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Splice Children Book One (PDF eBook Version) Self-published by Nicholas D King via lulu.com

Copyright Nicholas King 2012. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-1-300-14474-8 (The above ISBN refers to the paperback edition) PDF eBook Lulu ID: 13172546 Paperback Lulu ID: 13165406 All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Set primarily in 12pt Palatino Linotype. D6 - 20121202 For publication enquiries, please contact the author via nick@splicechildren.com.

Dear Reader,

Please take your time.

There's no rush.

PART 1 PROLOGUE

Project Redemption Encrypted Report. Serial: xx52-A129CKON2212 Commencing Stage 1. Beginning manufacture sequence: Composition P-6. Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN): 28%. Triazine-9 augmented CL-20 (HNIW): 23%. Tessellated octanitrocubane: 38%. Styrene-butadiene (binder): 9%. Paraffin wax (phlegmatising agent): 2%. Timer (with remote update).

Camouflaged canister. Manufacture complete. Item placed. Schedule aligned to seismic data. Commencing countdown. 18:29:59...

ii

PART ONE

Awakened... In a... capsule... Full of... water?

See through front of capsule... A room. Golden-white. People. Busy people. Men and women. Wearing... white. Some with masks over mouths.

Hello? Ignoring me. Strange.

Also... computer screens. Tables. Trolleys. Machines, small ones, bigger ones.

Need to breathe in... Breathing okay. But in water...

Brain... not... working...

Panic? No. Curious.

Touch mouth with... fingers... Touch nose... Just face. No... air pump thing.

Breathing... water?

Dreaming...

No. Not dreaming. Waking up.

Where am I?

What am I?

I looked around. I really was in a capsule full of water.

There was a constant downward current, skimming my body like a soft breeze.

I was propped at a steep angle, with soft supports moulded into the hollows under my arms. Even though my body was not fully upright, I could observe almost the entire room from where I lay.

I felt utterly, utterly relaxed. And clueless, content to just be.

Eventually, a young woman holding a clipboard walked past my capsule and flicked me a glance. In the quiet of my mind, I noticed her hairsumptuous, dark red. 7

The young woman looked back at her clipboard, took a couple more steps, and froze. She looked at me again, her eyes fixed to mine. I blinked. Pandemonium. The woman turned to the others in the room, and expressed something sharply that I heard only barely, muffled through my watery capsule. All eyes turned to her, then to me. A middle-aged man in white, plus two younger men, joined the woman and dashed to where I lay. All four of them gathered closely around my capsule, the young woman peeking over the shoulders of the men in front. All observed me with the keenest interest. Even in my easy state, I felt suddenly self-conscious. The middle-aged man gave me a little wave. I raised my hand a tiny amount and gave a little wave back. An almost ecstatic response. The middle-aged man clapped one of the young men on the shoulder, and hugged the second with his other arm. The young woman also looked elated, and gave a little fist pump to the air. I wondered how my waving could have caused such a reaction. Things thereafter occurred very swiftly; the middle-aged man picked up something attached to a wire, and spoke into it. I heard his voice very clearly then, as if it were right in my ear. "Hello," he said, "can you hear me?" I nodded. Excitement in their expressions again. 8

"Do you feel well?" said the man, continuing. "Are you breathing all right?" I considered this briefly, and nodded again. More beaming from their faces. By this time, several more people in white had moved in around the capsule, and I lost sight of the young woman. Faces crowded to get a vantage point from wherever they could fit; someone knelt on the ground to look up at me, others crept in at the sides of the capsule, still others craned their necks to see over the top. Everyone viewed me with the most absorbed fascination. It was confusing. The man spoke again. "We are going to release you," he said. "Don't be alarmed. Please just relax." That was easy enough. My mind was fuzz. The man gestured to one of the younger men, who made some stabbing motions with a finger at the side of my capsule. At once a gentle hum started, and the water began to drain. The descending surface of the water breached at my forehead, and gently caressed my skin as it followed the shape of my body all the way down to my feet. The last of the water gurgled into a hole at the base of the capsule, and the humming went away. I was now surrounded by hot air, even warmer than the water had been, which woke me up a little further. It was at this point I realised I was nearly naked, covered only by a pair of dark, close-fitting shorts. At another gesture from the middle-aged man, the two 9

young men took up positions at the sides of the capsule. In unison, each pulled forcibly on something unseen, producing a sharp "chock" from either side, followed by a grinding sound. When these noises died away, the middle-aged man pressed a button, and the capsule lid lifted into the air. I was exposed. There was a breathless silence, as if the people in white weren't sure what to do next. I broke the silence by trying to get up; I did no more than raise one shoulder off the capsule bed when several of the watchers moved, as if one, to help me. Many rubber-gloved hands gripped me, and lifted me gently forward. "Slowly, slowly," said the middle-aged man, supporting one of my shoulders. "Take care, don't let him slip." I felt fine, if groggy, but didn't resist the assistance. I was brought to a standing position, and stepped out onto a rubbery patch set into slick, golden-white tiles. The room was much brighter than it had seemed from inside my capsule. My eyes strained against the sudden change, making me squint and blink. As I stood there, I felt a stab of pain in my leg. I looked down; the young woman with red hair, which looked even redder now that I was out of the capsule, had just removed one end of a long, snaking tube from my calf. She stuck a white square to my leg, stemming a trickle of black. There were also several long wires streaming behind me, connected to tiny round pads on my skin. These were unceremoniously torn away, but came off painlessly enough. As soon as this was done, the two young men, who also 10

wore thick rubber gloves, picked up a white towel each and began to vigorously rub me down. Finishing this, they stepped away to deposit their towels on a tray, and returned to put their shoulders under my arms, supporting me. I didn't think this help was necessary at first. However, I was extremely glad for it a moment later; the middle-aged man gestured for me to follow him, and my legs faltered as I did so. I had almost no strength, and my breath felt extremely shallow. Necessarily assisted by the young men, I made it over to a padded bench set into the wall a few steps away from my capsule, and gratefully sat down. Once I was settled, those who had extracted me took off their gloves and dumped them on another tray. Most of the room had followed me over, though they were almost all waved away by the middle-aged man in white. "All right people, well done, back to work," he said, "I'll let you know how we get on, yes?" The crowd members dispersed with obvious reluctance back to their tasks. Nevertheless, most eyes in the room were still on me as I sat there, still encircled by the three men, with the young woman hovering in the background, holding her clipboard. Except that it wasn't a clipboard. Still squinting, I looked closer; it was some sort of transparent rectangle, lit with green, unreadable squiggles. The middle-aged man spoke. "Hello there son," he said, bending down a little to address me. He had a strong, squarish jaw, and a thick way of talking that sounded oddly familiar. "My name is Doctor 11

Heretofore. Can you speak, lad?" It seemed an odd question, as of course, I knew how to speak. However, it wasn't easy; I tried to say, "Yes," but all that came out was: "Gg" "Ah, your lungs are still hydrous," said the man, sounding concerned. "We anticipated that this might happen. Hmm. None of us have personal experience with this, but I think you need to squeeze in here" he indicated the soft space just below the middle of my ribcage, "and I believe that clears you out. Give it a try, here, push in." The doctor encouraged me to squeeze my chest by gently pressing down with his fingers. I squeezed in, and a little water bubbled out of my mouth. However, it wasn't much. "Try sort of sucking inwards," he said, "while keeping the muscles in your chest firmly clenched down. It should feel a wee bit like you're fighting against yourself." I tried this, and wasn't prepared for the result. Water spurted from the sides of my neck, spattering the bench to either side of me. I turned my head and stared at the bench in shock. "It's all right," said the doctor soothingly, "that's perfect, exactly what's supposed to happen. Do it again, a little more deeply this time." I did so, and was rewarded with several thick streams of water that cleared my lungs and allowed me my first exclusive breath of air since awakening. "There, tremendous," said the doctor. "Can you speak now?" 12

"Yes," I said. The word was croaky, and droplets of water still bubbled in my throat, but I could speak. I thought I should have to cough, but somehow felt no need; my throat was entirely comfortable even though both water and air buzzed through it. However, my voice was weird, sounding thick and foreign to my ear. "Good. Are you hungry, lad?" asked the doctor. I had to think about that, but not for long. "Yes," I said again. The doctor nodded to one of the young men, who then left us. He returned shortly, pushing a tray on wheels, a steely cart laden with several containers under transparent covers. "We're not entirely sure of your dietary options now," said the doctor, "so you can pick whatever you find appealing. You're awake just a touch earlier than we expected, but thankfully we've been keeping some food ready just in case." Although I didn't fully grasp the doctor's meaning regarding my diet, the tray explained it in part. It carried a wide range of food items, not all of which I considered edible. The young men lifted the lids. Under them were whole fruits, bread rolls with fillings, chicken legs, a colourful salad, sweet biscuits, and even a bowl of breakfast cerealCheerios, the depths of my brain suppliednext to a small jug of milk. However, there were also several whole, uncooked fish, a freshlooking squiddy thing, and a plate of what looked like wet, mushy seaweed. Furthermore, and even more confusingly, there was a cup full of shiny metal rods, each about the length and thickness of a finger. I wasn't sure what these were, but they certainly didn't look like food. 13

The choice was somehow easy. I took the bowl of cereal. "Cheerios," said the doctor to the others. "I guess we'd better write that down, eh?" The other three laughed amiably. Speaking to me personally again, the doctor said, "Probably something familiar amidst all this strangeness, hm? Been around the block, that brand of cereal." The doctor was right, the cereal was familar; I knew the little circles were called Cheerios, that you usually ate them for breakfast, and that I liked them. But, they were mysterious too, as I could not remember ever having eaten them before. It was a weird sensation. However, my saliva glands were reacting to the presence of food, so I got on with the task of eating. This needed my full focus, as I was still so weak. Using one trembling hand to pour milk and the other to cup the bowl, I managed to achieve a bowl of milky cereal without spilling anything. Putting the milk jug back on the tray, I picked up a spoon and began to eat. This brought another suprise. My teeth were odd. Effective, certainly, but crushing the little circles of cereal between them felt very strange. Most of my teeth were pointed, curved, sharp against my tongue. Furthermore, if I believed the sensations, there were two full rows of them on both the top and bottom of my mouth, which slid neatly between one another when closed. Again, how exactly I knew this to be unusual I could not say, but it was definitely not what I had expected. As I ate, the middle-aged man in white continued to observe me quietly, and the young woman came a little closer, 14

all the while making what looked like notes on her transparent rectangle, a tablet of some kind, I guessed. I felt a little uncomfortable at eating so slowly, and not having more to say, but my thoughts were still too sedate to give me any other options. When I had finished the bowl, Doctor Heretofore spoke again. "Are you warm enough, son?" he asked. "I imagine it's even a little too warm in here at the moment, yes?" I thought about this also, and nodded. In fact, the room felt intensely warm, so I was glad to be clothed in just my long shorts. "Good," he said. "Your poikilothermy is working fine, it seems. You may be feeling sleepy at the moment, as you've been immersed in near-freezing saline for some time, but you should wake up fully soon as your body adjusts to the new temperature." Near-freezing saline? The water in my capsule had felt like a warm bath to me. And, although I didn't know what a "poikilothermy" was, I was glad to hear mine was working okay, whatever it might be. "Here," said the doctor, "suck on one of these." He picked up one of the metal rods from the cup on the tray, and proffered it to me. "It's a mineral rod. It'll help you feel better. Best not to bite down on it though, you might break something. Probably the rod." The doctor was offering me a piece of metal? At least, that was what it looked like. Nevertheless, I took the rod, placed it between my teeth 15

and began sucking on it. The rod indeed tasted and felt just like solid metal, and tingled sharply on my tongue, almost buzzing. More strangeness. But I kind of liked it. "Sit there and revive for a few minutes," said Doctor Heretofore, "and then we'll talk some more. Finish the rod if you can. Larna, check his vitals and development, would you please?" At this, the young woman with the dark red hair stepped forward and approached me. Doctor Heretofore walked away to the other side of the room and began a discussion with someone seated at a screen, leaving me with the young woman, "Larna", as I supposed her name was, and the two young men standing attentively to one side of us. Larna knelt down and gave me a smile. She looked apprehensive, or excited, maybe both. She spoke to me for the first time. "Hello," she said with a cheerful little shake of her head, as if speaking to me was the best thing she'd done all day. "Hi," I said weakly, amused, and smiled back. She smiled even wider. "My name is Larna Jacobsen," she said. "I'm a medical specialist working under Doctor Heretofore. I'm just going to check a few things, if that's all right. I need to touch your body in a few places, but nowhere too personal. Is that okay?" Her voice had a peculiar twang to it. It was a familiar accent, but as with the doctor, it was somehow impossible for me to place. I nodded, and she began a sort of checkup. After depositing her tablet at the end of my bench, she placed a tentative hand to my forehead, as if she was still 16

apprehensive about even touching me. Continuing more confidently, she addressed several areas of my body with her fingers. She started by drawing a light pressure over my scalp. I suddenly realised that I had no hair; instead, her hands met several swept-back ridges of solid, protruding, sensitive flesh. Having not seen myself yet, her touch was almost as illuminating as a reflection. Following this, she traced her hands down the sides of my neck, using gentle pressure and making light circular motions. I felt a pattern of nodules there, like little holes with raised edges. Closer to the front of my neck, her fingertips met what felt like little flaps that gave way to pressure, springing back into place as her fingers moved repeatedly over them. Seeming satisfied with this, she moved the pressure down my shoulders and arms, pressing more firmly in several places. That done, she grasped one of my hands and turned it palm upward to inspect it. Gently prying apart my fingers, she massaged each of the spaces between them in turn. It was then that I noticed something else odd about myself. Our hands were different, this woman's and mine. Firstly, unlike her, I had no fingernails. Secondly, her hands and forearms were a light, smooth colour, whereas mine were a rubbery blue-grey on the back, and brilliant white on the palms and undersides. This colouring seemed to extend to my entire body; from what I could see, I was mostly blue-grey, with bright white patches on my abdomen, chest, the undersides of my 17

arms, and down the inner sides of my legs to my ankles. Thirdly, my fingers were connected by a thick, flexible webbing, reaching up to my middle knuckle. As Larna massaged one hand, I spread the fingers of the other and quietly stared at the fanned-out skin. Curious. Moving on from my hands, the young woman began investigating my calves, ankles and feet. Kneeling, she massaged and applied gentle pressure to these also. Despite my otherwise detached state, I was at one point slightly mortified when Larna pressed down hard with both thumbs behind one of my ankle bones; my calf spasmed, and a previously wrapped layer of flesh flicked out from the rear of my lower leg and unfolded into a pair of broad, membranous oblongs on the sides of my shin. When she relieved the pressure, the sleek oblongs folded over again, and disappeared behind my calf. She pressed again, several times, the flaps unfolding and refolding, until I withdrew my leg in shock. "Oh, sorry sugar," said Larna, also pulling away. "Was that painful?" "Um, no," I said, the mineral rod still in my mouth. "Just... strange." She looked at me for a moment in a state that seemed like pure wonder, and then she smiled again. "Of course," she said, "this is all very new to you, isn't it? Just bear with me a little longer." She continued by massaging and inspecting my toes, which were also blue-grey, webbed and without nails. 18

