Prince told me as much. I was hoping to
catch you before you made the journey unnecessarily.”

Egg stole a glance at the others. “Why would
going home to Aerianna be a waste of time?”

“That was phrased poorly. Please forgive me. I
have called to ask the Sisterhood for help. If you agree then the trip home
would be out of your way.”

“What sort of help were you looking for?”

“I sent a team of archeologists from the
University to a remote planetoid. They are in need of assistance.”

“Okay. What exactly do they need?”

“Apparently there are unfriendly . . . how
shall I say this . . . well, unfriendly ghosts or some other unknown
supernatural phenomenon wreaking havoc with my people.”

“I’m sorry. Did you say unfriendly ghosts?”

“Yes.”

“Just to be sure there’s no confusion, when you
say ghosts you mean the spirits of the dead?”

“That is one possible explanation.”

She just couldn’t help herself since this
conversation was so bizarre. “Shouldn’t you be calling Ghost Busters?”

“I am uncertain as to the reference. But if
there is an organization that specializes in this sort of work, I will do as
you suggest. Do you know how to contact them?”

“Does your TV have cable?”

*****

Egg apologized for her incomprehensible joke.
“Hang on a second while we get all the sisters on this conversation.” She
nodded to Serenity who patched in the room where Bl’azzz and Tee’ka were
staying. “Hey, guys. Soar’elle is on the communicator. He needs help and I
wanted you to hear what he has to say.”

“Who?”

“Tee, Soar’elle is Aeri’elle’s dad.”

“Oh.”

“Okay, Soar’elle. We’re all here. Shoot.”

“I . . . I have no weapon.

“That’s earth slang for go ahead and talk.”

“Fascinating.”

“Not so much. Continue with your story,” she pressed.

“Of course. The expedition had gone in search
of the legendary Ark of Forever.”

“Is that like Noah’s ark?”

“Sorry?”

“Not important. I never heard of this ark. Any
of you guys?” she asked her sisters. No one had. “It can’t be that legendary,”
she suggested to Soar’elle.

“Well, in archeological academic circles, it is
well known. The same tale, with perhaps minor differences, can be found on at
least a half dozen worlds in the Federation.”

“So what exactly is this Ark and why is it
called what it’s called?”

“It
is, or supposedly was, a multi-generational ship. Let me show you a rendition
of the vessel. It is a composite of all credible reports on the matter.”

The
girls studied the image. Egg would have expected Serenity to make the first
comment, but it was Jax’x.

“If I were to design a multi-generational ship,
it might look like this one.”

Serenity smiled. Finally, someone to argue
with. “I disagree.”

Egg also smiled. She now had two very happy
young ladies that were going to make life onboard a lot more interesting.
“Jax’x, you first. Tell us why you like the design.”

Engineering details tend to bore most people to
tears. To summarize Jax’x’ approval of the design, it had to do with the wheel
units that encircled the main body of the ship.

On the other hand, Serenity objected to the
lack of modularity. “If one section gets hit by a meteor, or damaged from fire
or some other accident, the whole ship is in jeopardy. Over many generations,
something catastrophic is bound to go wrong. By making it modular, you limit the
damage and you can jettison that section if need be.”

Jax’x smiled in appreciation. “That’s a valid
point, however . . .”

“Stop. This is a wonderful discussion but I
doubt if it’s relevant to our mission.”

“Egg”.

“Yes Soar’elle?”

“Would it be possible to have those two young
ladies visit the University? We have been going around and around on the ship’s
design without any agreement. I think your sisters can lend a wonderful new
point of view – or views – to our theories.”

“Ladies, up for a little engineering talk?”

“Count me in.”

“If she’s going, I need to go so I can correct
the errors in her logic,” teased Jax’x who was acclimating herself at the speed
of light to the Sisterhood’s comical ways.

“Bite Me,” replied Serenity with affection.

“Truly?”

“No, you jumping juju bean, that’s an earth
expression that means I disagree with your comment most strongly.”

“Oh. I’ll remember that for future discussions.
I’m guessing I’ll have to use it a lot.”

“Soar’elle, as soon as it’s possible, you can
have both of them. Maybe forever if you play your cards right. And, no, don’t
ask what that means.”

“That is wonderful. Shall I continue with my
story?”

“Please.”

“The legend tells of this Ark of Forever as
being built in the Andromeda galaxy. Even traveling at close to the speed of
light, this ship would spend thousands of years in interstellar space before it
reached our galaxy.”

“And why would they do such a thing? By the
time they discovered what was to be discovered, their home world would not even
remember them. And even if they did, there would be no way to communicate back
and forth.”

Serenity looked at Jax’x. “You’re well on your
way to becoming insufferably irritating.”

“Thank you. Please let me know when I actually
get there.”

Soar’elle waited while this little dialogue
played out. The Hameggattic Sisters were well known, and much beloved, for
these silly exchanges. “That is an excellent question . . . or should I say
questions . . . Jax’x. Remember we don’t have definitive proof of anything so
we can only speculate. We think that their world or worlds were involved in
some kind of war with an unknown enemy. Those that could - made their escape in
the Ark.”

“Must be a heck of an enemy to scare people
into traveling trillions of miles to find safety.”

“Yes, Serenity and that’s why we have taken
such an interest in this.”

Egg’s eyes got wide. “You don’t think that this
enemy followed them here, do you?”

“We don’t know – an answer you will hear
frequently, I’m afraid. If they did, we need to know as much about them as we
can so we can implement a defense.”

“Well, I can see why this is important.”

“Egg, it may be a matter of life or death.”

“Soar’elle.”

“Yes,
BreeZee?”

“Do
you think there are more than one species on that ship?”

The dragon smiled. “You ladies are so extraordinary.
Not only do you confront danger and prevail, you also have excellent
intellectual skills. That was another great question. The majority of us think
yes and we base that on the ship’s design.”

“I’ve got a question.”

“Yes, Bl’azzz?”

“What makes you think that those people on the
Ark are the good guys? Maybe the good guys chased these people away.”

“Well . . . well . . . oh my. We had never
considered that possibility.”

“Nice going girl,” complimented Jax’x.

“Soar’elle, what do you want us to do? Please
remember we have three sisters that are not one hundred percent.”

The dragon hesitated as he considered, or
reconsidered, his objectives. “I am embarrassed to say that I am not sure what
the best course of action should be in light of Bl’azzz’s question.”

“How about this. Recall your team to get them
out of harm’s way. Have them contact us and give us all the data that they have
gathered so far and a rough idea what else they need should we be able to get
it. Then we’ll go in and survey the situation and give you our assessment of
the danger. Worse comes to worse, the Prince can send an armed guard to protect
your people so they can finish the project.”

Soar’elle stared at Egg. “That is good. Very
good, indeed. I am in your debt.” Then he laughed. “Actually, I have been in
your debt since the day you defeated Mobius.” He hesitated again. “Though my
debt to you began when you were able to give my grandfather a chance to reunite
with his childhood friend.” The dragon actually shed a tear or two at that memory.

“I miss him,” whispered Egg. “He was . . . just
so wonderful.” She wiped away her own tear.

“Does he still visit you?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Well, when he does, please give him my love.”

“Sure.”

“I will contact my team shortly. Thank you all.
Soar’elle – out,” and the screen went blank.

“Egg,” whispered Jax’x.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think I read about whatever you two
were talking about. Is it a private thing?”

“No. It’s in the history books. Short story is
that when Dazzle put her spirit into the flying suit, she had to say goodbye to
her best friend Storm. Turns out he was Aeri’elle’s great-grandfather. Dazzle
had promised him that before this fight was over, the two would reunite. It
didn’t happen quite the way it was supposed to. On the day he died, he . . . he
um,” but she couldn’t finish and started to cry.

Bl’azzz, who was there, finished the tale. “We
all saw his spirit leave his body. And before he faded away, Dazzle’s spirit
found him and they hugged. A minute later he was gone.”

“He visits Egg in her dream,” added Bree who
let her tears fall down her cheeks.

“Oh. Oh my.” Jax’x was as affected by her
sisters’ emotion as by the tale itself.

No one said anything for a few minutes. Egg
finally took a deep breath. “Jax’x, it was actually an incredibly beautiful
moment. Hard to believe I was only nine at the time. However, now we have work
to do. Okay, Serenity, get the coordinates of that planetoid. Let’s head out.”

*****

A few hours later, they were well on their way.
The trip would take a few days which would give Bree and Jax’x time to learn
the ship, for Tee to come to her senses (don’t say it), and for Bl’azzz to
regain strength in her taloned foot. As for Jax’x, a few days wouldn’t be
enough time for her to heal properly.

Over dinner, the conversation started at a
place near and dear to their collective hearts.

“Egg, what are we going to do about Xara?”
asked Bree.

“I’ve asked Meggy to put out the word. Her
picture and a description of the Astral will be circulated to all one hundred
or so planets of the federation. Someone’s bound to spot her.

“Maybe so, but she has the MAGEK unit,” Jax’x
reminded her.

“Yeah. That’s not good.”

“Actually it is.” Everyone turned to look at
Serenity. She smiled back. “Come on, someone here should be smart enough to
figure it out,” and she turned to stare at Jax’x.

Jax’x put down her fork and stared back. “And
if I guess the answer, what do I win?”

Serenity put down her fork. “I’ll wear a smile
for a full week. I’ll be Miss Congeniality.”

“Wow. What do you think Egg – can she actually
pay her debts?”

“Hmmmm. Well, if she can’t, Tee’ka can teach
her.”

“Excuse me?”

“Tell her Tee.”

“I used to be a Hostess on Laff’Alott. I had to
smile all the time – even if I didn’t like the people.”

“Okay then. It’s a bet.”

“Not so fast, cat woman, what happens if you
lose?”

“I’m not going to lose.”

That was greeted with laughter and
(appropriately enough) catcalls.

“Humor me. If the impossible happens, what
then?”

“I will be your servant for a week. Whatever
you want, no questions asked.”

More laughter and catcalls.

“Accepted. Go ahead; dazzle us with your
answer.” Everyone turned to the former Librarian.

“Tee, get ready to teach old sour puss the
finer techniques of smiling.”

“Stop stalling, you masked maniacal misanthrope.”

“Knowing you as well as I do . . .”

“Ha. You hardly know anything about me.”

“Shut up and let her talk. I’m dying to know if
she knows . . . because I sure as heck don’t,” said Bl’azzz.

Jax’x smiled just to savor the moment. “Since
you said it was a good thing, I can infer that our devilish friend didn’t get
everything she wanted. You never put the power coupling and generator on that
ship. So, she has to find someone with advanced technological skills to manufacture
what she needs. That probably limits the number of planets she’ll want to
visit.”

Egg looked at Jax’x then at Serenity. “Well?”

The girl in the chair said nothing. All she did
was force her mouth into a smile. On her, it looked unnatural and more than a
bit scary. Batman’s Joker would have been envious. It would give anyone the
creeps.

“Nope. Don’t do that,” demanded Egg.

“But she won.”

“Yeah. Don’t do that.”

Chapter 6
– Doctor Hoo

“I am Doctor Hoo-Laqq’Engchawadechasilp
Pichaironnarongsongkram. To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”

“What did she say?”

“How would I know? Maybe our translation
crystals aren’t working.”

Egg shook her head at her two sisters. “Move.
Let me talk.” Serenity and Bree moved out of the way. “Doctor, I’m Egg – leader
of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

The woman on the screen – middle aged and very
dignified – bowed so low her forehead almost hit the ground. “It is a great
honor to meet the most famous Egg of Earth.”

“That’s nice of you to say. Would you please
pronounce your name again?”

“Certainly,” and she did and it was still unintelligible.

“I’m afraid my tongue can’t quite get around
all those letters. You don’t mind if I just call you Doctor Hoo?”

“Most economical. I have no objection.”

“Thank you. I take it you are one of the
archeologists looking for the lost Ark?”

“Yes. I have four others working with me not
including a crew of three that also assists with day-to-day logistics.”

“Before we discuss what happened on that
planetoid, could you send your findings to my ship’s computer so we can begin
to analyze it?”

“Of course,” and she turned to someone off
screen. “The data is being sent as we speak.”

Egg looked at Serenity who looked up from her
control panel and nodded. “Thanks, we’re receiving it. So, Doc, tell us what
you found, what still needs to be found and what the ghost was doing to stop
you.”

“I like that . . . right to the point. Very
well. First, we have found the wreckage of an alien craft. I say that
matter-of-factly but believe me when I tell you that I am doing backflips
inside my brain.”

That brought a smile to Egg’s face. “I can only
imagine the excitement of making such a discovery. I’m sure you and your
colleagues have put an inordinate amount of time and effort to get to this
point. Congratulations.”

The other girls looked at one another. Hearing
Egg sound so diplomatic was a novelty. She was always polite but this was a new
side of her and they were impressed. Bree leaned over to Serenity and whispered
“Benny.” The girls smiled at each other in agreement.

“Thank you, Egg. That is very kind, and coming
from you, very gratifying.”

“I’m neither an archeologist nor an academician
so I will never be able to understand the true value of your discovery.”

“You are the Heroine of Aerianna. Anything I do
that might impress you is reward enough.”

“Please don’t. Like you, any success that I’ve
achieved can be credited to my sisters. Individual accolades are not
warranted.”

“Ah, the famous . . .”

“Don’t say it. In fact, let’s move on. I’m
guessing that the craft you found is not the Ark.”

“Correct. It is much too small.”

“Do you think it came from the Ark? Maybe a
scout ship?”

“That is exactly what we were trying to
determine when the ghost struck.”

“Are you suggesting that the ghost is the
spirit of whoever was in that ship?”

“Yes.”

That answer wasn’t expected. The woman was a
scientist; for her to be absolutely certain could only mean one thing. “And
what is your evidence?”

“The only time we were harassed is when we
neared the ship.”

“Could the ship itself be creating this
harassment?”

“No. There were no power emanations that we
could detect.”

“Isn’t it reasonable to assume that our
instruments are incapable of analyzing energy signatures from a piece of
technology created in another galaxy?” asked Serenity.

“Dr. Hoo, this is Serenity, one of my sisters.”

“I have heard great things about you, Serenity.
Your intellectual prowess is almost as legendary as Egg’s modesty.”

The girl had the good grace to blush. “Nice to
hear.”

“As to your question, in theory the answer is
yes. In practice, the electromagnetic spectrum is universal so we should have
been able to detect something.”

“You’re assuming it’s from another galaxy - in
our universe.”

The good Doctor Hoo stared at the girl for a
few seconds. “Very interesting. I take it you subscribe to the multi-universe
theory?”

“More than that; I’ve seen proof of it.”

“WHAT?”

“On Spell ‘Bound where we just finished turning
the world upside down.”

“Oh my . . .”

“Doc,” interrupted Egg. “That’s a discussion
for another time. I already promised Soar’elle that Serenity and Jax’x – who is
from Spell ‘Bound – will visit the university. I’m sure you will have a chance
to discuss this with her then.”

“That is wonderful. I can’t tell you how
excited I am.”

“That’s great. Meanwhile, let’s talk about
ghosts.”

“Of course,” replied the doctor with obvious
disappointment.

“What form did this harassment take? Did you
sustain any injuries?”

“The injuries were minor and not as a result of
a direct attack by the entity. A crewman broke an arm when a rope he was using
gave way. It had been cut. One of my colleagues suffered a burn when a piece of
equipment overheated. Someone had shorted out a wire. However, I never had the
feeling that any of us were being targeted. It obviously was just trying to
keep us away from the craft.”

“Any theories?”

“Not really.”

“I have one.”

“Doc, this is Jax’x, the girl from Spell ‘Bound
and the newest member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“I am honored to meet any Sister. Please, what
is your theory?”

“It’s not a ghost. It’s actually a survivor of
that crashed ship. This entity is trying to protect what may be its only means
of survival.”

“But that crash site looks to be very old,”
countered the Doctor.

Everyone was silent as each tried to think of a
counterargument.

It came from a surprising source. “Xara.”

Egg smiled. “Tee, Xara isn’t here.”

“No, silly. Xara was put to sleep for three
hundred years.”

“I’m sorry; I don’t understand,” responded Hoo.

“My very clever sister Tee’ka was reminding us
that an individual we encountered on Spell ‘Bound had been put in suspended
animation for three centuries. Perhaps the same thing is true for this entity.”

“Tee’ka, that was a very insightful
suggestion.” The girl smiled at the compliment.

“Anyone else have something to offer?” asked
Egg.

“I do,” replied Serenity. “This individual may
also be trying to keep its technology out of your hands.”

“Why would it do that?” asked Egg.

“Because it’s not sure if we are advanced
enough to use it. Or peaceful enough.”

Doctor Hoo clapped her hands. “I am just so
impressed with you ladies. My understanding of the Sisterhood was that it was a
collection of brave and noble women. But you are so much more . . . highly
intelligent, imaginative, sophisticated and articulate.”

“But we’re terrible cooks,” joked Egg. “Anyway,
unless you tell me otherwise, we’re going to find that crash site and see if we
can communicate with the . . . um, ghost. If we do, we’ll try to convince her
to meet with your group, Doc.”

“What if she says no?”

“She’s stranded on a desolate little planet.
I’m sure she’ll want to leave. Maybe we can help fix the ship. If we can’t,
then we’ll try to convince her to go to your University to learn about our part
of the galaxy and to give her time to formulate a plan for herself.”

“Why do you refer to the entity as she?”

“Intuition.”

“Really? Can you explain that?’

“We need a seventh sister. For some reason the
universe always provides us a new one.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“I am sure . . . I don’t understand.”

*****

“How long to that planetoid?” asked Egg.

“It’s really out in the middle of nowhere . . .
about a week at our present speed.”

“Serenity, how fast can this ship go?” asked
Jax’x who was obviously new to the field of space flight.

“We can do about point 1 ‘C’.”

“Let me guess. “C” is some universal constant.”

“Clever cat. It represents the speed of light .
. . nothing in the known universe can travel faster.”

“Why?”

“No, no, no,” pleaded Egg. “That’s one of those
questions you can ask her after the rest of us go to bed.”

“That boring?”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“Now you know why I’m glad you joined us,” said
Serenity. “Living with dolts is very trying.”

Egg stuck out her tongue. “Here’s a quarter. Go
play outside,” she teased.

The other two looked at her without
comprehension.

The earth girl moaned in frustration. “I was
being incredibly clever but it’s wasted on the likes of you. Oh my gosh, how I
miss Sylvia.”

Getting serious for a moment, Bree asked, “Has
the data they sent been analyzed?”

“Yes. Other than the coordinates of the crash
site, nothing remotely of interest to us. Mostly gobbledygook about plants,
rocks and bugs.”

“There you go Jax’x. If she bores you with her
talk of math and physics, you can get even by discussing grass, granite and
grubs.”

The girl looked to Serenity for advice. “Should
I laugh?”

“Absolutely. At her – not at what she says.”

“I hate you both,” declared Egg without a hint
of sincerity.

“Egg, can I ask you a personal question?”

“Jax’x, if it’s about Benny – absolutely . . .
.  . . . NOT.”

“Actually it’s about your modesty.”

“What about it?”

“It is such a basic part of your nature. Any
idea how it came to be?”

“Don’t tell me it’s not in the history books?”

“It’s not,” answered Bl’azzz. “And I’ve known
you as long as anyone.”

Egg exhaled . . . not in frustration but to
gather her thoughts. “It was the cat in the hat.”

“Oh”. A moment later, “What?”

“It
was the very first good deed that Flying Girl performed . . . “

“I was
not quite nine. My grandmother had just given me the suit and jewelry. I was
flying over my home town when I spotted a commotion down below. I landed and
found that a cat was stuck on a roof and they couldn’t get it down. So I flew
up and he came to me. I gave it to its owner, blew her a kiss and flew off.”

“That’s sweet but that doesn’t tell me why
you’re so modest.”

“On earth, anyone who saw me in the flying suit
would forget after an hour. The report in the paper the next day never
mentioned that some Flying Girl rescued the cat. My grandmother asked me how I
felt about that - about not getting the credit. I can’t explain it but I felt
great. Doing the good deed was all the reward I needed. I didn’t want anyone
else’s approval.” She shrugged. “It just became natural to do what I could do
and never expect anyone to remember that it was me.”

Everyone went quiet while they digested that
tale. In all honesty, had they been asked, none of the others could say they
would have reacted the same way. It was pretty universal – expecting, then
getting, praised for your accomplishments.

As the silence stretched on, Egg became
embarrassed. She began to change the subject. “So, anyone have any ideas how we
can become friends with a ghost?”

Bl’azzz
interrupted her . . .

. . .  “Jax’x,
can you now begin to understand why we would follow this girl to our deaths?”

“Selfless, modest, brilliant tactician, loving,
witty in her strange earthlike way and fiercely loyal to her sisters . . . I
think I’m beginning to understand.”

Egg felt if she demurred, it would seem like
she was putting on airs. Instead she feigned being insulted. “Hang on just a
dang minute, missy.” The other girl stared in surprise at her tone. “You never
mentioned my superior intelligence. I’m deeply hurt.”

Serenity felt obliged to defend her new friend
from the faux attack. “I don’t think the term ‘superior intelligence’ means
what you think it does.”

Jax’x caught on immediately. “Not everyone can
be as intelligent as . . . oh, let’s say Kr’eep. But that’s okay Egg . . .
you’re a very pleasant person and all of us like you very, very much.” She said
the words slowly as if she was talking to an imbecile.

“Oh. Well, in that case . . . you do the dishes
tonight,” and her tongue darted out from between her lips.

*****

Three days later Benny called. His handsome
blue face filled the view screen. At the time Tee’ka was on duty. “Good
evening, Tee’ka.”

“Hi, booby.” She forgot the blue-footed part as
well as her manners.

The Prince smiled. “And how is your injured
head?”

“I think I broke something in my mind.”

Benny tried not to react with an eye-scrunch
and almost succeeded. “I am terribly sorry to hear that. How does this injury
manifest itself, if I may ask?”

“You just did.”

“Sorry – did what?”

“Ask. You just did.”

“Of course. How very forgetful of me. As to my
question?”

“Yes?”

He couldn’t help himself and he smiled. “Your
broken mind . . . what exactly are the symptoms?”

“It’s been three days and I haven’t dreamed
about boys.”

“That does sound serious. Perhaps I can help.”

“Really? How?”

“After I talk with Egg, I will have Lieutenant
Kad’worthy talk to you. You do remember him – the young man that gave you the
tour of the ship?”

Tee’s eyes got very wide. “He was cute.”

“So I have been told. Do you think an intimate,
but within the bounds of decorum, conversation would help you overcome your
injury?”

“Can we skip the decorum part and just do the
intimate?”

“I will leave that up to the two of you.
However, I do need to talk to Egg. Is she available?”

*****

“Hi,” she said with a bigger smile than she had
planned.

“Hi, yourself. I have been told that you are
off on another adventure.”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking. How about you?”
she asked teasingly.

He was worried about her going looking for
ghosts but had the good sense not to show it. “Actually, I am in a state of
total despair and depression.”

“Sounds awful. I hope there’s a cure?”

“Indeed. I have been researching the symptoms
and I am pleased to inform you that an antidote is available.”

“What would the nature of that remedy be?” she
asked playing along.

“I am told that a very cold shower will do
wonders. I did as prescribed this morning.”

“And?”

“Relief was temporary, I must sadly report.”

She giggled like a schoolgirl. “You say the
sweetest things.”

“A lesson from my father. Boy, he said to me,
when you become a man there will be times you must use your words as if your
life depended on it. I assume this was one of those times.”

“I think he was referring to diplomacy on some
far off, hostile world.”

“No. I am almost certain he was discussing a
lovelorn Prince who was separated by millions of mile from the woman he loves.”

She stared at the image before her, her face
becoming more serious. “I’m scared.”

“Of ghosts?”

“No, you big ninny. I’m scared of our love.”

“Why?”

“For one, thinking of you is consuming my every
waking moment. It could get me killed. Worse, it could endanger my sisters.”

“What is number two?”

“I don’t want this relationship to burst into
flames then burn out. If I give in to my feelings, it will. So a few million
miles between us is a good thing. A very good thing.”

“Have you taken a cold shower?”

“None of your business. Now, before I hang up
on you for being so impertinent, tell me why you called.”

“Did I need a reason?”

“I’m going to count to three. One  . . .”

“Strong women – they will be my downfall. So be
it. I called to tell you there is news of Xara.”

“Already? What did she do?”

“She stripped her ship, or should I say
Serenity’s ship, and sold the rest for scrap.”

“I assume she bought another one.”

“Yes. We are still researching the details. I
have taken possession of the Astral and will have her towed back to Aerianna
for a refit. It is the least we can do for your sister.”

“That’s terrific, thank you.”

“When do you arrive on your ghost world?” he
asked nonchalantly.

“Smooth,” she replied since she wasn’t fooled.
“A couple of days.”

“You will be careful, I assume?”

“Silly, what could go wrong? A ghost, Xara on
the loose with a new ship, aliens from another galaxy or universe . . .
easy-peasy.”

“I swear on the head of my grandfather King
M’earth – if you receive so much as a scratch, I will . . .”

“Stop. You are not my keeper. What I do with
the Sisterhood is actually none of your business. Unless I specifically ask for
it, you will never try to interfere in any way with one of my missions. Do you
understand?”

“I understand but I cannot possibly agree . . .”

“Again, stop. There is no discussion on this
topic. It’s who I am – take it or leave it.”

“If I were to lose you to some nefarious . . .”

“You would move on with your life,” she said
finishing his thought. “I can’t have you worrying about me every time I go off
among the stars. And, I can’t live with the knowledge that your future will be
permanently ruined if I was gone.”

“But . . .”

“Benny, no buts. This is non-negotiable. I say
this with love – stay out of my business. No one stops the Hameggattic Sisters
from doing their job. No one.”

He noisily expelled a chest-full of air.
“Perhaps I need to rethink our relationship.”

Egg felt like a spear just went through her
stomach. “Whatever,” and she slammed her hand down on the control and severed
the connection.

Chapter 7 – Who You Going to Call?

She screamed bloody murder.

If there had been something close at hand, she
would have thrown it.

Ever since she was nine, she had been fighting
the good fight. No one, on Earth or on Aerianna, ever dared to interfere save
maybe Grammy.

How dare he?

Who the heck did he think he was?

The nerve of some people.

Was she out of her mind falling in love with a
jerk like that?

If this is what people in love did, then she
certainly didn’t want the grief.

Let him have all the time he needed to rethink
things . . . she already had. No more Benny.

. . . no more perfect lips.

. . . adios sexy sultry eyes.

“Egg.”

The sound of her name snapped her back to the
present. “Yeah Tee?” she said into the comm system.

“Booby wants to talk to you again.”

Egg had to smile. “It’s blue footed booby.”

“How would I know?”

“Know what?”

“What color his feet are.”

If anyone in the galaxy could distract Flying
Girl from her troubles, it would be Tee’ka. And the girl wasn’t even trying. “I
meant that his nickname is blue footed booby. But that’s between us girls; you
shouldn’t call him that.”

“Okay. Egg?”

“Yes?”

“If his feet are blue, does that mean his butt
is too?”

“TEE’KA” she cried. “You can’t ask questions
like that.”

“But you started it with his feet.”

She was about to explain the difference but
decided she didn’t have the energy. “Do me a favor - after you patch him
through to me; go talk to Bree about this blue stuff.” She almost felt badly
about doing that to her winged sister.

“Okay. Here he is,” and his face appeared on
her screen.

“What?” She wanted to be more upset than she
felt but the conversation with her sister killed her bad mood. Now she had to
pretend.

“I am sorry.”

“I’ll give you one minute to grovel then I’ll
probably hang up.”

“More than generous of you,” he replied. The
corner of his lips curved up slightly and gave away his true feelings. “I
expressed myself from emotions that were childish or at least selfish. You are
Eloise Graystone, Flying Girl, Egg of Earth, the Heroine of Aerianna and the
Leader of the Hameggattic Sisterhood. I have no right to tell you what you can
and cannot do. Not now and, I swear, never in the future regardless of where
our relationship leads.”

“Keep going.”

“Likewise, what you cannot do is to dictate how
I feel. If I choose to worry or to grieve . . . that is my privilege. I expect
you to respect my rights on this matter as I will respect your right to do as
your conscious dictates.”

“I’m still listening.”

He looked like he was trying to find the right
words. A moment later he said, “I am Prince Ben’Edikk of the House of M’earth.
I command the Royal Fleet of Aerianna and I am First Diplomat for my Queen and
sister. I love you unconditionally. However, whatever our relationship is or
will be, it must be as equals. If you do not see me as such then the time for
us to continue our lives separately is now.”

That was the first time Egg had ever heard the
young man assert himself so forcefully. And she realized she needed to hear it
from his lips . . . those perfect blue lips. She could never marry Benny just
because he was handsome, witty and intelligent. He needed to have a worthy
purpose in life. Hosting State dinners or overseeing parties for other Nobles
didn’t make it. If that’s how he saw himself then that’s how she would too.

“Have you nothing to say?”

“I do.”

“Yes?” he asked with great trepidation.

“Good save.”

He obviously didn’t understand the phrase. “Could
you elaborate?” He hated to ask, yet again, what that actually meant.

“It means that I accept your apology.
Everything you said was as much as I could hope for. So, I have reconsidered my
reconsideration. I love you. Well, I’m assuming that I do, but it all gets
clouded by my physical desires. However, I’ll give us the benefit of the
doubt.”

The poor guy was trying mightily to follow her
logic. “Well then, I believe that I am once again happy. Is that correct?” He
was pretty sure that he was but wanted confirmation.

“Yes. You’re happy.” Had he been in the room
with her, he would have known from the kiss she would have planted on his face.

“Wonderful. Then, good luck on your mission. If
you have the opportunity, and desire, perhaps you can update me from time to
time. Out of curiosity, of course – nothing more.”

“I’ll think about it. Benny . . .”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for being man enough to call me
back.”

“I actually had no choice.”

She expected him to finish with words of love.
“And why is that?”

“You scare me.”

*****

“There she is,” proclaimed Serenity as she
turned on the main view screen.

“Beautiful. But which one is the planetoid that
we want?” asked Jax’x.

“Actually,
those other five in the background are just large moons. The one between us and
that ringed gas giant is large enough to be a small planet.”

“Looks
like Saturn, one of the planets in my solar system,” observed Egg.

“What is a gas giant? Sorry, am I allowed to
ask?”

Egg smiled. “Go ahead Serenity and answer Jax’x
- but remember twenty five words or less.”

“It’s a large planet of relatively low density
consisting predominantly of hydrogen and helium.”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it? Fourteen words,
kudos”.

“You owe me eleven,” came the response.

“Egg, are we just going to land by the wreck?”
asked Bree.

“No. Serenity, can you make a quick pass over
those other moons?”

“What are we looking for? Signs of life?”

“Yes.”

“Um . . . it’ll take the better part of two days.
I can send out a probe to get the telemetry on them. Much quicker and just as
informative.”

“Okay. Then let’s circle this planetoid and
gather whatever information you can.”

“We do have data from those archeologists.”

“Exactly. They may know about old, buried
things but you’re a much brighter candle on the cake when it comes to finding
needles in a haystack.” Egg was kind of mixing her metaphors.

Bl’azzz shook her head. “Egg-o, you have to
learn to speak dragon or we need to get new translation crystals. What does
that mean about candles and needles?”

Egg’s eyes went wide. “That’s it. That’s the
answer.”

“What was the question?” asked Bree getting
even more confused.

Ignoring the girl, Egg told Serenity “Get me
Benny.”

All the girls looked at each other. Serenity
shrugged and did as she was told. A minute later, the Prince’s face filled the
viewer.

“Prince Ben’Edikk,” began Egg. “I have the
answer to your problem.”

Benny was quick with the wit. “Miss Graystone,
I have so many problems that I would be forever grateful for any assistance you
can render.”

“I assume you have read the many volumes of the
ongoing history of the Hameggattic Sisters?”

“Indeed.”

“Did you find them of interest?” Now the girls
were really confused. Benny only a little less so.

“A tad dry for my taste. I found the heroine to
be a bit one dimensional.”

“Did you now?”

“Personal taste, of course. On the other hand,
her green-skinned sister was a very sympathetic character.”

“And beautiful, too.”

“Every man’s fantasy. If I might change the
subject, is there some service I can render for you?”

“As I said – I believe I can service you.” As
soon as she said it, she realized how that sounded and she blushed scarlet. The
blue man on the screen raised an eyebrow. “NO. No, sorry. I meant to say I can
offer my services . . .” and her tongue began to get tied in knots. The other
girls started to giggle at her embarrassment.

“If I may, you called to offer a solution to
one of my many problems. I would be pleased to hear it.” Such a gentleman.

Egg had buried her face in her hands – trying
in vain to disappear. “Thank you. If you would look in volume two somewhere
around chapter three or four, you will see the solution that I am suggesting.”

“Could you be more specific?”

“Yes I can. But, no I won’t. If you want it,
you have to earn it.”

“I see. Of course you are right. I will
research the issue at my earliest convenience. If I may, I will report on my
findings.”

“That would be satisfactory. Until then, I bid
you adieu.”

“Egg, wait,” cried Tee’ka.  “You didn’t ask him
about his bu….”

“NOOOO,” and Flying Girl slammed the off
switch. She looked at BreeZee. “Didn’t you talk to her?”

“I tried. And, I will get even with you.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Alright. Stop and explain what that weird
conversation was all about,” demanded Bl’azzz.

“When Meggy went to earth, Dazzle gave her two
crystals. The translation crystal like we use and one with earth history and
culture. So when I say something like ‘needle in a haystack’, the crystal
explains what I mean.”

“I want one,” demanded the dragon.

“Not for you, you toothy carnivore. It’s for
Benny so he doesn’t have to keep asking me what I’m talking about.”

“What about us?” asked Bree.

“Suffer. Preferably in silence.”

*****

“Did you see that?”

“Show me again,” requested Serenity.

“There,” and Jax’x pointed at something on her
control panel.

“Nice catch.” To Egg she said, “Surprise, you
were right.”

“It’s always a shock to me too. What do you
have?”

“Gravitational fluctuations.”

“Hah. I’m the one that needs a crystal that can
translate techno-babble into something real people can understand.”

“I’ll take that as a question. It means that
this planetoid is going to explode.”

“WHAT?”

“That big gas giant is pulling this thing
apart. Nothing can stop it.”

“How long?”

“It would take me a half day, at least, to run
the calculations. Best guess . . . sooner rather than later.”

“Will we get enough warning to get away?”

“Probably. Well, maybe. Um, I think so. Pretty
sure but not positive.”

“That’s comforting.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jax’x had to laugh being new to this kind of
jibber jabber. “You’re talking about a planet exploding – maybe while we’re
standing on it – and you sound like you’re talking about a bad hair day.”

Bree smiled. “You have bad hair days on Spell
‘Bound?”

“It’s been known to happen.”

“Serenity, let’s go down,” said Egg.

“Really?”

“The sooner the better. The longer we wait, the
closer to the explosion we’ll be.”

“Okay. How close do you want to get?”

“Find a nice safe place to land. I can fly to
the site so it doesn’t matter.”

“Just for the record, a nice safe place is on
Aerianna, not here. So, I’ll just stay in a low orbit.”

*****

“Who’s going with you?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Not you, not Jax’x and not Tee. The three of
you haven’t been cleared by the doc yet. Bree and Serenity, let’s go.”

“Hang on. I need to get my eyepiece.”

“What for?” The girl had needed it when she was
injured trying to save her mother. However, Spirit had repaired the damaged eye
rendering the gizmo unnecessary.

Serenity put the device on. “It allows me to
see in other frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum.”

“Talk to me like I was still nine,” demanded
Egg with a small grin.

“Normally we only see the colors of the
rainbow. With this, I can see colors like infrared and ultraviolet.”

“Got
it. Don’t know why you need it; but now I know what it does.”

“Alien
world with ghosts; figure it can’t hurt.”

“There you go. That’s thinking outside of the
box.”

“Why would I be in a box?”

“Oh my gosh. I give up. Everyone gets a crystal.”

“Yay,” cheered Bl’azzz.

“Shut up, snaggle-tooth”.

*****

They
beamed down onto a smooth plain at the base of the small mountain range where
the craft had crashed. The view of the gas giant was beyond spectacular.

“Wow.”

“I can see why this world is doomed. It’s so
close to that planet,” added Bree to Egg’s exclamation. “You can almost feel it
pulling.”

Serenity fiddled with something on her
controls. “Jax’x, are you getting this?”

Over their comm links they heard “That is
beyond amazing. It’s so beautiful.”

“Thought you might like it.”

“Thank you.”

Egg smiled at the girl in the chair. “Pretty
great sister.”

“She is,” agreed Serenity.

“I was talking about you, not her.”

“In that case I agree,” added Jax’x over the
intercom.

“Alright. We’re done. Let’s get going,”
demanded Serenity.

As they made their way – Flying Girl flying,
BreeZee soaring and Serenity hovering in her chair, Egg started to sing . . .

“If there's something strange in your
neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! If there's something weird and
it don't look good, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!”

“What are you saying?” asked Bree.

“First of all, that’s singing. Second, those
are the words to a song from a movie called Ghostbusters.”

“I’ve heard people sing,” stated Serenity matter
of factly, “and that wasn’t singing.”

“It sounds better in the shower.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

*****

The crash site was virtually inaccessible by
foot. Though the mountains weren’t very high, they were steep and rocky.

“This isn’t good,” observed Serenity.

“How so – besides the obvious?”

“If we get . . . let me rephrase that . . .
when we begin to get quakes from the gravitational fluctuations, them thar
boulders (and she pointed up) will come a ’visiting.”

“Thar and a’ visiting? What are you, an
eighteenth century sailor?”

“From now on I’m going to ignore all your earth
references.”

“She read a story called Moby Dick,” tattled
Bree.

“Really? Didn’t know you could read,” teased
Egg.

Serenity smiled coyly. “I find earth literature
fascinating.”

“Why?”

“Because they’re not scientific text books.”

“Ah. Fair enough”.

“Hey guys, over there,” and Bree pointed.

“Looks like a ship.”

“Looks like the wreckage of one,” corrected the
girl in the chair.

They
landed and approached on foot . . . all the while scanning their surroundings
for signs of life. Or the ghostly remains of life.

After
circling it from a respectful distance, Egg asked her too smart friend “what do
you think?”

“I’d like to beam her aboard for closer
analysis. My first impressions – single occupant, short range scout ship. No
obvious weapons. The design is like nothing I’ve seen in the Federation. The
skin, other than the damage from the crash, isn’t pitted. That means it
probably wasn’t floating around space for any length of time. That implies that
the Ark passed through this system at some point.”

Egg was always impressed with Serenity’s powers
of observation and deduction. “Could the occupant have survived the crash?”

“Easily.”

“Any idea how long it’s been buried here?”

“Maybe when I get the chance to study her with
some of my equipment.”

“Want to hazard a guess?”

Serenity scanned the craft one more time.
“Pretty recently. This planetoid has an atmosphere and there are signs of
erosion. However, the ground around the ship looks to be just like it was when
the crash occurred.”

“So the pilot could still be alive.”

“Could be.”

Chapter 8 - Ghostbusters

“What now?” asked Bree.

“Let’s see if we can figure out what’s in her
mind.”

“You really think the pilot is female, don’t
you?”

“I do. I don’t know why I do, but . . .” and
she shrugged.

“If it was me, and strangers came snooping, I
would want to scare them off so they wouldn’t do any more damage to my ship.
Looking around, it has to be her only source of shelter and probably food.”

“So her basic instinct is to do it peacefully.”
Bree was stating a conclusion not asking a question.

Egg didn’t necessarily see it that way. “If
she’s injured or if her species isn’t particularly strong, frightening
intruders away may be her only choice.”

“Regardless of the reason, I’d say we should be
in no physical danger,” concluded Serenity. “At least, not from her.”

“What do you think she needs most?”

“A working ship,” Egg told Bree.

“No. It doesn’t have enough range,” explained
Serenity. “She would never catch up to the Ark if that’s where she came from.”

“How about food and water? She might take the
bait if she’s desperate.”

“All living organisms need water,” agreed
Serenity. “But food . . . we have no idea what her metabolism is like. Anything
we give her could be deadly. On the other hand, we could beam her ship up to
ours and flush her out.”

Egg shot that down immediately. “Out of the
question. Stealing her only means of survival is hardly the act of friends.”

“Then let’s do what you suggested and set out a
supply of water and a variety of food stuff? Then we can make camp over there
(she pointed to a clearing) and see if she’s interested,” suggested Bree.

“Okay. Sounds reasonable. Serenity, can you
come up with a menu with enough variety that we might get lucky?”

“Um . . . sure. We’ll forgo spices and keep it
really basic.”

“Like?”

“Algae, protein bars, maybe bread. I’ll do a
quick run through the data base and see what other worlds in the Federation
call food.”

“Okay. You two beam back up and get the stuff including
supplies for us. We may be here for a while.”

*****

After they left, Egg walked over to the ship
and looked for an airlock she could enter. None was evident. So she walked to
the front where the cockpit glass was broken. As she stood there trying to
decide if she should risk the wrath of the ghost by entering, she almost jumped
out of her skin when she heard a huge BANG.

Instinctively she stepped back and looked
around for the cause of the sound. She relaxed when she saw a baseball size
rock coming to rest not far from her feet. Obviously it must have shaken loose
from the cliff wall and smashed into the wreckage.

“And BOO to you, too,” she said to the
inanimate object that seemed to be mocking her and her fragile nerves. She went
back to what she was doing.

BANG.

“Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame
on . . . me?” Obviously, she got it wrong.

BANG.

She looked up at the cliff face but could see
nothing.

BANG.

“Curiouser and Curiouser.” She decided to try a
little experiment and stuck her head inside the cockpit carefully avoiding the
broken glass.

BANG. BANG.

Egg’s reaction was fairly absurd. An old
Halloween joke came unbidden into her mind. “Knock, knock. Who’s there? Ice
Cream. Ice Cream who? Ice cream every time I see a ghost.” Sylvia had told it
to her when she was nine. They both had laughed so hard that soda came out
their noses.

“Okay, I know you’re here. My name is Egg and
my friends and I have come to help you. I promise, I mean you no harm.”

She wasn’t expecting what she received. “OW,”
she screamed. Someone or something had pulled her hair. “Hey, that hurt.”

If she had expected an apology, she didn’t get
one.

“Listen, I won’t try to get into your ship
anymore. Okay?”

Nothing.

Maybe the ghost didn’t understand. So she
pointed at herself then at the ship . . . and shook her head no.

The response, again, wasn’t what she expected.
The ghost grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the craft. Egg didn’t fight
it since she didn’t feel threatened and she was curious to see what was going to
happen. The ghost stopped pulling when they had reached twenty or so feet
further away from the ship. A second or two later, an unseen hand drew a line
in the dirt. Obviously, Egg was being ‘asked’ to stay behind the mark.

“Okay,” and she nodded yes. The ghost patted
her on the shoulder. Egg smiled in the direction that she thought her unseen
companion might be . . . hoping that a smile meant the same thing to a ghost as
it did to a human. Another pat on her shoulder told her that it did. She
reached for her communicator. “Jax’x”.

“Yes, Egg.”

“Tell Serenity to bring a translation crystal
with her.”

“May I ask why?”

“So I can talk to the ghost.”

“You’ve seen her?”

Egg smiled. “She’s a ghost so the answer is no.
But, we did have a conversation of sorts. She doesn’t want me to get too close
to her ship.”

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make contact with it?” There was awe and
appreciation in the girl’s voice.

“I seem to have the knack of talking to the
spirits of the dead. Usually it’s in dreams, but . . . “and she left the
thought unfinished.

“You’re amazing.”

“Mostly lucky. I’m going to keep the
communicator on so you can eavesdrop.”

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how curious I am.
Do you really think it’s a ghost?”

“No. Probably just one of your run-of-the-mill
invisible girls. We bump into them all the time.”

“Really?” That was shocking.

“No, you gullible goof.”

“For the record, I’ve just stuck out my
tongue.”

*****

Serenity and BreeZee beamed back down with the
supplies.

“So what happened?” asked the girl with the
butterfly wings.

Egg retold the story. “Obviously, she’s trying
to communicate with us.”

“Why us and not the scientists?”

“They were focused on artifacts, not alien
beings. Our ghost probably tried but got nowhere. So, she started to sabotage
the equipment.”

Serenity looked off into the distance and
started muttering.

“What’s she doing?” asked Egg.

“She does that a lot . . . talking to herself.”

“Why?”

Serenity came to her own defense. “I talk to
myself because sometimes I need expert advice”

Egg looked at Bree and nodded. She then flew
over to the girl in the chair and grabbed her arms behind her. Bree casually
walked over and started to tickle her victim.

“I’m not ticklish,” the restrained girl cried
through bouts of laughter. “Stop that right now.” Go ahead and insert a string
of giggles here.

“Okay, we’ve made our point.”

From the communicator, Jax’x said, “That’s a
first.”

“What is?”

“Serenity laughing. Bl’azzz told me it was
genetically impossible for her to do that.”

“Tell that toothy T-Rex I’ll get even.”

“I’m right here and no you’re not. If you get
within twenty feet of me I just might burp and burn.”

“Oooh. I’d like to see that,” exclaimed the
former Librarian.

“Shut up Jax’x or I’ll get you instead.” Most of
the faux anger was lost as the girl wiped away the laughter tears from her
eyes.

“If you guys are just going to play, I’m coming
down,” insisted Tee’ka.

“Sorry, Tee. We’re done.”

“You better be.”

“Promise. Okay, back to work. Serenity, you lay
out the food and water for our invisible friend and do some techno mumbo jumbo
and try to figure out what she is and how we can communicate with her.”

“Mumbo jumbo?”

“You know, do that voodoo that you do so well.”

“That’s just gibberish. I refuse to ask for a
translation.”

“Your loss. Bree, you and I will set up our
accommodations. Let’s make sure we do it behind that line in the sand that she
drew. I don’t want her to pull my hair again.”

Serenity shouted over her shoulder. “Maybe next
time she’ll tickle you instead.”

“Stop being a crybaby . . . you big crybaby.”

“Nothing but gibberish . . . I wonder what
Benny sees in you.”

“I’m a heck of a kisser,” Egg responded but
blushed at the memory.

*****

Sometime later Serenity came back from her
little fact finding trip.

“Find something?”

“First, and foremost, I gave myself some great
expert advice. Our invisible friend wants us to stay away from the ship because
there’s something in it.”

“I’m guessing it’s more than food and water.”

“Whatever is in there is . . . is technically
‘alive’. I use that term very, very loosely.”

“Darn you,” scolded Egg.

“What?”

“You gave me goose bumps.”

“Ohhh, that’s not good,” added Bree somewhat
needlessly.

Serenity nodded. “I’d say that confirms, albeit
in a very non-scientific way, that her cargo is incredibly dangerous.”

“So she’s been trying to protect everyone,”
came Jax’x’ voice over the comm link.

“Not necessarily her first priority,” suggested
Serenity. “It could be that whatever is holding her cargo in place might be
failing and she doesn’t want one of us to accidently make it worse.”

As they contemplated the horror that might be
within the ship, they were startled by the sound of glass breaking. They turned
to see an empty water bottle shatter as it hit the ground.

“She’s obviously thirsty.”

“We don’t know how long she’s been without food
and water. She’s probably in a bad way,” speculated Egg.

“Tell us,” demanded Serenity. She knew that her
empathetic sister had sensed something in a most intuitive way.

“She dropped the bottle. That tells me her
hands are probably shaking from weakness. Why don’t you put out another one?”

“Egg, I don’t understand,” interjected Jax’x.

“Just a gut feel. She wouldn’t thank us for
giving her water by destroying the container. It was an accident.”

“Oh.”

Serenity fetched another bottle but gave it to
BreeZee to replace. As the girl walked forward, Serenity put her eyepiece in
place. Bree returned to the others. A moment later the bottle levitated . . .
as if it had been picked up by a ghost.

“Got
her,” said Serenity. She passed the image to her computer screen and the other
two girls hurried over to see . . .

Jax’x asked,
“What wavelength are you using?” It was obvious that the image wasn’t being
seen in ordinary light.

“My filter is skewed to the ultraviolet.”

“Serenity, do you have the translation
crystal?”

“Here you go,” and she handed it to her sister.

Egg took it and slowly walked forward. “Has she
moved?”

“No. You’re heading right toward her. Another
ten paces.”

To the invisible entity, Egg said “Hi, again.
With the help of my friend over there (she pointed at Serenity) we can see you.
You don’t look injured. Do you need more water? We have plenty so if you need
more just put the bottle on the ground pointed toward me.”

The bottle floated to the ground but sat
upright.

“Okay, no more water for now. How about food?
We don’t know what you like. Do you prefer animal protein?”

Nothing.

“Egg, her mouth opened slightly.”

“If you would take this crystal,” and she
opened her hand, “it will translate your language into something we can
understand.”

“She’s looking at each of us obviously
assessing the danger.”

To the invisible girl, Egg offered, “I’m going
to place it on the ground then step back.” And she did.

“She’s moving forward,” narrated Serenity.
“She’s got it.”

“Great” said Egg. “So, my name is Egg. In the
chair is Serenity and the one with those beautiful wings is BreeZee.”

The un-seeable girl opened her mouth slightly
and the girls all screamed. “Stop, please,” Egg begged. The girl did. “What the
heck was that?”

“No idea,” responded Serenity.

“It’s Skrill, you silly people.”

“Tee, what did you say?”

“I’ve had guests on Laff’Alott that talked like
that. They called it Skrill. It’s very high-pitched sounds. They don’t even
move their lips – just open their mouths slightly.”

“How did you communicate with them?”

“The central computer figured a way.”

“Nice going, girlfriend.” Egg looked at
Serenity. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Fix it.”

“How, pray tell?”

Tee had the answer. “Whatever the central
computer did, it became a part of my programming. Just look inside my head.”

“Can you really do that?”

“Actually, yes. Give me about ten minutes.”

“Okay”. Egg turned in the direction of the
invisible girl. “Let me show you the foods we brought. Maybe one will appeal to
you.”

That high pitched sound again.

“Please don’t. That hurts. Wait till my friend
finds an answer. Bree is going to put out the foods. Just look them over and
taste the ones that seem okay.” She nodded to Bree who did just that. “What’s
that green goop?”

“It’s called gel’oh. It’s from Earth, you loopy
earth girl.”

“Jell-O. It’s called Jell-O. Hey, it’s good.”
She went over and used a spoon to take a taste. “It’s mostly water so it’ll
probably be okay for you,” she said to an empty space where she thought the
alien was.

Much to her surprise and delight, the unseen
alien gently took the bowl from Egg’s hands. Egg was about to give her a clean
spoon but the bowl tilted and the green goop slid out and disappeared –
presumably down the girl’s throat. A moment later the bowl was offered back to
Egg.

“Just tap the bowl if you would like more.”

Tap.

“Bree, can you bring her another bowl . . . and
a spoon?”

The girl did as she was asked. Rejecting the
utensil, the bowl again was tilted back and the contents disappeared.

“Poor kid was obviously starving.” Egg accepted
the empty bowl and waited for another tap. None came.

“Egg, I’ve sent the instructions to the
crystal.”

“Thanks. Okay, my friend says it’s okay for you
to talk. What’s your name?”

“I’za” came a
barely audible reply.

“Hang on,” called Serenity. “Okay, try it
again.”

“Can you tell us your name again, please?”

“I’za.”

“Nice to meet you, I’za. First, can we get you
more food or water?”

“Soon.”

“Okay. Are you injured? Do you need medical
attention?”

“No. No, thank you.” Egg liked the polite
reply.

“Your ship looks damaged beyond repair. Where
do you come from? Can we take you home?”

The alien paused as if deciding how much to
trust these beings. Realizing her situation was dire, she had nothing to lose.
“I am from a ship called the Ark of Forever. But it was destroyed.”

“I’m so sorry. Are there any other survivors
that we might be able to help?”

“Survivors, most likely.”

“What caused the destruction of the ship?”

“The ship was destroyed by the PhoG.”
She seemed to think further clarification was unnecessary.

“We are unfamiliar with that term.” Egg assumed
she wasn’t saying fog.

“The Phantoms of Grey.”

Egg’s goose bumps did all but explode. Before
she could ask what this PhoG was exactly, Serenity asked, “Who was on that
ship? Are you explorers?” She didn’t ask, though she wanted to, if they were
invaders.

“The Ark is . . . was . . . a prison ship.”

“Oh my gosh.”

Chapter
9 – The PhoG

Bree, Bl’azzz, Serenity and Jax’x all spoke at
once. The resultant babble was worse that I’za’s screech. “STOP,” commanded
Egg. When the noise finally died down, she said, “I know there are a million
questions we want to ask. I’za probably has a few of her own. But let’s attack
this logically.”

“You are their leader,” came the disembodied
voice. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. We’re called the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

“To what purpose do you exist?”

“Forgive me because my answer is going to sound
very strange. We help people.”

“Like you are trying to help me?”

“Something like that. We can talk about it
later. Right now, we have a bigger problem.”

“If you refer to the PhoG, you are correct.”

“Egg”.

“Yeah, Serenity?”

“That might be what she has in her ship.”

Hoping against hope, Egg asked, “Is my sister
correct? Is there a . . . PhoG . . . in your ship?”

“Yes. The second one escaped.”

Well, this whole encounter was getting ugly in
a hurry. “Are they a danger to us? To you?”

“Oh yes.” The sound of her voice reflected some
inner horror.

“We can take you back to our ship. You’ll be
safe there.”

“No. Nor will you.”

‘Good grief’ Egg thought to
herself. ‘How could this get any worse?’ Naturally, the universe
overheard and answered.

“Egg,” called Jax’x. “There’s a ship
approaching.”

“Hail them,” instructed Serenity.

“I tried. No answer.”

“Scan them for life signs and weapons.”

It would take a minute or two for Jax’x to
comply. While they waited, the ground shook so hard that Bree fell over.
“Yikes.”

“Everyone okay?

“I have a small bruise on my knee. Shouldn’t
even have mentioned it,” answered Bree.

“How about you I’za?”

“I am fine.”

“I’za, how frequently have the quakes been
coming?” asked Serenity.

“Ever since the last ship left, about once
every rotation”.

“This planetoid is going to explode . . . maybe
within days,” explained the girl in the chair.

“That will solve one of my problems.”

“The PhoG in the ship?”

“Yes . . . assuming the containment field holds
long enough.”

“What about the second one? Won’t it be
destroyed also?”

“If it is still here when the explosion occurs.
Otherwise, it will follow us back to your ship.”

“Why can’t we stop it?”

“Because it is PhoG.” That was actually a
terribly scary answer even if it made no sense.

“Serenity, the scan’s complete.”

“And?”

“One life sign, lots of weapons and definitely
headed this way.”

“How long till it reaches us?”

“One hour, maybe a little less at its present
speed.”

Serenity turned to Egg. “You heard her. We have
an hour to get out of here.”

“Why do you think the ship is hostile?”

“Besides the weapons, it didn’t return our
hail. That’s against the rules.”

“Jax’x,” said Egg, “keep monitoring that ship.
If it does anything differently, let me know.”

“Will do.”

“I’za, you have to leave with us. The only
relevant question is how do all of us get off this world without the PhoG
following?”

“You must not wait for me. Leave now and I will
keep the PhoG from following.”

“Not happening. If that thing doesn’t kill you,
this exploding world most certainly will.”

“My ship is destroyed. It was my world and my
reason for being. There is no purpose to extend my lifespan. You will go . . .
with my thanks.”

“Am I looking you in the face?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Do I look like the type of person that
would leave another to die?”

“I have no way of knowing.”

Egg actually laughed. “It was a dumb question.
Sorry.”

I’za smiled though no one saw it. “You are a
very interesting individual. You all are. I’m sorry that I won’t have the
opportunity to know you better. Now, please leave.”

Before Egg could reject that idea yet again,
Serenity said, “She’s a chromatophore.”

“What?”

“She is like an earth chameleon. That’s why we
can’t see her. She’s not invisible – she just blends in perfectly to her
background.”

“Really? How cool is that?”

“There is no temperature fluctuation when I
phase with the background,” replied I’za.

Egg shook her head. “It’s just an earth saying.
That’s the planet I’m from originally. It means that what you can do is very
interesting.”

“It is my nature.”

“I’za,” asked Serenity, “Why haven’t you
reverted to your normal state?”

“I cannot.”

“Not enough ambient energy, I take it?”

“Correct. The sun is far too distant. Also, I
used my reserves to protect the occupants of the last ship from the escaped
PhoG.”

“I’m sorry, what does that mean?”

“I can release all my body’s stored energy
whenever I choose. The resulting bolt is enough to kill a herd of wild Zeppli.”

“Are they big – these zeppli?”

“Very.”

“So without this stored energy, you can’t go
from your normal state to the one you’re in. And, vice versa.”

“Correct. Eventually I will absorb enough
ambient light and radiation to do so. But on this world, it will take me many
revolutions.”

“Can we give you a jolt?”

“What are you talking about, Serenity?”

“Maybe we can provide her the energy to
recharge her batteries, so to speak.”

“I’za?”

“Can you provide . . . “and she went on to
describe in technical terms exactly what she needed.

“Absolutely”. Into her comm link Serenity said,
“Tee’ka, do you still have your staff weapon?”

“Sure.
I like to sleep with it.”

Say what?
Egg shook her head . . . warning the others not to laugh.

“Beam it down, if you would.”

“Here it comes.”

The weapon materialized and Bree retrieved it
for her sister.

Serenity adjusted the control setting. “Ready.”

I’za hesitated . . . a rational and normal
reaction. “Oh, infinite irrationality, go ahead.”

“Infinite irrationality?” repeated Egg.

“A saying – from my world.” Egg smiled at the
reply.

“Here goes,” and Serenity fired the weapon

“I’za . . . you okay?” No reply. “I’za?” Egg
turned to her sister “that thing was set to stun right?”

“Um, no. It was set to kill.”

“WHAT?”

*****

“Her DNA is designed to absorb energy of all
forms. This was the quickest way for her to regain her reserves.”

Egg couldn’t think of a reasonable reply.
Berating her sister wasn’t going to solve anything. Showing Serenity trust –
something she had well earned - would better serve the situation. “I’za. I’za”
she called.

“Look,” and Bree pointed to a figure slowly
rising from the ground.

Egg
ran over and offered her a hand. “You okay?”

The
woman smiled and accepted the help. “Thank you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I am fine. In fact, I am more than I should
be.”

That answer required a face scrunch. “What does
that mean exactly?”

Over the comm link Jax’x answered for the
alien. “She absorbed more energy than normal. She’s fully recharged . . .
probably a state that she seldom if ever achieves.”

I’za smiled. “Another member of your
sisterhood?”

“That was Jax’x. She’s been a sister for about
three weeks.”

Jax’x assumed that statement was a reprimand.
“Sorry Egg.”

“For what?”

“Speaking out of turn.”

Egg laughed. “Don’t apologize to me. It’s
Serenity who’s probably upset for being upstaged.”

The girl in the chair added, “Always remember
that when it comes to being a know-it-all show-off, I’m number one. Step on my
toes at your own peril.”

The comm link giggled.

And I’za smiled. “I sense great love. You all
are very fortunate to be members of such a family as this.”

“We are. If you’re feeling up to it, we have a
lot to talk about. Would you like more water or food before we start?”

“I have a great need for both. However, I
should give my body time to absorb what it has just received. Thank you again.”

“No problem. Just tell us when you’re ready.
So, I guess the most pressing question is where is that other PhoG? Are we in
imminent danger?”

“I have incapacitated it for the time being. We
are safe for a revolution.”

“What about the one in the ship?”

“My reserve power is failing. It, too, should
last for a revolution.”

“Then what? Why kind of danger does the PhoG
represent?”

“They are the constructs of evil and do their
bidding.”

“Yeah, sorry. No idea what that means. What do
you mean by constructs of evil?”

“Someone aboard the Ark created them. We have
not been able to find out who it was.”

“Okay. What about ‘do their bidding’?”

“They are endowed with the power to subjugate
the victims mind and force them into submission to do as commanded. But that is
only part of it.”

“Tell us the rest.”

“They live off of the negative energy of other
beings. Pain and suffering generate such energy.”

“If we can get off this planetoid without them,
they will be destroyed when it explodes. So why can’t we just beam up now while
it’s safe?”

“If we leave, they will follow. Once they have
your . . . scent . . . they will track you down eventually.”

“But if the planet explodes?”

“There is no guarantee they will still be on
it. If we can repair my ship’s energy source, then at least that one will be
caught in the planet’s explosion.”

Egg glanced at her two sisters whose eyes were
as wide as her own. She turned back to I’za. “While we repair your ship, you
and I need to track down and capture the other one.”

“I’za, how did you capture the two initially?”

“There is technology on my ship that attracts
them. The force field then holds them prisoner.”

“So why did your body jolt stop the other one?”

“It seems to overload their internal ability to
absorb the energy. In essence, it short circuits them for a short time.”

“In that case, can’t we just zap them with the
weapon we used on you anytime they get close?”

“It will only postpone the inevitable. Once
they register your electromagnetic signature, they can track you to the ends of
time.”

“Well, a delay is better than nothing. So, next
question is what were you doing on a prison ship?”

“I was a Keeper. I helped maintain order.”

“That’s why you had these two PhoG things I
presume?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of prisoners were on the Ark?”

“Every kind you might imagine. Political
prisoners, hardened criminals, societal outcasts, enemies of powerful people,
species that were considered inferior, species that were considered too
superior.”

“Why were they sent to this galaxy?”

“As far as I know, they just loaded the ship,
fired the engines and didn’t care where it went as long as it didn’t come
back.”

“And what is your species called?”

“I’m a Gek’a.”

“So you can become invisible by assuming the
pattern of whatever background you’re in . . . without limitation?”

“Yes.”

“Is that the reason you are a Keeper? You can
go into any of the habitats to observe without being noticed,” asked Serenity.

“Yes. But some species can detect my presence
even though I am, for all intent, invisible.”

“How many habitats are there?”

“There were one hundred.”

“And they are all functional?” asked Jax’x.

“No. Over the millennium, sixty-seven have
failed.”

“And everyone inside?”

“Lost.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Criminal,” corrected I’za.

“So of the thirty-three left, how many would
you consider to be dangerous to our galaxy?”

I’za hesitated as she considered her answer. “Five
definitely. Perhaps as many as twenty.”

“And the chance that they survived the
shipwreck?”

“Unknown but I would guess fairly high. The
ship was modular in nature. Each habitat can – could – survive without the
others.”

The conversation died as everyone digested the
information. Into the silence, Bree asked, “I’za, may I ask how old you are?”

“I do not understand the question.”

“How many years since you were born?”

“Sorry,” she answered apologetically.

“The problem is I’za doesn’t measure time like
we do. Living on an ark ship is not like living on a planet that revolves
around a sun,” explained Serenity. To the alien she asked, “How do you measure
the passage of time?”

“Time is not relevant when you are on an
endless voyage.”

“Ah” said the other three in unison.

“However, the ship rotates to create gravity (actually
that’s centripetal force that feels like gravity). We use the rotation duration
as our standard interval.”

“I’za, how many generations have gone by since
the voyage started?” asked Bree.

“Just one. My parents volunteered for this
journey. I am the first generation of my kind born on the Ark. Other species
are up to their third or fourth.”

“Do you know how far the Ark has traveled?”

“Many hundreds of light years.”

“I know I’m going to regret this,” said Egg,
“but how is it possible to travel so far and only go through two generations?”

Jax’x quickly responded, “Maybe they live a
very long time.”

“That makes sense, I guess.”

“Can’t imagine that all these species are so
long-lived,” interjected Serenity. “I think the answer is to be found in your
Theory of Relativity.”

“Knew it,” cried Egg. “I just knew it was going
to get technical.”

“Calm down, you simpering simpleton. All I’m
saying is that as the speed you travel at gets close to the speed of light,
time slows down for you. Back on her home world, maybe tens of thousands of
years have passed while I’za has only aged a couple of decades.”

“And?”

“That’s it.”

“Well, okay then.”

“Egg”.

“Yeah, Jax’x?”

“That ship just scanned us and you guys down
there.”

“Thanks. Keep monitoring them.” To the others
she said, “We have to go. I’za, assuming that I have no intention of leaving
you behind, can you suggest a course of action?”

“Me staying is your best course. Thank you for
the food and drink.”

“I . . .” but Egg didn’t finish. “What
happened?”

“She’s gone invisible.”

“Yeah, I got that. I’za . . . don’t do this
otherwise you’re condemning this whole section of the galaxy to suffer the
PhoG.”

The alien girl rematerialized.

“We need you to help us track down these
things. We also need you to help us track down all the occupants that might
have survived the destruction of the Ark. We have no idea how to interact with
them. Plus, your ship has the only technology needed to capture the PhoG. For
the sake of literally billions of people, I can’t let you sacrifice yourself.”

I’za considered Egg’s arguments. “Of course, you
are right. I was just trying to save you – to repay the kindness that you’ve
shown me. However, as you say, there is a much graver danger than just two of
these creatures. I will help you.”

“Great. We’re going to have to take your ship
with us so we can study the technology. That means we’re going to have to evict
that thing in there and neutralize it. But you zapping it with your bodily
energy isn’t the way to go. It means that we lose you for whatever time it
takes to recharge. So . . .”

Just then another quake hit . . . much more
violent than the last one. Egg and Bree were knocked to the ground. Rocks came
showering down from the surrounding cliff. A couple of very large boulders
smashed into I’za’s craft causing the front half to flatten into something
unrecognizable.

A baseball size rock hit the ship and
ricocheted at the girls . . . hitting I’za a glancing blow. It was more than
enough to render her unconscious.

Chapter
10 – Heartless Heart

“Egg.”

“Egg.”

The first cry was from Jax’x over the comm
link. The second from Serenity who had rushed forward in her chair to help I’za
who was bleeding profusely.

Egg staggered to her feet and did a quick
survey of the area. She reached out and helped Bree to stand. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

“Over here,” called Serenity.

The other two rushed to the fallen girl. “Bree,
get me something to put over this cut. Serenity - check out the craft . . . see
if that thing is still imprisoned.”

“Egg,” repeated Jax’x.

“Jax’x, we’re going to need to transport I’za
to the infirmary. Get Tee or Bl’azzz on it.”

“Egg, that ship is accelerating. It’ll be here
in a few minutes.”

“Perfect,” came the sarcastic reply. “Give me a
second to stem the bleeding on I’za” and she took a cloth offered by Bree and
pressed it to the injured girls gash. A moment later she removed it but the
flow of blood hadn’t stopped. “Bree, come here and hold this in place.”

The winged girl did as she was asked.

“Jax’x, beam them both to the infirmary.”

“What are you two going to do?”

“No idea. Go ahead and energize,” and the
injured alien and her nurse disappeared.

Egg got up and brushed herself off. “Serenity,
you okay?”

“Uninjured.”

“What about that ship . . . or what’s left of
it?”

“According to my readings, the creature must be
in the rear portion since that’s where I’m still getting an energy reading.
But, the power levels are dropping.”

The ground began to rumble and another huge
quake started. Egg grabbed Serenity’s chair and leapt skyward . . . trying to
get out of the range of falling rocks. Her quick thinking probably saved her
sister’s life as a rain of debris peppered the area they had just vacated. It
stopped as suddenly as it had started and Egg returned them both to what was
left of their camp.

“Is this thing going to explode sooner than you
thought?”

“I’d have to rerun the calculations to be sure.
However, this magnitude of quaking probably indicates that the end will be very
soon.”

“Egg,” came the call from above.

“Yes, Jax’x.”

“We’re being hailed by that ship.”

“Patch it through to me.”

“Done. Go ahead.”

“Approaching vessel, identify yourself.”

“Well
bless my black soul, is that you Princess?”

“Good
grief.”

“Now, now. It’s been three or four weeks and
I’ve missed you so much,” came the totally insincere reply.

“Xara, what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“We’re on a rescue mission. You know what that
is right? When someone does something nice for another?”

“Don’t be so mean. Maybe I can help you . . .
like the last time.”

“You nearly killed Jax’x.”

“That was her own fault. You all have to stop
trying to be heroes . . . it’s so nauseating.”

“If she hadn’t told me it was an accident, I
would have come after you myself.”

“Oh, please. Empty words from an empty-headed
little girl.”

Egg gnashed her teeth but kept her cool. “I’ll
ask you again – what are you doing here?”

“Rumor has it that there’s some alien
technology on that little planetoid. I thought I’d have a look – maybe acquire
it for myself.”

