Image for cover art is courtesy of NASA. NASA images in the public domain are not copyrighted.

Story content is 2010. All rights reserved by the author.

Tides of the Continuum

Volume 1:

Making History By Keegan Hennis

I love my family. I finished something. Special thanks to my editor: Lisa Armstrong

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Back to square one. Lincoln marked another potential as rejected. These days, it was getting progressively harder to recruit volunteers. Paul, another recruiter, thought the time of year might have something to do with their losing streak. Lincoln looked at his watch and then grimaced. The date was September 22 and his time was running out. Lincoln felt a sense of urgency as he looked at his schedule. He would have to cut some corners, make some leaps and guesses, but he felt he could still get one more volunteer by the end of the week. Lincoln put his planner back into his satchel and closed it. He gently tugged at the strap. It was heavy. He had over-scheduled himself, again. Too many classes meant not enough time to relax, but then again, Lincoln wasn't the usual college student. He hefted the small bag over his shoulder and stood up. A cold breeze was blowing out of the north giving Lincoln a shiver. If he was a superstitious man

he might think something bad was going to happen soon; but it was only the wind. Lincoln was enrolled in the engineering program at Liberty Falls Community College, in Liberty Falls, Idaho. His enrollment was part of a deal he had made with admissions. In order for any one of the recruiting staff to be on campus for any length of time, mingling with the students, following them to classes, and in some instances visiting their homes, the recruiting staff must be enrolled in college courses. In exchange, the teaching staff agreed to maintain the secret identity of the recruiters. It was Lincoln's turn to be the recruiter. He still had one more name on his list of potentials and she just happened to be in a meeting with the Dean of Engineering. One of her professors had filed a complaint, again. Lincoln checked over the student records again, searching for the flags that would disqualify the file. He didn't find them. The student matched the preferred profile: little or no family, intelligent and open-minded. That last one was a must. The potential was a ward of the state, an orphan who never got adopted. She was on a full-ride scholarship. There was a note that said she was a quick learner. She was 22 years old, had an ACT score of 33 and a perfect score on her SAT; not unheard of, but rare.

One teacher said she was a pleasure to have in class; she just didn't like to admit she was wrong if she knew she wasnt. She had confidence; another must in his line of work. He closed the file and took a deep breath. The time had come when he had to meet her. He started up the stairs to the administration building of LFCC. Usually, the building was bustling with students and staff, but it was an hour after the last of the daytime classes and the building was silent. Lincoln walked down the empty white halls. The walls were barren except for the occasional corkboard covered with layers of jumbled advertisements. The corridors reminded him of a hospital or laboratory with a colorful twist. He stopped when he came to the Deans office. Dr. Susan DeMarco Dean College of Engineering He knew that on the other side of that door, there was a conversation nearing its end, dealing with furthering her employability. Lincoln sat down on a chair opposite the office door and planned to wait. He set his heavy bag on the floor; it contained too many books. He hated over scheduling himself, but he needed to be in contact with

as many people as possible. He sighed. At least the weight was off his shoulders now and on the floor. He tried to get as comfortable as possible in the small metal chair, thinking he'd be there a while. He pulled a sheet of white paper from his notebook. It had several creases on it showing how it had been folded and roughly refolded in the preceding days. The words were not uncommon, but the message evoked an emotional response in his hand. Lincoln crushed the page and threw it toward the opposite wall of the hall. Were it anything heavier than a sheet of paper, it would probably have caused some damage to the plaster. But it was just paper, and as such, it didnt even make it to the wall before it hit the floor. The overall message of the note told him that of the few other recruiters in his employ that had just finished their lists, not one had been able to find a single volunteer. Lincolns luck had been better, but not by much. They wouldnt meet their goals, which was frustrating to say the least. But with the impending meeting, Lincoln hoped to gain at least one more volunteer. He settled into his seat to wait. Much to his surprise the office door opened revealing a tall, stern woman with a tight ponytail full of coarse black hair. The second figure to exit the office was his potential, but he was rather surprised by the shape that met his eyes. He was expecting to see some short

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homely brainy young woman with glasses and a retainer. What he saw was completely different. She was easily six-feet tall; well toned, but not too thin; she had straight teeth, no retainer. And to top it all off, the short black hair he was expecting was replaced with long red hair, kept in a braid. Quietly Lincoln waited for the last lingering threads of lecture to be done. This is it, Lincoln thought, the easiest part of the screening: the meeting. Dr. DeMarco finished up with Aurora and turned her stare on Lincoln. Her icy gaze was like those freezerays he'd seen in the movies. Dr. DeMarco didn't approve of Lincoln being in her college. Lincoln didn't care. And this young man... Dr. DeMarco choked on the words, has been chosen to be your Peer Advisor. He will help you with your attitude and give you hints where you need them. And he will be reporting directly to me. Aurora looked Lincoln up and down with a doubtful glare, Whatever, was all she said. Dr. DeMarco walked back into her office and slammed the door. The echo carried down the hall for what seemed like an eternity, causing both Lincoln and Aurora to feel the well-known discomfort the administration building afforded.

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It was Lincoln, who first broke the silence. You want to get a burger? I'm starved. This seemed to ease the tension slightly. Aurora looked up at the wall clock, it said a quarter-to-six; she turned to Lincoln and said, All right, you're paying. Fine by me. Where do you want to go? How about the Den? she asked as her eyes narrowed, I hear the new Super-jumbo is killer. She seemed to be testing his metal, doing her own analysis. Lincoln could play her game. Sounds fun. And don't worry about Dr. DeMarco, she's more bark than she is bite. He was trying to smooth things out and help her think he was really just another student. It seemed to be doing just that. She had calmed down a little. So let me get this straight. If I step out of line for a second, you'll report me to the old bag and I'll have to repeat the Final Project. Am I right? She was checking his loyalty to the college. The Final Project was a semester-long course with only one assignment. The class had to work as a team in order to finish successfully. The divisions of labor and leadership assignments provided no challenge, but the projects themselves had a reputation of being extremely complicated.

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The two walked down the stairs toward the door. Outside was the grassy quad, and on the other side of that was the Den, a small on-campus cafe. Well, not quite, Lincoln said hesitantly, it's a little more complicated than that. It's like baseball, right? Three strikes, I'm out? Her sarcasm was getting to him. You're comparing this to baseball, when football is more similar. Different things you do are worth different points... And what happens when I reach the max amount of points? The door slammed as they left the administration building. Well, depending on what you do, the consequences could be as simple as a verbal warning or more counseling sessions, up to but not excluding forcing you to repeat your Final Project. Aurora stopped walking. They were about twothirds of the way across the quad when he said his last word. He looked at her trying to read her face. She didn't like being threatened, especially not from this know-it-all teacher's pet. It was like one tree holding an axe to another. Lincoln knew he needed to ease up a little bit. But don't worry, he continued, I'm as easy going as they get. I've even been known to crack a smile or two when the old bag isn't looking. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. This'll be fun; relax, all we have to do is

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convince Dr. DeMarco that you're ready to work with a team on to the Project and that degree is as good as yours. That did it. Lincoln was just another student again. She could trust him because he was one of her kind and he knew what it was like to struggle. And Aurora had to admit that Lincoln had personality.

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The alarm came too early for him. Lincoln slapped the top of his clock several times rather unceremoniously trying to silence the overly annoying chirp. It worked well on the fifth slap as he finally hit the snooze button. It seemed no sooner had he become again fully relaxed than it broke its silence again. A quick glance at the face of the clock told him that he had nearly run out of time. He had but precious few minutes left to shower, shave, and then sprint toward the Clark building. He had a class concerning psychology, or psychiatry; he always mixed up the two titles. Though he had no longer had a potential recruit in that class, he still had to attend it to fulfill the agreement with the school. He took comfort in the loophole that he had found that there were actually no requirements to do well in that class, so he used it as time for other purposes. One hour later he walked out of the lecture hall more hungry than tired, but not by much. Why did the more educated professors speak with such tones as

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would put elephants into comas? He walked casually toward one of the science buildings and noticed his new friend sitting alone amongst a rock garden working from a thick book. He changed his course and snuck silently up behind her. He double-checked to ensure his shadow wouldnt give away his presence. He stepped so softly that not even he heard it, but not four feet from Aurora, she spoke to him. Something I can do for you Mr. Smyth? Slightly crest fallen Lincoln stepped around the boulders and made a seat for himself near her on the recently mowed lawn. Nope. Im fine, he said as he set his satchel down on the ground next to him. Thats good, because I wasnt really offering any services. I was just letting you know that I knew you were there. Lincoln leaned back against another rock, but quickly leaned forward again as he had somehow found a sharp outcropping on the stone with his spine. He moved a few inches to his left, farther from her, and leaned back against the smooth, cold surface. Aurora continued to work from a book, writing notes on a legal tablet that she balanced on her other leg, until all at once she slammed the textbook closed, using the tablet as a bookmark, and slipped it gracefully into her own book bag. She spoke with such authority and independence that Lincoln found himself agreeing to her order. Take me to lunch.

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She stood and was perhaps twenty feet from him when Lincoln had made it to his feet, but he soon caught up with her. Where do you want to go? I want to eat something with some style to it. Beyond that, you pick. Lincolns mind raced trying to remember the names and locations of some of the restaurants in the area. As if reading his mind about its location, Aurora walked right to Lincolns car and waited beside the passenger door. He stepped up quickly, unlocked it and then opened it for her. As she stepped into the car, she said under her breath, Next time, just unlock it. Lincoln ran around the front of the car toward his own door. By the time he reached it, she had leaned over his seat and unlocked it for him. He opened it and said, Thanks. For what? For unlocking my door, clarified Lincoln. Right. So wherere we going to eat? Either Marios or Luciannas, he answered. Marios was a slow pizza place somewhat out of the main mass of the city. Luciannas was a middle-ofthe-road pasta restaurant. It wasnt very far, but Aurora had never liked the smell of the place when passing it. For this reason she said, Alright, Marios it is then. Lincoln carefully navigated the somewhat confusing streets out of the campus and onto the squarer lattice that made up Liberty Falls. The trip out

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to the pizza place was so quiet that Lincoln found himself unsettled and wished she had chosen the closer restaurant. The parking area was almost empty except for the few vehicles owned by the employees. Even though the place was open during the lunch hours, the general population seemed to think of it as more of a dinner destination. This had to do with the decorations, Lincoln thought. The dark wood interior and overabundance of neon lamps shaped like beer logos certainly didnt feel too inviting for a business luncheon. Sure enough, only one other table had a diner and he sat alone with his deep-dish and ale. Lincoln followed his guest to a small booth, but chose to sit opposite her. He looked around for a menu or even a folded card with their choices on it, but no such thing appeared to him. He completely missed the chalkboard behind the counter with a few toppings listed and the sizes priced. He leaned forward and said in a softer tone, Is there a menu? Not here, champ, said Aurora casually. A young-looking woman approached and put some water glasses on the table from her tray. Then she pulled a small pad of paper from her apron and asked without looking up, What can we get you two? Without pausing, Aurora ordered for them both, Wed like a large carnivore with extra swiss and two

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ginger ales. Wed like a side of tots while were waiting, with a small dish of ketchup and no other interruptions. And thatll be all. The girl wrote it all down and then left them to place their order. After a minute of silence at their table, their drinks and appetizers arrived and then they were alone. Lincoln took a small swallow of his ginger ale and then put it back on the table. Itd been some time since hed had soda. Aurora spoke up first between tater-tots, So tell me about yourself. Lincoln cleared his mouth with a drink from his water glass and then answered, Im 28 years old, from Alabama- You dont sound like it, interrupted Aurora. Not everyone in the south has a drawl, Lincoln countered. He continued, I hate anchovies and bees. Ive always been interested in space-travel, but not in a nerdy way. I think were pretty close to making some important advances. Thats why Im majoring in that area. Aurora ate the lions share of the tots while Lincoln respectfully spoke without eating. He didnt mind though, he was more interested in the forthcoming pizza anyway. Nonetheless, he ate the last two tots in one mouthful, showing his guest the courtesy he felt like he was receiving. Whether she knew he was sending her a message or not, he saw that she noticed

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his action. She paused to look at him for a second and then she quickly cleaned her hands on a disposable napkin. He invited, Your turn. Im not done learning about you yet. Tell me about your family. She did this half out of self-torture and half to envy him his family. Alright, said Lincoln. Im an only child, my parents both died about two years ago when a drunk driver rolled his SUV onto their sedan. Aurora paused mid-swallow and placed her ginger ale back slowly onto the table. But Lincoln didnt give her much time to digest that information before continuing, My wife died some years before that inanother accident. I dont have any children. Now its your turn. Aurora felt like such a heel. But how could she have known? Softly she spoke to him while reaching toward his hand, Im so sorry. I didnt mean to bring up painful memories. He pulled his hand away from hers before they touched. No, its fine. You were saying? Aurora felt such a renewed connection with him because of both his sorrowful state and because she too was alone. Her armor was cracked and she decided to let him a little closer to her. With her head contritely bowed, she responded, My mother died when I was born and I was put into the foster system. I dont know

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if my dad thought he couldnt take care of me or if he was angry at me for her death, but either way he refused to allow contact with me a few years back when I petitioned for it. She continued, Ive lived in so many foster homes that I have lost count. Everything good in my life, I had to do for myself, because there were simply too many children in the foster system to let us all get the attention we deserved. Lincoln listened respectfully to the things she was telling him, although he already knew most of it. Another swallow of ginger ale and she continued, I dont know what it feels like to lose someone close to me, but I do know how it feels to not have them at all. They sat for a few minutes in silence, like two lost souls finding a moment of solace in mutual loneliness.

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Aurora gripped the mechanical pencil tightly as she focused on the tiny piece of lead in her other hand. She had to line up both the pencil tip and the lead just right, as she held the eraser with her thumb. Success. Aurora was happy. She continued writing where she left off. Several weeks before, she had glued the eraser on her mechanical pencil in an attempt to keep from losing it as it had a tendency of late to fall out while she wrote. Only too late, she realized that shed effectively sealed off the easiest way to refill the lead compartment. So in an effort to save just a few cents she began to fill her pencil from the tip, instead of buying a new one. It still worked, and she could make it continue to work if she did so carefully. As she wrote a rough draft of an essay on engrained behaviors, she stopped. She gently put her pencil down on the table and sat back. Her thoughts turned introspective as she realized what she had been doing. She was a statistic. Some children raised in

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foster care had certain characteristics. Some hoarded things, collected things, destroyed things. Some gave their love too easily to others, while Aurora found herself closing her heart to the majority of society. As she thought back, she saw that she didnt actively make friends. In fact she shied away from others when not required to interact with them. Casually Aurora looked up from her table and noticed that indeed most of the people in the large room in which she worked were congregated toward one half of the room. But she had either consciously or unconsciously chosen to sit in the more empty area of the room. Tears started to well up in Auroras eyes as she realized she was pretty much no more than a product of her environment, and she hated being predictable. She stood and walked over to a trash can. She threw the mechanical pencil onto a pile of discarded nachos resting atop a small mountain of crumpled papers. She knew she would not try to retrieve it after the cheese bath it received. She walked briskly back to her table and began to gather her materials. But to her surprise, a voice from behind her caused her to pause. Darn, I thought Id join you. Lincoln sat down at the table she had been about to leave. Another student stood near Lincoln, as if he were his butler. But then the other guy spoke softly and

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Lincoln replied to him, Thanks Paul. Ill see you in a few days. The other student left, leaving Aurora and her friend mostly alone. Lincoln looked up to her expectantly. Slowly Aurora sat back in her chair, hoping he wouldnt stay long. But then she again realized her pattern and changed her mind. She decided to hope he would stay longer. Have I been cold to you? she asked in a low tone. Lincoln thought for a second before he answered her, Well, yes. But Im not offended by it. As near as I can tell most people who grew up in foster care sometimes have that as part of their personality. Aurora looked at him, not knowing exactly how to take his comment. But he continued, I think it just comes from uncertainty in a childs life. Children need a level of stability in order to develop properly. If they learn that they cant count on anyone to stick around, theyll begin to believe that they will always be abandoned. And so they begin to close themselves off from the world, ensuring they will never be hurt. Lincoln paused and then said, They may never lose friends, but they may never gain friends either. Im sorry Ive been rude to you. I didnt mean to fence you out or hurt you. No harm done. So whatre you working on?

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Aurora answered him by opening her book and showing him the title written largely across the top of her page: Developmental Disabilities Related to Childhood Trauma. To which he replied, Sounds like a knee-slapper. She caught his sarcasm and slapped his knee. Hey, you were right. I didnt expect that, though, said Lincoln back to her. She replied softly, more to herself than to him, I didnt expect that either.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

Scheduled checkcheck-in. Have you found it yet?

-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

I found what you've been looking for. She will be easy and gratifying to kill.
-END TRANSMISSION

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4
Lincoln! The shout rose above the dull tone of students milling around the halls. Lincoln, wait up! He turned toward the voice just in time to see Auroras red braid swaying from side to side as she strode toward him. To his left, Lincoln felt the unwanted presence of a previous potential. Whos this, Colonel, another volunteer? Lincolns skin crawled and his neck muscles tensed as the voice, tainted with a tone Lincoln hated, pierced his calm. He was being mocked. James Marlow was a potential three months before Aurora was considered. Jimmy, as he liked to be called, was very closed-minded. These days he was turning many of Lincolns potentials against him and in the process making his job ten times harder. What's he talking about? Aurora was completely confused by Jimmys remark. Nothing, just ignore him. Hes jealous that I made the advisor position. Lincoln hoped that would pacify her for now.

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They were almost to their next class, one that they shared, when Aurora spoke up. Why did that kid call you Colonel? She was sincerely curious. Ill tell you later. He didn't want to be so short but this wasnt supposed to come up yet. Jimmy was such a pain. Their next class was a math class: Advanced Calculus Theory. There were twelve students in the class and only one female. Aurora didnt mind being surrounded by guys. She didnt even notice because she was too intent on the lessons. This intrigued Lincoln; it was odd to find a girl in any of Dr. Grafs classes let alone this one, the highest math class offered by the small community college. The challenge excited Aurora. This was one more reason Lincoln thought he had found his last recruit for this trip. During the class, Dr. Graf wrote a rather complicated equation on the chalkboard. He was moving into an area of the curriculum the class hadnt learned yet. Lincoln knew he'd seen this concept outlined on the class semester syllabus, but had silently hoped hed be gone before this specific qualifier was introduced. Each semester had its qualifying moments, where the metal of potentials was tested. Candidates had to face a series of qualifying challenges he or she must pass in order to move to the next phase. Lincoln audibly sighed as Dr. Graf continued formulating the challenge in white chalk on the green blackboard.

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Lincoln had always thought it funny that all of the slate chalkboards were referred to as blackboards, including the green ones. He concluded that he would be forever confused. Dr. Graf elaborated his equation until finally he was finished and set his chalk in the little tray and faced the class. There were a lot of wide eyes and open mouths. Dr. Graf began to speak; his was one of those voices and personalities that somehow made math fun. Now I know some of you are thinking to yourselves that this is impossible or prohibitively difficult to solve. I thought that, too, just last night. I was thinking to myself How can I slay this monster? It is too big for a mere math professor as weak as I. I'll need my allies, Conrad the Gradient, and brave little i, the imaginary integer. I have found that it is best to slay this monster with two feet on the floor and two hands on the chalk. Then, amidst the courtesy giggles and smirks, Dr. Graf started to attack The Beast. He didn't start at the main mass as most would. Instead, he seemed to be prodding it and taking out small chunks here and stabbing it lightly there until the creature took the form he intended. And then Aurora realized his plan of attack and her hand shot up as she shouted, Professor! Dr. Graf was waiting for this with a keen smile under his bushy mustache. Lincoln watched it all in silence. Yes. Ms. Dane you have a comment?

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Sir, you're not trying to solve it. Are you? Her brain was still puzzling it through as she spoke. Why no, I'm not. Can you see why? He rolled back and forth on his toes and heels, giddy with anticipation now. Because it can't be solved. It's not that kind of equation. Dr. Graf was pleased with how fast she caught on. Lincoln was also pleased; he was very pleased indeed, but not to the point of automatic acceptance. He gave Dr. Graf a slight nod to signal that Graf continue his explanation of the problem on the board. Dr. Graf caught his gesture and eagerly continued. This is not merely an equation, but a tool to be used in the solving of other equations. Think of it as a piece of raw obsidian. We slowly chip away at it until it is a stone axe head, a weapon we may use to slay the greater beast. And with that remark still ringing in their ears, Dr. Graf turned to the board and scribbled an equation larger and more complicated than many had ever seen. A pencil dropped and a younger student near the back of the room was heard to squeak something unintelligible. Aurora was the first to speak up. You're right. With the axe equation this will be easy to solve, but time-consuming. Indeed, this one took me three and a half minutes to draw but last night it took me four hours and

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twenty-six minutes to solve using the axe equation. Dr. Graf blew off his chalk and set it in the tray. He gave Lincoln a slight nod and announced, Class dismissed. And remember the equation assignments from last week are due next Tuesday. Lincoln waited until the rest of the class was gone before he approached the professor. That was a close one. Colonel, I know this isnt your favorite qualifier, but it is the most telling. And I think that young Aurora has the right stuff. Sorry, I dont want to step on your toes, but she is the smartest student I have had in a while. Actually, I am inclined to agree with you. She shows a lot of potential. You did good. Lincoln patted Dr. Graf on the shoulder and left. Dr. Graf looked up to the board and with a sly grin spoke to the axe equation, Well, my friend, we did it again. Lincoln had a 45-minute break before his next class with Aurora. He used his time conversing with Dr. Boren, the professor who taught quantum and particle physics. The class was actually a mix of quantum physics and particle physics, two separate and distinct classes, with two separate and distinct books, and, in an ideal world, two separate and distinct teachers.

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This however wasn't an ideal world. When the classes were brought to LFCC, the schools budget was just small enough to prohibit hiring two separate professors and dedicating two separate classrooms. Therefore, the administration decided to buy both sets of books and hire one professor who would teach both fields in one room. It was a good idea in theory, but how it turned out was one room with over 500 students, one teacher, and not a lot of productive learning. Dr. Boren, an astronomer by hobby, wasn't versed in either field. As a result, when a student came to his office for additional guidance, he couldn't answer any question immediately. Many a student left his office frustrated. Lincoln was asking Dr. Boren to make a change to his teaching plan. What you're asking me to do is intentionally make a mistake in the middle of my lesson! He sounded incredulous. Lincoln hadn't worked with him before this time; he'd never had to. The positions he'd been trying to fill had never required this qualification. But Auroras case was different. I'm asking you to get mixed up and nothing more. Why should I do as a peer-advisor asks? You don't even know what youre talking about! Dr. Boren lowered his head and continued reviewing his lecture notes. Its hard enough to keep order in this class without a child trying to order me around.

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Without a sound, a single page of LFCC letterhead fell gracefully to the desk, landing on the book from which the professor was reading. The page was slightly tattered and had several creases across it. Whats this? asked Dr. Boren. Read it, was the only reply he got. Dr. Boren began to skim through it, and then looked up with a jerk. Is this some kind of joke? Check it, was Lincoln's terse reply. Dr. Boren reached over to the phone on his stack of books and notes. He dialed the extension mentioned in the page. Lincoln left Dr. Boren's office. He knew what was being said on the other end of the phone line, and he knew which office of the state department had been reached. He knew what kinds of threats were being shot toward Dr. Boren's career as a professor. Lincoln would wait patiently, if not a bit smugly, for a more humble Professor Boren to find him and apologize. When Dr. Boren did exit his office, he looked a bit like a puppy that had just been beaten with a pipe for chewing on his master's shoe. He didn't want to look up at Lincoln's face. I guess it helps to have friends in high places, eh Colonel? I'll do it, but not for you; only to keep my job. He turned, went into his office and slowly closed the door. Lincoln smiled to himself as he too turned and left the auditorium. Class didn't start for another 30 minutes and he was hungry.