Finishing that, she peeled away the white square she had stuck to my calf, leaving behind a clear, filmy layer on my skin. She stood, and said, "I still need to take your temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. Only a couple more minutes and I'll be done. Can you put up with me for that long, sugar?" Her voice was soothing, deeply affectionate, as if I were a child and it was her job to make me comfortable. I didn't object. Larna stepped over to another tray and picked up a range of things I didn't recognise, including a thickly wrapped white belt with a tiny screen built into it; a short, flat stick with rounded ends, almost as long as my hand; a tube with a disc at one end and two buds on the other; a miniscule white clamp; and a metallic cup with a white rod in it. She placed all of these on the bench, out of the way of the puddles I had made. Sitting down next to me in a spot that wasn't too soaked, Larna grasped the end of the mineral rod, carefully took it out of my mouth, and put it in my hand. "You can have that back in again in a minute," she said. I noticed that the rod had slightly tapered, as if partially dissolved. "Open wide please." I didn't understand what she meant, at first, and just sat there dumbly, staring at her. She tapped the side of her mouth to illustrate. Suddenly comprehending, I opened my mouth wide. Larna gently but firmly placed the flat stick against my tongue. As she peered inside my mouth, I saw that same sense of wonder pass her features. She even said, "Wow," under her breath. Again seeming satisfied, she took the stick out of my 19

mouth, and proffered me the cup with the white rod in it. "Put the pad under your tongue, please," she said, "and careful not to bite down. I'm afraid this thermometer isn't designed to accommodate those teeth of yours." I took the rod from the cup. The rod indeed had a curved pad on the other end, which fit neatly under my tongue. After I had inserted it, Larna glanced over at her tablet on the bench, and I did likewise. More green squiggles flickered on it, still meaningless to me. "Looking good," she said. "Let's keep that in for a moment. Blood pressure and heart rate next." Larna unrolled the white belt, and wrapped it around my arm. She then put a finger to its miniature screen, and the belt instantly inflated. I recoiled in surprise at the sudden compression. "Whoa, relax hun," she said. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Glancing over at her tablet again, she picked up the little white clamp. "Just gotta put this on a finger, sugar. Which would you prefer?" I didn't really mind which. I stuck out a finger. "There we go," she said, applying the clamp to my fingertip, "that'll tell us how your pulse is doing. While we're waiting, I'm gonna have a listen to your heart and lungs." She picked up the tube with the flat disc on one end, and put the buds of the other end in her ears. Placing the chilly disc to my chest, she sat there, listening, and occasionally changed the disc's position, keeping her eyes on the tablet all the while. 20

Seeming happy with the noises she heard, she pulled the disc away and unwrapped the white belt from my arm. Standing back up, she carefully extracted the white rod from my mouth, placed it back in its metal cup, and unclipped the clamp from my finger. "You can have that back in now," she said, indicating the mineral rod in my hand. I returned it to my mouth, where it continued to tingle. Larna put the used items back onto the tray, picked up her tablet, keyed something into it, and looked over at me again. "Well, looks like our time's up for now, I'm afraid," she said, sounding reluctant. "We'll probably have plenty of chances to talk later." She stood there for a long moment, gazing at me, wonder marking every part of her expression. She sighed audibly, gave me a soft tap on the forehead with one finger, winked teasingly, and walked off in the direction of Doctor Heretofore. As the doctor had predicted, I was waking up. The fuzz in my head was lessening, and I was becoming more aware of myself and my surroundings. Oddly also, the roomed seemed to cool to a more pleasant temperature, as if someone had turned down the heat for me. Looking around, I noticed that the room was, in a word, complicated. There were so many different things going on in one area, quietly and efficiently as they were, that it was impossible for me to grasp what the room was dedicated to, exactly. It was clearly the product of some very serious medical, scientific, and technological expertise. Something else caught my notice. 21

There was another capsule next to the one from which I had emerged. Though transparent, this capsule's lid was deeply tinted. I then noticed that the raised lid of my own capsule was tinted also, which I supposed accounted for the change in the room's brightness. The dark tint made it hard to see into the other capsule from where I sat, but of one thing I was certain. There was a sleeping figure in there. As my eyes wandered around the room, Larna conversed with Doctor Heretofore, glancing at me numerous times with a pleased expression. The doctor stood there with arms folded and a hand on his chin, interrupting her occasionally with what I supposed were additional questions. Their discussion eventually coming to a close, the doctor patted Larna on the shoulder, and they parted. Larna walked to a broad visual display on the room's far wall, sat in front of it, and occupied herself there. It looked like she was entering information. The doctor, however, advanced toward me. "Well, I hope we're feeling better," he said as he approached. "More revived now, are we?" I nodded, but nodded only, reluctant to say anything. The doctor nodded once in return, and looked at me inquisitively. He was not a tall man; I doubted that the top of his head would have even reached my nose if I were standing. However, he had a distinct strength of character that gave him a commanding presence. "Larna says you're getting on well," he continued warmly, "with all signs of development in the positive." He frowned for a 22

moment. "Can you remember anything?" I wasn't sure what he meant. A nod or shake of the head wouldn't do as an answer this time. "About... what?" I asked shyly with my husky, buzzing voice. "Well, anything at all prior to waking in your regenesis vestibule... er, the water capsule over there." Wondering over this, I took my brain to task. Could I remember anything? Was there anything even to be remembered? There was nothing. To be precise, there was a recollection of a vague sense of abstract reality, as if I had been dreaming forever before finally waking into existence. As to specifics, though, I couldn't remember a thing. "No," I said, "not really." "What about your name?" I had a name? I tried again to recall. I supposed I must have had one, at some point. "No," I finally husked out, slightly frustrated. "What is my name?" Doctor Heretofore smiled. "I'm afraid we're no wiser than you on that point," he said. "Unfortunately, some of your data was lost before you were brought here, bit of a long story that one. The folks here named you Zen, and have been calling you that for the past few months, though where exactly that was inspired from I don't know. I'm afraid we had a kind of lottery for naming rights, which Doctor Jacobsen won, and, well, that's what she called you." 23

Zen. Sounded okay, but I didn't have much to compare it to. Doctor Heretofore, Larna Jacobsen, Zen; that was it for names at the moment. "Anyhow," the doctor continued, "we sincerely hope you'll be comfortable here. When you're ready, Doctor Jacobsen and I will show you to some private accommodation, somewhere peaceful you can recuperate for a little wh" "Doctor, Doctor!" called Larna, interrupting us while still over at her screen. "The vitals say Dana is waking up too!" Dana. Another unfamiliar name. "What?" returned Doctor Heretofore, almost shouting. "Both in the same hour? Grief, I deserve a bigger points budget." "She's awake! And... Doctor, quickly, she's spiking!" "Which reading?" "All of them!" "Ah, heavens... action stations everybody!" If I thought the people in the room had moved quickly on finding me awake, this was nothing compared to the speedy response that accompanied the doctor's command. However, instead of the entire room running in excitement to surround the second capsule, a tightly ordered series of actions followed. "Emergency opening everyone," said the doctor. "Porters, gloves on again, and get ready to lift the lid. Mr Jiao, prepare a BE inhibitor. Larna, morphine at your discretion, calm her down, and if that doesn't work, use the etorphine. And hear this everyone. If you're not wearing galoshes, get up on a table. Don't even 24

think about being there when the water spreads!" Everyone seemed to take the instructions seriously; several people clambered onto one of the heavy white tables at the far end of the room, and others at least put some distance between themselves and the second capsule. Doctor Heretofore and the young men he had called porters converged on the capsule, each again donning a fresh pair of white rubber gloves from a receptacle at the far side of it. The figure I had spied in the capsule earlier was writhing frantically within her containment. It was still hard to see her clearly, but she seemed to be alternating between holding her hands over her mouth and striking open palms against the capsule's lid. It was nothing like my own awakening; she was clearly panicked. Still delaying for some reason, Doctor Heretofore came and grasped me firmly by the wrist. He asked urgently, "Can you stand son? I may need you." A combination of food, the room's warmth and the mineral rod had left me feeling much more energised than when I awoke, so I took what remained of the rod from my mouth, left it on the bench, and got up to follow the doctor. I was a little dizzy at moving so quickly, but my legs supported me well enough. Doctor Heretofore took up a position by the second capsule, and gestured for me to stand behind him. "Don't you worry about the water, son," he said, "I'm certain you'll be just fine." I hoped he was right, though I had no idea why it might be otherwise for everyone else. I peered into the capsule, and gasped in shock. Through 25

the tinted lid, I could now see what looked like a cloud of blood in the water around the figure's head. If anything, her panic seemed to be rising even higher. "Morphine maxed out," said Larna, anxiety colouring her voice. "Etorphine in, Doctor, but almost no effect at safe levels. She's really freakin' out." "It's okay, we're doing it now. Stand back while the water flows, boys, but as soon as we're clear, lift the lid and take her arms. Here we go. Water away!" Instead of initiating the slow, leisurely pumping of water from the capsule, the doctor tore off a panel from the capsule's side and pulled a long red lever housed behind it. There was a sharp expression of air from the capsule, as if it had coughed roughly, and a wave of bubbles appeared inside it. All at once, the lid burst open at its edges, and a huge cascade of water flowed out onto the floor. We were all careful not to be in the stream of it, though I couldn't prevent it from washing over my feet. I noticed the others were wearing rubbery white boots; despite the doctor's reassurance, I wondered if I should be doing the same. Fortunately, there was a drain in the floor directly in front of the capsule, meaning the water would eventually dissipate, but for now the floor was soaked in a deep, expanding puddle. "All right boys, lid up," directed the doctor. The two porters stood around the lid and heaved it into the air on its vertical hinge. Why the automatic mechanism that had opened my capsule's lid was not available to do this, I didn't know, but it didn't matter; to where the lid was lifted, it stayed put. I saw the figure clearly then. 26

She was a young woman, tiny, girlish, and clothed only in a dark, single-piece bodysuit that covered her from shoulder to knee. Her large eyes were mostly black pupil, fixed wide as her gaze jittered around the room. I supposed we looked nearly the same; her colouring was identical to mine, she was similarly hairless, and she had the same pattern of swept-back protrusions that I had felt on my own head. Nevertheless, despite unusually prominent brows, her face was not otherwise strange. Even through her severe distress, I could see that she was a beautiful creature. However, she was hacking up mouthfuls of bloodied water, and she seemed to be struggling for breath. Had she been capable of any noise other than a panicked gurgle, I believed she would have been shrieking her lungs out. "Porters, grab her arms and lift her out," said the doctor, "but don't let her touch your skin." The porters did as they were told, and attempted to grasp the young woman by her wrists. She was quick, however, and flailed her arms against the attempt to restrain her. One of the porters was unlucky; though she barely brushed him, he received a touch on the cheek that flung him down and into the water in a heartbeat. "Damn it!" cried the doctor. He motioned to a small group of people still on the floor to come forward and assist. "Those of you wearing galoshes, gloves on now and get him out of the water! Put him up on a table!" Larna and a group of three men leapt to the task, quickly donning gloves from the receptacle near the capsule, and skittering carefully over the puddle to rescue their downed 27

colleague from whatever threat the water held. The porter who remained upright had already taken a couple of steps back, and looked unwilling to complete his task on his own. I couldn't blame him; I was also suddenly frightened of this strange young woman around whom so many precautions were taken. "Zen," said the doctor, getting my attention and holding my gaze as the young woman in the capsule collapsed and folded up wretchedly, "I'm going to take one of her arms. When we get her out of the capsule, I want you to hold her as steadily as you can around the waist. Careful she doesn't try to bite you, but otherwise you'll be fine." I nodded, though I wasn't at all confident over what I was about to attempt. Only the certainty in the doctor's voice made me willing to try it. The doctor and I approached the capsule. He took up the side where the fallen porter had been, and motioned to the other porter to approach from his own side. "Ready," said the doctor, "now!" This time, they had more success. The doctor and the remaining porter grasped the young woman by the wrists and upper arms, and succeeded in pulling her half upright, but despite her diminutive size didn't seem to have the leverage to get her out. By this time she really was shrieking, enough of the water having escaped her lungs to allow her a half-gurgle, halfsqueal in distress and protest. "Zen!" said the doctor in an authoritative tone. "Give us a hand, please. Lift her at the waist, but watch out for her teeth." I did so, moving forward to grasp the young woman 28

firmly, or as firmly as I could manage, around her waist. Fortunately she didn't try to bite me, though I did feel a strange, repetitive buzzing sensation when I grasped her, as if her whole body was vibrating in short bursts. There was something else, too, that unnerved me. Although she wasn't making that much noise, upon holding her I experienced the most distinct, inexplicable sense, right in the pit of my brain, that she truly was screaming in terror. Regardless, I lifted, and together we succeeded in pulling the young woman out. After drawing her onto the rubbery surface in front of the capsule, her whole body writhing and fighting ineffectually against us, I locked my arms around her waist from the front with all the gentle strength I could muster, which really wasn't very much. "We need to turn her around," ordered the doctor, "or rather, no, Zen, switch sides, go under her arm and get her waist from the back." I did so, ducking under one of her restrained arms, and avoiding the side with the tube in her leg, as well as the long wires stuck to her skin that fed back into the capsule. Standing behind her, I repeated my semi-solid grip around her waist. "Good. Now, just hold it a second, fellows..." The doctor, still holding the girl's wrist with one gloved hand, stretched forth his other hand and did something unexpectedly effective. Splaying two fingers, the doctor gently but firmly pressed them to either side of the young woman's face, like a bridge over her nose. She tried to draw her head away, but he kept his hand in place. 29

After barely a second of this, the young woman ceased her resistance and fell backward against me, entirely limp in my arms. We breathed a collective sigh of relief. "I am so glad," said the doctor, taking off a glove and wiping his hand across his eyes, "that that worked."