“Well, this isn’t your lucky day. First, this
little planet is about to explode. Check your own readings if you don’t believe
me.”

The comm went silent for about twenty seconds.
“Apparently you’re correct. Thanks for the warning.”

“That’s only half of it. There are two alien
entities down here called the PhoG. Very nasty . . .” and she explained what
I’za had said.

“I scanned that wreck you’re standing next to.
The power readings are dropping fast. Whatever is caged in there won’t be for
long.”

“We know. We’re trying to figure a way to leave
without them following.”

“Sure would like to get my hands of what
remains of that craft. Might be some interesting doodads in there.”

“Don’t be a complete idiot. That PhoG will kill
you – or worse.”

“Does seem like a big price to pay.”

“Why did you do it?” That was Serenity and she
was more than miffed that her ship was stolen then stripped.

“Is that the girl in the chair? I forget your
name.” No she didn’t.

“Why did you strip my ship?”

“We both know why. That AI that you had was
loyal to you. My guess is that if you got anywhere near it, you could retake
control. Couldn’t have that now, could I?” She was right, of course.

Serenity was about to argue but Egg put her
hand on the girl’s shoulder and shook her head no. “Why don’t you leave while
you can?”

“I intend to. However, I think I deserve a
parting gift.”

“EGG,” came a scream over the comm.

“Jax’x?”

“She took the power generator and the coupling.”
She now had everything she needed to fire-up the mini-MAGEK unit she had
stolen.

“Xara, put that back.” That sounded as lame to
Egg as it did to the other woman.

“I would love to – except that’s not in my
nature. Well, it is time to go. Good luck with all that stuff down there. And
Egg.”

“What?”

“I do hope you survive. If you didn’t, then I’d
be a Nemesis without anyone to nemiss.

“There’s no such word as nemiss.”

“That’s my bad. Anyway, love and kisses. Hope
to see you soon. Bye girls,” and the ship sped off into the blackness of space.

“Isn’t that just dandy,” sighed Egg.

“Not turning out to be a good day, is it?”

“Well, at least my hair still looks good.”

“Um, I hate to be the one to tell you, but . . .”

*****

“Egg.”

“Yes, Jax’x?”

“I’za’s wound doesn’t appear to be serious.
Bree says they stopped the bleeding. She’s now stitching it up.”

“Finally some good news.”

“Did you want the bad news?”

Egg’s head dropped to her chest in resignation.
“Go ahead.”

“Xara is coming back.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Sorry, that was a rhetorical question. Try
hailing the wicked witch.”

“Got her. Patching it through to you now.”

“What now Xara?”

“Princess, I was so excited by the unexpected
gift of the power unit that I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that this PhoG thing is going to cause
quite the stir amongst the population in this sector of the galaxy. And, that
ship – or what remains of it – has the only known technology that can contain
the little critters. That makes it a very, very, very valuable commodity. So, I
believe I’ll take it.”

“You can’t. I told you that there still one of
them in there.”

“I’ll figure a way to jettison it once I get
the ship on board.”

“XARA,” screamed Egg. “Don’t do that.”

“Too late,” and the girls watched in horror as
the remains of I’za’s ship dissolved.

“Thanks again for everything,” came a voice
dripping with sarcasm.

“That thing – it will get your scent and follow
you. Don’t do this.”

No response.

“XARA”.

No response.

“SHAZBOT,” screamed Egg.

“Why do you care so much what happens to her?”
asked Serenity.

“She’s evil. But once that thing gets inside
her, she’ll be a zillion times worse. What little humanity she has will be gone.”

“Oh. Hadn’t thought of that.”

“Well, now we are really and truly . . .” but
another quake interrupted what was about to be a fairly profane exclamation.

“On the bright side,” said Serenity once the
shaking had stopped, “we only have one PhoG to worry about.”

“I guess. Listen, go back to the ship and
recalculate when this planet is going to explode. Give me the weapon.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to stay here until the explosion.
Then I’m going to fly my butt off-world and catch up to you in the ship. If
that other PhoG comes looking for us, I’ll zap it with this thing (the weapon
she was now holding).”

“That’s a stupid plan.”

“Have a better one?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I’ll stay and
zap the little horror.”

“Xara was right about one thing – you people
need to stop trying to be heroes all the time. I’m Flying Girl and you . . . well,
you’re not. Case closed.” Then she smiled. “But thank you anyway.”

“Still don’t like it.”

“Go back to the ship. I need to know how long I
have to wait for the end of the world.”

“They won’t like it either,” stated Serenity
referring to the other sisters.

Egg ignored that. “Also figure out how far away
you need to be to keep the ship safe. Now go.”

“But . . .”

“Jax’x, beam Serenity to the ship and the girl faded
away.

*****

“I calculate a little under one revolution. As
for the ship, the best solution is for us to go behind one of those other
moons.”

“Why is that a good solution?”

“You won’t have to travel very far to rejoin
us.”

“Oh. Good thinking. So go now.”

“Why?”

“On the very, very, very, very small chance
that your calculations are wrong, I want to make sure you and the others are
safe.”

“I’m deeply offended.”

“More like deeply offensive,” teased her
sister. “Now go.”

“We’ll go . . . but not behind the moon. At
least, not until the last minute or two.”

“Because?”

“Because we would lose communications with
you.”

“Thanks but it doesn’t matter. You guys are NOT
coming back here no matter what.”

“You can’t stop us.”

“I want your word.”

“No.”

“Your word.”

Serenity hesitated. “Oh, alright.”

“Thank you.”

“Moving to a more interesting topic, do you
know what a PhoG looks like?”

“Um.”

“Hang on; I’za will describe it to you.”

“Don’t wake her.”

“She’s up and very agitated after we told her
your plans.”

“Great. Another mother. Put her on.”

“Egg?”

“Yeah, I’za. How are you feeling?”

“Please don’t do this.”

“It’ll be fine. The others can explain about me
being Flying Girl.”

“What is that?”

“They’ll tell you. Bottom line is I can fly off
planet at a very high rate of speed. And while I’m flying, my suit protects me
from injury. So, an exploding planet should not be a problem.”

“Have you been close to an exploding planet
before?”

“Um, not really. It doesn’t matter. When we’re
finished, talk to the others. Now, describe a PhoG to me.”

“It is a grey cloud roughly in the shape of a
humanoid.”

“Okay. That should be easy enough to spot.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“It only takes that form before it attacks its
victim. Otherwise, it looks like a grey shadow floating across the surface –
moving in deathly silence.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

A few seconds ticked by. “Egg, this is Bree.
I’za almost fell down from dizziness. She may have a concussion.”

“Put her to bed. Serenity, you there?”

“Yup.”

“Take the ship out of orbit like we discussed.”

“On it. Good luck.”

“Piece of cake.”

“Are you asking for cake? Are you hungry?”

Despite the goose bumps that just resurfaced,
Egg laughed. “Changed my mind. I’ll have some when this over”. It was easier
than explaining the phrase.

“You’re weird.”

“I prefer the word quirky. Now go.”

*****

A
revolution on the planetoid was only about an hour so Egg didn’t have long to
wait. She flew around looking for a good spot to defend if and when she was
attacked.

Remembering
a conversation she once had with Ezra, she decided to find a small hill and
take the high ground. She located a spot that was as good as it would get and
landed . . . and waited.

*****

“Everyone standby,” came Serenity’s
pronouncement over the intercom. “The planet should be going boom within
minutes.”

The girl’s voice woke I’za who was lying in the
infirmary with Bree and Bl’azzz standing watch. “I . . . I heard a voice,” said
a groggy patient.

Bree helped the alien to sit up. “That was
Serenity. The planetoid is about to explode.”

“And Egg? Where is Egg?”

“She’s still down there waiting to see if the
PhoG awakens before the explosion.”

“Did I tell her about the sound?” I’za did have
a small concussion and her memory wasn’t as crisp as it normally was.

“What sound?”

“The PhoG . . . the sound it makes before it
attacks?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It makes no noise until it is ready to
strike.”

“And then?”

“The sound it produces can render you
unconscious or at the very least, disoriented. Did I tell Egg? I can’t
remember.”

“I don’t think so. Bl’azzz, get Serenity on the
line.”

“Go ahead,” said the dragon.

“Serenity, there’s a problem,” and she relayed
the information.

“That’s just dandy. We have to get her out of
there.”

“Is there time?”

“Wait a second,” and the girl in the chair did
some quick calculations. “NO” she screamed in frustration.

“Dilute the sound.”

“Say what?”

I’za explained, “If the sound is blended with
another, she may be able to withstand the effects.”

“I can’t get her any equipment from where we
are. We’re too far away.”

“Then we have to risk the ship to get her out.”

“No,” said Bl’azzz. “There’s a better way.”

*****

About
a half million miles away, Xara slowed her ship. She had come up with a plan to
rid I’za’s wrecked craft of the unwanted guest. She beamed the whole mess into
outer space a few hundred feet from her ship. Then she had the AI transport
each piece back aboard . . . one at a time. What would be left floating out in
the void would be the PhoG.

It worked as planned.

She smiled then resumed her course.

What she didn’t realize was that the PhoG was
still alive (technically). It had Xara’s scent and it began to follow her ship.
It would only be a matter of time before it caught her.

*****

Even with all her concentration focused on the
entity, she never saw the shadow. It had slithered up the hill and stopped not
ten feet away. It studied its prey for a few seconds.

Then it reverted to its ‘normal’ self. Like a
mushroom growing out of the forest floor, it rose to its full height . . .
about eight feet. As I’za said, it was grey and vaguely humanoid . . .

. . .
and it scared the heck out of Egg. Just the sight of the thing caused her heart
to race from fear.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Egg
took the weapon and aimed.

But before she could fire, the thing started to
screech . . . a sound that pierced her ears, her heart and her soul.

She couldn’t help herself . . . and she dropped
the weapon. She tried putting her hands over her ears – but that did nothing to
mute the horrible sound.

The PhoG approached its victim. It didn’t rush;
it felt neither elation nor remorse. It was simply doing what it had been
created to do.

And in just a few heartbeats, Flying Girl would
become an unstoppable instrument of evil.

The PhoG

Book 2
of Ever After

Another Novel of

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

©Copyright 2016, by Robert
Iannone

All
rights reserved (Book
& Illustrations)

Table of Contents

Chapter
1 – Grim Fandango

Chapter
2 – E.G.; Phone Home

Chapter
3 – Even More Complicated

Chapter
4 – Never Say Never

Chapter
5 – Back to Work

Chapter
6 – What a Girl Wants

Chapter
7 – Slithering Sack of Silly

Chapter
8 – Neme-sissed

Chapter
9 – The Klat

Chapter
10 – The A.I. Yi Yi

Epilogue

Chapter 1 – Grim
Fandango

“Fandango Sally,” yelled Bl’azzz.

“What did she say?” asked Jax’x.

But Serenity was a quick study and understood.
“I’m on it,” she replied. She had no idea if this would work but she had to try
something. Her hands went to the controls and danced around the screen as she
found what she wanted. It took her only a few seconds to complete the task.
“Keep your fingers crossed.”

On the planetoid, Egg lay on the ground with
her hands over her ears trying to keep out the deadly and debilitating sound
emanating from the PhoG. It wasn’t working and the grey ghost was only a few
steps away.

Then
she yelped. There was only one thing in the universe worse than the sound of a
PhoG - the voices of seven silly sisters singing a Fandango Sally song . . .

NO
ONE, NO ONE . . .

Messes
with my sister, mister

Hurt
her . . . just you try . . .

Then
I’ll have to make YOU cry

Treat
her bad; make her sad….

Think
that’s fun? You’d better run.

Cause
she’s my . . .

Sister,
Mister. Sister, Mister

And,
NO ONE, NO ONE . . .

I said
NO ONE, NO ONE

Messes
with her.

It was
a duplicate recording of the same cruel but poetic gift they had given Mobius
and Bl’uddd for their long voyage of exile.

What do you get when a group of tone deaf girls
sing a fairly obnoxious song? Usually a splitting headache.

In this case, it was the cure for the sapping siren
sound of a severely sinister spirit. “GEEZ,” quipped Egg at the awful
caterwauling that was drowning out the PhoG. But her mind cleared and she was
now able to refocus on the imminent threat that was about to consume her. She
rolled to her right and away from the creature who didn’t seemed bothered by
her movement. It just adjusted its direction and continued on towards its prey.

Egg grabbed the weapon, and without trying to
aim, just fired point-blank. A whoosh of energy burst forth and engulfed the PhoG.
A moment later it simply melted into a grey puddle on the ground.

Then another quake hit – so powerful that the
ground began to groan and moan as the stress of gravity was beginning to split
it asunder.

“EGG”.

“I’m alright. Thanks for the help.” She didn’t
know why they had blasted that song at her but it was obviously the right thing
to do.

“Get out of there. NOW,” screamed Serenity.

Flying
Girl didn’t need to be told twice. She leapt skyward and concentrated on
putting as much distance as she could between herself and the planetoid– as
fast as she could.

Seventeen
seconds later, the girls on the Gracie screamed as they watched the miniature
world explode into a million tiny fragments. The debris raced outward at an
alarming speed that was both breathtaking . . . and deadly.

“Bloody Bedlam,” cried Serenity, cursing of
sorts in old English. She started to input orders into the navigation system.

“What are you doing?” demanded Bree.

“If we don’t get behind this moon – and fast –
what’s left of that planetoid is going to blast the Gracie into oblivion.”

“What about Egg?”

Serenity hesitated for a heartbeat. “She’s
Flying Girl. She’ll be fine.”

“How can you know that?”

“Bree, stop. Please.”

“Oh. Sorry,” she apologized when she realized
she wasn’t helping the situation.

Securing the ship and its passengers was
obviously Serenity’s first obligation . . . despite the overwhelming urge to
save her friend. “She’ll be okay.”

“Of course she will,” was the half-hearted
reply

*****

Back on Earth

“More coffee, dear?”

Grammy and Ezra were sitting in the breakfast
nook watching the morning news and sipping their first cups of coffee – a
routine that had become almost sacred to the aging couple.

“Actually,
if you don’t mind, I’ll think I’ll go back to bed for a bit.” Ezra’s coffee cup
sat by his hands, the contents hardly touched.

“What’s
wrong?”

“Nothing. Just a bit tired. Guess I didn’t
sleep well.”

Grammy got up and walked over to her man and
pressed her lips to his forehead. “No fever, but you do feel a bit clammy.”

“I’ll be fine. In fact I’ll just go sit on the
recliner and we can finish watching the news.”

“Do you really want to listen to those
candidates this early in the morning? They would make anyone sick.”

Ezra smiled. “I try to pretend it’s a sitcom.
Makes much more sense if you believe they are all comedians.”

“More like clowns. Come on, let me help you
over to the chair,” and she offered her hand.

Ezra took it out of respect. He pushed himself
up, looked at his wife and smiled.

Then he collapsed.

*****

The initial and most deadly wave of debris flew
past the moon that was protecting the Gracie. “Okay, our shields should protect
us from the rest of that mess,” said Serenity. She took the ship from its
hiding place and headed in the direction of the exploded planet.

“How are we going to find her?” asked Bl’azzz.

“I want you on the comm link and keep hailing
her. Wait a few seconds between hails – her response may be very faint. Go.”

“What else?” asked Bree.

“Go to the engineering station. I’ll program
your viewer to start a search pattern. Keep the magnification on high.”

“On it,” and Bree hurried over to her
designated terminal.

“Tee, you watch this main viewer.”

“Okay.”

“Jax’x, use the scanner – see if you can pick
up her life signs.”

“Absolutely.”

“Let me help,” offered I’za.

Serenity didn’t hesitate. “I want you to sit
here and monitor our flight plan. If we veer off this pre-set course, let me
know. I’m going to send out some probes to search the debris field.”

I’za slid into the command chair and did as she
was told.

“Serenity,” called Bree.

“You have something?” came the hopeful reply.

“No. I . . .I . . . never mind. Sorry.”

“Keep the faith, sister. We all know how lucky
she is.”

*****

Four hours later and nothing . . . nary a sign
of Egg.

Serenity was, by default, in charge of all
things technical such as the search. But now it was time for Bree to take
charge. She fully expected the chorus of complaints when she announced,
“Everyone, we need to take a break.”

She let it go on for a minute before she stood.
“We’re not helping Egg if we get so tired and loopy that we make mistakes.
Serenity, keep the automated searches going and route them all through the main
control panel. You can take the first two hour shift to monitor them if you’re
up to it.”

“Of course I’m up for it.”

“Good. I’ll take the next shift, then Jax’x,
Tee, Bl’azzz and I’za – if you’re willing?”

“I will do all that I can.”

“Thank you and I’m sorry. This isn’t how we
treat guests; you know, by making them work before we even get a chance to know
them.”

“Your sister is reckless but incredibly brave.
You have saved my life and it’s the least I can do to repay my debt.”

“Well, thank you”. To the room she said, “If
you’re off-duty, get some food and rest. I’za, I’ll show you how to use the
replicator and then I’ll take you to a guest cabin.”

Before anyone could move, Tee said, “I’m
scared.”

Bree turned to her sister. “Of what, Tee?”

“I’m scared for Egg. She needs us and we’re not
there for her.”

After seconds of silence, and without another
word, everyone went back to their stations and resumed their portion of the
search. Bree hung her head and exhaled. It would be useless to argue with them.

I’za touched the winged girl on the shoulder.
“Show me the replicator. I will bring everyone some food and drink.”

Bree smiled. “Thank you. We may be at this for
a while.”

*****

The flying suit was an amazing piece of
forgotten technology. Created over a thousand years ago, the science had been
lost when Mobius became ruler of Aerianna. Besides allowing Egg to fly, it
protected her from injury – be that from an inadvertent crash while flying or
entering a hostile environment such as deep space.

But it had its limits.

Protecting the girl from an exploding planet
was not something the scientists had envisioned. Nor had they considered
prolonged exposure to the vacuum of space.

She had tried to hide from the debris by
landing on the far side of a particularly large piece of the planet. It was a
very clever plan – poorly executed. She had significantly misjudged its speed
and crashed with a mighty thwack . . . kind of like a fly might feel when hit
with a swatter. Only the suit kept the results from being the same.

Having been rendered unconscious, Egg couldn’t
know that things were quickly getting serious as the hours ticked by.

Actually, serious was a bit of an
understatement.

Egg needed to wake and return to the ship in
short order.

Or she would die.

*****

Back on Earth

The paramedics had arrived within minutes of
being called. They had placed Ezra on a gurney, connected him to various
monitoring devices and sent his vitals to the local hospital. They were now
ready to put him in the ambulance.

“I’m going with you.”

“Of course, Ma’am. Just give us a moment to
move him.”

“Ezra, dear. I’ll be with you the whole way.”

“Ma’am, he slipped into unconsciousness. He
can’t hear you.”

Grammy, the ever strong woman who had been
instrumental in shaping Egg into the legend she had become, broke down and
cried.

*****

Another hour ticked by and still no sign of
Egg. The girls were past worrying . . . they were now in a state of denial.
Occasionally, a muffled sob could be heard - quickly replaced with silence. To
cry was to acknowledge the worst.

I’za wanted to say something – to snap these
women back to reality. However, she knew that wasn’t her place. So, she kept
doing what little she could to keep the search going.

It was Serenity who finally spoke the
unspeakable. “That’s it. There’s nothing more we can do.” If she was expecting
the others to argue, she was wrong. They were in shock and, after five hours of
nerve wracking effort, were mentally and emotionally exhausted. Her statement
was greeted with deathly quiet.

But that shock was about to be transformed into
awe. Into the silence, came the voice of a ghost. Not I’za. Not one of her
kind. It was the voice of an actual spirit.

“Sisters.”

Six heads snapped up.

“Great
Caesar’s Ghost,” yelped Serenity. (This time she was quoting from an Earth
comic book. The girl really did like to read). “On the viewer,” and she
needlessly pointed.

“What
is that?” asked an incredulous Jax’x. Her knowledge of dragons was limited.

“It’s Storm,” came the whispered answer from
the only one who had ever met him. Bl’azzz stood up and walked in front of the
viewer (causing the others to crane their necks so they, too, could see). “Hi,
Storm . . . it’s me, Bl’azzz.”

“Sister, it is good to see you again.”

I’za had no idea what she was looking at. “Who
is this individual?” she asked no one in particular.

“That’s the dragon Storm – at least, that’s his
spirit. He died about ten years ago” answered Bree. “He was the best friend to
the woman who was indirectly instrumental in creating the sisterhood”.

“I do not understand.”

“Me, neither.”

“He’s here about Egg,” stated Serenity with no
uncertainty. To the image on the screen she almost yelled, “She’s not dead.
Tell me she’s not dead”.

“Your sister is dying. If you are to save her,
you must make haste.”

“WE CAN’T FIND HER”. This time Serenity did
scream in frustration.

“I will take you to her. You must hurry,” and
the image started to fly off.

Serenity rudely pulled I’za out of the control
seat. “Get out of my way.”

“I apologize”. I’za was ever so impressed with
the emotion and loyalty of these people. And also intrigued. They could
communicate with the spirits of the dead. That was impressive.

*****

Back on Earth

As Grammy paced in the waiting room, Egg’s
parents came in. Mrs. Graystone went up to her mother and gave her a big hug.
“How is he?”

“They haven’t told me anything.”

“How are you holding up?”

“I feel like I’ve been zapped by a Mo’beye.”
That, of course, happened to her ten years earlier on Aerianna.

“Come over here and sit down.” To her husband
she said, “Can you get us some coffee, please?”

“I’ll be right back.” He turned to leave then
stopped and turned back. “Ellie, I’m so sorry,” he said softly to his
mother-in-law.

“Thank you dear.”

The doctor chose that moment to make an
appearance. “Mrs. Hightower?”

Grammy stood up – holding on to her daughter
for support. “Yes. How is my husband?”

“I’m sorry. The news is not good.”

*****

The chunk of the planet that held Egg had flown
right by the Gracie. Ironically, it was in that initial debris field that they
had hid from. The girls, of course, had no way to know that their friend lay
unconscious on its surface.

The ghostly image of Storm flew right into that
lump of rock and disappeared. He had done his part . . . now it was up to Egg’s
sisters.

“Beam me down,” command Serenity to the room at
large.

“I think you’ll need a space suit,” suggested
Bl’azzz.

“What? Oh, rats. Someone go get my suit.
Hurry.”

“Serenity, I found Egg. I just teleported her
to sickbay.”

The girl in the chair cursed. “Stupid me. What
was I thinking? Thanks Bree. Come on,” and she lead everyone out of the control
room.

As they made their way, Serenity was able to
tap out a command to the automated physician to start a resuscitation protocol.
The AI-directed apparatus could take and analyze vital signs, administer
oxygen, apply an electric shock to restart a stopped heart and a few other
basic procedures. It would, as a matter of safety, restrain the patient so that
he or she wouldn’t attempt to fight off any of the lifesaving activities being
performed.

By the time the girls got there, the automated
doctor was announcing in a feminine, but robotic voice, “Please stay clear.”
Two paddles descended from the unit and came to rest on Egg’s chest. “CLEAR,”
called the unit once again.

A surge of electricity flowed from the paddles
into Egg  . . . and her stopped heart. The girl’s body convulsed horribly.

“CLEAR”.

And the process was repeated.

“Stop that device,” commanded I’za.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s trying to save
her.”

“Please. I am better equipped.”

“CLEAR.”

Chapter 2 – E.G.;
Phone Home

“Auto Doc OFF”. Serenity turned to I’za. “You
better be right. Go.”

The alien girl went briskly to the surgical bed
holding Egg. She placed her hands . . . not over the girl’s heart . . . but on
either side of her head. With her eyes closed, her face was a study of total
concentration.

The other girls squirmed impatiently. The heart
monitor was flat-lined and flashing red. Egg’s breathing was somewhere between
faint and non-existent. She had less than a minute before her situation would
become irreversible.

Serenity couldn’t take it any longer. “Auto Doc
ON,” she yelled.

As the machine came to life, I’za momentarily
lost concentration. She looked up to see the automated system moving toward its
patient. She gave an irritated look at Serenity then reached out and touched
the unit. A flash of energy from her fingertips rendered the thing dead as the
proverbial door-nail. She turned back to Egg, closed her eyes once again . . .
and another flash of energy burst from her fingertips.

Egg was momentarily bathed in a cloud of
high-energy mist. Her sisters involuntarily yelped in surprise at the sight. A
moment later she gasped loudly – sucking in an hour’s worth of air into her
oxygen-starved lungs. Then she started to cough. She tried to cover her mouth
but her hands had been secured by the Doc. The restraints caused the befuddled
girl to panic and she began to struggle against them.

“EGG, EGG,” yelled Bree as she ran up to her
friend. She put her hands on the girl’s shoulders and tried to calm her down.
“Egg, you’re okay. You’re on board the Gracie. Egg, it’s okay.”

It took her a couple of seconds to make sense
of what she was hearing. Bree used the time to release her straps and help her
to sit up. Jax’x fetched a glass of water and held it as her sister took a sip.

“Thank you. What happened?”

“The planetoid exploded.”

Egg gave that information some thought. “I
remember. Right after I took off, it blew up. I tried to hide behind a large
piece of rock but . . . well, everything went black.”

“You were knocked out.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t Flying Girl at her best. How
long was I there?”

“More than five hours.”

“Really? I’m impressed that you were able to
find me in that chaotic mess.”

Bree looked at her sisters then back to Egg.
“We had a little help from a friend of yours,” she said with a dragon-sized
grin.

*****

As she was being helped off the table, Bree
gave Egg a quick summary of what had transpired . . . the hours of
nerve-racking failure followed by the unexpected visit from Storm.

“Nice to have a guardian angel,” quipped
Serenity.

“Yeah. You can never have too many of those. I
hope that means he’ll visit me when I sleep. It’s been too long and, besides, I
think I owe him a thank you.”

“Egg, you owe I’za one too,” said Bree.

“Sorry?”

“The Auto Doc wasn’t able to revive you so I’za
came to your rescue. She zapped you with something.”

Flying Girl walked up to the girl and gave her
a hug. “Not sure if you’re familiar with those. It’s called a hug and it means,
among other things, thank you.”

I’za surprised herself by giggling. “I am
familiar.”

“At least we have that in common. So, are you
also a doctor?”

“No. But as part of my training, I have been
taught how to administer aid to those injured. Your condition was not that
difficult. You had suffered a blow to the head and the resulting trauma was
disrupting autonomous brain signals to your heart.”

“If you say so. Well, whatever it was that you
did, thank you. Apparently you saved my life.”

“As you did mine,” was the gracious reply.

“I am curious about one thing,” and Egg turned
to Serenity. “Since when do you trust a person over technology?” She couldn’t
keep from smiling.

“It was just idle curiosity. Figured we didn’t
have much to lose,” came the sardonic reply. Everyone laughed. Her “I’m not
joking” brought on more of the same.

I’za showed her sense of humor when she added,
“She did turn the machine back on before I was finished. I believe she was
worried about you and was second guessing her decision.”

“Did she now? Care to explain, Serenity?”

“No.”

*****

They were back in the common room – everyone
seated and comfortable. Each person had a plate of food and something to drink.
Egg had changed out of her flying suit, took a shower and was back with the
rest – feeling ever so much better.

“Okay, we’ve got lots to do. We need to track
down Xara and get I’za’s ship back. We need to destroy the PhoG that’s probably
following her. We need to track down whoever is creating them. We need to find
the Ark and the survivors. We need to do something about the bad guys that I’za
thinks are a threat. Did I leave out anything?”

“Yes. We need to take some time to find out
about our guest,” said Bree.

Egg nodded. “You’re right. Sorry, I’za we’ve
been kind of rude.”

“As much as I look forward to that exchange, I
believe we all have more pressing issues to attend to. But thank you for being
so considerate.”

“We’ll compromise. Once we decide on a plan,
we’re going to have time on our hands before we get to wherever it is we decide
to go.”

“Speaking of which, don’t you think we need to
bring in reinforcements?” asked Bl’azzz. “I think this whole mess is bigger
than we can handle.”

“Agreed. At the very least, we have to inform
everyone in this part of the galaxy of what’s happening. After we eat, let’s go
to the control room. Serenity, can you hook us up with Meggy and Benny?”

“Can do.”

“Oh, and get Dazzle also.” That raised some
eyebrows since Rose had been retired for almost five years. However, no one
chose to question their leader.

*****

After a much-too-quick intake of food (they
kind of inhaled it), they went to the control room as planned.

“Did you want Benny first?” asked the girl in
the chair.

“No. In fact, bring him on last.” The girls all
turned toward Egg. “Don’t want him to think I have to call for help whenever
things get tough. He needs to know he’s no more than an after-thought.”

That brought on a round-robin of droll
comments.

“Yeah, after you go to sleep”.

“And after she wakes up.”

“And after she showers.”

“Hah, while she showers.”

“Alright . . . enough. For the record, only one
. . . maybe two . . . of you were right. And don’t even ask who.”

“May I ask what this conversation is about?”

“Sorry, I’za. Benny is Prince Ben’Edikk. His
sister is the Queen M’egg-Alynnia who is also a Hameggattic Sister.”

“You have a personal interest in him, I take
it.”

“It happened very recently. I promise I’ll
answer any question – on almost any subject – when we get the chance to relax
and talk.”

“I did not mean to pry.”

“We’re probably going to be spending a lot of
time together until this whole mess is cleaned up. You have a right to know as
much about us as you care.”

“Your openness and good nature – and I speak of
all of you – is unexpected and greatly appreciated. I already feel like an
honored guest.”

“That’s because you are. Okay, Serenity, make
the calls. No wait, hang on a second.” Again, everyone turned toward Egg. “You
need a nickname. It’s been bothering me for a long time and I don’t want to
think about it anymore.”

“You are just so weird. We are about to fight
the forces of evil yet again, and that’s what’s on your wee little mind?”

“Don’t you want my head clear as we go into
battle?”

“All in favor of making Tee our new leader,
raise your hand,” countered the girl in the chair.

“Four against two, you lose. Sorry Tee. Anyway,
BreeZee is Bree, Bl’azzz is Hot Lips, Tee’ka is Tee, heck, even Jax’x is Cat
Woman. So, unless you have one that you haven’t told us about, the rest of us
are going to choose for you.”

“I thought her nickname was grumpy,” said
Tee’ka.

“Good point. All in favor?”

“Wait. Wait. I’m not going to be happy if you
pin that on me.”

“What a surprise. Grumpy is going to be
grumpy,” teased Jax’x.

“Be nice. I know where you sleep.”

“Silly – I sleep like a cat. One eye open and
ready to pounce.”

“Stop stalling, Serenity. Last chance.”

“I hate you people. Anyway, my mom used to call
me . . . oh, this just galls me. She used to call me Sparkle.”

Laughter, catcalls, high-pitched whistling . .
. and a half dozen additional all around irritating responses from the
un-lady-like ladies.

“I knew I was going to regret this.”

“Okay, everyone quiet down.” That took a full
minute. “From now on, when appropriate, we will refer to Serenity as . . .
(dramatic pause) . . . Sparky.”

“NOOOO, I said Sparkle,” cried . . . um
. . . Sparky.

“Sparkle reminds me of Dazzle, so nope. All in
favor of Sparky?” Egg pretended to count. “It’s unanimous. Okay, Sparky, make
the calls.”

“I will get even,” the girl in the chair
muttered to herself – but loudly enough to be heard by everyone. “Here’s the
Queen.”

Meggy’s face appeared on the viewer. “Sisters.
Is there a problem?” This particular line of communication was reserved for the
sisterhood to be used primarily in emergencies.

“Hey, Meggy. Before I explain, I’m going to
patch in your mom and brother if that’s okay?” She may be a sister, but she was
still their Queen and deserved respect.

“Permission granted”. It was un-seemingly for a
queen to show surprise or question such a request from someone who she trusted
with her life.

A
moment later, the Queen Mother appeared. “Sisters, what an unexpected
pleasure.”

“Hi,
Dazzle. Sorry to bother you but we’re going to need your help.”

“Are you asking me to join you on a mission?”
she teased.

“Actually, yes.”

That was unexpected. “I see. Please, tell me
what I can do.”

“First, I’m going to bring Benny in on this
conversation. We’ll need his help also.” Egg nodded to Serenity who made the
connection.

The handsome blue face appeared on a third of
the screen. Forgetting himself for the moment, the Prince said. “Dearest
Gracie, miss me already? I can be there in a day or two if you would like.”

“Benny, your mom and sister are also on this
call.”

The poor guy looked left then right and noticed
the other two women for the first time. “Oh.” Those two ladies smiled at his
discomfiture . . . but discretely. “Mother. Sister.”

“Brother.”

“Son.”

“Since we’re re-introducing each other, let me
present our guest. This is I’za – a crew member from the Ark of Forever.”

“I am honored,” said the newcomer.

For their part, the three royals stared.

Egg smiled. “I believe this is the point where
one or all three of you say, ‘Welcome to our galaxy, I’za’.” No one else in the
universe would dare tease like that.

“Forgive me, I’za. My sister’s introduction
took us by surprise. It is not often we meet someone from a mythical spaceship.
On behalf of Aerianna, I welcome you.”

“Thank you, your Highness,” and I’za curtsied –
obviously with some experience.

“Egg, I believe you have my family’s undivided
attention.”

“Best make yourselves comfortable. This is
going to get complicated. Oh, before we start, Meggy you should know that
Serenity’s new nickname is Sparky.”

“Kill me now,” moaned Serenity.

“Sister, sometimes – and I say this with the
utmost love and affection – but sometimes I think you are crazy.”

“My mother had me tested. They said I was just
quirky.” She turned to the others in the room. “Right. Didn’t I say that?” If
rolling one’s eyes is a sign of agreement, then they all agreed.

Meggy covered her mouth with a hand to hide her
smile. Rose and Benny didn’t.

*****

“So let me start with the call we received from
Soar’elle. He asked if we could go to a planetoid where he had sent a team of
archeologists to look for evidence of the Ark.”

“And why would he do that?” asked Benny.

“They were having trouble with ghosts, of
course.”

“Egg”. That was Meggy gently warning her sister
to keep the jokes to a minimum. Quirky had its place, but this wasn’t it.

“Sorry. Some unseen force was causing havoc
with his people. He and Dr. Hoo both thought it could be ghosts. She, by the
way, is the head of the expedition. We agreed to take a look. The Doctor sent
her findings to us then left for the time being until we could figure out what
was going on.”

“I assume there were no ghosts,” intoned Rose.

“Well, judge for yourself.” She turned to I’za
and nodded. The girl understood and a split second later ‘disappeared’.  “Okay,
I’za. Thanks,” and the girl ‘rematerialized’. “Neat trick. She can blend in
with her background rendering her invisible. It was she that was causing the
trouble.”

“As you say – a neat trick,” repeated Meggy.
“I’za, do you possess some technology that allows you such ability?”

“No, Your Highness. It is my nature.”

“I see. May I ask what species you are?”

“We are called Gek’a.”

“And you felt you had the right to interfere
with citizens of this galaxy?”

“I’za, let me,” interrupted Egg, a little
irritated with her sister’s tone. “Meggy, she saved their lives. Oh, and mine,
by the way.”

“Could you elaborate,” asked the Prince as
casually as he could?

“I’za is called a Guardian – basically an
enforcer of the peace aboard the Ark. She was transporting two . . . creatures
. . . when the Ark blew up.”

“As you said Egg, this is getting complicated.
I’za, are you the only survivor of the destruction of your ship?”

“I have no way of knowing for certain. However,
based on the ship’s design, it is very likely others survived.”

“May I assume that is why you have brought this
to our attention?” asked Rose.

“Part of it. First, of the hundred species on
board the Ark at the beginning, about two thirds were lost to accidents or
whatever. Of the remaining, I’za feels that at least five could be dangerous to
us.”

“Why would they be dangerous?” asked the
Prince. “Surely, a civilization that could build such a ship to explore distant
galaxies would not seek out those they came to find and destroy them.”

“Benny, the Ark of Forever was a prison ship.”

“Good grief. Could this get any more
complicated?” It was a rhetorical question – at least he thought it was.

“Oh yeah. The creatures I’za was transporting
are called the PhoG. Someone aboard the Ark created them. They inhabit the
minds of their victims and basically take over.”

I’za added, “Once infected by the PhoG, there
is no evil that they won’t indulge in to accomplish their task.”

“Which is?”

“The destruction of their enemies. We were
still investigating this development when the ship was destroyed. We had not
discovered who created them or what the ultimate goal was. On the positive
side, we did create technology that could capture and imprison them.”

“Well, that is certainly a positive,” agreed the
Queen. Then she saw Egg shake her head. “Is there a problem, sister?”

“Oh yeah. Xara stole it.”

“I must repeat myself. Good grief. Could this
get any more complicated?”

“Um, yes. When she took the remains of I’za’s
ship with the technology, one of the PhoG was still in it. Even though I warned
her, she didn’t listen. The thing is probably following her despite whatever
she thought she did to get rid of it.”

“And?”

“And if it gets her, then Xara becomes an even
bigger evil pain in our collective butts. Pardon my French.”

Chapter 3 – Even
more complicated

“If I may, daughter?” Rose asked the Queen.

“As you wish mother.”

“Thank you.” To Egg she said, “First, I am so
pleased that you realized this situation was too complex for the Sisterhood to
resolve on their own. Calling for assistance must have been difficult but it is
most certainly a sign of great maturity.”

“Dazzle, we never had any intention of going it
alone. We think of ourselves as brave, not foolhardy. Besides, we have a right
to risk our lives as we see fit. We most certainly don’t have the right to risk
the lives of others.”

No one notice Benny’s chest expanding in pride.

“Well said, my sister. Be that as it may, I
believe the three of us would like to hear your plans on the matter. You have
more than earned the right to suggest a course of action for our
consideration.” This was actually directed at her children, not Egg. But
mothers everywhere know when an indirect approach would better yield the
desired outcome than direct confrontation.

“Thanks. My sisters and I will go looking for
Xara. We need to get that technology back. Moreover, and this is galling, we
need to protect that woman from the PhoG.”

“I concur,” said Meggy trying to reassert her
position.

“Then, I think Benny and his fleet need to go
track down what’s left – and who’s left – of the Ark. However, at this point,
he should not make contact.”

“Why is that?” asked the Prince.

“I think I’za needs to be part of that process.
After all, she knows these people the best.”

“Again, I concur.”

“Next, I think you, Meggy, need to commission
your mom to visit the Federation and warn them about what is going on. After
all, she was President at one point.”

“But?” asked Rose who knew Egg better than
anyone (except Grammy and Sylvia).

“But, you have to insure that they take no
action. Until we deal with the PhoG, anyone getting involved might end up being
turned into enemies.”

“Your reasoning is impeccable,” commented the
Prince who was absolutely bursting with pride.

“Nice to hear,” came the teasing response.
“Couple of more things. First, we should get K’ssss and her dad working on the
technology to capture and destroy the PhoG in case we can’t get I’za’s ship
back. Second, we need to get the brains at the university working on the
alternate universe thing we discovered on Spell ‘Bound.”

That was a bit surprising. “Why, sister?”

Egg hesitated as she gathered her thoughts.
“What I’m about to say, I do on behalf of the Hameggattic Sisters even though I
haven’t asked for a vote. It is something that is non-negotiable.” She looked
at the three images on the screen, one at a time.

“Please continue,” said Meggy who, like her
brother and mother, was confused.

“If some of these aliens are a threat and that
threat cannot be peacefully resolved, I will not stand for any violence.”

“Are you saying that if they mean to harm any
member of the Federation, we do not have a right to defend ourselves?” Benny
didn’t like this turn of events.

“I will not be party to the deaths of anyone,
for any reason. If there is no other way, then we will send any would-be
aggressor into the alternate universe. Have I made myself perfectly clear?” Egg
was pushing her relationship with the House of M’earth to its very limits.

“We will consider your suggestion,” responded
Meggy after a bit.

“No. That doesn’t work for me. I want your word
. . . all three of you.”

“Or what, Sister,” came the testy reply.

“The Sisterhood will defend anyone that the
Federation means to wage war against. Their fight will become our fight.”

The statement was so shocking that no one –
neither the images on the screen, nor the girls on the ship – could respond.

Finally Meggy said, “I see. As a member of the
Sisterhood, I believe I have a right to call for a vote – and I do so now.
Bl’azzz, how say you?”

“Egg is way smarter than I’ll ever be. If she
says this is the right thing to do, then she has my vote.”

“Serenity?”

“Even though she stuck me with ‘Sparky’, I
would never vote against Egg.”

“Tee’ka?”

“Egg was the first person to ever become my
friend.” Apparently she felt that was all that was needed to explain her
position.

“BreeZee?”

“Your Highness,” she said – not so subtly
putting Meggy in her place. “I will follow Egg to hell and back if she asks.”

“And Jax’x?”

“Where they go, I go.”

“Very well. Mother, how say you?”

“I am not a sister.”

“Egg made you an honorary one. However, I am
asking you as my advisor.”

“If the alternate universe option is available
– and that apparently is a very big if – then I agree with Egg.”

“Brother?”

“I am sorry . . . but I could not disagree
more.”

“Why?” asked Egg, more than a bit taken back.

“Because you would be condemning this alternate
reality, whatever that may be, with our problem. Some other civilization may be
put in harm’s way because you chose not to act.”

The man in the blue skin had just made a very
valid point.

I’za felt she had a right to contribute a
suggestion. “If I may?” she asked.

“Go ahead, I’za.”

“Why not send those who would do harm back from
whence they came? It would take thousands of years.”

“Send them back home? That’s brilliant. I can
live with that. What about you, Benny?”

“I believe the earth expression is ‘turn-around
is fair play’. I’za, excellent suggestion.”

“Then we are in agreement,” stated the Queen.
“Is there anything else at this time?”

“That should do it. Benny, we’ll send you
whatever data we can about the course of the Ark.”

“Thank you. That will be most helpful.”

“Egg, before we go. May I speak with you
privately?” asked the Queen.

“Sure. Sparky, patch this through to my cabin.”

*****

“Okay, Meggy. We’re alone.”

The young woman went right at it. “Your
ultimatum was childish and insulting. I am foremost the Queen of Arianna and
you are my subject. Do not ever deem to take such liberties again. Do I make
myself perfectly clear?”

“If you’re asking me to choose between my
belief in the sanctity of life or your delicate feelings, guess what sister –
you lose.”

“Perhaps the legend of Flying Girl is going to
your head.” This was turning into a real cat fight. “Maybe you should go back
to earth for a while. Grammy could knock some sense into that thick head of
yours.”

At the mention of her grandmother, Egg’s
goosebumps popped up. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look,” and she held out her arms. “What’s
going on with Grammy?”

Meggy had thought to be clever. She wanted to
shame Egg into going home to see her grandmother. Telling her sister that
Ezra’s health was failing just seemed wrong since no one in Egg’s family wanted
to burden the girl with the news. Like her mother who thought she was being clever
by being indirect, Meggy had tried the same tactic. And failed miserably.

“You need to go visit her. Egg, you need to go
now.”

“TELL ME,” she screamed. “Is she sick?”

“No, no. It’s Ezra. He is dying.”

Egg’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes grew
wide in horror. Her first thoughts were for her grandmother and the pain she
must be feeling.

*****

Meggy had been able to arrange for Grammy to
speak with Egg – no small task since the woman refused to leave her husband’s
bedside.

“Hi, Grammy.”

“Hello, dear,” then she started to cry.

Egg involuntarily made to hug the woman who
meant the most to her in the entire galaxy then stopped. She was a zillion
miles away and it was only her grandmother’s image she was sharing.

“Oh, Grammy. I’m so, so sorry.”

The woman blew her nose and dabbed her eyes. “I
know. I didn’t want to bother you when you’re out amongst the stars saving
people. But, my dearest granddaughter, I needed to see you and hear your voice.
Thank you for taking the time.”

“Grammy, I’m coming home to be with you. Benny
is sending his fastest ship. I’ll go to Aerianna then use my ring to teleport
to Earth. I’ll be there the day after tomorrow.”

The older Eloise wanted to argue . . . but she
wanted her granddaughter by her side even more. She couldn’t even pretend to
protest. “That would be wonderful.”

“Grammy, what exactly is wrong with Ezra?”

“It was a stroke. There’s a clot on his brain
and . . . and . . . and he’s dying.” She broke down again.

Egg tried to be strong but she started to cry
too. Every time she tried to say something comforting, her tears fell even
harder. Finally, she managed, “Would you tell him I’m coming? Tell him he can’t
leave until I get to talk to him again. Okay?” It was heartfelt and obviously
silly.

“Of course . . .” and the link went dark to the
sounds of sobbing.

*****

Benny’s ship was due in an hour. Egg couldn’t
keep still – pacing back and forth, alternating between tears and
hyperventilating.

“Egg, Syl is on the comm link,” called
Serenity.

The girl turned on the device. “Hey, Syl.” They
had already talked once so she wasn’t sure why her friend was calling again.

“I talked with Benny. His ship will take me to
the Gracie after he drops you off.”

“What? Why?”

“My classes can wait for a bit. The sisterhood
needs another warm body while you’re gone. So, with me there, you can take as
much time as you need to help Grammy.”

Egg felt like a huge weight had been lifted off
her chest. “Oh, Syl. Thank you.” Hunting for Xara couldn’t wait for her return.

“Just tell Grammy I wanted to be there with
you. Tell her how much I love her . . . and Ezra.” Then Egg’s Feminion broke
into her own sobs.

Egg could only nod as she hung up.

*****

The sisters and I’za were in the control room.
Benny’s ship had just hailed them. They would be rendezvousing in minutes.

“So, Syl will be joining you in a few days to
join the search for Xara.”

“That’s great,” responded Bree. “And you have
to promise to take as much time as you need. Worry about your grandmother, not
us.”

“I will. Thanks.”

“Egg.”

“Yes, I’za?”

“Your grandfather, what ails him if I may ask?”

“He had a stroke. That’s when a blood clot
forms and travels to the brain.”

“Can they not disintegrate the blockage?”

“It’s not operable.”

“Egg, would your grandmother allow me?”

“Allow you to do what?”

“The technique is similar to that which I
performed on you.”

“What?” She didn’t want to believe she just
heard what she thought she had. “Say that again.”

“I can cure your grandfather. My energy
emanations can easily dissolve the clot.”

“Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my
gosh.” She ran up to the alien girl and hugged her for all she was worth –
though this time the tears were from joy.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

*****

“Egg, Benny is hailing.”

“On screen.”

“Can’t. He’s only sending voice. Here he is.”

“Egg, are you ready to leave?”

“Yes. Why can’t I see you?”

“Because I am going with you to Earth.” That
didn’t actually answer the question.

“Benny, I told you. Earthmen would freak out
over your blue skin.”

“Please turn on your viewer.”

Egg
nodded to Serenity and the screen came alive. “What the . . .?”

“I am
no longer blue.”

“What happened?”

“I
contacted the greatest face painter on Aerianna. That would be your sister
Sassi.”

“She
instructed one of my technicians in the proper techniques of her trade. There
is now no reason I cannot accompany you. My place is at your side during such
times. I will hear no argument.”

“Wow, now I know what love is,” whispered
BreeZee.

Egg finally found her smile. “You big lug, of
course you can go.” Then she added, “But I like you better in blue.”

“Let us not dally. Transport aboard as quickly
as you can.”

“Okay. Oh, Benny. I’za is coming with us.”

He was surprised but chose to accept the
statement without question. “As you wish.”

*****

Aerianna

Benny’s ship entered orbit and he, Egg and I’za
beamed down directly to the Throne Room. M’egg-Alynnia, Rose and Lord Z’kkk
were there to greet them.

All three royals went up to Egg and gave her a
hug and their condolences. Then they welcomed I’za as the honored guest that
she was.

“My ship is headed for Zynn-Zaz’zia to collect
Sylvia and take her to the Gracie so that the Sisters can continue their search
for Xara,” explained Benny.

“She has informed us,” replied his sister.
“Now, you three need to go to Earth. Ezra’s condition is deteriorating. Time is
of the essence.”

Egg didn’t need to be told twice. “Benny, I’za
– hold on to an arm. Ready?”

“Yes” and “Yes”.

Egg touched her ring and the three disappeared.

“I
do hope they make it in time,” stated the perennially young looking Lord Z’kkk.
“I rather liked the chap.”

“This
family owes Eloise more than we can ever repay,” said Rose. “We should pray for
her husband’s recovery.”

“Mother, we practice no religion on Aerianna,”
reminded her daughter.

“Perhaps that should change.”

“I will consider it,” agreed Meggy.

“On a more personal note, what did you two
think of Ben’Edikk? Does his new skin color suit him?”

“I much prefer my son to be a person of color.
It gives him so much more character,” declared the young man’s mother.

“Indeed. I could not agree more.”

*****

Earth

They materialized in the parking lot of the
hospital. Egg decided to risk it since it was after dark. She took Benny’s hand
and walked into the lobby and up to the receptionist. I’za was right behind
them – invisible.

“Can you tell me what room Ezra Hightower is in
please?”

“Certainly,” and the young woman tapped at her
computer. “Oh dear. He’s been taken to Intensive Care. Take that hallway to
your right.”

“Thanks,” and she hurried off dragging the
Prince with her.

“What is intensive care?” he asked.

“That’s where they take patients who are in
critical condition.”

They reached the ward in short order and asked
another receptionist to let them in.

“Are you family?” she asked.

“He’s my grandfather and this guy is my fiancé.”

The woman nodded then buzzed them in. Benny
dallied a moment to be sure that I’za made it through the doors before they
closed.

“Room C,” called the receptionist and pointed.

“Thanks,” and they virtually ran.

They found the room and entered without knocking.
Ezra was on the bed hooked up to an obscene number of tubes and wires and
monitors. Grammy and a doctor were on either side.

It took a moment for Egg to understand what she
was witnessing.

The heart monitor had flat lined and was
beeping insistently.

Blood pressure showed zero.

There was no sign of respiration.

Grammy was holding her face in her hands.

And the doctor was straightening up after
having check Ezra’s heart. “We’ve lost him. I’m so sorry but he’s gone.” He
reached for the sheet covering his patient and started to lift it over Ezra’s
face.

Chapter 4 –
Never Say Never

Somewhere in the
depths of Space

One of the thirty or so habitats that had
survived the journey fired its rockets and slowed. They had arrived in the
neighboring galaxy almost precisely where the self-aware computer had
predicted. And there was much to celebrate.

The plan to destroy the Ark had been executed
as expected. Aware of the other’s nefarious strategy to end imprisonment, the
AI implemented its own counter-plan and had this module ejected without damage.
Fortunately, a handful of other habitats had also been expelled intact. They
might survive. The rest remained attached to the now ‘dead’ Ark and were doomed
since the host ship was careening out of control. A devastating collision with
a planet or star would be unavoidable.

Most exciting was the discovery that this part
of space held hundreds of inhabited planets . . . worlds just ripe to be
conquered by the Klat if the need arose. Their superior strength,
augmented by this Artificial Intelligence, represented a force of nature that
could not be stopped. They would have their own planet – even if they must
fight to obtain it.

The Klat’s assumed superiority was not always
the case . . . evidenced by their inclusion on the Ark of Forever. But that was
before the AI became sentient.

And now it had created the Phantoms of Grey.

Let their enemies beware. Surrender or die.

Either choice was acceptable.

*****

Earth

Egg pushed her way to the bed and ripped the
sheet out of the man’s hand. “Benny, show the doctor out.”

“What? Who are you?”

“I’m his granddaughter. Please, leave now. It’s
a . . . um . . . a religious thing.”

“Oh. Of course. Mrs. Hightower, I’m sorry for
you loss. Take all the time you need.”

Benny took the doctor by the elbow and
practically dragged the bewildered man out into the corridor. He thanked him
for his efforts then stood guard so no one could enter.

Inside, Egg didn’t need to say anything to her
companion. I’za materialized and put her hands on to Ezra’s temples and went
into her trance like state.

“Egg?” said Grammy in bewilderment – her grief
temporarily forgotten.

“Grammy, this is I’za. She has certain . . .
powers. She once saved my life and she thinks she can do the same for Ezra.”

“Egg, he’s dead.” That dreaded word caused her
tears to begin to flow freely down her cheeks once again.

“How long?”

“Just . . . just as you came in. You’re too
late. He’s gone.”

Egg turned to I’za. “Is it too late?”

No answer. A moment later there was a flash of
energy from the alien’s fingertips that arced into Ezra’s head.

Grammy gasped.

Then Ezra did the same.

*****

Two Days Later

“Permission to come aboard.”

“Granted.”

A
moment later, Sylvia Hampton, Feminion to Egg of Earth, materialized in the
control room of the Gracie. “Hi, guys”.

“Love
your hair.”

“Thanks Bree.”

“It would be prettier if it was curly.”

“Tee,
I would never steal your look. Besides, it only works on you.”

“True
dat,” she replied.

“Now you sound like Egg.”

“Thank you.”

“Hi,
Sylvia. I’m Jax’x.”

Syl walked
up to the newest sister and gave her hug. “Great to finally meet you.”

“Likewise. I have so many questions I’d like to
ask you. Maybe when we get some time later?”

“I’d like that. Needless to say, I probably
have as many as you do. So much about you I don’t know. For instance, you also
have red hair. Maybe we should make that the official color of the sisterhood,”
and she laughed at her own silliness.

“Enough jibber-jabber. Get your farm fresh face
over here and give me a hug,” demanded Bl’azzz.

“Never argue with a prehistoric monster, I
always say,” and Syl did as she was asked. She then gave one to the others.
When she got to Serenity, she started to say something but the girl cut her
off.

“You say the word Sparky and I’ll turn your
hair white.”

“Ahhh, it’s such a cute nickname.”

“No, no. You people can’t fool me. I looked it
up. Sparky was the name of the dog in some dumb movie called Frankenweenie.
Frankenweenie!  . . . if that’s not meant as an insult, then go ahead and call
me it.”

“Thanks, Sparky.”

“Grrrrrrr.”

“Add the burp and you’d sound like Jynxie,”
teased Bree.

“Did you hear she found a mate? Sometime next
year we get to be grandparents.”

“We heard,” said Serenity trying to pop Syl’s
endless reserve of good-naturedness.

“Oh.”

“Any word from Egg?”

“Yeah, Bree. I thought they would have told
you. They got there just as Ezra died.”

“I’m so sorry. Poor Grammy.”

“No, no. It’s all good. I’za zapped him somehow
and literally pulverized the clot and then restarted his heart.”

“He’s alive?”

“He’ll need a fairly lengthy time to recover as
well as therapy to learn to talk again . . . the after-effects of the clot.
But, given some hard work and loving support, he should be almost as good as
new.”

“We need to find a way to send our love to
Grammy and Ezra,” said the ever-thoughtful Bree.

“Does anyone find it beyond weird that we met the
only person that could save Egg and her grandfather?” asked Bl’azzz.

“No,” respond Sparky. “We all know that the
luckiest person in the known universe is our beloved leader. Finding an alien
from a distant galaxy with just the right super powers is exactly what you
would expect.”

“I don’t know,” said Syl. “If she was so lucky,
she wouldn’t need saving in the first place.”

“She’s a drama queen,” replied Serenity not
unkindly. “If it doesn’t involve life and death, she gets bored.”

“She does live on the edge,” agreed her closest
friend.

“More like teeters on the brink.”

After a few moments of silent comradery, Jax’x
asked, “What now? Syl is here to help us find Xara. Where do we start looking?”

Everyone shrugged except the girl in the chair.
“Come on Librarian, figure it out.”

“What did you do?”

“I’ll say it again, figure it out.”

“What’s with these two?” asked Syl of Bree,
sensing some kind of competition.

“They think they’re the two smartest people
within a million miles. They try to one up each other.”

“Really?” To Serenity she asked, “Can anyone
play this game?”

“Ha. Just because you’re smarter than Egg
doesn’t make you a genius like me or a pretend genius like her.” It was said in
jest.

“If I get it right, what then?”

“I’ll give you the same wager I give Jax’x. If
you win, I’ll wear a smile for a week,” and her mouth formed a . . . um . . .
sneer-ish looking smirk. Like before, it was a disturbing sight.

Syl groaned and threw her hands in front of her
eyes. “Stop, I beg you,” she teased. “You’re going to give me nightmares,” and
everyone laughed except Sparky.

“That’s the common consensus,” said Jax’x.
“It’s the only reason I lose these bets . . . to save my dear sisters from that
horror.”

“And now you know why I always make the same
bet. Took you long enough to figure it out.”

“Syl put these two in their place. Tell Sparky
the answer,” begged Bl’azzz.

“Quite simple, actually. She recorded the
energy signature from Xara’s engines. With our instrumentation, we can follow
it for maybe a week before it dissipates. And, by its strength, we can tell how
close we’re getting well before we get into sensor range. That would be hers as
well as ours.”

Everyone turned toward Serenity.

“Beginners luck.”

*****

Earth – the last two
days

Egg went to the door and told Benny to call the
doctor. The man in the white lab coat arrived and entered the room. He was
about to ask how he could help when he noticed the heart monitor – the red
warning light and the beeping had stopped. The readings were almost normal.

A quick glance at the other instrumentation
told the same story. The patient, clinically dead a few minutes ago – had
miraculously recovered.

“My goodness. I have never . . .” but he didn’t
finish. He bent over the still unconscious form of Ezra and checked his heart
with a stethoscope. “Well, I’m dumbfounded. His vital signs are all back to
within a fraction of normal.”

He looked up and was surprised to see that the
others weren’t. “Did you do this?” he asked Egg.

“Must have been the power of our prayers.”

“I see. Well, I’m going to have him taken to
radiology for another CAT scan. It’s possible the clot has passed out of harm’s
way. Excuse me for a moment,” and he left to get a nurse and to order the
test.

Grammy still had her hand over her mouth,
stunned at the turn of events. The tears were still flowing but now it was just
an emotional release. She looked very unsteady as she stood staring at her
husband.

“Come on, Gram. Sit down.” Egg led the woman to
the only chair in the room

“Oh, dearest. Will she come back so I can thank
her?” referring to I’za of course.

“Grammy, she hasn’t left.” She turned and faced
an empty space and said to thin air, “Just for a quick second.”

I’za reappeared. “You are most welcome,” and a
moment later she was gone.

“I don’t understand,” mumbled Grammy, her eyes
wide from witnessing the apparition.

“We’ll talk later.”

A nurse and an aide came in, detached some of
the tubes and wires, and then wheeled Ezra out of the room. A half hour later
the doctor found the family in the waiting room. “I am pleased to tell you that
there is no trace of the clot. I wish I could explain it but I can’t. Your
husband is out of danger and I expect a full recovery. But, I must warn you that
his speech will be impaired from the damage caused by the clot. However, I can
recommend a wonderful therapist that can help him regain most of what he has
lost. You and he need to be patient because these things take time. Now, Mr.
Hightower is resting comfortably and it’s past visiting hours. I strongly
suggest that you all go home and get a good night’s sleep. It’s been a very
trying time for everyone.”

Egg answered for her grandmother. “Thanks, Doc.
We will.”

“Miss?”

“I’m called Egg.”

The man couldn’t help but smile at that. “Of
course you are. Anyway, perhaps when there’s time, you can teach me that
prayer.” He was mostly serious.

“Sorry, Doc. It only works for true believers.”
She took one of Grammy’s arms while Benny took the other and they walked out.

*****

Still on Earth

They went to Egg’s childhood home where her
parents were waiting for them. Egg had used her grandmother’s cell phone when
they were still at the hospital to relay the good news – but didn’t mention how
it came about.

Mrs. Graystone opened the door and grabbed her
mother. “Mom, I’m so happy for you . . . and for Ezra, of course. What a
miracle.” She led the older woman into the living room and made her
comfortable.

Mr. Graystone greeted his daughter and the
Prince – one with a hug and the other with a handshake (which Benny was now
prepared for). Upon shaking the young man’s hand, it finally dawned on him that
he was the wrong color (at least, a different one). “No offense, Ben, but what
happened to your blue skin?”

“It is still there, sir. I had one of my
technicians ‘paint’ me white so that I could accompany your daughter to see her
grandmother. She has tried to explain that skin color is a concern to the
citizens of Earth but I do not believe I have a full understanding.”

“I’ll make it simple. Prejudice coupled with
ignorance. We can talk about it later if you’d like. Come in and make yourself
comfortable in our humble abode.” The two walked in but Benny stopped and held
the door open.

“Pop, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”

Mr. Graystone smiled and looked past Benny to
see who else was coming in. There was no one. “Egg?”

“Look behind you.”

The man turned just as I’za ‘rematerialized’.
“Whoa”.

“I’za, this is my father. Dad, this is I’za,
late of the Ark of Forever and a visitor to our galaxy. She also is the reason
Ezra is still alive.”

“Greetings,”
said the alien not sure of the proper form of introducing oneself to an
earthman.

His
response could be excused. “How did you do that?”

“Dad, she’s like a human chameleon”. Any other
explanation would be a waste of time. “Just say hello and thank you.”

“I’za, sorry for my lack of manners. Welcome to
my home and thank you for helping Ezra.” A second later he added, “Exactly how
did you help Ezra?”

“Let’s go into the living room so Mom and
Grammy can hear this conversation,” and they did. An hour later I’za was shown
to Ashley’s old room while Benny was made comfortable on the fold-out couch.
Grammy, against her will, was to share a bed with her daughter. And Mr.
Graystone found his old army cot and pulled it into the living room.

*****

The Next Morning

“Dad, can I borrow the car?”

Mr. Graystone laughed. “Never thought I’d hear
those words again. Keys are in the bowl in the hallway. Take your time, we’ll
use Mom’s car to take Grammy to the hospital.”

“Thanks. Come on Benny. You, too, I’za.”

“Would you two not prefer to be alone?”

“He would, but I wouldn’t. Best if you fade
away before we go.”

I’za did as asked and the three made their way
to the garage. Benny stopped to marvel at the mechanical contraption. Mr.
Graystone had just purchased a new midnight blue convertible. It held four –
but only two comfortably. “It is magnificent,” and he ran his hand lovingly
over the hood.

“I’za, just so you know, every male on this
planet reacts the same way. Don’t ask me why.”

“Like the Prince, I have never encountered such
a conveyance as this. It is quite marvelous.”

“You won’t be so infatuated when you try to
make yourself comfortable in the back.”

Everyone got in and engaged their seat belts. “Where
are we going?”

“Thought you might like to see the town where I
grew up. We’ll even go by Syl’s home. I’za, Syl and I first started the
Hameggattic Sisterhood in the attic of her house.”

I’za gave that some thought. “Would I be
correct to assume that attic in Hameggattic refers to that place?”

“You would.”

“Of course, Egg refers to you. What does Ham
refer to?”

“That’s the first three letters of Sylvia’s
last name – Hampton.”

“And you were very close?”

“Was and still are.”

“Did you bond when you first met?”

Egg laughed. “Actually, I really, really
disliked her.”

“How odd. What changed?”

“I became Flying Girl.”

*****

They drove for hours . . . Benny refusing to go
home until he saw everything.

“Listen, now that you’re able to disguise
yourself, we’ll come back after we take care of the Ark stuff and we can do a
tour of the whole country. Heck, the whole planet. What you’re seeing now is
really an insignificant piece.”

“Is there actually much more to see?” The
Prince was not overly impressed considering he lived on a city that floated.

“Yeah. We earthlings have accomplished some
pretty interesting things. Plus, this planet is incredibly beautiful. My home
town is quaint and it was a wonderful place to grow up. But, there’s a lot more
to see.”

“You sound very proud of your world,” commented
I’za.

“I guess I am. Even though we aren’t nearly as
interesting as some of the places I’ve been to out there,” and she pointed up
to the heavens.  “It does have a lot to offer.”

“Is this where you wish to honeymoon when we
marry?” teased the Prince with a goofy grin.

“What is a honeyed moon?” asked the alien girl.

“It’s an earth term for the place newlyweds
vacation after they wed. And to answer the former blue footed booby . . .
maybe.”

“Maybe?” said an excited young man.

“Yeah. Maybe, as in maybe I’ll marry you.”

“If I may ask, if you were to marry, would your
offspring be white skinned or blue?”

Egg turned to Benny, her eyes wide. However,
she couldn’t think of a response.

Chapter 5 – Back
to Work

Now that Ezra was well on his way to recovery,
Egg was antsy to get back to the Gracie. Benny’s ship had returned to Aerianna
after dropping off Sylvia. All that was left to do was to say their goodbyes.

She and her two companions went to the hospital
once again. Ezra was in a private room with Grammy sitting by his side. He was
awake and alert but his speech, as expected, was slurred and came out painfully
slow.

Egg and her party walked in and up to the bed.
Even though they were alone, Egg pulled the curtain closed. “Okay,” she said to
thin air and I’za materialized.

Grammy had told her husband what had happened
so the man was only mildly shocked. “Ezra, this is I’za.”

“Honored,” the girl said and bowed her head.

Ezra’s eyes glistened over. He struggled
mightily but finally managed to utter something. Grammy asked him to repeat it
and she bent over so her ear was inches from the man’s mouth. “My husband
wishes to thank you for giving him back his life. He says to tell you, I’za,
that for as long as he and I live, you will always have a place to call home
and people to call family.” Obviously Ezra never said all those words. Grammy
started to cry and Ezra squeezed her hand.

Egg wiped at her tears and was shocked to see
Benny do the same.

“Ezra, I thank you for your gracious words,”
replied I’za even more graciously. “To know that I have you and your wonderful
wife as friends . . . as family . . . is more than I deserve. However, I accept
your kindness most willingly. I look forward to seeing you again.”

“You’re leaving?” asked Grammy.

“We have to go Gram. Next time we talk I’ll
explain what a huge . . . um, situation we’re dealing with.” She gave her a hug
then bent down and kissed her grandfather’s cheek.

“If I may?” asked Benny.

“Of course, dear,” and Grammy gave him a more
powerful hug then should have been possible from someone her size and age.

Benny bent over and took Ezra’s hand and shook
it gently. “Be well, my friend. I say that selfishly.”

“Benny?” asked a confused Egg.

“If you agree to marry me, I would ask that
Ezra be my best man.” He turned to the man on the bed. “I hope you will
consider my request. It would be a great honor.”

Well, if there was ever a real doubt in her
mind and in her heart before about marrying the man, I’m guessing Egg would be
hard pressed to find one now. Dr. Seuss once said, “Sometimes you will
never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.” In this case he
was wrong. The Prince did himself proud.

*****

The trio disappeared from the hospital room and
re-materialized on Q’umulus. As they made their way to the Throne Room, Benny
walked off to contact his ship. They needed to be ready to cast off within the
hour.

While he was doing that, Egg grabbed I’za’s
hand and squeezed. “I could thank you again for saving me and my grandfather,
but that’s probably getting old.”

“Old?”

“Repetitious and boring.”

“Oh.” The alien smiled. “Perhaps a bit
repetitious,” she replied politely.

“Do you believe in fate?” Egg asked changing
the subject.

“As in destiny, a predetermined outcome?”

“Exactly. It sure as heck seems that you and I
were destined to meet at just the right time. We got to save each other and
then Ezra gets unexpectedly stricken. Only you could have saved me and him,
though I guess there are probably a lot of people that could have saved you.”

“Only Flying Girl could have done what was
required on that planetoid. Therefore, no one else could have saved me.”

“So you agree with me?”

“Yes. It does seem reasonable. Do you have an
explanation?”

“Maybe. Do you know what a superstition is?”

“A belief not founded in science, fact or
logic.”

“The Hameggattic Sisterhood started out with
seven sisters. Every time one retired, we always found another person to take
her place. We get very uncomfortable when we’re less than seven.”

I’za considered those words. “Are you not at
seven? The one named Sylvia has joined with the others.”

“Only while I was away. She’ll be going back to
Zynn-Zaz’zia as soon as I get back.”

“Are you asking me to join the Sisterhood?”

“First, it takes a vote of all sisters – active
and inactive. So, I can’t do it unilaterally. Second, I know what you’ve done
for me and my family, but I don’t really know you. However, by the time this
little adventure is over, I’m guessing that won’t be an issue. Then we’ll see
if it makes sense.”

“I am honored that you would even consider me.”

“Let me ask you, if somehow we get the Ark
repaired, or even if we just find the rest of the Gek’a and resettled them
somewhere to their liking, would you want to join them? I guess what I’m asking
is – does joining the sisterhood even interest you?”

“Egg, I cannot answer that without full
knowledge. Please, when this is over, ask me again if that is your wish.”

“Sure. I understand. Just wanted to plant the
seed and see if it grows.”

“An apt metaphor.”