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Lincoln ate his sandwich in silence, alone, waiting for his potential to pass him. She was very predictable, always walked the same paths, doing nothing extra. She came around the corner and noticed him; she picked up some speed. Hey fellah, what's new? she asked as she came even with him. Lincoln stood up and lifted his satchel. It was heavy. Nothing. You? Aurora smiled, Nothing. Are you ready for Dr. Boren's class? Lincoln looked forward, and with a comical glare, snorted, Bring it on! Lincoln's seat in the auditorium was mostly hidden from the rest of the class by a small, stationary pillar on which stood a multimedia projector, used mainly for elaborate presentations. The wall opposite the class was large, white and completely void of decoration. It featured one 4x12 dry-erase whiteboard that Dr. Boren often used to augment his slides by scribbling in marker while the image projected over his rough artwork. Dr. Boren began his lesson for the day. He had planned to go into an area concerning bosons, an interesting sub-atomic particle. For the sake of keeping his job he decided to compare two particles and mix up some of the facts. He didn't like it but he didn't like being unemployed either.

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The lights dimmed, the projector turned on and began to heat up causing its cooling fan to turn on automatically. This is a sphere, Dr. Boren began, I know you all know this, but what you don't know is what this sphere represents. For today's lesson, it will represent a muon. The slide changed to show a black dot. This is a dot. This dot is not the proper size proportion, but for easy imagining, this dot will represent a boson. Lincoln had to fight the urge to let his eyes droop and allow sleep to overtake him. Dr. Boren continued, Today we will compare these two particles. The muon is classed as a lepton, along with electrons, neutrinos, and Tao particles. A boson is not a lepton. I am not sure how it is classed, but I'm certain it's classed somehow. That was Lincoln's cue, the next statement Dr. Boren made would be false and Lincoln had to correct him, and then watch Aurora's reaction. He waited for Dr. Boren to continue as planned. The boson is roughly one twenty-fourth the volume of the muon. Dr. Boren paused long enough to allow Lincoln to interrupt and correct him. Lincoln opened his mouth and took in some air; he would have to yell to get his attention. But before he could get out a peep, another yell filled the room. To his surprise, it was coming from right next to him. Wait! Aurora shouted.

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Dr. Boren was as surprised as Lincoln and barely got out a crackly Yes? He looked at Lincoln who in turn gave him a shrug and a look just as confused as the one the Professor had used. I was reading ahead last night and I think you've mixed up the two particles, or mistaken them for others. She was genuinely confused on the matter. Or the man who wrote the book was wrong; or maybe the man who wrote the book was told wrong, or- Dr. Boren interrupted, Your point, Ms. Dane? She began I read that the average Z - boson is actually point-like in nature and mathematically has no volume at all. Dr. Boren looked at Lincoln who gave him a sign to keep the conversation rolling. Lincoln was getting more interested as it went along. Well, the book must be wrong; what I mean is the boson's rough diameter is estimated at one twenty-fourth the diameter of the muon. But wait! she cut in. This was getting better all the time. Thats not right either. Your math is off. If the Boson actually has measurable dimensions, and if the ratio between the two diameters is 1:24, then the ratio between the two volumes would be slightly more than... there was a slight pause as she went over the figures in her head, Slightly more than 1:1300. Lincoln checked her figures in his notebook. She was right; the ratio would be 1:1357.

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Dr. Boren was getting shaky. Small beads of sweat were growing on his forehead. His eyes looked as if they'd pop out of their sockets. He looked pleadingly at Lincoln, his eyes begging for help. All he got was a gesture, something like two hands breaking a stick in half. He caught the clue, Class, take a fiveminute break. The lights came on and the students slowly filtered out of the auditorium. Ill quit if I have to endure much more of this. Dr. Boren slumped in a chair and sounded on the verge of tears. Keep your job. I got what I needed. Here's for your troubles. Lincoln tossed several hundred-dollar bills onto his lap. I suggest you save this lesson till later, get some rest, and come back tomorrow knowing youll see neither her nor me ever again. As Lincoln left the classroom, he taped a sign on the door, reading: Class cancelled for the rest of the day. Be back tomorrow. Indeed, he had found what he had come for, which meant that Lincoln would be going home soon. The dorm bed couldn't hold a candle to the one he'd been used to. As he left the science building, he caught another cold breeze. But this time he was smiling.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

Finally! You work too slow. Were it not for your location, I'd have you killed.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

Watch yourself. Given a better offer I'd betray you too. I only do this for the promise of wealth and freedom.
-END TRANSMISSION

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5
Lincoln sprinted down the hallway, his sneakers squeaking with every step. A rainstorm the night before had left puddles outside; one of which had given his shoes their musical feature. The hour break between their shared physics and English class was five minutes passed due. Lincoln had chosen to spend lunch in the cafeteria, a move that had caused unpleasant consequences. Lincoln rushed to Dr. Aikins English 201 course. As he opened the door, it complained on greaseless hinges and revealed 48 pairs of staring eyes, their point of focus turning red with embarrassment. Dr. Aikins cheerfully identified Lincoln; It looks like we have a straggler! Lincoln cleared his throat as he squeezed into his seat. I had to get some antacid from the commissary. Dr. Aikins chuckled, Is the student union serving chili again? I understand. I had some of their chili last week.

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Lincoln found his seat amid giggles and grins as the lesson continued. The instructor prompted, Marcy, please go on. They were reading Shakespeare today, one of Dr. Aikins favorite authors. Marcy continued in her shrill voice, I have always admired Shakespeare's talent as a writer and think he must have had an enormous group of fans! Lincolns thoughts drifted as he pondered on what an interesting group of young adults were entering the world these days. Actually it wasn't until many years after his death that Shakespeare's work was truly appreciated. As the semester progressed, Dr. Aikins was finding it harder to keep her students focus on the lesson at hand. As the conversation continued toward the debate over the authenticity of Shakespeares folios, Lincoln slid a small note onto the table in front of Aurora. Before she could do anything with the tiny piece of folded paper, Dr. Aikins used her famed mind reading skills and interrupted the discussion. Though her attention was facing away from Lincoln at the time, everyone knew he was the target. Mr. Smyth, you know better than to pass notes in class. Have we digressed to kindergarten, or is this important? Lincoln clenched his jaw, using every ounce of control to remain calm as the center of attention. This was absurd. He was accustomed to speaking to

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thousands. Why was he getting embarrassed in front of a few college students? I didnt learn to write until second grade, so I guess the latter is true. Amid the giggles, Dr. Aikins watched Lincoln closely as he continued. You might say that the note has galactic importance. Aurora quickly glanced at Lincoln. She felt surprised to hear such an overly exaggerated adjective about such a small note. She then looked up to the professor, who eyed her, calculatingly. After a few seconds, Dr. Aikins curtly nodded her head and gave her response. Very well. Point taken. Now if it isnt too much trouble, please stop interrupting my class. Dr. Aikins appeared pacified with another comment from Lincoln, Im sorry for disturbing class. Ill take the matter up with Aurora later. As the lecture returned to the archaic misrepresentation of King Richard III by Shakespeare, Aurora opened the note eagerly. The contents were simple: Meet me after school. I'll be in The Den. This is galactic? Aurora muttered to herself as she stuffed the note in her pocket and turned her attention back to the lesson, just in time to hear an assignment. Class, your assignment this weekend is to

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write an essay analyzing Shakespeares portrayal of historical figures and the lessons they could offer the people of the modern world. I want it four pages, double-spaced, times new roman, 12 point font. Some of you try to get away with using large fonts, so you don't have to write as much. Aurora listened half-heartedly; she found herself distracted by this new development. The tiny note held her concentration hostage, as she wondered what was so important to Lincoln. She hoped that whatever motivated him wouldnt hurt their new friendship. After her last class of the day, Aurora walked over to The Den. Opening the door, the scene that met her eyes surprised her. Amidst the typical student patrons, a young lady, wearing an old blue dress, sat holding a little black dog in a woven basket. She sat at a table next to several other costumed characters. One resembled a fuzzy animal, another a robot, and the last ones costume had trailed a grassy mess all over the tile floor. Aurora guessed that the drama department was doing their annual rendition of The Wizard of Oz. As she passed by their table, she overheard the young lady saying something about her little dog, too. Aurora spoke to a waitress, Have you seen Lincoln Smyth lately? Not since he went to the men's room a few minutes ago, Hun. The server balanced several trays on her arms as she swaggered off.

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Aurora, still anxious about the note, sat down to wait for him in a booth near the exit. She fidgeted with the salt and peppershakers and the little sugar packets that never tasted like real sugar. Time seemed to drag as she waited for her apparently constipated friend. Thirty minutes passed. Shed ordered and eaten and considered leaving, when Lincoln finally exited the restroom. His face sported the biggest smile she'd seen in weeks and he had a funny hop to his walk. Trying to cover her anxiety, Aurora teased, You were making out, weren't you? I see the way Sarah Clint looks at you. Come on, tell me the good stuff. Sarah Clint has nothing to do with this. I dont even like her. She creeps me out. Lincoln plopped down opposite her at the table, folding his arms across his chest. I have just arranged to take you on a...field trip. Aurora cocked her head sideways and furled her brow. You arranged for me to go on a field trip while in the mens room? I dont think that sounds like a trip for a girl like me. Lincoln chuckled and then answered, I know this is going to sound weird, but yes I did orchestrate the trip in there. I mean the other people werent in the mens room with me, I was just communicating with them. That was the most quiet and secluded place I could find.

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Are you kidding? Thats a public restroom! It has to be the filthiest place in the world to talk on your cell phone. Aurora, relieved to know that Lincoln had arranged this meeting to discuss a field trip and not something with more potential to hurt her, now enjoyed this teasing. Lincolns face flushed red from embarrassment. Well, everyone else must think that and decide not to enter because the place was immaculate, not even a spot of dried water on the counter near the sink. And unlike the opposite sex we dont talk in the mens room. Its some kind of social taboo, making it the perfect place for a quiet conversation. Anyway, you were saying something about a field trip? What kind of field trip? I haven't gone on a field trip since the fourth grade. Lincoln broadened his smile. I think youll like it. There won't be any out-of-pocket expenses or long bus rides. And there also won't be any Dr. DeMarco looking over your shoulder. It will just be an adventure. Aurora sat back in her chair. This didn't seem real; sounded too good to be true. Aurora crossed her arms and looked expectantly back at Lincoln waiting for him to say he was kidding. Lincoln continued, If you're willing, I can get the old bag off your back for good. I can make all those people who make your life hard, just disappear.

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Auroras eyes narrowed, as she listened. You see, I'm not really a student mentor; I'm not even really a student here at LFCC. I am a recruiter for a very exclusive group and its been challenging to find the right kind of candidate. I believe you match our profile completely. What agency do you recruit for? asked Aurora. Its called Earth Protection Force. We are a very elite, highly skilled organization whose members are trained to protect the nations of Earth from destroying themselves. For the moment, and in this public place, thats all Im comfortable saying about EPF. But let me assure you that youll get more information in a more secure location. Can you at least tell me how I fit into the picture? Aurora causally checked her watch. She still wasn't certain that she was being told the truth. Weve had our eye on you for a long time. Not just you, though, about fifty people here in Liberty Falls were considered for various jobs. Have you heard of the Welliss family? Aurora shook her head no. One of my colleagues recruited the Welliss family about two weeks ago. Mr. Welliss demonstrated an extremely high capacity in the fields of engineering and design. He wouldnt enlist without bringing his family along on assignment. We obliged his request and they packed their bags for adventure. I guess they haven't turned up

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missing yet. Give it a week before their auto payments are missed and someone finds them gone, like a shadow when the lights are turned on. The hair on Auroras neck began to stand on end. If Aurora hadnt become such a good friend with him, she would think Lincoln had taken some kind of illicit drug. But then, something in his voice made her think his story could be true. Is this why Jimmy calls you colonel, because you come up with all sorts of fantastic daydreams? If you ask me, I think you should stay away from those nerd conventions. Some of it has gone to your head, fellah. She rose from her seat. Lincoln had to make his move; it was now or never. And if all of its true, would you be interested in joining? Come on, Aurora, you have nothing to lose. But if I'm right, you'll have everything to gain. Just give me one hour. You won't be sorry you did. Aurora felt certain she would regret her decision. Youve got half an hour before I have to be back to study for the math exam. We have some distance to drive, if I am to prove it to you. Lincoln negotiated. Then you'd better drive fast. Aurora grabbed her bag and strode out of the diner. Lincolns speech hadnt fully convinced her, but his friendship compelled her to trust him. He may have been off his noodle, but then again, she had just seen a pair of ruby slippers.

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Maybe a bizarre adventure with him did await her. Nonetheless she gripped the small pepper spray can in her jacket pocket, just in case. The scenic drive from the campus to Lincoln's destination wasn't as short as Aurora had hoped. It wasn't what she had expected either. She expected Lincoln would drive her to a nondescript suburban neighborhood, stop at one of the hundreds of nearly identical houses, and then drag her into a dark basement full of nerds pounding energy drinks and playing D&D. In reality, Lincoln kept driving, passed city limits, into the hills. As the sun set, it painted a beautiful smattering of purple and orange across the western sky. Twenty-six of your thirty minutes are gone. We'd better be there soon. Lincoln wasn't nervous; his goal was the next small farmhouse with a rustic barn. Your impatience isn't appreciated. Don't make me wrong about you. Lincoln's small beat-up car slowly pulled into the driveway of what looked like the remains of a farmhouse. He shut off the engine and opened his door. Aurora looked blankly at the dilapidated building. This is it? You drove me into the middle of nowhere, to this broken house, to prove that you're a secret agent. Where are the secret doors? I'm not convinced, fellah. Oh, please. That kind of stuff only happens in the movies. Do you expect me to be that obvious? Any fool with mechanical skills can make a secret door.

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He led her around the house to the saggy barn. As he opened the large storm door, he triumphantly smiled. But it would take more than just any fool with mechanical skills to whip up one of these Aurora's jaw dropped as Lincoln entered the barn. The yard light reflected off the shiny, metal skin of what looked like the nose of an aircraft. She stepped into the darkened barn and peering into the shadows could distinguish a large craft with three legs, resting on the dirt floor. Lincoln flicked on the inside light to reveal the rest of the craft. From what she remembered from space movies, Aurora guessed she faced a UFO. Not one of those cheesy, hubcap flying saucers, but one of the cool looking ones from a high-budget movie. It had a sleek design with smooth flowing contours, yet it also held a certain flare in its shape that exuded intimidation. You nerds sure spent a lot of money on this thing. What's it made of, fiberglass? She knocked on the skin, only to hear a flat, cement kind of sound. From behind a partition wall, a slightly metallic voice answered, This vessel's hull plating is a composite of several different alloys. It matches our needs for its purposes. The voice came from what Aurora saw as a slightly disproportionate man in metal clothes. I saw a costume like that in The Den an hour ago, only his was better.

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TK, assume diagnostic mode, please. Aurora watched parts of the metal clothes open to reveal various moving parts and small, flashing lights. She stood corrected; this was indeed a better costume than shed seen in The Den. Lincoln reached to the back of TK's neck. With a click and a pop his head came off in Lincoln's hands. Lincoln then handed the head to the metal man who reached up to grasp it. Aurora was befuddled. She watched as Lincoln then removed one of TK's legs at the hip joint. TK shifted his weight onto the remaining leg. Lincoln then took the head from TK's hands and set on top of the leg. There was another pop and click. The knee bent down and up again. The disembodied head then spoke, Do you still believe that I am a man in metal clothing? That's proof enough, Lincoln. Now put him back together, you're embarrassing him. Aurora was convinced, but then who wouldn't be after a bizarre demonstration like that? They're modular, just in case. Lincoln put TK's head back on and he walked away saying something about power converters. Just in case of what? Aurora's curiosity piqued. Just in case we need them to be modular. Lincoln definitely wasn't the type to give out extra information. This isn't the end of my proof. Do you

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remember that field trip I mentioned? Would you like to find out where its headed? You mean were going somewhere else? If you are still interested, but it will take longer than thirty minutes. You wont be returning tonight. Is that okay? Is water wet? If everything you say is true, you can't keep me out of this. Aurora leapt up the ladder steps to the hatch. Lincoln pulled a small object from his pocket and raised it toward the craft. It beeped and the hatch opened with a hiss of expelled air and the whine of electric motors. They both climbed inside, followed by TK. He's coming, too? Aurora felt unsure of what to expect. Shouldn't he stay and keep the place running? Lincoln had strapped himself into a comfortable looking chair and pointed to an open seat next to him. Aurora snuck several quick looks of how he arranged his straps. She did the same with her own seat-restraint. Keep what running? We arent leaving anything in that little house, and we arent coming back to this barn. I can't leave any traces; remember we are a secret organization. Besides, do you know what would happen to TK if he were found? Let's just say it wouldn't be a pretty sight. So where are we going? Aurora inspected the controls in front of her for clues.

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You'll see. As Lincoln pressed a few more buttons. Sounds erupted: some whirring, some buzzing, and some humming, all new to Aurora's ears. Before Aurora could brace herself, the small craft lurched forward and forced them both back into their seats. It smashed through the other barn door, which Lincoln hadnt opened. They were already a mile away, when the old barn creaked and sagged. Another mile later, and the whole structure collapsed in on itself, kicking up a large cloud of dust and debris. It wasn't too long before Lincoln slowly pulled back on his control yoke. The ship's nose pointed higher into the sky and Aurora guessed where they were headed. We're going to the North Pole, aren't we? That's the perfect place to put a secret base. No one lives there. We thought about it, but there was a high chance for discovery. Do you know how many expeditions go there every year? No, we're going somewhere a little more secluded than the North Pole. Do you mean the South Pole? I've always wanted to see a penguin! She grinned as she tested to see if he'd divulge their destination. Nope, not the South Pole. And before you ask, we're not going to the East or West Poles, either! Aurora squirmed at his cavalier attitude. Growing more impatient and excited by this new experience and the possibilities it offered, she asked,

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Would you mind letting me in on the big secret of where this thrill ride will land? I'd tell you where we were going to land, but we're not going to land. We will be docking in roughly 18 hours. Then you'll see the final evidence that EPF is real. Lincoln paused for a moment, and then added, I guess I fudged about the long ride there, but I was upfront about the absence of the bus. As they passed through some clouds, the ship shook slightly. Lincoln muttered something about turbulence and touched an area of the windshield. To Aurora's surprise, it displayed a set of colored spots. He tapped a few of them and a new set of colored spots replaced the previous set, however the pattern was different. He finished with these spots and they disappeared with a soft swishing sound. At the same time, Aurora felt a rather odd sensation, like a rush of wind that didn't really touch her, but she still sensed it. She couldn't help but gasp when it happened. You just felt the static buildup being discharged from the hull. Its a side affect of the system I just enabled. The hull now absorbs radar; no radar reflection means no annoying chase by the military. I bet they'd love to get their hands on this sweet little ride. Lincoln sounded like the boys in the auto mechanics lab talking about their muscle cars. Their little star pod felt quick and agile. They cleared the upper atmosphere within minutes, nearly

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obliterating a weather satellite along the way. But Lincoln piloted deftly around its edge. Before long he tapped a few colored spots on his instrument panel, then let go of the yoke and unbuckled himself. He stood up and stretched. Aurora caught him. Aha! I'm not that dumb! I know there isn't any gravity in space. This was just some kind of simulator! Nice fieldtrip. You would prefer to travel like this? Lincoln reached out and tapped a few buttons on his panel and grabbed his chair. A few beeps sounded and Auroras stomach flipped as if she was falling from a great height. She grabbed her chair waiting for the impact, which, to her surprise, didn't come. She opened the eyes she hadn't remembered closing and looked around. Lincoln, floating upside down in front of her, smiled. He held a small clear bag in his outstretched hand. Aurora soon discovered its purpose when the burger, fries, and shake she had eaten at The Den came back up to visit her. After wiping her mouth, she announced, All right, I'm convinced. Turn the gravity back on. Please. This isn't a necessary part of space travel, but it does make it easier for everyone without astronaut training. One of many gifts we received from some visiting friends of ours. Lincoln tapped some buttons on his console and the gravity slowly came back. The rest of their trip was uneventful for the most part. But it did feature a very interesting history lesson. Lincoln

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answered a few questions shed asked, and a few others she hadnt.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

Now that you found her are you ready for the next phase? And what of your item? When can it be ready?
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

The BIRD will be ready soon.

-END TRANSMISSION

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6
Lincoln sat back in his pilot's chair and turned it to face Aurora. He began, Have you ever thought about all those stars out there? Of course, I have, but it always makes me feel so lonely and small. All those stars and all that space and well, then there I was, alone. Yes, many people think that we humans are the only ones. Think of it, a hundred million stars and planets and only one of them is inhabited. The odds of that being true are so close to impossible that, as far as I'm concerned, its just that. Are you saying that your group has made contact with an alien species? Aurora was awestruck. To them, we're the aliens, and some pretty primitive creatures, at that. They contacted us. About one hundred fifteen years ago, they came to Earth. They had one intention and that was to help us, and many others, to break the bonds of ignorance and take our place among the stars as they put it. It did take some time to pass the language barrier, but when they did, it was no holds barred. They were giving us an

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opportunity of a lifetime. Lincoln was sitting on the edge of his seat now with his eyes shining. Did they give you this ship also? Aurora studied the design. There weren't any alien decals or odd fixtures. Did they make it for you? It doesnt look a hundred years old. TKs buddies made this ship, about four years ago out near the asteroid field. The facility is crude, not fit for humans, but it has everything the androids need to build ships. They don't eat, sleep, or breathe. They don't need heaters or sun block and they are perfectionists. We never have to worry about shoddy work. Aurora calculated her next question. How many androids does your group have? At last count, there were five hundred million, give or take a thousand. Lincoln had said it so matterof-factly that it took a second to process. Five Hundred Million! Why did they give Earth that many? Aurora strained to comprehend that great number, more than the population of the United States. No, they didn't give us that many. They only gave us one, but the one had within its memory, the complete schematic to reproduce itself. For the first year, the android assembled the resources necessary to build a satisfactory production area. On its home base, an island near French Polynesia, it constructed more

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androids, finishing one a week. It copied its memory core into the new unit, and they both began work on two more. With this exponential growth, you can see how, before long, the original group had a sizable number of androids to work with. Lincoln continued, After there were a sufficient number, they shifted their focus from building more androids to building spacecraft. They kept a few teams in the area of reproduction, and spaced the rest. Spaced the rest? Was that a high tech storage space in the stars or did they have a mission in space? Like to build larger items in a place that would not draw attention. I mean I get that so much building could be hard to hide from the rest of the world. Aurora asserted. Lincoln smiled. Aurora, you are going to fit right in with the EPF. What do you mean? You understand the logistics of building a space fleet and youve never really seen one before. Aurora flushed at his praise. Lincoln continued the history lesson. In the nineteen-thirties, war threatened the androids island operation. If the Japanese army, through its island hopping, found the facility, the war could have turned out differently. The androids fled the island leaving no

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trace of their activities and set up shop on the dark side of the moon. Like the Pink Floyd album? Aurora grinned. Yeah, something like that. Aurora continued, What about the first man on the moon? Didnt anyone notice thousands of alien designed robots? When the United States formed NASA in the fifties, it also threatened the secrecy of Earth Protection Force. We placed spies in the organization, to warn us of developments. It was good we did, because on December 24-25, 1968, Apollo 8 orbited the moon ten times, a mere week after we evacuated the equipment and scrubbed the site. Through the same spy network, we know that soon, NASA will be sending manned missions to Mars and beyond. We've already started the process of moving again, from the asteroid belt, all the way out to the biplanetary system of Pluto and Charon. It will be a longer trip back to Earth, but we will also be undisturbed for a very long time. Lincoln sighed after such an uncharacteristically long monologue. "Wow!" She closed her eyes and stood up. This was all happening so fast. One hour before, Aurora had no inkling of any of this, and she wasn't positive that she was ready for such a huge paradigm shift. Are all of your orientations so intense?