The now-sleeping young woman, whose name was apparently Dana, was detached from the tubing and wires that fed back into her capsule. Doctor Heretofore and the remaining porter then carried her across the room to a large, padded medical table. Thankfully, my assistance was neither sought nor necessary for this; the brief ordeal had exhausted me so much, I scarcely thought I could have done it. Instead, I returned to my bench, sat down, and watched. The bench was roomy enough for me to sit cross-legged with my back against the wall, so there I sat, breathing hard, with the half-finished mineral rod clasped carefully between my teeth, sucking on it again. It was soothing, somehow. The porter who had fallen had been revived, and was sitting on another table at the far end of the room, being tended to by a medical person. The porter was bent double, and retched regularly into a large white bowl. I still had no idea what the young woman from the capsule had done to cause his collapse, but even in my tired state it intrigued me no end. 30

Led by Larna, a small group of medical people now tended to the young woman. Handing various items back and forth between them, they seemed to be making an inspection of the girl's mouth. Doctor Heretofore stayed apart from the action, instead standing near my bench with arms folded and chin in one hand, observing. He looked deep in thought. "She's bitten her tongue badly by the look of it, poor thing," said the doctor over his shoulder to me. Dana was still fully unconscious, but nobody seemed too alarmed. I took that as a sign that she was probably all right, at least physically. "The bleeding's likely already stopped, and Larna will put something on it to numb it and expedite the healing process, but her mouth will be uncomfortable for a few days." Seeming content to let the others get on with the medical examination, Doctor Heretofore sat down next to me. "I'm sorry you got caught up in that," he said quietly as we continued to observe. "I know you're probably completely exhausted now. I scarcely gave you any time to recover after only just waking up yourself." I took the mineral rod out of my mouth, which had by this time dissolved to a rounded point at one end, and rolled it between my fingers, trying to think. "What happened?" I asked softly. "Why did she panic?" Doctor Heretofore raised an eyebrow at me, and smiled ruefully. "I don't really know," he said. "Just one more thing on a very long list, I'm afraid, that I do not know. I'm checking them off slowly, though, one by one. She was breathing all right, of 31

that I'm certain, but maybe she thought she wasn't. Or maybe something else scared her, I can't say. I expected her to be completely at ease upon waking, like you were, but, well, that was merely a hypothesis. We don't know very much about her, to be honest." "Is her... data... gone too?" "Aye," said the doctor, "you're in the same boat." I looked over to the young man who had fallen at Dana's touch, still doubled up miserably on his table. "What about the... porter?" I asked further. My voice truly was strange to my ear; it seemed as though I could barely raise it above a whisper, but when it did come out, it was raspy, rough, overly husky. That roughness was overlaid with a quiet but shrill buzz that made me sound as if I were speaking both low and high at the same time. "Oh, that's a slightly easier one," said Doctor Heretofore. "It was her bioelectricity." "Bio-leck... -ity?" I trailed off, losing the unfamiliar word. "Bio-elec-tricity, aye," said the doctor, sounding it out for me. "She was expressing it involuntarily as a distress reaction. The saline in the water chambers is an excellent conductor, very dangerous to be around if someone like her is panicking in it, but we had to let her out as quickly as possible. It's lucky she was too weak to give young Mathieson over there anything more than a mild jolt." "Oh," I said, not really understanding. Similar to my experience with the Cheerios, the concept of electricity rose from the depths of my mind. Somehow I knew that it could flow through things, but... from a person's body? 32

Was that normal? "Your system produces it also, you know," continued the doctor, "which is why you could touch her safely, and we couldn't." This startled me. I turned my head to stare at the doctor, wide-eyed. He glanced back at me. "Don't look so worried," he said, smiling and giving me a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I think you'll find it's to your advantage. Just don't get any big ideas, hm?" Too surprised to ask any more questions, I noticed movement from Dana's table. She was stirring. Larna called out to us. "Excuse me, Doctor," she said, "I think there's someone here you'd like to meet." The doctor looked to the table. Dana was still lying on her back, but had lifted one arm to her face and was rubbing her eyes. She was definitely awake. "Ah, here we go then," said Doctor Heretofore, getting to his feet, "isn't this exciting?" I didn't know what was so exciting about it, but I too wanted to meet Dana properly. I hoped she wouldn't think poorly of me for having helped to restrain her. Doctor Heretofore got up again and approached the table, the other people in white moving aside to give him plenty of room. I couldn't hear clearly what he said, but he spoke to Dana as she lay there. It looked like he was introducing himself, and I thought I heard him ask if she felt well enough to get up. It seemed she did, as it was only a moment later that she raised herself from the table, with a little assistance from the 33

doctor, and sat perched on the side of it. I noticed something else; for some reason, there was now a thick white belt around Dana's waist. The doctor gestured to the remaining porter, who hastily retrieved a chair on wheels from the far side of the room. I watched the doctor and the porter ease an unresisting Dana into it, supporting her at the elbows as she disembarked from the table. When Dana was securely settled, the porter picked up another strange object from somewhere by the table, a silver cylinder attached to a wire. The wire fed into Dana's belt, though what purpose the belt and cylinder served I couldn't tell. Led by the doctor and Larna, the porter wheeled Dana in her chair over toward my bench. "Well now," said Doctor Heretofore as they approached and slowed to a halt, "I think we can dispense with the inhibitor." The doctor bent down and quickly unstrapped the heavy belt from the girl's waist, also taking the cylinder from the porter and placing the whole thing on a wheeled tray. "Any adhesion needed?" the doctor asked Larna. "No," said Larna, "just some coagulant and a topical for the pain. There's only a few small punctures, though pretty deep." "Mm, could be worse," said the doctor cheerfully. Leaving Dana in the chair, the doctor sat back down again on the bench next to me. "Are you hungry, my dear?" he asked her. "Just nod your head if you are." Dana by this time looked entirely docile, even dazed, as if 34

her panic attack had never occurred. She lifted her eyes at the doctor's question, and flitted them between the people in our group with a sort of slow curiosity. Her eyes sat on me for a moment, but she looked back at the doctor and nodded shyly. "Well," the doctor continued, "since young Zen here has given us an insight into your probable dietary preferences, and considering your current state of oral discomfort, I think we'll get you a cold fruit shake. Davis, a large thickshake for the lady, in a lid cup with a nice broad straw, please. There's should be some fresh strawberries and blueberries already in the kitchenette fridge, and ice cream in the freezer, if I'm not mistaken." Dashing back into action, the porter disappeared through a glass door. "That'll only take a moment," said the doctor, "until then at least, don't try to speak sweetie. You've bitten your tongue there with some very sharp teeth, and I can't imagine that talking to me will make it any more comfortable." Dana blinked and went to put a hand to her mouth, but stopped halfway, almost as if she wasn't sure what she was doing. Her hand dropped back into her lap again. She grasped on to her other hand and rubbed her fingers a little. "Nevertheless," said the doctor kindly, kneeling down in front of Dana to keep her eye, "I do have to ask you a couple of questions, so if you could answer me 'yes' or 'no' by a nod or shake of the head, that would be greatly appreciated. Is that all right, sweetie?" Dana looked shy again, but nodded her head. "Good. Now, are you comfortable, and warm enough?" 35

She nodded again. "Tremendous. And do you feel like you are breathing all right?" Dana seemed to think for a moment. Another nod. "Hmm, that's good. Do me a favour, sweetie, and take a deep breath." Dana did so, breathing in lightly through her mouth. "All right. Now push all the air out of your lungs, as far as it can go." Dana breathed out. However, when her lungs were close to empty, her breathing became a watery gurgle. "Okay," said the doctor, "your lungs are still a wee bit hydrous. Do you understand me, sweetie? You've got some water in your lungs, but don't worry, it's not doing you any harm." Dana looked confused, but the announcement that there was water in her lungs didn't otherwise seem to affect her. "There's a simple remedy for it," continued the doctor, "one you may need to remember. I believe the way to deal with it is to push down hard with your ribs as if you're trying to breathe out," at this the doctor indicated his own ribcage with his hands, "and at the same time suck inwards, as if you're trying to breathe in. Give that a try for me, will you sweetie?" Dana still looked entirely nonplussed, as if she was having a hard time deciphering the world around her. I wondered if I had looked like that when I had awoken; probably worse. Nevertheless, comprehending perhaps more than I realised, it was only a moment later that Dana was making the 36

motions the doctor suggested. As she did this, several small jets of water sprayed downward from tiny openings on the sides of her neck, just as I had experienced. There wasn't nearly as much as I had put out, but then again, I'd seen Dana cough most of the water out of her lungs in the first place. Near these openings were two columns of diagonal slits, one on either side at the front of her neck, running from jawline to collarbone. Her neck looked much the way my own had felt under Larna's touch. Dana opened her eyes wide, looking both surprised and bewildered. "Hah, well done sweetie," laughed Doctor Heretofore, "that's the ticket. Keep that in mind for whenever you need to clear the water out of your lungs in future. It's going to be useful, I suspect." Upon hearing this, I felt like I was still entirely ignorant of what I had awoken to. What did Doctor Heretofore mean by "in future"? It wasn't as if we were going to be made to inhale lungfuls of water anytime soon... were we? Just at that moment, the porter returned, holding a tall paper cup with a plastic lid and a straw. I knew what those things were, and I had a notion of what a shake was too; I suddenly wanted one also, but didn't express as much. "Ah, and here's breakfast," said the doctor, standing to receive the shake from the porter. "Thank you son, I think we'll be fine from here on. I'll nex you if we need anything." The porter nodded at this, and walked over to his companion, who by now seemed to have finished retching and was lying down on his medical table. 37

"Here, take this sweetie," said the doctor, offering the tall cup to Dana, "and suck on the straw, here. Hopefully that'll fill the spot. The cold should help to numb your tongue, too." Dana tentatively received the cold shake from the doctor, holding it in trembling hands. She carefully put her mouth on the straw, and sucked at it. Her eyes went wide again, though this time she looked pleased, and she immediately took another, much deeper draught on the straw. Doctor Heretofore laughed again. "There we go," he said, "looks like the right choice. I'd have one for breakfast every day myself, if my metabolism would let me. Now, you just sit tight and finish that up, sweetie, and we'll talk some more when you're done." The doctor left Dana and me alone, walking back with Larna to talk to some of the other white-clad people. The room was not quite as full as it had been immediately prior to Dana's awakening, but there were still plenty of people about. I spent the next few minutes trying hard not to stare at Dana, as she sat there quietly finishing her food, though I couldn't help a few glances out of pure curiosity. I put what was left of my mineral stick back between my teeth; it helped to keep me occupied. Suddenly there was a slurping noise, and I could hear that Dana was finishing her drink. Glancing over, I saw her pull the straw out of the cup, remove its lid, and upend it over her mouth. That done, she replaced the lid and straw and put the cup in her lap. I couldn't help noticing that the straw she had used was 38

punctured all over near the top. Noticing me looking at her, I looked away again. I didn't quite know what I was feeling at that moment, but it was a strange mixture of curiosity, fascination and apprehension. I wanted to talk to her, despite my weird voice. However, I knew she shouldn't talk for the time being, and I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so I wasn't sure if I should make the attempt. Dana saved me the trouble. As I sat there idly looking at the webbing between my fingers, she waved her hand at me shyly as if to get my attention. I looked up. She waved again, but this time only with her fingers in an up and down motion as if to say, "Hello." Despite myself, I smiled, flattered that she would try to communicate with me even though she wasn't really able to speak yet. I felt a rush of blood to my face, and I waved back. She smiled too, the first proper smile I'd seen from her. It was a glorious expression. However, for the first time, I also saw her teeth. Two rows of pointed white blades, and, I could only guess, two more rows behind those. Doctor Heretofore was right; they really did look sharp. However, it seemed that Dana had something in particular on her mind. After smiling at me, she made a gesture as if to indicate the side of her mouth, or something in her mouth. I gave her my full attention, trying to understand what she meant. Realising I wasn't comprehending, she then pointed in the direction of my mouth. Still not getting it, I took the mineral rod 39

out from between my teeth, and pointed at my own mouth with a questioning look, to see if that was what she was referring to. Instead, Dana pointed enthusiastically at my hand. I looked down at it. Oh, I realised to myself. She's asking about the rod. I held the mineral rod up, and again gave her a questioning look to see if I was right. Dana nodded encouragingly, and then made a little gesture with both hands as if to say, "What's that?" I wasn't quite sure how to answer that question, given that I barely knew the answer myself, so I tried a different tack. The food tray with the cup of rods on it was still close, so I got to my feet, picked up one of the rods and offered it to Dana. She took it in one hand with a wondering look, and I sat down on the bench again, this time right by her wheeled chair. She looked up at me quizzically, as if wondering what she should do with it. Trying to be helpful, I spoke to her for the first time. "It's... safe to eat," I said, uncertain over what she would think of my voice, "but the doctor says don't bite. Only suck." "Ohh," she said mildly, taking me by surprise. Her voice, which I had not expected to hear, alleviated any worries I might have had over her opinion of mine. Even in that tiny syllable I could hear it was exactly like my own, if pitched a little higher. Still tentative, Dana put the rod carefully inside her mouth between her cheek and her teeth, avoiding her tongue. In an instant she brought it out again, and stared at it, blinking. I smiled, realising what had happened. "It tingles, but it's not bad," I said. 40