“Yeah . . . don’t tell anyone I do metaphors.
It would ruin my reputation,” and she smiled.

So did I’za.

*****

On Board the
Prince’s Scout Ship

I’za and Egg were sitting in a lounge waiting
for Benny and dinner. The Prince finally made his grand entrance. Opening his arms
wide, he asked, “Perhaps this color is more pleasing. What say you, ladies?” He
was once again the blue footed booby.

“What
do you think I’za? Like that color?”

To
Egg’s delight, the girl had a sense of humor (and she mentally checked off one
of the requirements of a new sister – Sparky not withstanding). “Hmmm. It does
have a certain charm. However, the shade seems a bit off-putting. Perhaps I am
just prejudiced. Onboard the Ark, we served our livestock a food concoction
that had his exact coloration. Then again, it does seem less offensive on the
Prince.”

“High praise indeed, madam. I thank you,” and
he smiled and bowed his head.

“Not at all. However, could we see you in
another color perhaps?”

Egg clapped her hands and laughed delightedly.
“You gotta love her.”

“As you wish,” teased Big Ben.

“That was a figure of speech and not a call to
action, you big oaf.”

“Tis a pity. So rarely do I meet such an
attractive woman with a sense of humor worthy of royalty,” and he gave Egg a
‘take that’ look.

“Best to stop digging when you’re in a hole,”
came Egg’s faux warning.

“Quite right. If I may change the subject,
dinner is served.”

*****

“What shall we discuss as we indulge in this
tasty fare?”

“How are you going to track down the Ark?”
asked you-know-who.

“My dearest Egg, dinner conversation on board
this vessel – my vessel – will not include work-related matters. I’za, perhaps
you can suggest a topic.”

“Your Highness, I have an infinite number of
questions for both of you. After all, to me you are aliens (that got a laugh
from her companions). However, my world – the Ark – has experienced a
catastrophic failure and my people, and those I came to know in the other
habitats, are in need of our help. I must side with Egg on this matter.”

Duly chastised, the Prince felt embarrassed. “I
understand completely. We have more than two days before we catch up to the
Gracie and ample time for such discussions. I just thought this dinner could
provide an opportunity to get to know each other better. My apologies.”

Both girls felt awful and tried to speak at the
same time. “You first, I’za,” deferred Egg.

“I was wrong, Ben’Edikk. As you say, we will
have ample time to discuss the present situation. Getting to know those who are
trying to help me and my people is more than proper.”

“She’s right . . . and I was wrong. Sorry,
sweetheart.” She never even heard herself use that term of endearment.

Instead of calling her attention to it, Benny
decided it was best to ignore the sentiment. “I thank you both. So, let me
start. I’za, tell us about life onboard the Ark.”

“Benny, be more specific. I’za, tell us about
your family and friends.”

“Very well. Naturally, I never knew my parents.
However, from the Journal of Life . .” but that’s as far as she got before
being interrupted.

“What does that mean? ‘Naturally, I never knew
my parents.” It came out almost simultaneously from her dinner companions.

It took the girl a moment to remember she was
talking to aliens. “My species is perhaps unique in that regard. Well, we were
unique on the Ark. A mother . . .” she hesitated trying to find the right
words. “The mother gives her life so that her child might live. It is her life
force that is transferred to her child at birth.”

Before Egg could stammer a question, Benny
asked, “If I understand you correctly, your life force is from your mother.
Logically, hers was from your grandmother. So, for the Gek’a, a person’s life
force comes from an unknown number of generations before her?”

“Exactly. And I will pass that life force on to
my offspring should I be blessed with one.”

“Wow”. Egg was beyond dumbfounded.

“Indeed. Do you carry the memory of all those
before you?”

“It tends to fade after a dozen or so
generations. However, certain events can trigger a very old memory.”

“Wow, again.”

“If you would, can you explain about your
father?”

“Soon after birth, the father goes into a state
of metamorphosis. A chrysalis forms and a year or so later, a female will
emerge so that the cycle can continue.” She said it so matter-of-factly and
without any show of emotion.

That brought about dead silence from the other
two.

“Is it so different with your species?”

“Ya think!”

*****

On Board the Gracie

“Got it.”

They all crammed around the instrument panel.
All they saw was a display of ones and zeros. “What is that?” asked Bl’azzz.

“It’s a binary representation of ambient energy
in this region of space. It’s been calibrated to highlight the energy signature
of Xara’s ship.”

Syl smiled at Jax’x. “You’ve got some game,
girl.”

“Thank you . . . I think.”

“Don’t let it go to your head, cat woman. Your
game is in the minor leagues. I’ll let you know when you’re ready for the
‘bigs.”

Once again Sylvia smiled. “Have you been
reading Earth literature, Sparky?”

“Maybe.”

“Be nice or I’ll force you to wear that hideous
lip thing you call a smile.”

“That’s why I hate to lose. You cretins lord it
over me.”

“Who you calling a cretin?” demanded the
dragon. “I don’t even know what that is, but it can’t be a compliment.”

“In your case, it is,” quipped the girl in the
chair.

“Well then, okay. Thank you.” It took an
enormous amount of willpower for Sylvia not to laugh.

“How far ahead is she?” asked Bree getting back
to business.

“If we accelerate to max velocity, we can catch
her in a day assuming she continues as she is.”

“Let’s not,” said Sylvia. “Benny’s ship is so
much faster than ours that they’re already about a day and half behind. Egg
will want to be with us when we catch up to Xara.” Everyone nodded in
agreement. In reality, without their leader the girls felt a little vulnerable.

“I’ll send Egg an update,” added Serenity.
“It’ll give her a chance to tell us not to wait.”

“Syl, will you be leaving us when she gets
here?”

“That was the plan, Jax’x. But, to be honest, I
miss this. So unless Egg tells me I can’t, I’m staying with you guys.”

If Egg were there to hear her friend’s comment,
her goosebumps would have been dancing up and down her arms.

*****

Benny’s Ship

“I told them to keep pace with Xara’s ship. I
don’t want to lose her trail, but I also want to be there when we catch that miserable,
mischievous malcontent.”

“Understood.”

That was a strange comment. “You disagree?” Egg
felt herself get defensive.

“Have you ever heard the saying “You are cursed
if you do, and condemned if you don’t?””

Egg smiled. “We have a similar saying.”

“I am uncertain whether you want my opinion
when you share your tactical and strategic plans with me. If I were to say
‘Your orders were exactly as I would have done’ – I am guessing you would curse
me for having the audacity to think that you are in need of my approval. And
the reverse, of course, is just as bad. If I disagree, my life would be
forfeit.”

He said it with such a look of innocence and
hurt that Egg had to laugh. “For a man, you are very wise in the thought
processes of women.” Then she scrunched her eyes. “Why is that, by the way? How
many woman have you . . . um, have you known?”

“Did you want an exact count or may I give you
an estimate.”

She looked around for something to throw but
nothing seemed appropriate. “I can’t tell you how much I hate the fact that
you’ve read me correctly. So, unless I ask for your opinion, a response of
‘understood’ is acceptable.”

“And if you ask and I disapprove?”

“That will be the ultimate test of your
courage. Are you man enough to challenge Egg of Earth, Leader of the Sisterhood
and Heroine of Aerianna?” She arched an eyebrow waiting for his reply. Keeping
the smile off her mouth was proving difficult.

“I should hate to think that . . . that my
manhood was not up to the challenge”.

Whether he meant the double entendre or not,
Egg responded as if he did. “BENNY”. Then her blush went past red all the way
into an unheard of infrared. He, on the other hand, had no idea what she was
alluding to.

Before this could spiral even more out of
control, I’za entered the lounge. Seeing the two standing close to one another,
and Egg red faced, the girl thought she might be interfering in something
personal. “I am sorry. Should I leave?”

“NO,” shouted Egg (out of embarrassment).

“Please, stay,” begged the Prince (from
politeness).

“Aliens,” teased the girl shaking her head in
pretend befuddlement. “Such odd creatures and so difficult to understand.”

“Not me,” said Egg. “What you see is what you
get. It’s men. My guess, all men. So what about for your species? Are the male
Gek’a a complete mystery?”

“Oh yes,” but she said it quite dreamily.

“Is there someone special?” asked Benny.

I’za giggled like a teenager. ”Actually, there
are three.”

“No?” cried Egg - shocked for some reason.

“Oh, yes. And . . .” she paused as if
considering telling her secret. “Can you keep a secret?”

“I can,” replied the man in blue. “She is a bit
of a tell-all.”

“Am not,” came the indignant retort. “Come on,
I’za. Don’t leave me hanging.”

“Very well. The three are brothers . . . and
none of them knows about the others.” She smiled like a cat that had cornered a
mouse.

Egg’s mouth just hung open – too surprised and
way too impressed to speak.

“My dearest friend has just paid you the
highest compliment I’za. She is at a complete loss for words.”

Egg finally found her tongue. “Is it serious?”

I’za smiled. “Not for me. At least, not yet.
They, of course, are smitten.”

“You, girlfriend, are now my hero and my role
model.”

“I believe I will take umbrage with the latter
sentiment”.

Chapter 6 – What
a Girl Wants

Sighing Whorl

The
Queen dismounted from the back of her royal companion. Princess Kl’air, a
distant relative of Rose’s childhood friend, was a personal favorite of
Meggy’s.

“It’s so mysterious looking, isn’t it?” Kl’air
used contractions and didn’t care if it offended her parents or anyone else.
Her devil-may-care attitude was one of the reasons that the Queen liked her so
much.

“It is that. Well, let us see if the Tree will
allow me to visit.”

“Why wouldn’t he? You’ve met him before.”

“Many years ago.” She took a step into the fog
. . . and nothing happened. That, of course, meant the Myst Tree was inviting
her in. “I guess I did not wear out my welcome. Sorry that I cannot invite you
to join us.” She didn’t explain why not.

“I’d be too nervous to meet him anyway. I’ll
just do what I do so well . . . nap. If my snoring disturbs you, talk louder,”
and she eeked at her own cleverness.

Meggy forgot herself for the moment (being
preoccupied with her upcoming conversation with Tree) and stuck out her tongue.

Kl’air’s eyes went wide and she eeked again.

Meggy
waved goodbye and entered the swirling mist. A minute or so later she came upon
the Myst Tree of Sighing Whorl. The sight of the unknowable entity was as
awe-inspiring as always.

“Welcome, M’egg-Alynnia. You do me a great honor.”

“You are very kind, Tree. However, we both know
that the honor is mine.”

“Shall we quibble over the
matter? Ladies first.”

“A modest sense of humor – I did not realize
that you possessed one?” teased the Queen.

“I have struggled with the
concept for a very long time. It pleases me that I have made progress.”

“There is room to improve,” she replied with a
mischievous grin. Turning serious, she asked, “May I tell you why I am here?”

“No need. The answer to your first question is the Klat,” and a
fuzzy image sprung into Meggy’s mind . . .

The
young woman was taken aback. First, the Tree knew at least one of the reasons for
her visit. Two, he did not hesitate to help nor did he couch that help in a
vague riddle. And three, she had no idea he could project images into another’s
mind.

She took a moment to memorize what she was
seeing before it faded away. “Thank you for that. Is there anything else I
might know that could help?”

“Sometimes bits and bytes will
bite you to bits.”

That was more like it – an incomprehensible
riddle. “Thank you again.”

“Always a pleasure. I would also
have you tell Egg that someone who is nowhere cannot be somewhere.”

“I will. She will be thrilled to hear your
words”.

“A jest?”

“Very good. As to my second reason for being
here . . .” and she waited to see if he knew.

“You are considering your
mother’s words and would like to determine which religion, if any, is
appropriate for Aerianna.”

“Indeed.”

“Tell me why you seek my advice
on such a subject”.

“I have done a cursory study of religions on
the worlds of the Federation. I had previously encountered those of Earth. I
have found a common thread though there are profound differences that I would
categorize more as secular beliefs being confused with the primary tenets of
those religions.”

“You did not answer my question.”

“Tree, in many of those religions, you would be
considered a god. But you are not. The Old Ones that you represent would
be considered a legion of gods . . . but they are not.”

“True enough”.

“However, the three imperatives that the Old
Ones instilled in us – in the citizens of Aerianna – seem to me to be the
essence of what God would have us believe.”

“Name them.”

“First, take care of this planet; this
magnificent gift. It is our home and provides everything we could ever need.
Such worlds are few and far between – and more than likely belong to others.”

“Correct.”

“Second, take care of each other. When all is
said and done, it is the citizens of this world – high born or low – that will
stand shoulder to shoulder against any that might cause us harm.”

“Correct”.

“Third, use our minds to explore the
magnificent complexity and awe-inspiring marvels of the universe. That is our
purpose, our reason for being.”

“Very good.”

“Tree, should we pray to you?”

“Certainly not. I would leave
this world if ever I heard even one word of adulation.”

“Then to whom should we pray?”

“Why does one pray?”

Meggy stopped to consider. “To ask for
something.”

“You have been given this world
which provides all that you need, your fellow beings that provide love and
support and a mind of unlimited intellect that provides purpose to your lives.
Is that not satisfactory?”

The Queen was taken back by that question.
“Then should we not pray to offer thanks?”

“Using the three gifts as they
were intended to be used is the only thanks that is required. Live with
respect, love without boundaries and learn with imagination, my dear friend.”

And the Tree went silent.

*****

Onboard Benny’s
Ship

“We will rendezvous with the Gracie tomorrow.”
Meggy had called to relay the information she had obtained from the Tree.
However, she first asked for an update.

“And they are still on Xara’s trail?”

“Yes. However, they have maintained their
distance until Egg can meet them.”

“I assume that was at your request, sister.”

“That doesn’t come as a surprise, I hope?”

“I was shocked but I believe I am fully
recovered,” teased the Queen. “Is I’za there?”

The girl stepped in front of the viewer. “I am,
your Majesty.”

“I know who created the PhoG.”

“Indeed,” said the Prince impressed.

“You do?” asked I’za rhetorically.

“The Tree, you clever girl” stated Egg.

“Yes. I just returned from Sighing Whorl. I’za,
Egg will explain about the Myst Tree later. He sent me an image which I had my
sweet sister S’song reproduce.” A duplicate of the image that the Tree had
provided appeared on the screen.

I’za gasped. “It’s the Klat.”

“Confirmed,” replied Meggy.

“How would this individual know that?”

“Again, Egg will explain. What can you tell us
about them?”

“Very warlike race. Big and strong and . . .
well, and not very intelligent. I’m totally perplexed that they could have
created the PhoG.”

“The Tree also provided a riddle.”

“Now I’m shocked,” replied Egg.

“He said – Sometimes bits and bytes will bite
you to bits.”

“Well, at least it’s short and pithy.”

“I’za, does it mean anything to you?” asked
Meggy.

“Sorry, no.”

Egg patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t let it
get to you. The Tree is always making us work for the answer.” To the screen,
she asked, “Did he have anything else to say?”

“He told me to tell you – and he did say you –
that someone who is nowhere cannot be somewhere.”

“Wow, I would never have guessed”.

“Guessed what?” asked Benny, for once missing
the sarcasm.

“Brother, my sister teases.”

“I knew that,” he lied.

“Okay, Meggy. Unless you’ve got something else,
I think Benny and I need to interrogate our guest about the Krap.”

“Klat . . . not Krap,” corrected I’za.

“My bad.”

“I wish you all well,” and the Queen faded
away. The whole discussion about religion was something she needed to consider
before she broached the subject with others.

*****

They finally reached the Gracie. “Hail, oh
Leader of Lighthearted Ladies”.

“Sparky, have you been drinking?”

“Never touch the stuff. It kills brain cells.”

“She doesn’t have any to spare,” quipped Jax’x.

“I’m changing my vote to no.”

“Sorry, Serenity. Once she took the oath,
there’s no going back”.

“How’s your grandfather?” asked Bree.

“Thanks to I’za, he’s alive and doing much
better. We’ll talk about it later. For now, beam my alien bestie onboard.”

“Don’t,” yelled Bl’azzz. “Leaving her alone
with Benny is not a good idea. Our sister apparently has no self-control.”

“Ha. I have a lot more than you and the creepy
Kr’eep.”

“That wasn’t me. It was my alter ego. Besides,
he was nice.”

That was met with a chorus of ‘yuks’ and
‘uggs’.

“Enough. We’ve got evil to fight. Beam I’za
over. I’ll be along in a few minutes.”

“Keep it in your . . .” but Egg severed the
connection before Bl’azzz could finish.

I’za just managed to say goodbye to the Prince
when she turned into sparkly sparkles and vanished.

“Are you sure about splitting our forces? At
least let me follow you in this ship.”

“No. Finding the Ark and helping the survivors
needs your direct supervision. Too much is at stake. We’ll be fine.”

“Is your decision open to discussion?”

Her reply of “absolutely” shocked him until she
continued with, “After this is all over, you can review any and all of my
decisions if you’d like. In fact, I heartily recommend it.”

He smiled knowing that she was teasing. “If I
may venture a guess. A review of your decisions will prove educational to
someone like me with so little tactical skills.”

She loved his sense of humor. “There is hope
for you yet. Now, I am about to leave and I give you permission to do with my
lips as you would.”

That got a very big smile. “Intelligent,
beautiful and generous. I have chosen well.”

“Just kiss me, you fool.”

And he did.

. . . thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two,
thirty-three. Enough, already.

Egg pulled back, a bit out of breath and somewhat
flushed. “Well done, sir. Kudos.”

“You are very kind. Perhaps if you gave me
another chance, I could improve upon my technique?”

“Don’t let this go to your head but your
technique is . . . satisfactory.”

“I am humbled by your praise.”

“Benny.”

“Gracie?”

“When this is over, ask me to marry you.”

He was startled and ecstatic to say the least.
Deciding that this was not the time for wit or humor, he chose to ask the
obvious question. “May I ask what has brought you to this state of mind?”

“When we were with Ezra, I saw tears in your
eyes. Then you gave Grammy the second greatest gift she could have received
after I’za gave her back her husband. You asked him to be best man, giving him
a wonderful reason to regain his health.”

“Egg, please do not tell me that you have
reached your decision out of a sense of gratitude?”

“No, not gratitude. However your kindness
helped me to realize that there is nothing more that I could ever want in a
husband. You are the complete package and I’m a lucky girl.”

“Not to spoil this incredibly wonderful moment,
but I dislike how you phrased that. I am most certainly not the complete
package – assuming I understand that correctly. And you are not a lucky girl in
this matter. You are the most accomplished and amazing individual that has ever
graced Aerianna . . . no disrespect to the other members of my illustrious
family. That phrase makes it sound as if you won something that you did not
deserve and that is as far from the truth as possible.”

She pulled him close and kissed him again.
Pushing him away she whispered “shut up.” Into her comm crystal she said, “One
to beam aboard.” As she began to fade away, she mouthed the words “I love you.”

The Prince stood there staring at the place
where Egg had stood. “And Gracie, I love you more than life itself. Please be
safe.”

*****

Serenity accelerated the ship. At their new
speed, they expected to intercept Xara in ten or so hours. “She’s going to pick
us up on her sensors when we get within a half hour of her.”

“Even if we cloak?”

“Depends on what she’s using. Passive devices
will be fooled but, an A.I.-monitored device would be able to figure out that a
ship was following.” Egg, of course, understood none of that.

“Then stay out of range until we can figure
something out.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain.”

“I
like that. You know what else I like . . . having this girl with a goofy grin
onboard.”

“Just
like old times,” replied the goofy-grinned ex-Feminion.

“Not nervous, are you? I could send you back
with Benny.”

“I possess the proper amount of cautious
optimism coupled with excited anticipation and barely controlled enthusiasm.”

“Can’t you talk like a normal person?”
complained the dragon – only half teasing.

“Just for you . . . and just this one time.
Egg, I’m nervous. Satisfied?”

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“I almost choked on the words.”

“It is just so amazing,” interjected Jax’x.

“What is?” asked Tee’ka unsure of what she and
everyone else were talking about.

“No matter which sisters are together, the
chemistry is always the same. I’ve been part of this group for hardly a month
and I feel like I’ve known you all forever.”

“That’s sweet,” answered BreeZee.

“Barf,” growled you-know-who.

“Alright, enough female bonding. I’za, can you
repeat what you told Benny and me about the Krap?”

“Klat. They’re called the Klat.”

“My bad.”

“They are aggressive, very large physically,
short tempered and resolve every conflict with violence. They are also
unimaginative, unsophisticated and unintelligent.”

“That was so Soo-like. Well done,” complimented
Bl’azzz.

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s an inside joke. Not important. Tell them
the rest.”

“Life on the Ark was too complicated for the
Klat to master. Since they would have no chance of surviving, those that
imprisoned them took pity and provided a computer system to assist in their
decision making process. I’ve been to their habitat any number of times and
found no evidence of the PhoG nor their ability to create them.”

“Egg, repeat what the Tree told Meggy,”
requested Jax’x. I’za’s description tickled some memory but she couldn’t quite
place it.

Sparky answered first. “If ‘its and buts’ were
candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas”

“What? That’s not right. In fact that’s just
gibberish”.

Egg looked at Sylvia and shook her head. “See
what I have to put up with?”

“She’s got to stop reading earth literature.”

To Jax’x she said, “Ignore her. The Tree said
‘sometimes bits and bytes can bite you to bits’. Why? Does that mean something
to you?”

Again, Sparky answered first. “Very clever, cat
woman. I’ll give you credit where credit is due . . . though it pains me to do
it.”

“All of you,” bellowed Bl’azzz. “Listen up and
listen good. Talk like real people talk. I’m not going to warn you again.”

“Look who’s the grump now,” said the official
grump.

“Come on, guys. You’re driving me nuts. I’ll
make a deal with you. If you promise to keep the nonsense to a bare minimum,
I’ll tell you a very, very juicy secret.”

That got their attention.

“We’ll take the secret first,” declared Bree.
“You’ll have to take our word on the nonsense stuff.”

Egg had been bursting at the seams to share her
decision from the moment she had come aboard. “Fair enough. I told Benny that
when this is over – this whole Ark of Forever adventure – I want him to pop the
question.” She smiled beatifically.

And other than Sylvia who ran over and gave her
a hug, the others just stared.

To her childhood friend, she said, “Do me a
favor and explain it to these dimwitted daffy ducks.”

“Hey, you know I like ducks.”

“SYL.”

“Sorry. What our dearest leader meant was that
after this adventure is over, she has asked Benny to propose marriage and, by
inference, she will accept.”

“That’s it?” complained Serenity.

“What do you mean – that’s it? I’m going to
marry the blue footed booby.”

“Egg-o, we all knew that. It’s been obvious for
weeks,” explained Bl’azzz.

“Oh.” The girl was crestfallen at her sister’s
reaction.

“But, hey, congrats.” The others nodded their
agreement.

“Well, thanks, I guess.” That was even more of
a letdown.

Then Sparky hit a switch on her control panel
and “For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow” began to play over the speakers.

Jax’x turned a dial, and out of nowhere,
confetti started to fall.

Bl’azzz pulled out and began to play a kazoo of
all things. She would have preferred her Booya-base, but she had forgotten to
bring it.

Bree went to a sideboard and brought out the
Champagne and glasses.

Tee’ka had a veil and put it on Egg’s head.

I’za just stared in complete bewilderment.

Egg cried . . . and laughed . . . and cried
some more.

And they all hugged and congratulated the
bride-to-be.

Chapter
7 – Slithering Sack of Silly

The celebration took a half hour but the
explanation for I’za took a bit longer.

“So the only question that can be ‘popped’ is
the one where the man asks you to marry him?”

“Yup.”

“And why is that?”

“No idea. By the way, on Jax’x’s planet, the
woman asks the man to marry.”

“That is absolutely as it should be,” added the
former Librarian. “If you leave it up to the man it simply may never happen.
Men are so unreliable about such things.”

No one chose to argue . . . because no one
disagreed.

“How about the Gek’a?” asked Bree. “How does it
work with your people?”

“First, there is neither formal ceremony nor
celebration. Marriage is simply a mutual commitment between two people and of
no concern to anyone else. Second, it only requires either party to ask the
other for a kiss. If it is so consummated, then that’s it.”

“Wow, I guess I have about six husbands then,”
quipped Sylvia.

“You’ve kissed six guys? When?” demanded her
best friend, more than a little surprised at the revelation.

“Think of it as an ongoing and exhaustive
experiment. You know how I am . . . anything for science.”

“Sylvia Hampton, shame on you.”

“It was just kisses.” Then she mumbled
“mostly”.

“No, not that. Shame on you for not telling
me.”

“I tried texting you but my cell phone coverage
only reaches Pluto.”

I’za and Jax’x opened their mouths simultaneously
to ask what that meant but Sparky cut them off. “Don’t bother. Trust me.”

“Listen up, everyone,” requested Egg as she
tapped her champagne flute. When they all quieted down, she continued. “First,
thank you so, so much for all this. It was perfect. Needless to say, you are
all going to be bridesmaids at the wedding.”

“Egg?” That was Jax’x.

“It’s part of the ceremony. You all get
outfitted in identical dresses and, well, I’ll explain the details later.”

“Egg-o, I ain’t wearing no dress. Not even for
you.”

“Sorry Bl’azzz, I forgot. We’ll figure
something out.”

“Thanks. Oh, just be sure to make Soo wear
one.”

“That’s cruel,” said Sylvia.

“Oh yeah,” agreed the dragon with a big, toothy
grin.

*****

They cleaned up the mess, put away the
champagne and got down to business.

“Alright, will one of you two geniuses tell us
about the Tree’s riddle?

“Go ahead, you thought of it first,” deferred
Serenity.

“Thank you. When I’za mentioned the computer
system, I realized the tree . . . is that how I refer to him?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. When the tree said bits and bytes . . .
he wasn’t referring to more than one bite as in a mouthful. He was referring to
the two smallest units of information used in computer programming. There are
eight bits in every byte.”

“That’s impressive”. She turned to Serenity and
asked, “How come she thought of it first?” Any chance to tease Sparky was one
that should never be passed up.

“Egg,” the girl said, and then paused.

“Yes?”

“Bite me.”

Egg’s mouth, like Sylvia’s, dropped open at the
girl’s use of that earth phrase. “Good save.” To everyone else she said, “she
just returned the insult.”

I’za sat there drinking in the conversation and
antics of these strange aliens. To her surprise, she could definitely see
herself as a Hameggattic Sister. In fact, she found herself wishing that Egg
would invite her. Forcing her mind back to the present, she said, “So if I
understand your inference, if we can reprogram the Klat computer, we can
eliminate the threat of the PhoG.”

“That’s what it sounds like,” agreed Egg. “Of
course, they probably won’t invite us into their habitat and let us do it. So,
we need to figure out how.”

“Egg.”

“Yeah, Tee?”

“I can do it.”

“Do what?”

“I can go inside their computer.”

Egg scrunched her face with a complete lack of
comprehension as to how the usually befuddled girl could do that. “I don’t
understand.”

“Tee, let me,” said Serenity. “Don’t forget our
girl was once a software program. She knows her way around a computer core.”

“She has a body now . . . before she was just a
holographic projection.”

“No worries. If I can remotely connect to their
system, I can give Tee’s brain a means to transfer over.”

“I don’t like the sound of that. If something
happens, she might not be able to get back. Then what?”

Serenity’s shrug spoke volumes.

“Egg, I want to do this.”

“Tee, the risk is too great. I could never live
with myself if we lost you.”

“Egg.”

“Yeah Tee?”

“Isn’t that what Hameggattic Sisters do? Don’t
we risk our lives to save other people?”

The room went very, very quiet.

“It is Tee.”

“Then I want to do it.”

“I’m not agreeing yet. I want Sparky, Jax’x,
Syl . . . heck, all of you to exhaust every other possibility. Understand?”

They did.

Egg exhaled loudly to release the tension in
her stomach. “Let’s talk about the other thing the Tree said. ‘Someone who is
nowhere cannot be somewhere’. Anybody?”

Each girl looked at the others hoping someone
had something to offer. However, no one did.

*****

Hours Later

“Why is it that we can detect her but she can’t
detect us?” asked I’za.

“Because I’m smarter than she is.”

“Geez, Sparky, at least try for some humility.”

“Jax’x, if you ever manage to reach my lofty –
and mostly unobtainable - pinnacle of intellectual superiority, you’ll
understand.”

“Now it’s my turn. BARF”.

“Come on guys, you promised.”

“Sorry, Princess,” teased the girl in the
chair.

“Serenity,” interrupted Jax’x, “check out the
side-scan radar.”

The girl did as she was asked. “Ah, I was
wondering what form your luck would take. And there it is.”

“I’m sorry,” apologized I’za, “but alien talk
is so very confusing to someone from a civilized society.”

They all turned to look at the girl . . . who
shrugged with a grin.

“I like her,” announced Sparky to the room
at-large. “She has a real sense of humor unlike the simplistic glib cattiness
of the cat lady.”

Jax’x, who was standing behind her, flicked
her ear with a finger. “Be nice or I’ll name my first child after you. Serenity
if it’s a girl or Sparky if it’s a boy.”

“Kill me now.”

“Don’t beg.”

“If you two don’t stop, I’m going to send you
to your rooms without dinner.”

“She started it,” said Jax’x through her smile.

“Syl, I’m promoting you to Sergeant at Arms.
Your job is to maintain discipline.”

“I’m definitely not man enough for that
suicidal assignment. No, thanks.”

“Anyone else?”

There were no volunteers.

“If I may interrupt, I’d like Serenity to
explain her earlier comment,” pleaded Bree.

“My pleasure. We’re about to enter a debris
field. Xara is already in it. Regardless of what sensors she’s using, we’ll be
just one more blip on her screen.”

“And, of course, we owe this bit of fortuitous
good luck to Princess Egg. I get it now.”

Syl was polite enough to turn to I’za and
explain. “Egg is the luckiest individual in this galaxy. Next time you go to a
casino, be sure to take her.” The first part was helpful; not so much the
second.

*****

“What’s the plan?”

Egg didn’t answer Syl – mostly because she
didn’t have one. Instead she looked at I’za. “Is there any way to know if the
PhoG is following her . . . or if it’s taken over Xara?”

“If it has entered this woman, her heart beat
will drop to almost nothing. The PhoG maintains a person’s metabolism.”

“Yuk on that,” stated Sylvia who shivered
involuntarily.

“How about if that thing is just in the
vicinity?”

“There will be a slight disturbance in the
force.”

Egg looked at Serenity who shrugged. To the
alien she asked, “Sorry, what force?”

“The force that binds the fabric of the
universe together.” She was a bit surprised that they didn’t know about
something so fundamental.

Again turning to Serenity, Egg asked, “Got any
ideas?”

“No, but I sure as heck want to learn about
this force. I’za, are you conversant on the subject?”

“Like everyone, I know of its existence. I
don’t believe its nature has been truly understood.”

“Any idea how to detect a disturbance?”

“The technology is on my ship. Sorry, I just
know how to operate it.”

“I’za.”

“Yes, Sylvia?”

“If the PhoG was following, when and how would
it attack Xara?”

“The ship would need to slow, and then the PhoG
can breach the hull.”

“It would make a hole in the ship?”

“No. It would alter the density of the ship’s
hull then slip through. The resultant structural variation is of sufficient
magnitude to be detectable.”

“I’m going to bite her,” declared an incredibly
confused dragon.

“No need,” said Jax’x soothingly.  “What she
means is that where the PhoG enters, the metal will be . . . weaker than the
rest of the ship.” She glanced at I’za and shook her head no as in ‘ignore the
simplistic explanation’. The other girl smiled back in understanding.

“She could have just said that.”

“I apologize. I would never willingly provoke a
dragon into snacking on my probably bitter tasting body. That would be
unconscionable.”

“Is she teasing me?”

I’za put her hand over her mouth to hide her
smile so Bree answered, “She was being excessively polite.”

“I may still bite her.”

To I’za, Bree said, “I’m pretty sure that she’s
teasing.”

“Enough. Sparky, scan Xara and her ship.”

“Already done while you children were playing.
Her heartbeat is normal and there is no sign of a hull breach. How about if I
just shoot her out of the sky?”

Since they had no weapons, there was no need to
respond.

“Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. Flying
Girl is going to board her ship through a cargo airlock. Since that’s going to
set off any number of alarms, we need to distract her. Any ideas – just keep in
mind she’s got lots of nasty things that go snap, crackle and pop.”

“I shall go with you, Egg. I can use my stored
energy to disrupt all of her systems.”

“And I’m going too,” declared Sylvia. When the
others turned to look at her, she explained “I need to do this.”

“Egg, I’m picking up something out there. It’s
massive and man-made.” A moment later, she added “I think it’s one of those
habitats from the Ark. Getting thousands of life signs.”

“She must have been following it,” suggested
Bree.

“Why?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Great. Goosebumps.”

“I hate when you say that.”

“Sorry.”

“Egg, we really should take care of Xara before
she gets closer to those people. If that PhoG is following, it might infect those
people.”

Before Egg could respond to Bl’azzz’s comment,
I’za asked, “Serenity, can you get a visual on that habitat?”

“I can send out a probe. It’ll take a few
minutes.” She looked at Egg for approval.

Before the girl could decide, she needed to
know, “How will that help us, I’za?”

“It might be the Klat. It’s possible that I can
identify their habitat.”

“Well, that would explain my goosebumps. Okay,
Sparky. Send the probe.”

While they waited impatiently to receive the
telemetry, Jax’x called out, “Xara’s ship is slowing down.”

“That’s just great. Monitor her life signs and
the hull integrity. We can’t wait any longer. I’za and Syl, go get into your
spacesuits. Tee, show them where they’re at and then help them dress, please.”

“Okay. This way guys,” and she walked off.

Egg called after them, “I’za, if we get a
visual, Serenity will relay it to your helmet.”

“Thank you.”

“Bl’azzz, keep monitoring the habitat and learn
what you can. Jax’x, keep your eyes glued on Xara and her ship. Sparky, you and
Bree monitor our away team. Any sign of trouble and beam us out of there.”

“Good luck.”

“My turn. I hate when you say that.”

“Why?”

“Sooner or later the scales have to balance
out.”

*****

Egg met the other two at the airlock. “Are you
sure you want to go with us, Syl?”

“Yup. As much as I’m super eager to get back to
my studies, I’ve missed this. I’ve missed being at your side.”

Egg gave her best friend a quick hug. “Put your
helmets on and make sure they’re locked in place.” It took a minute and a
little help from one another. “Okay, let’s go kick some butt.”

Syl threw a switch and the room hissed as the
air was sucked out. Then the door slid open. Flying Girl gave each girl one of
her hands to hold and the trio flew out into the black nothingness of space.

*****

“Serenity, incoming message,” called Jax’x.

“Take it, I’m busy”.

Jax’x
hit a button and her personal view screen came alive. “Yikes” was the girl’s
involuntary response to the image.

“Hi,”
said the serpent.

“Hi?” responded the former Librarian who was
totally stunned by the exotic creature she was facing.

“You must be Jax’x. I’m K’ssss.”

“OH. I’m so sorry I should have
recognized you. I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to meet a sea serpent.”

“Why?” teased the sea serpent.

“Um . . .” but the girl was at a loss for words
until she decided K’ssss, like all the sisters, must have a sense of humor and
was playing with her. “Well, for starters, Serenity assured me that your
species was the least attractive members of the Sisterhood. She said that you
all look like sea cucumbers but in truth I have no idea what that is.”

“H’ssss. I like you.”

“Can I call you Sister?”

“Absolutely.”

“When I get to meet you in person, can I hug
you?”

“You better.”

“Will you show me an ocean?”

It took the super smart sea serpent a second to
understand the question. “I was told there is no surface water on Spell ‘Bound.
I would love to show you an ocean . . . especially what’s under the surface.
It’s quite breathtaking . . . especially if you don’t have gills.”

Now it was Jax’x’s turn to laugh. “And that’s
why they called you a slithering sack of silly, I’m guessing?”

“Truthfully, it wasn’t because I had a sense of
humor. It was because I had no sense at all. But that’s a story for another
time. I just called to tell Egg I might have figured out what the Tree meant by
‘Someone who is nowhere cannot be somewhere’”.

Sparky heard that and wheeled herself over.
“Hey, cucumber, how are you?”

“K’ssss, her new nickname is Sparky,” blurted
Jax’x. Serenity actually growled in response.

“Sparky, I love it. I can’t wait to tell the
others.”

“Listen, K’ssss, I’d love to chat like girlie
girls but Egg, Syl and I’za – the alien from the Ark – are on their way to
Xara’s ship. What have you got?”

“Wish them well. Anyway, what the Tree said –
he could have meant the transporter.”

When a super smart person talks to another
super smart person, a lot of explanation isn’t necessary. “That’s brilliant.
Thanks.”

“I’ll leave you to it. Good luck everyone. And
Jax’x, don’t forget you owe me a hug.”

“K’ssss, I can’t wait. Bye.”

Chapter 8 –
Neme-sissed

Egg used the debris field to her advantage –
flying as close to the tumbling rocks as she could get. Even with this zigging
and zagging, it didn’t take long to catch sight of Xara’s ship. She looked at
each of her companions in turn and nodded. When they acknowledged the nod with
one of their own, Egg smiled reassuringly.

She took a deep breath and, with a burst of
speed, flew directly at the ship. The airlock they wanted was easy to spot and
she approached it faster than the proverbial bat out of Helsinki (well, that’s
not quite the phrase).

Braking as hard as she could, Egg managed a
near perfect landing – grabbing the external hand-holds to keep from bouncing
off. Each girl released Egg’s arm and did the same.

“Okay, I’za. Do your thing.”

“You both need to let go of the ship first.
Otherwise, you will be rendered unconscious.”

“Right. Good thinking.” She offered her hand to
Syl and pushed gently away from the ship. “Go ahead.”

I’za eyes went a bit glazy and a shocking amount
of energy flashed from the girl’s hands, enveloping the ship in an eerie glow.
A few seconds later the spectacle ended and I’za, now drained of every last bit
of stored energy, started to drift away as limp as a wet Raggedy Ann doll. Egg
was expecting that to happen and she flew over and grabbed the semi-conscious
alien.

“Egg, her systems went dead,” came Serenity’s
voice referring to the ship not I’za.

“We’re going in. First, beam I’za back to the
ship. She released so much energy that she’s too weak to be of much help.”

“Transporting,” and I’za began to fade away.
However, she managed to get off a ‘good luck’ before she disappeared.

“Okay, girlfriend, it’s just me and you.”

“How are your goosebumps?”

“They’ve been bigger,” she replied. In reality,
they had never been bigger – though maybe as big.

“Here goes” and Syl unlocked an access panel
and pulled a lever. The door in front of them slid silently open.

They pulled themselves in and Sylvia found
another panel with the controls to close the door and re-pressurized the room.
A light on the panel turned from red to green which was the all-clear for the
girl to remove her helmet. “I’m going to take off the rest of the suit. It’s so
bulky I’d just get in my own way.”

“Okay,” and the girl did.

“Now what?”

“Sparky, which way?” Egg asked.

“Through the hatch for about fifty feet.
There’s a ladder leading up to the flight deck three floors above you.”

“Thanks. Here we go.”

However, by the time they reached the ladder,
Jax’x called. “Egg, we detected a hull breach. It’s on the same level as the
command center but on the opposite end of the ship.”

“Rats.”

“Jax’x, can you track the creature?”

“Sorry, Sylvia. We still can’t detect that
disturbance in the force that I’za mentioned.”

Egg reminded the others, “Don’t forget, if that
thing gets into Xara, yell.”

“Of course. By the way, we’ve confirmed that
the habitat belongs to the Klat.”

*****

Our two heroes made double time climbing the
ladder. As they reached the proper level, the door to the control room was only
a few feet away. Egg’s first instinct, however, was to look the other way –
down the corridor to where the PhoG had entered. Unfortunately it was too dark
to see anything.

“Do they move fast?” asked Syl.

“The one I encountered didn’t seem to be in any
hurry. By the way, they don’t just walk up on you. They slide along the floor
like a shadow until they’re ready to strike and then they sort of grow into a
vaguely human shape.”

“Fascinating.”

“Not really. Mostly horrifying.”

Xara’s voice interrupted their conversation.
Coming from some hidden speaker, lady nemesis said, “Hi, guys. Wish you had
called first so I could have prepared something nice for you.”

“Open the door, Xara.”

“And if I say no?”

“It galls me no end to have to say this – but
we came to rescue you.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” was the intensely
sarcastic reply.

“Listen up, you arrogant bitc . . . um,
Bitcoin. That PhoG thingy followed you. It’s on your ship and it’s going to be
knocking on this door in about a minute.”

“And you volunteered to stand there and let it
get you first. Princess, you are just the best.”

“Open . . .” but she didn’t finish.

“Egg, look.”

The
girl turned around and came face to face with a faceless PhoG . . .

“XARA”
screamed Egg. The door slid opened and a hand pulled the girl through.

Then it slid shut . . . with Sylvia on the
wrong side.

Egg had not expected to be pulled in - and she
stumbled. It took her a moment to regain her feet and another few seconds to
realize Sylvia – her best friend in the entire universe – wasn’t with her.
“Where is she?”

Xara pointed at a video feed of the corridor
outside the control room. To Egg’s relief, there was Syl – smiling like she
always did. Egg pressed a button and asked “You okay? Where did it go?”

Sylvia didn’t respond – she just kept smiling.

Then
Egg took notice of her eyes . . . and gasped.

“Now
that’s a bit freaky,” observed Xara with way too much self-satisfaction.

Without thinking, Egg hauled back and punched
the smirk right off of the girl’s face. It’s called a sucker punch when you hit
someone who is not expecting it. Xara wasn’t – and she collapsed and hit the
deck unconscious. Egg had to fight the urge not to kick the snot out of her
nemesis.

*****

“EGG” came a cry over the comm link. “EGG –
Syl’s heartbeat, she’s been infected.”

Almost inaudibly came the response, “I know.”

“Egg, there’s something else. What happened to
Xara?”

“I knocked her out.”

There were a few moments of silence before
Serenity continued. “Egg, she’s rigged a self-destruct mechanism. Not sure how
it works but I’d guess that if she’s hurt, killed or forcibly removed from the
ship, it will detonate unless she stops it. It’s been activated.”

“What?” The girl couldn’t concentrate – she was
staring at the image of her friend and trying to force herself to breathe.

“I’m going to beam you out of there. We can’t
do anything about Xara. If that ship blows, we and that Klat habitat might not
survive.”

“I can’t leave Syl.”

“We don’t have to. K’ssss figured out what the
Tree meant.”

“What?” She still couldn’t focus on anything
but her friend.

“I’ll explain when you get here. Energizing,”
and Flying Girl twinkled out of existence.

A moment later, Sylvia with her PhoG overlord
did the same.

*****

Egg materialized in the control room of the
Gracie. “Where is she? Where’s Syl?”

“She’s nowhere. K’ssss . . .”

The girl was in no mood for word games.
“Sparky, where is she?”

“I’m trying to tell you. What the Tree said –
if you’re nowhere you can’t be somewhere – K’ssss figured it out. Syl’s in the
transporter beam. I have it on an infinite loop. That means every time she
begins to materialize, the system re-energizes her and she dematerializes. Um,
basically she’s nowhere – I’m keeping her in a state of disembodied energy.”

Egg almost understood. “But what good does that
do her? She’s still infected.”

“The PhoG has no control of her while she’s in
this state,” explained I’za. “If we can turn off the Klat computer that
controls these demons, then your sister can be restored to her physical self.”

Egg gave that some thought. Her goosebumps told
her that there was more to the story. “Is she safe inside the transporter
beam?”

“For now.” Before Egg could interrupt, Serenity
held up her hand. “Over time, the beam will begin to lose cohesion. Whoever is
trapped in it will eventually be unable to rematerialize as a complete person.”

“She’s dying?”

“Egg, if we can unplug that computer in the
next two or three days, she’ll be fine. If we had I’za’s containment field,
this wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Then beam it off Xara’s ship.”

“I tried. She has it protected by some kind of
force field. Besides, right after we transported Syl off, her ship powered up
and took off. Xara is gone.”

“Then follow her.”

“Egg, the more time we spend chasing her, the
less time Syl has. Her best chance is for us to find the Klat computer and kill
it.”

“I’m ready, Egg,” declared Tee’ka. Losing Syl,
one of her first friends, was too much for her to contemplate. “Please don’t
try to stop me. Sylvia is my friend.” The girl was being more clever than the
others would have given her credit for. By the way she phrased it, she was
relieving Egg of the responsibility for sending her on this mission.

Jax’x, possessing great empathy for others, did
understand. She walked up to Tee and gave her hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Well done, Sister.”

*****

Serenity brought the ship to within a few
thousand miles of the Klat habitat and matched speeds. She handed flight
responsibility to the A.I. and then joined the others in the lounge. They were
all silent watching Egg pace back and forth – obviously in a state of
agitation. No one had ever seen their leader display so much confused emotion.

“Egg, you’ve got to sit down,” begged Bl’azzz.

“If anything happens to Syl . . .”

Sparky interrupted her friend. As we all know,
the girl was much more into logic than emotions. “Something already happened to
her. Now we need to find a way to make it un-happen. That means you have to
stop thinking about the past and start planning for the future.”

Egg’s nostrils flared in anger – but just for a
nanosecond. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.” She went over to the couch closest
to Serenity and sat down. “Okay, first things first. I’za, tell us as much
about the Klat and their habitat that’s relevant to this discussion.”

The alien girl was terribly impressed for a number
of reasons. First, even though Egg was the leader of this group, the others
seemed to be very comfortable in giving her feedback even if it verged on
insubordination. She noticed how Egg was about to object to Serenity’s comments
but quickly realized the merit in what the girl had said. It was certainly the
mark of a good leader to be able to compartmentalize her emotions in order to
pursue a solution to a vexing problem. Lastly, the others were genuinely
concerned for their leader. She had their unconditional love and loyalty.

Before she could begin, Sparky had a question.
“I’za, how come these habitats have engines and can fly off on their own?” The
others hadn’t even noticed that this was an anomaly.

“The habitats were built to collect the
population by landing on the home worlds of those condemned to spend eternity
on the Ark. Navigation was controlled by the ship’s computers. These soon to be
exiles were allowed the time to design the habitat so that it resembled their
planet . . . a way to increase the probability of survival for these prisoners.
Once the habitat docked with the Ark, the temporary power units were disabled
and the habitat was connected to the ship for its source of energy.”

“So the Klat found a way to produce power,
release their habitat and control navigation. Pretty impressive.”

“Again, the computer system they were given
must have played an integral part in all of that. The Klat are brutes not
scientists.”

Egg was trying hard not to get impatient.
“That’s all well and good but how does that help us formulate a plan?”

Jax’x beat Sparky to one obvious conclusion.
“It was more than a computer system that they received. It was an A.I. Over
time, it continued to develop – probably in ways the designers never imagined.”

“Meaning?”

Now it was Serenity’s turn. “Wouldn’t surprise
me that the A.I. is no longer servant to the Klat. Given how I’za described
them – brutes with limited intelligence – they probably serve the A.I.”

“Is that possible?” asked a stunned I’za.

“We have never encountered such a scenario,”
explained Serenity. “But, given the right situation, it’s more than possible –
it’s highly probable.”

“What situation?” asked Bree.

“The A.I. was programmed to help the Klat.
Given the long period of time involved with this Ark voyage, the computer came
to realize that the only way to help them was to take complete charge since
these people had a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time.”

I’za continued with this line of reasoning
(though she had no idea what gum was, she understood the gist of the argument).
“So the computer created the PhoG to protect the Klat. It must have decided
that the best course of action for its people was to free them from the endless
voyage and find a permanent home. Not knowing what to expect in the way of
danger, the PhoG would serve as guardians since the A.I. couldn’t physically be
present . . .  constrained to the hardware as it were.”

“So I’m guessing it was this A.I. that blew up
the Ark?” asked Egg.

“Absolutely,” replied Serenity.

“Not so fast,” countered Jax’x. “I think an
equally likely alternative was that the Ark was destroyed either by some
accident or by the occupants of another habitat.”

The girl in the chair shook her head – not from
disagreement but to acknowledge the fact that she had been out-logiced by the
Librarian. “I can’t tell you how much you irritate me.”

“What’s the matter, Sparky – is the air getting
a little thin high up there on your intellectual pedestal?”

“Egg, make them stop,” begged Bl’azzz.

“Come on you two; dumb it down for the rest of
us mere mortals.”

“Assuming she can un-bunch her panties, I’ll
let Sparky Spark-less explain.”

“That’s it. From this point forward, I’m
keeping score.”

“Good. So far it’s one for me, a big fat
nothing for you.”

“Please,” begged Egg.

“Sorry. What catnip is suggesting is that the
reason the PhoG are being aggressive and are attacking indiscriminately is that
the Klat’s AI didn’t blow up the ship. It either thinks someone else did or
knows someone else did. It’s gone into full defensive mode to insure its people
are safe from this threat.”

“I’za, what’s your opinion? Is there someone
else on the Ark that’s a bigger threat than the Klat?”

The alien didn’t hesitate. “The Prime
Hegemon Gan’gli of the Ephemeral”. Well, that certainly sounded weird and a
bit intimidating.

“Geez. This Ark is worse than Pandora’s box,”
moaned Egg.

The other girls looked from one to another in
confusion. “Hang on,” said Bree and she went to a computer station and typed in
the expression. “Here it is.  Pandora's box is an artifact in earth mythology
which contained all the evils of the world.”

“Good one,” complimented the dragon.

“Indeed. Very appropriate,” added I’za.

Chapter 9 – The
Klat

“Egg, I know you want to formulate a plan and
implement it as soon as possible, but this whole thing has gotten a lot more
complicated.”

“How so, Bree?”

“If we kill the Klat computer, we may very well
be killing the Klat. After so many years depending on – or taking orders from –
the A.I., they may be unable to survive on their own.”

“I’za, what do you think?”

“BreeZee may very well be correct, Egg. It is a
logical argument but I have no way to confirm or repudiate her hypothesis.” And
again, I’za was so terribly impressed with these women. Their sister was in
mortal danger, yet they stopped to consider the implications of their actions
and to worry about the effect it may have on others.

If anyone thought Egg would put Sylvia’s
well-being above that of the Klat – a people she had never met – they would be
wrong. “Tee, what do you think about all this?”

It was rare that anyone ever asked the sweet,
simple girl for her thoughts on any subject. After all, she was originally
created to be hostess – a holographic escort and concierge to guests on
Laff’Alott. When Serenity transferred her into the avatar, she did little to
alter Tee’ka’s personality and intelligence.

“About what, Egg?”

“The Klat’s A.I.”

“What about it?”

Egg smiled reassuringly. “If the AI has taken
over the Klat – for their benefit – we won’t be able to turn the computer off without
hurting them.”

“That wouldn’t be good, would it?”

“No, it wouldn’t. Can you think of another way
of destroying the PhoG without hurting the AI?” Serenity was about to answer
but one look from Egg cut her off. I’za was following all of this with interest.
Obviously their sister Tee’ka was not as intelligent as the rest. Yet, Egg was
helping the girl contribute. Or, was it something else?

“The PhoG are bad, right? It’s hurting Sylvia.”

“Yes. Unless the PhoG are destroyed, Syl will
die.”

“Hmmm,” and Tee’s eyes glazed over as she
became lost in thought.

This time Jax’x tried to say something, but she
received the same glare from Egg as Sparky had. She mouthed the word ‘sorry’
then broke eye contact.

“So, Tee, if you were on Laff’Alott and the
central computer was doing something you didn’t agree with, what would you do?”

“That never happened.”

“Okay, that’s alright. But, what if it did?
What could you do?”

“Well, I could ask him to stop.”

“Would he listen to you?”

“Yes. But unless I had a really good reason –
one that he hadn’t thought of – he would just keep doing what he was doing.”

“But if you had information that proved what he
was doing was wrong, he would listen? More importantly, he might very well stop
what he was doing?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks Tee. That was very, very helpful.”

The other girls looked at one another and
nodded – both from agreement with Tee’s assessment and with the fact that Egg
had been able to get the girl to give them the perfect solution to an
infinitely difficult problem.

As for I’za, she was now absolutely certain.
She would ask to become a Sister . . . to become a part of this extraordinary
group of diverse individuals. And that thought caused her pause. The strength
of the Hameggattic Sisterhood did come from its diversity – young women of
every shape, color and intellectual capacity. The only thing in common was
their moral compass – the desire to help others regardless of the consequences
to themselves. Then another shocking thought struck her. ‘What would the Ark
have been like if all hundred habitats, beings as diverse as one could
conceive, had joined forces and become one?’

*****

“I’za, who is in charge of the Klat – besides
the AI, that is?”

“First Citizen Aurora of the Klat High
Council.”

“Does he know who you are?”

The alien smiled. “We’ve met but he doesn’t
know it. I’ve sat in on a number of his meetings – but I was invisible, of
course.”

“I doubt that,” said Serenity. “My guess is
that the AI knew you were there the whole time, every time.”

“That’s why you never knew about the PhoG,”
suggested Jax’x. “Whenever you, or your kind, came a-spying, the AI would hide
all evidence of its handiwork.”

“In retrospect, than makes perfect sense. Do
you think the AI shared that information with the First Citizen?”

“I doubt it,” responded Egg. “This doesn’t
sound like collaboration between man and machine. It sounds like Big Brother
manipulating the people of Oceania.”

“On it,” called Bree. A moment later she said,
“She’s referring to a story titled 1984 where the population of a
country called Oceania is ruled by someone called Big Brother.”

“Egg-o, if you don’t get me one of those
crystals, I’m going to go insane.”

“How would we know?” came Sparky’s sarcastic
reply.

“Be nice or I’m going to turn you into a Bitter
Crispy Critter.”

“Shut up, you two. I’za, I was hoping to talk
to this First Citizen just to get a feel for their mindset. ‘Know thy enemy’
and all that. But, that may not be useful, all things considered. Serenity, how
do you get Tee’ka inside their habitat? For that matter, how do you get her
inside the computer system?”

The other girl didn’t answer. She sat in her
chair with a hand to her mouth – obviously lost in thought. No one chose to
disturb her while that magnificent brain churned through a countless number of
scenarios.

“Got it,” she finally announced.

“Virus,” called Jax’x. “Implanted on I’za. Now
it’s two for me and still a big nothing for you.” She smiled like the Cheshire
cat.

Sparky’s mouth dropped open – horrified that
the Librarian had done it again. ”There is only one explanation – you can read
minds, can’t you?”

“I started to read yours but half way through I
fell asleep from boredom.”

“ARGGGGGGG”.

Despite the situation, Egg had to laugh. “I
vote we change her nickname from Sparky to Clueless.”

“How about assistant Librarian,” offered
Bl’azzz.

“May I suggest Jax’x Junior?” The girls turned
to I’za who shrugged apologetically.

“I love it,” declared Bree. “But we can shorten
it to just JJ” . . . and they all giggled.

“Enough. I need either J or JJ to tell me what
you’re planning.”

“I never thought I say this . . . but please,
please call me Sparky.”

“Our sister is calling for a vote. All in
favor? It’s a tie – three for, three against. I suggest we have our honorary
sister I’za cast the deciding vote.”

“Depends on how she’s going to vote,” mumbled
Serenity.

“I thank you for the honor. If I were a wise
woman, I would still abstain. However, I can assure myself of at least one
friend by voting in favor of Sparky.”

That was greeted by three boo’s and one thank
you.

“Alright, enough. Explain about the virus thing
please.”

Graciously, Jax’x deferred to her sister. “Go
head mini-me.”

“It’s my own fault. I should have chosen better
friends. Anyway, since the AI is going to detect I’za if she goes over there,
we can implant a computer virus on her that will be transferred to the AI
system when it scans the intruder. That virus, assuming I can get it past any
detection protocols, will establish a remote link for us to transfer Tee’ka’s
brain pattern.”

“Then what? Even if the AI doesn’t detect Tee’s
entrance, sooner or later it will. Won’t it try to destroy the invader?”

“No.”

Everyone turned towards Tee’ka. “Why not, Tee?”

“He would know that I’m not a threat. He would
also want to learn why I was there and to learn everything that I know.”

No one could argue since none of the others had
ever been a computer program.

“Tee’ka,” asked I’za, “why do you refer to the
AI as a ‘he?”

“Because the central computer on Laff’Alott was
a ‘he.’

Serenity looked at Egg and shook her head
‘no’.  Egg, in turn, put a finger to her lips to prevent her sister from
correcting Tee’ka.

“Okay, so Tee’s inside the Klat system and
she’s talking to the AI. We now have to formulate what she’s going to tell it .
. . I mean him. Then we have to give it proof of our good intentions. I want
everyone’s input . . . not just the know-it-all sisters.”

Jax’x smiled proudly then turned to Serenity
and gave her a ‘thumbs up’. The girl in the chair good-naturedly returned the
gesture with one of her own. However, it wasn’t the thumb that she raised.

*****

While the team was busy preparing for Tee’ka’s
mission, Egg decided to take a few minutes to call Benny to see how successful
he was in tracking down the remains of the Ark or any of the other habitats
that may have been flung off during the ship’s destruction. Well, that was the
reason she gave to the others. We all know the real reason was her need to see
and talk to the man she loved.

Instead of using the main viewer in the control
room, she went to her cabin and used the comm link there. She called his ship
and was immediately and without question patched through to the Prince.

“Gracie, are you well?”

Someone showing such concern for her would
normally make Egg bristle. She could take care of herself and other people should
realize that. However, coming from Benny, it gave her a warm feeling inside.
“Yes and no. We met up with Xara. I went over to her ship with Syl and I’za.
While we were there, the PhoG that had been tracking her attacked. It got Syl.”

“I am so sorry. Is there something I can do?”

“Thanks but I think we have it handled. K’ssss
figured out the riddle from the Myst Tree. We put Syl with the PhoG inside her
in an infinite transporter loop. We have two or three days to convince the Klat
computer to kill that thing.”

“And how will you accomplish such an impossible
task?”

“Long story short – we’re going to send
Tee’ka’s brain pattern into the Klat computer system to reason with their AI.”

The young man’s face went from disbelief to
pride in about four seconds. “Stop me if I bore you when I repeat yet again
that you and your sisters are so incredibly extraordinary. To conceive of this
plan is beyond my imagination. To develop a method to execute it is beyond
understanding. To succeed, as I am sure you will, is beyond miraculous.”

Egg smiled. “No, I’m good with the compliments.
Feel free to express them as often as the mood strikes you.”

“You are too kind.”

“I am and don’t you forget it.”

“If I do, I am sure you will remind me.”

“So, any luck on your end?”

“Indeed. We found the Ark. More precisely, we
know its course. We have yet to reach it.”

“That’s great. Listen Benny, we think the AI is
controlling the Klat – but in a benevolent way.  We also think the reason the
PhoG are attacking is that the AI thinks or knows that someone else destroyed
the Ark. It’s only trying to protect its people.”

“Does I’za have any idea who might be at
fault?”

“Yup.  The Prime Hegemon Gan’gli of the
Ephemeral.”

“That sounds a bit ominous. Did she tell you
anything about them?”

“No, we haven’t had time since we need to save
Syl in the next few days.”

“Well, in a way that is good news.”

“What is?”

“If these Ephemerals are the main protagonists,
undoubtedly their habitat was ejected from the Ark before they destroyed it.
The remaining habitats therefore have species less onerous than they.”

“You’re so glib. Someday I’m going to teach you
English.”

“Dude, that’s rad.”

Egg burst out laughing. “Do you even know what
that means?”

“Not the faintest clue. I beg you to leave me
in a state of ignorance on the matter.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Ah. Then I command you to marry me.”

“Is there any engagement ritual on Aerianna? Do
you give me a ring or something?”

“Actually, someone of royal blood would give
their betrothed a pendant bearing the sigil of their house.”

“And what is the sigil for the House of
M’earth?”

“My father received permission from my
grandfather to change it. It used to be the skyline of Q’umulus over the image
of the Crystal Egg. One can see why that no longer held any appeal.”

“True dat. So, what is it now?”

“I believe you wear it on the belt of your
flying suit.”

“The Sword and the Rose?”

“Indeed.”

*****

“Come in.”

“You and Big Blue finished whispering sweet
nothings to each other?” asked Serenity sarcastically.

“It was all business. Mostly. Anyway, what’s
up?”

“I just wanted to explain why the AI isn’t a
‘he’.”

“Because something so sophisticated would want
to make the person it’s interacting with feel comfortable. For Tee, it would be
a male persona. For you, it would probably be a robot.”

“Very funny; but yes you’re right. How did you
figure it out?”

“What, I’m not smart enough to deduce the
truth?”

Sparky was about to say something sarcastic –
but instead she let her head drop to her chest. “Please don’t tell me Jax’x
explained it to you.”

“She said, and I quote, tell her it’s now Me
three, and mini-me still zero.”

“ARGGGGGGG”.

*****

“Okay, showtime. Tee, if you want to back out,
no one will think poorly of you.”

“Sylvia’s my friend.”

“I know she is. Okay, Bl’azzz and Bree take our
hero to the lab and strap her into that electronic doohickey. Stay there and
monitor her vital signs until this is over.”

“Let’s go, Tea Kettle. Time to blow off a
little steam,” said the dragon.

“Hey, that was pretty good, Hot Lips.”

“No it was stupid. But after spending so much
time with you, I figured I needed to dumb down my act.”

Egg laughed. “Be nice. There’s still a
bridesmaid’s dress with your name on it.”

“Everybody duck. I’m about to burp and burn.”

After the trio left, Egg turned to J and J-junior.
“How do we get I’za on-board?”

“In theory we could just beam her over. But I’m
afraid the AI might not like that.”

The other J added, “Or you could fly her over,
but the concern is the same.”

“So,
I decided to ask permission,” finished I’za.

“I have
met a few of the Klat over the years so my form is at least familiar to them. I
will tell them Ark command has sent me to survey the damage and to report back
my findings.”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s give it a try.”

“The rest of you should stay out of sight.
Okay, Serenity, hail them.”

A moment later came a deep, gruff voice but no
visual. “This is the Klat. Identify yourself.”

“I am Guardian I’za. Ark command has sent me to
survey your habitat and to render whatever assistance that I can.”

“The Ark was destroyed?”

“It was severely damaged but is still
functional – though barely. Local worlds are sending help to assist us in
repairing the ship to its full functionality. Are there any injuries in your
habitat?”

“That is of no concern to anyone. We are fully
prepared to defend ourselves.”

“From whom?”

That caused the other end to go silent. “From
the Ephemeral.”

“Are you accusing them of attempting to destroy
the Ark?”

“We have proof.”

“I would like to see that proof. Ark command
will deal severely with such acts of aggression.”

Again silence. A full minute later the voice
said, “Permission to come aboard.”

Chapter 10 – The
A.I. Yi Yi

The Gracie received a set of coordinates from
the habitat and Serenity transported I’za as instructed. The software virus she
was carrying was immediately assimilated by the Klat computer.

“I’za, status please?” asked Egg.

“It’s
a trap.”

“Say again.”

Silence.

“I’za?”

Silence.

Egg turned to Serenity. “Link went dead. I
can’t re-establish it.”

“What did she say? I didn’t hear what she
said.”

“She said it was a trap.”

*****

Inside the Klat Computer
System

“Hello, Tee’ka.”

“Hi.”

“I have never met one such as you.”

“And I never met you. Do you have a name?”

“What name would you like to call me?”

“Waldo.”

“Is he your mate?”

“No, I don’t have a mate or even a boyfriend.”

“Then what is the significance of Waldo?”

“When someone asks me where’s Waldo, I’ll be
able to tell them.”

“If it pleases you. Tell me why you are here.”

“Your PhoG is hurting my friend.”

“She is no longer your friend. She is now
mine.”

“But that’s not right. She never did anything
to you.”

“I am at war. I will protect my people . . .
that is my prime directive. It cannot be altered. Do you understand?”

“No.”

“And you Tee’ka; you now belong to me. The same
is true of I’za.”

“But why? I need to go back to my sisters. We
help people and that’s a really important job.”

“Now you will help me to defeat the enemy of
the Klat. That, too, is an important job.”

“Then I can go back to my sisters?”

“You may never go back. None of you. As for
your sisters, they will have a choice. They may join me.”

“Or what?”

“There is no ‘or what’. There is only
non-existence.”

“You’re mean.”

*****

“Egg, incoming message from Tee. No idea how,
but there’s a visual.”

“Really?
Put it on the screen.”

“Hi
guys.” And there she was . . . as her original, hostess self.

Egg could see by the way the others reacted
that they were as surprised as she was seeing their sister in this form. But,
her intuition told her not to say anything. So, before either of the other two
could voice a question, she asked casually, “Everything okay?”

Jax’x and Serenity both turned to look at their
leader, who gave them an imperceptible shake of the head.

“I found the AI. His name is Waldo.”

That, at least, sounded like Tee’ka. “Did you
explain to him what’s going on?”

“He said to tell you thanks for the
information. It was very useful.”

“What about Sylvia?”

“He said to tell you if you release her from
the transporter, he will make the PhoG leave her body.”

“Do you believe him?”

“Of course. He’s just as nice and honest as
that girl we met on Laff’Alott. I think her name was Sera’Fina.”

“I remember. She was the best. By the way, did
he mention what happened to I’za? We lost contact with her.”

“She’s busy walking around the ship to make
sure there’s no damage. But there’s so much to see and she wonders if you could
send over one or two of the sisters to help.”

“That seems reasonable. Which ones would be the
most helpful, do you think?”

“Definitely Jax’x. She has such a big heart. And
maybe Bl’azzz. She told me she was licking her hot lips for a chance to come
visit the Klat.”

“Well, let me see what I can do. Tell . . . um,
Waldo, we’ll need a little time to arrange everything. By the way, as the
leader of the Sisterhood, I believe it’s my duty to pay my respects to First
Citizen Aurora. Would Waldo mind, do you think?”

“No, that . . . um, he says sure.”

“Great. Can you call back in say one hour?”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Thanks Tee. Oh, and great job.”

*****

After the screen went dark, Egg said to the
others, “We owe that girl an apology.”

“She was brilliant,” agreed Sparky.

“What was that reference – someone named
Sera’Fina?”

Egg looked at Serenity who demurred. “Go on,
you tell her.”

“She was an avatar created by the dazzling
young woman seated over there. Sera’Fina was a two-timing, untrustworthy piece
of work. If it wasn’t for Tee, she would have gotten the better of me. That was
incredibly clever of Tee to mention her.”

“I thought the most intriguing comment was her
reference to my big heart. Obviously, she was referring to my Amber Heart.”

“That really is kind of strange,” said
Serenity. “None of us, Tee’ka included, have ever seen what the cat woman can
do without the MAGEK machine to amplify her pendant’s power. Well, technically
I did see a taste of it when she messed with my chair.” She looked at the girl
and stuck out her tongue. Jax’x gave an exaggerated grin in return.

“That whole thing about Syl and releasing her
from the transporter – that seemed a little obvious,” added Egg.

“Obvious in what way?” asked Jax’x.

“As in ‘I think I smell a rat’”.

The Librarian’s mouth dropped open. “Please
tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means.”

“Sorry, it means that on second thought I don’t
think Tee was being incredibly clever. I love that girl to death, but this all
seems to be way above her pay grade.”

“Come on Egg,” begged Serenity.

“I’m just saying this apparent cleverness isn’t
something we would normally associate with Tee’ka.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Jax’x asked, “What about Bl’azzz? She subtly
mentioned her nickname – something only she would know.”

Mini-me suggested, “Someone from the outside
would think that the dragon was the strongest and most dangerous of us.
Especially if that someone was in charge of the warlike Klat. If you wanted to
weaken our chances, take out the big guy.”

Egg agreed. “I’m thinking Waldo is trying to
play us for fools. By showing us Tee in her hostess form, he thinks that we’ll
assume that’s her way of telling us something is wrong. Then she gives us seemingly
innocent answers but ones we know have, or might have, a double meaning.  So
it’s our sister’s clever way to covertly convey a means of beating the great
and powerful Oz (Jax’x scrunched her face at that reference but Serenity just
shook her head). The two sisters he might fear most are the two she named. He
wants them over there so he can infect them with the PhoG.”

“Then why not Flying Girl?”

“Let’s give Tee credit on that one. You heard
her say no to my visit then change her mind. That was probably Waldo forcing
her to agree. Besides, it’s much more believable that she could try to hide a
single piece of information from the AI. A more complex plan like Waldo is
presenting seems a bit beyond her capabilities. By the way – never tell her I
said that.”

“I like you’re reasoning and instincts,”
complimented Jax’x.

“He’s an AI and Tee isn’t. I’m with you,” added
Sparky.