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Lincoln sighed and rolled his eyes as he leaned back. Actually, this is the first orientation I have conducted in a long time. All of my earlier candidates were almost to this point, but they each stopped returning my phone calls. Im not sure if I should envy or pity them. Aurora paused for a beat. Are these aliens still around? Can I meet them? Lincoln lowered his shoulders into a slouch; this was always the disappointing part. Well, the truth is we have seen neither hide nor hair of them since about 40 years ago. After we left the moon, we lost communication with them altogether. It's as if they're leaving us to our own devices now. I don't get it; they've already changed our course of development. I don't think they could do any more damage. Aurora rubbed her temples and sighed. Do you expect me to sleep in that chair, or is the floor more comfortable than it looks? Lincoln forgot about the time. By Liberty Falls' reckoning, it was already past midnight. I don't expect you to sleep in that chair; we have accommodations near the back of the ship. From what I remember of the outside of this thing, there can't be a lot of room for comfort. Aurora's eyes were starting to burn. She rubbed them lightly as Lincoln stood up to direct her to her bed.

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She followed him to the rear of the ship. Lincoln placed his hand on a glass panel and slightly pushed. A quiet hiss sounded as the door slid open, revealing a darkened rear compartment with some compactly stacked bunks along the wall. We don't usually use this ship for long trips, and we usually don't mind sleeping in the cockpit. Keep in mind: we're only going to be in here another couple of hours. I'll wake you up when we get to our destination. Aurora ducked through the small opening into the dimly lit alcove. She pushed down slightly on a bed; she didn't find it comfortable. This thing must have been designed for men. Wake me up before we get there. I want to be ready. Lincoln made a sign, something like a salute, and in a husky voice, grumbled, Aye aye, captain. Lincoln reached in, showed her how to open the door from the inside, and then closed it, leaving Aurora to consider all that he had told her. She felt awestruck with the future possibilities; so much had happened in so little time that it felt like a dream. But it was definitely real. She remembered all too well what happened when Lincoln turned off the gravity. Her stomach was still a little unsettled. Sleep wasn't too likely in her mental state, but physically she felt exhausted and she wanted to be ready for what greeted her next. As she sat on her bed, she noticed a figure opposite her, standing next to the

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wall. She jumped slightly, but recognized TK. He seemed to be in sleep mode. She noticed his form didnt move as he stood. On the other hand, Lincoln sat back in his pilot's chair and tapped some functions on his console. Part of it cleared to display a screen with a man's face on it. Docking control, this is Colonel Smyth, I've cleared Earth's moon, and estimate arrival in 12 hours and 28 minutes. Please ready a female's quarters, seven changes of clothes, a computer access station, and a greeting from as many of the senior staff as are available. The man's face remained unchanged as he replied, Yes, sir. Anything else? No, that's all. I'll see you when I get there. Lincoln tapped a yellow spot on his console and the screen disappeared replaced by other functions. He tapped a few more and classical music played softly. The cabin lights dimmed and he closed his eyes. He liked to go to sleep to Mozart. Lincoln dreaded sleeping in this position, but wasn't about to sleep on the floor; and Aurora needed her privacy. In the back of his mind, Lincoln held to the thought that the next time he fell asleep, it would be in his own bed. It was this thought which carried him into the dream world. Aurora waited in bed, for half an hour, for sleep to overtake her. Her eyes felt tired, but her mind couldn't calm down enough to go to sleep. Instinctively

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she pulled her bag to the bedside. Whenever she couldn't sleep at home, she started studying, and that usually did the trick. She pulled out her math book and looked at the axe equation. She knew she had somewhere around 10 hours or more before they docked. She thought doing homework would be a good use of time; at any rate, it might help her to get to sleep soon. Three hours later, she had simplified the large equation Dr. Graf had given her and was starting to get drowsy. She lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. Soon enough, her imagination showed her visions of the events in history, as she thought it might have looked. The large android factory on the island, their facility on the moon, the aliens' faces, all these and more surrounded her until she was lost in the shadows of her imagination. A screeching alarm ripped through Lincoln's consciousness and his eyes shot open. The chirping was coming from the timer he had set eight hours before. He sat up and tapped the reset. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and oriented himself to his situation. The ship still had four hours left before they were to dock with the EPF Legion and Lincoln had to prepare Aurora for the encounter. He raised the lights in the cabin and picked a meal packet from their supplies canister. He read the label: Menu #2 Corned

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beef hash, accessory packet B." He commented under his breath, "Yum, Yum. I think I'd rather wait until we get there than eat this swill. I hate corned beef hash. Lincoln wasn't speaking to anyone in particular. Soon, the door to Aurora's compartment opened and she stepped into the cockpit. She walked to one of the windows and looked at her reflection. She gave a sort of grunt and started applying hairspray in small amounts to the hairs that had escaped her braid in the night. This thing needs a shower installed. I feel horrible, what was that bed made of, cement? I agree. However this class of ship wasn't intended to be used for more than a few days, otherwise it would have been designed differently. Lincoln shouldn't have had to defend the look of the craft. It was a drop ship, not an RV. Comfort ranked pretty low on the list of requirements when these ships were built. Before we dock, I have to help you comprehend what you're about to see. What's the biggest spaceship you ever saw in the movies? Aurora sat in her chair and furrowed her brow. After a second she replied, Well, in the movie Star Battle, the main ship, The Unicorn, was like twothousand meters long. That's a little over a mile. I think that's the biggest. Well, let's think bigger. How big do you think a ship would have to be to comfortably house ten-

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thousand crew and one-hundred thousand androids like TK? Aurora's eyes widened. The Unicorn only had a crew of 400, and it was over a mile long. Thinking proportionately, to house one hundred ten thousand men, assuming the rest of the androids were humanoid like TK, the ship would need to be at least a thousand times the volume of The Unicorn. She assumed that the androids wouldn't need bathrooms or bedrooms, so they wouldn't need as much space as would men. It seems to me it would have to be about a thousand times bigger than The Unicorn! Lincoln leaned in a little closer. The ship we're joining is called the EPF Legion. In length, it measures roughly 1000 miles, width 800 miles, in height almost 400 flat, and contains 4270 decks." "Did you say miles?" interrupted Aurora. "A lot of the volume of the Legion isn't livable space because it's full of machinery to support life, and produce propulsion. There are also several hanger bays, which, because of their size, aren't pressurized. Nonetheless, it's a big ship." "What about cosmic dust? Asteroids? Caustic gas clouds? How do you protect something of that size?" Lincoln responded, "The outer hull of the Legion is 100 feet thick for protection against impacts.

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Abrasion from cosmic dust is eliminated by charging the hull to repel the dust." Aurora, ever the eager learner, continued to ask questions. "How fast can a ship of that size travel?" "It has a maximum speed of around seven hundred million miles per hour, just over light speed, with its slow engines. In Hyper-cruise, it's been clocked at two thousand times that. When you see it, keep in mind that it was designed for one primary purpose: to maintain peace at all costs. How long did it take to build it? Five-hundred million artificial laborers, working around the clock, completed the Legion in five years' time. They had to make it from scratch. They used asteroids for ore and vast quantities of various gases they harvested from some of the outer planets. The Legion has been in service for almost seven years. Where is it? Can we see it? Aurora was looking out the windows, searching wildly for the Legion's massive bulk. At first glance, its running lights blended with the surrounding stars. Then all at once, her eyes focused on it. How long till we get to it? Lincoln checked the counter, In just under an hour. We're still some thousands of miles out. Aurora watched intently as they neared the large craft. Soon it was too big to be seen through the windshield, and still they approached.

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Aurora asked, Whats with the void in the middle of the ships area? Lincoln already knew what she was referring to and pointed as he answered, The engine nacelles, those pod things to the sides of the void, cause the ship to move forward by pulling space back. Its kind of like rowing a boat. But the engine assemblies are designed symmetrically. They pull space on both sides of each engine, making it almost impossible to have structural attachments on the sides of the nacelles. Because of this, each engine was attached on the top and bottom, and the primary shape of the Legion was engineered around it. Thats the reason for the open area between the engines and sandwiched between the upper and lower portions of the ship. This design also allows us to have several launching bays in that area that can release ships in a kind of protected harbor. Aurora felt excited, but a small part of her began to worry. Normally when good things happened to her, the universe found a way to taint them with some sour point of reality. Her mind began to wander toward what the down side could be to this new facet of reality. Perhaps Lincoln's group had her mixed up with someone else and would sooner kill her than release her back to earth with the knowledge she had received. Perhaps they were not as benevolent as they pretended to be. They could be cannibals, intent on introducing

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new blood into their breeding stock for the food of the giant robot overlords. She dismissed the last possibility as it sounded too ludicrous to be real. But then again she was riding in a shuttle toward a ship that measured roughly one and a half times the size of Texas. In time, they traveled into the void between the upper and lower sections of the Legions massive shape. The surface that previously appeared smooth from thousands of miles away took on a rougher contour. The small ship entered a large hanger bay recessed in the skin of the Legion. They touched down in the middle of an immense parking area full of various ships of different sizes. There was a slight bump as they landed.

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Lincoln moved to the back of the small ship and opened a compartment. He pulled out a pair of space suits; he laid one on the bench in front of Aurora then started to climb into the other. She caught on and picked up hers. She had a little trouble sealing it, but with Lincoln's help, they were soon ready. Lincoln touched a small gray box on the arm of Aurora's suit and she heard a click. He did the same to his own arm, and then spoke. To Aurora's mild surprise, she heard him in her helmet. Be careful when we leave this hatch. This interior parking area is a maze and I don't want to have to send teams to find you. We only have about ten minutes of air without reserve tanks. We'll be breathing the air that's around our bodies, in the EVA suits. Try to breathe calmly and you'll be fine. In spite of her pounding heart, Aurora gave a cool nod and wink. They turned to the hatch; Lincoln pressed the buttons that would safely depressurize the cabin. Aurora listened as the hiss gradually went silent. She noted that she could still hear her own movements,

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but not Lincoln's. It was like she was watching an old silent film. The hatch opened and Lincoln picked up an odd-shaped object before he exited the craft. Aurora followed in silence. She heard Lincoln's voice over the helmet radio, There is a cable with a snap ring on your suit. I want you to attach it to mine on the little ring in the middle of my back. Do you see it? Aurora answered, Yeah, I see it. You know, I won't get lost, you don't have to collar me with a leash. You misunderstand. We aren't going to walk the three miles to the airlock door. That would take too long. Luckily, the artificial gravity is only effective for the first ten feet above the deck plates. That's what this is for. Lincoln lifted the object he'd picked up from the ship. "We'll climb up the side of this craft and jump beyond the gravity field. Once we are weightless, I'll use this booster to make course corrections and navigate us to the other side of the hangar. Hurry, we're wasting air talking about it. Lincoln was already climbing the side of the craft. They got up to the top as Aurora felt the dizzying sensation in her head from the lack of gravity. Luckily, Aurora's nausea didn't return. On a three count, they simultaneously jumped up and Lincoln switched the small booster on. It lurched in his grip, directing them toward the airlock chamber on the other side of the massive bay. The booster was only active for a few

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seconds, just enough time to give them momentum to keep flying; but it went cold before its jet wash burned a hole in Lincoln's suit. Aurora felt a short wave of panic wash over her as the cord tightened and then jerked her after Lincoln. As she gripped the cable connection, she was glad she'd secured herself as Lincoln had asked; she wasn't certain she could have held on tight enough to not be left behind. While they were gliding at altitude, Aurora looked down at the hundreds of vessels over which they were passing. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she started to breathe harder. To calm her, Lincoln began talking smoothly and slowly about the ships below them. She stared in amazement at the varying designs and shapes and sizes. There were several different groups, which she categorized. The compact streamlined vessels seemed to be a kind of small starfighter. While the oblong and compartmentalized ones, she assumed, were for cargo transport. Lincoln pointed to a few and identified them as Talons, as Fangs, some as sloops, and a few as frigates. He told her she could find complete information on the entire fleet in the ship's central computer system. They reached the other side of the hangar just as Auroras heavy breathing started to take its toll. Lincoln ignited the booster for some slight maneuvering and they set down about ten feet from the

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door to the airlock. Aurora was getting light headed as they stepped through the doorway into the pressure chamber. Taking hold of a handrail, Aurora steadied herself and relaxed slightly. She heard air moving as soon as the door was sealed. A tone sounded and Lincoln quickly opened her relief valve. What did you think of your first experience in space? Aurora smelled clean air and breathed deep, filling her lungs with its sweetness. Not bad for a field trip. She replied as she opened her suit and quickly shed its bulk. Whats next on this thrill ride? They heard a loud metallic clank, as the airlock's other door unsealed, allowing it to roll open and reveal a small group of people waiting on the other side. A tall man stepped forward. He had bright copper hair that continued down his jaw line, and around his mouth. His uniform fit snug, but didn't look like it would restrict movement. He raised his hand to shake Auroras, Welcome aboard. I'm Commander Paul Cutler, Colonel Smyth's First Officer. I run the ship while he's away. She responded shyly, "Aurora Dane." She would have said more, but for once in her life was having trouble finding words. Commander Cutler turned and, with a wave of his hand, introduced several other people. This is most of the senior staff. Here we have Dr. Eliza Cruz; this is

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Chief Engineer, Peter Ambrose; this is Amelia Cruz, she's our Chief of Security. Aurora stammered, Nice to meet you, as she glanced at each of their faces in turn, registering that these werent aliens. They were humans. She had to continually remind herself that she hadnt just sped into the future, but was still in her contemporary present. But then, paradoxically, she had stepped into the future. These humans had grown accustomed to living on a starship, which according to modern earth technologically should be impossible and yet, there she stood on the deck plates of a real starship. Her own personal Twilight Zone had commenced. The whole thing was dizzying and exciting to her at the same time. Hey, wait. Ive seen you before, said Aurora. Paul replied, Yes, we met briefly at your college. But I was unable to stay for a proper introduction. I was also working to recruit new volunteers. Yeah, I heard thats getting tough lately. The first officer ignored her comment and continued his welcome, We have prepared a place for you to stay. It isnt big, but it has everything you could need. We have arranged for a tour of the ship, later. It wont be a complete tour, because of the sheer size of the thing, as you can imagine. This, he handed Aurora a small object resembling a money clip, is a gift from us to you. It's a comlink. You clip it to your collar or

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neckline and it acts as a sort of radio, or cellular phone. The difference is you dont have to pay for airtime. Its activated when you say the word Central. You then name your target and you are connected. Its handsfree at its finest. Aurora looked around at the staff and noticed that they all had comlinks on their collars. So I can speak with any person on this ship? Is there a phone book I could look through? I mean there has to be two people with the same names here, as big a ship as this is. Arent there like two or three Bob Jones? This could get very confusing. Her rambling was cut short by a response from Security Chief Amelia. If Athena has any question about who or what you are referring to, she will ask you questions to help clarify. She doesn't assume. Aurora was perplexed. She had assumed that Central was a switchboard or something. Did you say she? Is there only one operator? Lincoln said quietly to her, "Athena is a computer, not a switchboard operator." Aurora asked, "And it responds to verbal commands?" Peter must have understood her question because he knew how to answer it. Peter raised his voice and said, Athena?

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From no particular origin, a voice replied. It was a smooth, female voice, with a gentle undertone. It said, Yes, Mr. Ambrose? He continued, Wed like you to meet someone new. This womans name is Aurora Dane. She will be staying with us for a while. Athena answered, I am pleased to meet you, Ms. Dane. Mr. Ambrose, is this the new occupant of section 48, subsection 326, block A, room 2985? Aurora blurted, Is that my address? What a mouthful! Athenas perpetually calm, disembodied voice answered, Would you like a new address? I could assign you something a little easier to remember. What about block A, section 1, subsection 1, room 1? Ive found that people have an easier time remembering numbers that are redundant, and the location I mentioned has recently come open. Aurora looked at the others; she didnt know how to answer. She had never spoken to a computer before. I guess, whatever you think is best. So your name is Athena? Yes, it stands for Artificial Thinking Heightened Ethical Neural Assembly. But I like the symbolism of my name also. The original Athena was the mythical goddess of wisdom and protector of her people, she responded.

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Then, why do we say Central before you connect us with someones comlink? Aurora asked. Because when you start with the word Central, I know that you are referring to me to connect you with the name you say next. Athena answered. Um, okay, thanks. Aurora said. The tour continued from one level to the next. Most of the traveling was done in small van-sized carriages they called maglevs. They floated in a magnetic field, touching nothing, until they stopped. As they traveled in vacuum through tunnels several hundred feet across, they reached extreme speeds. This system of transportation, allowed people to go from one end of the ship to the other in minutes rather than the months it would take if moving at walking velocity. Aurora was awed by the sheer size of the ship. She saw enormous machines and systems, many of which, on earth, wouldnt be invented for decades. She saw dining halls large enough to feed all of Boise in one sitting, bays full of more vessels than would fit in the Great Lakes, and rooms with forests growing in them the size of small cities. The enormous artificial environments were complete intricate biospheres. As they entered a maglev after exiting one such room, Lincoln spoke to Aurora about another special safety feature. If ever there is any kind of breach that threatens the atmosphere of a specific area of the ship, the ship is designed to seal the damaged section. So, if

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the hull ruptures or a maglev tunnel rips, the ship automatically contains the bleed with special bulkhead doors, so that the entire ship doesnt decompress. Any dramatic change in the ambient air pressure triggers the seal. So, if the forest room we were just in started to burn and the air pressure dropped, the forest would be sealed off from the rest of the ship? Right. Good idea. said Aurora as they walked. Yeah, we thought so too. Thats why we had them built. Sounds like something the RMS Titanic had. Lots of good it did them. The rupture they faced was more than their system could handle. That doesnt mean the idea itself was flawed. Now, that Ive had a glimpse of your ship, are you going to tell me what Im being recruited for? Lincoln answered in a general way, We would like you to join EPF. We think your profile matches several different areas of expertise and you could choose from a wide variety of options. For instance your ability to both see the details and the complete picture could lead into either engineering or research." "Oh great, so something I was studying anyway."

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"Right, but you could also be considered for a command capacity because of your assertive personality. We often promote command personnel from within the ranks, but from time to time we feel the need to infuse new blood into our leadership positions. Take me for instance. I was recruited directly into the command program, bypassing others below me in rank. I was first a trainee, then second officer and then first officer. I was given command of this vessel when it was commissioned some years back. Aurora yawned as they stepped from the lift into another corridor. Is this boring you? Oh no, its fascinating, but I just need some shut eye. When do I get to see my new apartment? How about now? This door is yours, said Lincoln gesturing to one of the many along the hall. Aurora casually entered her door and gingerly looked around. Lincoln entered also, but kept a respective distance from her. Aurora explored the back rooms until she found her way back to the main living room where Lincoln awaited her. So? he asked. Thank you. Itll do, Aurora said to her tour guide, her comment pregnant with unspoken words telling him his presence was no longer required.

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Well, Ill see you in the morning. Weve had a full day touring this monster of a ship, but tomorrow is going to be even better. What you got planned? Aurora asked as she led him back to the door. Im taking you flying. Out in space. And then before he let the door close behind him, Sleep tight. Aurora found her way back to her bedroom, sank down on her bed and closed her eyes with the intention of sleeping, but found it impossible. The thought of more spaceflight excited her, but she still had so many questions about the Legion and most of them centered on the ships amazing central computer system. She called on Athena again. Yes, Ms. Dane? Athena answered. Please, call me Aurora. She said. Okay, Aurora. How may I help you? Athena asked. Aurora started, Well, Id like to get to know you better. Where did you come from? Athena didnt need time to think, I was first brought online almost eighteen years ago. My matrix was put under construction in a large laboratory clean room somewhere near Tonga two years before my birthday. I call it my birthday, because I wasnt aware before that date.

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Aurora wanted more. Who were the people responsible for your creation? Were they alien or human or what? How did you get here if you were built on Earth? How many megahertz are you? Whats your hard drive capacity? How fast can you fly? Tell me about your nitty-gritty guts. Well, Athena began, I think I can tell you most of that. The beings responsible for my concept, design, and construction, were primarily androids. The next phase of my construction was the building of my ship. At first, I was fitted to a relatively small vessel. It was only a few hundred feet long, and didnt have many whistles and bells. I could get around the solar system well enough to escape capture and I could defend myself effectively. Aurora assumed the only ones who would capture and threaten an interstellar computer were Cold War vintage xenophobic government officials with space-bound nuclear missiles. Aurora snorted as she imagined Khrushchev and Kennedy playing space invaders with a machine as advanced as Athena. Athena continued, I wasnt fitted into this starship until near its completion. I was carefully removed from my previous ship and installed without incident. The ship was finally declared complete on April 14, 1998. Aurora interrupted, "So, I was fourteen years old when you were installed. While I was getting acne, you were leaving the solar system."

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Athena continued, To answer your previous question concerning my processing speed, I think that megahertz is a rather insufficient scale. I would be measured at near 4.8 yottahertz, or roughly one quadrillion times the speed of a 5-gigahertz chip." "Whoa, thats pretty fast. What kinds of materials make that possible? Are the technologies alien or human?" "My actual physical processor is primarily constructed with several different types of ceramics and Newtonian Glass, which are superconductive at room temperature. My memory capacity is different than anything you know. It isnt physical memory at all, but virtual storage. It is similar to the fashion of memory used in the human brain; the only difference being my core is not organic. I have, within my core, a library of everything on paper. I possess the combined knowledge of humankind, plus a large portion of the Visitors knowledge, as well." "So in the wrong hands, you could be pretty dangerous." "My memory core is inaccessible to any being save one only. My matrix is maintained by a single android, which is housed inside my memory compartment. I possess a completely separate reactor, insuring that my power will remain intact in the event of emergency. I communicate with the rest of the ship

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by the use of telekinetic field relay circuitry. I can neither be jammed, nor compromised. I also possess a way of evacuating, if needed, from the bulk of the Legion; and in the case of extreme emergency, I have the capability to incinerate myself and everything else in my compartment. And finally, the Legions top speed is point zero two percent over 2048 times light speed. So, youre fully loaded, huh?" Aurora observed. Then another question struck her. Athena, where is your processor located? What I mean is: where are you? Is your location classified? For once, Athena paused, considering whether Aurora could be trusted with this information. She began, Aurora, I am hesitant about telling you my location. There are only ten people onboard the Legion who know it. If my location was to be broadcast, and I was to somehow be shut down, I would no longer be able to protect my crew. I hope you dont feel bad if I refrain from telling you? Aurora wasnt hurt at all. She was just troubled by the possibility of attack. She thought the earthbound humans were no threat at all. But then, she realized that a desperate man could do dangerous things, especially if he is sitting on a nuclear warhead. No, I dont feel bad. I was just trying to learn more about you. If you dont want to tell me where you are, I dont mind. By chance, what time is it on this ship?

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Athena seemed to be perkier now. Our time is based on the National Institute of Science and Standards, in Fort Collins, Colorado. The atomic clock they possess is perfectly attuned to my atomic clock. The time is presently seven thirty-eight in the evening. Aurora yawned. I guess Ill go to bed now. Could you please wake me up at six a.m.? Of course. Goodnight Aurora, sweet dreams. Aurora went to her bedroom, changed into some pajamas and slipped between her sheets. As she stared at the paneled ceiling, she mulled over everything she had learned that day. It felt like an input overload weighed her head down. All she wanted was to sleep, but her intuitions pounding in her head warned her that something was about to happen.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

We are nearly ready on our end. Final testing was successful. During the event, we will extract you and give you your reward.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

Im finishing my part; stick to the plan.