She looked at me again, and then put the rod back in her mouth. She blinked several times more, as if getting used to the strange prickling of the rod, and then barked a tiny laugh, probably as an expression of the weirdness of it. However, she kept it in; I guessed she liked it too. This done, Dana did something else I wasn't expecting. I could tell she was still very weak, as she moved slowly and seemed reluctant to even sit forward in her chair, but she reached over and gently took one of my hands. Unsure of what she was doing, I nevertheless didn't resist as she lifted my hand up in both of hers. Gazing intently at it, she began to inspect my hand all over, starting with my nailless fingertips. Moving on from those, she carefully pried my fingers apart, looking at the webbing from both the palm side and the back of my hand. Running one finger down the line where my contrasting skin colourings met, she finally examined my palm, cupping my hand in hers and tracing the creases on it with her thumb. Finishing this, she gave my fingers a slow squeeze, looked quizzically at me again, and released my hand. We just sat there for a long moment, eyes locked. I wondered what she was thinking, and what I was feeling. I wasn't sure that either of us knew the answer to either question. We were interrupted by Doctor Heretofore joining us again, with Larna close behind. "Well, you're moving along quickly," said the doctor to Dana, a good-humoured delight clearly showing on his face, "already onto the rods, eh?" I suddenly felt guilty, as if I had stepped outside my 41

bounds. "I... said not to bite," I pointed out worriedly, hoping this would alleviate any error. "Good, good," said the doctor, dismissing my concern with a wave of his hand, "they're for the both of you, at any rate, so feel free to take them as you please. They're a specially formulated electrolytic supplement, designed to aid in replenishing your bioelectrics, which may deplete somewhat without the proper diet. Though you'll probably find that one per day is enough, otherwise you'll be urinating silver." "Ahem," said Larna, interrupting, "and on that note, perhaps it's time we introduced these two to somewhere more comfortable?" "Ah, indeed," said the doctor, grinning broadly. "But speaking of introductions, I realise I'm remiss in my duty. I know you two have already met, but let's do it properly. Dana," said the doctor, getting Dana's attention with his eyes, seeming to indicate to her that this was in fact her name now, "this is Zen. Zen, Dana." I didn't know what Dana thought of being called by this name so early; in fact, she looked entirely blank during the introduction, which made me think that the name didn't mean anything to her, just as mine hadn't to me. I wondered whether she knew her real name. It was Doctor Heretofore's turn to look nonplussed. "Ah," he said, clearing his throat. "Well then. Anyhow, when you're finished up with those rods, let's go for a little walk."

42

17:16:11...

The doctor left us to sit quietly for about another half an hour, dissolving the rods in our mouths. Since Dana couldn't talk comfortably yet, I didn't try to speak any further to her, though it wasn't necessary anyway as she seemed fully absorbed with her surroundings. People in white still sat interacting with screens, or standing over strange devices on high benches, or walking from one place to another transporting various objects, leaving us alone except for a fairly obvious tendency for many of them to give us a brief glance whenever they could fit it in. I finished my rod first, and when Dana's had become short enough that she was able to pop the rest of it into her mouth, the doctor came back over to us again. "Right then," he said, "shall we go?" Just as he had said, we went for a walk. Doctor Heretofore took the initiative in pushing Dana's chair, Larna accompanying him. I, on the other hand, felt strong enough to walk a while, and was happy to do so. My legs felt rubbery and stiff, and still weak, as if they had not been used in 43

a great deal of time and needed a good workout. I supposed that was truly the case. Departing from the room in which we had awoken, we entered a shining hallway, and almost immediately afterward ducked into a brilliantly white cloakroom. There were clothing stacks in here, plus several changing cubicles to one side. Most of the clothing was white or blue, folded, and sitting on cubic white shelving. Other than the folded items, there were several jackets hanging on hooks, of a variety of colours and unfamiliar styles. Stopping here a moment, Doctor Heretofore rummaged around on the shelves, and eventually handed Dana and me a long white jacket each. He then gave each of us a pair of loose white trousers to put on over our capsule clothes, as I thought to call them, which were now fully dry. "I know you're probably warm enough without these," Doctor Heretofore said, "but probably best you put them on regardless." The trousers were loose, comfortable, and elastic at the waist. The zippered jackets were nice too, and seemed to fit us perfectly. They also had hoods at the back, though we left these off our heads for the moment. Next, we were each given a pair of extremely comfortable, foot-hugging shoes, patterned a soft blue-green. "Just had these made and delivered," said the doctor, taking the shoes down from a shelf. "They're non-slip, even in the wet, very useful. Might as well put them on and take them up with you." My pair were moulded to my feet and also fit perfectly. I 44

guessed our clothing sizes had been known for some time. Oddly, these were the only shoes in the room that weren't white; I wondered if that made them special in some way. Dana was a little unsteady on her feet as she stood from her chair to clothe. Doctor Heretofore assisted her out of the chair at one elbow, and she further steadied herself by holding on to my forearm. I was doubly glad she didn't fall over; I was confident she could easily have taken me down with her. Doctor Heretofore and Larna each put on some additional clothing, changing heavy white boots for soft white shoes, and donning jackets over their buttonless shirts and trousers. Larna's was a long, soft white coat, but the doctor's was a short, bulky, hooded, multi-zippered dark green thing that looked like it had been worn for years. It was the first real splash of colour I'd seen on anyone. While Larna and the doctor were getting their things, Dana tapped me on the arm, still standing by me in her new attire. She motioned for me to bend down closer, which I did, and she spoke to me for the first time. Whispering and mouthing the words wide, she said, "Hoo ishz Da-na?" These were the first actual words I'd heard from her, though I could hear how her sore tongue made speaking difficult. Whispering back, I said, "I think... that's you." "Oh!" she said, surprise in her eyes. She still looked perplexed, as if what I'd said didn't quite make sense, but nodded and accepted it anyway. It seemed clear to meshe didn't know any other name for herself. 45

By this time the doctor and Larna had finished changing. At a polite gesture from the doctor, Dana took her seat in the wheeled chair again, and we went on. Returning to the shiny hallway, we approached a broad door that looked like frosted glass. "Just a moment," said Doctor Heretofore, stopping to address Dana and me. "There's no need to be alarmed, but I suggest you both put on those hoods. In short, there'll be all sorts of people out there who will likely want to talk to us, trust me, and it'll probably take all day to make our trip across the hall if we look like we're open to it. Plus, I'd like to maintain your privacy for the time being, if humanly possible. I think I'll put mine on too. Larna, put your hands over your face." Larna looked suddenly mortified. "Joke," said the doctor to her, matter-of-factly. I didn't quite understand what the doctor meant about people wanting to talk to us, but accepting his word on it, Dana and I put on our hoods, as did he. They were deep, easily covering our heads, and even draped a little over the front of our faces. Continuing on, we approached the glass door. It opened automatically for us, and we emerged into a vast, bustling indoor space. Lacking in memory or comparison as I was, I thought it was the largest and most dazzling place I'd ever seen. The place had a high, domed ceiling, arched walkways to upper and lower levels, pristine white floors, and glass. Lots of glass. Or something very like it. The stuff was everywhere. Most of the walls were made 46

from it, in various shades of white, silver, blue and black. Too opaque to be a window, and too fuzzy to be a mirror, it nevertheless reminded me of both. The domed ceiling was similarly glassy, and shone with immaculate whiteness. Not everything here was shiny, however; there was also colourful plant life, set in large, rounded beds raised to about knee level. There was even a broad, irregular fountain set into the floor at the centre of the room. More importantly, people were everywhere. Not everyone in this room looked like the workers in white I had seen; a large number were dressed in blue hospital gowns with white jackets like mine and Dana's over the top, with some of them also in wheelchairs. There were also a few people in what looked like casual attire, though totally foreign to me in style, sitting with the gowned types. There were even a few children, bouncing along behind their parents as they crossed the open space. However, there were plenty of workers in white out here as well. These ate, stared at tablet devices, conversed, and generally looked relaxed as if they were on a break, sitting on benches or at large tables placed around the space. As far as I could see, the workers' clothing was all uniformwhite, bland and buttonless. We continued on without interruption, though we did get a couple of long looks from a few workers as we passed. I tried to keep my curiosity under control and my face hidden. Shortly, we approached what looked like a kind of screening area toward one end of the room. A series of tall, steely turnstiles were set up, with a large, rounded archway several steps beyond each one, visible between the turnstile bars. 47

The archways were lit along their inner rims with a brilliant line of white-blue light. Occasionally someone would walk through one of the arches, which would illuminate their body as the line of light passed over them, and then enter our area via the turnstile. Beyond these screening gates I glimpsed a thick stream of people passing us by, dressed in almost as many styles as there were people. Our white jackets were dull by comparison. We stopped before reaching these gates, however, and turned off to one side. On the wall here was a series of softly lit, broad white elevators with transparent doors. As we approached one of the elevators, its doors split, and the four of us entered. The doors closed again. It was quieter in here, with soft music playing through unseen speakers. The tune was sort of familiar, and catchy, though I had no hope of remembering if I'd actually heard it before. "Sorry about the noise," said Doctor Heretofore, "but I'll swear, when the world ends, and cockroaches are the only living things remaining on the face of the planet, conveyor music will outlast even them. I've done six petitions to get it silenced here. No joy, I'm afraid." The doctor pressed what looked like a random series of illuminated shapes on a visual display on the wall. A sizeable hole by the display lit up with brilliant blue. The doctor put his forearm inside the hole for a few seconds, and the elevator sprang into life. The previously transparent elevator doors frosted over, and we began moving upward. "I suggest you take hold of a handrail," said the doctor to 48

me, "or you can even drop a seat down if you're feeling unsteady." There were a number of vertical rails on the wall, so I accepted the doctor's advice and took hold of one. There was also a series of white squares with handles lining the lower part of the wall, which I guessed were the seats the doctor mentioned. However, it was only an elevator, and I wasn't feeling that weak at the knees; why should I need to sit down? I found out. As we moved, I suddenly felt the elevator change directions, and I could have sworn we began accelerating sideways. The lurch caught me by surprise, and I almost fell. "Whoops," said the doctor, catching me with one hand at my chest, the other holding Dana's wheelchair, "sorry about that. It's okay, we're almost there." We lurched once more, though this time I was driven toward the wall instead of away from it. Larna and the doctor seemed barely affected by the motion. Moving upward again, the elevator continued only a short while longer before coming to rest. When it finally did stop, the doors faded into transparency, and opened. Somewhere new. This floor was very different from the previous one. The wide room we found ourselves in was paved with creamcoloured marble floor tiles, illuminated by lighting strips at the edges of the floor. The walls were frosted cream glass, and part of the space was furnished with well-arranged seats, small tables, thick rugs, plants, and abstract wall hangings, making for a pleasant environment. At the far end of the room was a long 49

marble counter, with three females seated behind it wearing black and cream. The ceiling here was fascinating; it was mostly black, but brilliantly lit by what looked like a moving constellation of stars. I stared at it openly, and the hood fell from my head. Realising I might have made a mistake, I hastily pulled my hood back on, and then noticed a young woman, the middle of the three at the counter, giving me an extremely pointed look. She then got the attention of her two comrades, and they whispered to one another, looking over in our direction. Doctor Heretofore approached the counter, pushing Dana all the while, Larna and me following. By the time we reached it, the three ladies were beaming with excitement. "Hello Doctor!" said the one who had given me the look. She was brilliantly blond, almost white-haired, though with deeply tanned skin and dark eyes. "So, my clever disguise couldn't fool you, eh?" said the doctor. "We were trying to avoid some unwanted attention in the facility foyer down there." "Oh, yes?" said the blond one. "How come?" "Well, we're just a touch ahead of schedule," said the doctor, "and my young friends here, whom I think you've already recognised, have woken up a tad early. Nothing problematic though, it's actually a good sign. But the rest of the facility doesn't know just yet." "Really?" said the blond woman, eyes almost popping out of her head. Gesturing between the three of them, she said, "You mean we're..." "Aye, you three are the first to meet these two outside of 50