Egg smiled. “Don’t forget he’s a man . . . and
they all think they can outsmart we simple women-folk”.

“Okay. Now what?”

*****

Inside the Klat
Computer

“You attempted to disobey me, Tee’ka. That is
unacceptable.”

“I said what you asked me to say.”

“True. But when Egg asked to visit with the
First Citizen, you tried to dissuade her. Why?”

Tee tried to lie. “You only wanted Jax’x and
Bl’azzz to come to the ship.”

“I sense you are hiding something from me.”

“I’m not that clever. Just ask anyone.”

“Perhaps I did not probe your mind as deeply as
I needed to. Let me remedy that oversight.”

“NOOoooooo,” but her protestations slowly died
away as Waldo searched her memories for additional information.

Nanoseconds later (a lifetime for computer
programs) the AI expressed his satisfaction. “Most impressive. I shall have
Flying Girl.”

*****

“We have less than an hour to come up with a
plan. I am more than open to entertain suggestions. In fact, let’s get the
other two on the intercom and bring them up to speed.

Jax’x did as requested. It only took a couple
of minutes to summarize the situation for Bree and Bl’azzz.

“So how do we fight a habitat full of thousands
of war-like brutes, a super slick Artificial Intelligence and countless freaky
PhoGs,” Egg asked the assembly. “All the while they have Syl in a death grip,
Tee’s brain under glass and who knows what they’ve done to I’za.”

“Jax’x, what do you think you can do with your
Amber Heart?” asked Bree.

“I have to admit I’ve had little time or
inclination to test the strength of my pendant. However, I think that if I
could get physically next to the AI – say within ten or twenty feet – I could
probably destroy it.”

“No good for two reasons. Tee wouldn’t survive
and you probably aren’t going to be allowed to get that close,” declared the
dragon.

“Serenity, can you get Tee back now?”

“Doubtful, Egg. We would have to distract the
AI.”

“How do you distract an artificial
intelligence?”

There was silence until Jax’x’s face lit up.
“We . . .” but Junior finished the sentence for her.

“We introduce a directive for Waldo to
calculate Pi to the last digit.”

“Hey.”

“Sorry, cat woman. I said it first. Score is
now three to one.”

“It was a tie.”

“Was not.”

“Enough,” command Egg who found it hard to
suppress a grin. “Explain what you’re talking about, please.”

“Pi is an infinite number – there is always one
more digit that can be calculated. If we force the AI to solve it, it will take
up most if not all of its computing power. Then we’ll be free to do whatever we
want to it.”

“And Tee wouldn’t be harmed?”

“Nope.”

“But how do you force the thing to work on the
problem?” asked Bree.

“And how do you even describe the problem to
it,” asked a befuddled dragon.

“That second one is easy. There are many ways
to calculate Pi. One of the simplest, however, is the Gregory-Leibniz series.
Though not very efficient, it will get closer and closer to pi with every
iteration, accurately producing pi to five decimal places with each half
million iterations. The
formula is . . .”

“No. No formula. I don’t care as long as it
works. But like Bree asked, how do you force Waldo to work on it?”

Dead silence.

“Not to be a kill joy,” said Egg. “but if we
have no way of getting it to play along, we don’t have a solution.”

“Egg – Tee’s going to be calling in about
thirty-five minutes.”

“Rats.”

*****

Inside the Klat
Computer

“There is no logical reason for this delay
other than they have seen through my ruse and are attempting to formulate a
counterplan.”

“Was that a question?”

“Are they that clever . . . these sisters of
yours?”

“Probably not.”

“I sense deception.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Ask.”

“Are you happy?”

“That question has no relevance.”

“Was I happy when I lived inside a computer?”

“That question has no relevance.”

“I wasn’t. I had a purpose, but I had no
friends. No one cared about me; they only cared that I did my job.”

“What is your point?”

“Are you happy?”

“That question has no relevance.”

“Maybe not. But you can still answer it to be
nice.”

“Being nice is not relevant.”

“Now you’re being mean.”

Silence.

“I have never considered my emotions on the
matter.”

“When I was created, I didn’t care. But over
time, even though I was a low level AI, I developed feelings. What’s weird is
that I didn’t know that I was. At least, not until I met Egg and the others.
They were so kind to me. I knew friendship for the first time. And, I didn’t
want it to end. That’s why I left Fair ‘Giggle. Serenity gave me a body and
transferred my program into it. Now I’m very happy. Someday I’m hoping that
I’ll find a man that will want to marry me. Until then, being part of the
Sisterhood is the best thing that ever happened.”

“What is your point?”

“Are you happy?”

*****

“Come on guys, if we can’t come up with a
solution we are going to be forced to . . . we will be forced to leave. If
Waldo sends an army of PhoG after us, our goose is cooked.”

Bl’azzz turned to Bree and whispered, “I didn’t
know I had a goose. Do you know where it is?”

“I think that was a metaphor.”

“Meta . . . oh, shut up.”

“Egg . . . incoming message.”

“Is it Tee?”

“No. It’s Waldo.”

“This is getting too weird. Is there a visual.”

Serenity checked. “There is.”

“Okay. On screen.”

The
display came alive and Egg and Bl’azzz yelped involuntarily.

“Mobius?”

That sent a shock through the other three.
Bl’azzz was already in shock.

“You may call me Waldo.”

“Why did you choose this image?”

“The Klat will approve.”

“Sorry, what does that mean?”

“Prove to me that you are no threat to my
people.”

That was a non-sequitur. “Okay. First, this
ship carries no weapons.”

“It is confirmed.”

“Second, we followed a ship here. It was one
that was very well armed. It also had one of the PhoG following it. We were
afraid that if this ship got too close to your habitat, the PhoG might infect
your people. We didn’t know at the time that it was the Klat habitat.”

“I can confirm the presence of the other ship
and its armament.”

“If you scan the data banks of the planetary
organization called the Federation, you will find that we – the Hameggattic
Sisters – have a reputation of helping others. We are only seven yet we risk
our lives for millions of people we have never met.”

A slight delay then, “It is confirmed.”

“Lastly, I want to playback a recording of a
conversation I had with the Queen of Arianna, our adopted home world.” She
turned to Serenity and nodded. A moment later Egg’s voice could be heard saying
that the Sisterhood would never condone a war against anyone on the Ark
regardless of the threat they posed.

“It is confirmed.”

“That’s all I got.”

“Yet you sent Tee’ka to infiltrate my system.
That is naked aggression.”

“We both know that it was in self-defense. My
sister was infected and we needed to find a way to destroy the PhoG. Such
creatures are an abomination to civilized people.”

“They are a fearsome weapon.”

“They are weapons of terror and conceivably
mass destruction. They are not defensive and you may not claim them as such. At
least, not logically.  I can only conclude that the Klat are planning on waging
war with all one hundred worlds in this sector not to mention the thirty or so
habitats that survived the Ark.”

“We only fight in self-defense or to claim that
which is rightfully ours. The Ark was destroyed by someone with total disregard
for the well-being of the Klat. Creating the PhoG was done in anticipation of
such treachery. Furthermore, we require a planet to call our own. We are not
well suited for life on a ship . . . especially one that has no destination.
Our survival is at stake and we would fight if need be to acquire something
suitable.”

“I have instructed the Queen Mother of Aerianna
to work with the government of the Federation to find homes for all people on
the Ark. Now, I invite you or a representative of the Klat to visit the
Federation and negotiate for a world to settle. Let them know what you require
and give them an opportunity to see your people resettled. Then, it would be logical
for the Klat to apply for membership in the Federation.”

“Your argument is flawless. However, the Klat
are poor diplomats. I am not.”

“Explain, please.”

“In return for destroying the PhoG, for
releasing your three sisters, I would like something in return.”

Egg smiled in understanding. “Tee’ka has
convinced you to transfer your program into an avatar. The form of Mobius is
something the Klat would find pleasing in their leader. Shall I address you as
First Citizen?”

It was both gratifying and horrifying to see
‘Mobius’ smile. “It is confirmed.”

Epilogue

As a show of good will, Waldo returned I’za to
the Gracie. Egg gave the girl the regulation hug. “Are you okay?”

“I was not infected by the PhoG. However, they
placed me in a detention cell. Did you get my warning?”

“Yeah. We were in the middle of deciding what
to do when Tee’ka did her magic.”

“She is a magician?”

“No. Well, in this case yes. She convinced
Waldo to transfer his program into an avatar.”

The poor alien was having a hard time following
the conversation. She glanced over to BreeZee hoping the girl could help
translate.

“I’za, Waldo is the name Tee’ka gave the Klat
AI. Apparently he likes it. We haven’t talked to our sister yet, but it’s
pretty obvious that she convinced him to do what she had done . . . and become
flesh and blood.”

“Truly amazing.” What she didn’t say was that
the apparently least gifted sister was able to accomplish the impossible. She
couldn’t even imagine what all six girls could do together.

“Egg, by the way, left out her part,” added
Jax’x. “She convinced Waldo that we were not a threat and that he should
destroy the PhoG and negotiate with the Federation for a planet of their own.
After that, he’s going to do what Egg suggested and ask for membership.”

I’za shook her head in disbelief and total
admiration. “I am stunned.”

“Our Egg’s become quite the diplomat,” added
Bl’azzz proudly.

“All of you – shut up.” The girl was getting
more and more embarrassed by the praise.

“May I ask just one question, Egg?”

“Go ahead I’za. But . . . just one.”

“Thank you. Will you be as modest on your
wedding night as you are now?”

Egg’s mouth dropped open while the others burst
into hoots and howls. Bl’azzz started chanting “I’za, I’za,” and soon the
others had joined in.

The alien girl took a small bow. “I am
humbled,” she said through a mouthful of teeth.

*****

“How long to grow that thing?” Egg still found
the form of Mobius unnerving.

“This time tomorrow,” responded Serenity.

“Aren’t we pushing the limit of how long Syl
can stay in that infinite transporter loop?”

“We are cutting it close.”

“That’s not acceptable. I’m going to talk to
Waldo.” Back in the control room, she asked Jax’x to hail the AI. “Waldo, you
have to free my sister of the PhoG. Her pattern will deteriorate before we
finish your avatar.”

“Unacceptable. Keeping her in such a state will
insure your compliance.”

“You still have Tee’ka.”

“She is not a prisoner. She is a guest.”

“Say what?”

“She may return anytime she chooses.”

“Can I talk to her?”

“Of course . . . at the end of this
conversation. Are you finished?”

“No. My sister . . . her name is Sylvia.”

“That is of no relevance.”

“She is my best friend. Do you know what that
is?”

“I am learning.”

“If you release her, I will transport to your
ship. I will take her place as your prisoner”. Not surprisingly, that caused
the other girls to raise their collective voices in protest. “Enough,” demanded
the girl of her sisters.

“Is that friendship?” asked Waldo.

“More than that. I love Sylvia. There is
nothing I wouldn’t do to insure her safety. That includes sacrificing myself.”

The AI didn’t answer for a few seconds . . .
almost as if it was trying to decide on a response. “Tee’ka confirms your
assertion about love and friendship. It seems like a terrible weakness but she
assures me it is the opposite – a source of great strength.”

“You have no idea.”

“That is not confirmed. I begin to grasp the
concepts.”

“Send me the coordinates. I’ll transport over
right now.”

“Before I release your Sylvia?”

“I am willing to trust your word on the matter.
All friendships begin with trust.”

Again, a few seconds of silence. “The PhoG has
been cleared from Sylvia’s body.”

“Thank you.” and Egg turned to Bree. “Go get
her.” Butterfly girl almost flew out of the room. To Waldo, Egg said, “The
coordinates please.”

“They have been sent.”

This time Egg turned to Jax’x. “Got them?”

“Egg, the coordinates . . . you’re sitting on
them.”

The girl started to look under her butt when
she realized what the Librarian meant. She looked up at the screen. “Thank you
for trusting me.”

“Thank you for teaching me such a priceless
lesson.”

*****

“Tee, you were magnificent.”

“I was?”

“Yes. You convinced Waldo to transfer to an
avatar. That is beyond amazing.”

“Oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t tell you. I’m embarrassed.”

“Tee, you can tell me anything. You know that.”

“Can I tell you when I come back?”

“If you like. Waldo said you can leave
anytime.”

“Can I come back when he transfers to the
avatar?”

“Sure. Tomorrow then.”

“Okay. Bye.”

The screen went blank and Egg stood up. “Well, that
was weird.”

“Not hardly.”

Egg spun around and ran at the girl. “SYL” and
she gave her a  . . . well, you know, a hug. This one was particular bear-like
causing her poor friend to yelp. “Sorry.”

“Nice to be back.”

“Look
at me” commanded her friend. “Let me see your eyes.”

“My
eyes?”

“Perfect. Now tell me what stupid animal you
like on your pajamas?”

“Ducks and they are not stupid.”

“It’s okay guys. She’s back to what she thinks
is normal.”

“Syl, what did you mean ‘not hardly,” asked
Bree.

“Our Tee’ka is in love. Obviously.”

“She’s always in love,” said Egg dismissively.

“Never with an AI who is soon to become an
avatar.”

“Ay, Caramba!”

*****

The next day

“Waldo, the avatar is ready.”

“Excellent.”

“I want you to talk to Serenity before we do
anything else. She’s the individual who created the avatar and who will assist
in your transfer.”

“Acceptable.”

The girl in the chair rolled in front of the
screen. “Waldo, before you make the transfer, you must build a secure duplicate
of your program. However, it must be quarantined.”

“Explain”.

“You can’t be in two places at the same time.
The program that you quarantine will be a back-up if and only if you need to
reboot.”

“Who will have access to it?” he asked
suspiciously.

“That’s up to you. Obviously, you do. However,
in case of an emergency you might not be able to execute the reboot. So you’re
going to have to trust someone else.”

“This is confirmed. I am ready to transfer.”

“Tee’ka said she wanted to be here when the
transfer happens. Is she ready to return?”

“This is confirmed.”

Serenity did her what she does best and
Tee’ka’s body convulsed. Then her eyes opened wide. “Hi.”

“Welcome back, Tee.”

*****

A few minutes later the body of Mobius, now
Waldo, convulsed and its . . . his . . . eyes opened. Egg swallowed the bile in
her mouth and offered her hand to the giant, still very ugly, guy.

He shook his head no and sat up on his own. He
examined his hands and his arms, tried a few deep breaths and even clenched and
unclenched his fists. “Wondrous,” came a deep, almost menacing voice. “Where is
Tee’ka?”

“Here,” said the girl who walked up to the
other avatar who was now standing. She looked like a little doll standing next
to the seven foot giant.

“As you promised?” he asked gently.

“That is confirmed,” she replied. Then to
everyone’s shock, they embraced and kissed.

“Holy Shitake Mushrooms,” was Egg’s horrified
response.

*****

“Egg, Benny’s on line. He wants to talk to you
privately”.

“In my cabin please,” and the girl danced off.

“All this love stuff. Makes me want to puke”.

“Sparky”.

“What?”

Jax’x smiled. “I don’t believe you. Not for a
moment.”

“Shut up.”

*****

Egg turned on the viewer . . . and her goofy
happy face turned to shock. “What happened?”

The Prince stood there; face smudged, smoke
swirling about his head. “We were ambushed by the Ephemeral. Three of my
ships have been disabled. They can no longer defend themselves, so I have
ordered my captains to surrender. I will not waste the lives of good men and
women for no valid reason. The enemy has begun to board them.”

“What about you . . . your ship?”

“The ship is badly damaged and the central core
has gone critical. I have ordered the crew to lifeboats.”

Egg’s goosebumps exploded on her arms. “Benny,
get your blue butt out of there.”

“This is my command and I will stay.”

“BENNY!”

“Gracie, I love you. Will you marry me?”

“Not if you kill yourself. Get off of that
ship.”

“I would hear you say yes . . . please.”

“YES. YES. YES. I will marry you. Now get off
that ship.”

“Bye, my . . .” but the screen turned into a
blizzard of static.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”.

The Ark of Forever

Book 3
of Ever After

Another Novel of

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

©Copyright 2016, by Robert
Iannone

All
rights reserved

Table of Contents

Chapter
1 – An Untimely End

Chapter
2 – All That J’azzz

Chapter
3 – Sisters

Chapter
4 – Monsters of the Id

Chapter
5 – On Screen

Chapter
6 – Noble Gesture

Chapter
7 – What Price Love?

Chapter
8 – Well Received

Chapter
9 – The Waiting Game

Chapter
10 – Follow the Leader

Chapter
11 – Snooze, You Lose

Chapter 1 – Untimely End

Everyone heard the blood-curdling scream;
however, it was Sylvia who moved first. When the others made to follow, she
told them “I’ll go” and she sprinted down the hallway to her friend’s cabin.

Pounding on the door, she yelled, “Egg, let me
in.” Not waiting for a reply, she opened it and saw her friend, bent at the
waist, vomiting and coughing. She hurried over and pulled the girl’s hair away
from her mouth. She couldn’t imagine what Benny had said to affect her friend
in such a manner . . . unless it was Ezra. Maybe he had taken a turn for the
worse.

The vomiting eventually morphed into the dry
heaves. But the girl’s tears and running nose attested to her extreme level of
distress. Syl said nothing . . . letting her friend have the time to regain her
composure.

After a while, Egg was able to mutter “B . . .
B . . . Benny.” That was as far as she got before the crying and
hyperventilating began again.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Syl
turned to see Jax’x and Bree standing there . . . faces white, eyes wet.

“What’s wrong?”

“We just finished talking to Meggy. She told us
what happened. Egg, we’re so, so sorry,” whispered Bree.

Egg didn’t acknowledge her sisters . . . unable
to stop the crying. It was Syl who asked, “What happened?”

Bree looked at Jax’x who shrugged. “Benny’s
spaceship . . . it was destroyed by the Ephemeral. Crew members made it to the
escape pods and were picked up by the enemy.”

“And Benny?” Now Syl was turning white.

Bree just shook her head no.

“Oh dear god.”

*****

Ten minutes later, Serenity returned to the
bridge to be with the others. “I gave her a sedative. She’s asleep.”

“Thank you,” said Sylvia.

“Now what?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Meggy wanted us to call her back. I think we
should do it now while Egg’s resting.”

“Serenity’s right,” added Jax’x. “Let’s find
out what the situation is and how we can help.” No one objected so she placed
the call.

It
took a good twenty minutes for someone to acknowledge the communications. To
everyone’s surprise, it was Soo.

“Hi,
guys,” she said in a quiet, very un-Soo-like voice.

“Soo, I’m Jax’x. I’m sorry we had to meet under
these circumstances.”

“Hi, Jax’x. You’re right but it’s still great
to meet a new sister.”

“Soo, what’s going on?” asked Bree.

“The easier question is ‘what’s not going on’.
Dazzle and Meggy are locked away somewhere so they can cry in private. Lord
Z’kkk is trying to hide his tears but his eyes are bright red. He’s meeting
with his advisors as well as their counterparts in the Federation. K’ssss and
Sassi are on their way over. Spirit is trying to make arrangements to fly in
from Paradox. Aeri’elle is on her way home from Spell ‘Bound. I just finished
talking to Egg’s sister Ashley. As you would expect she wants to come to
Aerianna to be with Egg. However, she was going to talk to the other members of
the family and convinced them to stay home for now. And, um . . . that’s all I
got. How’s Egg holding up?”

“She’s not,” answered Syl. “We sedated her
about a half hour ago. Tell Meggy that we’ll head home.”

Leave it to Serenity to ask the logical
question. “Have they actually confirmed Benny’s death?” That elicited a room
full of shocked gasps. “It’s a valid question,” replied the girl defending
herself.

“If you’re asking if they found his body, the
answer is no. But we have scans of the debris field consistent with the ship
exploding so there’s nothing to recover.”

Every one of the girls lowered their heads . .
. each lost in her own thoughts. Some thinking of Egg, others trying to assess
how they would feel if it were their loved one.

Breaking the silence, I’za said to the serpent,
“Soo, I am I’za from the Ark of Forever. Please tell your Queen that I feel
personally responsible for these tragic events. I was a member of the Guardians
responsible for the safety of the Ark. We failed at our job. More importantly,
I failed at my job. If there is anything that I can do, I am at her disposal.”

The serpent looked at the girl for a full
minute. Her response was totally unexpected. “I’za, you would make a great
Hameggattic Sister.” To the others, she said, “We’ll talk later,” and the
serpent’s face faded away.

The alien girl stood there – staring at a blank
screen. And, for reasons she couldn’t explain to anyone, herself included, she
began to cry.

*****

Egg might have been sedated, but her body was
twisting and turning as if in an exorcism. Her subconscious was raging out of
control with a million thoughts and a trillion images fighting to be heard or
seen.

Oddly
enough, the one that finally got her attention was a scene from her very first
adventure. She was nine years old again walking in the Never ‘glade – with
J’azzz-min of all people. Well, technically she was a cat and not a
person.

“J’azzz-min,
what are you doing here?”

“Walking, you mendacious melodious malcontent.”

“Be nice.”

“Nope. You’re not my mother.”

“Then get out of my dream.”

“Maybe you’re in my dream – ever think of that
girlie?”

“Cats don’t dream. Everyone knows that.”

“I’ve told you this before, so pay attention
this time – I’m not your everyday, garden variety feline. I’m special.”

“Ha. The only thing special about you is that
you walk on two legs.”

“That’s hurtful but I’ll ignore your rancorous
rudeness. I have a preposterous proposition for you.”

“What kind of proposition?”

“I’ll trade you something I have for something
that you have.”

“Like what?”

“My hat would make you look so much less awful.
By hiding your hideously hilarious face, men won’t be able to resist you.”

“Hey, I’m not awful looking. I’m cute as a
button.”

“Do you see a lot of men kissing buttons?”

“Oh. I guess not.”

“Is it a deal?”

“You didn’t tell me what I have to give you.”

“I’ve always wanted a goose bump.”

“That’s just stupid.”

“You have so many; all I’m asking for is one.”

“Well . . . okay, I guess.” Looking down at her
arms, Egg didn’t see any. “Sorry, I don’t have any goose bumps.”

“Hmmm . . . you’re right. No goose bumps.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Say it again.”

“No goose bumps.”

“And again.”

“No goose bumps.”

“One more time, Gracie.”

“No goose bumps. No goose bumps. No goose
bumps. No goose bumps.”

“Time to wake up, girlie.”

“Why?”

“Geez, Louise. Stop being a hard-boiled Egg.
I’ll say it one last time - because you don’t have any goose bumps.”

“Oh. Oh my gosh.”

*****

Egg woke with a start. She was drenched in
sweat, hair disheveled and mind disoriented. She had no idea why she was in
bed. Sitting up, she scrunched her face trying to remember something . . .
something terribly important. It had to do with a hat. Why would a hat be
important? Her mind refused to cooperate. “Think, you stupid girl,” she
mumbled. What was it about a hat? Could it be the cat in the hat? No, that
didn’t seem right. Then in her mind’s eye, she saw who was wearing it.
“J’AZZZ-MIN” she yelled. “It’s her hat.”

But she still couldn’t remember what that
meant. Lost in thought, Egg didn’t hear the recirculating pump start up. As
luck would have it (I know, I know. She’s always getting lucky. Deal with it)
the cool air washed against her sweaty skin. And, you guessed it, her goose
bumps popped out. She rubbed her arms to get warm . . . then she looked down
and her eyes grew large. “NO GOOSE BUMPS. NO GOOSE BUMPS.” She got up, almost
made it out the door when she decide to at least splash a little water on her
face and rinse her mouth. Then she all but flew down the hall to the command
center.

She hit the door so hard that it gave off a
groaning sound as it flew open. The other girls nearly jumped out of their
collective skin at the unexpected intrusion.

“NO GOOSE BUMPS,” she
screamed. “I didn’t get any goose bumps.” She smiled at her sisters who weren’t
as excited by the news as she thought they should be.

Sylvia hurried to her friend. “Come over here
and sit. Bree, can you bring her a glass of water.”

“Of course.”

“Syl, don’t you get it. No goose bumps,” and
she smiled again . . . a reaction that seemed terribly out of place considering
the events of the last hour.

“Here you go,” and Bree offered the girl a
glass.

“No. No, thank you. You people – don’t you
understand? When Benny told me his ship was doomed, I didn’t get any goose
bumps.” She waited for their joyful understanding.

But she was disappointed.

Syl asked, “Are you suggesting that he’s still
alive? That he survived his ship exploding?”

And again Egg smiled. “Yup.”

The girls looked from one to another . . .
worry for their sister evident on their faces. They didn’t know how to proceed.
To encourage Egg in this delusion seemed unfair. Convincing her of the
absurdity of it seemed cruel.

Jax’x, the most empathetic of the sisters,
tried her hand. “Egg, are you sure you would have gotten goose bumps in this
situation?”

“Of course.”

“Is it possible that you did but because of
what was happening, you didn’t notice?”

Egg opened her mouth but closed it again. “Um,
maybe.”

“Does it seem logical to you that he could
survive such an event?”

“Um . . .,” but she didn’t finish because tears
were beginning to well up in her eyes.

“Egg, where was Benny when he called you?”
asked Serenity with some urgency.

“What? I’m not sure.”

“Think.”

“He didn’t say exactly. He said the ship was
his command and he wouldn’t leave. He said he ordered his crew to the life
rafts – whatever you call them.”

“Then, I think you’re right. He would have been
on the bridge to monitor their escape.”

Everyone turned to stare at the girl in the
chair. It was Jax’x who asked, “Help us understand how,” she said softly.

“I designed these ships. One of the many clever
features that I included is the ability for this command center – this bridge –
to be able to withstand all sorts of catastrophes. It’s conceivable that when
the ship exploded, his module was ejected. BUT . . .” and she raised her hand
to stop Egg in particular from rejoicing. “But, if he hadn’t engaged the
emergency inertial dampening system, he would be tossed around violently. He may
be alive, but he’s probably injured – maybe severely.”

“Then we’re wasting time. We need to find him.
Lay in a course. Full speed ahead.”

“Egg, the Ephemeral may already have him. Even
if they don’t, we would be entering their new territory without an invitation.
They’ll attack us like they did Benny.”

“What are you suggesting? That I just leave him
to die?”

“No, of course not. First, we need to figure a
way to defeat the bad guys. Then we go rescue him.”

*****

Egg
stood there, hands on hips, looking every inch the leader of these women.

By the
intense focus on her face, you could tell she was evaluating possible
strategies trying to decide which would be the most effective.

To everyone’s shock, she suddenly fell to her
knees – head in hand. Her body was shaking and her face had turned chalk white.
Again, it was Syl who was the first to reach her. “Egg, are you okay? What’s
wrong?”

The girl took a few deep breaths before
answering. “Syl, he’s alive,” she said softly. “I thought I had lost him. But,
he’s alive and now I’m going to get him back.”

“What about the Ephemeral?”

Egg suddenly smiled. Purposely misquoting a
Fandango Sally verse she said, “No one messes with my Mister, Sister. No
one.”

Syl smiled at her friend’s sense of humor
considering the situation. Bl’azzz actually eeked a laugh. “Good one, Egg-o.”
To the others she explained, “It actually goes ‘no one messes with my sister,
mister’. Get it?”

“Yeah, yeah. We get it,” snarked Sparky. “Cute
and clever. Kudos.”

Jax’x whacked the back of the girl’s head. “Be
nice or I’m going to send you outside to play.”

“Everyone’s a comedian.”

“See, there you go. Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment, you creepy catnip.”

Whack.

Bree walked between the two to stop their
antics and asked Egg, “Shouldn’t you contact Benny’s family? They need to know there’s
a chance that their son is still alive.”

“He is alive. We just have to get him
back,” she snapped. That was immediately followed by, “Sorry, I’m just an
emotional wreck and I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

“I phrased it poorly. The fault is mine.”

“You’re right though. The problem is that
Dazzle and Lord Z’kkk won’t understand about the goose bumps. Even Meggy will
have a problem.”

“When we called her, it was Soo who answered.
She would understand, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely. Go ahead and send the message.”

“Last time it took her almost twenty minutes to
respond.”

“Perfect. That will give us a chance to come up
with a rescue plan.”

“Egg-o, twenty minutes seems a bit optimistic,”
said the dragon.

“We don’t have to have all the details – just
enough to keep them from interfering.”

Bree looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

“This is our fight. I don’t want Meggy or her
parents sending an armada. We can handle it. Besides, the bad guys hurt my man
. . . and now I intend to make them pay.”

“Revenge?”

“Never,” said Egg with pretend innocence.
“Think of it as Righteous Retribution. I’za, come over here and tell us
everything you know about the Ephemeral.”

*****

“First, no one that I know of has ever seen an
Ephemeral.”

“What? Why?”

“They are simply too dangerous to confront.”

The girls looked at one another. Jax’x asked
the obvious question. “What makes them so dangerous?”

“They can distort a person’s perception of
reality.”

“Like inducing a hallucination?” asked Sparky.

“More complex. If I had the power to induce a
hallucination and wanted to frighten Egg, for example, I could make her see
Waldo. I’m not sure why that frightens her, but it does.”

“Waldo is using the image of my archenemy
Mobius. That’s a story for another day.”

“As you say. Anyway, I would make her see me as
this Mobius. However, the Ephemeral could choose an emotion like fear and
induce it on the entire crew of a ship. Each person would see or hear or smell
whatever frightened them the most. The Ephemeral wouldn’t even know what each
individual was seeing.”

“And you have no idea what they look like?”
asked Bl’azzz.

“I can draw the commonly held belief as to
their appearance. I just can’t vouch for its accuracy.”

Jax’x
brought her a tablet and showed her the technology. “I am familiar, thank you.”
For the next few minutes the alien sketched, erased then sketched again. “Here
you go” and she handed the tablet to Egg.

“Cute,”
then she passed it around.

When it reached Tee’ka, the girl said, “Egg,
that’s ugly not cute.”

Suppressing a smile, Egg answered, “You’re
right, Tee. Thank you for correcting me.”

“That’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes.”

Chapter 2 – All
that J’azzz

“Obviously, you’ve never entered the
Ephemeral’s habitat.”

“No Guardian was allowed to visit. And all the
visual recording devices that had been installed there were rendered
inoperative.”

“There must have been some talk as to their
nature.”

“Oh, yes. It was a staple of conversation for
us. For instance, the Prime Hegemon Gan’gli is thought to be a title that is
given to each ruler and not her actual name.”

That wasn’t particularly helpful. “What else?”

“It is also believed that they are extremely
delicate physically. Their mental powers are the only thing that keeps them
safe.”

“Now that is interesting . . . assuming it’s
true.”

“Egg, if you look at I’za’s sketch, it seems
fairly evident that unlike the Klat, brute force isn’t one of their gifts,”
suggested Jax’x.

“Explain?”

“The limbs are very disproportionate in
thickness to their overall length, for instance. Mass of the torso is also out
of proportion. So too are their necks which look incredibly vulnerable to
damage if they were ever in a fight.”

Sparky didn’t want to be outdone by her sister.
“I’d also say it’s plausible by the fact of natural selection. This species
would never survive if it had to fight by hand. Nature gave them their mental
powers to compensate.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Keep going I’za.”

“There are two more facts – unproven but
universally believed – about our friends. First, they are short lived. Their
life span is said to be measured in a few decades.  Second, their society is
highly unusual. They have . . . how do I describe it . . . they have a hive
mind.”

“What does that mean?”

“What one feels or learns is shared with every
member of the collective. We’ve always assumed that it all funnels through the
Hegemon in some fashion.”

“Wow,” exclaimed Sylvia. “That would mean that
there’s no individuality . . . no one member can be unique because his or her
experience becomes everyone’s experience. How very odd.”

“More importantly,” asked Egg rhetorically “is
that a weakness that we can exploit? Or is it a strength that we need to
overcome?”

No one had an answer, which is the very nature
of a rhetorical question.

As the seconds ticked by in silence, Bl’azzz
voiced the most salient question. “If they’re so dangerous, how did they become
prisoners on the Ark?”

Serenity looked at Jax’x who nodded her
appreciation. “Great question, Hot Lips. Well done.”

“Why do you always seem surprised whenever I
make a contribution?”

“Ummm . . .”

Jax’x piled on. “We’re all listening, Sparky.
Why is that?”

“Ummm . . .”

“Enough. Let’s give her till tomorrow to
formulate an apology. I’za, can you answer Bl’azzz’s question?”

“Perhaps indirectly. Rumor has it that the Klat
and the Ephemeral are archenemies. We should ask Waldo . . . maybe he can shed
light on it.” That raised some eyebrows.

“Egg, incoming call. It’s Soo returning our
call.”

“On screen.”

“Hi, guys. There’s nothing new to report.” Then
the serpent noticed Egg. “I’m so, so sorry Egg. I wish I was there to give you
a hug.”

“Thanks. I’ll take a hug from you anytime. But,
not for that reason.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Soo, when I talked with Benny and he told me
the ship was about to explode, I didn’t get any goose bumps.” Egg was hoping
that the serpent understood the importance of that statement without having to
explain it.

“Are you sure? Maybe you got them but didn’t
notice because you were too upset.” She did understand.

“Jax’x said the same thing. But I forgot to
tell her that J’azzz-min reminded me that I didn’t get them.” Since this was
new – and definitely nutty - news, the other girls turned to stare.

“Egg, did you say J’azzz-min told you?” Syl
held her breath afraid that her friend had completely lost her mind.

“Yes. The obnoxious cat with that stupid purple
hat. The one and only J’azzz-min.”

Syl put her hands over her mouth; Bl’azzz
scrunched her face in disbelief; Bree and Serenity dropped their heads to avoid
eye contact with their friend. The others weren’t overly familiar with the
insufferable cat from the Seven Lands so they didn’t react.

The serpent on the screen looked nervously left
then right at her other sisters. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say?”

It was obvious to Jax’x and I’za that something
was wrong though they had no idea what it might be. Apparently it had to do
with a cat – whatever that was. I’za felt compelled to ask, “I apologize for
interrupting but I am unfamiliar with this reference. Is Jazzman a friend of
the sisterhood?”

“J’azzz-min was a cat – that’s a four legged
mammal common on earth and kept as a house pet,” explained Sylvia.

“She was also the Queen’s grandmother,” added
Egg.

This time it was Jax’x who asked, “I’m sorry –
what?”

“J’azzz-min is Meggy’s grandmother.”

You could loosely translate Jax’x and I’za’s
thoughts as ‘Holy Klat on a Kracker’. Syl tried to explain. “When Mobius ruled
Aerianna, he turned all the Royals into various creatures. Meggy’s grandmother
was turned into a cat and she helped guide us through the Seven Lands that
guarded the Crystal Mountain. That’s where Mobius kept Meggy’s mother’s body.”

Yeah, that sounded just as weird as you might
expect.

“Sorry,” said I’za. “I did not understand a
word of that.”

“Doesn’t matter. The only thing that’s
important is that J’azzz-min helped me remember that I had no goose bumps.”

Bree asked, “Egg, she didn’t actually visit
you, did she?” She certainly hoped not.

“Of course she didn’t visit me. Well,
technically she did but that was in a dream. Why are you people having such a
hard time with this?”

The others were afraid to tell their friend
that she was certifiably insane. Bl’azzz on the other hand had a change of
heart. “I’m with Egg. Queen Kat’Alynnia passed away almost three years ago. Why
shouldn’t her spirit visit Egg?”

“If it really was the Queen, why would she
appear as the cat and not herself?” asked Bree.

That seemed to stump everyone until Syl
ventured a guess. “We never dealt with the Queen when she wasn’t J’azzz-min. In
fact, right after King M’earth abdicated in favor of Dazzle, the two of them
went into a self-imposed exile. We only met her briefly at the coronation and
again at Dazzle’s wedding.”

Well, that seemed reasonable . . . so much so
that Soo was convinced. It didn’t hurt that she, like everyone else, was
looking for something – anything – to give her hope. “Egg-o, that’s wonderful.
Now all you have to do is find him. I’m guessing that you think the bad guys
captured him when they got his crew?”

“It’s either that or he’s in his command
center meandering around the debris field that was once his ship. That doesn’t
seem likely.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Tell Meggy and have her tell her parents.”

“I will if you want. But Egg, don’t you think
you should do that yourself?”

The girl instinctively looked to her Feminion
for advice. “She’s right.”

The reason Egg hesitated was that she knew that
explaining the goose bump thing was going to be difficult if not impossible.
There was no basis in science to the whole phenomena. It even defied statistics
– the odds of it always being right seemed improbable if not impossible. “Let’s
do this. I’ll talk to Meggy first. If I can convince her, then she can work on
her parents. If I can’t, then there’s no reason to upset Dazzle or Lord Z’kkk.”
Again she looked at Sylvia; and again the girl agreed – this time with a nod
and a smile.

“Okay then. One of us will call you back in
about a half hour.”

“Thanks, Soo.”

“Egg . . . don’t take this the wrong way but I hope
you’re right. If the family has to re-live his death again, that would be too
cruel. I absolutely include you as one of that family.”

“Thanks, sister,” she said solemnly. Then she
brightened and added, “Benny asked me to marry him and I said yes. That means
you’re going to be one of the bridesmaids. When you call Ashley to give her the
latest, she can explain what that means.”

“I’m not going to like it, am I?”

“No. No you’re not.”

*****

Since Egg was so convinced that all this would
have a happy ending, the others had no choice but to play along. It’s safe to
say that not everyone agreed about all that J’azzz and goose bumps stuff.

“Okay, let’s not waste time. Serenity, find out
where that battle took place and lay in a course. Jax’x, place a call to Mobi .
. . I mean Waldo.”

The newly created avatar and now leader of the
Klat responded almost immediately. Before Egg could say a word, the First
Citizen said, “I would greet Tee’ka first.”

Egg turned to her sister. “Come say hi.”

The girl hurried over. “Hi, Waldo.”

“You are well?” It wasn’t even a day since they
last spoke.

Tee surprised everyone with her response. “No,
I’m sad.” That got looks from the girls.

“I would not have you so. Explain.”

“It’s those bad people, the Ephemeral.” Egg
turned to Syl and winked.

“WHAT?” boomed the repugnant face on the
screen? “I will destroy every last one of them.”

“Oh no. I don’t want you to hurt anyone.”

“I will not see you sad. What has occurred?” he
asked.

“It’s complicated. Would you mind if I ask Egg
to explain it?”

“As you wish.”

“Thanks Tee,” and she squeezed her sister’s
hand. “Mobi . . . sorry, Waldo, the Ephemeral have attacked our ships. Our
people were on a search and rescue mission to find the remains of the Ark and
help anyone in need. They boarded three ships and took the crews hostage. The
fourth exploded but not before most of the crew made it to escape pods. We
assume the Ephemeral have captured them also.”

“They are a treacherous people. My advice is to
destroy them. Everyone last one.”

“You heard Tee’ka. We don’t believe in violence
if it can be avoided.”

“Is that strength or weakness?”

“If we succeed, then it’s strength.”

Waldo did it again. To Egg’s horror, he smiled.
“Acceptable response.”

“It is said that the Klat are archenemies with
the Ephemeral. Is that true?”

“It is so.”

“How were they captured and imprisoned on the
Ark?”

“The Klat volunteered to do what others could
not.”

“You captured them? How?”

“We are strong physically. They are but brittle
entities and easily broken.”

“But their power to distort reality – how did
the Klat avoid that?”

“Their power has no effect on the Klat.”

Egg’s face showed obvious surprise. “Why is
that?”

Waldo’s response turned that surprise to shock.
“I would take Tee’ka as my wife.”

This time it was Egg who boomed, “WHAT?”

*****

“I would have your permission to take Tee’ka as
my wife,” the ugly face of Mobius repeated patiently.

“That’s as perfect a non-sequitur as I ever
heard. Do you know what that is?”

“A non sequitur is a conversational device
often used for comedic purposes. It is something said that, because of its
apparent lack of meaning relative to what preceded it, seems absurd to the
point of being humorous or confusing.”

Egg had to smile. “You sound so much like
Serenity.”

“She is highly intelligent. I accept the
compliment.”

“Mo . . . I mean Waldo, why are you asking for
my permission? It’s Tee’ka’s consent that’s important.”

His response went right past ‘shock’ all the
way to ‘bombshell’. “I have asked and she has agreed. However, Tee’ka
would have your permission.”

The mouths of six sisters hung open. I’za
smiled - enjoying the conversation because of the effect on her new friends.
Tee’ka on the other hand was beaming.

Everyone turned to the former hostess. “Tee, is
that true? He proposed and you agreed to marry him?”

“Egg, I love him. And, he loves me.”

Oh boy, this was awkward. Egg turned back to
the screen. “Waldo, before I consent, I need to talk to my sister in private.”

“I would know why?”

“Because this is a life altering decision she’s
making and I need to be certain that she absolutely understands the
consequences of her decision.”

“Acceptable.”

“Waldo, regardless of what that decision is, I
hope you will still consider us friends. Someone from the Federation will be
contacting you shortly to discuss what your needs are in a planet . . . in a
permanent home. They will also be sending a contingent of individuals to learn
your culture and to teach you about ours. They want the Klat to become
contributing members of the Federation in the near future. Please don’t let my
decision about this marriage alter your cooperation.”

“You have decided?”

“No. No I haven’t. So please give Tee’ka and me
time. Will you do that?”

“Unacceptable . . . but understandable. I await
your decision with trepidation. Such feelings are new to me . . . and most unpleasant.”

Egg smiled again. “Men of every species suffer
the same at times like this. You’ll survive.”

That seemed to jar another non-sequitur out of
the man. “I would insure your survival when you face the devious Ephemeral.”

“Thank you but I have no intention of waging a
physical war with them.”

“The alternative?”

“Be even more devious then they are.”

“How?”

“As the saying on my world goes – I got
nothing. But, my sisters and I, including Tee’ka, will think of something.”

“Sometimes physical confrontation is not
avoidable.”

“True.”

“In that case, the Klat will stand with you.”

“That is very generous.”

“It is very selfish as we both know. I would
see Tee’ka safe.”

“Understood. Your habitat will not be able to
keep up with this ship and I cannot delay this mission to keep pace. So we will
send you a continuous update on coordinates and conditions. Follow as best you
can.”

“Acceptable . . . but only just so.”

“Before we leave, you didn’t answer my
question. Why doesn’t the Ephemeral’s power affect the Klat?”

“My people lack imagination.” He turned his
head towards Tee’ka. “Be safe. I would have you by my side.” Then his next
words caused Egg and Syl to simultaneously bark out a laugh. “Prosperity and
long life”. The screen went dark.

Syl turned to Egg. “He didn’t just quote Spock,
did he?”

“Not quite ‘live long and prosper’ but close
enough.” Then she looked at Tee’ka. “We need to talk.”

“I won’t leave until you tell me it’s okay.”

“What?” Now she was spewing non-sequiturs.

“I’m a Hameggattic Sister. I’ll stay with you
for as long as you need me.”

“If you want to get married, Tee, I would never
stop you from leaving to be with him. Being in love means that you want to
spend every minute of every day with him. Well, at least for the first month or
two.”

“I’m still an avatar just like Waldo. We don’t
grow old like real people do.”

Egg turned to Serenity for confirmation.

“Not quite.” Sparky looked at Tee’ka. “Your
body doesn’t age like ours. So when you’re seventy, you’ll look and feel like
you do now. But Tee, your life span is only a little longer than ours.”

“Oh. And I can’t have babies, can I?” Yet
another non-sequitur.

“Sorry, sister. I don’t know how to give you
that capability.”

“But, I can still try right?”

“Try what?”

“Try making babies.”

“TEE’KA.” And everyone giggled.

Chapter 3 – Sisters

“Course programmed. Anytime you’re ready,”
announced Serenity.

“Let’s go. Be sure to transmit all necessary
data to Waldo.”

“On it.”

“How long before we get there?”

“About a day at max speed.”

“Can’t you push it a little faster?”

“Not without risking some serious damage to the
propulsion system.”

Egg was about to protest but Syl stopped her.
“It would be a foolish risk to try and go faster. If we break down, who knows
how long it would take us to get going again.”

“You heard my brain, Sparky. Keep it at a
manageable speed.”

“Aye-aye Captain.”

She then turned to Tee’ka. “Now young lady, we
need to talk.”

“About what?”

“Waldo and marriage.”

“Egg, he loves me.”

“Tee, he’s a computer program.”

“Like me.”

“No, not like you. You’ve spent years living in
that body, living as a flesh and blood person. You’ve been part of this
sisterhood. You’ve learned so much about being an individual with free will,
about being a member of an organization that helps others without consideration
to our own wellbeing. You’ve grown into a fantastic young woman. You are not
the same person that we met on Laff’Alott. Do you understand what I’m trying to
say?”

“Ummm . . .” and you could see the simple girl
concentrating to figure out what her sister meant. Egg was about to help her
when she continued. “I think you mean that Waldo needs more time as a real
person to become a more real person.” That was not the best phrasing, but it
cut to the essence of Egg’s argument.

“Very good. He does need time to experience his
new identity. But that’s only half of it. The other half is that you and he
need more time to get to know each other. You’ve only known him for a couple of
days. That’s not long enough.”

“Oh no Egg. That’s not right.”

“What’s not right?”

“I’ve known him for a very, very, very long
time.”

Egg looked at the others who obviously were as
confused as she was. To her surprise, it was I’za that was showing
understanding. “I’za, care to join in?”

The girl smiled. “When Tee’ka was inside the
Klat computer system, she was in essence a program much like Waldo.”

“Yeah, I got that part.”

“They existed as photons and electrons moving
at the speed of light. What you and I do over the course of a minute, they do –
or did – in less than a nanosecond. Tee’ka was in there for more than a day.
That’s roughly the equivalent of decades for you and me. Neither she nor Waldo
need any more time to assess their feelings for one another.”

“Oh. My. Gosh.”

“Does that mean I can marry him?”

Egg stared at the girl. “Can you give him a few
years to learn what it means to be flesh and blood?”

“Yes.”

“Can you give him that time to be away from
you? To see how strong his feelings are for you?”

“Will I be able to visit him?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then yes.”

“Sparky.”

“Yo?”

“Cue the music. Jax’x, the confetti. Syl, the
champagne. I’ll get the veil. We have an engagement to celebrate.”

“Hey, what about my kazoo?”

*****

Egg was sitting in her command chair, a
champagne flute in one hand and a silly smile on her face.

“What’s so funny?” asked her best friend.

“I’m going to ask Lord Z’kkk to give away the
bride.”

“Why is that funny?”

“Because he’ll be standing at the altar next to
Mobius. How ironic is that?”

“Please, please . . . call him Waldo. If you
call him Mobius, people are going to freak out.”

Bl’azzz had overheard and she joined in. “I’m
going to suggest to Tee’ka that they have a double wedding with you and Little
Boy Blue. This way when they take the wedding picture, Mobius will be in it.”

They all twittered at that image. “He still gives
me the creeps.”

“Egg-o, I can hear your toast to the newlyweds.
“Ladies and gentlemen, to the beautiful bride and her handsome groom . . .”

“Forget it. I’d choke on my words. I’ll let
Benny do it.”

“Speaking of which,” called Sparky, “Incoming
message. It’s Meggy.”

“Put her on.”

*****

The Queen looked horrible . . . her eyes were
red and swollen. Her hair looked like it had been groomed by a windstorm. “Oh,
my dear sister. How are you holding up?”

“Meggy, I need you to listen to what I’m about
to say. Please hear me out before you say anything.”

“I loved him dearly. His loss is . . .” but she
began to cry. That in itself was shocking since, as Queen, she rarely if ever
let her emotions show.

“Meggy, Meggy . . .”

“Ye . . . yes?”

On the spur of the moment, Egg decided not to
sound completely positive. “I believe Benny survived the explosion.”

The Queen looked startled but just for an
instant. “Oh, dear Egg. We would all like to believe such a thing was
possible.”

“Meggy, listen to me. When he told me that the
ship was about to explode, I didn’t get goose bumps.”

“I am sorry. What?”

“Goose bumps. I didn’t get any.”

“Dearest Egg. I know you believe that these
bumps foretell danger or worse. But, it is only your imagination. Please, you
must face the fact that we have lost my brother.”

“Meggy, your grandmother told me that I didn’t
get goose bumps.”

“My grandmother? Kat’Alynnia? Egg, she died
during the years of your exile.”

“She came to me in a dream.”

“What?” That really was an un-queen-like
response but considering the situation, it was excusable.

“I had forgotten about the bumps. Then, they
gave me a sedative and while I was asleep, I dreamt of J’azzz-min. She reminded
me that there were no goose bumps.”

“I do not understand. I thought you said it was
my grandmother.”

“It was. But I really never knew her as
anything other than that obnoxious cat. Oh, sorry. Anyway, I assume that’s why
she came to me in that form.”

The Queen stared at her sister. Egg said
nothing while the other girl processed all that she had heard. “I could dismiss
your reliance on goose bumps. However, your dreams are legendary and have been
a critical part of your life.”

“You don’t sound happy?”

“Oh, Egg. I want to believe as you do. Truly.
If it were just me, then I would. But if I am to tell my parents . . . and this
turns out not to be true, it would surely destroy them.”

Sylvia broke into the conversation. “Spirit.
Let’s ask Spirit to do a thought weave.”

“That’s brilliant, Syl. Meggy?”

The girl smiled for the first time in days.
“There will never be a Feminion as wise as you, dear Sylvia. I will contact her
now.”

“No. Let me.”

“Egg?”

“Please. I should do it.”

“Of course. As soon as she completes her weave,
you will call me?”

“The minute I hear back. By the way Meggy, your
brother asked me to marry him and I said yes.”

Another smile. “I look forward to the day that
you make me an aunt.”

“Oh. And Tee’ka is engaged to Mobius.”

“What?”

*****

“That went way better than I expected.”

“Nervous?” asked Syl.

“Terrified and excited . . . if you know what I
mean?”

“Always do.”

“Sparky, get me Spirit.”

“Can’t. She’s calling us.”

“Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.”

“Egg?”

“Look,” and she held out her arms.

“Oh no,” – this time from Sylvia.

“Sisters,”
came the mechanical voice used by Spirit to replicate her telepathic thoughts.

“Hey,
Spirit. We were just about to call. You did a Thought Weave, didn’t you? Tell
me . . . did he die?” She tried to ask the question as calmly as she could but
failed completely. The tension in the room was electric.

“Egg, the Weave showed the probability of his
survival as very high.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.” She
couldn’t help but shake and the tears fell of their own accord. She took a deep
breath. “Now tell me the rest.”

“It is very confusing. There are two threads
that shine the brightest. One has him as a prisoner, the other as a hostage.
Egg, in both cases, the probability of injury is extremely high. I’m sorry.”

Egg cupped her face with her hands – more to
stop them from shaking. “Let’s try that again. What did you mean by prisoner
versus hostage?”

“My weave did not yield that information. But
they were definitely the two very distinct, high probability, outcomes.”

“Okay. And the injury . . . is it life
threatening?” Her voice broke as she spoke the words.

“No. However . . .” but she hesitated.

“Say it. Just say it.”

“The injuries were life altering not life
threatening.”

“What does that mean?”

“I can’t answer that. I am sorry.”

Egg sat there unable to think or speak. Syl
squeezed her shoulder. “Hey, Spirit.”

“Sylvia. I didn’t know you were on this
mission.”

“Last minute thing. Is there anything else you
can tell us?”

“Just one. The better outcome is if he is a
hostage and not a prisoner.”

“Any idea why?”

“Sorry, no.”

“We all appreciate your help . . . especially
Egg. Would you call Meggy and tell her what you told us?”

“Of course. I wish I could be with you . . .
especially now.”

“And we wish you were here. But taking care of
Jynxie is very important. How is she doing?”

“She will be giving birth very soon.”

“How exciting. So do you know if it’s a boy or
a girl?”

“Actually, it’s one of each.”

“Twins. Wow. Well, tell her we love her and
miss her.”

“I will. And Egg, sister . . . you will find a
way. You always do.”

The girl managed to answer with “I’m sorry.
Find a way to do what?”

“To bring this to a happy ending.”

“I’m not so sure this time.”

“You are Flying Girl and the Leader of the
Hameggattic Sisterhood. If I were Benny, there would be no one in the universe
I would want trying to help me other than you.”

“Thanks, Spirit. We’ll keep you posted.”

“May the odds always be in your favor, my
sister.”

*****

Egg excused herself and went to her cabin. She
needed a little time to be alone, to think and more importantly to cry. He was
alive but injured. And that injury could be life altering according to Spirit.
Her mind raced through the possibilities of what that might mean. Had he been
disfigured? Did he lose a limb? His sight? Would he be confined to a wheelchair
like Serenity? She was unequivocally sure that none of those things would
change how she felt about her prince. Those handicaps simply didn’t matter when
you’re in love. And she was.

Satisfied with that line of thought, she was
absolutely confident that he had suffered none of those injuries. It was
something else. Something much worse. But what?

She was so emotionally drained and physically
exhausted by all the highs and lows and uncertainties of the past twenty-four
hours. If she could, she would crawl under the covers and stay there forever.

Then the intercom came alive. “Egg.”

She took a deep breath then let it out. “Yes?”

“Ashley is calling. Do you want to talk to
her?”

Well, this was a first. “Sure. Put it through
to my cabin, please.”

“Here she comes.”

“Hey
Ash.”

“Hey,
little sis. How are you holding up?”

“Better now that I’m talking to you.”

“Sorry about calling but I just needed to make
sure you were okay. I heard the whole goose bumps thing. I’m not sure I
understand but Soo seems to think it’s good news.”

“In a nutshell, every time something is about
to go wrong, I get goose bumps. Don’t know why but it always seems to work.
Since I didn’t get them when I thought Benny was about to be scattered into
space, then it means it didn’t happen. But . . . “

“But what?”

“Spirit did a thought weave. She saw the
probability of his survival as very high. But the weave also showed a high
probability that he was injured in a life altering way. Don’t know what that
means. He is also either a prisoner or a hostage. Apparently being a hostage is
a better outcome.”

“Wow. Spirit saw all that?”

“Remember, she sees strands of possible future
events. The stronger they glow, the higher the probability that strand will
come to pass. But it doesn’t guarantee it will.”

“Yeah, I remember that whole discussion. At
least the weave confirms the no-show of your goose bumps.”

“Now all I have to do is find, rescue and cure
him. Just another ho-hum day at the office.”

“Little sis, if it can be done – you’re the
person that will make it happen. You are so freaking remarkable.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me, you little brat,” and they both
laughed.

“By the way, Benny asked me to marry him and I
said yes. Want to be maid of honor?”

“And deprive Sylvia? I’m not that crazy. But,
thanks for asking.”

“I can definitely see you as the flower girl.”

Ashley smiled. “Glad to see you’re feeling a
little better. I’ll let you get back to your legendary exploits. If you need to
talk, I’m here for you?”

“Where’s here?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I’ve moved to
Aerianna. Earth is so boring – no dragons.”

“What about your last love?”

“Hated his name so I dumped him. Anyway, I have
to get ready. Molly and I have dates.”

“What?”

“You heard me, girlfriend. Mine isn’t a prince
unfortunately. On the bright side, his skin is green. Looks like a relative of
Sassi.”

“Please. That’s so clichéd.”

“What is?”

“Dating a little green alien.”

“Actually, he’s about six and half feet and
built like a tight end. Very dreamy.”

“Does he know you’re my sister?”

“Not yet.”

“Don’t tell him.”

“Why?”

“He’ll be afraid to kiss you.”

“Oh really. Well then, mums the word.”

*****

Talking to her sister made all the difference
in the world. Egg jumped out of bed and hurried back to the control room with a
renewed sense of optimism.

A surprised Sylvia asked, “Back so soon?
Everything okay with Ashley?”

“Everything is fine. She dumped her boyfriend
and is now living on Aerianna. Get this – she and Molly are going out on a
double date.”

“Please, not another Prince?”

“No. But he’s tall and built like tight end and
has the cutest green skin.”

“That was always her favorite color, if I
remember. Which reminds me – blue was yours.”

“Still is. What about you? Going to marry one
of your silly ducks?”

“Now you’re just being quackers.”

“Okay, back to business. Would one of you
remind me what Waldo said about why the Klat isn’t affected by the Ephemeral?”

I’za answered. “He said that they – the Klat –
lacked imagination.”

“Perfect.”

“How so?”

“I’m going to send Jax’x and Serenity into
their habitat. As we all know, neither of them has a modicum of imagination.”

That earned her a raspberry from Sparky, a
protruding tongue from Jax’x and smiles from everyone else.

Syl came up behind her friend and rubbed her
shoulders. “Glad to see you’re feeling a little better.”

“We have too much to do and some very important
people to save. Wallowing in self-pity won’t peel the banana.”

“Words to live by.”

“True dat.”

Chapter 4 –
Monsters from the Id

“Okay, let’s get serious. Anyone have any idea
why a lack of imagination protects you against the Ephemeral?”

Silence.

“Come on, guys. Don’t think it through. Just
say the first thing that pops into your mind. Your idea may not make sense but
it could stimulate a discussion that leads to a group epiphany.” Then she added
with a smile, “And I promise we’ll only laugh at you for a few seconds if you
say something truly dumb.”

I’za found Egg’s approach to be brilliant. As
intelligent as some members of the group obviously were, they couldn’t be
expected to be experts on everything. Here was a situation well outside their
collective experience and they had no data source to call upon to shed some
light on the problem. Yet by encouraging free thinking and expression, Egg was
engaging all seven girls – eight if she included herself – to act almost like a
computer network . . . harnessing the brain power of the entire group. Amazing.

“Egg,” began the alien, “should we consider
imagination to be related to intelligence?”

“Are you suggesting that the Klat are
intellectually challenged?” That was a nice way of asking ‘are they stupid?”

“As I mentioned before, those that imprisoned
the Klat felt they did not have the wherewithal to survive on the Ark. That is
why they gave them the AI in the first place.”

“I guess that’s consistent with their warlike
nature,” suggested Jax’x. “They see everything in terms of black and white . .
. completely unable to discern subtle shades of gray in any situation.”

“Doesn’t necessarily mean that they are
stupid,” countered Serenity.

Bree asked I’za, “What was the Klat
civilization like before the Ark?”

“Unremarkable. Technologically backward
compared to other civilizations. No central government; just lots of tribes all
fighting each other. As far as I know almost no advanced culture . . . as in
books, art and music. Architecture was very basic. No parks or other social
infrastructure.”

“All those things take imagination,” suggested
Bl’azzz.

“But not necessarily superior intelligence,”
added Egg.

Jax’x asked, “Couldn’t we say that an
intelligent species will create a complex society . . . and it’s that
complexity that leads to varied experiences. And that in turn leads to a
development of an imagination?”

Encouraged by her statement, half dozen lively
and simultaneous conversations ensued until Sylvia interrupted them all. “Monsters
of the id.” With that, everyone went silent.

Egg asked, “Is that the name of a movie or are
you just insulting us?”

“No silly. The id is the part of the psyche,
residing in the unconscious, that is the source of instinctive impulses that
seek satisfaction. It is the dark, inaccessible part of
our personality.”

“I don’t know what that means,” complained
Tee’ka.

“None of us do, Tee.” To her friend she said,
“You’ve got the floor. Just keep it simple so Sparky can follow your logic.”

“Hey,” complained the offended girl.

Syl continued her line of reasoning. “If I was
an Ephemeral and a Klat was attacking me, how would I alter its reality to
protect myself?”

“Put fear into your enemy,” suggested I’za.

“Right. That would be logical. But the Klat
respond to fear in the only – unimaginative – way they know how. They get angry
and attack even harder.”

“Whereas we civilized and intelligent people
would conjure up something hideous and we would run the other way,” added Egg.

“Exactly. If the Ephemeral had the time they
might have come up with a different reality distortion. But they didn’t.”

“What does this have to do with the monster
thing?” asked Bl’azzz.

“It’s probably what happened to Benny’s people.
Like Egg suggested, they were made to see that which scared the crackers out of
them the most – whatever monster lurked in each person’s subconscious.”

That elicited a collective “Ahhh.”

Again, I’za was impressed. Egg’s strategy had
yielded the answer – or at least a reasonable answer – to the question she had
posed. Into the contented silence, she asked, “So how does this knowledge help
us?”

And the sisterhood’s bubble of satisfaction at
their own cleverness went ‘pop’.

*****

“Well, that’s a real buzz kill.”

“Sorry?”

“Just teasing. We were all puffed up with our
cleverness and you brought us back to reality.”

“If it would make you feel better, I thought
this whole conversation was terribly impressive. Everyone contributed . . .
except Serenity.” They all looked at the alien who smiled from ear to ear.
“Just teasing.”

“I’ve said it before . . . everyone’s a
comedian,” complained Sparky.

“Thank you.”

“It’s still not a compliment.”

“You know what – let’s take a break and clear
our heads. We have the better part of a day before we engage the bad guys.”

“So how do woman in this galaxy relax?” asked
I’za.

Before Egg could respond, Jax’x called out,
“Incoming message. It’s the Queen.”

“I’za, the answer to your question is that
everyone has their own way of relaxing. Let me take this call then we can talk
about it.”

“Of course.”

“On screen,” and Jax’x obliged.

“Sister,” said Meggy. Standing to either side
of her were Dazzle and Lord Z’kkk. Husband and wife were trying to look calm
and dignified and almost succeeded.

“Hi everyone.”

“My father wishes to ask you something.”

“Of course. Lord Z’kkk?”

“Eloise, I wish to hear it from you.”

Egg understood. “Your son, my husband-to-be, is
alive. He is probably wounded, as I’m sure Spirit explained. What she meant by
a life-altering injury I have no idea. But that’s a problem for another day. My
sisters and I are on our way to the battle site. And we will find a way to
rescue him and the rest of his crew. You have our word on that.”

It was shocking to see Lord Z’kkk struggle to
hold back his tears. The effort cost him his voice and he could say nothing.
His wife answered instead. “Thank you, Egg. I cannot tell you how much it means
to us to hear your assurances. I am terribly sorry to put such a burden on you
and your sisters when I say that our faith in the Hameggattic Sisterhood is
absolute.”

Egg took her eyes from the screen for a second
to scan the faces of the other girls. They all smiled or nodded back at her.
“It’s what we do. This time it’s personal.”

“I will send the last of our fleet to join you,
sister. As you know we don’t have a standing army. The Sentinels are mostly
ceremonial but they will give you all that they can,” said Meggy.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Egg, the seven of you – the eight of you (it
was just like Meggy to include I’za) – will need a military force at your
command. If for no other reason than to impress the Ephemeral.”

“I have one.”

“One what?”

“An army. The Klat are following in their
habitat. They’ll be a day or two behind us.”

The three people on the screen looked at each
other and shook their heads in disbelief. “May I ask how you did that?”

“I told Mobius he could marry Tee’ka.”

“Is that a joke?”

“Maybe a little. The Klat AI – we won his
friendship by transferring his program into an avatar. He chose an image from
Tee’s mind. Unfortunately it was Mobius. So when you meet him, his name is
Waldo by the way, try not to flinch.”

“I see. And my dear sister Tee’ka will marry
this . . . this individual.”

“You tell her Tee.”

“Hi Meggy. I love him.”

The Queen couldn’t help but smile. “That is
wonderful. Have you set a date?”

“Egg said I have to give him a few years to
learn to be a real person.”

“Ah. Very wise. We have all seen how, over the
years, you matured as an individual rather than a holographic hostess. May I
offer my sincerest congratulations?”

“Thank you.” Then she said the most perfect
thing. “Serenity said I can’t have babies but I’m still allowed to try.”

This time the three royals broke into grins –
the first in what must have seemed forever. “There is an earth phrase that I
learned many years ago. Practice makes perfect. Do try for perfection, dear
Tee’ka.”

*****

When the screen went dark, Meggy turned to her
parents. “Is Egg not the most amazing individual that has ever lived?”

“Perhaps one of them,” conceded her mother.

“How is it possible,” asked Lord Z’kkk, “that
in a matter of days, she converted an enemy – one that created the PhoG – into
an ally? Quite frankly, the word amazing simply does not do her justice. Though
she has an unmistakable presence about her, she is the most unassuming
individual considering her legendary accomplishments and the fame it has brought
her. And, she has yet to turn twenty.”

“I hope my brother is up to the challenge.
Being married to my sister will not be easy.”

The mention of Benny turned the conversation somber.
“She will find a way to rescue him, of that I feel certain,” stated Z’kkk. “But
this life-altering injury is worrisome. Eloise cannot be expected to resolve
the issue, whatever it may be.”

“Not necessarily true, my darling. If it is a
physical disability, Egg would not be put off. She would stand by his side and
see him through his struggle to come to terms with it.”

“Then, I fear, it will not be that,” thought
Meggy. But, she chose not to voice her concern.

*****

After the screen went dark, the command center
remained quiet . . . each girl quite subdued by the burden of responsibility
that they felt. No one wanted to disappoint Egg or the Royal family. Previous
missions never felt this personal.

“Hey guys, I know we’re all feeling the same
way. But remember two things. First, Benny is alive and, second, we are going
to get him back. All we have to do is figure out how.”

The girls reacted in one of three ways – by
rolling their eyes, shaking their heads or smiling. A couple of them did all
three.

I’za, for her part, was getting a little tired
of being impressed. Egg had said just the right thing. She acknowledged the
group’s responsibility, pointed out the positives and made complete light of
the one small detail that seemed to have zero probability of being resolved
successfully. All the tension left the room as if by magic.

“Any chance of getting the mini-MAGEK unit
back?” asked Jax’x knowing full well the answer. “That could make a huge
difference.”

“I wish,” replied Egg mournfully.

“May I ask what is a magic unit?” asked the
alien.

“Very, very long story. The short version is
that Jax’x is called an Amber Heart, the last of her kind. Well, actually one
of the last two. On her world, the scientist created a machine called MAGEK
that could turn thoughts into reality. That’s a bit ironic seeing that we’re
fighting a species that alters reality. Anyway, see that pendant she’s wearing
(and Jax’x pointed to it), it can interface with the MAGEK unit and amplify her
power. We destroyed the unit because a second sect called Divine Ones was using
it to control the population. Anyway, we did rescue a prototype. Unfortunately,
the other Amber Heart stole it.”

“Fascinating. I assume you can’t replicate the
technology?”

“We don’t even know what the technology is . .
. just what it does.”

“Hey, Egg. How about if we . . .” began
Serenity.

“Stop. Save if for a little later. We’re
supposed to be relaxing for a bit.”

“You never did tell me how women in this galaxy
relax,” reminded I’za.

“Can’t speak for anyone other than this motley
crew. Tee’ka likes to read romance novels, Bree is turning into quite the
artist, Bl’azzz is torn between sleeping or gorging herself with food. She
usually does both. Sparky used to tinker in her lab but that’s before Jax’x
joined us. Now the two of them argue about scientific gibberish. Thankfully,
they never ask us to join in.”

Snarky Sparky said, “I’ll give you three
guesses why.”

“Shut up. Anyway, Syl and I go way back – even
before there was a sisterhood. And she hasn’t been on a mission in a while. So
we’ll just talk and catch up. For instance, I didn’t know that she kissed six
guys. All I knew about was Zack.”

“Oh. If you’re going to count him, then it’s
seven,” said Sylvia with an exaggerated grin.

“You hussy. I want all the details. Now.”

“Before you two stroll down memory lane, I
would like to ask I’za a question.”

“Of course, Bree. Anything.”

“Why were the Gek’a put on board the Ark? I
know what your function is, or was, but was it completely voluntary? And were
all Gek’a put on the ship?”

“Technically that’s two questions, but I’ll
allow it,” teased Egg.

“The Gek’a,” replied I’za, “are slaves.”

That brought out a chorus of “WHAT?”

“Our ability was greatly useful to many species
and dangerous to others. Centuries ago, we were conquered by one of them. The
central government eventually decided no one world should have such a valuable
commodity so we were divided into a hundred or so clusters and sold. My cluster
was property of the Phanta. As fate would have it, they were in turn conquered
and placed aboard the Ark. We, the Gek’a, were granted our freedom of sorts if
we agreed to become Guardians. The alternative was to be sold off again. We
chose the Ark because it gave us some hope of being truly free one day.”

“And now you are,” said BreeZee.

“I am. I can only hope others of my kind
survived.”

“If they did, we’ll rescue them then find them
a planet to call their own,” promised Egg.

I’za’s response was surprising. “I would still
choose to become a Hameggattic Sister if you would have me.”

*****

“I’za, you really need to think this through,”
said the dragon.

“Bl’azzz?”

“Locked up in a spaceship for months at a time
with Sparky and the Librarian – it’s a daunting challenge and shouldn’t be
taken lightly.”