-END TRANSMISSION

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Auroras restless dreams were rife with strange shapes. She seemed to be floating in space, watching a grand battle. She could distinguish tiny lights whizzing around several gigantic starships. She recognized one of the giants as the Legion and supposed these flaming insects were small, one-man fighters in some sort of conflict. She saw terrible explosions, and flashes of light. Miniscule green and purple lines shot from the darting insects, as powerful red blasts came from various positions on the two giants. Flaming clouds started to creep ever so slowly from the side of the Legion. Their speed seemed distorted because of the massive vessel they crawled along. As the Legion was conflagrating, the other vessel was moving forward, passing the first doomed ship to a safe distance. The Legion suddenly burst as blue rings of light pulsed from its center creating an energy wave that ripped through space. Aurora watched as the energy wake disintegrated the smaller gnat-like fighters, the ones

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who couldnt get away in time. In sheer horror, she realized that the wave was also traveling toward her at unprecedented speed. She tried to run, but her legs clumsily moved her nowhere in the vacuum of space. She couldnt even turn herself to block her view of the ever-brightening death threatening to engulf her. The vacuum of space eerily silenced all the sounds of her impending demise except the erratic pounding of her heart in her ears. All at once, she heard a voice in her ear. It was muffled but distinguishable. It said something in another language, one she didnt recognize. Then it came again, only this time, she understood. Aurora? Can you hear me? I am calling, as you asked, at six a.m. Are you awake? Aurora opened her eyes with a shock. She bolted up in her bed, shrieking and covered with sweat. She looked around her. The walls were a dull gray, but turned smoothly white as the room lights came up. Few decorations caught her attention like the one opposite her bed, some sort of abstract sculpture made of shiny metal. She hadnt remembered seeing anything on that wall before. Then the voice came again. Aurora? Are you okay? I sense your pulse racing, your breathing heavy, and youre shaking. Did you have a bad dream? It was Athena speaking, very concerned with the well-being of her newest guest. Aurora wiped the

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sweat from her face and hands as she got up from her bed. She went into the area labeled sanitizer. She took her clothes off and touched the control panel for a shower. As she slowed her breathing, she remembered that Athena was speaking to her. Im fine. I just had a bad dream. It seemed so real, though. Things werent dream-like; they were as vivid as memories. If you dont mind my asking, would you please tell me what occurred in your dream? Athena inquired. Well, Aurora began, there seemed to be a sort of space battle going on. I saw two huge ships fighting, one was the Legion. They were surrounded by lots of little ships fighting. There was a big explosion, and the Legion blew up and the other huge vessel kind of moved passed it to get away. I thought it odd that it didnt just turn around or go backward or something. But the battle ended in a huge shock wave. Does that sound weird or what? Athena was silent. Then she spoke. Your presence is requested in a briefing on deck three-fivetwo, section C, subsection 58. Ill tell you the directions along the way. Please get dressed as fast as you can, theyll be waiting for you. She sounded urgent. Aurora did as she said. The clothing provided her was of a new design. It resembled the uniforms she had seen on other people, excepting a few differences. The uniforms she had seen were predominantly gray, with various colored

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highlights. Lincoln had identified the meanings of the colors; red was medical staff; amber signified the command personnel; the mechanics, engineers, and the technical groups all sported a shade of dusty green. Aurora's outfit was predominantly a dark gray with purple highlights on her cuffs, collar, and waist. Her footwear was replaced with special boots. They werent bulky; they just had a support strap imbedded in the sole, which enhanced the grip to the gravity plating. When Aurora left her quarters, Athena directed her to another nearby maglev. She found it empty and stepped inside. Athena navigated the car to her destination. Aurora sensed the car accelerating to great speeds on the long stretches and recognized that it changed direction frequently. She asked, How do these move so fast? Athena explained, The size of the ship necessitated the design of high speed travel. The Legion is riddled with corridors. They arent pressurized. Theres no wind resistance or friction to slow you down. The high speeds are achieved by manipulating the ambient magnetic field; we can travel extremely fast and cover large distances in a short time. The car arrived at the nearest junction to her destination. The door opened and Aurora stepped out. Athena then directed her to the briefing room where a

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group was waiting for her. As she entered, everyone at the large conference table stood. A young-looking blonde man introduced himself. I dont think weve met. My name's Blake Heron, but everyone calls me Buck. Im the Senior Tactical Officer. You can sit in this seat. He directed Aurora to a chair next to his own. Everyone was seated. Buck was a shorter man, very muscular, with crew-cut hair. He had a two-inch scar below his left eye, connecting to his jaw line. Lincoln sat at one end of the table. He was dressed like the other people in the room, with amber highlights on his cuffs, collar, and waist. He spoke to Aurora. Athena has told us of your dream. Can you tell us of any other details you might recall? Aurora appeared slightly confused. Are you serious? You called a meeting of your Senior Staff to discuss a dream I had last night? Im not psychic, you know. It was just a dream. Lincoln looked at a few other people at the table before continuing. They each nodded in turn. He began, Remember when I spoke of the Visitors, the aliens? Aurora nodded. Lincoln continued, Well, the main way they started to understand our language was through the use of a sort of telepathy. Were not sure how they did it, but they also had a way of communicating over astronomical distances, by inducing message dreams. The mind is most

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susceptible to suggestion in R.E.M. sleep. With great distance, their effect on our minds is diminished, but they can still send message-dreams. When I said that we lost contact, what I was meaning was that the last message dream we received was about five years before we moved our facilities from the moon. The Visitors told us to set up spies in NASA to anticipate its moves. The only people who know of message-dreams are the people in this room. The Visitors only contacted Earth Protection Force leaders in this way. This is why we are worried. Lincoln sat back in his chair. Buck started, This message-dream comes at a very tense juncture. We have received word from an outer rim station warning us of a disturbing occurrence. A fleet of space vessels has been detected approaching this direction. Our recent intelligence has also tracked the research and development of a gravimetric weapon, code-named Black Core. Potentially, it has the ability to create an artificial gravity well a great distance from its primary generator. We have no information on its full capabilities, but if such a device were given enough power, it could create enough gravity in a specific location to rip apart a moon, or a planet. It may even be engineered to crush an entire star." "What does this have to do with my dream? I didn't see a black hole in it."

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"Dreams can be interpreted and the other ship may have represented this gravity weapon, which we know is a real threat. Additional reports point to a known extremist, an individual named James Benton. He now calls himself Gracchus. Aurora was trying desperately to keep up. There are hostile aliens approaching Earth? Lets blast em. This ship can do that, right? Buck looked at Lincoln. Lincoln answered, Your dream suggests otherwise. In your dream, the Legion was destroyed. A gravimetric weapon like the one our intelligence has described would be a very formidable foe for us to battle. And, no, these arent aliens. Theyre human. You see, about forty years after Earth Protection Force started, there was a power hungry man in the ranks who desired to lead the EPF. His name was Alexei Romanov, originally from Russia. He attempted several times to seize control of the moon base, but in the end was defeated. He escaped with a handful of androids and a few dozen mechanics, and left earths space. Everyone at the conference table nervously shifted as they listened to Lincoln unfolding history. Behind him, on the wall, a screen came to life. A space map filled the screen showing the assumed movements of Romanov. Romanov didnt stop at the edge of the solar system, but kept going. He made it all the way to

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Alpha Centauri before he decided to stop. It wasnt very long before he and his followers moved again, though, traveling still farther from earth, trying to find a planet, which could support life. It is quite possible that they did, though we havent found it yet. As near as we can tell, theyve been recruiting more people from earth, since then, as have we. The difference is they use androids for nearly all their military jobs. They have about a hundred military personnel and about fifty thousand artificial soldiers, from our last report. But we have no way of knowing how many civilians they have. The image on the screen disappeared and everyone refocused their attention to Lincoln. He continued, We predicted Romanov would go and get himself killed, and he eventually did, leaving his first mate in charge. After several violent shifts in leadership, we come to the present day. This Gracchus is now in command of the rogue group, which goes by the name Koratind Ratahn." "Do we know what their intentions are?" asked Aurora. Buck, as the lead strategist, interjected, "The Ratahn imagine that their founders were expelled for no reason from earth, and for this they wish to hurt earth. Aurora's message-dream indicates that if we confront that fleet directly, we will fall, and earth will be defenseless. We cant let that happen. No government

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of earth is prepared to repulse a space attack, nor will they be for years to come. The nearest ally ship, the Vestroya, is over a week away, and they wont be able to put up much of a fight against a threat that causes the Legion to pause and take count of itself. So its down to us and whatever we can do in the time remaining. Does anyone have any ideas?

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All around the table were silent for a moment, and then a hand rose. I have one. One of the darkhaired sisters spoke. What about the planetary defenses? Do we have time to initialize the system? That option is off the table. Our last report outlined a procedure for startup, which would take at least a month. Peter Ambrose was well versed on the facts. He further explained, There are twenty reactors to heat, two of which are in disrepair. There are three hundred energy pulse emitters, one hundred-thirty shield generators. All of which must be warmed up with the greatest care. One wrong sequence and the entire grid may destabilize. To top it all off, we dont have a month to spare, chimed in the first officer, Paul Cutler. Our estimates project the enemy will be within range of earth in a little over eight days. The conference room filled with even more tension as the leaders of the ship looked at each other solemnly. The fate of earth's six billion people was on

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these shoulders. A nervous cough, a chair squeaked, someone sniffed, and then it was back to work. "What about a planet-wide evacuation? asked Doctor Eliza Cruz. We dont have time to call for other cruisers, but we may have room enough for everyone on this ship, if we use all our ships as transports and possibly pressurize the launching and cargo bays. Another bad idea, Paul said derisively, wed likely encounter resistance from the masses, possibly even from the armies of the governments. Why? Cant you just beam all the people onto the ship? asked Aurora. Aurora's Hollywood skewed perception of space lightened the mood. There was a sort of snort from Buck as a few others chuckled at her question. This isnt Space Train, its real life. Lincoln explained, We cant just beam anything anywhere. This is still the twenty-first century; we can travel to the next star relatively quickly, but teleporters will be science fiction for a few more years at least. We would have to load the entire population of earth onto shuttles in just over a week. Given more time, we might possibly fit them all, yes, but wed be in no position to fight the Ratahn. Wed be increasing the Legions mass by an estimated four hundred million tons with the people alone. And that would seriously diminish our maneuverability.

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Lincoln leaned forward, resting his elbows on the conference table. Putting his hands to his face, he slightly rubbed his fingertips along his brow and cheeks. "Come on people. We're better than this." There is only one solution to this problem. Athena's disembodied voice drifted from above. The option I compute, with the highest chance of success, and also the only one we have time to execute, is to set our course to intercept the threatening ships. It will draw the Ratahn forces from earth, and give us a chance to neutralize the Black Core. Paul, scowling, spoke quietly to no one in particular, Once again, our daring heroes risk all for a nebulous reward. Buck ran his hand through his bronze hair and asked, But what of Ms. Danes dream? Auroras dream didnt tell us that wed fail if we confronted our foe, but it was a warning to be careful. In her dream, she described two large vessels, surrounded by swarms of starfighters. The two giants were in close range to each other. If we keep our distance, sending our fighters and support ships, the outcome may be in our favor. Lincoln surveyed the grim faces of his colleagues. His eyes stopped with an apologetic look as he met Aurora's gaze. Taking a deep breath, he asked the room, Are you sure you want to do this? We could

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very well be destroyed. Are we willing to take that chance? Athena's gentle voice didnt pause. I believe everyone here is prepared to do whatever it takes to uphold the motto of Earth Protection Force: To Mend, And Defend. I think the risk is worth it, said Lincoln. All those in favor of Athenas plan? The entire table sounded one synchronous, Aye. Lincoln asked for any opposed to say, Nay, none did. Then its settled. Athena, make the announcement. Inform the crew that any personnel desiring to return to earth should report to launch hangar alpha. Have shuttles ready for them. Yes sir. said Athena. A tone sounded in the conference room and Buck's eyes lit up. "Lunch!" he announced as he turned excitedly to Aurora. In mock-conspiratorial tones, he explained that the tuna on rye was a specialty of the food service division. The doors to the conference room swished open and in came a steel cart pushed by a young man wearing white jacket and dark slacks. "Wow! You guys get first class service in space," Aurora noted. "Just because we are military, doesn't mean we are unsophisticated," smiled Eliza.

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"Well, other than the imminent danger of complete annihilation, I think the food has me sold. When can I sign up?" Aurora elicited a few chuckles from the group. The server placed plates of food in front of each of the senior staff. Several started eating immediately and a few stood and stretched before reclaiming their chairs. Now, about this weapon, started Chief Engineer Ambrose after the serving staff had exited, do we know anything about it? Any hints or clues pointing to a possible weakness? Commander Cutler answered, We have a partial schematic and reports from a dozen eyewitnesses of its power to manipulate gravity. Nothing weve found suggests anything like an unprotected thermal vent, or weak stabilizer, or that kind of thing. From what we know of this Gracchus character, he is quite the perfectionist. He doesnt leave anything to chance, and there is no such thing as good enough. Well, from what I see, one of the main design features of this weapon system may also be its best defense, interjected Chief Ambrose. From the drawings we have, it looks like when the system is running, the core of the weapon houses an artificially born singularity contained in a compression field. If were too close to the enemy ship when its damaged,

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the entire Legion could be pulled into the gravity well, or at least enough of it to mortally wound the ship. Thats a pretty good attack deterrent. We also know that he is moderately paranoid, said Dr. Cruz. He doesnt trust anyone he cant control. He surrounds himself with bodyguards and keeps a firearm on his hip, just in case. There is even talk of a public double; a person who was surgically transformed to look similar to him, to be a target in public places. But then, his paranoia would prevent him from having such a person, for fear that the double would take over. Aurora cut in, So basically, we are going up against the classic bad guy from every space movie. Except this guy wont hesitate to kill you when youre tied up in his lair. You will never catch him spinning a monologue about his genius plan, Lincoln added. I have an idea, interjected Athena. The enemy doesnt know anything about my method of communication with our troops. If his androids have the same design as ours and if he has truly filled his ranks with androids save a few men, whats to stop me from taking complete control of the whole fleet? There was silence for a moment. Amelia spoke next. Can your matrix handle as many as fifty thousand extra androids?

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Athena paused, and then answered, I shouldnt have too big a problem with the entire load, providing they are all within my range. I must warn you, however, that I may only have control over the androids and not the Black Core." That takes care of the rogue androids, but doesn't account for the human factor. We need to at least consider restricting Gracchus. He is a control fanatic and won't be too far from the Black Core or its controls. We can also assume he wouldn't trust anyone else to pilot the ship on which the Black Core resides because they may use it against him." Buck said. But surely he must know he would be the prime target onboard the ship with a weapon like the Black Core. mused Amelia. Does he have a death wish? He might, answered Paul, but then, sitting on top of the biggest gun will tell you who all your enemies are. Theyll be the ones pointing their guns at you. And whos to say that he cant somehow use this Gravity Field Manipulator to deflect our firepower? The room became silent. No one had considered the possibility that they couldnt touch their enemy until it was too late. The thought made them nervous. They saw before them, on one wall, the incomplete schematic of the weapon, and next to it, was displayed a description of its probable capabilities. Among them was the capability to create multiple

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gravity distortions in two different places at once. This meant it could compress matter in one location while expanding matter in another. In theory, the Black Core could force negative gravity around itself, while simultaneously pushing a gravity-well deep into the fabric of space nearly two million miles away. It could be ten times farther from Earth than the moon and still push the entire planet into oblivion, and the people of Earth wouldnt even be able to see their attacker. said Aurora. Lincoln sat forward and said, Athena, man all starfighters, support ships and external defense placements with androids. Identify places along the enemys path that may afford us an advantage in a fight. Were going to war.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

We approach. Be ready.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

I have encountered some obstacles in the required adjustments. I need more time.
-END TRANSMISSION

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People moved through the hallways like ants. Each uniformed insect had its own job and together they worked in unison for a common good. There were a few families who decided to move to earth, for the duration of the battle, knowing that the outcome could mean the future of the entire human race. The waiting game began for those on earth. They waited for either the EPF Legion to return, or for the Ratahn to inflict revenge for a half-century old vendetta. The EPF maintained a small emergency compound in the remote icy regions of Alaska. This they used for their protection. They numbered two hundred humans plus five hundred defensive androids. In space, the Legion would set its course to intercept the Koratind Ratahn. The senior staff planned to force the conflict to take place at a location where, at the very least, neither the Legion nor their enemy had the advantage. This binary star system is ideal, said Buck, pointing to a workstation display. Earths databases identify it as 36 Oph. Technically its a trinary system, but two of the three stars follow

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overlapping elliptical orbits. The third, 36 Oph C, hangs back about a sixteenth of a lightyear, or 400 billion miles, from the other two and doesnt seem to have detectable movement. Right now 36 Oph A and 36 Oph B are just over twelve and a quarter billion miles apart. That should give us plenty of maneuvering room, should we need. Lincoln broke in, And how much time will we have before they get too close for comfort? Buck tapped a few controls on the console in front of him before the screen displayed the information he wanted. It looks like the last time they were farthest apart from each other was in February of 1931, and theyre on the same inward swing right now. Stellar cartography predicts theyll be their closest range to each other in about September of the year 2148. And at that point theyll still be almost six times the distance from Earth to its sun. So then we have time, said Lincoln jokingly. Well, yes, answered Buck, carrying the joke. But not much, only just under a century and a half. But I wouldnt get too nervous until we have a quarter century left. Now curious, Lincoln asked, What classes are the stars? Buck answered after briefly referring to the information displayed, Both stars are class K1V, or a bit smaller, cooler and less massive than Earths sun.

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They have an average luminosity of slightly less than half of Earths sun and are in the orange to red color range. Theyre dwarf stars, just like ours. The Visitors calculate orbit degradation will end in the two colliding causing a cataclysmic explosion in roughly ten million years, give or take a decade. Lincoln sighed. Its too bad we wont be able to see it. How far are they from our position? Lincoln turned from the monitor to face Buck. Presently 36 Oph A and B are just under 19 lightyears away. At our top speed, we should get there in 3 days, 11 hours and 17 minutes. Set course for 36 Oph, maximum cruise, ordered Lincoln, impressed by Bucks mental math skills. Aye sir. And what is to be done with our guest? She doesnt have combat training, said Buck. Aurora won't need to worry about it. I dont plan on getting the main ship that close to the fray. Besides, if the battle ground starts to shift this way, well put her in an android depository, or the brig. They both chuckled as they thought of a modern woman being incarcerated in a Legion brig. They had been designed to be completely unbreakable, even for a robot. The walls were poured cement, with reinforcing fiber, three feet thick. Formed on earth, then brought up after curing, the cells were veritable fortresses. The only access was a door in the

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ceiling, fifty feet above the floor. These cells were impregnable from either side of the door without Athenas permission. Lincoln decided he better talk to Aurora. She busied herself in her room, securing her few belongings. From what she remembered of the television shows she had seen as a kid, sharp quaking of the camera along with people falling over guardrails usually accompanied space battles. What are you doing? asked Lincoln Im making sure none of my stuff gets busted in the fight. Havent you ever watched Space Train? Every time the ship got hit with a torpedo, it shook like an epileptic hippo! Aurora was convinced that these people didnt get television in space. I think I have seen that one. You mean the one where all the aliens look like humans with makeup, and their teleporter is actually a bundle of Christmas lights wrapped around a florescent light bulb? Lincoln teased. Auroras eyebrows knit together and her usual breezy smile fled. Upon seeing this, he continued, Sorry, I didnt mean to offend you. I just meant that they didn't understand real space flight, let alone a battle. Everything Hollywood put on film originated with nerds who never had girlfriends, so they made up secret clubs with secret codes to attract other nerds who never had girlfriends thinking they were actually being cool.

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Aurora laughed out loud at his remark. Shed never heard it put that way before. He was right, though, she realized, about the nerd clubs. There had been a few student organizations on campus that were completely off the wall. Lincoln continued, If this ship ever encounters a battle, there shouldnt be any erratic movements. We have too much mass to be jarred easily. We also have a neat device, which dampens inertia. Thats how we can accelerate to light speed and beyond in seconds without being turned to jelly the instant we jump. Currently were traveling at maximum cruise, and Ill bet you dinner you didnt even feel us start up. Am I right? He was right again. If he hadnt told her that they were moving, she would have had no reason to think it. This experience was turning out to be less of a joy ride and more of an awakening. Aurora absorbed so many new things so fast; all her preconceptions of the future were being flipped completely upside down. She stood up facing her friend, waiting for the macho talk to begin. He would undoubtedly tell her that she should have returned to Earth, for her protection, or that she must stay out of the way of the seasoned warriors as they fought. But Colonel Lincoln Smyth was full of surprises today. Id like to take you to the armory, to issue you a weapon. That is, if you dont mind carrying one. You seem like the kind of

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woman who likes to defend herself, not just cower in the corner. All Aurora could say was a stuttered Okay, thanks. On their way to the armory, Aurora envisioned the war movies she had seen, the space movies, and the ones that dealt with strategy. She tried to remember the plans and maneuvers. When they arrived at the armory, her thoughts left her. Lincoln handed her a very stout concussion pulse rifle, three battery clips, and a shoulder strap to hang it all over her back. Lincoln gave her a small palm-size pistol and explained that it was very dangerous to artificial soldiers, but nearly harmless to humans. It attacked by use of directed microwave spurts, not visible to the eye, but lethal to a positronic network. She was given a homing beacon, first aide kit, and five small oblong objects called EMP grenades, which had an effective range of fifteen feet in all directions. These articles were safely and neatly packed into a sort of mission satchel she could carry over her shoulder. This will probably be your only warning, Lincoln advised, but if you should ever have to use any of the EMP grenades, you'll get a little dizzy for a second, but any and every piece of electronic equipment within its blast range will be ruined beyond reasonable salvage. This nondiscriminatory weapon hates all technology, ours included. If your comlink is

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fried, youre out of luck. Athena cant talk through rocks, which is just what your comlink will be as good as. I get the picture. What about my weapons, will they still work? asked Aurora. Your weapons are designed to be EMP resistant, not EMP proof. The rifle is shielded to withstand a pulse from close range. Your first aide kit is immune; its all chemical, not electronic. Your stinger, the small microwave pistol, will be immune to a blast, even at point blank range. Its design doesn't rely on computerized circuitry. And, as I said, your comlink wont have a snowballs chance of surviving the pulse. One more thing dealing with an EMP grenade, get rid of it before it goes off. There is a concussive burst, which will definitely cause nerve damage to your hand and wrist. Any other questions? Yeah, one more thing thats been bugging me, began Aurora. If, according to the traditional laws of robotics, androids arent supposed to be able to harm humans, why do you guys design weapons that can defend against them? Well, the easy answer is because some robots arent designed the same as the rest of the androids out there. Right, I got that part down already, but make me understand what makes them different. Why would I need to kill an android to preserve my own life?

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You see, any robot designed to use deadly force is an aberration of the template. They have unique programming. Assault capable robots dont have the same brain structure, even on the microscopic level. They arent one hundred percent stable either, only about one in a thousand attempts to make one successfully generates a tactical assault robot. Their mind had to be coded from scratch, whereas the average androids mind is pretty much an evolved duplicate of the original android given to us from the Visitors." Why is it so tricky to create one? We think thats done on purpose, a failsafe put in place by the Visitors to keep it from happening. If someone had an army of millions of androids capable of human murder, well lets just say there would be a new king in town. And since tactical use robots have no morality, they follow all orders from their superiors, without question. They are the perfect soldiers, but hard to come by and valuable enough not to send in by the thousands. Chances are slim of any of us ever fighting one, but just in case we do, wed like to be ready. So keep your weapons handy. Anything else? He looked at her wryly, and got a negative nod. Nah, I think I got it all. Bad robots exist, so use my pistol on them or EMP, but dont keep it in my hand. She said, and then asked, Where will I be locked up during the fighting?

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Still expecting some kind of macho response, she was surprised upon hearing his reply. You can do what you want during the fighting. You can choose to support a defense squad in the case of an intruder, or you can hide in the brig, where youll most definitely be safe. The choice is yours. Aurora thought for a minute. The idea of being locked up in a jail was not very enticing; but then again, she didnt like the thought of being shot either. I guess I can stay out of jail and help where I can. Where do you want me to take position? Lincoln shrugged, I really dont think the battle will head this way; but if it does, we could use you with an intruder response group. As large as this ship is, it does have its weaknesses. They spoke as they walked toward one of the maglevs, the carriages for traveling through the ship. I wont yet assign you to a squad, mainly because you havent had any combat training. For the time being, you can stick to Ops. Perplexed, Aurora looked at Lincoln. Ops? Whats that? Lincoln clarified, Ops, Operations Center. Its the area that was called the bridge on Space Train. They got their term from the navy. We got ours from what it is: the operations control center. However, the Legion isnt controlled completely from Ops. There are a few things that are independent from the main bulk of our control; Athena alone controls those systems.