the lab," said the doctor. If I thought the women had looked excited before, that was nothing in comparison to the way their faces lit up at this news. The one on my left, a heavier girl with thick red curls, actually laughed and clapped her hands in excitement, and the other two giggled gleefully also. "Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" asked the one on the right, a pale, slender young woman with exotic eyes and short blue hair that stuck from her head in spikes. "Oh, of course," said the doctor, "where are my manners? Dana, Zen, these are the Almighty Gatekeepers of Farseer Accommodation, second shift." The blond woman laughed again, and said, "Hello, my name's Fortuna. This is Berry, we call her Blondie," indicating the girl with the red curls, who gave us a wink, "and this spikyhaired abomination is Sazzle." "Suchi," said the spiky-haired girl, matter-of-factly, "but you can call me Sazz." "What do they call you, Fortuna?" asked the doctor, with a wry look. "Ma'am," said Sazz automatically. Without even looking around, Fortuna lightly backhanded her on the shoulder. "Whatever they like, most of the time," said Fortuna. "They don't seem to settle on one thing. You can just imagine what I have to put up with." "Well," said Sazz, "you have such a range of personalities" "Anyway!" said Fortuna, butting in but still smiling. "Welcome to Farseer Facility Accommodation. Would you like to 51

do a cellscan now?" The doctor glanced at Dana, and said, "I think we'll leave it for the moment, if that's all right. Can these two get access otherwise?" "Certainly," said Fortuna. "We've got a key we can loan you. It's the third penthouse, am I right?" "Ah, good memory," said the doctor. "Well, it's the only one nobody has been to since the remodeling was finished a while back, except the cleaners this last month, which I know because they've been complaining miserably about it." "Mm, we've been keeping it ready, just in case," said the doctor. I was finding this exchange hard to follow, so I just stood quietly and waited for something to happen. "Well then, I'll just get the key," said Fortuna, getting up. "I'll get it!" said the red-haired one they called Blondie. At that, Blondie dashed from the desk, and approached a transparent door set into one of three broad, round pillars behind the desk. As we watched, she punched a code of some sort into a tiny screen next to the door. The door slid to one side, and she entered. The door closed again, and the platform on which the girl stood ascended, taking her into the floor above us. Another elevator. I supposed there was some sort of safe room up there, full of keys. "Hmph, wish she did that every time," said Fortuna. "Maybe she just likes penthouse keys?" said Sazz. "Nah, she's like this whenever there's special guests. Lives for celebrities, that girl." 52

"So do you," said Sazz, right back at her. Fortuna looked indignant, and opened her mouth wide, but then lapsed into a sheepish expression. "Okay, maybe," she said, "but at least I've got better taste than to go running off like that." At that moment, the platform in the pillar descended again, and Blondie stepped out. "Here it is!" she said, returning to the desk with unrestrained eagerness. In one hand, she carried a slender black cylinder on a silver loop, which she held aloft in our general direction. Fortuna unceremoniously took it from her unresisting grasp and handed it to Doctor Heretofore. "Sorry there's only one available," said Fortuna to the doctor, "but they'll only need to use it until we get their cellscan done for the hand portal." "Not a problem," said the doctor. "You can look after this, can't you son?" At this, the doctor proffered the key in my direction. Surprised, I nevertheless took it, and put the silvery loop around my neck. "A bit unwieldy, those big keys, wouldn't you say?" said the doctor to the girls at the desk. "Wouldn't a simple proximity tag be more convenient?" "It's the security, both digital and physical locking," said Sazz, "plus bigger is harder to lose. Tags on their own are too easily hacked or stolen, apparently. Penthouses are just like that, I'm afraid." "Ah," said the doctor, "Well, I'm glad I've never lived in one of those, then." 53

"You could, you know," said Larna, piping up for the first time in a while. "You never spend your points on anything." Doctor Heretofore suddenly looked a little embarrassed, the first time I'd seen him at a loss. "Thrift is a virtue?" he said, vaguely. "And being a miser makes you miserable." "Well, then I'll get you lunch sometime soon." "At the vendomax? No thanks, I can get my own free food." "No, no, somewhere proper," said the doctor, trying to keep his conversational feet, "and I'll spend all the points you like." "Ooh, did you just ask me out on a date?" said Larna, teasingly. "Be professional, we're on shift!" "What? I... ladies, help me out here?" said the doctor in exasperation to the girls at the desk, who looked like they were trying not to laugh, and failing miserably. "It's okay, I accept," said Larna. "Anytime this week sounds good. Now, weren't we on our way somewhere?" "Ahh, the women in my life," sighed the doctor. "Anyway, I suppose we'd best go and have a look upstairs."

Our group bid a polite goodbye to the young ladies at the desk, who were still giggling at Larna and the doctor's exchange, and we walked over to a silver-doored elevator at the far left of 54

the room. This one was part of a series of eight lifts set into a curved wall on this side, and there were at least as many on the other, maybe more, though I didn't have time to count them all. This elevator was smaller than the previous one, however, and was a snug fit with the four of us plus Dana's wheeled chair. This elevator was also much less complex. Doctor Heretofore pressed a single shape at the very top of a simple screen on the wall, and we ascended. This time we moved directly upward, without the sense of pausing or changing direction. We eventually came to a halt, and the elevator doors opened. Another new place. This floor was a deep, plush blue, and only softly lit. The room we now faced was round, with a ceiling that curved up to a point in the centre, and an enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the middle of it. We stepped out into the room, and my feet sank into the carpet. Luxuriant seating lined the edges of the room, along with the familiar strip lighting I had seen on the previous floor. Paintings hung at regular spaces around the wall, like points on a clock. The paintings were all images of water, and tall enough to reach almost from floor to ceiling. The paintings were similar, in that they each depicted a stormy ocean, sometimes with mountains in the background, sometimes with lightning forking through the clouds, others with odd-looking ships at sea, but every one with huge, crashing ocean waves. As we padded across the room, Dana's chair making 55

tracks in the carpet fronds as we went, I noticed a single exception among the paintings, directly in front of us by the ceiling. Wide instead of tall like the others, this image was of a perfectly placid, waveless ocean, and even depicted a leaf gently floating on the calm ripples, as if it had sat there undisturbed for hours. Between each of the tall paintings was a slender pane of cloudy glass, lit from behind. These looked like they could have been windows, except that there was nothing to see through them. There was a counter on this floor too, in an alcove at the other end of the room. Shaded from the rest of the room's lighting, the alcove was softly lit by golden circles on the wall behind it. The face of a seated figure was also visible, poring over something, illuminated by a light from the counter. As we approached, the figure detached itself from behind the counter, and stepped out to meet us. It was another woman, dressed in a deep blue and black dress, older than the ladies downstairs and somewhat rounder, but with warm, pleasant features. "Ah, bonsoir," she said warmly as we approached, speaking with a soft, flowing accent, "welcome to the Farseer penthouses. Are you somebody's guests? I get to wake them up, I hope." "Ah, I wish I could oblige," said the doctor, "but alas, no such luck. I'm Zanadius Heretofore, I don't believe we've met. I have a pair of new tenants for you." The woman stopped short, and blinked several times. "Oh, doctor," she said, "what a pleasure to meet you. Je 56

m'appelle Josphine, tenant services. So sorry, I did not recognise you with your hood, how foolish of me. Of course, which of the empty penthouses are you needing access to?" "Number three," said the doctor, "the, er, recently remodeled one." The woman had looked surprised a moment ago, but that was nothing compared to now; her eyes almost popped out of her head, and her mouth opened wide and stayed that way for an impressively extended moment. "Oh!" she said, finally finding her voice. "Oui! But of course. So these are the, uh... oui, oui! Of course. Wonderful! Follow me, s'il vous plait!" The woman turned herself about and led us past the counter through a curving hallway. Beyond the hall was another circular room similar to the one we had just exited, with the same blue carpet and lighting, though considerably larger. However, this room was devoid of furnishings, and instead branched off into a series of short corridors. I lost count at twelve of them, each one fading into an entirely different style at their far ends. Colourful plants and a green door; velvet red and an ornate wooden double door; austere black with a steel door; pale yellow latticework with a golden door; grey stone pillars and a white marble dooreach of the corridors seemed entirely individualised, though I only got a clear look at a few. The woman took us down one of the corridors. As we walked, the corridor's blue walls and carpet became plain white tiles, at the far end of which was a large silver circle that I could only assume was also a door. Next to the circle was a round 57

silver panel with two holes in it. The larger of the holes was lit just like the one I had seen in the first elevator, the hole the doctor had put his hand into when keying in our destination. From the few facts I had gleaned, I supposed this hole was what the girls downstairs had called a hand portal. "Here we are!" said our guide. "a alors, I was not expecting we would occupy this one so soon!" "Neither were we," said the doctor. "In fact, we were all taken a touch by surprise." "Well, I am just glad we have been keeping it ready," said the woman. "How embarrassing if we had been caught out! But never mind, all is prepared. L'eau, il est la temprature parfaite. Er, the beauties below, they gave you a key, I think I see you have there?" "Oui, er, aye," said the doctor, "we've got it here. Zen, would you kindly pass the key to the good lady?" I took the loop with the key on it from around my neck, and delicately handed it over. As the woman accepted it from me, her eyes lingered on me for a moment with a strange expression, almost as if she was moved in some way. It made no sense to me whatsoever. The woman gave a little cough, and turned away, looking at the key. "Ah, the old keys, ils sont un dsagrment sans pareil. The scans are so much easier. But, this is what we must use for now, I suppose. Here, let me show you how they work." The woman walked over to the silver panel in front of us, and we all gathered around, the doctor bringing Dana's chair up 58

close to let her see clearly. "Place the key in here," said the woman, indicating the smaller of the holes in the panel and inserting the key. "You need to push it all the way in, like so," she continued. "Then, turn it clockwise until it clicks, and then hold le petit bouton, ah, excusezmoi, the little button on the other end of the key, here, and the door will open. Do you see?" The door began sliding open. However, I didn't get to see inside yet; the woman had more to show us. "The door will stay open for forty seconds if opened from the outside," she continued, "but you can go inside and shut it immediately from there if you wish. To close the door again from here, you need only turn the key back in the other direction, and it will shut immediately. Simple, n'est pas?" The woman turned the key back the other way in its keyhole, and the door began to close. "Now you try," said the woman. Bending down and offering the key to Dana, she said, "Here, mon petit canard, would you like to try first?" Dana took the key, and the doctor moved her right up to the wall. Fortunately, Dana could easily reach the small keyhole from her chair, and had no trouble operating the door. "Bon, trs bien," said the woman. "And now you, mon grand," she said, taking the key from the wall and handing it to me. I likewise opened and shut the door without difficulty. "Ah, merveilleux," said the woman once we had demonstrated our new door-opening prowess. "It is a pity the scan takes a little while to process, otherwise we would have no need for these things, n'est pas? But that is technology for you, I 59

suppose!" "Actually, these two haven't even been registered at the desk yet," said the doctor, "but I suppose we'll get around to that tomorrow." "There is no rush," said the woman. "Now, Doctor, as I am certain you know the inside of this penthouse perfectly well, I will leave you to it, shall I?" "Thank you," said the doctor, "your help was much appreciated." "No, Doctor," said the woman, and now the curiously moved expression came back into her face, "thank you. Merci beaucoup." The doctor just smiled, shook his head and raised a hand dismissively. The woman smiled back, and for some reason seemed close to tears. "Ah, quel embarras," she said, gathering herself, "just look at me." Addressing Dana and me, she said, "If either of you need to know anything at all, please, do not hesitate to call me at my desk, or whoever is staffing it at the time. We will be very happy to assist." "Thank you," I said, still ever-conscious of my strange voice. Dana nodded also. The woman looked almost elated at my having spoken to her. "Well, bonsoir!" she said. "I hope you find Farseer Accommodation to your absolute satisfaction. Bonsoir, Doctor!" The woman gave us a nod, and walked briskly from the corridor and out of sight. "Good service up here," said the doctor. "Maybe I should get a penthouse after all." 60

"It'd spoil you," said Larna bluntly. "A-ha, so you're the reason I'm so confused all the time. Let's take a look inside, shall we? Zen, if you would be so good?" The doctor indicated the keyhole, and I realised I was still holding the key in my hand. Putting the key back into the lock, turning it, and holding down the button, I opened the door. I returned the key to its place around my neck, and we went in.