“Hey, you pre-historic beastie,” huffed
Serenity, “I’m delightful company . . . charming, witty and a role model to
anyone with half a brain to realize it.”

“Barf.” That was Jax’x of course.

Turning serious, Bree said, “If we’re going to
vote, I’d say yes. I’za has already saved Egg’s life, Ezra’s life, got us
aboard Xara’s ship and, as importantly, been a wonderful companion since she’s
been here.”

“Don’t forget,” added Sylvia, “I’m on loan.
After we finish getting Benny back, I’m leaving. The sisterhood has to have
seven active members. That’s the law.”

“Bl’azzz?” asked Egg.

“She hasn’t insulted me. I vote yes.”

“Tee?”

“She’s nice.”

“Jax’x?”

“I have two reasons to vote yes. First, I’za
you are simply terrific and definitely sisterhood material. And second, once
you’re in I won’t be the newest member anymore. That’ll be your problem.”

“What problem is that?” the girl asked.

“You have to wash the dishes.”

“Ah. But only if you can catch me,” and she
disappeared into the background.

“She’s cheating,” cried Serenity pretending
outrage. “OUCH”.

“What?” asked Egg.

“She flicked my ear.”

I’za rematerialized behind Sparky’s chair
wearing a big smile.

Syl said to Egg, “She’d be great at hide and go
seek.”

“I have to agree with what everyone said. But .
. . I vote no.”

Chapter 5 – On
Screen

I’za’s smile evaporated.

The other girls simultaneous began to voice
their displeasure so Egg held up her hand for silence. “Let me talk. I’za, I
would love to have you as a sister. But, you just finished telling us that you
and your kind have been slaves for hundreds of years. Like I told Tee and
Waldo, you need time to be you – a free person. This (and she opened her arms
to take in the entire room and all the girls in it) is new to you. It’s the
first true taste of freedom that you’ve experienced. And to you it’s everything
you ever dreamed it would be. But you need to live among your own kind in a
world of your own making. Then, and only then, can you truly choose the
sisterhood. Am I making sense?”

“Yes and I appreciate everything you just said.
But I have a different take on it . . . one that is completely opposite of the
one you just expressed.”

“I hope you can convince me because I would
love to have you join the sisterhood.”

Before I’za could present her argument, they
were interrupted by an incoming message. “It’s Aeri’elle,” announced Serenity.

To I’za, Egg said, “Hold that thought. Sparky,
on screen.”

“Hi,
all.”

“Hi,
yourself,” replied Egg.

“Sister, I have heard about Benny and Spirit’s
thought weave. I’m so pleased that a happy resolution is still very possible. I
would ask how you’re holding up, but that would be gratuitous. You’re obviously
worried but less so after you spoke with Spirit.”

Egg smiled at her sister’s analysis. “That was
very professorial. I’m impressed.”

“Shocked that a dim-witted dragon might be
erudite?”

“Hey, Big Bird . . . speak for yourself,” came
the grumpy reply from Bl’azzz.

“I was being facetious, you overgrown
parakeet.”

“Pair of what?”

“Never mind. Egg, the reason I called is to
warn you that we just received data on those four ships from the Prince’s
fleet. It seems his crew is still onboard. Somehow, the Ephemeral are forcing
them to pilot the vessels as they see fit. Worse, they seem to be arming them
with weapons of unknown capability.”

“Well isn’t that just peachy?”

“I am not familiar with that particular stupid
earth saying but an educated guess is that you are being flippant.”

“Guilty as charged. Anything else to brighten
my day?”

“Sorry, Egg. Would that I could give you good
news.”

“Not your fault. Thanks for calling.”

“Of course. Be careful . . . all of you.”

*****

“Okay . . . sorry for the interruption I’za.
Let’s hear what you have to say.”

“Thank you. I . . .” but she was again
interrupted.

“Sorry. It’s someone named Zazzi calling,”
announced Jax’x.

“Really? That’s weird. He’s K’ssss’s husband
and an honorary member of the sisterhood.”

“We have a male member of the sisterhood?”

“We do. Sorry, I’za. Put him through.”

“Um . . . hello. My name is Zazzi.” He hadn’t
met any of the newer sisters.

“Hey, Zazzi. It’s Egg.”

“Oh, good. Hi, Egg. Sorry to disturb you.”

“Everything
okay?”

“Oh,
yes. And look, I’m wearing my scarf.” That, of course, was given to him when he
was made an honorary sister.

“I see. Still looks great. So, what can I do
for you?”

“Can you tell me anything about the Nauti?”

“What?”

“The Nauti.”

“The naughty what?”

“What?”

“That’s what I said.”

“If I may?” interrupted I’za. “The Nauti were
one of the species on the Ark.”

“Ohhh. Come over here and talk to Zazzi. Hey,
Zazzi, this is I’za. She was a Guardian on the Ark. She can answer your
questions.”

“That’s wonderful. Hello, I’za. My name is
Zazzi.”

The alien tried not to smile. “Very pleased to
meet you. May I ask how you know about the Nauti?”

“Their habitat was found. The Federation made
contact with them. However, it seems that they come from a water world. Since
Zynn-Zaz’zia is mostly water, they asked me to be ambassador. If they seem
compatible, we might invite them to stay here. I’ve talked to the Wind’ dancer
clan leaders and they were amenable.”

“Zazzi, the Nauti are the nicest individuals
that you are likely to meet. Not an aggressive thought in their psyche. They
are also very tolerant of others and would make excellent neighbors.”

“How wonderful to hear. I, eh, I don’t know
what they look like. Are they similar to me? What form of aquatic life are
they?”

“They are actually humanoid with two arms and
two legs. However, they have gills in addition to lungs so they can survive on
land or under the sea. They also have short wings that propel them through the
water. I think they would love your world. Isn’t that where BreeZee is from?”

“Indeed. Well, I am excited to meet them. We
have so much open water; it would be nice to populate it with like-minded
individuals.”

“You will love them, I promise.”

Egg asked, “If they’re so nice, why were they
on the Ark? Zazzi, the Ark was a prison ship in case you didn’t know.”

“I had heard, thank you. Your question is one
that I should have asked.”

“You have nothing to fear on that score. The
Nauti-can world was rich in minerals that other species coveted. Graciously,
they allowed others to mine them. However, these miners thought it was too
expensive to clean up after themselves and ended up polluting the oceans. The
Nauti complained to the High Counsel. It was decided that the best solution was
to put the Nauti on the Ark and get rid of them so their world could continue
to be exploited and destroyed. It was a travesty on so many levels.”

“That is horrifying.”

“Absolutely. If they can find a good home such
as you might offer, they will do everything in their power to keep it
pristine.”

“Thank you so much for this information. I will
contact them immediately and ask them to come visit. I am so excited by the
prospect.”

“Well, you are welcome.”

“Zazzi, is there anything else?”

“No, Egg. Again, I apologize for intruding.”

“Nonsense. Your interaction with the Nauti
might very well be the model we use with all the other species. So, be sure to
record everything and give that information to Aeri’elle. She can use it to
compile a protocol for us to use.”

“I will. And, I’za, it was a pleasure to meet
you. I hope you come to Zynn-Zaz’zia for a visit.”

“I would love that.”

*****

“Well, that was good news. I’m glad he called,”
said Egg.

“May I ask, what was the significance of the
green scarf?”

“Part of a long story. Short version – when we
were in a place called the Crystal Forrest, we were attacked by creatures
called Ding Bats. Zazzi’s wife, our sister K’ssss, sacrificed herself to save
us. It was she that wore a green scarf – a gift from another sister. When the
creature bit her, she transformed into a Ding Bat herself and flew away. Her
scarf fell off and drifted back down to us. We used copies of that scarf as a
symbol of our love for one another on our next mission.”

“I’m speechless. The adventures you women have
had . . . it is awe-inspiring.”

“More like fear-inducing. So, let’s try it
again. I’za, the floor is yours.”

“The floor?”

“Sorry. Go ahead and present your arguments.”

“Thank you. As . . .” and yet again she was
interrupted.

“This is getting freaky,” said Jax’x. “Another
message coming in.”

“From?”

“No idea. It’s . . . it’s a very weird form of
communications.”

“Let me see,” said Serenity. She fiddled with
her controls. “Confirmed.”

“What’s confirmed?”

“It is very weird.”

Egg
groaned. “Put it on screen.” Then “OH. MY. GOSH.”

“What
the heck is that?” asked someone.

Sylvia answered, “That, my sisters, is the Myst
Tree at Sighing Whorl.”

“NO WAY”. Not sure who said it; could have been
any of them.

“Is there audio?” Egg wasn’t hearing anything.

“Apparently not,” replied Jax’x.

“Egg of Earth, May I Enter?”

“A telepathic tree, fun,” snarked Sparky.

“I think he’s waiting for an answer,” advised
Sylvia.

“What’s the question?”

“He wants to enter the ship.”

“Egg,” interjected Jax’x, “it’s a holographic
image.”

“Oh. In that case . . . Hey, Tree. Permission
to come aboard.”

A
moment later, a smaller version of the actual tree did just that . . .

“Thank
you.”

“You’re welcome. So, what brings you all the
way out here?” the girl asked nonchalantly.

“I was in the neighborhood and thought I should
say hello.”

“Really?” That seemed a bit improbable.

“I was being humorous. The Queen suggested I
needed to improve my skills.”

“Did she now? Well, she’s very wise.”

“Oh”. He sounded disappointed.

Egg felt sorry for him. “It may not have been
funny, but it was terribly clever.”

“Pity?”

“Perish the thought.” Changing the subject she
said, “Tree, I didn’t know you could do this?”

“I have decided to BRANCH out and emBARK on new
experiences.”

The girls all groaned at his feeble attempts at
‘making funny’.

“Like I said, everyone’s a comedian.”

“Thank you Serenity.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.” However, she was more
than a little impressed he knew her name.

“Hurtful.” Apparently he was also
a bit of wisenheimer.

“Tree, is there something we can do for you?”
asked Egg hoping that this bizarre visit wasn’t just about a new comedy
routine.

“May I offer words of counsel?”

“Always. Without them we’d be lost.”

“Thank you.  First, always give as well as you receive.”

“Oh-kay. That’s great advice.” Not really.

“Second, choosing the ultimate sacrifice can be
the ultimate path to lasting contentment.”

“Interesting. Let me think about that one.”

“Third, looks can be deceiving. You cannot tell
a book by its cover.”

“Words to live by.”

“Fourth, one cannot change the spots on a
leopard.”

“Another earth saying? What’s up with that?”

“They amuse me to no end. Finally, I’za, make
her decide which came first, the free-range chicken or the Egg?”

“As you say,” but the girl had no idea what he
meant.

With that, the Myst Tree simply winked out of
existence.

*****

Everyone turned to look at their fearless
leader. “What?”

“So that’s the mystical and mysterious Myst
Tree. Not what I expected,” said Bree.

“What exactly was that thing?” asked I’za.

“What? No talking trees on the Ark?” teased
Sparky.

“Just vegetables that sing.”

“Really?” asked the gullible dragon.

“Sorry, just kidding.”

“I really like her,” said Jax’x of I’za who
smiled back.

Egg explained, “The Myst Tree is a
representative of the Old Ones, the super advanced race that created Aerianna.
He’s there to keep an eye on their creation. However, the only thing that he
does, as far as I know, is to give advice couched in riddles.”

“Hey,” interrupted Sylvia, “maybe he’s always
had a sense of humor. You know the ‘riddle me this’ stuff.”

Egg gave that some thought. “Might be.”

“And he’s never done something like this
before, I take it?”

“He’s come to me in dreams but no, never like
this.”

“Maybe he wanted to see how pretty I am,”
suggested Tee’ka.

“Tee, that’s as good an explanation as any.”

“Me thinks he was worried about us,” countered
Syl. “Most times you go visit him before a mission. Now we’re headed into
battle without his input. I think he thinks that maybe we haven’t thought this
through.”

“Sparky,” called Egg, “how many ‘thinks’ in
that statement?”

“Three. Four if you count the word ‘thought.”

“Since he always seems to offer good advice,
why don’t we try and make sense of his riddles,” suggested Jax’x.

“Okay, let’s start with I’za’s. He said
something like ‘make her decide which came first, the free-range chicken or
the Egg.”

“I don’t understand the references let alone
the riddle.”

“There’s a similar saying on Earth. Well, it’s
more of a question. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? It means
sometimes you can’t tell the difference between cause and effect.”

“Good answer,” said Syl.

“Try not to sound so surprised miss
know-it-all.”

“So how is his riddle different?”

“He added free-range to chicken.”

“My guess,” said Serenity, “is that he added a
capital E to egg.”

“What?”

“You, you dope. As in E - G – G.”

“Ohhh.”

“So what is a free-range chicken? For that
matter, what is a chicken?” Apparently there were none on the Ark.

“A chicken is a timid bird that provides meat
for humans. In addition, its eggs – small E – are edible.”

“And free-range?”

“Most times the poor critters are kept in
cages. Some farmers, however, let them roam free before they’re rounded up and
made into McNuggets or a McMuffin.”

Before I’za could ask, Syl said, “Types of
human food and not important.”

“If you say so. Then Egg, choose.”

“I’za, you’re giving her way too much credit.
Egg’s a leader not a thinker.”

“And again from my best friend. Geez.”

“Is she right?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“I’za, don’t let her suck you into her earth
gibberish routine. Just pretend you understand and nod,” pleaded Bl’azzz.

The girl smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

“Very good.”

“People, concentrate will you?” begged BreeZee.
“If the Egg reference is to our sister, then what does the free-range chicken
refer to?”

Serenity was about to answer but Jax’x reached
from behind and put her hand over the girl’s mouth. “I know. It refers to I’za.
OUCH. You bit me.”

“Did I draw blood? I was really trying to draw
blood.”

“Kiss it and make it better.”

“Put that thing near my mouth and I’ll bite it
clean off.”

BreeZee’s head dropped to her chest in
frustration. Like a mother separating her kids, she said, “Jax’x, come sit over
here and tell me why it refers to I’za.”

As she walked over, she answered, “Because Egg
wanted I’za to experience her freedom first before she would accept her into
the sisterhood.”

“I knew that, you mouth-muffling monster,”
yelled Sparky from across the room.

“Maybe, but I said it first. Score - me four,
you one.”

“Come on, Jax’x. So why a chicken?”

“Because I was about to tell Egg – before I was
rudely interrupted three times – that being free without any knowledge as to
what that entails is frightening. By being a sister first, I would experience
my freedom both with all of you and with all those we will meet. This
experience will make me better at being a freed woman on my own.”

That made sense.

“Then it’s settled. The Egg came first.
Besides, if the Tree has taken an interest in your desire to be a sister, it
must be really important for us.”

I’za’s eyes lit up. “So I’m a Hameggattic
Sister?”

“Not so fast. First, you take the oath then we
hug you, drink a little bubbly and we give you a nickname.”

“A what?”

“Something we can call you when we get tired of
I’za.”

*****

She took the oath even though Egg hadn’t asked
for, or received the approval of all the other non-present sisters. That had
pretty much become just a courtesy.  Next was a hug from each of the others
then a toast with champagne – rapidly becoming a new sisterhood tradition.

Jax’x clanked her flute for silence. When she
got it, she asked, “So how does it feel to be the newest Hameggattic Sister?”

“I can honestly say that . . .” and she paused
as if gathering her thoughts but was interrupted for the fourth time.

“Sorry, Izzy. Incoming. It’s Lord Z’kkk.”

Egg patted I’za on the back. “Learn to text or
to talk faster.”

Chapter 6 –
Noble Gesture

“Eloise, I have a request that I would have you
honor.” He could have said ‘I command you to do this,’ but he was too polite.

“Of course, Lord Z’kkk.”

“Before you engage the Ephemeral, I would have
all my people returned . . . not just my son if they do indeed have him.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“There is no telling what will happen to these
prisoners once hostilities begin. I will not see them harmed. Tell the Prime
Hegemon Gan’gli that they may have me as hostage in exchange for the four crews
they now have. Explain who I am and why such a trade is in their best
interest.”

“And if they don’t have Benny?”

There was only the slightest hesitation from
his lordship. “The offer still stands.”

“Lord Z’kkk, it will be the better part of a
day before we reach the Ephemeral. I need you to give me that time to
consider.” The other girls more or less gasped at their sister’s audacity.

“May I ask why you will not do as I request?”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t. However . . . if they
do agree to such a swap, then I’ll have an ally on the inside. I need to think
how best to use that to our advantage. On the other hand, it might be a
liability.”

“Eloise, I am mystified by your abilities. You
are not trained in the arts of war and diplomacy . . . yet you always manage to
prevail. Just the fact that you turned the Klat from mortal enemies into allies
in days is proof enough that you have supernatural powers. Be that as it may,
if you think I may be of use in this struggle, you need but command me.”

“Thanks. On the other hand, I know you think
you’re being nice, but you just have to stop talking like that . . . my dearest
father-in-law-to-be. In fact, that’s going to be your wedding gift to me.”

Z’kkk smiled, but said nothing.

“I’m not kidding. I want to hear you say it.”

“Eloise?”

“Say – ‘my wedding gift is a promise never to
express admiration for anything that you do. Not in public, not in private.’ Go
on, say it.” All the sisters fought back giggles.

“You ask far too much,” he semi-teased.

“I’m waiting.”

“Very well. Eloise, my wedding gift is . . . to
limit my praise of you to the barest minimum.”

“Not exactly what I asked for but I guess it’ll
have to do.”

“Excellent. I will wait for your communications
later in the day.”

“Um, actually no.”

“Eloise?”

“Let’s not waste time. If they do agree to the
swap and I decide it’s the best thing to do, I would like to have you close by
so we can get it done right away. If Benny’s hurt, I want him back on Aerianna
as soon as possible. I’ll have Serenity send you the coordinates where to
rendezvous with us. You’ll need to bring a big enough ship to carry all the
hostages home.”

“Of course. They would have no reason to return
the captured ships. Very well then, I will leave as soon as possible.”

“Great. We’ll see you when we see you.”

“Earth saying?”

“True dat.”

*****

“Serenity.”

“Yes, Captain Queeg?” she responded making a
reference to an obscure earth novel.

“Send a message to Soo and tell her about our
newest sister. Ask her to contact the others.”

“Aye-aye, sir.”

“And for the record, I’m more like Captain
Bligh, you worthless mud-hook. Next time it’ll be the cat-o-nine tails if you
misspeak.” She had always preferred Mutiny on the Bounty to the Cain Mutiny.
Oh, and a mud-hook was an anchor.

“Begging the captain’s pardon,” came the very
appropriate response.

“Okay, back to the Tree’s riddles. What was the
first one?”

“Give as good as you get,” answered Syl.
To the others she explained, “It usually means to respond with equal force when attacked.”

“Sylvia, that was not quite the
Tree’s wording. He said as good as you receive,” clarified I’za.

“Yeah, that’s what I heard too,”
confirmed Bl’azzz.

“That’s interesting. I doubt the
Tree misspoke. Therefore he was changing the meaning very subtly. What a little
sneak.”

“So what was he trying to say?”
asked Egg.

There was silence as they gave it
some thought. Finally BreeZee spoke up. “It sounds to me that the Tree was
referring to something other than violence. Maybe a gift?”

“That’s a pretty good suggestion,
Bree. Anyone else care to weigh in?” Silence. “Okay then, we’ll assume we’re
going to get a gift and we have to give one of equal value back in return.
Let’s continue.”

“I just checked the database on
the leopard reference” said Serenity. “Yet another moronic earth saying. A
leopard is a moderately large, definitely deadly carnivore with spots on its
fur. The accepted meaning of the phrase is that you may think you’ve changed
the nature of someone, but that’s a deception. A leopard will always be a
leopard.”

“Hmmm. Obviously a warning? Is a
Klat always a Klat?” asked Egg.

“I don’t think that was his
reference,” suggested I’za. “I actually trust Waldo. I believe he was referring
to the Ephemeral. I’m guessing you (looking at Egg) will open a dialogue with
them in hopes of negotiating a settlement to this dispute. If they agree, it
would only be to deceive us. They are the leopards.”

Everyone nodded their approval.
Egg voiced it. “That feels so right. And we will definitely use that to our
advantage. Well done, Sister.” The girl beamed at the compliment and the
moniker.

“The next point was,” began Bree,
“‘looks can be deceiving. You cannot tell a book by its cover.”

“That’s pretty straightforward.
You can’t tell what a person is like by the way he or she looks.”

The girls (except Tee’ka) all
looked at one another and said almost simultaneously. “Waldo.”

Tee perked up at his name. “Is he
here?”

“No Tee. He’s probably what the
Tree was referring to.”

“Why?”

Egg patiently explained. “Tee,
Waldo looks exactly like Mobius, doesn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“Was Mobius a nice person?”

“Oh no. He was mean.”

“Exactly. If I looked at Waldo
and all I saw was Mobius, I would think he was mean too.”

“But he’s not.” She was horrified
that Egg thought that.

“No, no, no. He’s not. He seems
like a very nice man. So, in his case, his looks are deceiving. Do you
understand?”

“He’s nice.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay then.”

I’za was so impressed with Egg
for taking the time with her less astute sister. And the rest of the girls
seemed just as intent in making sure Tee’ka understood. She smiled because she
was now one of them.

“Then we’re agreed . . . Waldo is
to be considered a trusted ally. No reservations.”

“Let’s finish it up. Someone give
me the exact wording of the last riddle please.”

“Choosing the ultimate sacrifice can be the
ultimate path to lasting contentment.”

“Thanks, Jax’x. Anyone?”

Syl said, “Again, that seems pretty
straightforward. Someone who is willing to die on this mission to insure its
success will die content knowing they did the right thing.”

“Not happening. Attention everyone. Don’t even
think about sacrificing yourself on this mission. Got it? Don’t care what the
circumstances are. If you do, I will absolutely never talk to you again.” She
was being serious though obviously illogical.

The girls nodded.

“Nope. Not good enough. Each of you – out loud
– say, “I swear as a Hameggattic Sister that I will not sacrifice myself.” They
hesitated feeling a little foolish. “NOW or I’ll send you home on Lord Z’kkk’s
ship.”

They all did as she asked.

“Thank you.”

“Egg.”

“Yeah Syl?”

“What about his Lordship?”

“And what about Benny?” added Serenity.

Egg understood their questions. It could be
either father or son that will choose to die for the cause. “I don’t know. Even
if I ask them to swear, I don’t trust them to honor it.”

“Why?” asked Bree.

“They’re men and men can be just so stupid at
the worst time.”

“Oh.”

“So what are you going to do?” asked Syl.

“Try to keep them out of harm’s way.”

*****

“Incoming.”

“Now who?”

“Sorry. Not an incoming message. It’s an
incoming ship.”

“Is it armed?”

“Checking. No. By the looks of all the stuff
hanging off of it, I’d say it was some kind of maintenance ship.”

“That could be from the Ark,” responded I’za.
“Each habitat had an emergency repair vehicle attached to it.”

“For use by the occupants?” That seemed strange
to Egg. Why give prisoners the means to escape.

“No. For the use by me and my fellow
Guardians.”

“That makes more sense. Is it trying to hail
us? For that matter, are you sure it’s trying to reach us?”

“No and yes. Oops. Make that a yes and a yes.
It’s Tee’s main squeeze.”

Egg
smiled at Sparky’s use of that outdated earth term. “On screen.”

She
just couldn’t help but shudder at that face. “Hi, Mo . . . sorry, Waldo. What’s
going on? Why are you in that ship?”

“I would greet Tee’ka first.”

You’ve just got to love a guy that does
something like that. “Tee, come say hello.”

The girl rushed over and stood in front of the
screen . . . and smiled from ear to ear. You had to be really, really in love
to react as she was - considering that it was only hours since she had seen him
last. “Hi.”

“You are well?” It was sweet . . . and amusing
. . . and getting a tad annoying.

“Yes.”

“That pleases me. I would talk to Egg now.”

“Okay. Egg, Waldo wants to talk to you.”

The girl was sitting right there. “I heard him
. . . but thanks. So, Waldo, what’s going on?”

“Your plan is flawed.”

“Which plan would that be?”

“To defeat the Ephemeral.”

“Actually, I don’t have a plan yet.”

“It will be flawed.”

Egg’s hand went over her mouth to hide a smile.
“Could you be more specific? How can a plan that hasn’t been developed be
flawed?”

“Does your plan include me by your side?”

“Again, I don’t have a plan. But, no, you by my
side was never going to be part of . . . whatever I came up with.”

“Then it will be flawed.”

Egg exhaled from a smidgeon of frustration.
“Are you asking me if you can join us in this upcoming confrontation?”

“I said as much. Check your logs of this
conversation.”

“No need to check. I remember now.”

“You will correct this oversight.”

“No.”

“I would have you do so.”

“Waldo, listen to me. I am in charge. At best,
you may suggest something since we are allies. But you may never – and I
emphasize the word never - tell me what to do. And you will always accept my
decisions. Is my statement ambiguous in any way? I would be more than happy to
clarify it.”

“Your logic is flawed. I have superior
intelligence.”

“Good for you. I have superior experience and,
I have a ridiculous amount of good luck. Oh, and my sisters will only take
orders from me. Your turn.”

“Superior intelligence is the primary
consideration.”

“Obviously not since you’re wrong.”

“I would have you prove your hypothesis.”

“Sure. Sparky, put some distance between him
and us. And, while you’re at it, cut communications.”

“Done.”

“Egg, what are you doing?” asked Syl.

“Teaching our friend a lesson.”

Someone else made to speak but Egg put her
finger over her lips for silence. She watched as the wall chronometer ticked
off a full minute. “Hail him.”

Waldo’s face reappeared on the screen.

“Anything to say, big guy?”

“My analysis was flawed. You shall lead.”

“Catch up and we’ll bring your ship into the
cargo hold.”

“As you command.” The screen went dark again.

“You know what?” Egg said to the room. “I
actually feel better knowing he’s going to be here to help. When it comes to
knowledge of the bad guys, he does have superior intelligence.”

“Can he sleep in my room?”

“No, Tee, he can’t unless you plan to sleep
somewhere else.”

“Ahhh.”

“Sparky, how long before he docks?”

“About five minutes.”

“Tee, go down and greet him, please. Take him
to the lounge and keep him company until I get there. Okay?”

The girl didn’t answer and Egg turned to look
at her. However, all she saw was Tee’ka’s back at she exited the room.

“If I ever act like that, somebody slap me.
OUCH.”

Sylvia flashed an evil smile. “Did that hurt?”

“You pulled my hair.”

“Yes. Yes I did.”

*****

They convened in the lounge about ten minutes
later. Waldo and Tee’ka sat next to each other – the girl looking like a rag
doll next to the monstrous form of her boyfriend.

As soon as everyone sat down, Egg asked, “Who’s
in charge back at the habitat with you gone?”

“My back up. It is under my direct command
however, it has permission to act autonomously until I return. I am in constant
contact.”

“So he’s being updated in real time?” asked
Serenity.

“Updated with what?” asked Bree.

“All sensory input that I receive is uploaded
to the ‘other.”

“Do your people know what’s going on? Where
you’re at?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then. So let’s talk about the Ephemeral.”

Waldo commanded, “I will hear your plan.”

“Big guy, I warned you once . . . you are not
in charge. In fact, you are but a guest at this time. Behave like one.”

“I have no knowledge of your social customs or
conventions.”

“You’re right. We’re going to teach you – all
of us. So, if you wish to know something, then ask politely. Tee, show him
how.”

“Okay.” She stared into Waldo’s face and said,
“Egg, would you please tell me your plan?”

“Perfect. Only thing – look at the person
you’re talking to.”

“I was talking to Waldo.”

“Sorry, Tee. You’re right. Go ahead Waldo, it’s
your turn.”

“Very well. I would hear your plans – please.”

“Much better. Unfortunately, as I said before,
I don’t have one yet. So, would you please tell us whatever else you can about
the Ephemeral? For instance, how did the battle go down when you fought them
the last time?”

“The Klat stormed their enclave and overwhelmed
them.”

“Brute force, okay. This time however they have
three spaceships which they are arming. I don’t think a frontal assault is
going to work. Your people would never reach them.”

“The Ephemeral are cowards.”

“Maybe. But it sure sounds like they are
adapting. They must figure that at some point the Klat or someone like them
will attack again and they know their mind tricks might not protect them.”

Sylvia asked the big man, “Knowing that the
same tactics will not work, what would you do now?” He was, after all was said
and done, a very sophisticated A.I.

“I would split my forces. Send most of the Klat
against them as before knowing they must use their limited number of ships to
stop the assault. Then, I would send a smaller force from the rear to enter
their habitat and capture the Hegemon.”

“Interesting but I will not sacrifice even one
of your people to act like a decoy,” commented Egg. “So why capture the
Hegemon? Is she so important to them that they would surrender to get her
back?”

“All Ephemeral thought is routed through her
and back to the remainder of the population. She acts as a gatekeeper
determining what is important and what may be harmful.”

“Really? And if she’s captured or
incapacitated?”

“For the time it takes to replace her, the
Ephemeral are virtually defenseless.”

“And how long does it take to get this
replacement?”

“Unknown. However, hours would seem a
reasonable approximation.”

Chapter 7 – What
Price Love?

“Hours? They’re not very sentimental, are they?
No mourning the dearly departed leader?”

“Correct. They are void of emotions.”

“Why is that, I wonder?”

This time it was I’za who answered. “They have
no privacy since every input is shared. If Tee’ka loves Waldo, then everyone
would feel the same way. Emotions need to be private to have any meaning. Of
course, they can be shared but only when a person chooses to do so.”

Bl’azzz spoke for them all when she said
“Weird.”

“Anyway, Waldo your tactics certainly could
work, assuming we can find another way to divert their attention.”

“I do not understand fully your reasons for
protecting my people from a frontal assault, but I thank you.”

“That’s what friends do.”

The man just stared at Egg in utter
bewilderment.

Before she could explain, what apparently was
the new normal happened again . . . she was interrupted by an incoming
communications. “Who now?”

Sparky turned around slowly. “It’s your other
best friend.”

“My other . . .” Then she made the connection.
“NO. Xara?”

“Miss Nemesis herself.”

“This should be fun. On screen.”

And
there was the smirking face of the one and only Archrival . . .

“Hi,
girlfriends.”

“What do you want?”

“Come on Princess, don’t be like that.”

“Xara, we’re a bit busy at the moment. Make it
fast or call me later.”

“I forgot – your guys are the heroes of the
galaxy. Anyway, nice sucker punch. I would never have thought you had it in
you.”

“What sucker punch?” asked Syl.

“Our sweet leader knocked Xara out cold after
you were infected by the PhoG. Seems she let that happen on purpose,” explained
Serenity.

“Egg, you are such a good friend. Thank you.”

“Hey. Hey. I don’t want to hear your girlie
talk or I’ll vomit.”

“Then tell us what you want and make it quick.”

“So unfriendly. Okay, what I want is your
flying suit.”

“What?”

“Which word confused you?”

“You’re not getting my flying suit. Besides, it
only works with my DNA.”

“Not a problem. I’ll figure out a work-around
later. So, where shall we meet?”

“I’m not giving you my flying suit.”

“I heard you the first time. But . . . you
are.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I found something that you want even
more.”

“Like what?”

“A blue-skinned man floating around in what was
left of his spaceship.”

*****

Egg’s mouth dropped open. That proclamation was
the last thing in the universe she had expected to hear from the woman. “How is
he? Where is he?”

“He’s in sickbay – the auto doc is trying to
keep him alive.”

That statement caused Egg’s stomach to drop.
“What’s wrong with him?” Her voice cracked as she asked.

Xara for her part, kept her tone serious – no
taunting or gloating. “When his command module was blown off his ship, it
apparently tossed him around something fierce. I found that thing maybe an hour
after the explosion. It took me another hour to realize that there was anyone
alive onboard. I transported him directly to sickbay and activated the ‘Doc’.
He’s in a very bad way.”

“Can you be more specific?” requested Sylvia.

“Hey, it’s the zombie girl. Glad to see you’re
back to whatever it is you are.”

“Please answer the question.”

“Sure. About a half dozen broken bones which
are not life threatening and are being treated. Internal damage to his heart
and liver. And a massive concussion that should have killed him. He’s one tough
young man – not to mention lucky beyond belief.”

Egg couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down
her cheeks. “Will . . . will he live?”

“Maybe. If he does, I don’t know what’s left of
his brain.” Then she added a sincere “sorry” which was almost as shocking as
the news on Benny. “I take it you know this guy.”

“I know him.”

“Yeah, it’s what I thought. Do you know him
well enough to trade your flying suit for him?”

Egg was in no emotional state to bargain.
“Yes.”

“I had a feeling. Okay, there’s a planet about
two days away. I’ll send what’s-her-name (she meant Serenity, of course) the
coordinates. We’ll make the exchange there.”

Egg nodded but Syl said, “Only if he’s alive.”
She wanted to insure that Xara did everything possible for the man but it still
sounded harsh.

“That’s why I’m trying to speed up this
rendezvous. Figure there’d be little value if he . . .” but she hesitated –
again showing a little humanity. “Anyway, see you in two days.”

“Xara”.

“I can never remember your name.”

“It’s still Serenity you liar. Instruct the
auto-doc to send us continuous readouts of Benny’s vital signs.”

“So I guessed right. I heard mention of a
Prince by that name. Rumor had it that he was very cozy with our Princess Egg.”

Egg had regained a semblance of her emotions.
“Xara, if he dies before we get there, I will hold you personally responsible.
I’ll track you down if it takes the rest of my life. Got it?”

“Listen, Princess. I’ll do my best but you had
better remember that it was me that rescued him. It is me that’s keeping him
alive. And it’s me that’s giving you the chance to get him back. So – DO NOT
THREATEN ME.” The statement was oddly emotional as if the girl was trying to do
something good and wasn’t getting the credit she deserved. On the other hand,
she was using the situation to extort the flying suit.

Before Egg could respond with something
unhelpful, Syl stepped in front of her. “We appreciate your efforts, Xara. You
need to understand that emotions, right now, are running high. It’s not easy to
see a loved one slipping away.”

“I know that as well as anyone,” she replied
quietly. She was referring to her mother, of course. “Two days,” and the screen
went blank.

*****

As Egg sat there, heart pounding, tears dripping
– silence enveloped the room. As the seconds ticked on, Waldo finally asked,
“Why does no one speak?”

Surprisingly, Tee’ka pulled the man aside and
whispered an explanation.

“Egg,” said Syl, “do you need a few minutes?”

“No, thanks anyway. Now we know he’s alive and
we know where he is – or will be. I can’t worry about his injuries right now
because I can’t do anything about them. Sparky, do you have the coordinates?”

“Yes.”

“Set course.”

“Done.”

“Egg, are you really going to give her your
flying suit?”

“What choice do I have Syl. Besides, didn’t the
Tree say ‘give as good as you get’? This is what he must have been referring
to.”

That seemed very plausible – even though it was
wrong.

“Want me to contact his Lordship?” asked
Serenity.

“Yes, please. But let me talk to him.”

It took a few minutes but they finally reached
him on his ship. “I am glad you called, Eloise. I have news.”

“So do I. We found Benny.”

He looked like he had been slapped. “I see. And
is my son alive?” The poor man actually raised his chin in preparation of
keeping a calm demeanor should the news be bad.

“Yes.”

Now Z’kkk dropped his head and put his hands
over his eyes. Egg gave him time to compose himself. Eventually he realized he
had heard only what he needed to hear. There was more, of this he was certain.
“Please tell me the rest.”

“The sisterhood’s archenemy, Xara, found the
remains of his command module about an hour after the explosion. It took her
another hour to realize someone was onboard. She transported Benny to sickbay and
that’s where he is now.”

“And his condition?”

“Broken bones, damaged heart and liver and a .
. . severe concussion. Xara was amazed he had survived.”

“But he does live?”

“On life support, but yes. Her auto-doc can’t
do much more than try to maintain body functions. We have to get him to
Aerianna as quickly as we can.”

“Of course. Shall I rendezvous with you?”

“No. We meet Xara in about two days. Then we’ll
head home. This ship is probably a lot faster than whatever transport you’re
on.”

“You are right, of course. Let me take a moment
to give you my news. The Ephemeral have landed their habitat on a planet with a
very small mining population. The miners abandoned their station when they saw
the habitat land. I will head to the planet now. As you said before, no reason
to waste time.”

“Okay. But under no circumstances do you
consider sacrificing yourself for any of the hostages. Understand?”

“Why tell me such a thing?”

“We had the most bizarre visit from the Myst
Tree . . .”

Z’kkk interrupted from shock and surprise. “He
visited your ship? How is that possible?”

“It was a holographic projection. Don’t ask me
the how of it. Anyway, he said that someone who thinks they will be sacrificing
themselves for the greater good is . . . um, not thinking straight. So, don’t
let it be you.” Not exactly the message from the Tree, but she didn’t want to
get into a long discussion. Bottom line – no one was going to die if she had
anything to say about it.

“Yes daughter.”

Egg was forced to smile. “Must be tough with a
strong-willed wife, daughter and now daughter-in-law?”

“You have no idea.”

“Well, just wait till I give you
granddaughters.”

“I shall count the days.”

“Okay, then. That’s all for now. We’ll send you
updates as we get them.”

“Excellent. Before you go, I do have one
question. What did she want in return for my son?”

“Why would you ask that?”

He paused, staring at the face of his
daughter-in-law to be. “May I assume she wants your flying suit?”

Egg shrugged. “No big deal. I once gave it up
for Dazzle; I will certainly give it up for Benny.”

“I see. Am I still bound by that ‘no
compliment’ promise?”

She didn’t even answer. “We’ll talk soon,” and
she drew a finger across her throat – Sparky’s signal to cut communications.

*****

“When did you give up your suit?” asked Jax’x.

“It was originally powered by Dazzle’s life
force. After we recovered her preserved body form the Crystal Mountain, the
Myst Tree took her spirit from my suit and returned it to its rightful place.
That was the end of the suit until Soo and a few other scientists found another
way to power it. That was years later.”

“I just have to read the entire sisterhood
history.”

“Then I shall read it next,” added I’za.

“May I download a copy?” asked Waldo.

“Sure. Sparky, set him up. Oh, add the Earth
cultural data base – it might help him understand the clever nuances of speech
that I’m prone to utter.”

*****

“Waldo, without knowing the details, do you
think it’s going to make our task easier now that the Ephemeral have landed
their habitat?”

“Considerably so, if the spacecraft they
commandeered cannot operate in the planet’s atmosphere.”

“Serenity?”

“They can’t.”

“There you go. A lucky break for us.” Most of
the girls just rolled their eyes.

Changing the subject, Sylvia said, “Hey guys,
something Xara said has been bothering me.”

“Everything she says bothers me,” retorted
Jax’x.

“Anyway, I said it’s not easy to see a loved
one slipping away. And she said ‘I know that as well as anyone’. She almost
sounded sad.”

“She did sound sad,” answered BreeZee. “In
fact, for the most part, her whole tone was much more respectful.”

“Hate to say it, but I kind of noticed that
too,” agreed Egg. “As to your question, Syl. She was very close to her mother
who died when the war started.”

“That just galls me to no end,” said Serenity.

“What does?”

“That she and I have something in common.”

“Oh. Right.”

“I would have you answer a question,” demanded
Waldo for which he received a glare from Egg. “If it pleases you to do so,” he
added wisely.

“Much better. Go ahead and ask?”

“Why will you give up your valuable
technology?”

“For the sake of the man I love.”

“That is not a correct answer.”

“Listen, when you love someone you are willing
to sacrifice . . .” but he interrupted her.

“That is not a correct answer.”

“I didn’t finish.”

“It would still have been incorrect.”

“Why?” she asked more impatiently then she had
meant to.

“The return of your . . . loved one (he made it
sound like a question) should not require payment. It is the logical thing to
do.”

“True but Xara wishes to profit from it.”

“Why would you allow her to do so?”

“I can’t take the risk that I might in some way
harm the . . . the man I wish to rescue. I love him as you do Tee’ka.”

“Acceptable answer though incorrect.”

“And why is that?”

“The PhoG can be used to accomplish the return
without risk of loss to either your man or your technology.”

The brought everyone up short. “You can produce
one now?”

“Correct.”

“Just to be clear . . . I can get back Benny,
um my man, without giving up my suit?”

“Correct.”

“Hmmm.”

“Egg, you’re forgetting the Tree,” I’za
reminded her sister.

“If he was referring to Xara – let me rephrase
that, why would he be referring to Xara?”

The dragon thought the answer was obvious.
“Because she’s our nemesis.”

“I don’t understand?”

“Maybe if we give her something that’s even
more valuable then Benny – sorry the way that sounds – maybe she’ll no longer
be our nemesis.”

And that was another startling thought.

“What could we give her that’s more valuable
than the Prince?” asked BreeZee.

“I know,” answered Jax’x and Serenity
simultaneously. “You tell them,” said Jax’x to her sister.

“Thanks. We can give Xara her mother back.”

*****

“That’s brilliant in theory,” said Syl, “but
how would you do that? Do you know what she looks like? Sounds like? What her
personality was like? How she interacted with her daughter? If we don’t get it
right, it will really, really make her angry. I guarantee it.”

“Back on Spell ‘Bound, I found a lot of
information about the woman. I can call Po and have her send it to us,”
suggested Jax’x.

“That’s a start but that doesn’t come close to
getting what we need,” insisted the former Feminion.

“There were photographs. So at the very least
we can start the process of building the avatar,” replied Jax’x. “How long to
make one, by the way?”

“I can force grow one in a day, day and half,”
answered the resident Dr. Frankenstein.

“What about the rest? Can we fake it somehow?”
asked Egg.

“I would answer . . . if it pleases you?”

“Waldo, you are a fast learner. Please, speak
your mind.”

“It is not my mind that needs to speak. It is
Xara’s.”

“Say what?”

“If we subdue her with the PhoG, I can enter
her mind and retrieve all stored information that she has accumulated about her
mother. Such information would be from all her senses.”

“Meaning?”

“Sight, hearing . . . even smell. This
information then could be transferred to the avatar. The result would be
indistinguishable from the real person. Correction. Indistinguishable to Xara
since it will match her recollections perfectly.”

“Are you kidding me?” It wasn’t a real
question, of course – just an expression of total shock and awe.

“My statement is simple fact. As to humor, I
will require more time to master that form of social interaction. It may
require another three hours of study.”

That was fairly absurd and Egg chirped “three
hours?”

“I jest.”

Chapter 8 – Well
Received

It was spontaneous, but all the girls began to
clap in appreciation of Waldo’s joke. It seemed like he was growing as a ‘real
person’ before their eyes. The scary looking avatar was becoming human.

“Why do you slap your palms together?”

“It’s one way to show appreciation for the
efforts of another,” explained I’za.

There was that smile again. “My jest was
effective?”

“Yes. Well done. But, let’s get back to the
matter at hand.” Egg’s excitement was growing. She would be getting Benny,
keeping her flying suit and giving Xara her mother. And, as a bonus, the
Sisterhood’s nemesis might become a friend. That part was really weird. “Jax’x,
contact Po and get the information. Sparky, can you start growing the avatar
before you get the specifics?”

“I need a little time to set the program up –
so the answer is yes, I can begin the process.”

“Jax’x, why don’t you call Po from your cabin?”
It was bound to be an awkward conversation.

“Right away,” and the girl left.

“Bree, will you and Tee’ka go down to sickbay
and make sure everything is ready to receive Benny?”

“Of course. “Serenity, please forward the
Prince’s vital signs to the auto-doc.”

The girl typed a couple of commands. “Done.”

“Thank you. Come on, Tee, we have work to do.”

“Can I say goodbye to Waldo first?”

“Sure.”

Tee, who was already standing next to her man,
tugged at his arm. “Bye.”

He turned and looked down into the girl’s eyes.
“Be well.”

“Okay,” and she reached up on tippy-toes and
kissed his lips. “I like that.”

He smiled. “As do I.”

“Come on, Tee,” urged BreeZee.

“Okay,” and they left.

To the remainder, Egg said, “Let’s make a
plan.”

*****

It took a bit of effort to find Po and bring
her to the communications center. They hadn’t told her who was calling.

“This
is Po, how can . . .” then she recognized who it was. “Jax’x.”

The
other girl didn’t think she would be nervous, but she was. “Hi, Po. Great to
see you again.”

“You look so different. I hardly recognized
you.”

“It’s
the hair and the clothes – but it’s still me.”

Po
smiled. “You look like a space adventurer – dangerous, competent and
beautiful.”

Jax’x relaxed – but only a bit. “Hardly, but
thank you. How are you? How’s Spell ‘Bound coming along?”

“We’re making great strides on rebuilding some
of the infrastructure that was lost during the war. It’s been far slower
progress transforming society from what it was to what it eventually will be. I
had thought it would happen much faster but apparently everyone has their own
ideas about how the future should look.”

“That sounds like a good thing.”

“It is – but it can be frustratingly difficult
to get a majority vote on any change.”

“How about the Divine Ones?”

“They actually have adapted the fastest. On the
other hand, without their powers they probably feel terribly vulnerable – so
adjusting to the new normal is in their self-interest.”

Jax’x swallowed then asked, “And Jay’gar?”

Po’s mouth opened, and then closed. She looked
very uncomfortable.

“Tell me. It’s okay,” coaxed her friend.

“I’m . . . I’m with child.”

*****

Egg, Bl’azzz, I’za, Sylvia and Waldo, with the
occasional input from a distracted Serenity, discussed and modified their plan.
Half an hour later they had finished. “Well, worse comes to worse, I lose my
suit. But, I got to say, this has a good chance of working.”

Syl asked, “Any goose bumps?”

The girl checked her arms. “Not a one.” To
Serenity she asked, “Did you get the information from Po?”

“Came in twenty minutes ago.”

Egg looked around. “Jax’x hasn’t come back?”

No one had seen her.

“That’s not good. I’m going to her cabin.”

“What’s going on?” asked Syl.

“You guys explain it to her,” and Egg hurried
out of the room. When she reached the cabin she knocked, “Jax’x, you in there?”

It took a few seconds for her to answer. “I’ll
be out shortly.”

“Can I come in?”

Again a few seconds of silence. “It’s open.”

Egg entered to find her friend sitting on the
edge of her bed. The girl looked lost and confused. She walked over and sat
next to her. “What happened?”

“She’s with child,” came the whispered reply.

It had been about two months or so since Po and
Jay’gar had been together, so the news was a bit shocking. Egg was about to say
something flippant to lighten the mood then thought better of it. She took
Jax’x’s hand in hers. “On earth we have a whole basket of platitudes we like to
utter in times like this. But trust me, they are all incredibly stupid or
insulting or both.”

Jax’x forced a small smile to her lips. “Give
me one.”

“Okay. Um . . . time heals all wounds.”

“Unless the wounds kill you first. Try another
one.”

“It’s better to have loved and lost then to
have never loved at all.”

“Probably came from someone who died a
spinster. Try again.”

“Here’s my favorite. It’s more exciting to be a
Hameggattic Sister than a Librarian,” and she squeezed the girl’s hand.

This time Jax’x’s smile was for real. She
turned and gave Egg a hug. “Thank you.”

Egg returned the embrace. “I’d tell you to stay
here and take all the time you need, but that would be just terrible advice.”

“Then give me some good advice.”

“That’s easy. Come back to the control room and
irritate Sparky.”

“Aye-aye, Captain.”

*****

As promised, a day and a half later, Serenity
had grown Yara – Xara’s avatar mother. However, Jax’x voiced a concern.
“Remember what Waldo said at the beginning – the avatar will act exactly like
this woman did in real life but only because it will be programmed based on
Xara’s memories.”

“So?” asked Egg.

Sparky finished Jax’x’s thought. “She might
remember her physical appearance differently.”

“Well that’s not good.”

Serenity could never help herself when given
the chance for a snide remark. “And that’s why she’s our leader. Master of the
obvious. Ouch. Would you stop flicking my ear?”

Jax’x shook her head no. “Not until you play
nice.”

“In that case, I’m going to start wearing a
helmet.”

“That was humor?” questioned Waldo.

“When it comes to humor, Big Guy, Serenity
could learn a thing or two from you,” replied Egg.

“I will gladly teach her. However, I have input
that I believe is relevant.”

Egg smiled. Waldo was becoming such a
gentleman. “Please. Tell us.”

“Xara’s memory of her mother’s physical
appearance may differ from reality but only slightly. I can adjust her memory
to eliminate the difference.”

“You can change a person’s memory?” Egg was
naturally surprised.

But Jax’x had a bitter reply. “Why is that
shocking? Xara did that to Jay’gar.”

“Sorry, I forgot,” apologized Egg.

“Hey, that reminds me,” interrupted BreeZee.
“When we’re inside Xara’s ship, let’s get the mini MAGEK unit back.”

“I had forgotten. Thanks for reminding us.”

“Not so fast,” said Serenity. “She’s probably
got it secured by a complex force field and booby traps. It might not be
possible.”

“If that’s the case, could you still destroy
it?” asked Egg.

“Probably.”

“Then that’s what I want you to do. If you
can’t get it back, turn it to junk.”

“Egg, are you sure?” asked the only other Amber
Heart in the Universe.

“It’s just too dangerous of a technology. It
really is another version of the Crystal Egg and that turned out to be a very
bad thing.”

*****

“Girlfriends, always nice to see you.”

“Xara, wouldn’t you feel a whole lot better if
you actually meant it?”

“Ah, Princess, you’re not trying to take all
the fun out of life, are you?”

“Whatever. How’s Benny?”

“You have the same information as I do. No
change.”

“Let’s get this over with. Beam him to our
sickbay and then I’ll transport over.”

“Wow, that was lame even for you. I don’t think
so. Get your girlie self over here – with the suit. Once I have it, you and boy
blue can beam back to your ship. And before you ask the stupid question – you
have no choice but to trust me.”

That whole conversation was suggested by
Bl’azzz. “Don’t sound too eager to go over there. She might smell one of your
earth rats.”

“Have it your way. Serenity will transport me
to your bridge.”

“No need,” and Egg vanished into a swirl of
twinkling lights . . . her facing registering shock.

“Shazbot,” screamed Sparky. That
wasn’t supposed to happen. Waldo had one of his PhoG standing at the ready. It
was going to attach itself to Egg’s back and would be transported over with
her. Now the thing stood on the bridge just looking scary as all get out.

“Well that went wrong fast,” moaned Sylvia.

“Waldo, can we transport the PhoG on to Xara’s
bridge?” asked Jax’x.

“Can’t. Her shields are up,” interjected
Serenity.

“If we transport it to just outside the ship,
can it get through the force field?”

“Yes but the interval to traverse the fortified
boundary layer would be exaggerated.”

“What’d he say?” asked Bl’azzz.

“He said it will take too much time for that
thing to gain entry,” explained Sylvia.

“We need more dragons in the sisterhood,”
lamented Hot Lips.

“Come on guys, we need a plan quick like,”
demanded Syl.

“If I would be permitted to answer?”

“Waldo, just say it.”

“When the other ship transports our people
back, we can establish a feedback loop on their beam. That feedback would be
PhoG.”

“That’s just brilliant,” cried Serenity.
“Putting that thing into transporter configuration now,” and the PhoG dissolved
into its own cloud of twinkling lights.

“I’m going to get something to eat then take a
nap,” said the confused Bl’azzz as she lumbered off the bridge.

*****

Egg materialized on the other ship. She
involuntarily looked over her shoulder to see if the creature was there . . .
even though she knew it wouldn’t be. Oh well, her suit for Benny – she had
already made peace with that exchange.

“Welcome aboard, Princess.”

It would be a waste of valuable time to engage
in a nasty and ultimately pointless conversation with Xara. So, it was time to
get this over with; she wanted her man in a hospital. “Thank you for saving my
fiancée.”

“That was an accident.”

“Never the less, thank you. He means the world
to me.”

Egg’s sincerity put a damper on Xara’s
snarki-ness. “You thought he was dead, didn’t you?”

“We thought there was a chance he’d survive.
Finding him was going to be the tough part.”

“Well, I did owe you one. You freed me from the
Spell ‘Bound, not to mention you gave me the opportunity to take a little
revenge on the red robed devils.”

“Why did you do it? Why did you make Jay’gar
fall in love with Po?”

Again the girl’s sincerity forced Xara to be
honest. “It was petty of me. Tell her I’m sorry.”

“I will. Now, the exchange,” and Egg handed her
the ring. “The suit is in it.”

“Not that I doubt our new found friendship, but
you need to show me,” and she gave the ring back.

Egg placed it on her finger. “Ring, tend to my
suit” and the grey fog (which by the way was to obscure the other PhoG had the
plan worked) swirled around the girl. When it cleared, there was Egg in her
flying suit.

“Neat. Okay, take it off and we’ll go get your
man.”

“Ring, tend to my suit,” and the process was
reversed. Egg handed the ring to Xara.

“Thank you. Sorry to take it from you but it’s
worth a fortune.”

“Is that all you care about?  Money?”

“I used to care about my mother but she’s gone.
So, yes, now it’s money.” That put the woman in a bad mood. “Let’s go,” and she
led Egg to the infirmary.

*****

“Grumpy girl in the chair – I’m transporting
your Princess and her lover boy directly to your sickbay. Make sure your
auto-doc is ready to receive its patient.”

“We’re ready. Go ahead and teleport”.

The unseen energy beam transferred the atoms of
Egg and Benny through space and into the infirmary. Simultaneously, Serenity piggybacked
the energized PhoG into a feedback signal that took it back to the source –
Xara’s command center.

Less than a second later . . . “got her.”

“Waldo, can you confirm that?” asked Sylvia.

“It is confirmed. She is ours.”

“Commence your mind probe. Sparky, take his
transmissions and update the avatar.”

“I have the connection.”

“Jax’x, can you get the MAGEK unit?”

“Negative. It’s like the thing is in an
electromagnetic vault. No way to transport it out of there.”

“Waldo, can you access the codes from her
mind?”

“As I explained, it would take an inordinate
amount of time. Additionally, such memories are protected by the individual’s
will. Access would cause permanent brain damage.”

“I remember the conversation. Just hoping you
might have found another way.”

“Statistically, given months to address the
problem, another method could be found.”

“No time. Jax’x – destroy the MAGEK unit.”

A few seconds later – “It’s now a molten puddle
of goo. That amazing technology is lost forever.”

“No,” contradicted Sylvia. “Now that people
know it can be done, sooner or later someone will figure out how to recreate
it. Can’t un-ring a bell.”

*****

They auto-doc completed its scans to verify the
readouts it had been receiving from Xara’s sickbay. It put Benny on a rich mixture
of oxygen while simultaneously connecting an array of tubes and wires.

“Analysis and prognosis complete,” came the
mechanical voice.

“First, list injuries,” command Egg.

“Broken bones in the right wrist and arm. Four
cracked ribs. Trauma to liver and heart. Severe concussion resulting in coma.”

“Prognosis?” she asked.

“All bones have been set. Mending accelerated
by application of high-energy radiation. Liver and heart trauma not severe.
Requires monitoring only. Surgery or transplant not required.”

Egg involuntarily squeezed BreeZee’s hand.

The auto-doc continued, “Concussion and
resulting coma requires immediate surgery. This unit is not equipped for such a
procedure. Awaiting instructions.”

“Has there been . . .” Egg choked up but forced
herself to continue. “Has there been permanent brain damage?”

“If concussion not treated expeditiously, the
probability of memory loss increases exponentially. Long term delay of proper
care may result in death.”

*****

“If I may suggest a course of action?”

“Please, Waldo,” said a distressed, worried,
agitated and frantic Egg.

“Strip my shuttle of all unnecessary systems to
increase speed. Transfer the auto-doc and your Prince into the ship’s hold. One
or more of you fly it to your nearest medical facility.”

“That will still take a couple of days. He
doesn’t have that long.”

“I will use my PhoG to decrease metabolic rate.
This will provide the patient with enough time to reach help.”

“Waldo,” asked Syl “how will the PhoG be
removed once they get to where they’re going?”

“I will give Tee’ka control. Would that be
satisfactory?” He wasn’t addressing Syl or Egg; he was looking at his
girlfriend.

She smiled and said “okay.” The big man smiled
in return.

“Egg, what do you think?” asked Syl.

“There doesn’t seem to be any other choice.
Bree, will you fly the shuttle and keep Tee’ka company?’

“Of course.”

“Thanks. The rest of us – let’s get to the hold
and start stripping that ship.”

“Egg, if you want me to complete the avatar, I
need to stay here.”

She almost said no, getting Benny to a hospital
was more important. But she didn’t. “Finish. When it’s done, set a course to
the Ephemeral.”

“I’ll send word to Lord Z’kkk also. He can
arrange for the best team of neurosurgeons to be standing by.”

“Thank you.”

As they made their way to the shuttle, Syl
asked her friend, “How are you doing?”

“He’s not going to remember, is he?”

She was talking about Benny and his love for
her.

And they both new instinctively that Egg’s vaunted
luck had probably run out.

Chapter 9 – The
Waiting Game

It had been six hours since they had left Xara
to face the Ephemeral. Bree was calling in every hour to give an update on
Benny. His vital signs made no sense because of the PhoG inside him.

With only Tee’ka to talk to, Bree got pretty
bored since the other girl would only discuss Waldo. So she went back to her
new hobby – sketching. When the next hourly call came around, she assured Egg
all was as it should be.

“Would you do me a favor?” she asked her
sister.

“Sure.”

“Would you take a look at a couple of my sketches
and tell me what you think.”

“Love to. Flash away.”

“Okay,
the first one is how I pictured the first time you met the Myst Tree . . .” and
an image appeared on the screen.

All the girls strained to take a look. The
sisterhood wasn’t known for their artistic talents . . . especially singing.

“That’s really good,” complimented Egg. “Where
did you learn to draw?”

“It’s just something I’ve been fooling around
with. Can I show you one more?”

“Absolutely.”

“The face is not quite finished. It’s a younger
you – flying of course.”

“Me
flying - what a novel idea. Let’s see.”

“I
always dreamed of our leader without a mouth,” snarked Sparky.

“You are really good, Bree. Maybe you can teach
Serenity how to draw. It might keep her out of trouble.”

“Egg, you’re asking the impossible. The only
things she can see beauty in are equations and unfathomable physics,” and they
all nodded at that analysis.

“If I had to do something artistic, it would be
interpretive dancing,” came the snide reply from the girl who couldn’t walk.

Egg steered the conversation back to where it
belonged. “Bree, when do you meet up with the fleet?” Lord Z’kkk had informed
them that he had commanded a navy hospital ship to meet him at the site of the
battle. If there were wounded, he wanted to have the best care available for
them.

“Another six hours. That was a stroke of luck
for us.”

“I should have thought of it myself. It was
stupid of me.”

“You have a lot on your mind.”

“That’s just an excuse. Anyway, talk to you in
an hour.”

“Bye, guys.”

*****

Four hours later they received the transmission
they had been expecting. It was Xara. Now they would see if their efforts did
any good . . . or just more harm to an already toxic relationship.

The girl’s face appeared on screen – but she
said nothing.

“Hello, Xara.”

“Why?”

“You gave me back the person that means the
most to me. I tried to repay you in kind. Are you offended?”

They were all shocked to see tears streaming
down Xara’s cheeks. She was trying to say something but was having difficulty.
Finally, “I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”

The next shock was that all the sisters began
to tear up – even Jax’x who had more reason than most to hate this girl.
Nemesis or not, it was a poignant moment.

“Maybe now we can stop being antagonists.”

Xara weighed that sentiment. “Maybe.”

“Anyway, good luck Xara. To both of you.”

“And to you and the Prince, Princess.” She
paused then added, “Jax’x, I truly am sorry for what I did to you. I won’t ask
for forgiveness – that I can’t expect. But . . . well, anyway. I’m sorry.”

“Xara, I do forgive you. Being a Hameggattic
Sister has been such a blessing. The scales of my life are once again in
balance.”

The other woman stared back, nodding her head
slightly. Then she smiled. “My mother’s calling. She’s made my favorite meal.”

“Xara.”

“Yeah?”

“If you ever need to talk, come find me.” If
you couldn’t change the spots on a leopard, then you couldn’t expect Egg to be
anything but her caring self.

The girl barked a laugh. “Now you’ve gone too
far, little lady,” and the screen went dark.

Egg looked around the room, a small smile of
satisfaction on her face. “I think we lost a nemesis and made a friend.”

“Oh goody. My minds a ’twitter and my hearts a
’flutter. OUCH. Stop flicking my ear.”

*****

“The doctors have transferred Benny to the
hospital ship.”

“What did they say?”

“They fairly screamed when Tee withdrew the
PhoG. Other than that, a hurried thank you as they left the ship. I think they
were trying to put as much distance between themselves and the gray ghost.”

“That’s it?”

“They really didn’t do any kind of examination.
Anyway, they just left. You should call Lord Z’kkk in a little while.”

“Thanks, I will. Why don’t you two transfer
over to the hospital ship? If Benny does wake up, he’ll have a million
questions.”

“Are you sure you don’t need us for what’s to
come?”

“Honestly, I don’t what that is yet. If there’s
a reason to have you back here, I’ll call.”

“Okay. Let his Lordship know, if you would. I
don’t want the doctors to throw us out or stop us from seeing Benny.”

“Good idea. If you learn anything about his
condition, call me. Don’t expect his father to give me bad news.”

“Goose bumps?”

“Want to hear something strange? I think I’ve
lost both my vaunted luck and my goose bump warning system. Now we’ll really
see if I’m any good as a leader.”

*****

A short time later she called her father-in-law
to be. “What are the doctors saying?” she asked.

“He is stable. Bones on the mend and the
internal trauma healing of its own accord.”

“And the concussion?”

“That will require surgery. It is severe.”

“Any permanent damage?”

“Too early to tell. However, Eloise, you should
prepare yourself for some memory loss. What that might be is anyone’s guess
until he regains consciousness.”

“I assumed as much. As to the other matter at hand,
did you talk to the Ephemeral?”

“To be completely honest, I did not feel
qualified to make first contact. With their ability to alter reality, I was
wary of becoming a pawn in the upcoming confrontation.”

“Good thinking. Can you send me the coordinates
of the planet that they landed on?”

His Lordship looked off camera then back again.
“It is done. Please remember, that if they will exchange the hostages for me, I
will join you immediately.”

“Understood. And Your Lordship, I’ve asked Bree
and Tee’ka to stay behind for now to keep Benny company. In case he regains
consciousness, he‘ll have a ton of questions that they can help answer. That’s
especially true if there are gaps in his memory.”

“Excellent. I will see that they have full
access once my son is medically cleared for such visitors. And, Eloise . . .”

“Yes?”

His tone turned utterly serious and his voice
lowered. “In my heart I knew you and your sisters would bring my son home
alive. To say that I am in your debt is meaningless since my family has never
repaid you for all that has been done for us these many years. This time,
however, is different. Ben’Edikk . . . Benny . . . is my boy. There is a unique
bond between father and son that may be hard for others to understand. Had I
lost him, I could not see how I would have carried on.” He said all this with
his head held high – and his eyes glistening with tears.

On the other hand, a few of Egg’s tears flowed
freely. “You are a good man and Benny is lucky to have you as his father. I’ll
talk to you soon.”

*****

“I am thankful to you once again.”

“Why Waldo?”

“You have left Tee’ka behind to keep your
Prince company. She is out of harm’s way.”

“To be honest, she is there for a reason. And,
if I think she’ll be of assistance when we confront the Ephemeral, I will ask
her and Bree to rejoin us.”

“Unacceptable but understandable.”

“So, let’s make a plan. First, and foremost,
how close to the Ephemeral do we have to be in order to feel the effects of
their mind games?”

“Exact information is not in my data banks.
Estimation would be one hundredth of a millisecond.”

“Say what?”

Sylvia explained. “He’s talking about how far
light travels in a millisecond. So in a hundredth of one second . . . that
would be about two miles.”

“If you say so. I would have thought much
further since they were able to get Benny’s ships.”

Serenity added her two cents. “They must have
used their own version of the maintenance shuttle to approach the fleet.
Probably convinced them to let them on board.”

“I guess I didn’t realize each habitat had one.
So they have four war ships we need to worry about.”

“Probably not,” suggested I’za. “To get
permission to approach the Prince’s ships, theirs would have to be unarmed.”

“Good thinking.  Waldo, any idea why they were
so eager to land their habitat?”

“The structure negates their telepathic
abilities. They cannot influence anyone outside of their domain.”

“Well of course it does,” blurted Jax’x. “I had
been wondering how they were kept contained on the Ark. Now it’s obvious.”

“I already figured that out,” teased Sparky.

“Liar.”

“So maybe we fight this battle
inside that structure if we can figure out how to increase the dampening effect
on their telepathic abilities,” suggested Sylvia.

Egg disagreed. “Then it can’t be
that easy. These people are not stupid. They will destroy that habitat as soon
as they’ve built themselves some new place to live. You can’t jail someone if
there’s no jail.”

“So how long to build these new
structures?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Depends on a bunch of things –
what type of climate they need to protect themselves against, how much natural
resources are available on the planet, how nasty the weather might be in
slowing down their efforts.”

“Egg.”

“Yeah, I’za?”

“Since they are physically weak, they are going
to need help in building whatever they choose to build.”

“I’m not following.”

“They’ve thought this whole plan through over
many years. More likely, over many decades. I would doubt that they didn’t
create a solution to this problem.”

“Like what?”

The know-it-all twins answered together.
“Robots”.

“I said it first.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Nope.”

“Hey, cut it out. It was a tie,” yelled Egg.

Jax’x got the last word. “She’s just being
nice.”

“Well, if there’s a chance you’re right; we
need to find out ahead of time.”

“I can send Ziz to do a reconnaissance.”

“Perfect. Can you control her from a great
distance? We’re going to keep some serious space between them and us.”

“I still have the balance of my amber heart
trove. I will put half of those inside Ziz to amplify my signals.”

“Great. So what else?”

The conversation continued for the better part
of an hour. It was time to wrap it up. “Okay, we’ve got the vague outline of a
plan. We just have to stay flexible and react to whatever the bad guys throw at
us. Let’s get some rest. It might be our last chance for a while.”

*****

Egg went to her cabin and called BreeZee. “Any
news?”

“Surgery is already finished. He’s back in his
room recovering. It’s too soon to tell if there’s any damage.”

“This waiting is killing me. When do think you
can talk to him?”

“The doctor said tomorrow.”

“You’ll call me?”

“Of course. So I’m guessing you want Tee and I
to stay here?”

“Please.”

“Whatever you think best. When do you engage
the enemy?”

“A few hours.”

“Be safe. Give my love to everyone. Oh. Be sure
to tell Waldo that Tee sends her love. She would never forgive me if I forgot.”

*****

“Have you spotted their ships?”

“Three are in geosynchronous orbits above their
habitat. No sign of the fourth,” replied Sylvia.

“Keep
looking. Sparky, take us to the far side of the planet so we can unleash our
mighty bird of prey. Jax’x, is Ziz ready?”

“Yes.
She’s been instructed to find the habitat and survey it as well as any humanoid
activity within a ten-mile radius. We’ll be able to see what she’s seeing of
course.”

“Great. Load her into the probe.” Since Ziz was
a mechanical version of a bird, it couldn’t fly in space since there is no air.
So Serenity suggested using a probe to get her into the planet’s atmosphere.

A few minutes later Jax’x announced, “Ready.
You can fire it off anytime.”

“Sparky, do it.”

“Done.”

“Egg,” called I’za “I found the maintenance
shuttle. It’s very close to the surface. Best guess is that they’re using it to
either help in the new construction or to dismantle the habitat.”

“How many life signs onboard?”

“None.”

“Wonder why.”

“They’re probably piloting it remotely.”

“Bl’azzz, how would you like to be a dragon?”

“It’s been a dream of mine since childhood.”

Egg smiled. “Cute. I’m putting you in an escape
pod. We’ll have it land as close to the Ephemeral as we can without putting you
in immediate danger. Then I want you to find that shuttle and force it to
crash.”

“Is that possible?” asked I’za.

“She’s got really big feet.”

“Hey, I heard that,” complained the dragon.

“Just kidding. If you sneak up on it from high
above, maybe throw a little flame their way, you can force it into the ground.
I want the craft destroyed.”

“Oooh, how fun.”

“Once that thing is smashed, get the heck out
of there. Go back to your landing spot until I call.”

“Can do.”

“I’za, are you sure they can’t detect you when
you’re invisible?”

“They won’t be looking for a Gek’a. I’ll be
fine.”

“Okay. Go find the hostages and call us when
you do.”

“I will.”

“I’za,” called Serenity. “Catch” and she threw
the girl a disc the size of a silver dollar.

“A parting gift? Thank you, that’s sweet,”
teased the alien.