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Some of them are life support: temperature, humidity, and our air mixture. You know, those kinds of systems. Aurora nodded understanding. They passed by one port of a hanger bay. She looked in as they walked by, and then returned for a second look. There were hundreds and thousands of manshaped androids, scurrying about, each with a specific job to accomplish. She watched as groups of small starfighters ascended into the air, then moved to a better launching position, descending back to the deck plates to await the order to fly. There were other larger ships, cargo transports of a sort, being loaded with tons of small glowing canisters. Lincoln told her that the canisters were filled with protomatter, the basic power source for the fleet. The transports were to act, after a fashion, as roving gas stations. From the looks of the preparations Aurora could see, the crew of the Legion was gearing up to fight a battle more frightful than any Earth had ever witnessed. The resulting firestorm would probably be visible from Earth through long-range telescopes, though probably not for twenty years. Aurora finally began to comprehend the true purpose of Earth Protection Force. These unsung people would endanger their own lives to keep her

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home planet safe. She felt awed as she considered the job description for the Official Protectors of Earth. In the maglev, Lincoln spoke to the ceiling. Athena, we're going to fight a battle with other men and androids. We may lose all our forces in the heat of it. Do you know what must be done in that case? Athena responded, I understand what I may have to do. I am prepared to execute my orders, even at the cost of my own existence, but I hope it doesnt come to that. Aurora stared forward, Lets all hope.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM ' BISHOP ' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

We approach. If you cannot fulfill your obligation, then our accord is null.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

You have no chance of success without me. I'm back on schedule, but at the cost of accuracy.
-END TRANSMISSION

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Aurora and Lincoln walked from the maglev into a small hallway near the center of the ship. They entered a spacious room, the door of which held the label Ops. Inside the room, the walls were not decorated, nor were there any odd colors, as she had expected. The back wall sported several computer access stations, each with its own padded seat. Some people were milling around doing various jobs. As they entered, someone shouted, Colonel on deck! Lincoln responded reflexively, As you were. Give me an update. First Officer Paul Cutler approached Lincoln and reported. Sir, we are currently on course to meet the Koratind Ratahn fleet at System 36 Oph. We project ETA at three days, six hours and thirty minutes. Athena reports our android forces are in position to be deployed at your command. At that moment, a call came over the central network. It was a matter concerning power relays or something. Aurora didnt catch all of it. Lincoln left the room before the man finished talking, and the

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transmission was being routed through his collar comlink. Aurora walked into the adjacent conference room. She went to the long mahogany conference table at one end of the room, and sat down. Until this time, she was completely unaware that any of this could be possible, let alone probable. Of all the science books she had read, not one had mentioned anything close to what she was living. Her life was being turned upside down in front of her eyes; and yet, when she thought about it, none of it seemed unlikely at all. It all made perfect sense. And then, amidst her meditating, Auroras mind touched on something interesting. Athena? Yes, Aurora? Can I help you? asked the computer. I had an interesting thought. Why would I be contacted with a message dream, if I werent the one in a position of responsibility over this ship? Why wasnt Lincoln given the dream? This is a good question, indeed. I myself have wondered about this subject. It could mean one of several things. The Colonel may have been too distraught to receive the dream. Recently, he commemorated the sixth anniversary of his late wifes death. It may also be that the Visitors believe you are going to play some other part in future events. It may

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be that you needed to receive it to teach you something that you would have otherwise not learned. Aurora was tired. It was nearly nine in the evening by the Legions reckoning of time. She stood and stretched. Can you direct me to my quarters? Its almost my bedtime. Certainly, Aurora. Shall I have a meal waiting for you when you get there? asked Athena. Sure, and make it warm, please. Im not in the mood for combat rations again, said Aurora. You didnt have to eat them the first time. But I think I can have something whipped up, said Athena. Something like spaghetti, or lasagna, or a thick tbone? Aurora smiled as she stepped into the maglev and turned to face the door. Actually, I was thinking of something more like a pepperoni pizza, and maybe a two liter of cola. Gosh, I wish I could share the pizza with you. Athena paused for a second, and then responded. I might be able to grant that wish, she explained, you see, about a year ago, I toyed with an idea for a child care unit that would be more aesthetically pleasing for the smaller children for which I sometimes care. It seemed like the children were always frightened by my androids, though I only meant to care for them. I designed and built several models with the specific purpose of being more motherly to the

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children, less metal. They were covered with a thin layer of skin-like materiel, and padded with a kind of foam cushioning, to simulate fatty tissues. They were fitted with lifelike hair, teeth, tongue, and swallowing processes. They can eat, to simulate human behavior and, well you get the picture. I could have one meet you at your quarters to deliver your pizza. Would that be satisfactory? Alright, but no lasers coming out your fingers or anything like that. I get a dinner friend, and you get to care for those in your custody, one in particular anyway, said Aurora. Somehow, she felt more at home on this gigantic star cruiser, and all it took was to eat pizza with another friendly woman. Ten minutes later, Aurora found her way to her quarters. An older looking woman holding a flat container and a bottle-like thermos met her at her door. She was shorter than Aurora, maybe five feet tall. She was pleasantly plump, but not overweight. Her hair was a darker shade of gray, pulled back into a neat curl. There wasnt any makeup, as far as Aurora could tell, anywhere on her face. Her appearance wasnt frightening; in fact, Aurora found herself being drawn into the motherly illusion Athena portrayed. She seemed very kind and warm hearted, even though Aurora knew she was primarily steel and bolts under that fleshy skin of hers. When she spoke, Aurora was surprised to hear Athenas voice without it sounding

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metallic or hollow. It was as if this woman was the person, whose words came through all the comlinks and hidden speakers. I brought your cola and pizza, fizzy and hot, respectively. May I come in? The words were definitely Athenas, but the body seemed to be mismatched. And yet, they fit perfectly into this womans mouth as if she was Athena. Sure, come on in, make yourself at home. I mean, well, you know what I mean. Aurora was still trying to come to grips with the fact that this woman, who looked so lifelike, was actually an automaton, controlled by a vast central computer system. Yes, I know what you mean, Aurora. Its hard for some people to grasp. Thats why these units are used primarily for child-care. But then, I havent had much use for them lately, since all my children have left the ship for a safer refuge. Athena sounded sad. I miss them, you know. I hope we succeed in our venture to protect Earth. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM ' BISHOP ' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

You will do your part, or forfeit your pay. Be ready for us.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

The Bird passed inspection. We are moving to intercept you. Do not stray from your course.
-END TRANSMISSION

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The next day passed quickly as each team and officer fulfilled their duties. Aurora felt surprised at how fast time seemed to pass without the sun rising and setting. She filled her time enduring a few emergency procedure drills and wandering about the ship, enjoying the various interesting locations and features. Morning and evening had no real meaning to the crew, other than the designated times to sleep and wake up as the Legion cruised through the limitless perpetual night. The next morning came fast and then faded into afternoon. The evening before the battle was a surprise; most of the crew went to their various quarters to enjoy large family-style meals with brothers and cousins. The food services division prepared large roast-like dishes, as the crew drained bottles of fruity beverages. Aurora had been invited to the Cruzs quarters, to join in the festivities. About half way through the meal, Aurora asked the reason for the parties. Amelia answered, We are grateful for our families. Our assignment out here in space has helped us to realize how important they really

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are, and just how easy it is to lose them. Life is such a fragile thing, its a shame so many people take it for granted. Have there ever been any accidents in space, with people, I mean? Her question was sincere. She didnt mean to kill the mood. The smiles disappeared slowly as each remembered those they had lost. Eliza started somberly There have been some. The last one, some years ago, has left the deepest scars. The pilot of a small freighter was delivering some equipment to another ship the Legion met. Although she was quite experienced, she didnt accurately calculate her speed into the docking bay. Her destination wasnt a vehicle storage bay like the large one you landed in; it was only a few hundred feet deep. Before she knew it, she had run out of time and space. Her ship hit the back wall of the bay at about a hundred miles per hour, crushing the cockpit and killing her instantly. We were all so confident in our own abilities, continued Amelia, that we got a little over presumptuous about our own mortality. Some say that was a wake up call, others say it was a punishment. Either way, we learned a hard lesson and saw just how easy it is to make fatal mistakes here. It also reminded us of the value of our loved ones. The pilot, did she leave any family behind? asked Aurora.

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Eliza looked at her sister, Amelia, and then answered. She was married to a good man. He treated her well, and still mourns her passing. Amelia continued, He sits everyday in the Colonels chair. After the meal, Aurora wandered through the halls on the way back to her room. It was a short walk, but she needed some time to think along the way. She thought of her family, her biological family, back on Earth. She had made several attempts to meet them, but they had turned her down. They requested their name not be given to her. It had taken her a long time to recover from the rejection. She buried her anger and resentment, only to feel them resurface briefly in the following years. Now, here, Aurora finally started to feel like a part of something larger than just herself, she was part of a family. She rounded a corner and awkwardly bumped into the Colonel. She stepped away quickly, Im sorry; I didnt mean to run into you. She apologized. No, its all right. I should have been watching where I was going. Are you okay? Lincoln asked, concerned. Yeah, Aurora responded, Im fine. Are you busy? Now that you are a big boss, I feel like I haven't had a chance to talk with my friend Lincoln.

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Lincoln checked his watch. "Well, yeah, I do have a few minutes to spare. How are you handling all of this change? This upcoming battle wasn't necessarily a part of the syllabus." "Actually, I'm a bit dazed, but surprisingly okay with it. I feel more at home here than I did on campus in Liberty Falls. The whole battle has me spooked, but I really like the people that I've met." For a moment, there was silence. Before Lincoln could reply, a comlink broke the air. A lieutenant from another part of the ship reported, We've registered a large mass of metal in our path. Estimated time to intercept: ten minutes, thirty seconds. Should we continue past it? Lincoln assumed his role as Colonel again and responded, No. Drop from cruise speed and approach with extreme caution. Athena? Yes, Colonel Smyth? Athena answered. Prepare for attack. If its a ship, try to hale it. Text only. We have to keep you a secret as long as possible. Lincoln turned to Aurora and added, Would you like to join me in Ops? They made their way to a maglev. When they were inside it, Aurora asked, "Do you think it's the Black Core?" Athena answered. I don't think so. I have slowed us to a crawl. The mass is one hundred miles off our starboard bow, and moving fast on inertia alone.

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I can detect no propulsion from within it. I am attempting to match its course and speed. It appears to be symmetrical, man made, machinedhollow. There are several ruptures in its hull, all on one side, midway along its keel. From the twisting of the plates, Id guess that the side if the ship was rammed by another object. There are, however, no scratches or striations to suggest the colliding object had any physical surface. Upon closer inspection, I discern that the damage is consistent with recorded incidents of underwater hull rupture. It is, however, not likely that a space born explosion would cause this type of damage. It seems as if the vessel has imploded in several sections. Lincoln and Aurora arrived at Ops. Lincoln asked Athena to show the derelict on a viewer. There, in grim illustration, was a small freighter, probably only several hundred feet long, looking as if it had swallowed a black hole. None dared to speak for a minute. Then Athena continued, I sense an odd resonant energy onboard the craft. I sense high concentrations of gravitons, positrons, and x-radiation near the aft quarter. No life forms, dead or alive. I sense no residual cellular material of any kind. If I may propose a possibility, Colonel? Go ahead, granted Lincoln. I would suggest that this was a test target of the graviton weapon. We may safely assume that the weapon is completely operational, as of thirty days ago,

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based on the age of the wreckage. And based on its path of travel, were going in the right direction to meet the Black Core."

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM ' BISHOP ' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

We will meet your ship head-on. Be ready for extraction, head extraction, we will not wait for you.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

I will be ready. Theyve seen your test target and fear your power. When you meet HER, act quickly to disable her and the ship will be yours.
-END TRANSMISSION

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Aurora was awakened early, an alarm chirping in her room. She dressed as quickly as she could, hefting her compliment of weapons onto her back. Athena. she said, as she was leaving her quarters. Yes, Aurora? came the response. As she entered the nearest maglev, she continued. I need to be told any pertinent information about the enemy, that I havent already been told. Do you know what Ive been told about this Gracchus dude? Athena was quick to answer. Yes, I am aware of all the information with which you have been informed. I can, however, only repeat to you that which you have been told, because all files regarding him, and his group, are classified. Anything you have been told has been declassified in your specific circumstance. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Would you like me to repeat the information you received? Aurora felt only slightly deflated by this information, though it did let her know that Lincoln

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valued her enough to share top-secret intelligence. She gently declined the offer. Her lift arrived at the nearest outlet to Ops. She stepped out as the doors opened, only to be startled. Six metal men, armed with various weapons of their own now guarded the door to Ops. Athena sensed her hesitation, Go on, Aurora. Ill move them aside. They are meant to protect you and the senior staff, while you protect the ship. Aurora gingerly took a step forward toward the end of the hall. The two guards at the door moved to either side, opening the way for her to pass into the room. Inside the room, the story was much the same. There were no less than ten armed artificial soldiers, positioned around the various stations. Lincoln looked up from his work as she entered, walking over to greet her. Good morning, how did you sleep? Aurora answered, Truthfully, I didnt get but a few hours. This is the first space battle Ive ever been invited to and I gotta admit, Im pretty pumped. Well, Lincoln began, Youre in for an exciting show, as long as things go as planned; but then, things rarely, if ever, go as planned when were dealing with a battle. Were almost to the proposed battleground, if youd like to take a peek, youre welcome. Aurora agreed, Id like that. But I dont see any windows. Wait, didnt you say this place was near

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the middle of the ship? How am I supposed to see it if I cant look outside? Lincoln stepped forward, taking Auroras hand, and gently lead her into the center of the room. Oh, come now. Can't you use your imagination? If you can't, Ill have to use it for you, he chided. As Aurora watched, a new wonder unfolded. He tapped a control, and a panoramic image gently fell from the ceiling, as if a sheet of luminous material, which displayed outside images, was lowered in slow motion. The bottom edge had no real boundary but was slightly hazy suggesting that it was non-corporeal in nature. This viewing screen filled nearly one-third the rooms circumference. The image was not translucent at all, but showed distinct, high-resolution images. Lincoln spoke, Athena, show us our destination, please. As he requested, the viewer displayed what appeared to Aurora to be a binary star system. The two stars were small, but very bright, like those in her dream. Do they have names? she asked. As a matter of fact, they do. But theyre not as exciting as they would be if movie writers had named them. In our database, as well as that of Earth, theyre called 36 Oph A and B. There is a C also but it doesnt orbit the barycenter. Barycenter? asked Aurora confused.

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It means the point in space that they both seem to move around, explained Lincoln. You see, they dont orbit each other." Lincoln tapped some controls on a science console to his side and the image on the main viewer changed. It showed two elliptical orbits with small overlapping areas on the tight sweeping ends of the orbit paths. As they get closer to each other, they both interact with each others gravity fields. They speed up and pass very near to each other. But their speeds overcome the direct pull they both exert and as a result, they fling themselves far out and away, only to be coaxed back again as they lose directional momentum, Lincoln said. Thats just so cool, said Aurora almost unconsciously. Binary systems are awesome. Its too bad there arent more of them. They are awesome, agreed Lincoln. But the truth is, a little more than half of the closest ten thousand stars to Earth are Binary systems. The stranger thing is that our solar system didnt form as one. Yeah; that I didnt know. Ironic that were choosing this place to meet the enemy, mumbled Lincoln to himself as he remembered an experience from the years before. Are we sure that this is where the bad guys meet us? I mean space is pretty big. They could just

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change their course angle by an incalculably small fraction and miss us completely, Aurora said. They havent changed course yet. Besides, they probably sense us too, and if our profile of Gracchus is correct, hell believe he is invincible and try to meet any challenge with which he is faced. He probably already knows were coming, but we still have the upper hand, said Lincoln. He winked as he continued, Athena, ETA to our destination? I estimate nearly one-hour before we reach 36 Oph. All our troops are ready and in position to be deployed, reported Athena. Will either of the stars cause interference between you and your control over our soldiers? asked Lincoln. Athena paused before answering, I dont foresee any inconveniences related to the stars. Good, said Lincoln. I want you to keep a star between the Legion and the Black Core carrier. Hopefully, it will give us some protection against the gravity field. Understood, sir, complied Athena. If we keep a star between us and the battle, how will we see whats happening? Aurora asked, confused. Each of the androids will act as my eyes, giving me a complete view of everything happening on the other side of the star. I can show all this

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information to you, should you desire. Athena answered. That would be thoughtful, thank you, said Lincoln. In the meantime, we have 55 minutes to finish our preparations. Aurora watched as the people around her flew into a flurry of activity. Before too long, new shapes appeared on the viewer. Vessels of various sizes traveled in clustered groups and formations. There were hundreds of them There were some which displayed vibrant colors and others that seemed so black that they were almost invisible with the stars as their backdrop. Athena explained that androids piloted the entire fleet. She also noted that it would take several hours for her to decode the enemies frequencies. Colonel, I believe Ive identified the Black Core carrier. Athena announced. Show me. said Lincoln. Their view changed slightly, zooming in on one particular grouping of craft. They saw one vessel, nearly surrounded by other smaller ships traveling in escort formation. It seemed to hang back from the rest of the fleet. Athena began, This is the only ship carrying biological life signs. Colonel, it's hailing us, audio transmission only. Well then, lets talk to them, mused Lincoln.

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They heard a clicking sound and then a voice spoke in perfect English. Aurora whispered to nearby Buck, "I was expecting another language." Buck whispered back, "Athena is translating for us, but she can also mimic other vocal intonations so it sounds like they are speaking." This is Gracchus calling the very large vessel. I assume you are connected to Earth Protection Force. I will warn you once: do not interfere or you will suffer consequences. I invite a response. Lincoln looked at Aurora, winking, he began, This is Colonel Lincoln Smyth. You assumed correctly, we are connected with Earth Protection Force. We are prepared to repulse any attack on planet Earth. I invite a response. There was a pause, then another statement. Our mission will not be thwarted. Your actions are your own choice. We will not be merciful. You have been warned. I invite a response. Before Colonel Smyth could respond, Athena interrupted, Sir, we are under attack! Several of his fighters have broken away and are assuming an offensive formation. Lincoln ordered the channel closed. Giving the command to scramble their forces, the Legion moved to a safe distance. From various openings on the ships surface, thousands of small crafts, hundreds of larger refueling freighters, and dozens of immense support

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vessels emerged. Their movements were coordinated and well executed. Although there were thousands of space vessels, all piloted by Earth Force androids, each and every one of them moved in perfect formation. A dance of the fighters commenced in complete harmony.

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Gracchus sat back in his large chair. He watched as his dome shaped viewer showed the swarms approach. He hated them, all of them. The entire human race, those still living on and around Earth, had earned a special place in his heart, as his most bitter enemies. As a young officer, hed heard the old stories of earth ostracizing his predecessors. Hed read the reports concerning power struggles written by Alexei Romanov. He'd forged his own way to the top in spite of James Benton. That name was gone, now. That man died a few years ago in an accident, but from the ashes of that weak and feeble creature, arose Gracchus in a flaming rebirth. He enjoyed comparing his own life with that of the mythical Phoenix. Benton was the older and weaker bird, his once brilliant flames had diminished and begun smoldering as he drew his final breath; his vision dimmed. The life Benton once knew snuffed out in a glorious conflagration, but Gracchus, the child emerged young, and new, and powerful.

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Gracchus built his small and improvised fleet in a matter of years, using mostly borrowed equipment and robots, mining his raw materials from the planet he now called his home. It was a giant leap away from Earth, in another spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy. As a youth, others teased and mocked him. He was smaller than the others, weaker. His father wasn't much help either. Saddened by the birth of a deformed child, James parents had looked into costly and very painful treatments. Physical manipulation of his limbs had indeed made them stronger, but at the cost of a tender heart. James grew to be very violent and mischievous. As a youth, he inflicted pain in others at every chance, each time feeling that he was somehow stronger, that he had power over them. Again, his parents werent very helpful to his developing psyche, rewarding him for retaliating against the other youth. This caused his selfish greed to flare as he received even more incentive for unprovoked attack, preying upon his innocent victims. His mother died when James was twelve, leaving only an overbearing military father and a younger sister in his immediate family. No other cousins, aunts, or uncles lived. The day James life changed for the worse was the day his father took the children to a military display.

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James had planned to play a prank on his father. He paid one of his few friends to take his little sister hostage. James, pretending to be a hero, planned to negotiate his sisters release. What happened in reality was very different. The instant the situation occurred, havoc erupted. Guards swarmed everywhere, all aiming directly at Tavrins head. He slumped slightly, hiding his face in Jashelles hair. He shouted a demand. Give me the admissions cash box and a fighter plane or she gets it! No one moved. The air hung thick with tension. James stepped forward, ready to speak, when a strange question entered his young, twisted mind. What if he didnt intervene? How would the scene unfold? He was soon to find out. A young man assigned as sentry took aim with his sidearm. The shot did not come from his weapon, however. The report originated from the weapon of Charles Benton, James surviving parent. A small body fell slowly to the ground, mortally wounded by her father for her weakness in allowing herself to be taken so easily. The young Tavrin looked down at the fallen child in disbelief. It wasnt supposed to end like that. Another shot sounded, more felt than heard by Tavrin. He lowered his gaze to his own chest, stained with a growing patch of red. He looked unsteadily toward his

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employer. His view of James smiling face hazed, dimmed, and then went altogether black. Charles glanced at his remaining child disapprovingly. Ive always warned you about choosing proper friends James. Does this finally teach you? He turned to leave, to file a report of the occurrence, only to catch a misfired shot from another sentrys sidearm. Falling heavily to the pavement, his last breath spent cursing the clumsy guard. Left to fend for himself, James felt only slightly daunted by this drastic failure in planning. Yet it gave him the motivation to be successful, regardless of the costs. Gracchus visibly shook himself from his reminiscent daydream. He resolved all the more firmly to be strong like his father to the bitter end. Filled with the anticipation of success, he peered amusedly out at the approaching fighters. They reminded him of a mass of organized creatures. A swarm of flocking insects, all using the same hive mind, a collective intelligence. Gracchus applauded himself for placing a spy within the ranks of his enemy, an ingenious idea. His crew, however, knew nothing of the spys history, whereabouts, or even the spys name. Most didnt know of the spys existence, save only a

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few. Gracchuss reasons were his own; he felt that if he could acquire an informant, so could his enemies. As the two opposing forces neared each other, the battle was about to begin. The waves of fighters collided. Gracchus watched as his small ships kept Earth Protection Force busy. His plan was working. As per his orders, a few of his assault vehicles broke away from the squabble, setting their sights on the monstrous Legion looming in the distance. Just before their course was achieved, they became slightly hazy, and then turned altogether a different color! A smile started to grow on his face, beginning under his nose and ending somewhere close to his ears. It was now time for phase two. Colonel Smyth leaned closer to the viewer in Ops. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Athena, did you see that? I am not sure what you mean. Are you referring to the four sloops that just vanished? She asked. Yes, answered Lincoln, what happened? Did they disintegrate? It was very odd indeed. As near as I can tell, they are using a kind of material on their hull which, when catalyzed, makes them invisible to my systems." Then Athena paused for a moment, only to route her voice through the Colonels comlink. Sir may I speak to you, in your alcove?