There was a kind of storage area immediately inside the door, and my first thought was of how similar it was to the cloakroom we'd dressed in down on the lower levels. It was mostly white tiles, with more of the cubic white shelving. There were some clothes stored here already, which surprised me; were these for us also? "Here, I think we can take these off," said the doctor, pulling back his hood. Both Dana and I copied him. Larna even took off her jacket, and left it hanging on a hook. Passing beyond this small cloakroom, we entered a space that was very different from what I had expected. This broad, brightly lit room had eight sides, with more of the white tiles covering every patch of the floor that I could see. The walls were multi-coloured glass, composed of swirling, gaseous patterns that were beautiful to look at, and in sharp contrast to the floor and ceiling. However, my real surprise was 61

caused by something else. In the centre of the room, sunken into the white floor and surrounded by an octagonal stairwell of three steps, was a tiny swimming pool, or so it looked. The pool was maybe no more than my own body length across, and had two ladders with rounded rails leading into it on opposite sides. Immediately to the right of the pool, above the steps, were a pair of curved white benches. Also, in the room's far corner was a small alcove with a white counter in front of it. Other than these, the room was bare of furniture. "Well, here we are then," said Doctor Heretofore. "Welcome home. I sincerely hope you find the place comfortable, because I'll feel rather embarrassed if you don't. A lot of thought and effort went into it." Sitting in her chair though she was, I thought I saw Dana start. Glancing at her, I noticed a brief look of alarm in her eyes that bothered me. I was certainly puzzled about the room we were in, but Dana's eyes had suggested something closer to fear. "C'mon, let's take a little tour, hm?" said the doctor. "Can you stand yet sweetie, or shall I take you into the next room?" Dana looked uncertain, but chose to try getting up. Her first attempt failed; I could only imagine how much energy she had expended in her panic when she had first awoken. She finally managed it, but only with the doctor grasping one of her hands as she tried a second time. "There we go, don't force yourself," he said. "Just hold on to Zen over here, and you'll be all right." I didn't know why the doctor considered it a good idea for Dana to hold on to me. I still thought it more than likely that 62

we'd both end up sprawled on the floor if one of us fell, but I suddenly found her right arm holding my left, and her shoulder leaning into my side. However, Dana turned out to be remarkably light, and even in my own weak state, it wasn't difficult to support her. "Well, I'll just put this over here for now," said the doctor, placing Dana's chair by the counter in the corner, "and off we go! Isn't this fun, hm?" We left the room without any explanation of the tiny pool, exiting through an automatic, frosted glass door on the right. Past this door was a short but wide hallway, also tiled in white, with quiet ventilation blowing from above us into vents beneath our feet, and another, identical glass door at the other end. This door opened also as we approached it. We were suddenly on deep indigo carpet, surrounded by light blue walls and soft lighting from the ceiling above. This was much closer to what I had been expecting. The room was large but of no particular shape, with a central space and several rounded branches coming from it as if to make separate areas in the one living space. It wasn't exactly opulent or lush in the way that the ocean-blue entry hall had been, but everything was attractive and seemed well made. There were plenty of familiar objects in here; a large, curved orange sofa; a circle of bean bags in one rounded branch; a shiny, black, wiggly-shaped dining table with four black chairs on dark tiles at the edge of the carpet; two complicated-looking desks in separate branches of the room, each with a translucent display on it and a tall swivel chair in front; an abundance of shelving filled with strange ornaments and vases with flowers; a 63

tall potted plant that looked like it belonged in a jungle somewhere; and several large abstract paintings on the walls. There was even a huge bay window on the far wall, with a view of rolling green hills and a beautiful dusk sky beyond. "This is your dry living room," said the doctor. Dry? I thought to myself. "There's a kitchenette just over here," he continued, walking past the dining table into a kitchen space on our right. It looked nice, but there didn't seem to be anything in it other than a shallow sink, an odd door that might have been a refrigerator, and a few cupboards. "Sorry the kitchenette isn't larger," said the doctor, "but we used just about all the extra space for the major remodeling. You should find everything you need in it, though." Gesturing to various places around the kitchenette, he said, "The cupboards have all your utensils, glasses, and crockery, there's your sink, fridge combo, and stovemat, and these panels will give you your instantwave, beam oven, soidwash, di-blend, recycler, ah, flashtoaster, and even a ridiculously convenient home vendomax. That's the high life, right there. "You've also got your corevision over here," he continued, leaving the kitchenette behind. I had no idea what he meant by this; he seemed to be indicating a blank wall in front of the orange couch. "You've got full access to the arconexus, so there's plenty on to keep you entertained if you want. Then there's your computer desks, dining table and chairs, bean bags, etcetera. I never was very good at tours, I must say. Anyway, let's go through here." We followed the doctor across the room into a slender hallway. In the hall, the doctor put two fingers to a tiny black 64

pad on the right wall, next to a frosted glass door. The door slid open. The room beyond was spacious and attractive. Ash-blue walls; large indigo rugs on dappled black tiles; cupboard doors of burnt-brown wood that reached from floor to ceiling; soft down-lighting from tiny points that made constellations on the dark ceiling, just like in the accommodation lobby on the lower floor; a large, circular bed in the centre of the room; a wide pair of glass balcony doors, with what looked like a dark sky beyond; and, to top it off, even an indoor waterfall, encased in rippled blue glass against the far wall. "You'll have to play rock-paper-lizard over the two bedrooms," said the doctor. "They're otherwise identical, but this one is just slightly bigger and has an ensuite. That arrangement was there before the remodeling, and we've left it as is. The other bedroom is the next door down on the other side." We continued down the hall, passing what I supposed had to be the other bedroom door. "And, down the end here," said the doctor, as we walked to the very end of the hallway, "is a half-decent wee bathroom." Larna snorted suddenly. The doctor turned to look at her. "Hm?" he said, looking bemused. "Nothing," said Larna innocently, smiling and shaking her head. "I'm just glad you're a Scot." It became clear that "half-decent" was an understatement. I looked past another frosted sliding door into a large triangular room with multi-hued golden tiles, a huge triangular bath set into the floor in one corner, a large shower bay on the other 65

corner, broad mirrors on the wall, a pair of wide sinks set on a curved podium in the very middle, some attractive cupboards, a pleasing pattern of shelving space, and even a stylish lavatory. Directly opposite the bathroom, the doctor touched a pad and opened another frosted door. There was a strange device jutting from the wall in this room, a large white hemisphere with a control panel next to it. "And behind this door," continued the doctor, "is your laundry. There's a good orbiwash in here, which will also dry your clothes, and spotclean them should you need it. Plus, there's a couple of large storage cupboards in there should you want them, and, well, that's about it I think for this side of the apartment. I really should be getting a prize for this tour, you know. I think I've found my true calling." "Yes," said Larna dryly, "I can see Farseer will need a new Head of Research if you keep this up." "Ah, ever the one to set me straight," said the doctor lightly. "Let's go and have a look at the pool, shall we?" Finally, what I'd been waiting for. My curiosity had been getting the better of me, and it was all I could do not to blurt out the question that was on my lips. What was the strange little pool for? We followed the doctor back down the hall and across the living room, back through the glass doors encasing the wide corridor, and found ourselves in the pool room again. Dana held on to me even more tightly as we descended the pool steps, the doctor leading the way. "Well, what can I say," said the doctor, gesturing toward the surface of the calmly rippling water. "It's a pool, and we've 66

made rather a lot of assumptions on your behalf, but we really hope that it suits you." The doctor smiled at us, as did Larna. Dana and I just stood there, not comprehending. "Oh," said the doctor, seeming to understand our confusion. "It's much bigger underneath." Click. I suddenly understood, and was dumbfounded in the same moment. They meant for us to go under the water. Dana immediately put one hand to her mouth and looked almost panicked, as if she was going to have a repeat of her former attack. She held on so tightly that she all but crushed my arm, and I saw both Larna's and the doctor's eyes go wide. Dana's breath raced, and she started a sort of terrified keening noise in the back of her throat, a repetitive, high-pitched whimper. Larna was by Dana in an instant, and put a hand around her shoulder. "It's all right, pet, it's all right," she said soothingly, "nobody's going to force you anywhere. You had a bit of a scare before, that's all. It's just water, you won't drown in it." The fact that it was "just water" didn't seem to do anything for Dana's anxiety. She stood there trembling and gripping my arm as if I were her life raft in the middle of one of the terrible tempests we'd seen depicted in the blue room. Her keening became even more intense. "Shh," said Larna, rubbing Dana's back. "It's okay hun, you don't have to go in it if you don't want to. It's just there if you want it, that's all." This helped to calm Dana somewhat, though she seemed 67

entirely in opposition to letting go of my arm. She kept her eyes buried, seeming reluctant to even look toward the water. "Ach, I'm sorry sweetie," said Doctor Heretofore, deflating, and appearing genuinely embarrassed. "Just as I said, I'm afraid I've made so many assumptions in this process that it's beyond lucky we've gotten as far as we have. You'll have to forgive me, I think I have some explaining to do. Come, let's take a seat over here for a bit." The doctor motioned us toward the two curved benches above the stairs. He sat on one, and I guided Dana down next to me onto the opposite bench, her hands still gripping my arm all the while. Dana seemed genuinely shaken; Larna sat down at her other side looking concerned, and continued rubbing her back. "Ach, where should I start?" said the doctor. "I think perhaps I've been doing things out of order. We were going to have a session tomorrow to explain everything to you, but I think I need to get some facts in now, yes? Ah, we tend to think only in nice geometric shapes, we scientists, when really we should try some squiggly lines once in a while." The doctor sat there, brooding for a time, elbows on his knees and chin in hands. He looked upset at himself. Suddenly he spoke up again, though very gently this time. "Neither of you can remember anything, can you? At least, no events before today, am I correct?" I nodded. It was plain to me that if there had ever been any past in my head to remember, it was not there now. Dana likewise nodded, though she took longer to consider it than I 68

did; the doctor and I had already briefly discussed it once. "That," said the doctor, "is because you were each voluntary subjects of a daring, highly unpredictable, but ultimately necessary experimental endeavour, more of which we will explain to you tomorrow. But for now, suffice it to say that prior to this endeavour, you were both previously human, just like myself and Larna here. Now you are something a little bit... more than that. Still fundamentally human, factually speaking, but undoubtedly changed. Your genes have been altered to a degree never before achieved in the rather mercurial annals of science. That is to say, you have been spliced, which is a scientist's way of saying we borrowed a few necessary things from another place and connected them to your genetic instructions. Do you both follow me so far?" Dana blinked rapidly a few times, but gave a little nod. She seemed somewhat calmer, if still closed up inwardly. I nodded again too. "Why we did this is... well, let's just say that we needed your help, massively so, and you also needed ours. The treatment we gave you not only healed an otherwise terminal condition that you each previously endured, but it also provided every living person in this arcology with a defense against the deadliest virus yet encountered by man. We all have a great deal to thank you for, as you'll come to discover over the next few weeks, I am more than certain. However, the most important thing to point out right now, I believe, is this. You can both breathe underwater." Somehow, having already guessed this fact didn't make hearing it any less impressive. Even despite my lack of memory, 69

I knew it was extraordinary. However, at this point, Dana broke away from me just a little, and sat up straighter. "Rearry?" she said uncertainly. I could tell we were all both surprised and pleased to hear Dana speak, though it was clear she was still sparing her tongue. "Aye!" said the doctor, smiling broadly. "Yes sweetie! Absolutely. And the reason that we know this is, well, you've been doing just that in our regenesis vestibules for the past six months." Dana still looked confused, as if it was all a bit too much to take in. I guessed that Dana hadn't previously realised her water-breathing ability; I supposed this made sense, given that her awakening had been so much more dramatic than mine. Larna spoke up. "Here, pet," she said quietly, "turn around and look at me for a sec." Dana did so, finally extricating her arms from around mine, though she kept a cautious hand on my wrist. Larna put her index fingers on Dana's neck, and lightly ran them down the strange diagonal slits on each side of it. "These," said Larna, "are your gills, little organs that allow you to breathe underwater. Your lungs have been genetically modified to tolerate water, and will assist in pumping water through your gills. These here," she continued, lightly touching the small round openings on either side of Dana's neck, "are called pulmonary spiracles, little vents for the water that passes through your gills to leave your body. Water is inhaled through your mouth and nose, and when you breathe out, there are some handy little valves that cause most of the water to exit past your gill membranes and out through these holes. 70

"Of course, if you happen to be moving through water, like when swimmin', you'll hardly need to use your lungs at all, as your motion will push water into your gills and out through the spiracles, letting you breathe naturally. Also, if you need to get any remaining water out of your lungs, say because you want to breathe air again, you just pump the rest of it out through these holes in the way the doctor showed you. Here, pet, turn around and have a look at Zen's gills." Larna motioned for Dana to turn around and look at me. "Put your fingers on his neck there, and have a look," she said. "You won't mind, will you Zen honey?" I shook my head, and Dana finally let go of my wrist. She lifted both her hands, and with a mixture of shyness and wonder, gently pressed her fingers to the slits in my neck. Larna got up from her seat, and stepped over to assist Dana. "Here," she said, putting one of her fingers on my neck too, "pull the edges apart real careful-like, and you'll be able to see inside." I sat there quietly as Dana delicately pried apart the edges of the slits, and peered with silent curiosity into the spaces between them. I thought I should perhaps have felt more self-conscious at such a close inspection, but with Dana's own shyness, and the automatic warmth and trust she seemed to have toward me, I didn't mind it at all. "See?" said Larna. "Trust me, hun, it's perfectly safe for you in water." At this intended reassurance, Dana shuddered and buried 71

her head limply against my chest. I thought her fully exhausted, and not coping well despite the explanation. I didn't understand what was causing Dana such distress, but it wasn't making me happy. I gave Doctor Heretofore a pleading look, not knowing what to do. He looked similarly ill at ease. "Well," he said, sighing, "perhaps we'll leave it there for today. Both of you could use some rest, I think. I certainly could do with some sleep, at any rate. It's been an extremely long eighteen months."

15:48:07...