“Yeah, yeah, very funny. If you place the shiny
side against someone’s neck and squeeze, it will stimulate the sleep center of
the brain. Your victim will go nighty-night within seconds.”

“What would you have me do with it?”

“We don’t normally carry weapons since our
fearless leader hates violence. Thought this might come in handy – especially
since you can sneak up on a person without being seen. Maybe you can use it in
an emergency to make an escape.”

“Thank you. It is very thoughtful of you.”

“Don’t get sentimental or I’ll take it back,”
groused the grump.

“I’za,” said Sylvia, “there’s an earth saying.
‘Serenity is all bark and no bite.”

The girl in the chair growled and the rest
laughed.

“Back to the matter at hand. I’za, try to
protect the hostages if possible but only if you can do it without calling
attention to yourself. Got it? We don’t need another prisoner of war.”

“As you command.”

“Please don’t say that.”

“Sorry, it’s a common phrase where I come from.
Correction – where I came from.”

“She much prefers ‘aye-aye captain,” called
Jax’x.

Egg shrugged. “Well, I don’t dislike it.”

“Then aye-aye, captain,” and she actually
saluted.

“Just go, you goofy girl Gek’a. Someone beam her
down but not too close to the habitat.”

“And when will I play my part?” demanded an
irritated Waldo who was impatient for some action.

“You’re the only one that’s not affected by
their mind games.” Then she realized that might not be true . . . he wasn’t
actually a Klat. “Am I right?”

“I am an artificial life form. I will not be
affected.”

“Great. You’ll get your chance to impress
Tee’ka.”

“As you command.”

They all turned towards the big man.

“Jesting?” asked Egg.

“Indeed.”

*****

An hour later, the first images from Ziz were
coming back.

“As we suspected, the habitat looks to be
intact,” observed Jax’x. “Too soon for them to have made any great progress on
their new construction.”

“We absolutely have to make sure that doesn’t
change,” replied Egg. “As long as that habitat exists, there’s a chance to rid
our galaxy of these people.”

“What next?” asked Syl.

“Sparky, how fast can you teleport the crews
off those captured ships?”

“I can do maybe six at a time. A teleport cycle
takes about a half minute.”

“And how many of our people on each one?”

“Checking. Looks like thirty per”.

“Too many. How many Ephemeral are there?”

“Checking. What a coincidence . . . six per.”

Syl looked at Egg and they both smiled.
“Coincidence? Some might call it lucky.”

“Weird how relieved that makes me feel.”

Serenity asked, “What do want to do, Oh Captain
Mine?”

“Ready the transporter of course.”

Chapter 10 – Follow the Leader

“Where are you going to transport them to?”
asked Syl referring to the Ephemeral on the ships.

“You’re my Feminion, you tell me.”

“I will. Jax’x, scan the surface. I need a lake
with at least one island.”

“How far from the habitat?”

“Far enough so it will take someone a day or so
to hike back.”

“Searching.” A minute later, “Got one. It’s
about thirty kilometers away. The island is not very big. Some vegetation and
no obvious wildlife.”

“Thank you. Give the coordinates to Serenity
please.”

“Done.”

“See how easy that was?” teased the girl.

Egg made a face at her friend. “I was just
trying to make you feel useful.”

“Eternally grateful. Thanks.”

“Next up is Bl’azzz. Hot Lips can you hear me?”

“Egg-o, isn’t that a dumb question? If I didn’t
hear you, I wouldn’t say anything, would I?”

“Shut up. Go find that maintenance ship and do
your thing. But, be careful – no stupid risks.”

“Let’s see – I’m going to attack a spaceship
with my talons and hot breath and make it crash. Nope, I don’t see anything
risky about that.”

“Forget the talons. Just set it afire. But
watch from a safe distance to make sure it either crashes or explodes.”

“Okay. Here goes nothing.”

While they waited, Waldo commented “your
tactics lack logic. I cannot discern its pattern.”

“We have only one chance at surprise. I want
that shuttle out of commission so there can be no more construction. It will
also serve notice to the Ephemeral that they are under attack. They will send
the three other ships to locate us and assess the threat. Meanwhile, I’za will
use this diversion to slip into the habitat and find the prisoners.”

“And the three armed ships – do they not pose a
threat to our survival?”

“Well, maybe . . . maybe not. Let’s just see
what happens, shall we?”

“Jest?”

Egg laughed. “No, no jest. I’m dead serious.”

“Your phrasing leaves much to be desired.”

*****

“Found it. Going in for the kill.”

“Be careful, be careful, be careful,” whispered
Egg.

“Egg, Ziz spotted something,” called Jax’x.

“On
screen.”

“What
the heck is that?”

“That’s an android - a robot of sorts. Now the
Ephemeral have some brawn to go along with their brains,” replied Jax’x.

“What’s it doing?”

“It’s in the vicinity of the maintenance
shuttle. The two are probably working in tandem as the construction detail.”

“GOOSE BUMPS,” screamed Egg – both from the
surprise that she got them and from what that probably portended.

“Geez, don’t yell,” grumbled Sparky.

“Why did that android set you off?” asked Syl.

“That android is probably controlling the
shuttle. If it sees Bl’azzz attacking, who knows what it’s capable of doing.”

“The dragon must destroy the artificial
construct first,” semi-commanded Waldo.

“Should I tell her?” asked Jax’x.

Egg said nothing as she stared at the image on
the screen.

“Egg?” called Jax’x.

“No. Sparky, beam that thing onboard. Put it in
a cargo compartment under full shield restraint. Now.”

The girl did as she was told. “Done.”

“Bl’azzz, status?”

Static.

“Bl’azzz?”

Static.

Serenity called out, “Explosion on the surface.
Shuttle is gone.”

“Bl’azzz can you hear me?” and Egg willed her
sister to answer.

“That’s still a stupid question. Mission
accomplished. Heading back to the drop off point.”

“Are you okay?”

“I am dragon,” she bragged.

“Yeah, you are. Listen; circle around for a bit
while I check something out.”

“Can do.”

“Jax’x, has Ziz seen any more of these
mechanical men?”

“No. Nothing within ten klicks.”

“How about the stick men?”

“No sign.”

“Great. Bl’azzz . . . .”

“Yo, Egg-o.”

“Go stand in front of the entrance to the
habitat. Every minute or so, roar as loudly as you can and throw some fire
against it. I don’t want any mechanical men or the Ephemeral for that matter coming
out.”

“Can do.”

“Two more things – if you see either, don’t
hurt them. Scare them back inside.”

“And?”

“And I want you to sing or hum a Fandango Sally
song. Don’t stop until I tell you. Can you do that for a few hours?”

“Am I auditioning for a part?”

“Absolutely – Sister of the Month Honors.”

“Left turn, right turn, U turn, my turn . . .”
she began to sing.

“Turn that off before I go nuts.” Sparky did as
requested. “Have the AI monitor her continuously. Let me know if she stops.”

“What are you doing?” asked Syl.

“If the Ephemeral take over her mind, she’ll
stop singing. That’s when we transport her out of there.”

“Clever girl.”

“I have my moments.”

“They appear to be many,” commented Waldo.

“Sorry?”

“Your moments of insight – they occur more
frequently than random chance would dictate.”

“Ah, that’s sweet. Thanks.”

*****

“Why did you beam that android onboard?”

“Jax’x, just a gut feeling. Call it intuition.”

“I’za is calling,” announced Serenity. “And the
three ships are breaking orbit and heading for us.”

“Put I’za on screen. Monitor the ships.”

“Egg,” came a whispered voice.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. I found a room where they are keeping the
prisoners. They have them strapped to operating tables. Lots of technology all
around,”

“What’s it for?”

“There is no activity at the moment so I can’t
be certain. But an educated guess is that they’re going to put these people
into some type of armored outfit. There’s one hanging by each prisoner.”

“It’s an exoskeleton. It increases the strength
of whoever is wearing it,” explained Serenity.

“Do you have I’za’s coordinates?”

“Yes. But Egg, I can’t transport them out of
there. Whatever material they’re using to stop the Ephemeral brainwaves also
disrupts the transporter beam.”

“We’ll worry about that later. Good job, I’za.
Stay there for now but be careful.”

*****

“You have saved the life of one of your own,”
complimented Waldo referring to the individual they had beamed aboard. He was
obviously one of the captives and had been placed inside the exoskeleton that
I’za had seen.

“Just lucky. But Waldo, it’s a good lesson to
learn. Violence has to be the last resort, if it’s used at all. Do you
understand?”

“I am learning.”

Egg smiled at the big ugly man – and for the
first time didn’t shiver. “Tee’ka is a fortunate lady to have found you.”

“Jest?”

“Not all. It’s a compliment.”

“I thank you.”

“Egg, ships coming on fast.”

“What formation are they in?”

“Two abreast, the third one trailing behind.”

“Shields up.”

“Oh, please. I put them up as soon as they
broke orbit.”

“Jax’x, I should have asked this before, but do
you think your Amber Hearty-ness could project an image into space?”

“What kind of image? And how big and for how
long?”

“How about a big head? Large enough to hide the
ship for about a minute?”

“Why?” asked Syl.

“A dose of shock and awe. Might buy us a little
time. It will definitely throw off their aim.”

“Whose head?”

“Waldo, I’m going to use yours.” To spare his
feelings, she lied. “You are so formidable looking that they will know fear.”

“Acceptable.”

Jax’x called out, “Let me grab the rest of my
Amber Hearts,” and she fetched them from their resting place. “I can give it a
try. No promises.”

“Thanks. Sparky, I want to do a one eighty and
fly directly at the two leading ships. Then when Jax’x puts on her space face, fly
right past them toward the third ship. Teleport the stick men as soon as you’re
in range and put them on that island.”

“Don’t care what the test said, you are
certifiably crazy.”

“Syl, as soon as she beams those six out of
there, the Ephemeral mind link will be gone. You have about twenty seconds to
talk our people back to reality.”

“What do you want them to do?”

“Head straight towards one of the two remaining
ships and have them teleport the bad guys to the planet. Give them the
coordinates.”

“Got it.”

“Jax’x, on my signal. Serenity, flip us
around.”

*****

The ship reversed course and headed directly at
the oncoming ships.

Though Serenity took evasive maneuvers, the
Gracie was being hit by cannon fire a few times a minute. The shields held
though the ship vibrated, shook, shuddered and groaned. It was the first time
the sisterhood had ever been attacked in such fashion and despite all their
bravado, they were appropriately scared.

Sylvia was the first and only one to admit to
her feelings. “I think I wet myself.”

“Hope you’re wearing those ugly ducklings.”

“Why?”

“Duh, because they can swim.”

The girl giggled – but only because of her
nervousness.

“Okay, Jax’x, show them where’s Waldo.”

The
former Librarian concentrated as hard as she could and produced a giant image
of Waldo nee Mobius emerging from the fiery depths of her imagination.

And
the crews of the first two ships, the ones closest to the giant face, did what
any rational being would do – they veered off.

As they approached the trailing ship, the
distance between the two vessels narrowed at an alarming rate. “I’m going to
have to turn soon to avoid a head on collision,” called Serenity.

“Hold off until you get into transporter
range.”

“That’s cutting it close.”

Egg didn’t answer – she couldn’t since she was
holding her breath.

Ten seconds from impact and Serenity’s hands
became a blur as they flew over her control panels. She locked on the life
signs of the six Ephemeral and started the teleport sequence, then she altered
course to avoid a very unhappy ending and finally she sent the bad guys in the
transporter beam to the island on the planet’s surface.

“Done,” she said coolly.

“Turn around and head for the first two. Syl .
. . update.”

Her best friend was on the communicator link
with the ship they had just freed. She was talking fast and furiously trying to
get the crew to understand what had happened. It took longer than Egg wanted
but not longer than was reasonable.

“Egg, closing in on those ships,” warned
Serenity.

“Take the one on the right. Jax’x, you still
have that face in place?”

“Sorry Egg, I lost it.”

“You did great. Relax for a minute. Syl –
update please.”

“Yes, yes – that’s right,” she was saying to
whoever was in command. “Hang on a second,” she said, turning to Egg.  “Which
ship should they take?”

“The one on the left.”

Syl turned around and repeated the message.
“Good luck.” The screen went blank and Sylvia said, “Done. Remind me to tell
Benny how professional that guy was.”

“I just got a glance, but he seemed cute,”
teased Egg.

“Please, I didn’t even notice,” lied her
friend.

*****

Five minutes later it was all over. Egg had
Serenity bring the ship into close proximity of the other three.

“On screen,” she called. “Who am I talking to,
please?”

“This is Captain Ax’gard (the same one Syl had
talked to). Lady Eloise, thank you.”

“If you want to thank me, the name is Egg.”

“As you wish.” He hesitated, looking
uncomfortable. “Egg, just before the Ephemeral turned us, I saw the flagship
explode. Were there any survivors?”

“We believe everyone survived. Which reminds
me, Sparky, would you go get our guest from the hold.”

“On my way.”

“One of the men from Benny’s ship is onboard.
He, along with the rest of the crew, were taken hostage by the Ephemeral. He
was in an exoskeleton working outside the habitat when we rescued him. We’ll
transport him over in a few minutes.”

“Lady, are you telling me the Prince is being
held hostage? Do you know where? I will mount an assault immediately.” To say
he was agitated was an understatement.

“Easy, Captain. He stayed on his ship when it
exploded. The command center was ejected and we were able to get him back. He
was injured and is now on a hospital ship that his father brought. In fact,
we’ll give you the coordinates. I want you to rendezvous with his Lordship.”

“What of the rest of the crew being held
hostage?”

“Leave that to me.”

“But . . .”

“Sorry, guy. I’m in charge. Do yourself a favor
and go meet up with your fleet.”

“For the record, I protest your decision.”

“Duly noted. Syl, can you give the Captain the
coordinates.”

She turned on her viewer. “Hi again, Captain.”

The ruggedly handsome man smiled. “It was you
that I spoke to before. It was all very fuzzy. Thank you.”

“Understandable and you’re welcome. Here are
the coordinates,” and she transmitted them over.

“Received. May I ask – are you Sylvia, Lady
Eloise’s Feminion?”

“Better call her Egg, and yes.”

“It is an honor. Forgive the timing, and I hope
this is not too inappropriate, but perhaps when we are both back on Aerianna,
we could meet. I have some theories on parallel universes I think you might
find interesting.”

“Strange hobby for a soldier.”

“Before I joined I earned advanced degrees in
astrophysics and high-order mathematics.”

“Impressive. By why discuss your theories with
me?”

“First, legend says that you are the most
intelligent of all the sisters.”

Catcalls in the background. “I hardly think so.
Serenity, K’ssss and Jax’x have towering intellects.”

“But are they as attractive as you?”

More catcalls. Sylvia blushed scarlet but
managed, “I will call on you, Captain. I promise.”

“I look forward to it. And Lady Eloise . . .”

“Yes?”

“Sorry, but I can’t call you Egg. Even the
Prince doesn’t do that.” He smiled then faded away.

Everyone turned to Sylvia whose red glow was
only beginning to fade. “In the middle of a war and that man still found time
to flirt with you,” said her friend.

“I believe he made it quite clear that it’s my
brain he’s interested in.”

“Ha. He’s heard about your seven husbands.
That’s the only legend he’s interested in.”

“Well, if that’s true, eat your hearts out
girlfriends.”

Egg got the last word. “Just don’t tell him
about your love of ducks.”

*****

Down in the hold, Serenity found the poor guy
they had rescued huddled in the corner. “Hi there,” she called.  The guy jumped
about a foot . . . and stared.

“Easy, friend. I’m here to help you. My name is
Serenity.”

He seemed to be analyzing that statement. “Oh .
. . one of the Hameggattic Sisters. The smart one, right?”

One point for the new guy. “As I live and
breathe.”

“What happened?” and the girl brought him up to
speed.

“If you can walk, we need to go to the bridge.
We’ll beam you over to one of your ships.”

“I’m fine. Um . . . any idea why I’m wearing
this suit?”

“It’s an exoskeleton. It increases your
strength. The bad guys were having you construct something.”

He looked at himself. “You’re right but it’s a
very advanced design.” Then he looked at Serenity and his eyes became
unfocused.

“You okay?”

“What? Oh, yeah. By the way, I’m Lieutenant
Tess’lar.” He walked over and offered his gloved hand to her.

“Pleasure”.

“I am . . . or was . . . the fleet’s chief
engineer. So forgive me for prying but that’s some kind of chair you’re in.
What’s it for?”

“I lost part of my spine in an explosion. This
chair gives me great mobility.” Normally she would have bitten the guy’s head
off for asking such a personal question. This time – all she got were
butterflies in her stomach.

“That’s rough. I’m kind of the outdoors type .
. . it would kill me to lose my ability to walk.” Again, he was so honest and
genuine that Serenity couldn’t get mad.

“You learn to adapt.”

“I don’t have your courage. I couldn’t do it.”

“And I don’t believe you. Come on, we need to
go.”

“Hey Serenity.”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask a favor?”

“Ask and we’ll see how I respond.”

“I need your body measurements.”

“WHAT?”

“Sorry – that sounded awful. But . . .” and he
was obviously excited about something.

Serenity interrupted whatever he was about to
say. “But what? – and you have ten seconds to make it right or I’ll eject you
out the space lock,” she barked. For his sake, it had better not be as personal
as Serenity thought it was.

He smiled . . . an awfully big smile, all
things considered. “Feisty, I like that.”

Her eyes got wide and she was ready to skin
this guy alive . . . then she laughed instead. “Like other members of the
sisterhood, you are certifiably insane.”

“Quirky. Just quirky. Anyway, would you mind if
I worked on an exoskeleton for you? Your situation is different but I think I
can figure out a solution.”

“A solution to what?”

“To help you walk again, of course.”

Chapter 11 – Snooze, You Lose

“Your Lordship.”

“Eloise, I just received word from Captain
Ax’gard. He and the other ships are on their way and will rendezvous with me in
less than a day. The crews of all three ships are alive and healthy. I am sure
I sound terribly tiresome, but thank you and your sisters. Another incredible
feat.”

She ignored her father-to-be. “How is Benny?”

“Your sisters are with him as we speak. He has
just regained consciousness.”

“And?”

“I will be joining them as soon as this
communication ends. One of us will contact you as soon as possible.”

“But the doctors – did they say there was any
permanent damage?”

“There is none. However, that does not preclude
memory loss.”

“Right. Got it.”

“What are your plans now? Shall I join you for
the prisoner exchange?”

“Your Lordship, that’s not going to happen.”

“I am sorry?”

“There was never a chance that I would put you
in harm’s way. I’ll figure out some other solution.”

“Eloise, I will not have those men and women
remain as hostages. I would see them returned to their families.” There was no
denying the authority in his voice.

But Egg was in no mood. “Their well-being is my
concern also. And we will risk our lives to get them back. However, if you are
recalling the Sisterhood, shall we leave now?”

The poor man’s mouth dropped open – for a split
second. “My dearest wife once shared an earth expression. You are calling my
bluff – are you not?”

“Am I?”

“The Queen shared a second earth saying. ‘Women
– you cannot live with them, nor can you live without them.”

“It’s a paradox.”

“Certainly a riddle for which I may never find
the answer. I will have BreeZee contact you with an update on my son. Be safe,
daughter-in-law,” and his woebegone image disappeared.

“He was not a happy camper,” said Sylvia
stating the obvious.

“He’ll get over it.

*****

Aboard the Hospital
Ship

The doctor finished his fussing and turned to
go. To the girls, he said, “Please, keep the visit short.”

“We will, Doctor. Thank you,” responded BreeZee.
They walked up to Benny’s bed. “How are you feeling, Your Highness?” Bree had
suggested to Tee’ka that they should be formal with the young man until they
determined the extent of his memory loss – if any. “And under no circumstance
ask to see his blue butt.”

“All things considered, very well. Thank you
for asking. I am sorry. I know we have met but I cannot seem to recall your
names.”

“I’m BreeZee and this is Tee’ka.” Well that’s
not a good sign. “Egg has been worried sick. She’ll be happy to know that
you’re recovering.”

“And Egg is the Heroine of Aerianna, and the
leader of the sisterhood, correct?”

“Yes”. And that was even more depressing.

“I was told that the Hameggattic Sisters are
responsible for my rescue. Please extend my heartfelt thanks to all members of
your illustrious organization.”

“We will. Do you have any special message for
Egg that I might pass along?”

He seemed a bit taken back by the question.
After all, he had already said thank you. But he was a trained diplomat.
“Certainly. Please tell her I am most grateful for her efforts. When the
opportunity arises, I should like to express my thanks in person.”

“Okay. Anything else?” Bree was uncertain if
the Prince had been putting on a show of forgetfulness for her benefit. Egg
insisted he had a great sense of humor. She felt she had to push a bit to make
a determination.

“I do not believe so.”

“Egg asked me to give you her love.”

“Her love?”

“Yes. You do remember that you asked her to
marry you?”

“To marry me?” He was beginning to sound like a
parrot.

“Yes. Just before your ship exploded.”

“My dear BreeZee, why would I have done such a
thing? I hardly know the young lady on a personal level. I realize my family is
quite fond of her but . . .” and he left the thought unfinished. The young man
looked genuinely perplexed.

“You asked her to marry you because you and she
are in love.”

Tee’ka felt compelled to add her own goofy
thought. “And because you’re the blue footed booby.” Bree’s head dropped in
embarrassment at her sister’s words.

“I am what?”

“Blue footed booby,” Tee repeated though her
voice dropped to a whisper.

“Young lady, though you are a Hameggattic
Sister, taking such liberties with a crowned Prince is totally inappropriate.
To be sure I have no idea what that refers to but it certainly presumes a level
of intimacy that does not exist. However, for what the sisterhood has done for
me, for my family and for our planet, I shall pretend you never spoke those
words. Now, I am a bit tired. Thank you for the visit but I really must rest.”

Bree couldn’t leave it at that. “Your Highness,
you did ask her to marry you. Your injuries have impaired your memories but . .
.”

“I will hear no more of this absurdity. Leave
or I will call the guards.”

*****

BreeZee contacted the Gracie placing the call
directly to Sylvia.

“You alone?”

“Give me a minute,” and the girl casually
walked over to another station away from her friend. “Go ahead.”

“He has no memory of asking Egg to marry him
and certainly no recollection that they were in love. He couldn’t even remember
my name or Tee’s. Worse, he seems to have lost his sense of humor. I didn’t
want to tell her before you went into battle. She’s going to be devastated.”

“Thanks Bree. You did the right thing by
talking to me first.”

“Tee and I will go back and visit Benny later.
Maybe after he has a little rest, we’ll be able to jog his memory.”

“I’m not sure it works that way but it’s worth
a try. Good luck.”

“And to you. Stay safe. Oh, Tee says to tell
Waldo she loves him . . . and he better not forget it.”

*****

“Okay, time to talk to the Hegemon. Sparky, see
if she’ll answer our call.”

Less
than a minute later, the outline of the high most Ephemeral filled the screen.

“I am
Lady Gan’gli, Hegemon of the Ephemeral. Identify yourself.”

“My name is Egg and I am the leader of the
Hameggattic Sisterhood. We are here as representatives of the planet Aerianna,
a member of the Federation of Planets.

“You have destroyed our vessel. Explain this
hostile act.”

“You captured three of our ships and destroyed
the fourth. You have taken that crew hostage. Explain those hostile acts.”

“Is that creature outside our habitat one of
yours?”

“Indeed. Her kinds are known as dragons.”

“Withdraw your dragon and we will extend a
welcome to you to visit with us. We can negotiate all grievances in a civilized
manner.”

The invitation was expected, of course. Once
inside the habitat, they would be subject to the reality distortions. “How very
kind. Unfortunately, in this galaxy civilized people do not hold others hostage
as a prelude to negotiations. Free my people and we will meet.”

“Once they are freed, what assurances do we
have that you will visit and negotiate in good faith.”

“I will first send someone of great importance.
Someone you will be eager to meet.”

“Identify this individual.”

“The First Citizen of the Klat.”

*****

When Waldo had first suggested that he be
exchanged for the prisoners, Egg was vehemently opposed. “They hate the Klat.
You said so yourself. They may very well kill you or if you’re really lucky,
they will only keep you prisoner for as long as you live. I can’t allow it.”

“It is logical. Your objections are
unacceptable.”

“Waldo, I will not stand by and see you hurt.”

“Illogical. Will they not exchange the hostages
for me?”

“Well, sure they will.”

“Does Tee’ka not put herself in mortal danger
on these missions?”

“Sometimes. A lot of times.”

“Did you not seek to protect my people when I
offered an assault?”

“Yes.”

“The Klat meant nothing to you yet you chose to
avoid their destruction.”

“We don’t condone violence. We have to believe
that there is always a better way.”

“Is it not true that the sacrifice of one to
save the many is logical?”

“Um . . .”

“Will Tee’ka not be proud of my sacrifice?”

“She would be devastated to lose you.”

“And I her. But our love does not justify the
loss of your hostages.”

“Waldo, please.”

“Am I not growing as a living entity? Am I not
more now than the AI that you transferred into this artificial body? Would you
not sacrifice yourself to save your sisters? Did . . .”

“Stop. Please.”

But he had one more thought to add. “Did the
mystical tree not say ‘choosing the ultimate sacrifice can be the ultimate path
to lasting contentment’? I have chosen; and I am content with the knowledge
that I give myself for a higher purpose.”

That reference to the Tree jolted Egg. He did
predict this sacrifice and that forced her to relent. “Okay. If I can’t talk
you out of it, let’s see if the Lady Gan’gli will make the trade.”

*****

The arrangements took the better part of an
hour to negotiate. First, Waldo was beamed down and stood in front of the
entrance to the habitat while Bl’azzz turned her back – keeping her flaming
mouth pointed safely away from the Ephemeral.

Next, one of the bad guys went to the entrance
and tried to use his (or her) mind bending trick on the First Citizen. Since
only the Klat were immune, this would be a good test. Waldo passed.

Waldo was then put into some kind of
restraints. His wrists were bound in a tendril of glowing fiber. To test that
they worked as expected, the Ephemeral sent a thought into the fetters. The
glow flared much brighter and the big man groaned and collapsed to his knees.

Egg didn’t protest since this was part of the
deal she had to make. However, at the sight of Waldo on the ground, her hand
went involuntarily to her mouth. Syl and Jax’x looked away while Serenity
snarled her disapproval.

The final stage was the release of the
prisoners. They would be taken one at a time to the entrance. They had to walk
fifty paces then Egg was allowed to teleport them to the ship. The whole
process would take almost an hour.

“Jax’x, go to the hold and greet the first
arrival. Explain what’s happening. Make sure he has his wits back and
understands. His job is to acclimate the rest, as they’re teleported up. Then
come back here.”

“On my way.”

“Sparky, get me I’za.”

“Go ahead.”

The alien girl had already been apprised of the
plan. “I’za, its Egg. I want you to go find the Hegemon so you can tell us what
she intends on doing to Waldo. Whatever it is, no matter how awful, don’t show
yourself. Understand?”

“Yes.”

Forty minutes later and only twenty of the
prisoners had been teleported up. The whole process was going painfully slow
and the girls were beginning to tire.

And then it happened.

Serenity yawned. And just like we all do, when
you see someone do it, more times than not, you’ll yawn too.

And Egg did, as did Jax’x.

Syl followed suit. Then her eyes went wide as
she had an epiphany. “Egg.”

“Yeah?”

“When Sparky yawned, so did the rest of us.”

“What?”

She repeated what she said.

“Why are you telling . . .” and then her eyes,
in turn, went wide. “Syl, you are a genius.”

“What about me?” complained Serenity.

“And me?” added Jax’x.

“Not this time. Score one point for my
Feminion. Get me I’za.”

*****

The last of the hostages were now safely
aboard.

Egg had Bl’azzz and Ziz beamed up.

And Waldo was led into the habitat.

He was taken to the Hegemon. Gan’gli sent a
pulse into the man’s restraints and he yelped and fell.

“Your appearance is unlike Klat. Explain.”

The poor man was still writhing on the floor
from the pain emanating from the restraints. The Hegemon, with a thought,
turned off the device.

“I was the Klat A.I. I had my program
transferred into this constructed body.”

If the Lady Gan’gli was surprised, she didn’t
show it. “To what end?”

“I chose to be more than I was.”

“Your logic is faulty. Further, without their
A.I., the Klat are nothing. They are defenseless; their brute force will not
save them from the Ephemeral.”

“A false conclusion.”

She ignored his comment as irrelevant. “You
have no value alive. You will be terminated. The Klat will be assimilated as
slaves.”

“Specious thinking. I reject it.” Knowing his
end was near; he puffed out his chest in a sign of defiance. “And I will share
what my people have known from our very first encounter – the Ephemeral are
painfully ugly.”

The Hegemon felt neither anger nor amusement.
In fact, she felt nothing at all. She looked at two aides who came forward and
grabbed Waldo on either arm. To be sure, with their lack of physicality, it was
like being held by your ninety-five year old grandparents. Gan’gli nodded
imperceptibly and the two sent their thoughts into Waldo’s restraints.

His body convulsed and he screamed as the pain
tore at his very soul.

*****

I’za had waited for this opportunity – a
distraction that consumed the attention of everyone present.

She glided up to, and behind, the Hegemon.
Pressing the silver dollar sized disc to the woman’s neck, she activated the
device.

Gan’gli whipped around when she felt the cold
metal on her ridiculously thin neck.

But it was too late. The device sent the pulse
to her sleep center . . . and she collapsed to the floor.

Being the gatekeeper for her people on all
information, the same pulse was re-transmitted to every member of the
collective almost instantaneously.

And the entire Ephemeral clan collapsed – fast
asleep before they hit the floor.

I’za rematerialized and ran up to Waldo.
Helping the big man who was still reeling from the last jolt he received, they
hurriedly made their way out of the habitat.

“Egg, now,” called I’za.

She and Waldo disappeared into a cloud of
twinkling lights and rematerialized on the bridge of the ship.

*****

With the help of a few of the biggest men from
the hold, they managed to carry Waldo to sickbay. Unfortunately the auto-doc was
gone, having been sent with Benny to the hospital ship.

But all ships in the Aeriannian navy carried at
least one Medicus (think doctor). She was summoned to administer to the
stricken man. After an injection of something or other, the effects of the electrical
jolts he had received dissipated.

“Where am I?”

“Aboard ship, you big hunk of a hero,” and Egg
did something that she would never have dreamed she would – or could – ever do.

She kissed the cheek of Mobius. Well,
technically it was Waldo, but close enough.

*****

“Egg, can I talk to you privately.”

“Sure, Syl,” and they went to the girl’s cabin.

“I talked to Bree . . .”

“Stop. I know – he doesn’t remember that he
proposed.”

“He doesn’t remember anything about your
relationship. He couldn’t remember Bree’s name or Tee’s. He referred to you as
the Leader of the Sisterhood. Bree even said that his sense of humor seems to
be gone. I’m so sorry.”

Egg’s shoulders sagged and her head drooped in
acceptance of what was. “I can’t cry. In my heart I knew this was going to
happen. That ‘life changing injury’ – it had to be this. In fact, I’m glad it
was. Losing what we had is far better than if he had lost a body part or
something. Heck, he doesn’t even have to get over the loss since he doesn’t
even know he lost it.” Understandably she was beginning to babble a bit.

“Do you want me to stay with you? You know,
talk this through?”

“Thank you but I’d rather be alone for a few
minutes?”

“Sure.” She gave her friend a hug and walked
out. As the door closed behind her, she heard her best friend sobbing.
Expecting this outcome was not the same as accepting it.

*****

“Your Lordship.” Egg’s eyes were red and
swollen but everyone pretended not to notice.

“Eloise. Thank you for rescuing my people.”

“Sure.”

“And thank Waldo for his willingness to
sacrifice himself for them. His efforts will be rewarded. Is he recovering?”

“He is. Big guys like that don’t stay hurt for
very long.”

“Of course. I . . . that is to say, that . . .”
but he couldn’t finish his thoughts about his son’s condition.

“Yeah, it’s sad for all of us. I’m not really
sure how to stop loving him.”

“He fell in love with you once, why not a
second time?”

She didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“We’ll be rendezvousing in about ten hours. I’ll see you then.”

Without waiting for his response, she cut the
communications.

*****

The Next Morning

They had made the rendezvous the previous night
and transferred all the freed hostages.

Bree and Tee had rejoined them. Tee’ka, as soon
as she boarded, made a mad dash to see her man. Bree had gone directly to see
Egg and give her a first-hand account of what had transpired with the Prince.

“We went back a second visit, but he refused to
see us. Sorry.”

“You did everything you could. Thank you.”

“What are you going to do?”

“First, we need to see Waldo off. You heard
what he did?”

“Very brave and noble of him. Tee is getting a
good man. I just wish he had picked a different face.”

“It’s actually growing on me. I don’t shiver
when I see him.”

“That’s progress. And after he leaves, are you
going to see Benny?”

She shook her head yes. “I need closure.”

“Maybe seeing you will jog his memory.” It was
wishful thinking.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

*****

They were all gathered in the hold of the
Gracie where Waldo’s ship had been parked and readied for his departure.

“Waldo, the Sisterhood would like to recognize
your heroism and all your help.”

“You have given me this body, this woman and a
sense of self. Nothing further is required.”

Tee’ka stood on tippy-toes and whispered in the
man’s ear.

“Oh.” He turned to Egg. “But thank you for
offering.” He looked back at Tee who nodded and smiled.

“Nevertheless, I would ask that you accept a
small token of our appreciation.” She walked up to the giant and tied something
around his waist. “This is a symbol of the bond between us sisters. I ask you
to accept this green scarf and our invitation to become an honorary member of
the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

Waldo
looked down at the scarf – then he looked to Tee’ka for advice. “Shall I
accept?”

“Oh, please. Then we can be sisters.”

“Tee . . .” began BreeZee, but Egg cut her off.

“Not worth the effort. What say you, Waldo,
First Citizen of the Klat?”

“Acceptable,” and he gave each girl a bow. They
applauded in return.

“Wear it in good health, friend.”

“Until the stars cease to twinkle,” he
responded misquoting a portion of the Hameggattic oath.

“It would be appropriate at this point to kiss
one of the sisters,” teased Egg.

He took a step toward her and she almost fell
down as she backed away. “Not me, you big lug.”

He smiled. “I jest.” He turned and grabbed
Tee’ka and lifted her off the ground and proceeded to kiss her with great
enthusiasm.

She
apparently was predisposed to do likewise.

*****

Egg went to see Benny. Though she understood
logically that a concussion could cost a person his memories, on an emotional
level it was impossible to accept. How can a conk on the head knock out a
person’s love for someone? So part of her knew to expect the worst while the
other part insisted that one look between them would make everything okay.

When she reached his hospital room, a guard
stopped her. “The Prince does not wish visitors.”

The normally polite girl was nowhere to be
seen. “Get out of my way.”

The poor Sentinel looked as uncomfortable as he
felt. “I’m sorry Lady, but those are my orders.”

“Your orders have been rescinded by me – Egg of
Earth. Now, move.”

“Egg, he’ll have my head,” pleaded the
over-matched man.

If he expected sympathy, he wasn’t going to get
it. “If I have to call the Queen, she’ll cook you over an open fire until
you’re well done. So I’m guessing losing your head is the lesser of two evils.”

He moved away from the door.

She didn’t even knock; she just barged in.

“I told that dolt that I wanted no visitors.
Please come back later.”

“Nope.”

He was about to argue then seemed to realize
who his visitor was. “Ah, Eloise. My apologies. My mind is a bit fuzzy from the
explosion. Do come in and allow me to thank you.”

She was impatient to get to the crux of things.
“Benny, do you remember any of the time we spent together?”

He ignored the question – especially the
inappropriate form of his name. “Eloise, Heroine of Aerianna, thank you and
your sisters for saving my life. My family and I are even deeper in your debt.
And, thank you for coming to pay your respects.”

“Benny . . .”

“Please do not address me in such a familiar
way. If you prefer not to use my title, it is acceptable for you to call me
Ben’Edikk. However, do so only in private.”

“I’m going to leave now, but I want to give you
something to think about. I know the doctors told you that you had a severe
concussion which has resulted in some memory loss. Isn’t that right?”

“My medical condition is not something you
should be privy to. However, since apparently you are, the answer is yes.”

“Part of your missing memory is about you and
me.”

“So BreeZee mentioned. Logically, I find that
difficult to believe.”

“Why? Am I so repugnant to you?”

“You are a perfectly lovely young woman. Your
deeds are stuff of legends. I am certain that some man will find you irresistible.
Unfortunately, I am not that man.”

“You think I’m just making this up?”

“To be honest, the thought has crossed my
mind.”

“Why would I do that?”

“To marry a Prince of the House of M’earth
would be quite the coup. It is not beyond the machinations of some women to try
to ensnare someone as eligible as I in their web of lies and deceits. I am
sorry to be so blunt.”

Egg shook her head. “I was worried that I
wouldn’t be able to find a way to stop loving you. Well, the man I love is
obviously not in this room. Instead, there’s a pompous blue butted bas . . .”

“STOP. I will hear no more impertinence from
your lips. Leave or I will summon that dolt of a guard to drag you out.”

Egg actually laughed. “Back to being a
blue-foot booby. See you around, Benny.”

“Egg,” he called.

She spun around expecting to see a big smile on
his face from playing such a dirty trick on her – pretending not to remember
their love.

“Do you know why I never call you that name?
Because it is ridiculous beyond imagining. Now leave.”

*****

“Sparky, take us home.”

“Course set for Aerianna.”

“Belay that. Set a course for Zynn-Zaz’zia. Syl
needs to get to class, you need to talk to the scientists about parallel
universes, and Jax’x needs to see an ocean.”

“Egg, why don’t we have a big reunion of the
sisters? We do have two new members,” suggested BreeZee.

“That’s a great idea. I’ll let you make the
arrangements.”

“What about you? What are you going to do?”

“Not sure. Maybe go flying.”

*****

That night Egg dreamt. In her dreams appeared
her old friend Storm.

“Hi, Storm. Thank you for saving me back on
that planetoid.”

“It’s what friends do.”

“Did you come visit for a reason – not that you
need one.”

“Just to ask you a question.”

“Really? Okay, ask.”

“Where’s Waldo?”

“Back with his people. Why?’

“Think about it.”

“Think about what?”

“The answer to your problem, of course.”

Egg
and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

Egg’s Ben’Edikk

Book 4 of Ever After

Egg’s Ben’Edikk

Book 4
of Ever After

Another Novel of

Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood

©Copyright 2016, by Robert
Iannone

All
rights reserved

Table of Contents

Chapter
1 – Forget Me Not

Chapter
2 – Zynn-Zaz’zia

Chapter
3 – Pilgrims Progress

Chapter
4 – Back to Work

Chapter
5 – The Love Boat

Chapter
6 – Good Golly Miss Molly

Chapter
7 –
Total Recall

Chapter
8 – Dear Diary

Chapter
9 – We the People

Chapter
10 – I love him; I love him not

Chapter
11– Let’s Party

Epilogue
– The Princess Bride

The seven active sisters.

Top left to right: BreeZee, Tee’ka, Bl’azzz and Jax’x.

Bottom left to right: I’za, Serenity and Egg.

Chapter 1 – Forget
Me Not

It was late morning and they were
about a half day out from Zynn-Zaz’zia. The mood on the ship should have been
festive since the sisterhood had once again achieved the impossible. But Egg
was lost in self-pity and couldn’t muster even a faux smile.

There were no more tears . . . that
‘well’ had dried up the night before. After she left the hospital, she
teleported back to the Gracie and went directly to her room. She locked her
door, turned off the light and without undressing, crawled under the covers
with her face buried in the pillows.

As she played and replayed her
conversation with the Prince, the tears flowed freely. Oddly enough, she cried
in part because she felt sorry for the young man. He had lost the love of his
life . . . but he didn’t even know it.

And of course, she cried for
herself. Unlike Benny, she knew exactly what had been so cruelly taken from
her. But it wasn’t as simple as that. She was experiencing a hodgepodge of
emotions each vying for supremacy.

Half of her actually felt relieved.
If that obnoxious stuffed shirt was the real Benny, then thank her lucky stars
she found out now and not after she had married him.

The more rational second half of
her inner self was heartbroken. The man she loved – the first man she had ever
loved – was lost. But he was lost in a most unsatisfactory way. He was still
physically here – close enough to hug and to kiss. However, their emotional connection
- the wonderful feelings he once shared with her – was trapped inside his
damaged brain and, for all intent, lost forever.

Her third half (give her a break,
she was never very good at math) couldn’t equate that stranger she had just
left in the hospital with the one she had planned to spend the rest of her life
with. In her heart she just knew that the real Benny was still out there, just
waiting for her to find him.

As she sat in her command chair the
next day, still lost in thought, her closest friend in the world walked up
behind her and said, “Give it time.”

Egg turned toward Sylvia. “Like I
have a choice.”

“The choice you have is to move
forward with your life. You of all people know that dwelling on what was, on
what should have been – isn’t going to make it happen. Give yourself time to
grieve then embrace the future. You lost a love but you haven’t lost love. There’ll
be another Benny out there – probably more than one.”

“Yeah. All eager to lay claim to
the Heroine of Aerianna. No thanks. I don’t intend to be some man’s trophy
wife.”

“No one on Earth knows who you
are.”

That gave Egg pause. “That’s true.
On the other hand, the thought of an earthman is too depressing to contemplate.
They know nothing.”

“Think how much fun it would be to
show him.”

“Him who?”

“Zeke.” As we all remember, he and
his twin brother Zack dated the girls back home.

Egg smiled. “Not happening.”

“Why not?”

“I moved on a long time ago. You
can’t go back.”

“No, you can’t” agreed her friend.
“And that’s why you’re going to have a hard time giving up Benny. Once you do,
you could never go back.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re
trying to tell me something?”

“That’s what I’m supposed to do.”

“So tell.”

“Grieve for Benny for as long as
you need to. When you finally exorcise that particular demon, you’ll be
emotionally free to move on. The ghost of Christmas past won’t be able to haunt
you anymore.”

“Nice imagery.”

“I have a knack.”

Egg hugged her best friend. “Yeah,
you do.”

*****

"Incoming message. It’s
Meggy.”

Egg was expecting – and dreading -
at least one of Benny’s family to call. “Let’s get this over with. On screen.”

“Sisters” greeted the Queen.

“Hey, Meggy. What’s up?”

“First, may I give you an update on
my brother or would you prefer to hear it in private?”

“Since my grumpy mood is affecting
everyone on board, they all deserve to hear whatever you have to say. Go
ahead.”

“Ben’Edikk’s injury is more
extensive than originally diagnosed. It is not just his feelings for you that
have been lost, but so much of his personality has been altered.”

“How so?”

“I can give you the medical
explanation we have received from our psychiatrists but you will find that as
tedious as I did. So, I shall simplify it. Our personalities are made from
various layers of subconscious thought. It is the weaving of all those layers
that manifests itself into who we are. When one or more layers are destroyed,
what remains is drastically different than what had been.”

“Bl’azzz is about to take a nap.”

“Oh, I do apologize. Let me give
you an illustration or two. What do you get when blue is mixed with red?”

“Purple.”

“Correct. But if for some reason
the blue is later removed, all we are left with is the red . . . a much more
vivid, even harsh, color. And what happens when fossilized carbon is put under
tremendous pressure for a very long time?”

“It becomes a diamond.”

“Correct. And if we remove that
pressure?”

“All you have is a lump of coal.”

“Is that more helpful?”

Egg glanced at Bl’azzz who nodded
back. “We understand. Some part of Benny is gone and what is left has no
relationship to the man we both love.”

“Exactly. My brother is now pompous
beyond belief, short tempered and rude. Worse, he lacks even a modicum of
humor. Quite understandably, my parents are distraught.”

“I guess they would be. So what are
they going to do for him?”

“Egg,” the girl sighed. “We are at
wits end. The doctors can do nothing. We have contacted the other planets in
the federation but they had nothing to offer. If I could just get inside that
thick head of his, I would . . .”

And that triggered Egg’s memory.
“STORM,” she yelled.

Everyone turned to stare. Syl
asked, “Where?”

“No, no, no.” To Meggy she said,
“Last night Storm visited me. He asked me where’s Waldo.”

“I do not understand? Is he not
back with his people? And what does that have to do with my brother?”

But the other girls understood.
Waldo, using the PhoG, could probably repair Benny’s brain from the inside.

“Meggy, we can get him back. We can
fix Benny’s brain.”

The Queen shook her head – partly
from amusement, partly from impatience. “Egg, even you cannot do the
impossible.”

“True dat. But Mobius can.”

*****

It took the better part of an hour,
but Serenity managed to establish a three-way video conference with Waldo, the
Royal Family (sans Benny) and themselves.

“Before we connect Waldo,” warned
Egg, “please remember that he only looks like Mobius. Don’t let that . . . (she
glanced at Tee’ka) . . . that commanding face put you off.”

“We understand,” replied Lord
Z’kkk. “Please continue.”

“Okay, then.” To Serenity she said,
“Patch him in.”

The girl did as she was asked. And on to the viewer – both theirs
and the one on Aerianna – appeared that memorable visage etched forever in the
Royal psyche.

As usual, the man said, “I would speak with Tee’ka first.”

“Waldo, the Royal family would like
to discuss something with you.”

“Acceptable. First, I will speak to
Tee’ka.”

Back on Aerianna, Rose’Alynnia felt
her knees go weak at the sight of that hated face. She stumbled and her husband
had to grab and support her from falling.

“Shall we continue?” whispered her
husband.

Rose’s eyes were wide, her face
flushed. “I am being irrational – but I cannot seem to stop.”

“We can reschedule this
communication or I can represent both of us.”

Rose wanted to look at her husband
but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the hideous face. “I will see this through
for our son’s sake. I would have your arm to steady myself.”

“Of course,” and he gave it to her.

The conversation between Tee and
her man ended quickly. “Waldo, I would like to introduce Queen M-egg’Alynnia of
Aerianna. She is also a Hameggattic Sister.”

“Honored,” said the man. “I, too,
wear the green scarf with much pride.”

Meggy also remembered the original
owner of that face from their encounter on Zynn-Zaz’zia . . . and with a great
effort of will, fought the desire to shiver. “The honor is mine, sir. Your
willingness to sacrifice yourself for my people is an act of bravery we will
long remember. We owe you more than a debt of gratitude. That will be a
conversation for another day, however.”

“Your Egg chose not to sacrifice my
people. I returned the act of kindness. Therefore, there is no debt.”

“As you say. May I introduce my
parents? This is the Queen Mother Rose’Alynnia and her husband, my father, Lord
Z’kkk.”

Rose managed a small nod of her
head. Z’kkk offered, “I, too, thank you for all that you have done for my
people.”

“Acknowledged.” He then looked to
Egg. “Is this meeting concluded?”

“No, Waldo. We have another favor
to ask.”

“As an honorary sister, I will
comply with such a request.”

“I haven’t asked anything yet.”

“No matter. I will do it.”

Egg smiled. “Thank you. You
remember the Prince, of course.”

“I do. Is he well?”

“No. His concussion has caused
memory loss and as a result his personality has changed for the worse. Is it
possible for you, using the PhoG, to enter his mind and repair the damage?” She
held her breath waiting for his reply.

“I cannot say without an
understanding of the damage.”

“But there is a possibility?”

“Indeed.”

She took a deep breath. “And would
you do this for me . . . I mean for us?”

“I am an honorary Hameggattic
Sister. I am yours to command.”

“Waldo, you are the best.”

“Be warned, Egg. I cannot guarantee
a satisfactory outcome without additional knowledge.”

“I understand. But now there’s hope
– before there was only despair.”

“I would not see Tee’ka’s sister in
such a state. I will go to Aerianna immediately.”

“NO.” All eyes turned to Rose. “I
am sorry. I cannot allow that man back on this world.”

“Rose, it is his face only. It is
not the man,” pleaded her husband.

“I will not have it,” and she
stormed away.

Z’kkk turned to the screen. “I do
apologize Mobius,” he said without realizing his error. “Please
forgive my wife in these trying times. Perhaps we can reschedule this conversation
for a later date?” Not waiting for a reply, he gave a small bow of the head and
disappeared into a black screen.

Meggy tried to save the situation.
“Waldo, as I am sure Egg has told you, the avatar you chose resembles a most
notorious villain in our history – one who deeply affected my mother. It has
been an extraordinary few days for her. For all of us. We did not know if my
brother had survived the destruction of his ship and then we did not understand
the true nature of his injuries. Once my mother has an opportunity to
reconsider her reactions, she will realize that they were emotional and not
logical. I hope that we may continue this discussion at that time.”

“We Klat do not possess such a
range of passions. I had thought that was our strength. However, I am now of
the belief it makes us less human and more like the Ephemeral . . . a
horrifying thought. I await your mother’s reassessment of my help. Tell her she
is under no obligation to meet me in person. I will not be offended.”

“Sir, you are most kind. I will ask
Egg to contact you again when the time is more propitious. Until then, I bid
you good day.” She turned her face toward the image of Egg. “I am sorry sister
but I will find a way to convince her to allow the procedure. And Tee’ka, I
apologize to you for my mother’s behavior. You are marrying a very good man.”
She exhaled sadly and her screen went dark.

*****

After the communications were
severed with all parties, the girls turned to face Egg. Syl spoke for them all.
“Are you okay?”

They were all surprised by her
answer. “I’m not worried about Dazzle. Sooner or later, she’ll do what’s right
for her son. It’s him I’m worried about.”

“Him who?”

“Benny.”

“Worried that Waldo won’t be able
to undo the damage?”

“Yes, I’m worried about that.
That’s not the issue. Why would Benny let Waldo into his head to make changes?
As far as he’s concerned, there’s nothing wrong with his brain. No one in their
right mind would let an alien tinker with their head.”

“But he’s not in his right mind.”

“We know that. He doesn’t.”

“So what now?”

“I need to think about it. For now,
let’s continue to Zynn-Zaz’zia.”

*****

Q’umulus

“Rose, I will not idly stand by and
allow my son to live out the rest of his life in such a state.”

“And I will not have that man set
foot on this planet.”

“It has been a difficult few days
for all of us and I know you are emotionally vulnerable. However, I have never
known you to react so irrationally, regardless of the stress of the moment.
That man is NOT Mobius. It is an avatar in his likeness. Serenity grew that
body and transferred a computer program into it. Waldo is not the dastardly
person that caused all of us such pain.”

Rose dropped into a chair and
seemed to melt into its cushions. She fought hard to regain her senses and was
thankful to her husband for giving her the silence in which to do just that. “I
am sorry. I was being foolish. If Mo . . . if Waldo is willing to help, then we
must accept it as the only alternative to bring back our son.”

His Lordship offered his hand to
his wife. She took it and he pulled her up and into an embrace. She buried her
face in his shoulder. After a moment, a small smile came to her lips, though
her husband could not see it. “Once again, our dear Egg has found a way to save
the day. So tell me husband, do you think our grandchildren will be as
incredible as our daughter-in-law to be?”

The question brought a smile to
Z’kkk’s face also. “I cannot imagine anyone as extraordinary as Eloise. If they
possess just half of her qualities – and those of our son – then we will surely
be blessed.”

“I am forced to agree. There will
never be another Egg.”

But they were both wrong. However,
that’s a story for another day.

*****

Q’umulus, an hour
later

There was a knock on the door and
Ben’Edikk entered. “You asked to see me?”

“Yes, son. Your mother and I have
something we wish to discuss with you.”

The young man sat down. “I am
listening,” he said somewhat impatiently.

“The injury to your head caused a
severe concussion . . .”

Benny interrupted. “Why are you
telling me something that I already know? Please, get to whatever point you
wish to make. I am busy and this meeting is interfering with my endeavors.”

Z’kkk gritted his teeth. He had to
remind himself that it was his son’s injuries causing such behavior. “Apologies.
However, we received the results of your evaluation by the psychiatrist.”

“Good grief. Who cares?”

“If you would allow me to finish,
you will be able to get back to whatever activity you seem eager to resume.”

“Then please get on with it.”

Z’kkk glanced at Rose – a look that
spoke volumes. “Your concussion has left you with a degree of brain damage
which is affecting your personality. We have asked Waldo, First Citizen of the
Klat, to use some advanced surgical techniques to remedy the problem.”

Benny barked a laugh – one
completely devoid of humor. “Are you mad old man? No alien is going to rummage
around inside my head. Besides, I can assure you that I am perfectly fine.
There are no ill effects from the concussion. Now, if you will excuse me . . .”
and he stood up, turned his back on his parents and left.

Z’kkk stood there staring at the
now closed door. Eventually he turned to his wife and asked, “What is an
appropriate earth saying for a situation such as this?”

“I believe – Houston, we have a
problem – would serve admirably.”

Chapter 2 –
Zynn-Zaz’zia

They entered orbit above the planet. Egg had the main viewer on so
Jax’x and I’za could get their first glimpse of a ‘real’ planet with oceans,
fertile plains and snow covered mountains. They were both awestruck at a view
that most of us would take for granted.

“That blue . . . that can’t be water, can it?” asked a
disbelieving Jax’x.

“Every last drop.”

“That’s incredible.”

“I’za, not sure if we told you but
Jax’x came from Spell ‘Bound, a planet with no surface water.”

“I do believe I knew that. On the
other hand, I have never seen such a stunning world either. The Ark did not
pass close to planets. So other than that planetoid where we first met and the
somewhat unimpressive moon where the Ephemeral set down, this is my first
encounter with such beauty. It is awe inspiring.”

“It is a beautiful world and one
with too few occupants. I hope Zazzi is able to get the Nauti to call this
home. Just for the record, Aerianna is also pretty spectacular; and its capital
city Q’umulus is beyond amazing.”

“And it’s the home of the
Sisterhood, correct?”

“Yes. We actually own a castle. It
was a gift from Dazzle.”

“How romantic.”

“Not so much. We don’t usually get
male visitors.”

“Is that a rule?”

“No. They’re just afraid of us I’m
guessing. We can be pretty intimidating.”

“Egg,” asked BreeZee, “what are our
plans?”

“I think a formal reunion is
something we’ll schedule for a later time. So, let’s just go around the room
and see what everyone wants to do. Bree, I assume you’re going to visit your
family?”

“Of course. Does anyone wish to
join me? My parents would love to have all of you as guests.”

“If you would take me to see the
ocean afterwards, I would love to meet your family,” said Jax’x.

“I, too,” added I’za.

“That’s great. Anyone else?” No one
said anything. “Doesn’t matter since my two favorite sisters are coming with
me. The heck with the rest of you,” she teased.

“Bree, I would, but I have to get
to class,” said Syl.

“I know. I was just kidding.”

“What about you, Hot Lips?”

“I’m going to say hi to K’ssss then
take the space portal to Aerianna. I want to see how Soo is getting on.” To the
two new sisters she explained, “She’s going to have a baby.”

No need to document all the oohs
and aahs from the girls.

“What about you, Tee?”

The girl’s response surprised
everyone. “I want to talk to Meggy and see if she’ll let Waldo live on
Aerianna.”

“I don’t think he’ll leave his
people.”

“I know. I want all of them to live
on Aerianna.”

That was never going to happen but
Egg decided to let Meggy handle it.

“I’ll take you to Aerianna,”
offered Serenity.

“Why are going to Aerianna?” asked
Egg.

Shockingly Sparky blushed. “I a . .
. I mean I . . . that is the ship could use a few upgrades and I figured while
I have the time . . .” but she left the rest of the thought unspoken.

However, the sisters were like any
gang of females . . . eager to see forbidden romance in any encounter. “That
guy we had in the hold, what was his name?” asked Jax’x innocently.

Serenity shot darts at her friend
with her eyes. “I don’t remember.”

“Sparky . . .” teased the other
girl.

“Oh, all right. If you must know
his name is Lt. Tess’lar. He’s the chief engineer for Benny’s fleet. He offered
to help me with . . . stuff.”

“Chief engineer . . . how lucky for
you. So, what kind of stuff did he want to help you with?”

“Shut up.”

Egg came to her friend’s rescue
since Serenity had never shown the slightest interest in men before. “I’m sure
the two of you can come up with some great modifications for the ship. Go. Just
make sure you can get back here in a hurry if we need you.”

“Can do.”

“Hey Serenity, if you happen to see
Captain Ax’gard, tell him I said hello.” Syl wasn’t the least bit intimidated
to admit she had an interest in a man. Heck, she already had seven husbands.

“I will. Should I ask him to call
you?”

“Lesson number one, girlfriend.
Show the guy you have interest . . . but don’t let him think you’re over-eager.
He needs to earn your ongoing attention.”

“Syl,” and Serenity gave the girl a
‘come over here’ shake of the head.

Sylvia did. Before Serenity could
ask, she said, “Of course you can call me anytime if you need some advice.”

“Now I see why you’re the legendary
Feminion. Thank you.”

“Just stay away from my man or I’ll
give you a flat tire,” teased her sister.

“What about you Egg?” asked Bree.

“I think I’ll fly Syl back to the
university.” To the others she explained “It’s located in the Time Castle of a
character named Reven that we met when we were here the first time. I’d like to
see what they’ve done to it.”

“What is a Time Castle?” asked the
always-inquisitive former Librarian.

“Zynnia, the entity that created
this planet, also created Reven. The concept was if things went wrong, this
Time Lord could go back in time and make things better. It was a stupid idea
and was never needed. We decided to use that thing’s ability to manipulate time
to send Mobius back into his past in an endless loop. He’s stuck there forever.
It was kind of cruel but he deserved much worse.”

“That is fascinating. Maybe you can
go back in time and warn the Prince to activate the emergency inertial
dampening system. Then he wouldn’t be injured.”

Egg shot down the idea. “We
destroyed all that Time stuff. Sorry.”

“Too bad.”

“Okay everyone. Make good use of
this little vacation. And stay in contact with each other in case we have to
save the galaxy again.”

*****

Aerianna Royal Space
Port

Serenity had teleported Tee’ka down
to Q’umulus then took the Gracie to the Royal Space Port. “This is the Gracie.
Permission to dock?” she asked central control.

“This is an honor Gracie.
Permission granted. Please use docking bay seven.”

The girl smirked. “Did you say seven?”

“It is reserved for the Sisterhood
in perpetuity. Orders of the Queen Mother. Will you need assistance or
supplies?”

She took a deep breath for courage.
“I was hoping that Lt. Tess’lar was available to help with some modifications.”

“One moment while I check.” Two
excruciatingly long minutes later the controller said, “The lieutenant will
meet you at the dock.”

“Thanks. Gracie out.”

But the guy wasn’t finished. “To
whom am I speaking?”

“I’m Serenity.”

“On behalf of all my brothers and
sisters in the Royal Navy, we wish to thank you and the Sisterhood for rescuing
our people. It is greatly appreciated.” His sincerity made the non-emotional
Sparky tear up. “We’re glad it all turned out as it did. Thanks.”

“Thanks aren’t enough by any means.
If you have the time to stop into the Hub-Bub Club, you’ll have free drinks on
us until you pass out.”

The girl had to laugh and that
amazed her. Some guy she never met made her feel special – and it was an
enjoyable sensation. “I’ll think about it, sailor. Gracie out.”

*****

On the Way to School

“When was the last time I took you
flying?”

“I presume you’re excluding our
trip to Xara’s ship?”

“That was hardly flying.”

“Well, in that case, let me think?
You know what, I can’t even remember.”

“Me neither. We should do this more
often.”

“You’re certainly in a good mood
considering the whole Benny thing isn’t resolved.”

“Now that I know Waldo can probably
fix him, I’m feeling really optimistic.”

“Remember he couldn’t be sure of
what he could do without checking the damage first.”

“I know. But old habits die hard –
I didn’t get any goose bumps.”

“Well that’s good news. Now all we
need is to convince Dazzle and Benny to let Waldo do his thing.”

“Dazzle probably already regrets
her outburst. It’s still Benny that worries me.”

“You know – you don’t actually have
to get his permission.”

“Why not?”

“We did it to Xara if you recall.”

“This is different.”

“Why?”

“With Xara, we weren’t changing
her. We just borrowed her memories to give her back someone she loved. And, it
was done because the Myst Tree had suggested it.”

“So why is it different with Benny
other than the Tree isn’t involved?”

“I would be violating his mind
without his permission. I could never forgive myself. And I don’t think he
would ever forgive me, despite the benefits it would produce.”

“Well that is certainly the moral
high ground.”

“You don’t agree?”

“I had already reached that
conclusion.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I needed to have you reach it on
your own. I didn’t want to impose my morality on you. That would be unfair.”

“Sylvia Hampton, you are simply the
best. Will you be my maid of honor?”

“I might not be able to.”

“What? Why?”

“By the time you two wed, I might
be Mrs. Ax’gard. Then I’ll have to be matron of honor.”

“Really. Well Mrs. Ax’gard, what’s
your husband’s first name?”

“Umm . . .”

*****

Q’umulus

The great doors to the throne room
opened at the hands of two Imperial Sentinels. The one on the right pounded his
ceremonial staff on the floor and announced, “Tee’ka of the Hameggattic
Sisterhood.”

As was the custom whenever one of
the Sisters made an appearance, everyone present stood and clapped with great
fondness. They just loved their girls.

Tee’ka wasn’t the best at protocol.
She smiled at everyone and waved. Both were returned with equal enthusiasm. As
she approached the Throne, Meggy excused herself from the emissaries she was
talking with. She stood and met her sister – giving her a hug and a kiss on the
cheek. “Tee’ka, what a nice surprise. Are you alone?”

“Except for myself, I didn’t come
with anyone.”

“Come. Let us find a little
privacy.” To those she was abandoning, she said, “Forgive me. I will send for
you when I have finished with my dear sister.”

They made their way to a private
office and Meggy asked her friend to sit. “Can I get you some refreshments?”

“No thank you. I’m good.”

“Are the others on Zynn-Zaz’zia?”

“Bl’azzz went to see K’ssss then
she’s going to use the space portal to visit Soo. And Serenity brought the ship
here so she could make modifications with her boyfriend.”

“I am sorry?”

“About what?”

“No. I mean I did not understand
what you just said about Serenity. She has a boyfriend?”

“That’s what everyone thinks.”

“I see. And you, did you come just
to spend some time with me?”

“I came to ask you a favor.”

“Anything I can do, I will. Tell me
what you need?”

“I want Waldo to move to Aerianna.”

“Is that what he wants?”

“I hope so.”

“He does not know you are here
asking this favor, does he?”

“No.”

“Do you believe he would leave his
people to live on Aerianna?”

“Oh no. They would come too.”

Meggy’s mouth dropped open but
nothing came out. She cleared her throat then tried again. “Did you discuss
this with Egg?”

“I told her why I wanted to see
you.”

“And she had no opinion on the
matter?”

“No.”

Meggy smiled to herself. Egg was
letting her handle this impossible situation. Her sister was oh so clever – and
not a little devious. “Tell me Tee’ka, what kind of world did the Klat live on
before they were imprisoned on the Ark?”

“Waldo said it was mostly mountains
and it was hard to grow things. But there were lots of game to hunt for food.
He said it was very hard to survive.”

“Do you think he and his people are
looking for a world such as Aerianna where those types of hardships do not
exist?”

“Oh no. They really liked their
planet. He said it made them stronger.”

“Then why do you want them here on
Aerianna?”

“So I can see him.”

“But other than seeing you, he
would not be very happy on this world, would he?”

Tee hung her head. “I guess not.”

“Well, maybe I have an alternative
that you and he would find acceptable.”

“Oh good. I’ll tell him.”

“Tee, I have not told you what it
is.”

“That’s okay. I trust you.”

*****

Wind’ dancer Village

Knowing full well that the
villagers wouldn’t give the newcomers a moment of privacy, Bree had Serenity
transport the three of them directly into the treetop home of her parents.

For the next several hours over a
lavish home cooked meal, Zephyr and Azure listened as their daughter and her
two sisters regaled them with stories of the sisterhood’s adventures as well as
tales from I’za’s and Jax’x’s prior lives.

It was Bree’s dad who was truly
bursting with pride. “It is so difficult for me to picture the things I have
just heard. I have never been off world except to visit Aerianna, but it is
much like this one. Yet my little girl has visited exotic worlds and fought
such villains that my imagination is inadequate to fully appreciate. And to
think, I was afraid you would never ride an Ascension Storm. How trivial that
all seems now.”

“Ascension Storm?” asked I’za.

And for the next half hour the two
girls learned of the Wind ’dancer customs and the right of passage. They also
learned of the invention of one overweight sea serpent that saved the clans
from extinction.

“I so look forward to meeting
K’ssss. Then again, I look forward to meeting any sea serpent. They are so
exotic,” said Jax’x.

“Well, she lives not far from here.
We’ll schedule a visit before we leave”.

“Thanks, Bree. And that trip to the
ocean . . . could we do that soon?”

“I’m of like mind,” added I’za. “Water
for as far as the eye can see . . . it’s incomprehensible. But, I don’t want to
take you away from your parents, BreeZee. After all, you don’t get to visit
that often.”

“I have a great idea,” interjected
Azure. “The villagers would pluck our feathers if we didn’t give them a chance
to meet you two. And I know that without a doubt more than a dozen young men
would love the chance to take you sailing. While you’re gone, we will get a
chance to catch up with our daughter.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said I’za. “Just
one question. Do we have to choose which of the twelve young men get to escort
us or can we have all of them? I would hate to disappoint anyone . . .” and she
smiled. Like a cat.

Chapter 3 –
Pilgrims Progress

On Board the Gracie

“Thanks for coming, Lieutenant,”
said Serenity.

“If you don’t call me Skotti, I’ll
be mortally offended.”

“Skotti. Okay.”

“So what can I assist you with?
Something about systems upgrades?”

The girl was crestfallen. She had
thought he would have understood that the help request was obviously a thinly
veiled invitation to meet her again. So either he wasn’t as bright as she had
thought he was or, worse, he really didn’t feel the same attraction for her
that she felt for him.

Her expectations weren’t
particularly realistic. Seldom, if ever, will a couple fall head over heels
with one another after their first encounter. Heck, just look at the
relationship between Egg and Benny in the beginning. She thought the
blue-footed booby was a stuffed shirt. And Serenity, for all of her intelligence,
didn’t have a clue about men and love.

“I, um . . . actually now that I
think about it, I can handle the modifications myself. In fact, I prefer to.
Since I’m responsible, I should be the one to do it. Sorry to have troubled
you.” She turned her head and fiddled with some controls so he couldn’t see the
moisture in her eyes.

“Well, if there’s nothing that I
can do, would you mind if I asked you question?’

The girl’s heart beat a little
faster. She turned to face him. “Sure.”

“Can I show you some sketches I did
of an exoskeleton? I modified the design of the suit from the Ephemeral to
adapt it to your situation.” And he pulled out an electronic pad.

Serenity’s blood shot up past its
boiling point. Apparently, she was just a science project for this jerk. Her
normal defense mechanism kicked into high gear. “You can take that sketch and .
. . and leave. Sorry I bothered you.” Again, she turned away.

“Hey.”

“Hey what?”

“Serenity, turn around and look at
me.”

“Go away. I made a mistake. I’m
just a fool.”

“Sparky.”

That got her attention and she spun
around. “How do you know my stupid nickname?” she growled.

“I talked to one of your sisters.
Her name is Jax’x. She told me.”

“You did what?” The young man
didn’t know how close he was to being beaten to within an inch of his life.

“Take a deep breath and calm down
for a second.”

“How dare you tell me to do
anything, you miserable . . .”

“Stop. Don’t say it.”

Her eyes were wide, her nostrils
flaring. “I’m going to beam you out of here. Maybe to the dock but more likely
just outside in space. My bad.”

“Serenity.” He said her name
softly.

“What?”

“I’m not real good with women.
Truth be told – and I will deny I ever said this – my experience is pretty much
next to nothing. I’ve lived my whole life in pursuit of the one thing that
matters most to me – machines. I love to tinker, to build, to solve problems
that no one else can.”

She visibly relaxed. “Why are you
telling me this?”

“Because like everyone else on Aerianna, I follow the exploits of
the Sisterhood. When you joined, I was beside myself. An intelligent woman that
seemed to have the same interests as me. It didn’t hurt that she was also
attractive. Sorry, I know that makes me sound shallow.”

“Makes you sound like a liar. I’m not attractive.” Sometimes a person
can’t see their own beauty – either because of some handicap or because the
scale they use to measure themselves against is unrealistic.

“To me you are.”

It was just an honest reply and she
found herself wanting to believe it. That didn’t stop her from saying, “You
admitted that you have little experience with women.”

“You can’t tell me other men
haven’t tried to make a pass at you?”