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Lincoln looked to Aurora. Come with me, he said as he led her from the main Ops area into a side room, adjacent to it. When the door was closed he sealed it, then turning to Aurora, he continued. Please, Athena, resume. I believe we may have a traitor on board. I understand this is a big accusation. I am, however, prepared to support my claim. Explain, quickly. Lincoln ordered. Those other ships are most likely headed right for us. Thats why they went invisible, so we couldnt accurately defend ourselves. I believe my sensor array has been tampered with. I am not yet positive as to who sabotaged us. Whoever they are, they covered their tracks very well. I sense no abnormalities in my mainframe of any kind, yet I am supposed to have no problem detecting chemicals in the vacuum of space and I cannot sense those small craft. Someone on the Legion wants me blind to this residue after it has been catalyzed. Lincoln chewed his lower lip, as he pondered the computers statements. He turned from Auroras gaze to stare at the door through which he had entered. He asked, How many people have access to your sensory settings and equipment? Lincoln already knew the answered before Athena spoke. Only those who have top level

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clearance. They can comfortably be counted on two hands, Colonel. A sick feeling came over Lincoln as if a pit had formed in his stomach and was swallowing up his heart. There were indeed only seven people who were allowed access of that level. Four of them were at that moment back on Earth, waiting for the Legions safe return. Can you tell when the damage was done? I can tell you that it happened sometime on Sunday night. This information rules out Jason Claridge, Devon Gray, Greg Ash, and Ray Slate, as theyve all remained on earth. The remaining suspects include you, Paul Cutler, and Peter Ambrose. I am excluding you because of the way your organs reacted upon seeing the occurrence. Your heart rate jumped ten points, your blood pressure increased by nearly five, your breath quickened, and your eyes began a rapid scan of the viewing display. All suggesting that you werent expecting this to happen. Aurora leaned forward locking eyes with Lincoln. "I've always hated these types of plot twists in movies when some loveable character is actually a traitor. It's always tough to figure out who the real bad guy is." Lincoln's brows knit together as he considered his options. "That can wait. The immediate danger is the invisible fighters."

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Aurora shifted in a padded chair, thinking frantically. She looked up and sputtered, What about their propulsion, can you detect that? Show us a view of the outside. A wall screen came alive with flashes of light and trails of fire and energy. Their view zoomed way out then turned off color as other areas of the electromagnetic spectrum were being calculated. I might have something. Four field distortions approaching fast on vector one three eight. They correspond with known data on the last location of the assault vehicles. Athena reported. Fire at will, Lincoln ordered, Dont let them reach us intact! An artillery placement on the side of the Legion came alive with vibrant colors of energy bolts. Half of the attacking squad was destroyed before the other two cut their engines and disappeared completely. Sorry, Colonel, Athena apologized. Ive tried extrapolating their locations but theyve changed their course or speed. I cant find them until they get closer. If we have time, my proximity detectors may be triggered by any magnetic field they might be dragging, but it isnt likely that theyll let us catch them that easily. Good work anyway. You managed to cut the knife in half. The question is where are they going to stab? asked Lincoln.

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I think they may be trying to board us. They were too small to cause any real threat to our defenses. Aurora said, wringing her hands. Securing all exterior bays, Athena said, Itll take a bigger blow to rupture my doors than those puny craft can deliver. The massive hull plating being moved into position was over fifty feet thick, with twelve feet of overlap to affect a proper seal. As the doors grew closer two small optical distortions raced into the evershrinking gap. With only seconds left, before the doors made contact with each other, a fiery explosion erupted into the interior of the launching bay. Immediately, an alarm sounded. It could be heard throughout the expanse of the Legions decks. Intruder alert!

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

You have not done enough to weaken your ship. We have sustained heavy losses.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

I have done my part, exactly as you requested. Don't blame me for your incompetence. I await extraction.
-END TRANSMISSION

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Lincoln shot a worried look at Aurora. How could he protect her if there was a firefight on the ship? On the other hand, maybe this was a chance to test her metal. Come on, he said, Ill need you to be positioned near here. Really what he was going to do was place her in the protective custody of several of his most trusted allies. Athena had designed a team of advanced tactical androids capable of fending off any close quarters combat. They were fitted with the most tensile and light armor possible, making them invincible to weapons fire up to an antitank warhead. Fitted with electromagnetic dampers, they were completely immune to E.M.P. They acted autonomously from Athena, making them ideal for away missions. They were sleeker, more humanoid, and perfectly prepared for a protection assignment. Lincoln left the alcove and glanced around the Ops stations. There was no sign of either Cutler or Ambrose. He led his feminine confidant to the maglev.

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Athena, prepare three HOT units. Ill need them to defend and accompany Aurora on her assignment. Yes, sir. Theyll meet you in a few minutes at an upcoming stop, said Athena. Hot units? Boy is that name cheesy! What, do they have flame-throwers or something? asked Aurora. Actually, they dont. The name comes from the acronym, Heightened Operations Team, Lincoln explained. Oh. So you have a team specially formed to wear fire proof clothing? asked Aurora, slightly confused. A grin formed under Lincolns sparkling eyes. Nope, even better. I have a team specially designed to withstand any kind of abuse the hands of man can inflict. They're bulletproof, fireproof, and immune to E.M.P. They can work under water, in sub-zero and scorching temperatures, and even in the vacuum of space, all without any equipment whatsoever. Aurora looked at Lincoln, Wait, did you say immune to E.M.P.? Yes, I did. They also think on their own; I mean, all the other androids can, also, but these specific units arent controlled by Athena, said Lincoln. The door of the carriage opened to reveal a trio of men, shiny skinned, and muscular. They were a very glossy black, as dark as night itself, seeming to reflect everything. They had emotionless faces, but eyes that

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seemed to glow, almost burn, blue with power. Each of them stepped into the car. One spoke, I am Tork. This, he introduced the companion on his right, is Drokk. And this is Groto. He pointed to the shiny figure on his left. We have been briefed on the situation at hand, and are glad to be of service. Is this the woman we will be accompanying? Tork inquired. Yes, you three will have responsibility for her safety, and should follow her orders, where such orders dont cause her harm. Any questions? Lincoln asked. None sir, said Drokk. The small ship flew into a less populated area of the launch bay. It was invisible to Athenas array, but could be seen by the human eye. Some tactical robots jumped from placements on the ships belly, just before a bay-defense artillery battery impaled it. The sloop broke into multiple fragments each on its own trajectory. Pieces of metal and composite littered the empty space above the hangar floor. It would be days, if ever, before the entire mess was completely cleaned out, owing to the size of the bay. A few of the bots ran stealthily to the outer door of the bay. It was over fifty feet thick and would impede any signal they could try to send through it. One intruder reached back and yanked a rather oddshaped object from his back. He adjusted it in several ways, and then attached it directly to the massive door.

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The object came alive, resonating the door panel itself as its antenna, sending information back to the Koratind Ratahn flagship. The troops then hid themselves in a small cubby, waiting for further orders from their fearless yet demented leader. The sleek black figures stood motionless, muscles taut. Actually, they didnt have muscles, but they did have that appearance. When they moved, Aurora could almost see the sinews writhing under their slick skin. If she didnt see their non-human faces, shed swear they were just men painted black. The maglev slowed again, this time near the origin of the intruder alert. It was one of many gigantic hangar bays, which housed the vast fleets of space fighters, freighters, and other ships, assigned to the Legion. The maglev doors opened and Aurora turned to Lincoln waiting for his instructions. "Well, Aurora, now is your chance to prove what you are made of. Of course, you will have these guys to watch your back." He winked and Aurora took a deep breath and stepped into the hall, unsure of what to expect next. The doors closed behind Aurora as she and her guard detail stepped from the maglev. Lincoln rode the carriage on to another destination mulling over the upcoming battle when Athena interrupted his thoughts, "Sir, why would you introduce Aurora to a possibly dangerous situation?"

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Lincoln responded, "Well, I want to take this opportunity to evaluate Aurora's natural reactions to what she considers a dangerous situation. I am considering her for a leadership position and I want to gauge her abilities. In fact, Athena, please document her behavior and actions for later analysis. Consider this her litmus test." Men and soldiers ran through the corridors. As Aurora quickly established a position facing the direction of the excitement, the intruders forced the bay door open. The alarm went silent; the troops positioned themselves around a corner from the bay entrance, hidden from view. Relying on their training, they took their aim. While, the bay access door couldnt be seen from her placement, Aurora could still hear the scrape of heavy metal sheets being slid aside. The sound made her shiver, like fingernails on a chalkboard. An Earth Protection Force security officer fired the first shot as one intruding automaton tried to stealthily peek around the corner. Aurora, in a bit of a panic, began to fire her Stinger at the hiding enemy. Taking a deep breath, she paused and regained her composure. She fired again, but couldnt see anything being discharged from its barrel, but then, it was only emitting spurts of highly concentrated microwave energy. She couldnt tell if her Stinger was working until another one of the

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intruders peeked around the corner and took a shot to the face. It fell head long to the floor, not even twitching, just dead. Aurora felt satisfied with her newfound ability. She discovered that the Stinger only had effect on the brains of the enemy androids, however, when she tried to hit one in the arm. It didnt even flinch, just ducked back behind the corner. The enemy tactical units continued firing random shots from behind their cover. As the smell of ozone became more pungent in the corridor, Aurora noticed rather nervously that she could detect her enemys shots with her eyes. This meant they werent shooting microwave bursts as was she. And that fact meant she most likely would be severely injured by a lucky shot on their part. She nestled herself lower behind the cover that her black mechanical teammates afforded her. Their skin would deflect the enemys fire. She also noticed that the weapons her team used were of the same design as the enemys. They reminded her of ray guns from the movies. Suddenly, a light came on in Auroras head. She pulled one of her guard detail aside; she thought it could have been Tork. Pointing to his hand weapon and raising her voice over the sound of the enemies gunfire, How good is your aim with that thing? Without flinching, he asked, What do you need hit?

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Aurora reached into her shoulder bag. She had packed a few essentials, besides that which Lincoln assigned to her. She hadnt intended her extras to be used in this manner, but at this point, she didnt care much. She retrieved an aerosol can of Super Hair-Hold from her satchel. She asked hastily, If I throw this, can you hit it on my command and make it explode? Tork quickly responded, Without fail. Aurora turned again to the enemy invaders, just around the corner. Taking only a second to judge the distance, and preparing herself to shout a command, she lobbed the can down the corridor. It hit the floor and rolled about six feet before she shouted, Now! As the word left her mouth, she covered her face, preparing for the eminent effect. A large fireball exploded out from the can's previous location. The flames were cut short by the quick slide of heavy blast doors. The explosion caused a sudden change in air pressure which triggered the decompression protocols, effectively sealing the tactical robots into a confined area. Yes, it worked! I read about that one in an Onyx Red book, announced Aurora. Some of the other security troops looked to each other, confused. She guessed they hadnt heard of that series. Oh well, thought Aurora, their loss.

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Gracchus sat up abruptly in his chair. He was sweating as he stroked his bearded chin nervously. His task force had been compromised. He chuckled reassuringly to himself, thinking out loud, Lets let this situation play out a little bit longer, see where it leads. He cracked his knuckles from habit. He watched the view of space as his adversary obliterated more and more of his fighters. His confidence slowly dimming, he reached for his communication circuit. Shouting at his engineer, Kellan, he ordered more fighters sent to the skirmish. Gracchus longingly glanced at a group of controls near his left hand. He scolded himself for his impatience, knowing that in time, he would use the weapon he enjoyed the most. All things in time, he thought. He watched his viewer with anticipation. It was a split image view, one half of the dome was sent to him from a small observation ship positioned very near the space battle. The other half of his display showed a view from one of his tactical force drones on the enemy's ship. He tapped a link active, and then spoke to his tactical team, "Take a hostage. We need some leverage. Gracchus planned to take the giant ship captive. It would make a fantastic addition to his fleet of warships. He would have some resistance from the crew, but then, it was always fun to watch humans die

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in strange ways. Gracchus resolved to expose the entire lot of them to the vacuum of space, watch them squirm.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

Your extraction team is trapped. Free them. We will not wait long before using the other weapons.
-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

This had better be the last transmission I receive from you. I will free the team, but remember that you must kill HER to gain control of the ship. That was part of the deal.
-END TRANSMISSION

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As Gracchus watched, the Rook freed his team from their makeshift prison. The team immediately took a hostage. It was a handsome choice indeed, a member of the ships leadership. He didnt put up a fight, which aided their purposes. The insurgents slowly went to the corner where Aurora and her team were still standing guard. The lead insurgent ordered the hostage to repeat something. Aurora heard a familiar voice coming from around the corner. It was slightly labored, as if the speaker had a strong hand around its throat.

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The voice shouted a very weak, Put your weapons down! Its me! Aurora knew what would happen next. Shed seen too many suspense movies not to. The bad guys would come around the corner with a gun to their hostages head. They would demand control of the ship, and use the hostage as leverage. That meant that if Aurora were to do what she had planned, she would have to be gone before they came around the corner. Otherwise they would see her leaving and act accordingly, which usually entailed shooting the hostage. She leaned toward one of her guards. It might have been Groto, she wasnt quite sure. Come with me. She whispered. He nodded silently, following her away from the scene. They moved stealthily through the halls, checking for other enemy soldiers as they went. The problem with the Legion was all the corridors looked exactly the same. She hoped she was on the right path.

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Her goal was to get behind the nefarious troops, and launch a counter-attack, all without being discovered. This would be tricky. If this was a movie, I would probably be the main character who gets shot trying to free the hostage. Just my luck, Im the only one who tries to do something heroic, and trips up at the last second. She wasnt speaking to anyone in particular. Realizing her behavior, she said, If Im not careful, Ill start talking to myself. She stepped close to another corner, getting ready to do the same as she had done at other corners: glance around the corner quickly, jump around into full view, point her weapon wildly at the empty space, then she would continue to the next corner. As she came even with the edge, she tensed her muscles, preparing for another lunge. Just before she did, she heard a click, barely audible, coming from her collar. She stopped short, listening. She hoped her cover wasnt blown. Then another noise came from her collar. Aurora realized it was actually coming from her comlink. She strained to understand it. It was a voice, soft and feminine. Aurora stop. It was Athena. The insurgents are around the next corner. If you continue in the same pattern, youll be seen, and quickly end your rescue mission. Aurora moved ever so slowly toward the corner. She peeked around it, only enough to see three metal

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men, holding Lincolns tactical officer around the throat, and pointing a gun to his temple. Even from where she was spying, Aurora could see his hands shaking. She slipped her hand into her pocket, feeling for her E.M.P. grenade. She remembered that it was devastating to technology, while only causing minor discomfort to humans. With luck, she could toss it close enough to the group, to incapacitate the soldiers, while not throwing it too far, or too hard, or getting caught in the act. She pulled it from her pocket, setting the fuse for one second. Stepping to the corner again, she slowly moved away from safety. The group had their backs to Aurora, which gave her the advantage. She placed her thumb on the trigger, reeled back, and lobbed the grenade down the corridor. As soon as it left her hand, the timer started. She heard herself shout the word Drop! to Buck Heron, hoping he would properly understand, before the androids trigger reflexes did. The second passed with surprising speed, not like in the movies. On the big screen, this kind of situation would last for at least ten seconds, the whole scene occurring in slow motion. The grenade traveled true to course, detonating an inch before it would have landed. The entire group fell to the floor, in one lifeless heap. None of Athenas artificial soldiers were standing within the blast radius, so they were just fine.

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A smile crept to Aurora's lips. Then she noticed that there was something which caused concern. The entire group lay on the floor, dead. Not just the androids, either, Buck was also immobile. Aurora dismissed it as a dizzy disorientation, and rushed to his side. She tried to help him up from the floor. Come on, fellah. Shake it off and step up. She was surprised by the weight of his body as she attempted to help lift it. His entire frame was as stiff as a board, as if he had rigor mortis in a very extreme case. Aurora whispered, "You're not dead. Are you?" Getting no response, Aurora yelled, Athena, whats wrong with Buck? I thought those grenades werent harmful to people. Did I kill him? Fear started to well up in Auroras mind. Athena responded. Let me run a scan. Aurora closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she waited. Athenas answer gave her some hope, though. I think you can forget your fears, Aurora. Buck wasnt really human. I scan very complicated construction and components. It was a very advanced android, one possessing internal weaponry, communications and even food processing equipment. Someone went to a lot of trouble designing him. Its creators made us think that he was the real Buck Heron. If he looked like the real one, I would have no reason to scan him and find the truth. Athena reported.

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Aurora caught a flash of remembrance. Its like your child-care units. They look real on the outside, so the kids wont suspect the guts are robotic. I bet thats where he got the idea from, the guy who made this thing. Aurora, escorted by Drokk, returned to Ops to be debriefed by the colonel. The guard detail was still there, protecting the heart of the ship, though they had multiplied by several dozen. As they neared the door, several stepped aside to allow them entrance. Once they were in, the access was sealed from the inside. There were at least fifteen people milling around Ops, each performing a specified task. I agree with your assumption, said Colonel Smyth. The Nannies, the child care androids, wandered in public and were easily accessible. It is possible the real Buck, if there ever was one, modified the design from available schematics to resemble himself. I have a team working on salvaging as much of its positronic memory core as survived the EMP. Then he added, By the way, Aurora, good thinking about the grenade. You may have shifted the battle toward our fortune. Paul Cutler approached his colonel to report. Sir, most of their fighters are gone, now. This means that the chances of them using their big bad gravity gun

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are getting increasingly higher. We have completely decoded the remaining information on Bucks memory drive, and have something to report. Sir, Gracchus has planned to implode the Earth from behind the moon. We have found incomplete schematics for a vessel named the Red Nova. Apparently it houses the Black Core device. Weve found that its very well protected. It has extremely thick armor plating, lots of guards, armed to the teeth; you know, all the whistles and bells. Lincoln nodded. He turned to Peter Ambrose and was about to speak, but paused. He glanced at Aurora for a few seconds and then spoke, Peter can you deactivate the proximity sensors on one of our freighters? I need it to get very close to another ship without stopping short. Peter thought for a moment, and then looked to an android standing near him. A second later, he looked back to his commanding officer, a smile on his face. It will be done, sir. Anything else? Lincoln thought for a moment longer. Yes. Athena, after the freighter is adjusted, fill it completely with protomatter canisters. I mean completely full, walkways and all. Do you understand? Athena acknowledged the order, Yes, sir. Deep within the ship, supply lines of refill canisters were rerouted. Extra androids were assigned to work on the modified vessel. The workers stocked

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the freighter with canister after canister of protomatter. Instead of stopping when reaching the doorways to the cargo holds, the soldiers continued loading. The canisters kept coming. They were stacked higher and higher, deeper and deeper, until they reached the outermost door. The hatch was sealed, and all the troops returned to their previous assignments, save one. He walked to an access panel near the cockpit of the freighter, opened it carefully. In front of his face stretched a very complicated network of wire and conduit, machinery and electronics. His artificial eyes were focused on one piece in particular. It was slightly oblong and irregularly shaped, with several nodules sticking off one side. Dozens of lines and conduits joined to it, being shunted to other areas of even greater complexity. The android waited for further orders from Athena. Gracchus watched his last fighter get vaporized by his archenemies. A wave of hatred rising inside him, he reached feverishly toward a set of switches, separated just a few inches from the other controls at his fingertips. He flicked the first one, the signal to open the floodgates from the resource reservoirs into the dormant protomatter reactor. He activated the second control, the particle inversion grid. As he set it off, a few other lights began to flash slowly, in sequence. As they did, the ceiling lights in his control

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room started flickering randomly, signifying a dramatic loss of power on the ships overall grid. The capacitors were charging, getting ready to burst. The third switch, when thrown at the right moment, would empty the super-capacitors in a single instant, and initiate a gravimetric field insertion pulse, which would make the weapon ready to fire. Gracchus braced himself for the inevitable. At once his mind began to swim with pain and uncontrolled vertigo. After a few eternal seconds, the feelings subsided and Gracchus recovered from the physical side-effects the weapon caused as it distorted the fabric of reality in its vicinity. Its rapid burst caused ripples in space-time, as a pebble cast into a pond disturbs the surface. At that moment, when the ship's integrity was in danger of compromise, the systems governing the weapon tamed the disturbance and the waves suddenly reversed themselves and retracted back into the heart of the device. The physical effects diminished to a relatively unnoticeable level and Gracchus sighed as the pain seeped out of his body. When he had again gathered his conscious mind, he cleaned the vomit from his display with a cloth rag and then made himself comfortable in his seat, preparing to wait the several minutes before the recursion collider reached cascade potential at which point he could unleash his full fury on his enemy. He

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sipped again from his drink, washing the taste of sickness from his mouth. Eyes glaring at the screen of his computer, he evaluated the available targets and carefully determined which would be the easiest. A certain ship was flying around dropping tiny canisters into space, these getting consumed by passing enemy ships. Obviously, those fuel cells were very heavy, close to half a metric ton each. He guessed his target was pretty full. It moved rather sluggishly, taking time to change course. It seemed to have immense inertia, making it an easy target. Yes, that one will do nicely. A signal flared on his panel. He set the coordinates for his first attack. Firing his weapon was not very gratifying as he waited for the momentary pause, until his target's hull collapsed inward, crushed out of sight. Gracchus sat back in his chair watching for his nemesis to make the next move. A smile slithered onto his lips.

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Lincoln sat forward in his chair. Had he seen what hed thought he did? Paul, where did that freighter go? Did you see that? Paul ran his hand through his hair, and then rubbed his eyes. He searched his view of the fray. Then, all at once, they knew what had happened to the missing ship. As the sensors reported the compression field collapse, they witnessed a brilliant explosion, one that couldnt easily be missed, even by a blind man. The shock wave impacted the Legion off her starboard bow, causing a slight jolt in the bulkheads. Aurora had officially been brought into the battle. The single waiting android, still standing motionless by the over-filled freighter, received a new order. He raised his heavy metal arm, grasping the sensory shunt firmly. With one quick motion, the mechanical man ripped it from its mounts and sent its system into default reconstruction. The ship, now in sensory blindness, would have no choice but to follow the autopilots directions, no matter what. And those

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directions were being fed into its processor directly from Athenas mainframe. Lincoln looked at Aurora, who was staring confusedly back at him. I wonder if you realize just how many people on board the Legion know of your stunt earlier today. Aurora didnt quite catch his drift, so he clarified. You had one of the Hot Squad fire a proton cannon at one of your cosmetic accessories. It caused a decompression warning to sound on every deck but the one containing it. Aurora blushed in embarrassment. Sorry, I was only trying to- No, dont worry about it. Your idea was ingenious, and will be used in our combat training courses. Our tactical androids, even now, are being outfitted with several concussion charges, for non-lethal acquisitions. But thats neither here nor there. What I was referring to was the principal at work in that tactic. You used a concussive blast. Your goal wasnt to damage the enemy soldiers, but to force a change in the battle environment. Lincoln was almost giddy. Aurora looked back at the ghostly apparition used as a main viewer. She didnt quite catch it still. Then she understood; it all made perfect sense! The ship in the hanger bay was being transformed, in effect, into a very large can of hairspray. It wouldnt get close enough to the Red Nova to do any good, if it had its

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proximity sensors still functioning. It would simply redirect itself away from the enemy. What about the bad guy's guns? Cant he just shoot it down before it gets to him? she asked in alarm. We are going to act as a diversion. Our limited research indicates that the Black Core will take some time to effectively hit the Legion. It targets a specific stationary location in space in relation to where the Black Cores emitters are placed in a three dimensional grid. If we keep moving, on random trajectories, at differing speeds, the chances of him hitting us in vital areas are slim to none." "And then," interjected Aurora, "you're going to aim that freighter at his ship." "But they will never collide. Remember your tactic. You shot the can before it hit the enemy. We are going to do the same. As we fly by him for the last time, well drop the can. When the freighter gets close enough, the Legion will fire on the freighter causing a catastrophic explosion. When it goes up, we'll already be on our way out of the system. The blast should act quick enough to hit him before his inertial dampers can act, thus ending the threat of further aggression. You see the reactor assembly that powers the Black Core is very delicate, which explains why he kept it back from the space battle. If we cant get him into the battle, then were going to bring the battle to him.

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Slowly at first, then quickening, the massive Legion accelerated toward the Red Nova. At the last second, the Legion changed course, veering off to one side. It passed very close to the nearer of the stars, creating a slow arc. Athena was using the stars gravity well to aid in the shifting of the ship's large bulk. As they came around the other side of the flaming orb, they carried in their wake a surprise. Five hundred tiny star fighters were launched in the solar shadow, and made their way toward Gracchuss remaining cluster. They swarmed around the Legion like bees around their hive. At the signal from their mother computer, each of them left the safety of the giant and executed a swarm-like attack on their mutual enemy. All fighters flew a separate and distinct path, none firing, to maintain the distraction as long as possible. Here and there, one of them was lost, shot apart by the Koratind Ratahn. Some of Gracchuss ships started to move away from the Red Nova, mostly under the control of the unexpected influence Athena possessed over them. The Legion approached again and like the time before it veered off, this time executing a roll. Athena warned, Hold on. I sense a gravity distortion ahead, I am changing course to by pass it, but inertial dampers may not completely compensate for the shift.