We got up from the benches, and Larna led us back from the pool room into the lounge. Dana by now could walk more steadily on her own, and contented herself with holding one hand at the crook of my elbow instead of gripping my arm with both of hers. Once we reached the lounge, the doctor bid us farewell for the evening. "Well, good evening then," he said. The sky beyond the 72

bay window was showing stars, and a rapidly fading twilight. "I'll see you two tomorrow sometime, but until then, please do just take it easy. I'll take the wheelchair back for now, but if you need it again, just nex me, Larna, and I'll send it up with a porter." Larna nodded. "Larna will be staying with you a little while," the doctor continued, "so if you have any needs at all, just ask, and I'm sure she'll put you right. You'll look after that key, won't you Zen?" I glanced down at the key around my neck. I nodded once, quickly, eager to live up to the doctor's trust in me. "Sleep well," said the doctor to all of us. "Heaven knows I will, for once." With that, he smiled in a sort of fatherly way, tipped an imaginary hat at us, and walked away through the glass-doored corridor and out of the room. "Well," said Larna, breathing deeply, "now that disaster of a tour is over, I suppose I'd better show you a few things so you can be comfortable before bed. Are either of you hungry still?" I certainly was. I looked at Dana, and she gave a tenuous nod. "A little," I said. "All right then, let's go have a look at the kitchenette." We walked over to the kitchen space. Although small, this area looked expensively crafted, with black marble tiles on the floor and walls, a white marble benchtop, cupboards with doors of carved golden wood, and a little bar out the front with some tall black stools. The stylish chrome sink was extremely shallow, barely a hand's depth, and the thing I had correctly guessed to be a fridge was simply a tall chrome panel set into the back wall. Larna touched several marble panels at various places 73

around the kitchen, causing them to retract into the walls and bench. A range of unrecognisable devices slid out, most of them apparently made from a combination of clear and frosted glass. For the first time, I also noticed another visual display, set into the wall opposite the benchtop, with a large, oblong recess to one side to it. "So," said Larna, "forgive me if I explain even the most basic items, as I'm not sure what you know and what you don't. Please stop me if there's anything you don't understand. Okay?" We nodded. "To start with," she continued, "these sinks are touch operated. Just put a finger to the pad at the top, like this," Larna did so, tapping a finger on an almost invisible round depression in the marble counter at the top-left of the sink, "and the water will start to flow." It did so, spilling in a curved arc from a bulbous faucet. "Water pressure will always start at this rate and stay constant unless you change it with the pad on the left." Larna slid her finger upwardly along an elongated depression on the left of the sink, and the water began rushing. She slid it in the other direction, and it slowed to a trickle. "Temperature is controlled by this pad on the right." Larna indicated another depression on the right of the sink with a red dot at the top and a blue dot at the bottom. "You won't get boiling water from this faucet, but be careful as it can still get pretty hot. The water always comes out cold when you start it up, though, so you should find it safe enough. Any questions?" I shook my head. Dana did too. "Okay then, something a little more interesting. This over here," she said, indicating the recess in the opposite wall with 74

the screen next to it, "is your home vendomax. This really is the pinnacle of style, you know, as most people have to visit the public ones to get what they need. I guess that's what it means to live in a facility penthouse," she said with a sigh. "That and cupboard doors made from real wood. "Anyhow, the screen is easy enough to use. It has prompts and so forth, so if you're not sure, just follow what it says and it'll give you what you request. For instance, right now I think I'll order three very large chocolate bars. You guys can have three each too, if you like." Larna paused, and raised an eyebrow at us. "That was a joke. Anyway..." Larna put a finger to the display, and it lit up. There was a series of unintelligible squiggles and lines on it, which Larna seemed perfectly comfortable interpreting. "I think I'll switch to the 3D menu so you guys can get a closer look." Larna pressed one of the squiggly shapes, and my inner surprise meter soared to new heights when the lines and shapes somehow extruded outward, and suspended themselves in the air! Suddenly, there was a three-dimensional box of light hanging in space, filled with the squiggly little shapes and, I saw, images of several different types of food. "Whoa," I said, gaping. "Oh," said Larna, "you haven't seen this type of screen before, have you? A little over the top for something like ordering food, but still pretty funky, hey?" I stared openly at the three-dimensional projection. The little shapes, squiggles and images pirouetted gently in their suspended positions. I waved my hand through the floating box, 75

causing it to ripple like water, though it re-established itself in less than a second. "Hey, careful there," said Larna. "Looks like you just ordered... er, half-a-dozen jars of fish paste. I'll just cancel that one, hm?" Larna entered her hand adeptly into the hovering image, where she flicked one of the symbols with a finger. "There we go. Now, chocolate bars... I should probably mention that heavily processed foods will cost you a few points, as will some of the more exotic cooking ingredients, but you guys have a very high-tier points cap, which, by the way, renews itself monthly, so I don't think you'll be running out of funds any time soon. Just a little token of gratitude from the Arca Nova Governance Council." She flicked a few more symbols, and an image of what was undoubtedly a chocolate bar appeared in the middle of the projection, twirling gently. Larna flicked one final symbol, removed her hand from the illuminated box, and something that looked like a timer appeared in one corner of the screen and began counting down. I still couldn't read it, though, because of the strange symbols it used. "The delivery time's a bit off now and then," she said, "but not too bad. The food comes from repositories far underground, and you'll find there's a first-in-first-served priority queue, so sometimes it takes a while for the system to register and complete your order. Also, different products take different amounts of time to arrive depending on how far they need to travel, but it sure beats carrying it up yourself. While we're waiting, I'll order us some proper food. That is, if you can call 76

instant ramen proper." Larna reinserted her hand in the three-dimensional image and flicked away at several more symbols. The shape of a tall cup appeared, then almost immediately disappeared. Larna continued flicking, and several other objects appeared and disappeared also, too fast for me to identify. Finally, a second timer was displayed, and began counting down. "Ramen's always quick, thankfully," said Larna. "At least someone down there's smart enough to know that when you want instant food, you want it fast. Fruit, bread and milk take a little bit longer, but not too bad. If you request several things from the same storage category, the system aggregates your order and it all arrives at once. This one'll only take a couple minutes." We waited for the latter countdown to reach zero. Suddenly, there was a rumbling in the wall recess next to the screen, and a shelf descended. On it were two styrofoam cups, a plastic pack of orange-yellow fruit, and a tall bottle of what looked like milk. "Dinner!" said Larna. "I really hope ramen is all right, Zen, but if it's not to your taste, don't worry, we'll get you whatever you like. I just figured that something quick before bed would be best, and I realise everything is still a bit unfamiliar. You, pet," she said, addressing Dana, "are on cold fruit drinks for a couple of days until your tongue gets better. Doctor's orders, and that's me." Taking the food from the recess and putting it on the counter, Larna gave us a sidelong look. "You two look like you're about ready to drop," she said. 77

"Maybe we should leave the chocolate for another time, or it might mess up your sleep." She put her hand into the projected box one final time, and flicked a symbol that made the remaining countdown timer disappear. She flicked one more symbol, and the entire box winked into nothingness. Larna's observation was accurate; I was not only physically tired, but mentally as well, despite the fact that I'd only been awake for a very short period, maybe a couple of hours. I could see Dana struggling with heavy eyelids too. Larna took a small black knife from a drawer and released the fruit from its plastic packaging. Slicing a piece of fruit in two and removing a thick pit, she placed the slices into a wide-mouthed glass cylinder that sat nearby on the bench, and put a large dollop of milk in also. Putting the remaining fruit and milk into the refrigerator, she pressed something inside the fridge door, and returned with a clear cup full of ice. She upended this into the cylinder as well. "I hope you like mango, pet," she said. Larna flipped a switch, and the cylinder's contents disintegrated into smoothness with no more than a soft beeping noise. Larna turned the strange blender off, took a tall plastic glass from a cupboard above us, and upended the contents of the cylinder into it. She handed the glass to Dana, who took it in both hands with a quiet, focused look, as if it was all she could do not to drop it. It was the first time she had completely separated herself from me since getting up from her wheelchair. "Of course," said Larna as she took the styrofoam cups, flipped open their lids, and began filling each with water from the sink, "most of the food from the vendomax is free, so don't 78

feel bad ordering whatever you need. However, don't expect too much from it, as it's mainly simple processed stuff, or ingredients that you can use to cook something yourself. Human effort has not been entirely eliminated from the equation, which in my opinion is a good thing. "You can also vend basic medications, and, as a super special thingummy, we've set yours up to have access to some of the facility supplies, so you can get your mineral rods through this max whenever you need them, too." Larna took the filled styrofoam cups and placed them inside a pearly, box-shaped device with a window on the front. Microwave, my brain said, and I realised that I was familiar with this one. "This is your instantwave," said Larna, as if correcting my thoughts. "It'll heat these cups in about ten seconds. Just watch." There were more of the unfamiliar shapes and lines on the interface of this strange appliance. I guessed that if I was going to operate anything in this place, I would have to learn what they meant. Larna pressed several symbols. The instantwave, as she had called it, shone bright blue on the inside for several seconds, and then went dark. She then removed the cups from it, and handed one to me. It was piping hot inside. "You'll need one of these," she said, taking a black fork from a drawer and passing it over. She also took a pair of slender, black sticks from the drawer and put them in her own noodles. Chop... sticks, my mind said, the word bubbling up in pieces from the back of my brain. 79

"You might have to give the noodles a minute to soften, but, there you go, bon apptit. Come on, let's all go put our feet up." Larna walked out of the kitchenette and over to the large orange sofa. The sofa was a broad semicircle, big enough for maybe eight people to sit on comfortably. We would fit easily. Larna took off her white shoes and socks, and sat nestling in the voluminous cushions. Thinking it a good idea, I also took off my rubbery shoes, and sat down cross-legged on the couch. Dana slipped her shoes off too, and sank into the couch between Larna and I, carefully balancing her drink with both hands. It looked like just holding it was taking most of her concentration. "Ah," said Larna, "this is the life, right here. I've only got a tiny little futon in my allotment. I could easily get comfortable with all this space. You guys are lucky." Dana sipped at her fruit drink, and Larna and I ate our noodles. As much as I liked the food, my teeth weren't ideal for chewing it. The sharp edges in my mouth shredded the noodles easily enough, but grinding them wasn't straightforward. I found it easier to squash the noodle pieces with my tongue against the roof of my mouth than to grind them with my teeth. We didn't talk much while eating, but it was comfortable. I took the opportunity to look around this half-foreign, halffamiliar room a little. The way the doctor had pointed at the wall in front of us, and his use of the word corevision, came to mind. In my thoughts, I saw the image of a flat, black screen, and had the sudden recollection of another wordtelevisionbut there was 80

nothing like that to be seen. Had I heard the doctor correctly? I stared at the wall, again wondering what he had meant. Noticing my gaze, Larna spoke up. "Would you like to know how to turn it on?" she asked. I guessed I did want to know, whatever it was. "Mm-hmm," I said, nodding. "Here, hold up your hand like this." Larna held one hand aloft, with her palm toward the wall and her fingers closed in a fist. I copied her. "Now spread your fingers wide as quick as you can, and hold them there." I looked toward Larna, thinking this a strange instruction, and she gave me an encouraging look. I flicked my hand open, splaying my fingers, and saw the webbing between them open up wide. I held my hand still for less than a second, and suddenly the wall in front of me came to life! It shone a gentle, wavy blue, and the lights around us dimmed deeply, enhancing the wall's brightness. However, to my further surprise, the room's bay window dimmed along with the lights, and then winked out completely, the glossy window panels becoming the same colour as the wall. What? Had the window been covered? Or was the view... artificial? Turning back to the wall in front of me, I saw more unfamiliar symbols appear on it. However, what I wasn't prepared for was a tiny version of the same projection appearing in mid-air exactly where my open hand had been. I jumped a mile. 81

I ended up almost falling over the seatback; it was lucky I'd eaten most of my food already, otherwise we would all have been covered in noodles. "Oh, sorry hun," said Larna, clearly trying not to laugh. I must have looked completely ridiculous. "That's just the hocor. That's short for Holographic Corevision Remote. It appears wherever you open your hand to turn on the hemisphere core." Hemisphere core? Larna was pointing up into the air. I looked where she was pointing; there was a small hemisphere directly above us on the ceiling, glowing blue. I felt silly. We'd just seen a projected image in the kitchenette, but still I jumped. Larna got up from her end of the couch, and came over to where the little holographic screen hovered, shining in mid-air. "It's mostly self-explanatory," said Larna, flicking several of the symbols seemingly at random. Suddenly I felt like we had been transported to another place; an arid wilderness appeared before us in perfect threedimensional depth, filling the space that had previously been flat and blue. A spiny little animal shuffled into view, and a soft feminine voice began speaking. "... found across northern Africa, and throughout the Middle East. Among the smallest of hedgehog species, a primary distinctive feature is its contrasting dark muzzle and white band across the face, which extends to..." The image before us was so realistic, I could have believed that it was a window into another world, if Larna hadn't been sitting next to me explaining it. "Hmm, rerun of a nature documentary on the extinct 82

desert hedgehog. How fascinating," said Larna. I didn't think she sounded all that fascinated, but I certainly was. "Let's just change that." She flicked a symbol, and the desert scene quickly melted into shining green forest, deep and clear. "... rainforest once covered almost six million square kilometres of the Amazon Basin. Today..." "Great, another ancient documentary," said Larna. She flicked the symbol again. This time, an underwater scene faded into view, and a refined male voice replaced the feminine one. "... coastal waters of all major oceans. Known for their size, and distinctive white underbellies, these highly adapted predators..." "I think we're in the wrong menu section," Larna continued, flicking another symbol and causing the sound volume to drop almost to nothing. "Anyway, changing channels is pretty simple, guys, and there's heaps to choose from. Plus you can get full arconexus access from here if you want to keep up to date with all the local happenings, or need to look something up. All you do is press schlebit, and you'll get a full menu of..." "Um, Larna," I said, interrupting, "what is shch...lebbit?" "Oh," said Larna, "that's this little... wait a minute." She gave Dana and me a long, wide-eyed look as if she had never seen us before. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she continued, "you two don't read Arc yet, do you? Let alone speak it. Ahh, what a memit ach grisk." These unfamiliar words seemed to express serious annoyance. Larna put her face in her hands, and I wondered what was worrying her. "Whoops," said Larna. "Whoops, whoops, damn, whoops. 83

Sorry guys. Ah, why is it the really important things that always get forgotten?" She looked a little despondent sitting there, hand on one cheek, a pensive expression on her face. "Arc?" I said, encouraging her to talk. I didn't like to see her looking so upset. Larna looked at me again, and smiled ruefully. "Arc is the arcology language," she said. Arcology, I thought, another unfamiliar word. "All the systems and interfaces use it. It's something they came up with years ago to help all the cultures that were mashed together here to cohabitate without wanting to whack one another in the head. Although people still speak their own cultural languages, with English still pretty dominant, secondary language support was deliberately phased out years ago for almost all of the general systems. You basically need to know Arc to make anything work. "Fortunately, though," continued Larna, "Arc is about as simple as languages get, so I suppose it won't take too long to get you up to speed. The total symbol set includes less than three thousand words, so it really is a tiny language. I'll have to mention our oversight to the doc tomorrow morning." Larna smiled again, though wryly this time. "He'll look like a hyena who's just had his lunch stolen." I wondered what Dana thought about all this. She just sat nursing her now-empty glass, watching the oceanic scene, blue ripples of reflected light swirling over her. She looked serene but entirely focused on the image in front of us, her large black pupils glistening, mouth slightly open. I wondered what was absorbing her so deeply. I turned my head to look. 84

I saw a huge, elongated, swimming creature. With blue-grey skin. A long patch of white on its belly. Black eyes. Huge fins. Long, slitted gills. And many rows of bladelike teeth. As we watched, the monster attacked a smaller finned creature, absorbing the prey into its mouth in two gulping, merciless bites. Shark, my brain finally said. "Anyhow," said Larna, spreading the fingers of one hand wide and quickly closing them into a fist again. The image on the wall in front of us faded instantly, along with the hocor, and the room lights came back up. "That's probably enough thoughtless mistakes by silly scientists for one day, I think. Why don't we all get to bed, hm?"