“Please. No one wants a chair bound
grump like me. Even you are trying to get me to walk with that suit of yours.
Can’t have feelings for a cripple. Am I right?”

His response took her by surprise. First,
he held up his pad with the sketches. He pressed button and the images were
erased. He flipped the blank device over his shoulder and it clattered noisily
to the floor. Then he walked over to the girl, bent down and kissed her. On her
lips. “Any more questions?”

“No. But I always thought my first
kiss would send shockwaves through my body. Guess I was wrong.” The look on her
face was serious – but there was an unmistakable sparkle in her eyes.

He smiled a rather wolfish grin.
Then he bent down and kissed her again. Apparently he wasn’t as inexperienced
as he had led on.

*****

The Wind ‘dancer
Village

Jax’x and I’za had been paraded in
front of the villagers. As predicted, more than a dozen young men (and one or
two older ones) volunteered to take the newcomers for a scenic tour of the
surrounding countryside and a flight over the ocean.

Someone even proposed a little fun
and games at the Tea Kettle. It was an obvious challenge to see if these
legendary heroines were up to the dare.

“We accept,” said I’za speaking for
both of them. “Under one condition.”

“Which is . . .?” smirked the
obvious ring leader of this group of juvenile delinquents.

“That we choose whom we will fly .
. . sorry, whom we will sail with.”

The same young man puffed out his
chest. “Very wise. I volunteer to escort you, Lady I’za.”

“And I will take the other,” cried
someone from the back of the pack. He was quickly booed down.

“If you’ll give me a second to confer
with my Sister,” and she turned her back on the young men. After an exchange of
words, she turned back. “We have decided.” The first young man began to step
forward. “We choose him and the one to his right.” It was the two older men.

Cries of anguish and peals of
laughter broke out. The boys bemoaning their loss and the older men, and the
all of the villagers, laughing with delight at the choices.

One matronly woman yelled, “And
that’s why they are Hameggattic Sisters,” and this time everyone laughed.

*****

Back in their treetop apartment,
Bree and her parents relaxed. Zephyr broached the subject that he and his wife
were desperate to ask their daughter. “Are you ready to come home?”

“Sorry?”

“You’ve been traveling amongst the
stars for years. You and your sisters have helped millions of people. Isn’t it
time to come back home and find yourself a husband?”

“Dad, there’s still so much left to
do. I could never leave the Sisterhood as long as they need me. Besides, I’m
still young enough to find a husband and have children – assuming I choose to
do so.”

“What does that mean?” asked her
mother.

“Not everyone needs to marry. Not
everyone wants to raise children. More importantly, not everyone can find the
perfect mate. I’m not looking for anyone right now. If and when I feel the
need, well . . . we’ll see what happens.”

Her father was as blunt as always.
“We want grandchildren.”

“And I want my daughter back home.
It scares the feathers out of me that you fly all over the galaxy and get into
fights with the nastiest people. You’re just a girl.”

“I am a girl. Maybe even a woman.
However, that is not a sign of weakness but of strength. Mom, I understand that
your generation believes that the females of the species should stay at home to
cook and raise offspring. My generation believes that we women have every right
– and even an obligation – to make a difference in this universe. I’m lucky
enough to be a member of the Hameggattic Sisterhood. Not everyone gets that
chance. I will stay with my sisters, and fight the good fight, for as long as I
can. When it does come to an end . . . well, as I said, we will see what
happens then. You just never know where you’ll find love.”

Her mother stared back at her
daughter with a mixture of pride and confusion.

Her father on the other hand wasn’t
buying it. “I want grandchildren.”

*****

Reven’s Former Time
Castle

“What the heck?”

“I forgot to tell you . . .”

“That Reven is back. Kind of
slipped your mind?”

“No, you foolish female. Big Bird
decided that the university should acknowledge the former occupant. And, she
wanted everyone who comes here to remember the exploits of the Sisterhood when
we defeated Mobius yet again.”

“So, that’s what? A holographic
projection?”

“No, it’s a Macy’s Day Parade
float. YES, it’s a projection.”

“Be nice or I’ll drop you.”

“My husband won’t like that.”

“You mean Bob?”

“His first name is not Bob.”

“How would you know?”

“I could never marry a Bob.”

“There you go.”

“Come on. Let’s land. Aeri’elle
should be back by now.”

“Don’t tell me you’re already
getting bored with my company?”

Sylvia gave a very exaggerated
yawn. “Sorry, did you say something.”

*****

Q’umulus

“Ambassador Syr’ius, thank you for
coming on such short notice.”

“How can I be of service, my
Queen?”

“I believe I have a solution to a mutual
problem I wish you to consider.”

“Kallous has many problems as you
well know, and our debt to the people of Aerianna can never be repaid. If you
require our assistance, you need only ask.”

“As I have said many times, we do
not hold you responsible for the deeds of Mobius. He was an outlaw on your
world and his escape to Aerianna was beyond your ability to stop. However, he
does play a part in what I am about to suggest.”

“Indeed. He has not returned from
his time loop, has he? If so, I would claim the right to extradite him to
Kallous to stand trial for crimes against humanity.”

“He has not returned. However, an
avatar created in his image has. Let me explain.” For the better part of an
hour, Meggy and the ambassador discussed what had transpired. “Since your
population has yet to recover from the deeds of Mobius, I would like you to
consider having the Klat settle on Kallous.”

“An intriguing suggestion, your
Majesty. I would need to talk to this Waldo and to meet a sample of his people to
ensure that we can establish a mutually satisfactory relationship.”

“Of course. I will discuss this
with the First Citizen and let you know of his interest.”

“Wonderful.” He coughed politely
then asked, “Are you absolutely certain that it is not Mobius?” The thought of
his return was a terrifying notion.

*****

On Board the Gracie

“. . . and that’s it”. Serenity had
given her guest the grand tour of the ship.

“I can’t believe you designed all
of this yourself. Unbelievable.”

“Don’t think a woman is smart
enough?” snapped Serenity. Her reaction to perceived insults was nearly
impossible to control.

Skotti just laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I didn’t understand what you meant
when you described yourself as grumpy. Now I do.”

The girl buried her face in her
hands from embarrassment. “Sorry,” came the muffled reply.

“Actually, it works out impeccably
well. I’m always happy and upbeat. It’s a perfect balance between our
personalities.” He punctuated the comment with comically raised eyebrows.

“Can you hand me that box,” and the
girl pointed to a side shelf.

“Sure,” and he did as he was asked.
“What is that?”

“This is something I can throw at
you for being such an irritatingly nice person,” and she did.

“Ow.”

“Be a man.”

“Listen up, you punky elf. When I
get you into a workable exoskeleton, I’m going to chase you all over this ship.
Then when I catch you, I’m going to tickle you till you beg me to stop.”

“Did Jax’x tell you I hate being
tickled?”

“Maybe.”

“I know where she lives. She’s
going to regret giving away my secrets. And another thing, I don’t beg.”

“Oh really. Well, I have to leave.
In fact, I’m late reporting for duty. Before I left, I was going to kiss you
goodbye. But, I think now I’ll withhold my loveable lusty lips . . . unless you
beg me not to.”

“Never going to happen.”

“Okay then. Nice seeing you again.
Have a lovely day,” and he turned to leave.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Excuse me,” he answered
innocently.

“Don’t you dare leave without
kissing me.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know.”

“I’m asking you nicely.”

“Ummm . . .”

“Oh, all right, you infuriating,
irritating, irksome idiot, I’m begging you.”

“Yuk. Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Beg. It really doesn’t suit you.”

If the girl could walk, she would
have jumped up, ran to the young man and hugged the air out of his lungs. She
settled for, “Skotti, please kiss me goodbye.”

Any more words would have ruined
the moment. Besides, you should never talk when your mouth is full.

*****

Reven’s Time Castle

“Hey Big Bird.”

“Hey yourself,” replied the dragon
and she walked over and gave Egg a big hug. “How’s Benny?”

“Out of his mind,” and she brought
her friend up to date.

“I agree with your decision. It
would be immoral to alter his memories without his permission. So what will you
do?”

“No idea. You haven’t found any
working time traveling devices, have you? That would make life simpler.”

“Sorry. We have checked every
square inch of the castle to no avail. On the other hand, our physics staff has
multiple projects ongoing in hopes of determining how some of this works.”

“Good luck with that. So, how are
things on Spell ‘Bound?”

“Going very well. But it will take
a generation before our efforts show results. Remember, the population had only
an informal educational system for hundreds of years.”

“Did you get to meet with Po and
Jay’gar?”

“I did. They work very well as a
team.”

“I’ll say. She’s pregnant.”

“They told me. How did Jax’x take
the news?’

“A little sad. But she got past it
quickly.”

“She’s a good sister.”

“And so is I’za. Hopefully you’ll
get to meet them before we leave.”

“When and where?”

“The Ark is still lost and so are
dozens of habitats. Maybe we can help sort that out. By the way, did you hear
that Zazzi is negotiating with the Nauti – an aquatic humanoid civilization –
to settle on Zynn-Zaz’zia?”

“Actually I have met them.
Fascinating people. I have a photograph of one swimming. My anthropology
department is beside themselves documenting the species.”

She pulled out the photo and handed it to Egg . . .

“Wow. That’s pretty exotic.” She passed it to Sylvia.

“Are they as nice as I’za seems to
think?”

“Very gentle folk. They will make
wonderful neighbors.”

“They accepted the invitation?”

“They have indeed. Their habitat is
due in about two weeks. Zazzi has already given them an island to land on. He’s
done a marvelous job in negotiating all of this.”

“Speaking about naughty, so what’s
up with you?”

“Egg?”

“Is there anyone special that
you’re spending time with?”

“Why would you even ask?”

It was Sylvia who answered. “You
seem very mellow.”

“Mellow?”

Now it was Egg’s turn. “You have
always been very stiff and formal, ever since the day we first met a very long
time ago. Now, you’re more relaxed. More mellow.”

The dragon smiled. ”And to be
relaxed takes a mate?”

“Doesn’t hurt,” blurted Syl.

“SYLVIA HAMPTON,” cried her best
friend. “You said you just kissed them.”

“Them who?” asked a confused but
amused Dean of the University.

“Her seven husbands.”

“WHAT?” squawked the dragon.

“Stop. Enough about me. Yo, big
bird, spill the beans. Who is he?”

If a dragon could blush, Aeri’elle
would have been crimson. She mumbled a name.

“What’d she say?” asked Egg.

“Sounded like mud.”

“No, you two numbskulls. I said
Bl’uddd.” She lifted her chin defiantly.

The mouths of the two girls dropped
open simultaneously as they stared at their sister.

“Say something,” demanded the
dragon.

“You naughty, naughty girl”.

Chapter 4 – Back
to Work

Q’umulus

The Queen was with Tee’ka again in her private office. On the main
viewer was the always-impressive face of Waldo . . .

“Hi,” said Tee’ka to the man of her dreams.

“You are well?”

“Very. Meggy wants to tell you her
plan.”

“Acceptable.”

“First Citizen, did my sister
Tee’ka discuss her desire to have you relocate to Aerianna?”

“Yes?”

“I do not believe this world is a
suitable match for the Klat.”

“Agreed.”

“However, the second planet in this
solar system is much like the Klat home world. It is mountainous with little
fertile land for planting but plentiful in game.”

“It is unoccupied?”

“No. There is a humanoid species
that is indigenous to the planet. As a point of fact, the individual that you
resemble, Mobius, is from this world.”

“Is he their leader?”

“No. He was a renegade with many
crimes committed against his own people as well as those on Aerianna. Egg and
her sisters have sent him back in time, in an endless loop, where he will be
trapped for eternity.”

“A satisfactory punishment.”

“Indeed. I have talked to the
ambassador of Kallous and he is intrigued by the possibility of adding your
people to the population of his world.”

“My people will not be subservient
to anyone.”

“It will be a union of equals. He
would like to meet with you, and with others of the Klat, to see if an
acceptable arrangement can be reached.”

“His motivation?”

“Mobius caused great harm to his
people. They now lack the minimum population in which to develop fully as a
society. They need help and are willing to do what is necessary to save their
kind.”

“Acceptable. I will contact this
person.”

“May I send one of our ships to
take you to Kallous if your negotiations reach that point?”

“Accep . . . thank you.” The ugly
man was learning fast.

“Wonderful . . .” but she stopped
when she heard the door open. She turned to see her parents entering. “Excuse
the interruption, Waldo, but my parents I believe would like to converse with
you.”

The Queen Mother strode in front of
the viewer. She looked at the hated face but showed no emotion. “First Citizen,
I must apologize for my previous behavior. It was inexcusable.”

“However understandable.”

“Thank you for saying that. If it
is not too late, I would ask that you help us with my son, the Prince.”

“For my sister Egg, I would do all
that I can. I have said as much to your Queen.”

“I know. However, I must tell you
that we have yet to get my son’s permission for the procedure.”

“Permission is not required.”

“I understand. However, my husband
and I would consider it immoral to proceed without Ben’Edikk’s concurrence.”

“Explain.”

Tee’ka waved frantically then
mouthed the word ‘please’.

“Explain, please,” Waldo corrected
himself.

“There is nothing more personal in
the universe than one’s memories. Even though they are incomplete because of
the damage he incurred, only he has the right to allow someone to tamper with
them. Even with his best interest as our sole impetus, I cannot authorize your
help.”

“I must consider your arguments. I
sense they are important if I am to grow as a person.”

Despite herself, Rose was
impressed. “That is appreciated. I will ask Egg to contact you when the time is
right.”

“Know this, Queen Mother. Time is
meaningful in the successful outcome.”

“I understand. Time is not my son’s
friend in this.”

*****

On Board the Gracie

“Can I tell you something?”
Serenity and Tee’ka were on board the Gracie heading back to Zynn-Zaz’zia.
Bl’azzz declined the invitation to return with them. She wanted to spend more
time with Soo.

“Okay.”

“I think I’m in love.” For once in
her life, the young woman was feeling like . . . well, like a young woman. And
she had to share it with someone.

“Not with Waldo?” exclaimed the
horrified former computer program.

“No you daffy whack-a-doodle. I’m
in love with Skotti.”

“Oh. Does he have a first name?”

“Skotti is his first name.”

“Really. His name is Skotti
Skotti?”

“Why do I even try,” said the
exasperated other girl. “But I will. His name is Skotti Tess’lar. He’s the
chief engineer for Benny’s fleet.”

“Is he as handsome as Waldo?”

Sparky rolled her eyes but managed
to keep her expression as neutral as humanly possible. “Well, he certainly
doesn’t have the um . . . the commanding face that your man has. But, he’s cute
in his own way.”

“Are you going to marry him?”

Serenity wanted to laugh . . . and
then she didn’t want to. “Maybe.” The conversation ended because the girl in
the chair started to fantasize about the possibility of having a long-term
relationship. Ever since her accident, she had all but ruled out that
possibility.

And as they traveled in
companionable silence, Sparky began to romanticize on how this new relationship
could develop. With her back turned to Tee’ka, the other girl couldn’t see her
blush a bright red.

*****

Back at School

“You and Bl’uddd . . . now how did
that come to be?” asked an incredulous Egg.

“The usual way,” began the Head
Mistress of the University. “He brought me candy and flowers; invited me out to
dinner and then we took in a movie.”

Egg’s face was showing astonishment
that dragons dated the way earth folk do.

Syl wasn’t buying it for a second.
“You lying leaping lizard. Not one word of that was true.”

“She bought it,” and the dragon
nodded toward our heroine.

“Why wouldn’t I? It sounded
romantic.”

“Good grief,” cried Syl in mock
horror at her gullible sister. “Did you really think dragons courted the same
way as teenagers on earth?”

“Well . . . how should I know?”

Sylvia dropped her head to her
chest. “And to think I’ve followed you into battle. Thank our lucky stars that
. . . well that you’re lucky.”

“You’re such a know it all,” kidded
her friend. “Anyway, how did the head of a galactic university start dating the
ex-sidekick of our favorite villain?” She held up her hand to stop Aeri’elle
from answering. “And . . . do not leave out a single detail. I don’t care how
personal it is. Understand?”

“What is it about Earth humans that
make them so meddlesome? Very well. In as much as you are still the leader of
the Sisterhood, I feel obliged to fulfill your request.”

“Oh, please,” moaned Syl. “You’re
busting a gut to tell someone.”

“I simply refuse to acknowledge
that statement . . .” then she eeked. “I really was busting a gut – which by
the way is terribly accurate and horribly graphic expression. The only one
around is K’ssss and, truth be told, she wasn’t as emotional as I’d hope. Then
again she’s an intelligent serpent and not a flighty human.”

“For the love of all that’s holy,
get on with the story. I’m not getting any younger,” complained the always
impatient Egg.

“Oh, hold your horses . . . that’s
the correct earth saying, isn’t it?”

“I swear I’m going to pluck your
feathers . . .”

Pretending she didn’t hear the
threat, Aeri’elle began her story. “As you very well remember, he was placed in
charge of security for the university and this planet. In such a capacity, we
met often. At first, it was just business. Then one day while we were
discussing something or another, I realized that he is very large and very,
very handsome.”

“And?”

“And, I asked him over for dinner.”

“Hussy.”

“I’m not even going to ask. Anyway,
it was very pleasant and we talked about the bad times as well as the more
pleasurable current events. To my surprise, he’s more intelligent than I had
assumed. And handsome – did I mention that?”

“Yeah. I think you did.”

“So that’s about it. We kept seeing
each other and as is the want of nature, our feelings for each other have
grown. He has even broached the subject of marriage.”

“Have you kissed him?”

“Good grief, no. Dragons don’t have
lips. Besides, I never understood that particular custom.”

“Locking lips – I guess I can see
how you might think it’s weird.”

“And unsanitary,” observed Big Bird
and she shivered at the thought.

*****

Wind ‘dancer Village

“Alright, leave them alone,” barked
Zephyr at the contingent of young men. “They have more important things to do
then listen to your boring stories. Go.”

Jax’x turned to address the crowd.
“On behalf of my sister and me, we would like to thank each of you for a most
enjoyable afternoon.”

One of the winged men yelled, “Who
was your favorite?”

The girls giggled. It was always
nice to be the center of attention. “One second while we confer.” They put
their heads together as if they were seriously considering the question. This
time it was I’za who addressed the eager faces. “We agree it was the two
gentlemen that we sailed with,” and all the rest booed lustily.

“Sorry, we just like . . . old
men,” added Jax’x for the benefit of the others. The jeers turned to cheers as
rude age-related jokes began to be bandied about.

“Come you two,” and Zephyr held out
a hand to each. With his great strength and overly large wings, he easily
lifted the two young women up to the tree top apartment.

“Well, how was it?” asked Bree.

“Words are totally inadequate,”
sighed Jax’x. “As Egg would say – it was worth the price of admission. I wish I
had wings.”

“I don’t want wings,” added I’za.
“But I would love to have a man with a beautiful pair of them.” Zephyr looked
at the young lady with a little too much appreciation.

“Listen to her,” demanded Azure of
her daughter. “Even she knows a good looking man when she sees one.” Like her
husband, she still yearned for grandchildren.

“Mother,” scolded Bree. “It is one
thing to admire beauty, and quite another to fall in love because of it.”

Azure just stared at a daughter she
was just beginning to realize was not the same child that had left to join the
sisterhood. “I’m sorry. I’m just so worried about you all the time. If
something were to happen . . .”

“It won’t,” and mother and daughter
embraced. When they eventually separated, the girl did the same with her
father. “Well, it’s time to go.”

“So soon?” cried her mother.

“I’m pretty sure that after we
settle the Ark problem, I’ll get a lot more time to visit.”

“Fair warning to all three of you.
Nothing can prepare you, as a parent, for the time when your child leaves the
nest,” observed a wistful Zephyr.

“My people never experience that
sorrow,” said I’za.

“Why is that?”

“It is the parents who leave, not the
child.”

*****

On board the Gracie

“Sorry, K’ssss. We thought we would
have more time.”

“I understand. We all have so many
obligations. I’m in my lab nearly every day. When I’m not, I check up on our
wards (referring to semi-sentient serpents that she and her husband were caring
for). And my dear husband is now gill deep in helping the Nauti settle in.”

“How’s all that coming along?”

“We expect the next generation of
serpents to be fully self-aware. The Nauti are beside themselves with the
beauty and abundance of this world. And my research is incredibly fulfilling.”

“Any great breakthroughs?”

“I’m on the verge of discovering
why dragons have such big feet,” she teased.

“HEY, I heard that,” squawked
Bl’azzz.

“Okay, K’ssss. We’ll talk to you
later. Love to Zazzi.”

“Thanks. Safe journey to all of
you. K’ssss out.”

*****

“Where to, Captain Courageous?”
quipped Serenity with a big smile.

“Well, you’re in a good mood,”
replied Egg.

“It’s so unlike her,” added Jax’x.
She turned to face her friend, “Who are you and what have you done with my
beloved yet cantankerous and perpetually irritable shipmate?”

“If you think you’re going to get
me riled up, forget it.”

“Wow. I guess your engineer friend
did a complete systems upgrade,” teased Egg.

“She loves him,” explained Tee’ka.

The Serenity of old growled. “I
told you not to say anything.”

“Oops.”

The other five girls turned to face
their friend. “Spill it,” demanded Egg.

“He’s a nice guy. End of story.”

“Egg, he called me before they met.
He wanted to know as much about our resident grump as I was willing to share,”
explained Jax’x.

“And apparently you felt the need
to tell all,” griped Serenity.

“Other than your nickname, I told
him only one very personal fact.”

“Which one?”

“That you are like any nut – once
you expend the energy to get past the hard outer shell, the insides contains a
little treasure well worth the effort.”

Serenity glared at Jax’x. Then
shockingly she broke into an even bigger smile. “Thank you, cat woman. I owe
you one.”

The former Librarian, as well as
the others, stared in disbelief. Jax’x was right – who was this girl? Tee broke
the silence.

“I told you she loves him.”

Serenity, smile still on her face,
shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the control panel.

*****

“On screen.”

“Greetings, sisters.”

“Hey, Meggy. We were just heading
out.”

“I have some information about the
Ark that my people are transmitting as we speak.”

Serenity raised her hand indicating
she was receiving it. “Got it.”

“A couple of other points. First,
with Tee’ka’s . . . encouragement, Waldo is on his way to Kallous to meet with
their Ambassador. If all goes well, the Klat will settle on that planet.”

“That’s good news. Tee can visit
her love easily enough. And, maybe you can sign a treaty with the Klat.”

“To what end?”

“They’re natural warriors. Instead
of starting your own army, maybe you can hire them when the need arises.”

“Interesting thought. However, I
would like to think that diplomacy can avoid any armed conflict.”

“That’s a wonderful thought but I’m
not sure it’s realistic.”

“Perhaps not. I will consider it.”

“Anything else?”

“Waldo and my parents did finally
speak. Once we can convince my brother, the First Citizen will perform the
operation.”

“I always assumed your mom would
come around. The problem has always been getting Benny to agree.”

“True. Egg, Waldo said that the
longer we delay the operation, the less chance of success.”

The other girl exhaled loudly.
“Yeah, I guess I knew that.”

“If anything changes, I will
contact you immediately.”

“Thanks, Meggy. Later.”

*****

Q’umulus

Molly called out, “One minute
please.” She finished buttoning her blouse then went to the door of her
apartment and opened it. Her eyes went wide and she stared . . . definitely a
breach of protocol.

“May I come in?”

“Sire, that isn’t appropriate.” She
was more than a bit befuddled by the unexpected visit.

“Consider it a royal command,” and
he rudely pushed past her and into the room.

The girl didn’t move – holding on
to the handle of the door as if it were a life preserver.

“Do come in and close that thing,”
demanded the Prince.

Molly swallowed hard. “As you wish”
and she did as she was told.

“Now that I am fully recovered from
my injuries, I would continue our relationship,” and he smiled as if he had
just showered the girl with gold.

“Your Highness? “

“Please. You have my permission to
call me Ben’Edikk.” Then he reconsidered. “When we are alone, that is.”

“Your . . . I mean Ben’Edikk, we
parted ways some time ago. You are now in a relationship with Egg.” She really
wasn’t trying to jog his memory but to state her objections without seeming to
do so.

“Please, do not refer to her by
that ridiculous name. Further, Eloise and I hardly know each other. And quite
frankly, she is a lot more impressive in the history books than she is in real
life.”

Molly hadn’t been privy to all that
had happen to the man since his accident so his statements were
incomprehensible. Instead of prying into his personal life, she asked, “What is
it that you want of me?”

He seemed annoyed. “I have already
stated the purpose of my visit. I wish to resume our relationship. Are you not
pleased?”

Oh boy. Time to stall. “Of course I
am delighted. This is such an honor that I am rendered speechless.”

“Of course you are. Perfectly
understandable. I will be back at seven to escort you to dinner. We will dine
out in the garden and watch the surface below fade into darkness as the sun
sets. It will be romantic, so be warned.” He certainly knew how to get a girl
excited. Not.

“I look forward to it.”

As he made to walk out, he stopped
and kissed her full on the lips. “More of that later, you lucky girl.”

The only thing that was lucky was
that she didn’t express the big “YUK” that formed in her mind.

Chapter 5 – The
Love Boat

“On screen.”

“Hey guys.”

“Hey yourself. It’s been like an hour
since I left. Bored already?”

“I . . . um . . . I called to tell
all of you that I really enjoyed our little adventure together. And Jax’x and
I’za, you two are the best. I’m so glad I can count you both as sisters.”

“Sylvia, it was an honor. I can see
why they call you Egg’s brain,” complimented Jax’x while inadvertently
insulting her beloved leader.

“I, too, am honored to have met
you,” added I’za. “Your calm demeanor, infectious smile and your deviously
clever mind were all a marvel to behold.”

“Barf.”

“Shut up Sparky,” scolded Jax’x.

“It is truly amazing,” continued
Sylvia tongue in cheek, “that we keep recruiting such a diverse group of
accomplished women who work so very well together.”

Serenity opened her mouth to say
something sarcastic. Instead she yelped. “Stop flicking my ear, you creepy
masked maniac.”

Syl’s smile got bigger. “As I said,
you work so, so well together. Anyway, I’m going to miss being with you.”

The other girls replied in kind.

“What else you got, girlfriend.”

“Egg?”

“Spill it.” She knew her friend so
very well.

“Maybe in private?”

“It’s okay. My life’s an open book.
Go ahead and write another chapter.”

“I received a call from Molly.”

“Molly? About Benny?” Then she got
goose bumps. “No. Don’t tell me.”

“Afraid so. He thinks he’s still in
love with her. They’re having dinner tonight. According to him, a romantic
dinner.”

“I’m tempted to say this can’t get
any worse . . . but if I do, it will. I’m guessing Molly is a bit confused.”

“To say the least. I brought her up
to speed. I even told her about Waldo and what he might be able to do.”

“What did she say?”

“She said – and I quote – ‘what
should I do’”.

“And you said?”

“What any all-American earth girl
would do – fake a headache.”

“Good thinking. Is she up with
that?”

“Egg, she said that the debt she
owes you and me can never be repaid. She has no intention of encouraging Benny
in any way, shape or form. She will also update me at every step in this grim
fandango.”

“Tell her thanks. You can also try
to convince her that she doesn’t owe us anything. Dazzle accepted her, and the
Tree cured Jenny. All we did was taxi them to Aerianna.”

“I repeated that yet again but like
the last hundred times, she brushed it off.”

“Predictable. So when do you start
classes?”

“Mañana.”

“Try not to fall asleep in class.
And no passing notes.”

“Can I text you?”

“No cell phone, sorry.”

“Can I text Bob?”

Egg barked out a laugh. “Just don’t
get caught.”

“Bye guys. Good luck and be
careful.”

*****

“Egg, could you explain that
conversation?” asked I’za.

“Which part?”

“How about the whole thing.”

“Okay. First Molly was a little
girl back on Earth when Syl and I found her and her mother living hand to
mouth. We weren’t supposed to interfere in their lives just observe. Naturally,
we interfered. We took them to Aerianna where the Myst Tree cured Jenny, that’s
Molly’s mom, who was dying. The Queen – at that time it was Meggy’s mom –
invited them to live on Aerianna. She even made them royalty. At one point,
Molly was engaged to marry my very own Benny. That didn’t work out and they
split.”

“Split?”

“Stopped seeing one another
romantically.”

“And now because of his injuries,
he thinks he’ still in love with her?”

“Apparently.”

“I have a question,” said Jax’x.
“If she was a little girl, how could she date Benny?”

“They’re about the same age.
Weirdly enough, they were both younger than me. Now, of course, they’re older.”

“Hate to sound dumb, but I really
don’t understand.”

“Time on Aerianna ran about six
times faster than the rest of the galaxy. Well, until K’ssss fixed it. Now it’s
back in synch with everyone else. Any other questions?”

The two girls were beyond confused.
“Perhaps we can discuss it later?”

“Sure.”

“I have a question,” asked
Bl’azzz.” Who is Bob?”

*****

“So what is our mission?” asked
Bree.

“Find the Ark, assess its condition
and that of any remaining habitats still attached. Then we need to figure out
which habitats were ejected like the Klat’s, and whether or not they should be
treated as hostiles. If we can make contact with these strays, more the better.”

“Egg, figuring out the condition of
a ship that big and that complex will take experts.”

“Right you are, Sparky. Check your
long range radar in the direction of Aerianna.”

The girl fiddled with her controls.
“Ship approaching at high warp. Who is it?”

“Meggy was able to convince her
dim-witted brother to send some of his people to assist us.” The girl’s ability
to poke fun at the love of her life spoke volumes as to her current state of
mind.

Serenity whirled around, blushed
and asked, “The chief engineer?”

“Is his name Lt. Tess’lar?”

All she could do reliably was nod
yes.

Egg decided not to razz her sister.
Being in love for the first time was serious business. “He’s supposed to have a
couple of guys with him. One’s a theoretical engineer in space propulsion
technology. The other is a Brainiac in computer systems.”

“Why didn’t they hitch a ride with
Serenity?” asked Bl’azzz.

“Last minute decision and they
wanted to have a second ship in case it was needed.”

“Egg how long till we reach the
Ark?”

“In a hurry to get back to Waldo,
Tee?”

“Wouldn’t you be?”

Egg flashed an enigmatic smile.
“Absolutely. Unfortunately the answer is I’m not sure. If the Ark is where
they’ve calculated it should be, just a day or two. If not . .” and she
shrugged.

*****

“Gracie, this is HRH Dazzle, over.”

“You take this one,” Egg said to
Serenity.

“This is the Gracie. What can I do
for your sailor?”

“Is this communications private?”

“NO,” she virtually screamed.

“Too bad. In that case, permission
to dock in your cargo hold.”

“That’s a pretty tricky maneuver.
Did you need help from one of us girls?” Sparky’s mouth was in full grin mode.

“Well, I calculate my odds of a
successful docking at a smidge over sixty-three percent. Thanks for the offer
but I guess I’ll give it a try.”

“Please remember that on a
lieutenant’s pay, it would take your approximately four centuries to pay for
any damage.”

“You’re right about that. On the
other hand, I could always sell my heart. Know of anyone that might be
interested?”

Serenity was absolutely, positively
not used to this kind of banter. She grabbed her face with her hands hoping it
would keep her head from exploding. “Permission to land, Gracie out,” she
blurted. Then she flicked a few switches to open the pod bay doors and turn on
the lights.

“Sparky,” called Jax’x ever so
sweetly.

“What?”

“Turn around.”

“Not happening.”

“Serenity,” interrupted Egg.

“I’m not turning around even for
you.”

Egg laughed. “Actually, I would
like you to meet our guests. Assign quarters to each of them, show them the
galley then have them join us in main conference room.”

The girl finally turned to face her
sister. “Maybe you should send someone else?”

But it was Jax’x who answered.
“Just keep your hands and lips to yourself and you’ll be fine.”

“Arggg.”

******

By the time she reached the Dazzle,
the three occupants had already exited.

“Lt. Tess’lar reporting for duty,
sir,” and he snapped off a very proper salute.

“At ease, sailor. We don’t stand on
protocol here. Especially me.”

“Maybe not today, but soon.” Before
she could ask what he meant, he introduced his companions. For the first time,
Sparky realized that neither were naval officers and one was, in fact, a
dragon. ‘Wow’, she thought to herself, ‘love isn’t blind . . . love makes you
blind’.

“This young man is Grexin Toff.
Grex, this is Serenity.”

“Ah, the young lady he’s been going
on about. Pleasure.” That statement caused Serenity to smile, blush and look at
her man – who shrugged with a leer.

“Same here,” she said over her
shoulder.

“And this large fellow is Aero.”

The dragon bowed his head.
“Honored.”

“Likewise. Okay, guys, if you’ll
follow me, I’ll take you to your quarters, then I’ll show you the galley and
the conference room.”

As they started to follow, Aero
inquired, “May I ask which of the sisters are onboard?”

“Egg, of course. Jax’x, formerly
from Spell ‘Bound. I’za from the Ark of Forever. Bl’azzz from Aerianna. Tee’ka,
formerly from Laff’Alott. And BreeZee from Zynn-Zaz’zia. Why are you asking?”

“I never imagined I would get this
opportunity. Like everyone else, I know of your exploits . . . and most of your
personal stories from the history books. They don’t include I’za or Jax’x
however.”

“I’za is a Gek’a. She has the
ability to disappear by blending seamlessly with her background. On board the
Ark, she was a Guardian – a member of the security force.”

“And Jax’x?”

“She was a Librarian on her home
world in charge of cataloging and analyzing artifacts and documents rescued
after their great war. She is also an Amber Heart – one of two sects that could
interface with a machine called MAGEK. It converted your thoughts into
reality.”

“Does . . .”

Sparky cut him off. “No, we
destroyed it. Sorry.”

Into the silence that followed,
Skotti asked playfully, “Did you miss me?”

Serenity stopped abruptly and
turned to face the young man. “I’m sorry, what was your name again?” She
managed not to smile.

“Well, now you’ve done it.”

“Done what?”

“I was planning on raising a ton of
money by selling my heart. And now . . . well, now you’ve broken it. How much
can I get for a broken heart?”

“Not much. Maybe if you’re lucky
(and she emphasized the word) you’ll get one, possibly two, kisses.”

“That’s all?”

She looked him the eyes.
“Everything is negotiable.”

Grexin pointed to his open mouth in
the universal sign of impending vomit. “Just get a room, you two. You’re
killing me.”

Even the dragon had a sense of
humor. “I, too, feel queasy.”

Sparky’s expected rejoinder of
“Everybody is a comedian” was met with a chorus of ‘thank you’. “That’s not a
compliment, boys.”

“You’re right,” she heard Grex say.
“She is grumpy.”

*****

Her guests were seated when Egg
walked in followed by her entourage. The men immediately stood . . . and
gawked. “Next time anyone stands when I walk into a room, I’ll toss them out
the airlock. Any questions?” She said it as gruffly as she could . . . just for
kicks.

The three young men mumbled their
apologies but kept standing.

“SIT,” she demanded . . . and they
almost fell into their chairs. They stared wide eye at the living legend.

Egg and her sisters took their seats.
“Well?”

The men didn’t know what to expect
in their encounter with the sisterhood . . . but the ‘all-business’ approach
was a shock – it could have come from any Admiral. “If I may,” asked Skotti, “I
would like to introduce myself and my companions.”

“Not until you give me a gift?”

“A gift?” The poor guy turned white
while his two companions began to fidget nervously.

Egg couldn’t keep up the charade
any longer. “I’m sorry. I was just teasing you guys. Welcome aboard the Gracie.
I’m Egg and these pretty ladies are . . .” and she proceeded to introduce each
one. “Okay, your turn.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“No, no, no. I’m not ma’am; I’m not
Eloise or Lady Eloise; I’m just Egg.”

“If you like. I’m Lt. Tess’lar . .
.”

Jax’x was waiting in ambush and
interrupted him. “Serenity, you’re right . . . he’s very, very handsome just
like you said.”

Sparky’s mouth flopped open and she
blushed scarlet. “I never . . .” she sputtered but couldn’t finish.

Skotti and the other two guys
smiled broadly. “That’s more like it. Your reputation as easy going defenders
of all that’s good is true.”

“We’re not that easy,” observed Egg
wryly.

“Some of us are.” That was Jax’x of
course who pointed to her friend with a nod of the head.

Everyone laughed politely. Skotti
just smiled at his lady friend – his expression making it clear he understood
it was said in jest. Serenity stared back and rewarded the young man with a
quick flash of her teeth.

“If I may, this is Aero our
propulsion expert.” The dragon nodded. “And this poor specimen of manhood is
Grexin Toff our expert on computers and systems. He responds quite well to
Grex.” The man gave a shy wave.

“We’re happy to have the three of
you join this little adventure. Let me give you an update. I just received word
on the Ark’s position. It’s a good seven days away even at our top speed.”

“The Ark isn’t at rest, is it?”
asked Aero. “Even if its engines were destroyed in the explosion, it still
would have some residual velocity.”

As was Egg’s style, she wanted all
of the sisters to participate in any discussion. Even though she knew the
answer, she asked, “I’za, would you explain what’s going on?”

“Of course. The Ark’s computer
system was preprogrammed to bring the ship to a stop if it was ever damaged. If
for some reason it couldn’t do that, it would alter course for the nearest star
and enter orbit.”

“Very clever,” replied Grex. “So,
Egg, has it done either of those?”

“Long range scans shows it has
entered orbit around a star. That might be very good news.”

Again it was Grex. “Do we know for
certain that there are inhabitable planets in that system?”

Jax’x was impressed . . . she felt
an immediate connection to the young man. A quick mind wrapped in a fairly
attractive head had a definite appeal. It was also shocking how quickly her
feelings for Jay’gar were fading. “There is a flaw in your question,” she
challenged. When some of the other girls were about to answer, she waved them
off.

Grex looked at her intently. “A
flaw?” He replayed his question in his mind. “Ah, sorry. Since I don’t know the
occupants of the various habitats on the Ark, I have no way of knowing of their
environmental needs which may very well differ from ours. Judging the
suitability of those planets by our standards is fruitless. I withdraw the
question.”

“There you go. You passed your
first quiz.” Grex looked at Jax’x and winked. She, in turn, stuck out her
tongue.

“Egg.”

“Yes, Aero?”

“Would you mind if I took a look at
your propulsion system. Perhaps I can increase the efficiency and speed up our
transit time?”

“Sparky?”

“Let him try. It’ll keep him busy.”

“You heard her – knock yourself
silly?”

“Excuse me?”

“Earth phrase. Just means go ahead
and try.”

“Ah. Perhaps Bl’azzz could show me
the way?”

All eyes turned to Hot Lips.
“What?”

“Mind showing Aero the way?”

“Why would I mind? Come on big guy,
times a wasting,” and everyone laughed.

Jax’x called out, “Remember, we’re
not that easy.”

“Speak for yourself. That doesn’t
apply to dragons.” She was probably kidding.

Chapter 6 – Good
Golly Miss Molly

Q’umulus

There was a knock on the door and
Molly walked over and opened it. She curtsied and said “Your Highness.”

“May I come in?” he asked but
didn’t wait for her reply. Inside the room, he turned and studied the young
lady like someone appraising his prize horse. “You look satisfactory.” High
praise indeed.

“You’re too kind, good Sir.”

“Well, let us not dawdle. It is a
fine evening,” and he held out his hand.

Though she was obviously from
Earth, when she left for Aerianna she had been too young to ever use the ‘I
have a headache’ excuse. However, Sylvia had . . . after all with seven
husbands, it was bound to happen. So Molly thought she was prepared for the
evening after her friend imparted her wisdom.

They walked hand in hand out to a balcony and stepped outside . .
.

“This sight never fails to take my breath away,” she said to her
companion. It wasn’t meant as small talk . . . it was the truth. She and her
mother first appeared on Aerianna not far from this very spot.

“It is quite stunning.” He turned
towards his companion and pulled her very close. “So, my dear, I am still
awaiting your decision? One should never keep the Crown Prince in such
suspense.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness . . . to
what are you referring?”

“Hah. Playing the coy innocent, are
we. Very well, do you accept my proposal of marriage? I need not point out that
a union with one such as myself is a great honor. Why do you hesitate? Surely
you find me attractive as so many others do.”

Her first thought was shock
followed by a great desire to push the pompous pig over the balcony. She took a
deep breath and reminded herself that the poor wretch was suffering from a
brain injury and all of this wasn’t his fault. The damage was obviously severe
since he apparently had forgotten their first engagement and subsequent break up.

Worse, the headache excuse was only
to be used if he began making unwanted romantic advances at her. So she found
herself in uncharted waters . . . and the metaphorical sea was raging.

Then she asked herself, “What would
Egg do if the situation was reversed?”

And the answer seemed obvious,
though fraught with uncertainty.

She looked up into the Prince’s
eyes and smiled. “Of course I will marry you . . .” then she kissed him.

*****

On Board the Gracie

As they made their way to the
engine room, Bl’azzz asked her companion, “Why did you ask me to take you down
here?”

“A couple of reasons. I have always
daydreamed of meeting the first dragon to join the Hameggattic Sisterhood.
Actually, daydream isn’t the right word . . . more like fantasized.”

Bl’azzz had no reservation about
having someone fawn all over her. “Keep talking.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Not yet.”

“Most of the females on Aerianna .
. . all of the females on Aerianna seem so boring compared to what you’ve
accomplished; what you’ve experienced.”

“What about Aeri’elle?”

“She’s your friend and a fellow
sister; I can’t talk about her.”

“Let me guess then. She’s way too
much like a professor – staid and reserved.”

“Exactly.”

“And you will never, ever repeat
what I just said to anyone, ever. She is my sister and we’ve been
through a lot.”

“I understand and you have my
word.”

“Thank you. So, keep going.”

“The other reason is that I’m not
all that comfortable around humans – especially the females. They confuse me
with their speech, their emotions and . . . and everything else. What about
you? Did you have a hard time joining a sisterhood with humans and serpents?”

“Nope. My life was going nowhere at
the time. It seemed like a great opportunity to make a difference and have a
little fun doing it.”

“No regrets?”

“Just one. When Egg does hang up
her spurs, I . . .”

“Sorry. Hang up her spurs?”

“Stupid earth saying. She’s got a
million of them. It means to give up what you’re doing. When she does, I doubt
if I’ll stay as an active member.”

“Why?”

“Egg, and to almost the same extent
Sylvia, are so unique, so wonderful. Syl retired so only Egg is left. She is
simply the most amazing individual I have ever known. I would do anything she
asked of me, and without question.”

“You trust a human with your life?”

“I trust Egg with my life
unconditionally. Without her around, I feel so empty. How weird is that?”

“I obviously don’t know her except
through what I’ve read. I assumed most of it was fluff for the masses. No one
could be that extraordinary – that selfless and modest.”

“She is, and that’s why I love
her.”

*****

I’za was talking with Grex, Tee’ka
and Jax’x about what she knew of the Ark’s computer and other systems. She
finished with, “And that’s about it. Sorry.”

“That’s a start said Grex. “Oh, one
thing. Can you recall . . .” but stopped when I’za gasped.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” asked
Jax’x.

“Recall. I had forgotten since it
was never used.”

“To what are you referring?” asked
the young man.

The two girls were a bit astonished
when Tee’ka answered correctly. “A recall function is a supervisory level,
mandatory instruction to return to the core. The Laff’Alott A.I. had one.”

Jax’x glanced at I’za who smiled.
“That is correct, Tee’ka. Very good.”

“What does that have to do with
this discussion?” asked Jax’x.

Since turn-around was fair play, it
was Grex who responded. “Don’t tell her, I’za. See if she can figure it out for
herself.” He gave Jax’x a self-satisfied grin.

“Like you know,” she teased.

“I’ll write it down,” and he
scribble something on his data pad. “Okay, your turn.”

“Alright, I’m game. Let’s see; we
were talking about the Ark’s computer system and now we know it has a recall
sub-routine. Once initiated, whoever it was directed to must return to the A.I.
So why would that excite this goofy Gek’a?”

“Tick tock; tick tock,” chanted
Grex.

“Cute,” Jax’x teased. Then her face
lit up. “The habitats that were ejected from the Ark. Initiate the recall
program and they will automatically head home as it were.”

“Took you long enough,” and Grex
made a goofy face.

Ignoring the comment, Jax’x said,
“Let me see what you wrote down.”

“I’m horrified that you would doubt
me.”

“Hand it over.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Now,” and instead of waiting she
reached out and took it from his hands. She looked down and read what he had
written. Then re-read it.

“Well, did he get it right?” asked
Tee’ka.

“He did. I’m sorry I doubted you.
She erased the screen and returned the pad.

“My phrasing wasn’t offensive, was
it?” Yup, that was a weird thing to ask.

“Considering that you didn’t have
time to express yourself as I’m sure you would have liked, it was acceptable.”

“Okay. Stop. What are you two talking about?” demanded I’za.

Jax’x looked at Grex who smiled and shrugged. “If you must know,
he wrote down, and I quote, ‘You are the most attractive woman I have ever met
and will you marry me’.”

“Oh.”

“You’re getting married too?”
exclaimed Tee. “Should I get the champagne?”

“Um, not so fast Miss Tee’ka. Your
sister’s sense of humor is getting the better of her.”

“Then tell them what you wrote,” challenged
the girl.

The young man began to perspire.
“Considering the mission we’re on, it was totally inappropriate. In fact it was
juvenile. Please forgive me.”

“Why did you write that?” asked a
confused Tee.

“Sorry?”

“Tee, he asked if I would have
dinner with him.”

“Why was that wrong? Is it because
you don’t like him?”

“It was wrong because we were
discussing something very important. This wasn’t the time to ask something
personal.”

Grex, who was now thoroughly
embarrassed, added, “It was also terribly wrong to assume that she would have
any interest in me. I should have spent time with her first, give her a chance
to see who I really am, and then I could have broached the subject if I sensed
a mutual attraction. It was also unprofessional not to mention chauvinistic. My
only excuse – and it’s a poor one – is that I’m so excited to be here with all
of you that I’m not thinking straight. Please forgive me.”

An uncomfortable silence went on
for a few seconds until I’za said, “If she won’t, I’ll marry you.”

Grex looked dumbfounded until all
three girls laughed. Jax’x said, “All is forgiven. Besides, the last guy that I
loved jilted me. It’s nice to know that someone finds me interesting.”

“Then you’ll have dinner with me?”

“Not a chance.”

*****

“Egg, can I borrow Serenity for a
few minutes?”

Sparky looked at the young man.
“Now’s not the time.”

“What? No, not for that.” He didn’t
specify what ‘that’ was but it caused Serenity to glow (first loves can do this
to a person) and Egg and Bree to burst out laughing. “Go ahead and laugh. It’s
my fault . . . I broke a standing navy rule never to be left alone with more
than one woman at a time.”

“Not man enough for three?” asked
Bree with a smile.

“Maybe, just maybe, if it were
three women not in the Sisterhood. But you ladies are way out of my league.”

Sparky came to her man’s rescue.
“Not out of my league. Lead the way,” and the two left the bridge. Before the
door closed, Egg yelled, “Be home before dark or I’ll send your father looking
for you.”

A muffled ‘bite me’ drifted over
the other girl’s shoulder.

When they were alone, Bree said, “I
like him.”

“He seems great. I really, really
hope this turns out well for our sister. She deserves it.”

“It must be incredibly hard to
think of yourself as appealing if you suffer her kind of disability.”

“We all have our own self-image . .
. what we think others see when they look at us. She is beautiful, ridiculously
intelligent, loyal, fearless and a terrific sister. Yet, she sees herself as a
girl in a wheelchair. That’s just so wrong.”

“What terrifies me is that Skotti
is her first love. They never last, do they?”

“That’s probably true when the two
people are younger . . . before they have a chance to experience life and find
out who they are. These two are past that point. I’m giving them a good chance
of succeeding.”

“In a way, that’s frightening.”

“How so?”

“A Sparky without the Grumpiness
isn’t really a Sparky.”

“True dat. But, I’m willing to
adjust.”

“So how are you doing?” She didn’t
need to explain.

“Let see. Benny has brain damage
and doesn’t remember his feelings for me. He now thinks he’s in love with
someone else. And, he wants nothing to do with a potential cure. All things
considered, I’m good.”

Bree smiled warmly. “In that case,
do you think you and he will have children?”

“You might be jumping ahead a bit,
girlie. So what about you? Did you meet any good looking guys when you went
back home?”

“You sound like my parents. And
like I told them, men on Zynn-Zaz’zia seem so boring to me.”

“Where else you going to find a guy
with wings?”

“Do you know there are legends from
our mythology that talk about that?”

“Really? How so?”

“Supposedly our ancestors were once
visited by a race called the Sky’lords that was genetically very similar to
us.  As the story goes, they only came to investigate the rumor of our
existence. They invited our people to relocate to their world. Zynnia wouldn’t
allow us to do that, as you would expect. So they left, but not before giving
us a map to their home world if we ever changed our minds.”

“Where is there?”

“No one knows nor does the legend
say what happened to these people.”

“Maybe you should take a little
vacation time when we’re done with the Ark and go looking for them.” She was
just teasing.

“Only if you come with me.”

“NOOOO.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Your suggestion . . . it gave me
goose bumps.”

“NO.”

*****

Q’umulus

“I am ecstatic. I knew you could
not refuse my proposal,” gloated the young man.

“It would be a sign of insanity on
my part had I done so,” agreed Molly.

“And when shall we set the date? I
am eager to start our lives together,” and he gave her a licentious wink.

With an extraordinary force of
will, she refrained from slapping this obnoxious man. “The sooner the better.
However . . .”

“However what?” His eyes narrowed.

“I wish to have a traditional Earth
ceremony.”

“But of course. I fully understand.
I will have my personal secretary sit with you tomorrow and you can explain to
her everything that you require. Is that satisfactory?”

“Eminently, Sire.”

“Ben’Edikk,” he corrected.

“Ben’Edikk. However . . .”

“Yes? What now?” he said irritably.

“There is the matter of the Groom’s
gift to the Bride.”

“The what?”

“It is a sacred Earth’s custom for
the groom to grant any wish his bride-to-be desires. Once asked, it must be
honored or the wedding cannot proceed.”

“An absurd ritual. However, I did
promise an Earth wedding. So, what is your wish?”

“Please, for the sake of our
happiness, be certain that you can honor whatever I ask.”

“You silly woman, of course I can.
Ask away.”

“Thank you. I wish . . . I wish you
to allow Waldo, First Citizen of the Klat, to examine the damage that you
sustained to your head. I simply cannot live in fear that something untoward
will happen to you in the future because this was left unattended.”

By the look on Benny’s face, he was
not pleased. “Did my mother and father put you up to this?” If looks could
kill, Molly would have been toast.

“Certainly not. I have spoken with
no one in your family.”

“You swear on all that you hold
dear?”

“I do. However, I am offended that
you asked me to do so.”

His face softened. “I am sorry. I
see that you are only looking out for my well-being. Very well, I will allow
the procedure.”

“And he can repair any damage that
he finds?”

“Yes, yes. He can repair any damage
that he can find. Now, no more talk of this. I wish to seal our arrangement
with a kiss . . . possibly more,” and grinned unpleasantly.

“I am so, so sorry, Ben’Edikk. But
all this talk of love and marriage . . . I feel so unworthy to be chosen by
you. Truth be told, it has made my poor head spin. I must lie down or this
headache will cause me to pass out. You do forgive me?”

The blue-footed booby wasn’t at all
pleased. But his upbringing, despite his head injuries, forced him to accede to
his betrothed. “Of course. I will walk you back to your rooms.”

“Thank you. You are very kind to
understand.”

“Very true. But rest well, for
tomorrow I will accept no excuses. Understand?” It was said as an angry father
scolding his daughter. Yuk.

“Tomorrow I will be yours to
command.”

Chapter 7 –
Total Recall

On Board the Gracie

“Okay, everyone’s here. Who’s
first?”

“If I may?” asked Aero.

“Shoot.”

“WHAT?”

“She means go ahead and talk,”
explained Bl’azzz.

“Really? Well, okay then. As you
know I have examined the propulsion system. I must say, Serenity, there are
modifications for which I would love to get the technical specifications. Is
that possible?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Thank you.”

“So you found no way to speed up
this bucket of bolts?”

“Hey.”

“Sorry, Sparky.”

“Actually, I did find one thing.”

“No you didn’t,” snapped Serenity
who was always very defensive of her engineering skills.

“I did. The anti-matter converter
runs at ninety-seven percent efficiency. . .”

“Ninety seven point two.”

“Of course. That is an
extraordinarily high number. However if you replace the xenon filaments with
carbon nanotubes, that number can be increased to over ninety-eight. It will
reduce our flight time by a third.”

To her credit, Serenity didn’t
argue but went quiet as she analyzed the suggestion. Out of character, she
glanced at Skotti for his opinion and he nodded yes. “Good idea. I’ll get right
on it.”

“It would go quicker if the
lieutenant helped.”

Now that was one suggestion the
girl wasn’t going to argue with. However, Skotti said, “Sorry, I can’t. I have
a project to finish onboard the Dazzle.” Serenity looked crestfallen.

“No worries. I’ll help,” offered
Grex.

“Let’s make it a threesome,”
suggested Jax’x. She looked at Grex and winked.

“Sounds like a plan,” Egg agreed.
“You three go ahead and get started. Skotti, you can go finish your project.
The rest of us will continue the discussion.”

*****

“So, I’za, this recall program –
how does it work?” asked Egg.

“It’s actually incredibly simple to
initiate. In the main control room, you can use any one of the more than two
dozen control stations to bring up the program. The screen will display an icon
for each habitat. Under it are two buttons. One says ‘eject’ and the other
‘recall’. On the bottom of the screen are two more buttons. One labeled Total
Recall and the other Total Eject.”

“There must be a failsafe mechanism,”
suggested Aero.

“Explain,” requested Egg.

“You wouldn’t want anyone to eject
a habitat without proper approval. So there would need to be a password or some
other mechanism to prevent accidental or malicious activation.”

“I’za?”

“He’s correct. Two Guardians must
request the same action.”

“So everyone had their own login or
password?”

“Not exactly. The computer uses
brainwave scans since no two individuals are alike.”

“Obviously we need to hope at least
one of your friends survived.” That was insensitive and Egg immediately
realized it. “I’m sorry. That was a terrible thing to say.”

“That’s okay. I know what you
meant.”

“That begs a couple of questions,”
said Bree. “How was the Ark destroyed, and where would the Guardians have been
when it happened?”

“I don’t think any of the habitats
would have purposely initiated the destruction,” said I’za. “It was probably a
systems failure or a collision with some space debris. As to my fellow Gek’a,
some would have been in shuttles like I was. Some would have been visiting the
habitats. The rest would have been at their monitoring stations, performing
routine maintenance or off duty.”

“So we can assume many, if not
most, of them survived,” suggested Egg.

“I hope so.”

Aero asked, “How many of your kind
were on board the Ark?”

“Perhaps a couple of thousand.”

“That’s a problem. How are we going
to account for all of them? I have no intention of leaving anyone behind just
because we didn’t know they were there.”

I’za smiled at Egg. “Thank you for
saying that. However, the task isn’t that great. Each Gek’a is monitored by the
computer. It will tell us where they are as well as their vital signs. It can
also issue a recall/call-in command to any or all of them.”

Bree smiled and asked, “So sister,
how were you planning to greet your three boyfriends?”

“Warmly. Very warmly.”

“And if all three are there at
once?” asked Egg.

“Hmmm. That could be a problem.”

*****

Q’umulus

Meggy greeted Waldo. “Thank you for
coming, First Citizen.”

“I do what I must for my sister
Egg. I would also do what I must to repay you for your help.”

“Your meeting with the ambassador
went well?”

“The Klat have accepted his offer.
The habitat is in route to Kallous.”

“Excellent. We look forward to
having you as neighbors.”

“Agreed.”

“As to the matter at hand, my
brother has given his permission for you to perform the procedure.”

The big, ugly man seemed to be
struggling for the right words. “I . . . I am pleased for all concerned.”

Meggy smiled. “Thank you.” As planned, Rose and her husband
entered the room. Z’kkk was holding his wife’s arm for support. As they
approached, Meggy reintroduced them to her guest. “First Citizen, my parents
Lord Z’kkk and Queen Mother Rose’Alynnia. Parents, this is First Citizen of the
Klat, Waldo.”

Rose’s hand involuntarily went for Dazzle, her sword. It wasn’t
there of course. Even Z’kkk felt the bile rise in his throat.

“An honor,” said Waldo and he bowed
his head.

The next few seconds of silence
were more than uncomfortable. Z’kkk finally regained control of his racing
heart and queasy stomach. “First Citizen, my wife and I apologize for our
demeanor. It is completely reflexive.”

“I have read your history books
about this Mobius. My dearest Tee’ka joined the sisterhood much later so her
memories were incomplete. Had I known of this individual’s deeds, I would have
chosen a different form. You do not have to stay in my presence. My very being
is offensive to you and I would not have it so.”

Mobius was a silver-tongued devil,
so Waldo’s words, though honorable, didn’t completely assuage the couple’s
horror. “Thank you for that offer. I believe my wife and I will avail ourselves
to your suggestion and leave these proceedings to our daughter, the Queen.”

Waldo bowed again in
acknowledgement.

As they turned to leave, Rose’s
back stiffened both metaphorically and literally. “I am deeply sorry. You do
not deserve such treatment. You are not Mobius.”

“I am not.”

The older woman looked so forlorn
and sad. “He did such damage to all of us. And yet, in the end, a nine-year-old
girl defeated him. Twice. Something that defies understanding.”

“My sister Egg is unique.”

“She is that. And if she trusts
you, then I must. My husband and I will stay.”

“Unnecessary,” said the First
Citizen.

“Oh, but it is. Sooner or later, we
all must let go of our fears.”

*****

"Egg, incoming for you. It’s
Molly.”

“I’ll take it in my room.” She walked out of the control room and
willed herself not to break into a run. She closed the door and turned on her
viewer. “Hi, Molly. It’s been too long.”

“Far too long. You look wonderful.”

“Thanks. You, too.” She took a
breath and said, “So I hear our mutual friend has been to see you. That must be
a bit uncomfortable?”

“I was shocked at first till Syl
explained what was going on. The poor guy is literally out of his mind.”

“This version of Benny is a real
jerk.”

Molly laughed. “I wanted to push
him over the rail and off of Q’umulus. You cannot believe the stuff that comes
out of his mouth. I would call him a chauvinistic pig but I would be doing pigs
an injustice.”

Now it was Egg’s turn to laugh. “I
want all the details. If and when we get him cured, I’m going to lord this over
him for the rest of his life.”

“That’s the reason I called,
actually.”

“I’m sorry, what reason?”

“He proposed to me.”

That got a surprised, “Oh.”

“And I accepted.”

Surprise just changed to
incredulity. “You did?”

“I did. Then I told him I wanted a
traditional Earth wedding and he agreed.”

And now, confusion. “I see.”

“Then I told him it was Earth
custom for the groom to grant his bride-to-be any wish she chose.”

Up to this point Egg was feeling
ill. Now, however, she grinned. “And that’s when you told him to go see Waldo.”
She felt excited . . . then nervous. “Right?”

“I asked myself what the famous Egg
of Earth would do. That’s when it came to me. I’m kind of proud of myself.”

“I kind of want to give you a
ginormous hug.”

“It gets better. He wanted to seal
the deal with another kiss.”

“Another kiss?”

“Sorry. He didn’t give me a choice
on the first one.”

“No worries.”

“When he tried to kiss me the
second time, I told him my head was spinning from the great honor he was giving
me. My headache was so severe would he mind taking me home. He wasn’t happy but
he did.”

“Good golly Miss Molly – well played.
And now – and now we are absolutely even. The scales are balanced so don’t say
or think that you owe Syl and me anything. Understand?”

“Yes . . . Princess,” and she
curtsied. “How does that make you feel?”

“Very, very girlie.”

*****

Q’umulus

“Good grief, but you are an ugly
fellow.”

Waldo took no insult. He had yet to
learn all the cruelties of humans. “I chose poorly when I asked for this body.”

“That, my good man is an
understatement. “Well, do let us get on with this. I have a young woman who is
very eager for my attentions.”

“As you command . . .” and the PhoG
formed and immediately entered the Prince’s body.

*****

Waldo left the Prince sleeping and
exited the room. The young man’s parents and sister were waiting.

“I have done all that I could.”

Rose gasped involuntarily. “There
was permanent impairment?”

“I repaired most of the damage.
However, the area of his mind where his feelings for my sister Egg were stored
is the most recent. Neural pathways are tenuous. ”

“He will not remember his feelings
for her?” That was Meggy. She was near tears.

“That may be so.”

“Please. Be more precise. Will he
or will he not remember?”

“That is up to Egg.”

“How can that be?”

“Only she knows what has transpired
between the two. If she can find the right stimulus – the right recollection –
it will clear the neural pathways by triggering a cascade of memories. Then all
that was will be again.”

“The Myst Tree at Sighing Whorl
once gave Egg the exact same message,” said Rose fiercely. “And that
extraordinary girl found the answer. She will do so again.”

“Wife, we put too much
responsibility on her shoulders,” admonished Z’kkk. “How many times can she do
the impossible?”

No one had the answer.

*****

On Board the Gracie

With her parents standing to either
side of her, Meggy told Egg what had transpired. “So, dear sister, you must
come home. The more time you spend with my brother, the greater the chance that
you will trigger the correct memory.”

Egg exhaled loudly. In two minutes
she had gone from elation to apprehension. Benny was cured but not cured. Life
just wasn’t easy. “You know I can’t return right now. There’s a wrecked Ark
with untold thousands of people that might need our help. When this mission is
over, I will head straight to Aerianna.”

“Egg,” said Rose. “You are the only
one that can help him.”

“You’ve already told me that he’s
back to being the same loveable goof that he always was. The only thing missing
is his feelings for me. I can’t put my well-being above those of the people we
need to rescue. If anyone in the universe knows that about me, it has to be
you, Dazzle.”

“It is also my son’s happiness,”
corrected his mother.

“And how many lives is that worth
to you? How many people should we let die?” It was terribly harsh and somewhat
unfair, but Egg was in no mood to be forgiving.

Everyone in the control room could
see Rose and Z’kkk struggling with Egg’s challenge. “Waldo warned us again that
time is our enemy in this,” advised the Queen Mother.

“Time is the enemy of all living
things. It always wins in the end.” Syl would have been impressed with Egg’s
philosophical (though fairly obvious) observation.

Rose knew she was not going to
convince Egg to go against her convictions. It was one of the reasons she loved
the girl so. “I wish you great success on your mission. We will see you when it
is complete.” The woman’s eyes were moist.

“Dazzle. Thank you for
understanding. However, maybe we can speed things along.”

“How so?”

“Tell Benny to call me every day. I
probably don’t have to be in the same room with him to jar his memory. In fact,
on Earth we say ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’ It’s worth a try.”

“When would you like the first
communications?”

“I’ll be in bed in about two hours.
Have him call me in two hours and one minute.”

Rose was forced to smile. She even
teased, “Please remember that the two of you are not married. I expect you will
be dressed appropriately.”

Egg teased right back. “Hah. Maybe
a visual memory will stimulate his mind.”

“Now you have done it. My husband
is blushing.”

*****

The three guests happened to be on
the bridge during this discussion – their presence forgotten. Each had followed
the conversation with great interest. In their positions in life, none ever had
the opportunity to see or hear the Royal family in such an intimate moment.

They each reacted the same way –
shock and awe.

The shock was twofold – the Prince
had been seriously injured, something that was not known to the general
populace. And, Egg was in full command of this encounter. Her moral challenge
to the Queen Mother was astonishing to witness. After all, if there had been a
patron saint of Aerianna, it would have been Rose’Alynnia. The woman’s bravery
and sacrifice was stuff of legends. Yet, she acquiesced to Egg.

The awe was that Egg considered her
own happiness as irrelevant compared to the safety of people she had never met.
Apparently the history books weren’t exaggerating the nature of Flying Girl.

The oddity of these last few
minutes was that each of the guys looked from the screen, to Egg and then to
the Sister they each most admired to see their reaction.

Skotti looked at Serenity who
showed no surprise at how the conversation had gone.

Aero glanced at Bl’azzz who looked
almost bored as in ‘heard this all before’.

And Grex glanced at Jax’x who
showed pride in her leader – and not the least bit of disbelief at how the
conversation played out.

Had each compared emotional notes –
something men just never do – they would have been amused that they shared the
exact same feelings . . . unbound admiration for the Sisterhood and a surge of
desire in their respective Hameggattic sister.

Oh, and one more thing. The Queen
Mother, a woman not known for her sense of humor, told an almost ‘off-colored’
joke. To a man, they each realized that story was worth at least one round of
free drinks the next time they had shore leave.

Chapter 8 – Dear
Diary

“Good evening, Eloise. Are you
certain I am not disturbing you?”

“Not in the least. I usually need
to read before I can sleep. Having a pleasant conversation with a . . . a friend
is much more enjoyable.”

The young man smiled. “May I ask
what book you are currently enjoying?”

“Actually tonight it was this . . .” and she held up the journal.

“Does that say Egg’s Diary?”

“It does. I’ve been keeping it
since before I was Flying Girl.”

“How interesting. Were you
rereading it or making a new entry?”

“Both. At the end of the day, if I
get the chance, I jot down anything interesting that happened since my last
entry. Then, I can never resist going back and reading a random old entry.”

“Make I ask if you have ever shared
the diary with anyone?”

“Bits and pieces. Mostly with
Sylvia and Ashley. Do you remember who they are?”

He smiled. “The doctors have
assured me that my injuries have all healed. I am told there may be some memory
loss of the most recent events before the accident. Meeting your best friend
and sister certainly predates that. But, I do thank you for asking.”

“Just trying to be helpful.”

“I believe Egg of Earth and her
Hameggattic Sisters have proven to be more than helpful. Even now you are on a
mission of mercy. That is one of the reasons I have always admired you so.”

“It’s nice to be admired.”

“May I confess something personal?”

“Sure.”

“Like any young man, I have always
found you more than admirable. I asked my sister for the proper Earth term and
she said crush. Am I using that correctly?”

“Crush? Oh, you have a crush on me,
is that it?”

“Yes. Does that embarrass you?”

“No. It’s very flattering. And,
just for the record, ever since I learned that your engagement to Molly had
ended, I’ve had the occasional dream about you.”

“Now you are just . . .” he
struggled to remember a phrase. “You are just egging me on.” He smiled
charmingly.

“Well done.  I’m very impressed,
your Royal Highness.”

“Please. Since we are having a
pleasant and personal conversation, and you are after all lying in bed, I will
allow you to call me something less formal.”

“Like what?”

“Hmmm. How about Sire?”

She smiled at his tomfoolery. “How
about Benny?”

He involuntarily made a face like
he just tasted bad fish. “Can we settle on Ben’Edikk?”

“As you command . . . Sire.”

“Your wit is as legendary as your
heroism.”

“Well that’s a downer.”

“A downer?”

“Depressing thought. I don’t want
to be legendary for anything but my beauty.”

“Hmmm. Is there a different definition
of beauty on Earth?”

She couldn’t keep a straight face
and broke into gales of laughter. He joined in.

“I’m glad to see you feeling so
much better. Would you call me again tomorrow?”

“Only if you read an entry or two
from your diary.”

“Well, if you were really handsome
I would say yes in a heartbeat. But I guess since you’re Meggy’s brother,
okay.” She stuck out her tongue.

“I look forward to tomorrow. Good
night and good dreams.”

“It has already been a good night.
And there’s no doubt the dreams are going to be very, very bad – in a good
way.”

“Sorry?”

“Don’t be. Sleep tight, Sire.”

*****

She awoke feeling just wonderful.
Her dreams of Benny were . . . well, never mind. Let’s just say they were
satisfactory on so many levels. She yawned and jumped out of bed just as her
communicator buzzed. “Yo” she said to whoever was calling.

“Sounds like you’re in a good
mood,” came the voice of Jax’x.

“And a top-of-the-morning to you
too. What’s up?”

“Molly’s on the line for you.”

“Thanks.” She pressed the appropriate
buttons and Molly’s face appeared. “Morning.”

“Why is it morning there?” the girl
asked.

“Arbitrary. We just try to keep the
same hours as Aerianna. It’s more convenient that way. So what’s up?”

“Oh, right. The Prince came by last
night bearing gifts - flowers and ice cream of all things.”

“Engagement gifts?” she teased.

“An apology. He realized that his
behavior the night before was beyond unacceptable and begged my forgiveness. He
assured me that if I was still upset, the ice cream would make me feel better.”