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As soon as she had finished her warning, there was a drastic change in gravity in the room. Most people were sufficiently braced, but one android lost control of his momentum. The railing he was holding couldnt support his weight under the stress. In an instant of chaos, he fell toward the viewer, parting its intangible fabric like steam, and impacting the wall behind. A few seconds passed, before the systems caught up with the Legions movements. When they did, the damaged automaton fell to the floor, unmoving. Another went to him, lifted his lifeless body and took him to be repaired in another area of the ship. The viewer showed the edge of one star moving out of frame and the Red Nova revealed. It was starting to move away from the Legion, but not at full speed. I am evacuating multiple areas. Gracchus is attempting another distortion, Athena again warned. Legions of artificial warriors herded and sometimes carried men out of the dangerous section. Somewhere near the front middle of the Legion, a small gravity well formed in the inner space of the ship. Bulkheads stretched as they passed through the gravity well. Walls ripped, doors crumpled like paper, and finally, the outer hull plating stretched as the Legion passed the area of compression. Athena ordered her fighters closer to their nemesis, to intensify the distraction.

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Colonel Smyth checked the display to his left; the surprise protomatter-laden ship was still undamaged. Athena, were going to launch the freighter on our next pass. Open the bay door. The Red Nova was moving again, this time it was attempting to burn off some of the small annoying ships. It would use the corona of the closer of the two dwarf stars. As they started near it, Gracchus noticed that the ships were avoiding the dangerous emissions that were starting to surround his ship. He cursed under his breath, as he ordered his vessel deeper into the blazing atmosphere. Knowing his ship could withstand the inferno for quite some time, he held position in the stars flaming cloud. Turning his attention back to the flying dragon, which opposed him, he ordered the rest of his ships to attack. Only a few of them complied, those farthest from the enemy ship. The ones closest to the Legion turned and left. He assumed they were returning cowardly to their homeport, several weeks away. In his indignation, he cursed them also. Those that approached the enemy were quickly dismantled into dust and flaming debris, but at least they went out with honor. Gracchus considered a new course of attack. His eyes fixed on the opposite star, knowing that he could collapse it, though it would tax the reactor assembly to dangerous levels. He began with his calculations, all the while keeping his eye on

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the cowardly dragon, always in the picture, but never honorable enough to approach by itself. They used machines to do their dirty work, scared to die in battle themselves. Lincoln watched his foe run to the stars shelter to hide. In disgust he ordered the Legion slowed to three-quarters flanking speed. An idea sprung into Auroras mind. Something she had seen on an episode of Space Train, some years before. She tried to remember all the parts of the maneuver. Then all at once it came to her. Colonel, don't launch the freighter yet. I have an idea! We could force them out of there if we fired our space guns at the stars surface. Wed be creating a solar flare right below his ship. If we calculated it right, it would hit his ship center mass. If we ignite the briar patch, maybe the rabbit will come running out. Lincoln considered her proposal, knowing the whole time that their enemy was probably preparing for another gravity reconstruction. He turned back to the viewer, watching his target hide cowardly. Athena, can it be done in passing? I believe so. Give me a few seconds to calculate, she answered. Hold on ladies and gentlemen, this ride could get very bumpy. The Legion accelerated again to flanking speed. They would need to go as fast as possible, to ensure

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their massive underside would be out of harms way after the attempt. As they started to move in, the Red Nova began to fire bursts of munitions at the Legions hull. They were having a surprisingly damaging effect on the skin of the Legion. His ship is firing absolute matter charges, reported Ambrose. Absolute matter? Never heard of it, shouted Aurora. Paul clarified, Absolute matter is like a solid ball of protons with almost no space in between the particles, just complete matter. Basically, cannonballs weighing in near twenty tons, though they are only a half-inch in diameter. He has found a way to make them quickly from random space matter collected by his ship, probably compressing it with his gravity weapon. When theyre fired from his cannons, theyre hitting us with the momentum of a freight train engine. Wow! Why dont we use anything like that? asked Aurora. For the exact same reasons we dont use radioactive weapons or poisonous gas, answered Lincoln. Theyre considered dirty and therefore against regulation. The Legion reached its firing point, and let loose a volley of particle cannon fire on the target area of the star. Aurora was certain that she could see in her mind Gracchus cringe at the approaching death, then

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smirk when it passed him by. The Legion continued passed the Red Nova, knowing that the resulting eruption on the solar surface would soon be making a spectacular solar prominence. But Athena's calculations hadnt taken into account the star's present state. It was already very close to creating a flare on its own. The resulting ejection of radiation and smoldering gasses erupted faster than they could anticipate, hitting their intended target, yes. But it also hit the Legion on its ventral plating as they flew by. The prominence exploded past both ships in an ever expanding cone which would eventually arc back toward the stars surface. The Legion made it clear of the eruption before too long, as its speed carried it through the region where their engines no longer functioned. In an area of such strong magnetic field activity, they could not effectively use their propulsion systems. The impact, though less physical than it could have been, still shook the ship violently with its sheer power. Out the other side of the flare, the Legion resumed its escape. They kept running from the sunburst on a free trajectory, moving around the other side of the star, using its gravity to pull a tight sweep. Aurora spoke when she could gather herself from the floor. So what was that you were saying before about this ship not being easily jostled?

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Lincoln must have hit his face on the way down, because he answered as he checked his swelling lip for blood, Well, theres a first time for everything. Keep in mind, weve never taken a solar flare to the gut before. Well, then I guess I can let this one slide with a warning, Aurora said jokingly. "Listen professor," replied Lincoln, "it was your idea, or at least the writers of Space Train." The radiation from the dwarf star caused a momentary loss of visibility of their foe, but it was soon again within their view. Huge burning plumes of star material were till dissipating into space around and beyond the Ratahn vessel as it moved slowly away from danger. As Aurora had surmised, her plan had indeed forced the Red Nova from its hiding place. Several of its hull sections were burning, while most of the rest of its skin was blackened, otherwise, it looked no worse for wear. Its course would take it near the barycenter of the system. From a gravimetric view, that position would be the best from which to crush something very large while not being pulled into the enormous compression field itself. Lincoln ordered the modified freighter into space. This would be the final resting-place for either the Red Nova or the Legion, and if fate were in favor of Gracchus, then Lincoln feared the worst.

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-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP' -FILTERING... -DECRYPTING... -TRANSLATING... -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:

You have chosen your side.

-COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':

You filthy crap-stick! You had the extraction team try to kill me. I suspected you'd do something like this, so I sent an android in my place. You've turned your only ally against you and I will watch you burn.
-END TRANSMISSION

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The freighter lifted from the deck plating, ready to fulfill its mission. It rose a hundred feet into the space above the rest of the remaining ships. It turned carefully toward the opening in the wall. Though it had neither a pilot nor eyes of its own, it moved with exact form. It was flying on command from Athena. It slowly accelerated toward the impending abyss. Racing from the side bay of the Legion, just before the door sealed behind it, the small ship, doomed to become a hero, traveled true to course. It traveled on a very erratic path, as erratic as it could, that is. Being filled with over ten thousand canisters of protomatter, each weighing slightly more than five hundred kilograms, the freighter had to maneuver over five thousand metric tons, not including its own bulk. If Gracchus saw his death coming, he didnt show it. He sat back in his seat, sipping a potent drink. He knew that his enemies time was limited, and the

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amount was small. All he had to do was defend his ship and himself for a few more minutes, before the final stand of the Earth ship Legion. He considered the name, Legion. In an Earth Tongue, it meant a group of warriors that numbered between three and six thousand men. But he knew there were many more warriors than that number onboard it. Hed have to be careful to make sure he got them all before he let his guard down and felt safe. Gracchus had planned to end the days of the Planet Earth in one fell swoop, though he would have to seriously damage this current enemy, he chose not to kill them all yet. Earths protectors had made a very valiant stand against the soon-to-be ultimate power in the galaxy. He felt that they should have the honor of watching him take his final revenge on the world that culled his people. Earth had ostracized his ancestors to the farthest reaches of the known galaxy, without a second thought for their welfare. Had Gracchus had his own way, he would have exacted his justice years before, when the earth was still young and stupid, before it was defended by the cretins charging him now. But he had to wait. For years he had waited, planning, plotting, placing spies, preparing for an unfailing indefatigable assault. Yes, his nemeses were valiant, but stupid. Who would dare challenge one, like himself, with all power

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over space? Whoever they were, they would never meet face to face with their executioner. Gracchus reached for his comlink circuit. Kellan, you fool. Power the rift emitter. Other lights flashed on his console, signaling a new weapon in use. An evil smile crept onto his lips as he began pressing his fire command. One by one, the tiny pests racing around him were being pushed into another layer of space, one where laws of physics prohibited matter from existing. As each was thrust out of sight, a small flash could be seen, their material being ripped in twain from the force. But this weapon would offer no threat to something as massive as the Legion. Long were the explanations of its mechanism, complicated the math. Suffice it to say the targets mass played into the weapons effectiveness. All stared in horrified awe as the fighters were nullified, each in turn. The sight before them was one of incomprehensible unfairness. Aurora thought the universe was cruel, for not giving warning about their enemys array of weapons. When finished with one, he pulled another from secrecy into use. Their enemy seemed to have a weapon capable of pushing his enemies into oblivion, a process against which she was certain the Legion could not defend. She turned to her Colonel, her friend, and could only silently wait. She knew that once the freighter came

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into range of this new weapon, it would be dispatched, as well, in the same fashion. Lincoln turned to meet her gaze, seeming to read her thoughts. Dont worry, itll get through, he reassured her. Secretly, he hoped he was right. The Legion was on its way to its own course change, the pivotal point when it would fire its cannons on the freighter, to rupture its holds, and detonate its cargo. This situation may hold a ray of light to our advantage, reported Athena. Ill give my explanation later, and Im pretty sure youll all be around to hear it. The small, unmanned ship raced onward, not realizing there was an object in its path, one with very vile intentions. It had one minute before impact, but was never going to reach that point. The Legion powered its vast array of particle cannons, preparing for a very precise drive-by shooting. Athena changed her courses and speeds constantly, anticipating her final goal. The hundreds of small fighters, swarming around the enemy, broke off simultaneously, all grasping free trajectories as fast as they could maneuver. As planned, the Red Nova targeted the freighter with both of its rift emitters, intent on its devastation. Athena sensed the process, and supplying proper time for shot travel, she fired her entire vestige, one blast each.

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The particle charges flew as if thrown from the maelstrom, slowly coalescing on the same path, sweeping toward the targeted ship. As soon as the cannons had fired, Athena ignited the Legions engines and accelerated them to maximum cruise velocity. All the remaining ships had been given orders to gradually bend their courses toward the Earth system, to regroup in Neptunes shadow. Athena calculated the last fighters would arrive at the meeting point three days after the first ones. The viewers had all been trained on the events of the star system, in the hopes of witnessing the end of an era. Gracchus slammed his fist on the table and screamed, "Why is everyone leaving? Those cowards! How dare they dishonor my victory by fleeing their own destruction!" As he scanned the fleeing ships, his eyes fell upon the only stalwart craft not cowardly departing. He fired the rift emitters at this lone ship and curiously looked on as the expected annihilation didn't immediately occur. As the energy from his weapon splayed off its hull like sparks from a fire, he recalled some of the early tests of the rift weapon and how its effectiveness was proportional to the size of its target. The experiments against heavier targets had disastrous consequences. Many lives were lost.

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The evil one realized only too late that he had followed his prescribed part, like a marionette puppet. Enraged, he threw maximum power to the gravity field creators, knowing that he would probably cause a very large explosion, taking his own life and those of his crew in the process. His intention was to also take the lives of the ship, now fleeing the scene. Gracchus had always known he would go out in a blaze of glory, however, he hadnt imagined it quite like this. It took a few seconds for the effect to begin, due to the targets sheer momentum. The nose started to dip into subspace, as Gracchus caught sight of the other objects, just coming into his view. The alarm sounded signaling full power to the Black Core. The next events happened in slow motion in Gracchuss eyes. The freighter was waist deep in the rift between spatial layers. The fifty energy bursts from the enemy ship all impacted the freighter at once. The flash of light from the explosion was blinding to his eyes. The shock wave was almost too fast to see because of the short distance it traveled before it completely destroyed all electronic equipment on the Red Nova; all, that is, except the gravity field generators, and its main reactor. With no target specified to unleash its destructive power, the core of the gravity weapon continued to gain density. As every second passed, the

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contained energies grew closer to breaching the compression field This would allow the artificial gravity in its heart to tear apart the Red Nova from the inside. The gravity well crushed the matter that used to compose the Red Nova to the size of a molecule, and packed it onto the ultra compact core of the artificially born black hole. The trapped gases onboard the Red Nova could not escape in any other direction but into the well, adding to the already confused stew of atomic fusion. Because the phenomenon was man-made, it didn't have the sustainability of a natural black hole. Eventually, the fabric of space would recoil and the gravity well would lose cohesion, but it did exist long enough to draw flaming matter from the stars 36 Oph A and B. Slowly at first, then in clouds, and then in vast swirls of superheated gases, the gravity consumed the two stars. Not even light itself escaped the maelstrom of natural forces at their worst. The only thing to be expelled from the phenomenon was radiation, in the form of x-rays, caused by the act of atoms being ripped apart as they were passing the event horizon, or the point of no return. But not all the stars in the system were affected. 36 Oph C sat too far outside the pull of the singularity, and so was relatively unaffected.

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The two stars orbits started to degrade. In another hour, they collapsed completely, allowing the bulks of the stars to be compressed into infinitesimal sizes, adding to the mass of the gravity well. The effect wasnt perpetual, however, for once the black monster consumed the matter, its appetite was satiated. The well lost cohesion, and began to expand on an exponential scale. The energy release appeared glorious, as the matter expansion took place at an unparalleled rate. The wave front superheated cosmic dust, ignited gas clouds, incinerated everything it passed in an evergrowing spherical shockwave. The colors it displayed to viewers at safe distances were brilliant. Clouds of cast-off hydrogen and nitrogen glowed blue, oxygen a vibrant green. Red and purple swaths rich in sulfur also appeared. For the first time in universal history, a man had caused a phenomenon capable of being classed as a nova. No other weapon created by the hand of man, currently in existence, can claim to have the kind of power there displayed. The energy field given off by the death of a star has the potential of powering civilization, in all its complexity, until the end of time. By the time the stars had begun moving toward each other, the senior staff had all lifted from their seats and were standing in a line ten feet back from the energy curtain that they used as a view screen.

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Aurora stood motionless, her gaze locked on the ethereal view screen. The entire explosion lit up the room as if the viewer were a window. Though the true brightness had been tamed somewhat by filtering buffers, the scene was still mesmerizing. Softly Aurora spoke when she could, when the show slowed a bit from its original grandeur. "How can such destruction, something so devastating, so cataclysmic, be so beautiful?" No one disagreed, as their own mouths remained agape at the things they saw. After what seemed like hours, Lincoln spoke up without looking away, "Are-are we a safe distance from it?" Athena answered, "We have reached a safe distance for now, but we should move in a few hours. The shockwave formed a spherical front which will never stop expanding, though it will lose some power with time and distance." "Will other stars be affected by it?" asked Chief Ambrose. Athena answered again, "In four hours the shockwave will envelope 36 Oph C, the last star in this system. It'll probably have a catastrophic effect upon it. And in nineteen and a half years, these events will start to be visible from Earth." "I wonder how they'll explain it away," said Aurora, more to herself. "Explain it away?" asked Athena.

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"Well," began Aurora, "to their distant view, a normal star system in an apparently stable orbit pattern suffers a collapse and, for no reason at all, two of them collide and then explode. They won't know a thing about us, nor will they be able to see evidence of ships here, notwithstanding the size of the Legion. So I was just curious about how earth-based astrophysicists would mistakenly adjust their sciences to explain why this event happened." "Good point," said Lincoln as people began to regain power over their bodies. He continued, "they'll probably come up with something believable. After all, it'll never occur to them that this could have been put into motion by intelligent beings. That possibility would be beyond their comprehension, and farther still beyond their belief." Aurora spoke up as the group made its way back their seats. "It'll probably go down in the history books as simply yet another unexplained phenomenon in space." Lincoln interjected, "The scholars will probably say, 'we neither know how it happened nor why, and we probably never will know. The only reason it happened is because it did." I wonder how beings on other worlds will explain it. Aurora spoke up to the ceiling, "How long until the cloud is a lightyear across?"

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The answer came quick, "In slightly more than 67 years. It'll continue to expand and lose power and visibility forever. In more than thirteen hundred years, the energy and particles from the explosion will enter Earth's space, but by that time there will be no way to tell the difference between it and the gases and dust already there." The trip home was fraught with work, both replacing and repairing the damaged or destroyed systems and components. All artificial crewmembers that were needed were called to service. There were some androids employed in repairing other androids, for a great many had been affected by the gravity distortion racing through the bowels of the Legion. In the process of cleaning up the wreckage of the intruder's shuttle, sweeper teams discovered the enemy's method of communication. The bay door, which was supposed to block enemy signals, did not deter the tactical robots. They had actually used the door as their antenna by attaching an ultralow frequency oscillator to its surface. At the senior staff debriefing, Peter Ambrose reported, Its very similar to those used in the mining facilities, scattered throughout asteroid belts, for long range communication. He continued, The compound on the skins of the invisible ships was made off world. Were not sure where. Its rather toxic, deadly if

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consumed. That's why we vaporized the debris in the reactor exhaust. We couldnt afford to lose anyone from accidental contact. Dr. Cruz began, Everyone from the Legion who was hurt in the fight has been treated and deemed fit for duty. There were however two casualties; neither had family onboard, or on Earth. They will be missed and mourned. You never see much of the aftermath of a battle in the movies, observed Aurora. Thats because it isnt interesting enough to sell tickets, replied Peter. People on earth only care about the shocking sections of fighting and romance and horror. The little fiddly-bits in between them usually get skipped over with a song and video montage of people working and smiling at each other. You never see any technicians filling out inventory forms, just handing out rifles. Bitter about your job? asked Aurora teasingly. No, answered Peter as he leaned back in his chair in the conference room. Just telling the truth. Those movie writers have it right when they think that people only care about the excitement. I mean, what was the last movie you watched where you just followed a normal person while they lived their normal day in front of you? The answer is: there hasn't even been three dozen of those made since the invention of the moving picture. And they're right not to make

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anymore because anything they spent on a film like that would be a waste. No one would pay money to go see it. Humans already have enough mediocrity in their own lives. The thing they go to the theaters to see is the explosions, the romance, the humor. Certainly not the mundane or run-of-the-mill average days.

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The repairs were accomplished rather quickly. Aurora had expected to see hundreds of men and women fixing wall panels, and using futuristic tools to accomplish difficult tasks. Thats how it had been on the big screen. In reality, entire sections of rooms and halls were uncoupled from their supports and replaced with new sections, while the old ones were ferried through the maglev tunnels to repair facilities, to be fixed and stored for future use. It was a very effective form of recycling. Aurora had been assigned to learn from a repair team. They were slightly sarcastic at times, but all in all, the job got done in miraculous time. Her detail was to check the vacuum seals on the entire set of airlock docking chambers in their section. For safetys sake, they wore E.V.A. suits, in case the test failed. The team had to go into the chambers, working in pairs, and take simultaneous readings. If all went as planned, the information would correspond, and the team would move to the next area. It was during one of these tests that Aurora and another fellow were assigned to go into

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the next pressure chamber. The door was closed, and hermetically locked on the ships side. The heavy, emergency lockdown bracing was retracted from the bay side door, and Aurora and Lieutenant Hues scanned the room. The pressure started to diminish slowly. Aurora reported, Im reading a drop in air pressure. Confirm the drop, Hues. Her partner, Lieutenant Hues checked his tools carefully, and then answered. Confirmed. I show a ten-kilopascal per minute drop. Ill check the door. He moved toward the door, resetting his scanner to search for the leak. Found it, about ten centimeters down from the top, on the open side. He continued to move his device slowly down the crack, when he found something else. Look at this. It appears as if the lock has been stressed from the outside. Its out of alignment by thirteen millimeters. It looks as if the outer handle got hooked on a passing shipor maybe an android was pulling on it. He turned to Aurora, a look of fear in his eyes. His hands shook lightly as he fumbled with the scanner and he started to wobble. Aurora took him by the shoulders, attempting to calm him. Hey, look at me! All the bad robots were accounted for, remember? There were only five of them. Dont worry. As she said the words, he calmed slightly. The speaker in her ear was now the only way to hear him, as

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the air in the room was almost completely gone. His breathing slowed to semi-normal levels, and he could now stand on his own. They were in the midst of preparing a request for the air to be replaced, so they could go to the next chamber, when they stopped dead in their tracks. They heard something, a noise made by neither human. It must have been resonating through the walls, floor, and in turn through their suits. It was a sound like metal on metal. First, they heard scratching, then hammering, and then nothing. They looked at each other confusedly, then back at the door. You sure all of the bad bots were accounted for? Hues whispered. Silence blanketed the room for a few seconds, and then the hammering came back. It was definitely not random sound; it came as three impacts in three sets. Then silence again. Hues moved to a terminal, and called up a view of the outside of the door. What they saw frightened both of them. The screen displayed a tactical android of unknown design. The hands and arms were badly scratched, probably from the action of beating on the door. It had worn away the shiny coating on its arms. Aurora shouted into her microphone, Central, Major Julia Travers! Six androids landed in the bay, not five! Theres still one onboard! We need immediate assistance.