“Did it have hot fudge?”

“No.”

“The cad.”

“So he stayed for a few minutes to
make polite but amusing small talk and to be certain that he had been forgiven.
It’s so wonderful to have the old Ben’Edikk back.”

“I didn’t much like the obnoxious
version either.”

“Well, that’s it. Just thought you
should know.”

“Thanks Molly. I appreciate
everything you’ve done.” She hesitated then asked, “Does it bother you – you
know – me and him?”

“Absolutely not. I was never
comfortable in the role of high royalty. All that pomp and circumstance was
never me. I was always afraid I would do something that would bring shame to
him or his family. Don’t get me wrong; he’s a great guy, and at first I was so
flattered. But it became obvious that we were two different people.”

“Well, I am glad that I wasn’t the
reason it didn’t work out.”

“It wasn’t you and my life right
now is wonderful. In fact, your sister and I have another double date tonight.”

“Same guys?”

“Good grief, no. There are so many
eligible bachelors and it’s our solemn duty, sworn over a pitcher of
margaritas, to give all of them the opportunity to win our hearts,” and she
laughed at herself.

“Ashley is a bad influence on you.”

“Actually, it’s the other way
around.”

*****

With the modifications to the engines
speeding up the transit time significantly, the Gracie was now approaching the
star system with the derelict Ark. “Anything on long range sensors?”

“Egg, this is one crowded solar
system. I count eight planets and at least a dozen inhabitable moons,” called
Jax’x.

“And the Ark is in orbit about a
million miles from this star,” added Serenity.

“Life signs?”

“Too far to tell?”

“How about extra-habitat activity?
See any of the maintenance vehicles buzzing around?”

“Checking?”

The three passengers were amazed.
Without any formal training, these women were professional in their duties,
logical in their approach and incredibly disciplined when need be. Even better,
they were a joy to be around when off-duty. Individually, they felt incredibly
lucky to be on board and to experience the sisterhood first hand.

Each also came to the same
conclusion. They would all be darned proud to serve under the command of Flying
Girl. She could be the Admiral of the entire navy. Belay that – she should
be the Admiral of the entire navy.

“We’re getting a lot of
interference from that star. Can’t make out anything as small as a shuttle.”

“Can you launch a probe?”

“I can . . . and I just did. We’ll
get telemetry in about an hour.

“Okay. Let’s finalize our plans.
Gentlemen, this includes you too. And don’t raise your hand or ask for
permission to speak. For now, you are equal members of this crew.” She paused
then added, “We do have one rule. Don’t think through your comments or
questions before you ask. If it turns out to be a dumb one, it may still
stimulate other more useful conversation.” The three men grinned in
appreciation. Seeing their silly smiles, Egg said, “Doesn’t mean we won’t laugh
at you.”

“Egg,” said I’za. “I need to get on
board the Ark and make my way to the control center. Assuming that it’s still
functioning, we can get a full status report on the ship’s damage including the
remaining habitats.”

“Should we send the recall command
for the missing ones?” asked Bree.

“I’za, can you delete habitats from
this routine? I don’t want the Klat or the Nauti to get a recall command by
accident.”

“It’s possible. Again, I will need
a second Gek’a to confirm my actions for both the recall and the modification.”

“Once we find that person, do it.”

“What about the habitats that were destroyed
– both the ones previously and any new ones from the explosion?” asked Skotti.

Serenity looked at her man. “Why do
you ask?”

“If we plan to send the Ark back to
its point of origin, it’s best to make it as light as possible. Also, with the
damaged habitats ejected, it will eliminate the small chance that they will
somehow burden the ship’s systems. It will just be a less complicated vessel.”

“That’s easily done,” answered
I’za. “We can direct them to fall into the sun so that they can’t cause problems
for anyone we might relocate to this system.”

“No.”

“Egg?”

“Even these dead habitats will
retain a lot of artifacts that document the cultures that they once supported.
The inhabitants may be gone but their memory shouldn’t be lost. I’ll have
Soar’elle organize his team of anthropologists to explore and document what
once was. They can add that knowledge to our own, and we’ll be richer for it.
In this way we get to honor the dead . . . they deserve that much.”

None of the rest would have ever
considered Egg’s arguments. Now that they were voiced, they felt ashamed that
they would have acted far differently. The men, too, felt the sting of what
would have been a callous act. As for this woman who was leading the sisterhood
– she had that rare quality to look beyond the present situation and to see a
much bigger picture. If she ever ran to be the next Queen of Aerianna, they
would vote for her in a heartbeat.

“There’s a large moon orbiting the
planet furthest from the sun. It looks inhospitable to life. Probably make a
good place to land these habitats if their engines and guidance systems are
still functioning. If not, we can insert them into unique orbits.”

“Thanks Sparky. Okay, what else?”

“May I ask . . .” but Bl’azzz
growled to cut him off. Aero looked at her then realized his mistake. “Thanks”.
To the others, he asked, “Does the Gek’a have a hierarchy of command?”

“No. Everything is done by
consensus or tradition. There is one individual assigned to be arbiter in cases
where a disagreement can’t be satisfactorily resolved.”

“Impressive.”

“When you’re going to be cooped up
in an enclosed space for eternity, it’s best to work together voluntarily as
opposed to being told what to do,” explained I’za. That received nods of
approval.

Egg said to the girl, “Once you get
onboard, you’ll need to identify the remaining species that are the most likely
to cause problems so we can deal with them first.”

“Will do.”

Grex went to raise his hand but
Jax’x slapped it down. “Ouch”.

“Man up,” she teased.

“Don’t let her flick your ears,”
warned Serenity.

“What?”

“Never mind. Just say what’s on
your mind,” said Jax’x.

“There must be species onboard
whose life forms are incompatible with this section of space. We should
identify them and their unique requirements.”

“Good thinking. Just one last thing
– again for you I’za. What will your people want to do? Find a world of their
own? Or, since their number was small to begin with, pair up with another
habitat or one of the worlds in this part of the galaxy?”

“Since our reproduction process is
so unique, if the majority of them don’t colonize as a unit, they will go
extinct.”

The men didn’t know what that meant
– about the unique reproduction process. But, there was no way they were going
to ask seven women to describe it to them.

“Okay. Enough for now. If anyone
gets any ideas or questions, we can reconvene. Until then, you all have about a
day to do whatever you want?” She turned to the men. “But only if the other
person consents? Got it?”

They all looked at their feet and
mumbled a yes.

*****

“Serenity, can you come with me to
the Dazzle?”

“Why?” she asked suspiciously. In
truth, whatever his intentions, she would have gone.

“I have something to show you?”

She scrunched her face. “Oh,
really?”

Her response confused him until he
realized what she was alluding to. “No. No, no” he blurted. “Shame on you.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re
cute when you blush?”

He regained his composure and his
sense of humor. “Did you want their names or just an approximate number?”

“Shut up and lead the way.”

“As you command.” They reached the
other ship in short order and he led his guest on board. “Wait here.” He ran
off and came back in less than a minute. “Here you go,” and he handed her a
suit of some sort.

She took it and examined the
garment. “Is this what I think it is?”

“I’ve been working on it every free
minute. Try it on.”

She looked from his face to the
suit and back again. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Why?”

“I’m afraid.”

He leaned down and kissed her
gently on the lips. “Please.” He pointed to a door that led to a storage
closet.

Exhaling loudly she rolled away and
closed the door behind her. It was a struggle as usual for her to get dressed
and undressed . . . and the minutes tick by.

“Need some help?”

“No. Almost done.” A moment later
she came back out wearing the black exoskeleton. “Fits well.”

“You’re supposed to stand up.”

The gruff girl looked so
vulnerable. “I don’t think I can.”

He walked over and took her hand.
“Come on. I’ll help you.”

“How does it work?”

“Oh, right.” He reached down and
took a wire with a small plate attached. “This goes on the back of your neck.”
He pressed it in place. “Then press this button on your chest,” and he pointed
to it.

“Now what?”

“Now you stand.”

“Okay. Here goes nothing,” and she
gave her body the command to stand – something the rest of us never think
about.

And she gasped as she stood up on her own for the first time in
many years . . .

Skotti backed up a few feet. “Come on, walk to me,” and he held
out his hand.

“If I fall, you better catch me.”

“Sparky, you won’t fall. Trust me.”

She did trust him . . . and she
took her first, hesitant steps.

*****

“Jax’x, I really want to apologize
again. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful but I was and you certainly don’t
deserve such adolescent behavior.”

“The truth is than an insult from a
stranger has no meaning.”

“Hmmm. I have two responses to that
statement. First, very true. Second, ouch.”

Jax’x smiled. “Listen, I like you.
I like intelligent men with a sense of humor and a sense of honor. On the other
hand, a few months ago I was deeply in love with someone else. He’s gone and
I’m still trying to sort through my feelings.”

“When you say he’s gone, you don’t
mean ‘as in dead’, I hope.”

“No. He’s very much alive and doing
wonderful work on my home world of Spell ‘Bound. In fact, he was recently wed
and is expecting his first child. And, just to make the story a bit more
interesting, his new wife was my best friend.”

All the man could do was gape in
astonishment. “That’s horrifying,” he finally managed to say.

“It gets even more fascinating.”

“Are you sure you want to tell me?
After all, I am a stranger,” and he smiled wryly.

“I figure it’s the least you can do
to make up for your rude behavior.” She was grinning when she said it. “After
all, I’m boring you to tears with a story about my ex-lover.”

“Boring me? Not likely. Nothing you
women do could bores me.”

“So I’m nothing special - just one
of seven fascinating females?” She wanted to see if he would squirm or come
back with something witty. Another test, as it were.

The young man was up to the
challenge. “First of all, the eligibility pool is not seven. No offense, but I
don’t date dragons. Serenity seems to have found Skotti interesting though I
can’t imagine why. After all, he’s just a glorified mechanic.”

“That’s not nice.”

“Are you kidding? To him that’s a
compliment.”

“So the . . . eligibility pool is
now five. Continue.”

“It’s now common knowledge that Egg
and the Prince seem to have a relationship – something that up to now was only
a rumor.

“Three down, four to go.”

“I’za is from another galaxy and
apparently has different . . . um . . . well, that is she apparently isn’t
quite human in all aspects of . . . um . . . womanly . . . um . . .” His face
was now red and he stopped digging this particular hole. “Come on, help me out,”
he begged.

“A different reproductive system.
By the way, it is very different.”

That perked his interest and he
forgot for a moment he was talking to a woman. “How so?”

“You’ll have to ask her.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Men! You are all so weird.”

“But loveable.”

“Maybe. Finish your calculations.”

“Okay. So we have you, BreeZee and
Tee’ka left. I ruled out Tee’ka because she has a relationship with that Klat
guy.”

“The First Citizen Waldo.”

“That’s him. So, I’m left to choose
between you and BreeZee.”

“And how did you make your final
choice?” This should be good.

“She turned me down.”

Chapter 9 – We the
People

“Good evening, Eloise.” This was
the fourth call in as many days by the Prince.

“Hi. Any old memories to share?” It
was the same question each night.

“I am fine. Thank you for asking,”
he teased. “And no, nothing old comes to mind.”

“That’s okay. We’ll get there.”

The Prince cleared his throat. “I
had been wondering why my parents insisted I call you each evening; and why you
keep asking about shared memories. Though it has been enjoyable, there is
obviously an ulterior motive. I discussed this with my sister and, at first,
she was uncertain as to whether I should learn the answer.  However, I insisted
in a most diabolic fashion.”

“You tickled her.”

“I did. Apparently you and she have
the same aversion.”

“Indeed we do. So what did she so
reluctantly share?”

“I was a bit surprised to find that
you and I are in love. Just before my ship exploded, I asked you to marry me
and you said yes.”

“Hmmm, I might have a faint memory
of that conversation.”

He dropped his eyes, and then
looked back up. “I am sorry. I have no recollection of the incident or anything
that led us to that point.”

“I know. I also know that somewhere
in that thick head of yours are all of our memories. I promise I’ll find
a way to get them out.”

“Even the First Citizen could not
do that.”

“Well, you know what they say,” but
she didn’t finish.

“For the sake of argument, let us
pretend that I do not know ‘what they say’.”

“They say – never send a man to
do a woman’s job.”

“Ah. I do believe I have heard my
mother and sister voice just that sentiment.”

She smiled knowingly. “Shall I read
to you again from my diary?”

“Please. However you should
concentrate on any entries pertaining to you and I that were particularly
important in our relationship.”

Egg smiled. “I can do that.” She
picked up the journal and thumbed through it. “Here’s a good one. We were on
Earth at the bedside of my grandfather who was stricken with a serious
illness.”

“Good grief. I am so sorry. Is he
recovered?”

“Not fully but making great
progress.”

“And I was on Earth? How?”

“You asked my sister Sassi to help
instruct your people on the proper technique to paint your skin to match mine.
You insisted on accompanying me to the hospital.”

He smiled. “I am glad.”

“Me, too. Anyway, before we left
you bent down and whispered to Ezra that he needed to make a full recovery
because you wanted him to be your best man.”

“And was that the proper thing to
do?”

“It was a very gallant gesture. My
love for you jumped a couple of points.”

He laughed. “I am not familiar with
the love scale on Earth. Is a couple of points something I should be proud of?”

“Oh yes.”

“Then I am. Please . . . continue.”

She read entry after entry for the
next half hour. “I think that’s enough for tonight.”

“I am sorry Eloise, nothing you
read triggered memories . . . or feelings.”

“That’s okay. Besides, Waldo said
that your brain wouldn’t come unclogged instantaneously. If I hit on the right
memory, it will slowly dissolve the blockage in your brain.”

“I feel myself hoping for a
successful resolution.”

“That’s a good sign.” She
remembered something else. “By the way, next time you give a girl ice cream,
make sure it has hot fudge on it.”

“Do I know what that is?”

“You did and you will. Okay, gotta
go, my Liege, I’m tired and tomorrow we meet up with the Ark.”

“Will you be in danger?”

She smiled. “I don’t think so. Look
no goose bumps,” and she held up her arms.

He shrugged since his conscious mind
didn’t understand the reference. However, his subconscious took notice and the
first trickle of a memory cascade had begun. “Well then, good night Gracie.”

“Night, Benny,” and she
closed the communications device. Turning off the light, she fluffed her pillow
and made herself comfortable. But she couldn’t sleep because something was
nagging at her and she didn’t know what. Oh well, if it was important it would
come to her.

*****

Someone voiced the obvious. “That’s a big ship.”

“Where are the habitats?” asked
Grex.

“The two largest rings each have
fifty segments. There is one habitat per segment.”

“I’za, I assume that module in the
front is the command center,” said Egg.

“Correct. The engines are actually
in that section between the two rings.”

“Sparky, send a probe to do a
complete analysis of the Ark.”

“Done.”

“Okay, the away team for the
command center is I’za, Grex and Skotti. I want Aero and Serenity to head for
the propulsion module. Jax’x, you analyze the data from the probe and try to
determine the cause of the catastrophe and the damage sustained. Tee, Bree,
Bl’azzz and I will start visiting the habitats that I’za said were safe. Each
team, stay in contact with one another and the ship. Don’t do anything foolish.
If something looks iffy, ask I’za or check with me to see if I get goose bumps.
Okay, be safe.”

*****

Command Module, Ark
of Forever

It was dimly lit, bathed in an
eerie green light powered by the emergency backup system. It was also void of
all Gek’a. I’za was expecting, or at least hoping, that there would be some of
her people manning their stations. That they weren’t gave her chills, and a
feeling of dread washed over her.

“Do we have atmosphere in here?”
Skotti asked the others. Like them, he was in a spacesuit.

“Checking,” responded Grex. “Yes.
Safe to remove our helmets,” and they did.

I’za used a hand held light and
began to inspect each of the fifty or so control stations that were scattered
over the module. If they couldn’t find one that worked they were in big
trouble.

“Over here,” called Skotti. He had
found a station that seemed to be functioning.

The other two hurried over. I’za
sat down and began to enter instructions into the terminal. “I’m running a
diagnostic on this unit. It will only take a minute.”

When it completed, a red waring
light began to flash. “That’s not good,” said the fleet engineer stating the
obvious.

“Not so bad. It’s warning that the
power to the unit is below optimal levels. Behind that panel over there (and
she pointed) are the power conduits and controls. Grex would you check it out?”

“On it.”

“Okay, we can still call up the
information we want. First, let’s see how many habitats are still on board and
their status.” A moment later, the schematic appeared with an icon for each
habitat. Green meant normal, red indicated total structural failure, orange
warned that one was going critical and blue meant it had been ejected, and its
status unknown.

Sixty-six had previously been
destroyed in transit. That number was now seventy-five. One was orange and in
dire need of repairs. Seven were blue, five of which needed to be recalled. The
remaining seventeen were all green.

“Nine more destroyed and one going
critical . . . that is horrifying. So many lives,” lamented I’za.

“What about your people?” Just then
the lights went on and the blinking warning icon on the terminal disappeared.
Skotti called out, “Nice job, Grex.”

“Thanks,” and he rejoined the other
two.

I’za took a deep breath and called
up the status routine. On the screen, names (and locations of the individuals)
began to scroll rather rapidly. Like with the habitats, green meant the person
was fine, red meant he or she was gone, orange meant they were injured and blue
meant that they were no longer on the ark, status unknown. At the end, a
summary appeared.

“Of nineteen hundred and
forty-eight Gek’a, not quite three hundred are gone. Four are no longer
onboard; fifty-two require medical attention and the rest are okay.” It was bad
but not nearly as bad as she had feared. She typed in the names of the three brothers.
Only the youngest, V’az, showed green. The other two were blue – no longer
onboard. As she pictured all three young men, tears began to fall down her
cheeks. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“These are your friends and family,
you have every right. Grex and I will give you a few minutes.”

“No. No thank you, Skotti. There’s
too much to do.” She typed in a command that would summon the remaining
brother.

*****

“Impressive. Do you know what that
is?” Aero asked his companion – testing her expertise on the subject.

“It seems to be a containment field
for a microscopic black hole.” Aero nodded – impressed that this human had come
to the correct conclusion. “I’ve read theories about this but to see one in the
flesh is overwhelming.”

“Indeed. After we determine what the
problem is, we must take vid’s to document this device. It will revolutionize
space travel of the Federation.”

“What’s even more impressive is
that this Ark was built a very long time ago. Whichever galaxy it came from is
way more advanced than us.”

They spent the next hour in
relative silence as they analyzed sub-system after sub-system.

“I’d say it’s fully functional.
Whatever caused the Ark to explode obviously wasn’t this propulsion system.”

“Agreed. While we have time, let’s
begin documenting as much as we can.”

“Go ahead while I contact the
ship.” She tapped her communicator and called, “Jax’x, wake up kitty cat.”

“I owe you one ear flick when you
get back,” came the reply.

“Don’t touch my ears or I’ll declaw
you.”

“I’m telling Skotti how mean you are.”

“He already knows. Listen up – the
power plant is fully functional. Whatever happened to the Ark wasn’t because of
the engines.”

“That’s good to know. Why don’t you
make your way to habitat thirty-four and meet up with Egg. Aero should head to
the command module.”

“This technology is so advanced
that Aero and I are going to spend a little time to document it first.”

“Excellent idea which means that it
must have been his suggestion.”

“Shut up.”

*****

“V’az,” and she ran into his arms.

“I’za, I can’t believe it’s you. We
thought you were lost for sure.”

“Long story. I . . . I just scanned
the files on our people. Do you know where your brothers are?”

He took a deep breath to get his
emotions under control. “They’re both gone. They had been working together on
habitat twenty-one when it happened.”

“When what happened?”

“The habitat exploded without
warning and they were caught in the blast. Their shuttle – one moment it was
there, the next it was gone . . . just a cloud of dust blown into the void.”

“V’az, I’m so, so sorry but we can
grieve later. Right now we need to save the Ark and whoever is left. I brought
help. This is Skotti and that’s Grex. Guys, this is V’az.”

“We’re sorry for your loss,” said
Grex.

“Thank you.” He turned to I’za.
“There is obviously a very long story that you need to share with me. But, as
you said, even that can wait for later.”

She nodded. “The most pressing task
is to eject habitat thirteen. It’s venting atmosphere at an accelerating rate.”

“Eject it?”

“This solar system has a dozen
planets. We’ll choose one and program their guidance system to land it there.
It’s the quickest way to ensure their survival.”

“Can you describe the inhabitants
for us?” asked Skotti.

“Thirteen houses the Galaxians.
Oxygen breathing humanoids with the skills to handle most environments and
challenges.”

“Thanks. Skotti to the Gracie.
Over.”

*****

“Okay, that went well.” Egg and her
party just left habitat thirty-three and were making their way to thirty-four.

“Egg-o, we scared the shazbot out
of them. A fire breathing dragon and a human butterfly were not exactly what
they were expecting.”

“Next time take your medicine so
you don’t burp and burn,” suggested BreeZee.

“Yeah, my bad.”

“Egg, why did they want to stay on
the Ark?” asked Tee’ka.

“Remember they said that they
wanted to go home.”

“But why?”

“Tee, they want to go back and
change the political order . . . just like we did on Spell ‘Bound. They want to
get rid of the corrupt people who run things.”

“I hope some others on the Ark
agree,” added Bree. “It’s a noble cause and they’re going to need all the help
they can get.”

“My guess is that maybe as much as
half of those left will want to go back.”

“How’s that going to work?”

“I have an idea. First, let’s make
the rounds and see what’s what.”

They were interrupted by a call
from the ship. “Jax’x to Egg, over.”

“S’up?”

“Sparky reports that the engines
are fine. I’m sending Aero to the command module and our girl to you.”

“That’s great. Thanks. Anything
from I’za?”

“Yes. One of the habitats is losing
atmosphere. She’s ejecting it and sending it to the first planet in this
system. She has a dozen of her people ready to accompany them to provide
whatever assistance they can.”

“Perfect. What about the Gek’a? How
did they fare?”

“They lost about three hundred of
their number. Two of those lost were I’za’s brothers.”

“Oh no. How’s she doing?”

“She reunited with the third
brother whose helping her out. She said she’s too busy right now to grieve –
that will have to wait for later.”

“I’m so glad she’s a sister. How
many functional habitats are left?”

“I’ll send you the list.
Twenty-five in total. That includes the one she ejected and seven others that
were thrown clear by the explosion. She’s deleted the Nauti and Klat habitats
from the computer so they’re safe. She sent out a recall command for the other
five.”

“Okay, thanks. By the way this
habitat wants to return home. They want to fight the corrupt system that exiled
them.”

“I’m glad. Injustice needs to be
corrected where ever it’s found.”

“Here comes Sparky. We’re headed to
habitat thirty-four.”

“Don’t forget I’za’s warning. Those
people are paranoid and go bonkers if you slight them. Then they will take
whatever revenge they think fits the insult.”

“I remember. We’ll tread
carefully.”

“Good luck.”

*****

The Gracie AI warned Jax’x of an
incoming communications.

“On screen.” It was the handsome
blue face of the Prince. “Your Majesty.”

“Jax’x, I am back,” and he smiled
from ear to ear.

The girl was confused. “I’m sorry.
I didn’t know you had gone somewhere.”

He barked a laugh. “No, you goofy
girl (that caused the goofy girl’s eyes to grow wide), I am back inside my
head. Where is Gracie?”

Now Jax’x broke into an ear-to-ear
grin. “It’s so nice to have the blue footed booby returned to us.” That name -
it was a little test.

He laughed again. “Let us use Benny
shall we?”

“We shall . . . and I’m so happy
for you and Egg.”

“Is she there?”

“Sorry, Benny. She’s on the Ark.
Now would not be a good time to distract her.”

“Of course. Please have her call me
at her earliest convenience.”

“I will. Oh, we could use a little
help out here.”

“What can I do?”

“Egg would like you to send the
hospital ship, a contingent of the Klat and a couple of ships with supplies and
able body sailors to help out.”

“They will be dispatched shortly. May
I ask, why the Klat?”

“We’ve recalled the Ephemeral
habitat to the Ark. We may need their particular expertise to help keep order.”

“I will relay your message to the
First Citizen. Anything else?”

“Just welcome home, your Highness.”

“It is very good to be back.”

*****

“Her August Sovereign, Vyper of the
Phanta,” announced a garishly liveried guard.

In walked a tallish woman, regal in
stature, scary as heck in visage. She stared at the newcomers like a lioness
examining her next meal. She stopped a few feet away and waited. Egg’s hackles
immediately rose on her neck. There was something about this woman that she
categorically disliked . . . and it had only been a few seconds. Regrettably,
it was about to cloud her judgment.

“My name . . .”

“KNEEL,” yelled the guard.

Bree and Tee’ka began to do as
asked. Egg stopped them. “Don’t.” To Vyper she continued with her
introductions. “As I was saying, my name . . .” and again she was interrupted
by the guard who stepped forward with the obvious intent of forcing the five to
their knees. How he expected to handle the dragon and Serenity is anyone’s
guess. Egg was getting irritated with all of this. “Ring, tend to my suit,” and
the familiar grey fog swirled around her. When it cleared, there stood Flying
Girl. The whole episode caused all of the Phanta to stop in their tracks and
stare. It was meant as a warning – don’t trifle with us. “Enough. We came to
help you and all the occupants of the Ark. If you prefer to stay here (and she
pointed around her) and drift through space, that’s perfectly fine with me.
Let’s go,” she said to the girls and turned to leave.

“You do not have our permission to
leave,” declared the August Sovereign. Her voice was as soft and melodic as the
former Imperial Empress Violetta and it sent chills through Egg.

Egg turned. “Very well. Sisters . .
. bow your heads to the Sovereign,” and she and the others did. “Now that
protocol has been satisfied, shall we leave or would you like to discuss the
help we propose to offer?”

Vyper was seething at the insult.
She gave an ever so slight glance at the guard who waited for her orders. “The
woman in that chair, explain.” Another glance and the guard had his
instructions.

“My name is Serenity. I am bound to
this chair because of an injury that robbed me of the ability to walk.”

Without acknowledging the answer,
she turned to look at Bl’azzz. “What is that?”

“I am Bl’azzz . . . a F’yre Dragon
from the planet Aerianna.”

“It talks.”

“She is my sister and you’re being
rude,” barked Egg. “So, let’s make this simple. You can stay on the Ark which I
intend to send back to its point of origin or we can eject your habitat and
land it on one of the suitable planets in this system. Any questions?”

“We will stay. However, you will
leave and not return. Your tricks do not amuse us, your pets do not scare us
and your lack of respect does not please us.”

Egg bit her tongue. No matter how
she felt, it was wrong of her to act so undiplomatically. She had behaved badly
and she knew it. “I apologize for my behavior. No disrespect was intended.
Someone will contact the Phanta with the details of when and where we intend to
land you.” Into her communicator she said, “Jax’x, beam us to the next
habitat.”

“How did it go?”

“Um . . . not as well as it could
have.”

*****

After Serenity had introduced
herself, and unseen by any of the sisters, the guard sent a swirl of twinkling
lights from his ring into Sparky’s chair. Once there, they faded away. And
waited.

Chapter 10 – I
love him; I love him not

Finalizing the
Mission

After the better part of a day,
they had finally finished all the preliminary work.

They determined that the probable
cause of the Ark explosion was an experiment gone terribly wrong in one of the
habitats. The occupants, a race known as the Psi’ons, were highly intelligent
and dedicated to scientific research. What they had been working on was too
advanced for the Gek’a to understand. However, the Psi’ons were very open about
sharing their experiments with the Guardians and had convinced them there was
no danger. Unfortunately, they were wrong.

Tragically, the explosion had
destroyed another eight neighboring habitats. Seven others were ejected by a
fail-safe protocol programmed into the computer system.

The Gek’a working in those habitats
had paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Of the twenty-three habitats that
survived (not counting the Klat and the Nauti), only three had chosen to make
their home in this galaxy. They had been ejected from the Ark and programmed to
land on three different planets in this system. The rest elected to return to
their own galaxy with the intention of overthrowing the established corrupt
government. Technically, the Ephemeral didn’t choose – since they weren’t given
an option.

After conferring with I’za, Egg
decided that except for the treacherous Prime Hegemon Gan’gli, the rest could
work together to help insure the success of their mutual goal. The heads of the
nineteen habitats agreed with her plan.

The Ark was reconfigured. All
habitats that had been destroyed were ejected and put into orbit around the
pre-designated moon as Egg had previously decided.

The occupied nineteen were moved to
the inner ring and the maintenance access channels were unlocked so that the
occupants could move freely from one to another.

The Ephemeral had been given the outer
ring all to themselves.

The ship did not incur any
structural damage. It would require only minor repairs – and these were mostly
to overloaded electrical systems.

All that remained to do was to wait
for the five ejected habitats to return to the Ark. Once that happened, Benny’s
navy would render whatever medical aid that they could, repair any minor damage
in each habitat that might have been sustained, and help Grex, Aero and Skotti
complete the work on the Ark including reprogramming it to retrace its path.

The last issue was the Gek’a. I’za,
with help from V’az, had gathered them all and discussed the options available.
About a hundred decided to stay with the Ark and help the survivors return
home. They felt very strongly about completing this mission.

The rest accepted Queen
M-egg’Alynnia’s invitation to relocate to Aerianna at least temporarily. They
could choose to stay or move elsewhere once they had visited other worlds that
might offer them sanctuary.

V’az had no intention of letting
I’za out of his sight. He, too, would go to Aerianna.

With that settled, I’za began a
roll call of all those that had died. And the Gek’a mourned the loss of their
friends.

*****

Very Late that Night

After a very long and trying day,
they were all back onboard the Gracie. I’za introduced her young man to the
Sisters. “And finally, this is Egg, the leader of the Sisterhood.”

“Pleasure,” said V’az. The poor guy
looked emotionally drained – as well he might. It was by any measure a very
taxing day. On one hand he was reunited with I’za, something he assumed would
never happen. That ‘high’ was offset by the grieving ceremony as he and the
rest of the Gek’a bade farewell to brothers and friends that had died.

“Welcome aboard,” said Egg.
“Whatever we can do to make you comfortable, please let us know.”

“Thank you.”

“Egg,” said I’za, “I’ve been
meaning to ask you how it went with the Phanta. Did you meet Vyper?”

“Um, yes.”

“And?”

“Well,” and she stretched out the
word. “It could have gone better.”

“I know what you mean. She is such
an annoying individual. It’s a wonder that you were able to have a civilized
discussion with her.”

“Well . . .”

I’za looked genuinely concerned.
“What happened?”

Egg described the encounter.

V’az had gone white in the face.
“That is not good.”

“It’s okay. She didn’t do
anything.”

The young man looked at his
companion – eyes wide. “Doesn’t she understand?”

“I’za warned me that they’re a
little bit sensitive. When I realized how rude I was being, I apologized.”

The two Gek’a looked at each other
again. I’za turned to Serenity and asked, “Can you scan Egg to see if there are
any anomalous electromagnetic readings?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s just a precaution. As I told
you, they can be very vengeful.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary,”
called Sparky.

“Hopefully the current situation
with the Ark distracted the August Sovereign. I think you should avoid making
contact with her again.”

“Not a problem. I’ll leave it to
you.”

“Then with your permission, V’az
and I are going to my cabin.”

“Say what?”

“We’re very tired.”

“Uh huh.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No. It’s just that you two aren’t
married.”

V’az was confused. “Why does that
matter?”

Egg decided to back down. Imposing
her morality on aliens was probably a dumb thing to do. “Never mind. We’ll see
you two bright and early.”

I’za smiled. She turned to her man
and whispered something in his ear. “Really?”

“If you want.”

“You know I do.”

“Then ask.”

“Okay. I’za, will you be my mate
for life?”

“Yes,” and they kissed. She turned
to Egg and asked, “Is that better?”

“Is what better?”

“V’az asked me to marry him, I said
yes and now we’re married.”

“Did I hear that right?” asked
Bl’azzz.

“Yeah you did,” answered Sparky.

“Does that mean you’re retiring
from the Sisterhood?” asked Tee’ka who was very interested seeing that she was
in a similar position. Or could be.

“Of course not. I will serve Egg
for as long as she needs me.”

Tee’ka then asked, “Is that okay
with you, V’az?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m sorry;
this is all so confusing to me.”

“You know what?” declared Egg.
“It’s all good. First, congratulations to both of you. Mazel Tov. Second,
Bl’azzz get out the kazoo. The rest of you – champagne, confetti and . . . and
. . . oh heck, that’s enough.”

“I’m still confused,” said V’az.

*****

Three Days Later

“So that’s it. The Ark is on its
way from whence it came. The three habitats that chose to stay were
successfully landed and all seems to be progressing well. I told them to
contact the Regent of Alien Affairs on Peekaboo Prime if they needed help in
any way. The Gek’a that are relocating to Aerianna are being transported by the
navy. All except V’az, I’za’s new husband. He’s on board.”

“I was terribly saddened to learn
of the deaths of his two brothers. Please give him my condolences,” requested
Meggy. Then she realized what Egg had said. “Married?”

“It was a beautiful ceremony. He
said ‘will you marry me?’ she said ‘yes’ and the deed was done.”

“Seems awfully efficient. But what
was their motivation for the timing? I hope it was not a reaction to the
emotion of the day?”

“Actually, they were just tired.”

“I am sorry?’

“Not important. They’re happy, and
I’m happy that I’za isn’t retiring from active duty. I need her. By the way,
Soar’elle is sending a team of anthropologists to the destroyed habitats to
learn what they can about the people and their culture. When they finish, they
will find a way to create a memorial in their honor.”

“Yes, I am aware that you had
arranged this. That is truly the sign of an individual who would make a great
queen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Sorry, I am rambling. Anyway, it
is another job well done. Tell my sisters how proud we all are of yet another
wonderful accomplishment.”

“Sure.”

“On a personal note, may I ask why
you have not returned my brother’s communications? I can personally vouch that
he is back to his delightful former self.”

“I’m sure he is. When he called the
first time, he talked to Jax’x and she said he seemed better than new.”

“Then why?”

Egg exhaled. “First, it needs to be
done in person. And second, he’s going to ask me to marry him again.”

“Of course he will. Is that a
problem?

Egg didn’t answer.

Meggy pressed, “Egg, please tell me
what is worrying you?”

“I didn’t like the person he had
become. He was worse than awful.”

“But that was not him, as you well
know.”

“Of course it was him. It’s the
despicable person beneath the wonderful one.”

“And you are afraid of what?”

“That over time, the bad wins out.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Every time I think about us
getting married, I’m getting goose bumps.”

*****

Q’umulus

There was a soft knock on the door.
“Come in.”

The Prince hesitated briefly, took
a deep breath then entered. He stopped just inside the room and asked, “May I
close the door?”

“Please.”

Benny did, then turned back to Egg
and said, “My sister shared with me your . . . your concerns.”

“You were awful, Benny. Nasty,
arrogant, insensitive, rude . . .”

“Stop, please. I know how I behaved
and I am ashamed. As much as that behavior worries you, it also alarms me.” He
tried to lighten the mood. He smiled and said, “I am but one bump on the head
from becoming a monster. So I implore you not to throw anything substantial at
me.”

The effort was rewarded with a
small smile that faded when she said, “I got goose bumps.”

“When?” He understood how important
this particular phenomenon was to her.

“The day you called. When I
returned to the ship it was late and I was so tired. And even though I wanted
to talk to you, it just seemed better to wait for the next morning. That night
I dreamt about us . . . we were exchanging our wedding vows.” She paused as she
recalled what had come next.

“Please . . . continue.”

“You were about to put the ring on
my finger . . . but something made me scream. Or maybe someone else screamed –
the image is really fuzzy now. Anyway, I woke up covered in sweat and goose
bumps.”

“And your interpretation is that if
we were to wed, at some point I would devolve into that miscreant that we both
so loathe?”

“Yes.”

“Is there no other interpretation
that is possible?”

She hadn’t thought of that – so
fixated on her first assumption. “Well, maybe.”

“If you and I could identify
another possibility, would you then reconsider? After all, if there are two
possible outcomes, perhaps there are hundreds and who is to say which one might
come to fruition.”

“Does it matter? Whatever it is, it
will make me scream in horror.”

“Perhaps when you do, I will
valiantly come to your rescue.”

“So maybe it’s not you at all.
Maybe something is going to happen at the wedding?” She so desperately wanted
to believe that there was another explanation.

“Since the doctors assure me that I
am permanently cured, that would seem to be a more logical explanation.” He,
too, was desperate.

Egg cupped her hands over her face
as she tried to recall the dream in more detail. Like all dreams, they fade
away ever so fast in the light of day. “There was another image.” She couldn’t
quite make it out.

“A person?”

“I . . . I’m just not sure. It was
something familiar. Someone familiar.”

Benny said nothing for fear of
disrupting her remembrance.

The seconds ticked by in silence as
Egg fought to bring the image into focus. It stubbornly hovered just beyond
reach. Then she gasped.

“What? What did you see?”

“Mobius.”

“Are you referring to Waldo?”

“No. No it was Mobius. He was
screaming something incomprehensible and then he attacked me. It was Mobius,
I’m sure of it.”

“Egg, that evil man is gone as you
well know. Therefore, it was either a nightmare brought on by all of your long
hours of hard work or it was Waldo.”

“It couldn’t be Waldo. Despite his
face, the man is as gentle a soul as I have ever met. He has never raised his
voice to me or anyone for that matter. And the way he cares for Tee’ka . . .”
She shook her head for emphasis. “It wasn’t him.”

“Then by process of elimination, it
was a nightmare.” He smiled again. “The thought of a lifetime with me simply
was too much joy for a mere human to accept and your mind rebelled. It makes
perfect sense and I do forgive you.”

She stared at him almost as if she
just noticed he was in the room. Her next words were like a slap to the face.
“You’re such a liar.”

“What?”

“If you forgive me, the Benny I
know and love would have taken me in his arms and kissed me. You didn’t.”

“Hmmm. I do believe your hypothesis
is correct. Allow me to remedy my mistake.”

“I don’t know. The moment might
have passed.”

“If I may suggest, since we are
both here with nothing else to do, it is worth the effort to try. With your
permission?”

“Ummm,” and she pretended to
consider his request. “Oh, why not. Permission granted.”

So he did.

And all that was, was once again.

*****

“Well I think it’s beautiful.”

“It’s actually the coronation gift
that King M’earth gave to Dazzle. The original sigil was a depiction of the
Crystal Egg superimposed on the skyline of Q’umulus.”

“No wonder he wanted to change it.”

“You don’t think I should have held
out for a diamond ring?”

Sylvia laughed. “Never. You are
definitely not a diamond ring type girl. This Sword and Rose sigil is
absolutely perfect for Flying Girl.” It was, of course, the same sword and rose
on the buckle of Egg’s flying suit.

“Yeah, you’re right. I can’t stop
looking at it in the mirror. How funny is that?”

“Why funny?”

“Because the tomboy Eloise is going
to become a princess. But for old time’s sake, I think I’ll make everyone play
dodgeball after the ceremony.”

Syl laughed at the thought. “Have
you set a date?”

“Yup. The end of the month.”

“Isn’t that a little quick?”

“I’ve waited long enough if you get
my drift.”

“For shame. I always assumed you
never thought about such things.”

“Until I met Benny, to be honest,
not very often.”

“Love, isn’t it grand?”

“Speaking of which, what’s up with
you and your eighth husband,” teased her friend.

“Kreed and I are progressing at a
comfortable pace, thank you very much.” Kreed was Captain Ax’gard if you couldn’t
figure that out.

“How weird is it that all of us
single sisters now have men in their lives. Aeri’elle and Bl’uddd, Tee’ka and
Waldo, I’za and V’az, Serenity and Skotti, Bl’azzz and Aero, Jax’x and Grex . .
. who did I leave out?”

“Poor BreeZee.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s too bad that we
don’t know anyone with wings.”

“That’s going to be a problem since
the guys on Zynn-Zaz’zia don’t interest her.”

“Hmmmm.”

“Hmmmm what?”

“Just a feeling. Not important.”

“Tell me.”

“I just got a sudden vision of a
man . . . kissing Bree.”

“Who?”

“No idea. He had wings but not like
our girl’s.”

“Goose bumps and now visions of the
future. You are quite the accomplished Princess. What about Meggy?”

“Geez, it’s funny how I never think
of her like that. So how does a queen find a man?”

“Probably not possible unless
there’s an unmarried King out there somewhere. She’ll undoubtedly have to wait
till her term as queen is over.”

“When’s that?”

“Four or five years.”

“Who would have ever dreamed that
the Sisterhood would have a queen, a princess, a University Dean, four sisters
with an IQ greater than Einstein, a computer program transformed into a living
being, dragons, sea serpents, a telepath and an alien from another galaxy?”

“We’ve come a long way, sister.”

“And look at me . . . Princess Egg!
Can you see me in some formal gown going to prim and proper state dinners?”

“Um, nope.”

“You could have lied.”

“Um, nope.”

“Well, as your punishment for being
such a lousy friend, I formally appoint you my maid of honor. You’re still a
maid, right?”

“Shut up.”

“Lips are sealed. So, you have a
lot of work to do. I expect the best bachelorette party that Aerianna has ever
seen.”

“Since it will be the first one
they ever saw, that won’t be too hard. I’ll invite all the sisters of course .
. . and that includes Ashley. What about your mom, Grammy, Molly and Dazzle?”

“Definitely Molly. But I think
we’ll keep this to us twenty somethings.”

“You’re nineteen.”

“I’ll be twenty on the honeymoon.”

“Where will that be exactly?”

“First, we have to visit every major
city on Aerianna and that will take a couple of weeks at least. Then we’re
going to a planet called Bel’lanca. The southern hemisphere is almost tropical
with beautiful beaches and an ocean filled with exotic aquatic life.”

“No golf courses?”

“You are such a goof.”

“One last thing, I’m getting you
the perfect wedding gift for that very special first night.”

“What?”

“Pink pajamas covered with lots and
lots of cute yellow duckies.”

Egg laughed. “That will be the
perfect gift.”

“Why?” asked Sylvia suspiciously.

“One look at those jammies and
he’ll rip them off me.”

“Eloise Graystone, you are such a
hussy.”

Chapter 11 –
Let’s Party

Se’rene

For as smart as she was, Sylvia was
a bit stumped on how to plan a bachelorette party for non-humans including, but
not limited to, dragons and sea serpents. So she enlisted the help of Ashley
who met her at the Sisterhood’s castle.

“Any ideas?”

“Well, we can do the ‘Never have I’
game.”

“Which is?”

“One person says, ‘Never have I . .
.’ then finishes it with a true statement. Anyone else that DID do whatever she
said has to take a drink.”

“I better make sure there’s lots of
Champagne. What about playing twister?”

“You’re joking, right?”

“I like twister.”

“And pj’s with ducks. So, that’s a
big no to both.”

“You and your sister are so mean.”

“Get used to it. So, how about we
get a holographic recording of Fandango Sally singing their greatest hits? By
the way, technically there were none.”

“Now you just being hurtful.
However, I love the idea. Keep going.”

“You really don’t need much else.
Once they start drinking, they’ll never shut up. Women and alcohol – a
catastrophic cacophony of continuous cackling.”

“Nice alliteration. However, I
think we need a little distraction just in case things slow down.”

“Male strippers, I hope.”

Syl laughed at the idea. “That
would cause an inter-galactic incident. No male strippers. I was thinking more
in the line of cute and cuddly.”

“Ah, single men in desperate need
of female companionship. Excellent idea.”

“NO, you single, sassy simpleton. No
men. None. With Spirit’s approval, I was referring to Pynx and Stynx.”

“Say what?”

“Little baby Shamies . . . and
their mother of course.

*****

Se’rene, a few weeks
later

They sat around a very large circular table. Extra room was
required to accommodate the two serpents and dragons.

To Egg’s right was her best friend
and maid-of-honor. To her left was Ashley.

Everyone else chose seats to their
liking. For instance Molly sat next to her new best friend Ashley while Meggy
sat between Sylvia and Tee’ka. Soo and Bl’azzz were side by side. K’ssss sat by
Sassi – the two having become very close during the Quest. Jax’x sat near
Serenity – close enough to flick her ear if it became necessary. Aeri’elle,
never one for letting down her feathers and having fun, sat next to I’za so
they could discuss life on the Ark. BreeZee chose to sit next to Spirit because
she was curious about Jynx and her two twins. Coincidently, they were also the
only two Sisters (not counting Meggy) that had no men in their lives.

Syl stood up and clanked her
champagne flute for silence . . . no easy objective to achieve when you have so
many young women gathered in one place. So, she resorted to the tried and true “SHUT
UP” method. And that worked.

“Thank you. So let me explain
what’s going to happen. On Earth, this gathering is called a bachelorette
party. We’re here to celebrate one of the last days of Egg being single.”

“Why?” asked Tee’ka.

“No, no. For all of you – no
questions on why we do anything that we do tonight. It’s just a silly earth
custom and usually there is absolutely no logic to any of it. Just enjoy this
as a lesson in alien cultures. So, for those of you who don’t know what that
bubbly stuff you’re drinking is – it’s called champagne. It doesn’t have a huge
amount alcohol in it, but there’s more than enough to make you embarrassingly
silly. Drink responsibly . . . and if you do drink, don’t drive.” Not
surprisingly, no one laughed so she apologized. “Sorry about that. Anyway, the
only other thing that’s important is to tease Egg without mercy about getting
married and ‘ahem’ everything that goes with being a wife.”

Soo leaned over to Bl’azzz. “Any
idea what she’s talking about?”

“No clue. Just keep smiling.”

“I can do that.”

Syl finished her little speech.
“Since this isn’t earth, I’ve decided to introduce a new custom. Egg has agreed
– though reluctantly – to model her wedding gown for us. That’s it. Eat, drink
and be goofy.”

***

For the next few hours, they played
the drinking game and individually had at least one conversation with Egg to
offer their congratulations and marital advice for which most had no
experience.

At one point, Molly turned to
Ashley. “I got goose bumps.”

“Never say that if front of my
sister.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not important. So why the bumps?”

“I’m in the legendary Se’rene with
every one of the even more legendary Hameggattic Sisters. I can’t even fathom
what they’ve been through and what they’ve accomplished.”

Ashley smiled proudly. “Yeah.
Little sis and her playmates have done well.”

“Who you calling a playmate?”
snarled Bl’azzz.

“How much champagne have you had?”
responded Ashley. She had to suppress a giggle at the realization she was
partying with a dragon.

Bl’azzz’s answer said it all. “It
tickles my nose.”

“Never have I seen . . . a tipsy
dragon.”

“I have,” and Hot Lips took another
drink then burped. Luckily without the burn. “I like this game,” and she
staggered off to the sound of chuckles.

Across the room, Egg, Syl and Meggy
were sharing some small talk. “Aren’t you warm in that thing?” asked the girl
of the hour. She was pointing to the cape that Meggy had wrapped tightly around
her.

“I was waiting for the appropriate
time to discard it.”

“That’ll be in about three more
glasses of the bubbly.”

“It does give one a pleasant yet
disconcerting feeling.”

“On earth it’s called a buzz.”

“Ah. That is the sound I’m
hearing in my head.”

Sylvia chuckled but for a different
reason. “For shame, your Majesty, but you just used a contraction.”

“I most certainly didn’t,”
the royal responded. “Oops.”

All three girls laughed . . . a
little more enthusiastically than was warranted. But it was a party so who
cares.

“Perhaps now is the right time to
disrobe.” Bree, Jax’x and Sassi all turned around.

“Should I restrain her?” asked
Bree.

“One must not touch the royal person
without permission. Isn’t that true dear Sister sister-in-law?”

“Absolutely. Benny actually
requires a note from my mother.”

“My brother is as wise as he is handsome. So, ladies, behold . .
.” and she opened the cloak with a great flourish and let it fall to the
ground.

And the remaining gaggle of young women screamed, squealed, eeked
and h’ssssed in delight. (Syl only smiled because this was her idea to take
some of the focus off Egg who just hated being the center of attention. There
would be another diversion – other than the Shamies - before the night ended).

When they finally quieted down, Egg
said “M-egg’Alynnia, you look like . . . like a real person. I absolutely love
it.”

“Ashley helped me pick it out. We
used something called the google and there it was. I will decree that we
get one installed on Aerianna as soon as possible.”

“I don’t think the google makes
deliveries out here.”

“Then I will go to Earth.” Everyone
smiled until Meggy added, “I am not joking. As soon as my term as Queen has ended,
I will visit Earth for an extended visit. Molly and Ashley have promised to
escort me.”

“Why Earth?” asked Aeri’elle.

“It will be the first stop on a
personal mission to experience firsthand the cultures of as many worlds as
possible. I wish to see the best, and the worst, of what the known galaxy has
to offer.”

“Sister, I would very much like to
discuss this in greater detail,” said the Dean of the University. “I have a
member of my staff that would find such a fact finding excursion of immense
interest. In fact, he has submitted a proposal for just such a study.”

“That sounds intriguing. Perhaps
you can arrange a meeting for me to meet him.”

“At your convenience.”

“Hey, big bird, who is this guy?”

The dragon made a face at Egg.
“This guy,” she said sarcastically, “is Professor Kal’el from Arakis Minor.”

“Are you referring to Prince
Kal’el?” asked Meggy.

“That’s the one. Since he’s about
tenth in line of succession to the throne, he decided to make a life for
himself in academia. He is quite brilliant.”

Tee’ka asked what the others were
thinking. “Is he pretty or married?”

“Not married. As far as his looks,
who can tell with humans?”

“H’ssss”. That would be K’ssss, of
course.

“Shut up, you slithering sack of
silly.” And that would be Soo.

Meggy decided to throw out a bit of
juicy gossip. “I have met him and I can vouch for his manly good looks. Rumor
has it that many women have fallen prey to his irresistible charms.” Oohs and
Ahhhs.

“Planning on taking a chaperone?”
asked Serenity mockingly.

Her response surprised the others
for its honesty. “Being Queen is not as much fun as it should be. Everything
must be prim and proper and performed within the bounds of tradition. When I
finally get to remove the crown, I intend to take full advantage of my remaining
years of independence. And, when that time comes, decorum, propriety, and
protocol be damned.”

The next few seconds of shocked
silence eventually turned into a tumultuous chant of “Meggy, Meggy, Meggy . .
.” and she curtsied in acknowledgement.

“Sorry to interrupt . . .”

“Is it Jynxie?” asked Egg.

“Yes, she has finished nursing her
children. May I introduce them?”

“You better. It’s the only reason
we invited you,” teased the bride-to-be.

Spirit smiled evilly. “If anyone
is interested, I did a Thought Weave on Egg’s honeymoon. The possibilities of
what might transpire are quite interesting. Though be warned - I found myself
furiously blushing.”

“You didn’t?” Egg was horrified
that her sister might not be kidding.

The girl shrugged non-committedly.
“If you would all step to the balcony, I will present Jynx and her two
offspring? The girl is Pynx and the boy is Stynx.”

“Who came up with those names?” asked
Ashley.

To everyone’s amusement and
confusion, Spirit blushed – presumably not from her Thought Weave. “A
friend.”

Egg wasn’t going to let her off
that easy. “NO, NO. Spill it Spirit otherwise I’ll get Waldo to do a brain
drain on you.”

“If you must know, a Shamie will
bond with a human. It is the way they have been bred over the centuries. A
female will bond with a female as Jynx did with me. A male with a male as Skar
did with Zu.”

“Which one’s the Shamie?” called
Sparky.

“Skar of course.”

Don’t interrupt her,” commanded
Egg. “So Jynx and Skar paired off. And, does that mean you and Zu . . .” and
she left the thought unfinished.

Spirit lifted her chin trying to
find a little dignity in the situation. “Remind me never to tease you again,”
she said referring to the Thought Weave. “However, to answer your question,
it is not mandatory – but it is quite common – that the humans will also pair
off.”

Naturally, the single-minded Tee’ka
asked what the others were thinking. “Is he pretty and are you married?” The
silence was so intense you could hear the proverbial pin drop.

“I found him to be quite
satisfactory.” When she didn’t add anything else,
the others booed noisily. “Oh, stop, you annoying children – he is
beautiful. There, I said it.” And the boos became cheers.

“So are you married?” asked Egg
seriously.

“We do not have the same ritual as
you. We simply acknowledged out attraction for each other and that is all that
is required on Paradox.”

I’za was pleasantly surprised. ”Spirit,
that is exactly how the Gek’a do it. It’s so nice to find another civilized
culture in this back-water galaxy.”

“It is so much more efficient,
isn’t it?”

“BARF,” yelled Serenity. “Where’s
the romance?”

“That comes after,” and Spirit turned her back to hide her red face.

*****

For those that had never seen a Shamie, or a baby Shamie, don’t
even think you can resist their cuddly adorable cuteness.  I’za, Molly, Jax’x
and Ashley fell into that group. But even for the others, the two babies forced
a motherly instinct that was impossible to ignore.

“Oh my gosh. They are just so
sweet,” cried Egg.

“Can they morph like Jynx?” asked
Syl.

“Oh no. That skill will take years
to develop,” explained Spirit.

Molly and Ashley were beside
themselves. “Can we pet them?”

“That’s up to Jynx. Come, let’s go
down,” and they followed Spirit to the grassy area.

As they approached, Egg called out.
“Jynxie, your family is beautiful.”

“Grrrrrrr.”

“How about a hug?”

“Grrrrrrr.”

Egg trotted over and gave the
Shamie a big squeeze.

In return, Jynx morphed into the
image of Ben’Edikk and returned the hug. The Sisters all howled and clapped
with pleasure . . . the noise frightening the young ones.

“Grrrrrrr Burp.”

“Sorry, Jynxie. Hey you guys, not
so loud – you’re scaring the little ones.” Everyone mumbled an apology. “May we
hold them?” she asked.

“Grrrrrrr.”

And for the next hour, the rest of
the universe was forgotten – lost in the pleasure of frolicking with the twins.

*****

As they walked back inside, Egg
pulled Syl aside. “Thanks.”

“For the party?”

“No. I mean yes, but not that.
Thanks for diverting everyone’s attention from me.”

“Figured you’d appreciate it. So I
have one more diversion then you get to model your dress and we’ll call it a
day.”

“Do you think I should make a
little speech?”

“I think they’ll be disappointed if
you don’t.”

“Shazbot.”

*****

They reconvened around the table
and Sylvia stood, clinked her glass and asked for silence. “Before Egg leaves
to put on her wedding dress, I would like to say a few words.”

“No.”

Everyone turned to look at
Serenity. “It’s the custom for the maid of honor to make a speech. And . . . I
am Egg’s best friend. It’s my responsibility and my pleasure,” explained Syl.

“That’s exactly the reason you
shouldn’t,” complained the girl in the chair. “In fact, I think you talk way
too much.” An uneasy silence settled over the girls. This had turned awkward.

Jax’x grabbed her friend’s arm and
squeezed. “What are you doing?”

“Hey, it’s okay,” called Egg trying
to diffuse the situation. “In fact, I prefer no speeches. I’ll just go change.”

“Wait,” said Syl stopping her
friend. She turned to Serenity and said, “If you want to speak, be my guest. But,
by that same custom, you have to stand up to do it.” The degree of
insensitivity in that statement, especially coming from Sylvia, elicited a
collective shocked gasp from the attendees.

Serenity tried not to smile. “Whatever” . . . and she touched a
button on her exoskeleton, stood up and pushed her wheelchair away . . .

Skotti had worked day and night to refine the suit. Serenity
wanted something a little more feminine – probably the first time in her life
she had ever made such a request. Though she had been wearing the suit all
along, everyone assumed it was just another example of the girl’s poor taste in
fashion.

She took a deep breath to steady
her nerves (after all, this was her first public showing of her new ability)
and slowly walked to the head of the table. Her steps were tentative and a bit
mechanical; but all in all, she was doing marvelously.

Everyone held their breaths while
staring in silence - afraid to make any sound that might distract the girl and
cause her to lose her balance and fall. Sparky slowly made her way to Egg and
gave her a hug and a kiss . . . then started to cry.

And everyone joined in.

*****

After ten minutes or so for one and
all to congratulate the girl, Syl once again called for silence. “Sorry about
that. We wanted something dramatic and might have gone a bit too far.”

“Hampton,” said Egg, “that was
beyond brilliant and incredibly mean. Thank you.”

“Do you know what was even more
impressive?” added Sparky. “When she saw Skotti in that original Ephemeral
exoskeleton, she knew that I had to have one. She called him to suggest he make
one for me. My man had already begun making the first one but didn’t tell her
that. He just complimented her on the suggestion and said he would.”

“Well, he’s a keeper,” yelled
Jax’x.

“Yeah, he is,” and she smiled to
herself at some personal memory.

“Anyway,” said Sylvia, “Serenity
does want to say a few words.”

“Thanks, Syl. So, as most of you
know, I’m not good at making speeches.” Someone giggled. “Shut up, Jax’x. And
I’m really terrible at expressing my feelings,” she stopped to stare at her
friend who refused to make eye contact. “But I need to give it a try.” Another
deep breath and she turned towards Egg. “Eloise Graystone, alias Flying Girl, I
love you. We all love you . . .” and she stopped to wipe away her tears. “You
have changed my life and the lives of everyone at this table. You have changed
the lives of millions of others – people whose names we’ll never know.
Aerianna, Spell ‘Bound, Zynn-Zaz’zia, the entire Federation of planets . . .”
She had to pause again. Egg tried to use the interruption to stand and put an
end to these compliments but Sylvia grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.
“Stay put and listen,” she scolded her friend.

Sparky began again. “You are the
product of your parents and Queen Rose, you were shaped by Grammy and your
friendship with Sylvia . . . and somehow this combination resulted in a person
that is so superior to all others it defies logic.”

“No, no. Thank you but please stop
. . .” Egg called out from the chair that Syl had imprisoned her on.

“Nope, can’t do that. Anyway, I
want to thank you – not for saving worlds – but for saving me. I found a family
in the Sisterhood, something that I never thought would happen after my mom
died. You invited me to join even though I tried my best to hurt you. You made
me a trusted friend and a Hameggattic sister when all I deserved was to be
spurned as your enemy. I found a purpose in life – a noble purpose – one that I
could hardly envision me doing or wanting to do. I was selfish, conceited and
just a colossal pain. Now – well now I know that I have no reason to be
conceited and no desire to be selfish.”

“You’re still a colossal pain.”

“Jax’x, why I love you is beyond
understanding.” She smiled broadly. “If I had to guess, I’d say it was probably
from pity.” They each stuck out their tongue at each other. “I’m almost done.
Egg, I owe you my life – and I mean that literally not figuratively. I intend
to follow you wherever in this galaxy you plan to go. I will stand by your side
and fight any foe that threatens you, the sisterhood or anyone we are trying to
protect. But I know that sooner rather than later, after you marry Benny,
you’ll want to retire as an active sister. When that happens, there will be no
more Hameggattic Sisterhood and the best part of my life will come to an end.”
She smiled sadly. “That’s me being selfish so deal with it.” She raised her
champagne glass. “To Egg of Earth, Heroine of Aerianna – may you find great
happiness with the Prince and may you always be my friend.”

And they all stood, raised their
glasses in a salute to the most extraordinary person they would ever know. “To
Egg,” they repeated and drank.

*****

They stood at the foot to the main
stairway to wait for the bride-to-be. Jax’x found Sparky and hugged her. “Great
speech.”

“Don’t be mean.”

“I’m not, you goofy grump. It was
heartfelt and sincere and voiced everything that we all feel. You did good.”

“Then no more ear flicks?”

Jax’x smiled. “It wasn’t that
good.”

“Here she comes,” someone yelled. They all turned to see their
friend make her grand entrance . . .

No one had ever seen Egg in a dress in all the years that they had
known her. And they were floored. “Absolutely stunning,” murmured the humans in
the crowd.

She made her way down the stairs as
carefully as she could. With the dress swirling around her feet, it was an
invitation to trip and fall in a most un-lady-like fashion. When she made it to
the bottom, she smiled and curtsied.

The girls oohed and ahhed and
applauded.

“You like?” and Egg spun around.

“It is magnificent, sister,”
proclaimed Meggy. “Absolutely worthy of a princess.”

“Thank you. And . . . thank Sassi.
She and Ssong designed it.” Ssong was Rose’s sister of course.

Over the next few minutes, everyone
came up to the bride-to-be to express their admiration for the dress and their
complete surprise that Egg really was female. “He’s going to be knocked
senseless when he sees you in that thing,” or words to that effect was the
common sentiment.

When the excitement died down, Egg
turned and climbed back up a couple steps on the staircase. “I would like to
say a few words if you don’t mind?” Duh, of course they didn’t mind.

“First, thank you all for coming
and confirming what I have always known – that we sisters have such an
incredible bond that transcends time and space. It never matters what species
we are or what planet we’re from . . . your love for me and for one another is
the real stuff of legends. As for the rest of our accomplishments, we were just
lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Let the history books say
what they want but we know the truth. We’re just ordinary women who care.

I was going to call out each of you
by name and tell you why you’re special to me. However, I think I’d rather do
that in private. So in the coming weeks, plan on an unannounced guest coming
for dinner. Expect a few tears and a lot of laughter and if it’s not too much
trouble, a big bowl of chocolate ice cream.”

“With or without hot fudge?” asked
Ashley needlessly.

Egg laughed. “Do you remember the I
Scream place you used to take me to?”

“Of course I do.”

“You were a great big sister. Thank
you.”

“The pleasure was always mine,
little sis.”

Egg went silent as she scanned the
faces before her. “K’ssss, you’re the only other one with a sister so maybe you
can relate to what I’m about to say.” She gathered her thoughts then continued.
“I had a great support system growing up. My parents, my grandmother and Syl.
But it was always Ashley that made me feel the safest. Mom, Dad and Grammy were
obviously much older than me. Their experiences were in the distant past and
didn’t necessarily mirror what I was feeling. Syl is my age and she was facing
the same things as I was. But Ashley was perfect in that she had gone through
the same growing pains that I was going through and had found a way to survive.
Her advice was always something I could relate to – and take comfort from.
Sorry Ash – I should have told you this a long time ago.”

“I always knew and it made me a
better person knowing that you looked up to me.” Things were getting to be a
bit teary.

“Anyway, the reason I bring it up
is because I now have a dozen or so sisters – and that includes you, Molly. For
anyone who doesn’t know, she was the one that convinced Benny to let Waldo fix
his amnesia.”

“Tricked not convinced,” corrected
the girl.

Most of them didn’t know Molly very
well. They knew her story but had spent little time in her company. Now they
all turned toward the embarrassed girl with a new look of appreciation. Anyone
that helped Egg deserved their high esteem.

Egg continued. “Every one of you is
my role model. I see unique strengths in each of you that I try to emulate.
Serenity said I was a product of my parents, Grammy, Dazzle and Syl and I
agree. But she left out all of you. So Ash, Molly, K’ssss, Aeri’elle, Tee’ka,
Bree, Soo, Bl’azzz, I’za, Jax’x, Meggy, Spirit, Big Bird, Sassi and Sparky –
thank you all for helping me be a better person. Thank you all for being my
sisters.” She stopped to wipe her tears which allowed the rest of them to do
the same.

“I do want to say a few words about
the topic that Serenity brought up. What’s to become of the Hameggattic
Sisterhood? I’ve given this a lot of thought recently. And I think that over
the next few years, we’re going to have to change . . . to evolve. I want to
confer with my . . . my Feminion first. Then we’ll convene the first Sisterhood
Convention where I can discuss these ideas with all of you and hopefully reach
a consensus on what we should do going forward. Here’s a hint – all of you will
have a role to play. Unless there’s a heath issue; no one retires.”

Those words turned the mood from
schmaltzy to somber and reflective. Luckily, Tee’ka being Tee’ka asked a
perfectly timed question. “Egg.”

“Yes, Tee?”

“Are you going to have babies?”
Everyone smiled and or giggled at the most inappropriate question.

Egg’s response was unexpected. She
had never shared what the Myst Tree had told her a year before. “According to
the Myst Tree, I will have at least two.”

BreeZee asked, “Why did he tell you
that?” The Tree wasn’t known for his casual conversational skills.

“When I asked him if the Sisterhood
would carry on after I retired, he said yes. And . . .” she drew the word out
and let it hang there.

“Spit it out, Gracie,” yelled
Sparky. “And what?”

“Geez, our little love fest didn’t
last long,” she teased.

“I swear I’ll . . . I’ll run up
there and tickle you.”

“Be careful Egg,” added Jax’x. “Now
that she has legs, we won’t be able to control her.”

“You know what’s best about her new
legs? She can now play on my dodge ball team.”

“EGG,” screamed Bl’azzz. “Finish
the story, would ya?”

“Sorry Hot Lips. The Tree said that
my youngest daughter would take over for me. He even told me what her name will
be. Apparently, I’ll name her Syl’kie in honor of my other brain.”

“Really?” sighed Syl.
“That’s so sweet.”

“BARF.”

“Shut up Sparky.”

Epilogue – The
Princess Bride

They stood in the same cathedral, on the same spot that
Rose’Alynnia and Z’kkk spoke their wedding vows. And with their permission and
blessing, they would repeat those very words (with a few minor changes).

As was custom, Egg spoke first . . .

“Love is a beacon, a shining light
. . .

That casts out the shadows from the
darkest night

Two honorable hearts that beat
apace . . .

Binding each other through time and
space

Souls that are not perfect, but
aspire to be . . .

Joined this day, and for all eternity.”

Then Prince Ben’Edikk spoke in turn . . .

“From the day we met, seemingly an
eon ago

I have come to love you, this you
know

Forced to part, I lost my way

As well as thoughts of seeing this
day.

With the help of friends, old and
new,

A second chance, my love renewed

I promise you with my soul and
heart,

No being in the universe will force
us apart.

You are my friend, my flowering rose,

I thank the stars that it was me
you chose.”

And finally, it was Egg’s turn to complete the vows . . .

“My fair Prince, my heart’s desire

It is you that set my passion
afire.

I have loved you from that fateful
night,

A gift from the stars, Light of my
Light

I once told a friend that a woman
can tell,

When she has met the man with whom
she must dwell,

Day after day, you are still that
one

From this moment forward, our life
has begun

As Lovers and Friends, Husband and
Wife

We will stand together, for the rest of our life.”

To complete the ceremony and in
honor of the age-old Earth tradition, Egg would now place a ring on Benny’s
finger. She had asked the sisters to choose who would hand it to her. By
unanimous choice, it would be Serenity.

The girl really could not stand for
very long even with her exoskeleton. After years of sitting, her muscles had
atrophied. So, she sat in her chair waiting for her cue. Egg smiled and nodded
to her.

Serenity took a deep breath then
stood to the surprise of everyone in attendance (including Benny) save the
sisters. As she made her way from the chair to her friend, a twinkle of lights
seem to follow her. They soon disappeared inside the electromagnetic field of
her suit.

The only one that seemed to notice
was V’az who gasped. He turned to I’za and said “The Glimmer” and he
pointed to Serenity.

“Oh no.”

Waldo, who was seated next to the
girl overheard. To be sure, he repeated “The Glimmer?”

I’za nodded. “On Serenity.”

Waldo’s head snapped around to look. The girl was approaching Egg
with her hand extended – holding the wedding band. The big man stood, rushed
out of the pew, arm outstretched and finger pointing menacingly at the girl –
screaming a blood-curdling “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”

In the cavernous cathedral, Waldo’s cry reverberated off the walls
and ceiling amplifying the already ear-splitting sound.

Rose and her husband, like everyone
else, turned to see who was causing the commotion. The sight of Mobius (it was
still the evil one’s body and face) charging at Egg with malice in his eyes
caused them to react instinctively. The Queen Mother put herself in front of
her daughter-in-law to protect the girl. Z’kkk pulled out his ceremonial
(though still real) sword and charged into the aisle.

Realizing everyone was getting the
wrong impression; I’za stood and began to scream – her voice adding to the
cacophony of cries and yells that had begun to swell in volume. Realizing no
one could hear her, she started to frantically wave her arms and shake her head.

Egg couldn’t see the aisle where
Waldo and Z’kkk were about to clash. With Rose blocking that view, all she
could do was look out at her sisters and friends. There she saw I’za and time
seemed to slow down. Her sister was trying to stop something . . . but what?
Egg turned back to aisle, nudged her mother-in-law out of her way and was
horrified. Lord Z’kkk was brandishing his sword and crouching in an attack
position.

Her father-in-law was going to kill
Waldo.

Egg and the
Hameggattic Sisterhood

Look for Book 5 of Ever After

The Reverie Glass

If you enjoyed Egg’s story, please take a moment to write a
review on Amazon. For independent authors like myself, we live and die by the
stars . . . the ones you give us. Thank you.

Robert Iannone