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She waited for the response. When it came, it didnt sound like she would have hoped. The response was automated. All personnel must leave sections hereafter named... As the voice rattled off a list of numbers, Aurora waited for the welcome voice of her temporary supervisor. Then it came. Aurora, Ive been told that a few tactical teams will be at your position in a few minutes. Can you hang on until then? Judging on the dents this guy is making on the other side of the door, I dont think it will last any longer than one minute, give or take. Ill have to take matters into my own hands, I guess. Ill get back to you on how things work out. And before Major Travers could respond, Aurora out, cut the link. Lieutenant Hues huddled on the floor as he watched the screen. Aurora felt alone, with no one to aid her. She had an idea, Athena, pump the pressure in this chamber up to five atmospheres. We need to knock our uninvited friend off guard. Compliant, came her response. As she requested, the pressure in the room rose to five times the normal setting. She leaned down to tether her inept companion to a railing, preparing for her next maneuver. She went to another link point, and did the same with her own safety cord, securing her body from unwanted movement. When she thought she was ready, she spoke into her comlink. Athena, open

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the lock on the bay side door. She held firmly to the railing, in anticipation of the impending explosion. Silently, the door unlocked, releasing the trapped air into the vacuous launching bay. The door opened extremely fast for its weight, slamming full speed into the tactical units torso. It flew for a hundred feet, before landing on the floor and skidding to a halt. Dazed for only a second, it regained its mind, and continued its assault. The force of the pull had ripped Aurora from her railing, the cable being snapped like a thread. In an instant of terror, she tried to grab the top of the doorframe, only changing her trajectory, from out, to out and up. She cleared the artificial gravity field, and continued flying through the space above the many ships in the bay. It was a second before the artificial soldier saw what had happened, but using some skill in jumping, he launched himself toward her. He had small thrusters on his feet, making course corrections, as he went. Aurora felt the impact of the ceiling of the enormous bay throughout her entire body. It felt like she had fallen from a second story window, onto a flat metal plate. She heard a crack as she hit, probably from some of her ribs, and pain shot through her back. She had very little time to react, before the android would reach her. Not having the use of thrusters made things harder for her. She pushed off from the ceiling, aiming

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for a large vessel beneath her. As she passed the android, he reached out to grab her, but only caught empty space. She was a few feet from the ship, when he hit the ceiling, and made a following jump. Athena, help me! Aurora shouted, as she hit the hull of the ship. She found another railing and grabbed it with all four limbs, hugging it close. Im here, child. Hold on, came the response. The ship she was hugging, lifted from the deck plates, and moved away from the assassin. It hit the floor, and executed another jump, this time trying to catch the fleeing ship. Aurora, Im going to accelerate. Get ready. She found the frayed end of her tether, and quickly tied a bowline knot to the railing. No sooner had she done so, than the ship did indeed speed up. Aurora guessed she was cruising at close to three hundred miles per hour, when they cleared the outer door to the launching bay. They were followed by the menace, with no deviation. He flew like a sort of evil superhero, with his arms stretched in front of him. The artificial soldier didnt know or didnt care that he was also followed by a small starfighter, which had him square in its sights. Athena was nervous about giving the order to fire, because of the fragile passenger on the pursued vessels skin. Giving one final warning, Athena told Aurora of her plan. The human tightened her hold on the railing as the ship she was piggybacking

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made a sharp nosedive. For a second, Aurora sped away from the line of danger, providing just enough time for the tailing gunship to open fire. The blast shredded the intruder. His mechanical parts fragmented into tiny pieces and floated into, the void of space, his burial grounds. The fighter assumed escort position for Aurora, and the two crafts made for the safety of the Legion, as fast as was plausible, with a tender package attached firmly to the outside of the one. Upon arrival back at the bay, Athena parked the sloop right near an airlock. By the time they were ready to land, other ships had moved out of the area, to afford them a close enough spot to the door. Carefully, Aurora unbuckled the cable spool from her suit, and crawled down the side of the hull. She felt the gravity start to take hold of her, but from her excitement, she was weak, and didnt care to slow her descent. She fell into the waiting arms of Drokk, who carried her into the airlock. The bay side door sealed and the pressure equalized. The other door opened, letting in a dozen men and women, including a medical officer, and a tactical group. The team, she had been assigned to work with, also stood by to get any information they could. There wasnt much, but they did clarify that the android originated with the insurgent team that Gracchus had sent. It appeared that when the others were destroyed, he went into hiding until the smoke

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cleared and he could continue his mission. Unfortunately for him, his remains were now scattered throughout a very large section of outer space, as the incident took place while the Legion was still traveling at almost a thousand miles per second. In stark contrast to the android's night in the cold of space, Aurora passed the night very soundly. Her dreams were not very strange, as far as dreams go. She envisioned she was in charge of a large commune inhabited entirely by green dwarves. They called her their queen and bathed her in strawberry ice cream. Then a giant anteater came and slurped them all up with its tongue. It was then that she realized the dwarves were all ants and were actually trying to prepare her to be eaten by their real queen who looked surprisingly like the actress Sharon Stone. So in the end the anteater saved her and she walked home toher quarters onboard the Legion? Was it possible that she had decided, however unconsciously, to consider the futuristic accommodations of a starship as her home? If so then she was preparing herself for a cruel twist of fate, the kind that usually ended good things in her life. The next morning, the Colonel came to visit her, at about half passed nine. He was more of a friend now than she used to think him. When they had first met only a few weeks before, he was a nerdy student at a small community college. She had considered herself no more than just a regular woman at the same college.

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The reason Ms. DeMarco introduced them in the first place was because Aurora didnt like to simply concede the argument to anyone who appeared wrong in her eyes. As her mentor, it had taken Lincoln Smyth a few days to get Aurora Dane to even smile at him. It was only after she felt one hundred percent sure he wasnt Dr. DeMarcos spy, that she trusted him. He had grown in her eyes to become more than just her friend. Now he was a friend to the entire ship not to mention the entire planet Earth and every other freedom-loving world in the cosmos. Silently Aurora wondered just how many times Lincoln had fulfilled his duty and saved the world from certain doom. His features didnt show it whatever the number. He had no battle scars, but Aurora now knew of the pain with which he struggled deep within his heart. Oh, how she desired to be a part of this ships story. She needed to be a part of it. Once tasting freedom, true freedom, she couldnt stand the thought of returning to the life shed had on Earth. There was nothing for her there, only a heartless town with a faceless school. In her heart, though, she knew that it was not her decision to stay or go. That right belonged to the man who brought her there in the first place, the man Lincoln Smyth, who just stepped in front of her. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for sending you to endure that. I know you didnt deserve it. We didnt know about the other android or it would have

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been taken care of by now. He walked over to the couch and sat down. The look in his eyes was one of pure remorse, one that Aurora couldnt refuse. She nodded acceptance of his apology, then bowed her head for the statement she was expecting. It came. Well, you should probably pack your things, now. Ill be taking you back to Earth in a few hours. Make sure you dont forget anything. You cant just call us and ask us to bring lost items back down to Earth for you. That would be considered misuse of resources. He left her room, to prepare his ship for his absence. There were places to go, things to do, people to see, and talk to. After all, he was in command of just over ten thousand lives and over a hundred thousand androids. She expected him to be quite busier than he was. The time she spent packing was minimal. Why prolong the agony, she thought. When she felt lonely, she called for one of the Nannies to keep her company. A few minutes later one arrived with a small dish of chocolate cookies and a thermos of milk. May I come in? She asked. Aurora caught her breath again. The voice was one she usually heard from the ceiling, not from someones lips. Sure, why not. Theyre not my

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quarters, anyway. She sniffed and wiped a tear away from her eye. The Nanny leaned forward and took her in a gentle embrace. But as carefully as she could move, Aurora still winced in pain as her tender ribs were touched. Silently Aurora told herself that this would be the last time she would see this nice cyborg. In her heart she wished this person had raised her instead of foster care. They let go and shared the snack in relative quiet excepting a funny story about Lincoln when he was new onboard the ship.

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The Nanny paused after the story as Athena considered something new. The Nanny began, Aurora, I was thinking about something. I feel that you can be trusted with a secret, something you asked me about before the battle. Are you still interested in meeting me in person? Now it was Auroras turn to pause. Well, if you think its okay then who am I to argue? The Nanny smiled and stood. She led Aurora from her quarters into the nearest maglev as Drokk followed. Once in, the car started to move very quickly toward the back of the ship, but it didnt move very far, only a few miles. When the door opened, it revealed a hallway that made Aurora curious. It didnt look like any of the other hallways onboard the Legion. The layout was different; usually the maglevs opened onto the side of the hall, but here it opened onto the end. Normally the panels were a warm beige color whereas these were a darker gray hue. Aurora and Drokk stepped out of the carriage into the hall, the Nanny stayed behind.

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Aurora felt as if she was being watched but it wasnt a scary feeling, more comforting to her unnerved emotions. There was only one direction for her to walk and that was away from the door she had just exited. She peered down the hall at what seemed to be a dead end. On faith alone, she stepped forward. Her trusted guardian kept on her heels. The hall couldnt have been fifty feet long but Aurora found that as she neared the other end, it seemed to stretch farther from her. She quickened her gait only to witness the other end of the hall come rushing back at her at a high speed. When the wall was at her nose, she stopped. Upon inspection she found no hidden lever or button. She felt the wall in front of her hoping to find some kind of trick panel but was disappointed. On a whim she tried to knock on the wall panel. Curiously, the wall seemed to shun her hand repelling away from her movements. A surge of excitement rose inside her, and she leaped into the wall, not knowing or caring the consequence. As she flew into the barrier, she felt gravity loosen its hold completely. She floated through the surface of the wall, as steam through fabric. When her eyes focused on the objects in front of her, she gasped in fear and amazement. She was flying toward a very large and spherical orb. It was silvery, with swirls of mottled color waging a furious war on its

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surface. It almost seemed as if there would be a lull in the movement on the rainbow skin, and then the surface exploded with new raging clouds of hue. The whole sight was frightening and exciting at once to Aurora. She didnt notice her trajectory change into a sort of orbit around the mystical ball. Her path had taken her around it almost an entire revolution, when she heard the voice. It was the same as she had always heard, but now, it seemed more passionate. Welcome, Aurora Dane. You once invited me into your home and heart, now let me invite you into mine. Aurora could only stare at the floating orb before her. It knew her in an intimate way, like a best friend. After a minute of awestruck silence, she stuttered out a question. Is this all of you, or is there more that I cant understand? The sphere seemed to respond to her question, with new patterns of color. If you were to study my construction, for a lifetime, it would still be out of your grasp, until you reached eternity, when it would become clear. I am the simplest creation in existence, and the most far reaching in time, at once. I am no more than my make up, but so far more than the sum of my parts, that I near the sophistication of the human mind in complexity. Aurora, I am a machine. I say, do, and think only what I am programmed, whereas you can choose all that you desire. You have the potential to

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grow and become infinitely more than you are, as I am sentenced to life existence as no more than I am. Treasure your agency, for it is only through it that you can become everything you dream, and deserve. Aurora was in tears, for the words meant more to her than any human could say. She felt the words, deep in her heart. Indeed, she realized that she really could offer so much more to herself and to the Universe. She let her tears flow, unchecked, floating into the space around the large orb. She orbited closer to its surface and distinguished more than her reflection on its skin. She seemed to be able to see what she could become, how she could make her life better, while helping those around her as well. She turned from the thing feeling more confident and free than she had ever felt before. Within her heart was born a new star more bright than the explosion they left behind. She felt hope. She now knew why Athena brought her here. And she felt that the time had come when she should leave the room. Her friend shouldnt be exposed like this, but it was good for her to have truly met Athena. I am grateful you trusted me enough to bring me here, Athena, and for your privacy, I wish to leave this room now. Is this okay with you? asked Aurora. The sphere answered very kindly, I understand, young one. Allow me to- There was an unnatural

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pause, and then she spoke again. Danger approaches. Do not fear, Aurora, you are safe here with me. Aurora was getting tired of the approaching dangers. For the last few days, she seemed to be the target for too many attacks. She felt herself moving toward a red square on the surrounding wall. As she impacted it, she felt no physical surface, but passed through it to the other side. She stepped onto the floor, and readjusted as the gravity returned to her. Again she winced as her ribs shifted. She saw her guard, Drokk, and felt all the more assured of her safety. But what kind of threat could be approaching them? As if in answer to her thoughts, the door to the maglev opened in front of her. It revealed Paul Cutler. But was he there to help defend her, or was he the danger? His posture and expression told her all she needed to know. His eyes widened in surprise and then quickly narrowed as he sneered, "Of all the good luck. Both my enemies in the same place." Drokk stepped forward to defend Aurora. Paul continued, You know, you have caused me more trouble in a few days than most have in a lifetime, Miss. I wonder if youd do me the courtesy of dying. He pulled a revolver from his back, and aimed it at Auroras head. Then, in a moment of prideful bliss, he turned the gun. Do you like it? I have a small collection in what used to be my quarters. This is a

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454, one of the most powerful hand pistols known to earth-men. I rather enjoy big guns you know. Then it was you this whole time? You're the mole who helped Gracchus? You and Buck and who else? The real Buck Heron was innocent. He discovered me communicating with Gracchus on the last recruiting mission on Earth and I had to kill him. I guess it was my good luck that I had an android under construction and all it needed was Bucks face; otherwise people would have been suspicious of his disappearance. With that he raised the gun back to sight in on Auroras forehead, and pulled the trigger. The flash and impact were hidden from Auroras view, as her faithful guardian jumped into the line of fire, deflecting the bullet. Paul cursed under his breath and took aim anew. This time his target was Drokks eye, knowing that if he could puncture his brain there would be nothing to stand in the way of his vengeance. He fired again and heard the ricochet, off the darkened sapphire lens that protected Drokks optic sensor. Drokks head tilted back from the force of impact, but within half a second it snapped back to its original position. Paul fired again, and again, using up his third and forth rounds. Realizing the futility of the attempt, he regained his composure.

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Aurora tried to talk some sense into him, You cant get away with this. Youre on a starship for crying out loud! Where are you going to run? But Paul would not listen. He pulled an object from his pocket. Oh, I know I cant run. You ruined all of that with your little interruptions. I dont care anymore. I plan on dying for my actions, but then it's better than living here anyway. I had planned to use this on Athena, but seeing as I have two bullets left, I could use one on each of my enemies, and this on you. He tapped the trigger button on the EMP grenade and lobbed it toward Aurora. Instinctively Drokk grabbed for it, intent on protecting the one in his care. The instant he caught it, he sprinted away from Aurora, passing Paul and then falling to the floor apparently dead when it detonated, sending a surge of intense electromagnetic energy into a fifteen-foot blast radius. Drokk, who caught the brunt of the wave, lay immobile on the floor. Paul snickered as he turned from this sight to again face Aurora, Stupid androids. Theyre all the same. He stepped forward again, toward Aurora, careful to keep his aim on her. Aurora backed into the dead end with nowhere else to turn. She coughed and winced on impact with the holographic wall, showing both pain and fear on her face. Panic crawled up her throat until she glimpsed the black form silently moving

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behind Paul and preparing to intercede. Aurora recalled that the Hot Class androids were impervious to EMP, which meant Drokks fall was only a ploy. She wondered if Paul remembered this fact, or if he simply didnt care. Feeling no danger with the presence of her protector, she found herself in an exploratory situation. Shed never met any truly bad people and felt strangely curious if the movies and books were accurate about villains who monologue. She was torn between fear for her life and curiosity. She went with curiosity. So, what was it? What was what? You know. What flipped your switch? Visibly pausing to think, Paul considered her question. He slowly lowered his weapon and spoke calmly. Im tired. Im tired of taking orders and following blindly. Im tired of protecting Earth, those sniveling morons. Wiping noses was not in my job description, nor was losing what I want just to make sure those wholl never know about me have the privilege to live another day of mediocrity. Im sick of this ship and space and traveling too far from my home. And Im sick of Athena always watching my every move, allotting me no privacy. So, youre sick and youre tired. Then you just got up one morning and decided to start killing people?

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Look, I dont need to explain myself to you. Paul said as he raised his gun back to eye level. He moved forward and then stopped six feet from her and took aim. Aurora glared at her would-be executioner. As she did, her eye caught the sight of Drokks motion. He was silently reaching around Paul toward his gun, but was still just out of his sightline. Invigorated, Aurora spoke fearlessly. You know, Im lucky. Paul was confused by her remark, and chose to stay his finger until he understood what she was getting at. Why do you say that? He said as he shook the gun, as if to remind her of its existence. Aurora smiled, Im lucky because I get to see my assassin face to face. You dont have that luxury, fellah. Paul, felt a presence behind him, and turned as fast as his feet could twist. He saw no one, not even the body that had been lying on the floor. He whipped around again only to find Drokk standing between himself and his target. He shouted a curse at his shiny black foe and fired a shot at point blank range, aimed at the androids heart. The hand moved invisibly fast as it deflected the lead bullet back at Pauls shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon. A scream escaped his lips, as he took his left arm and produced a blade from his hip. He cut the air several times before Drokk caught his hand, and

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disarmed him. Drokk threw the knife at the opposite wall with enough force to embed it four inches into the aluminum panel to keep it from being used on Aurora. Drokk then dispatched Paul before Auroras eyes. He was obviously trained to defend himself in combat situations. He also knew of the few weak points on the average androids body, controls he could use to remove limbs or shut them down entirely. The fight went on for several seconds. When Paul would try to hit his opponent, Drokk would block and redirect the motion away from his body, and make one strike in return. Aurora heard Paul's bones crack. After only ten seconds, the human fell to the floor, writhing in pain. He spit blood from his mouth, and coughed. Drokk then went to Aurora. His strong arms that had fought ferociously only instants before, now acted with the utmost care and compassion. He led her away from the criminal lying in the prone position toward the maglev at the end of the hall. Ten feet from it, they heard a sickly laugh rise above the carpet. Slowly they turned to see a bruised and bleeding man holding the gun with his unbroken arm, one bullet left, aimed at Auroras heart. The gun fired, and in a flash, Aurora saw black lightning streak in front of her body once more. Drokk's hand was still raised in the defensive position only a second after the bullet had deflected from it into another wall panel. Drokk then escorted Aurora away from the screaming assassin as a

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newly arrived android lifted his broken body from the floor, to take him to a medical bay and then prison. His personal affects, after being searched, would be transported back to earth and kept in a storage unit in his name. After his time in prison, he would be given the location and information on how to open it. No advanced technologies would be sent with it. No information regarding space or the Legion or the state of the EPF would be permitted in his care. In short, he would have no proof of his previous life.

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The time came when the Colonel arrived at Auroras door. The pit in her stomach grew deeper as she contemplated not seeing this place again. They walked in silence to the maglev and continued the same silence until the end of the ride. The two stepped from the carriage into the hallway, finding two androids waiting. Drokk stood next to a Nanny, the former continuing his duty of protection, the latter to give Aurora a hug before she left. The two departing humans went into the airlock and sealed the door behind them. The suits were assembled with some sadness, but quickly. Outside the bay side door, in the hangar, stood their waiting transport. It was the same style of craft Aurora had ridden the day before, only this time she would sit inside it. It was a sloop, smaller than a frigate, larger than a patrol cruiser. It could carry ten men with gear and support them for up to a month if needed. All this shed learned while dipping into the Legions database on her off time. All that didnt

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matter, though, now. She was confident she wouldnt ever need to know that information in her life on Earth. She didnt leave empty handed though. From her experiences in space, she learned that she had within her the makings of a great woman. She had strength of character and the will to succeed at any undertaking. She just wished that her talents could be used onboard the Legion in some fashion. She would have accepted a position as a janitor if it meant staying aboard. Though she knew that androids were used to keep the areas clean. The small confines of the sloop were somewhat similar to the ship in which she had arrived. There were some differences, though. For instance, the ship she had ridden in before possessed two chairs, while this one had four, two facing forward, and two behind them, facing to their respective sides of the cockpit. After the hatch was secure, the air seals on their suits were opened. Aurora disrobed her suit, stowed it in the proper compartment and claimed the copilots chair. The radio, near the back of the instrument console, resonated with Athenas voice. You will be missed Aurora Dane. I believe I speak on behalf of everyone who knew you when I say that were sad you will not stay. Aurora let a few tears escape before she caught herself. She wouldnt let Lincoln know of her will; she

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was too strong for that. How would it look to see her beg like a child for something she couldnt have? No, that would not happen. Not this time and not ever again. She resigned herself to a common fate, that is, one of the common man. There would be no more androids, no more talking computers and no more space flights. There would be no more stars, or star battles, no more ray guns, or space cannons. The only people who looked like people would be real people and not special androids. As they passed Earths moon, Lincoln switched the radar shielding on to prevent any unwanted attention. They were moving fast, more so than her first flight. The sloop could reach a speed of one half the Legions cruise speed. The cosmic dust was just too abrasive at higher speeds; one of the reasons the Legion didnt have any windows. She was probably the only woman who would live on Earth, who had experienced such a close look at the moon, almost close enough that she might have seen the Apollo landing sites. She wanted to close her eyes and not see any more, anything else she could miss while on Earth. As she sat watching the approaching planet, she remembered a statement made by one of the first astronauts. He reported to Houston, that from his view port, on the side of his craft, the world looked like a great big blueberry. As she watched, she realized it was

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true. Not realizing what she was doing, she began to search for her home, like a child who has learned about maps for the first time. But alas, the world was turned so that Europe was facing their approach. Oh well, she had always wanted to see Europe. She chuckled to herself, realizing the irony. They started a slow orbit, chasing the sun, traveling the opposite direction as the Earths rotation. Against her resolution, she had to speak. I will miss this ship, I mean, the Legion. It was starting to feel like home to me. But I guess Im not cut out to be an astronaut, am I? Lincoln didnt answer. He felt like she wanted to say something else, but to force it out would only change it into something she wouldnt really mean. He only nodded. I just wish I could stay aboard for a few more days, I wouldnt get in the way, I promise. I wouldnt even leave my quarters, if you wanted. She caught herself starting to beg, and bit her tongue. She promised she wasnt going to do it, but found it hard not to when it came down to the wire. Who wouldnt beg to stay in a life of the future? This was her chance to live the life those millions of nerds all over the world dreamed about every day! And here it was, being taken from her without so much as a single word of apology. The entire senior staff had wanted her to stay, why didnt Lincoln? Did she say

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something wrong? Did she damage a very expensive component? Was she breaking a rule without knowing it? Oh life wasnt fair. The Earth was turning in her view, beginning to show Florida now. Lincoln sat stewing on her statement. Had she said what he had heard? Did she want to stay? After what had happened on the ship, when she was chased out into the endless blackness by a homicidal robot, which by itself was a freak of metallurgy, was it possible? After being shot at by the ships First Officer, and watching her personal guard protect her from certain death, did Aurora really want to stay? He decided to chance a baited statement, in the hopes she would bite. Well, you wouldnt have to stay in your quarters, if you didnt want to. Her head turned slightly toward him. If he was insinuating what she thought, the universe was a compassionate place after all. I would do any job required, if it meant I could remain a member of your crew. She turned her face to his, hoping to find a sign of acceptance. His heart lifted, finding she didnt really want to leave. But to word his proposal properly, Well, the First Officer position has just come open, if youre interested. She paused for only a moment, before leaping from her chair to hug her traveling companion, her friend, her Colonel. Thank you. She whispered as

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they embraced. Though Lincoln didnt know it, Aurora was crying more from pain in her ribs than happiness. But her joy exceeded the reflex to pull back from the pain. Both laughed as they landed near the remains of the barn, which had housed the transport that first took her from Earth. So I thought since you didnt argue against packing your things that you wanted to leave, said Lincoln. And I thought you were kicking me off the ship, so who would I be to oppose the Colonel of the baddest starship in the Galaxy? Aurora laughed. Oh, it isnt the baddest ship in the Galaxy. But, it does have me. He said it so nonchalantly, that it didnt register at first. But as the hatch was unlocked and moved around out of the way, the thought occurred to her that there could really be other star ships out there, not of this Earth. Other star ships? she asked. Yeah. Hey, if you want to get your stuff from your apartment, I could wait for you here. He suggested. She knew he was changing the subject, but thought it best to drop it. After all, he would tell her all she needed to know, when she was ready to hear it. She decided instead to ask him something else. Actually, I couldnt tell you how to get back to town. I only went

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this way once, with you, about two weeks ago. Could you come with me? Thinking for only a second, he agreed. As they got into Lincolns broken clunker of a car, she joked, You command a star ship a hundred times bigger than Rhode Island, and this is all you could come up with to drive to school? Whats with that? Hey, I was supposed to keep up an image here. A regular student has to approach the recruits. If I flew to school in a low altitude cloud car, what would the faculty think? He defended. Besides, I like this car. Its named after a planet Ive visited. ''How were the rings?'' asked Aurora asked. ''Breath-taking,'' replied Lincoln. They laughed again and sped off toward Liberty Falls Community College. Along the way, Lincoln filled Aurora in on the duties and obligations of the First Officer. Aurora felt slightly nervous to ask, but her curiosity won out in the end as she spoke, Whats going to happen to Paul? Lincoln, now more sober, answered, Thats up to him. Should he choose to remain in our brig, he may. If he wants to return to Earth, he will be escorted down and transferred to a military prison like Leavenworth. And he knows that if he doesnt keep his mouth shut about Earth Protection Force, hell be sent to a detention center for the criminally insane, where

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hell either most likely live out his days in a drugged stupor, or become convinced that the past twelve-odd years of his life were a hallucination. Softly Aurora asked, Is that whats going to happen to me when I retire? I certainly hope not! answered Lincoln shocked. Pauls going to prison for crimes, end of story. Youll probably retire honorably and live to a ripe old age in a retirement community somewhere. I personally plan on moving to Florida when I retire. But the choice is yours. Aurora considered the things shed heard as they drove the remainder of the way to town in silence. As they neared her apartment, Lincoln asked, Do you have any regrets? Aurora thought for a second, and then spoke. Only one. Whats that? He asked. In the space battle, I completely forgot about the essay that was due in Dr. Aikins class a week ago. She was truly sorry because she had grown quite fond of Dr. Aikins. Well, you win some, you lose some. Besides, you can apologize when you see her. Shes due back on the Legion in another week, along with Dr. Graf. Aurora and Lincoln exchanged smiles as they got out of his car to get her things. Three hours later and fifty miles away, a flaming trail could be seen in

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the gathering dusk leading from an abandoned farm house into an exciting new day among the stars.

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