We got up from the couch and put our shoes back on. As soon as we had stood again, Dana drifted over to me and stood close, again without thinking, it seemed. She left my arm free this time, but eclipsed my side and stayed there like my shadow. Larna disposed of our refuse and took our dirty dishes to another device in the kitchen, a small set of clear trays that protruded out of the marble benchtop by the sink. She touched a 85

pad; the trays descended into the bench and were covered over by a panel. "This is your soidwash," said Larna, "or swasher, if you want the slang. Cleans dishes in a jiff, but I'll show you how that works later." The dishes stowed, we walked together back down the hallway, and Larna showed us to our rooms. We were saved the trouble of choosing rooms, thankfully. Larna guided Dana into the one the doctor had called the larger of the two, the one with the "ensuite"; I thought I recognised that word, but couldn't bring its meaning to mind. "We'll give the ensuite to the lady, I think," said Larna. "Is that all right with you, Zen?" It was, and I nodded. If an ensuite was something that would make Dana more comfortable, then I was happy for her to have it. "Good. Now, I'll just help Dana to find anything she might need, and you go on down to the next room. I'll be there in a couple minutes to show you where everything is kept. There's sleepwear in the top drawer of the dresser if you would like it." She suppressed a yawn. "I think I'll change too." I followed her advice, and went to the next door down on the opposite side. Touching the black pad on the wall next to it, as I had seen the doctor do, the door slid open. I went in, and the door closed behind me. My bedroom was... amazing. Picturesque. The room was indeed almost identical to what I had seen of Dana's, except mirrored, and only a touch smaller. Still easily large enough, though. 86

What interested me most, however, were the glass balcony doors; I was still wondering about the view I had seen in the lounge room, and the way it had winked out. However, as I walked over to inspect the balcony, I realised there was no way that both views could be real. Approaching the doors, I saw the expanse of an evening cityscape beyond, as if my room was on an upper floor of an immensely tall building. The window in the lounge had shown rolling hills, and these glass doors faced in almost exactly the same direction as that had. They couldn't both be right. That being the case, I presumed that this had to be the real view of the outside world, and the other must have been a visual projection, like the ones I'd see in the lounge. Seeking a breath of outside air, I looked for a way to open the doors, but could find none. Putting a hand to the glass, I was astonished to see the view ripple at my touch. Another projection? Were the balcony doors in Dana's room also a projection? I could only suppose so. Disappointed, yet feeling even more curious about my environment, I went looking for pajamas. I opened the topmost of a large chest of drawers, as Larna had suggested, and found a pair of long, silken black shorts and a matching v-necked t-shirt. They seemed right for sleep, and looked like they would fit me. I replaced my clothing with the pajama shorts and shirt. I left the front door key on top of the dresser, and put my new white clothes, shoes and capsule shorts in an empty drawer. I could only guess as to how long I had worn those shorts, lying unconscious in the capsule from which I had emerged. 87

Standing there in my new pajamas, I caught my full reflection in a slender floor-to-ceiling mirror against the wall. This was the first time I had seen myself clearly; I went to get a closer look. My face and head were... what was the right word? Had I not already become familiar with Dana's appearance, I might have pulled away in alarm at my own. Blue-grey skin all over, except for a large, porcelain-white region on my front that ran up my neck and ended as a rounded patch on my chin. Two symmetrical bands of diagonal slits flanking my throat, running from jaw to collarbone, with a pattern of other small holes on the sides of my neck. Ears moulded into my head, making them barely more than a pair of scooped openings surrounded by raised skin. Five perfectly streamlined protrusions on my scalp, the middle one sweeping back from my forehead to the nape of my neck, the two beside that stopping suddenly on the back of my head, and the outer two cutting off sharply at the sides of my head, all curved and pointed at the ends like miniature fins. Colourless eyes, each with a large, black pupil surrounded by milky white. I opened my mouth, and put a finger to my teeth. Opening and closing my jaw several times, I could see how the two rows of teeth fit together like shears or scissors. Most of them were slender, and curved to a point, with bladelike edges. Those at the back of my mouth were thicker, though still pointed. My nose was not too different from other noses, a fact I 88

was happy with. It was a good nose, smooth, balanced, human, if still blue-grey. We were indeed basically the same, Dana and I, though my features were somehow sharper, more intense. Our heads were each very smooth, but my thick, hairless brows, which naturally frowned in the middle, and the corners of my lips, which were turned tightly upward, expressed an aggression that I did not feel. Dana's features were softer, more appropriately feminine, though a shadow of the same expression could still be seen on them. Being alone for the first time since waking, I took a moment to think my situation over. My lack of memory had thus far left me at ease, almost floating, rather than perplexed. Perhaps that was all to be expected; I had nothing to compare to this experience except my vague recollections of objects and words, and a strange certainty that I had existed, in some state at least, before awakening. Suddenly, there was a quiet ringing in the air. Looking around, I saw the door's inside touchpad blinking a pattern of blue shapes, as if to get my attention. I walked over and peered at it, unsure of what I was supposed to do. There was a knock at my bedroom door. I touched my hand to the blinking pad, and the door slid open. "Nice PJs," said Larna, standing there in the doorway, and glancing over me briefly. She had changed also, into a red dressing gown over blue pajamas. "I chose them, actually, so I hope they're all right. That sound was your room bell by the way, just me trying to be polite. May I come in a moment?" I nodded mutely. I was still ever-so-reluctant to use my 89

weird voice. Larna strode into the room, and gave it a quick inspection. "Well, this is certainly nicer than my place, let me tell you," she said. "Wish I had a waterfall on one of my walls. Heck, I'd probably put one on all of them if I could." "Oh. Sorry," I said, not really sure of what I meant by it. "Huh? Hey, don't apologise sugar," said Larna, "you guys deserve this place. Actually, it's not that much really, but at least it's designed to keep you comfortable. Though I had to turn Dana's waterfall off, poor kid, she really didn't go for it." Larna ran a hand across the headboard of my wide circular bed. "Hhh," she sighed, "even the beds are huge here. Maybe I'll get a new place with the next segment annex or something, out of our poky staff accommodation. Anyhow, enough of coveting my neighbour's house, I'll enjoy the couch while it lasts. Even that's bigger and softer than my bed. Got a moment?" Larna walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling cupboards, and beckoned me to follow. She touched another pad on the wall next to them, and the whole series of six cupboard doors folded like a fan against one side of what was now a broad, walk-in wardrobe. More lights shimmered into life, filling the inside of the wardrobe with a soft glow. "You should find all the clothing you need in here," she said. "Again, we didn't really know what you'd want, so we just got you each a variety of different things. Nothing too outlandish though, all reasonably fashionable, some pretty retro. We kinda hoped you'd like that." 90

There were endless hangers, drawers, and shelves, all brimming with clothes. Shoes of all different sorts sat on a low shelf near the floor. Some of the clothing was familiar, but plenty wasn't. "Also, lighting controls for this room are over here," said Larna, walking over to a small grid by the room door that was lit with little blue squares. I followed her. "Just use the touchgrid to turn individual areas of the room on or off. There's a few other settings, but that'll do for now, I think. Do you follow me?" I thought I did, so I nodded. "Good. Now, here's a tricky thing," said Larna. "I grabbed this from the bathroom in case it needed some explaining." Larna pulled a strange object contained in a transparent cylinder from her dressing gown pocket, and handed it to me. "It's a toothbrush," she said, "designed specially for you guys. Probably doesn't look like much of a toothbrush to you, but it uses high frequency sound to clean and a special light to kill bacteria. It has a docking station to recharge the battery in the bathroom, but you'll need to replace the head from time to time. You can vend those from the facility supplies as well, so be sure to change it regularly." Toothbrush. I knew that word, but it didn't seem to match the strange object I held in my hand. The head was just a curved, transparent pad, attached to a supple white handle with a button in a thumb-shaped depression. "You know how to brush your teeth, right?" Larna asked. I nodded again. "Good, good. This brush doesn't take much work. Just hold the button down, run it around your teeth slowly once or twice, rinse, and you're done. I feel a bit like your 91

ma saying this, but it's important that you keep your teeth clean. Even your immune system isn't a defense against dental tartar, and your teeth are far more likely to fall out than regular human teeth. They'll grow back quick enough, but I understand it's pretty inconvenient in the meantime if you lose too many." Fall out and grow back? That sounded worse than inconvenient. I wondered how she knew that. I nodded regardless, for the fourth time. Larna smiled and tilted her head. "You know, sugar," she said, "you don't talk much." I dropped my eyes. "I don't like my voice," I said shyly. "Really?" said Larna. "Well, I think it's cute. You sound just like some good friends of mine, so I wouldn't be too worried." I had no idea who she meant, but I smiled at the compliment anyway. "Okay," I said, "I'll... try to get over it." "There you go," she said. "Well, just listen to me, shooting my mouth off here. I think that's all I wanted to show you for now, so I'm off to bed, or sofa, or whatever. If you need anything, anything at allreallyjust wake me and ask. I'm used to you guys getting me up in the middle of the night, not that you knew about it or anything, so I'm a very light sleeper these days." "Thank you," I said. I thought for a moment. "Is... Dana okay?" Larna smiled. "You're sweet," she said. "Yeah, I'd say she's fine. Still 92

coming to grips with it all, like I s'pose you are, but she seems all right." "Oh. Good. Thank you," I said again. "No worries kiddo. Well, okay then, sweet dreams. Your coreview over there will light up in the morning," she said, indicating the artificial windows, "but feel free to sleep in. Guess I'll see you then." Larna winked at me and gave me a friendly fist lightly on the shoulder. Turning herself about, she walked over to the door, pressed the pad to open it, and left the room. After Larna had left, I uncapped the clear plastic cylinder she had put in my hands, and pulled out the toothbrush. Peering at it, I pushed the button on the front. The head of the toothbrush lit up a brilliant blue, and I heard a high pitched trill, just at the edge of my senses. I let go of the button, and the light and sound disappeared. Looking at the strange toothbrush, suddenly my head and eyes felt very heavy, as if I could fall asleep in that moment if I chose to. I figured that my teeth wouldn't fall out if I left off brushing them until the morning, so I put the brush back in its container, sat it on my chest of drawers, turned off the lights at the touchgrid and padded over to my new bed. The night-time cityscape and the waterfall on the far wall stayed softly lit, but I kind of liked the room that way, so I didn't worry about how to dim them. I pulled back the dark bedspread, and found silken white sheets underneath. I slid under the covers, taking care not to rumple anything too much, and put my head down on one of the many pillows. I went to sleep almost instantly. 93

09:17:55...

I awoke, strangely restless. It was still dark in my bedroom. The artificial balcony window still showed a night scene. I felt like I'd only slept a couple of hours, if that. I stirred out from under my covers, feeling strangely ill at ease. Not anxious, as such, but craving something that was hard to define. There was a strong discomfort in my body, urging me to get up for... something. I went through a list in my head. Hungry? No. Bathroom? No. Thirsty? Water. My body wanted water. I got out of my bed and walked to the door of my room. Pressing the pad to open that, I went down the hall, and into the living room. All the lighting but the floor strips were off in here, and as far as I could guess from only seeing it from behind, Larna was still asleep on the couch. I walked silently to the kitchenette, and found the sink Larna had shown me. 94

Water, came the craving again. Yes, yes, I chided myself, I'm getting it. I pressed a finger to the touchpad in the counter that operated the sink, and a stream of water came running from the faucet. I put my mouth under it and drank. Drinking until my stomach was full, I pressed the pad again and turned the faucet off. Standing there in the dim kitchenette, I waited for the strange thirst to go away. It didn't. Water. I still wanted it, even though my stomach was full. Had I misunderstood my craving? I realised that there was something missing from the water I craved. Salt. The faucet gave fresh water. I wanted salt. Weird, I thought to myself. Did the kitchen have any salt in it that I could mix with the water? Or should I try to order some from the little vending outlet in the kitchenette? Good luck with that, I thought. I really didn't want to wake Larna, despite her reassurances that it would be okay, but I also knew that I probably wouldn't find any salt in this strange kitchen without making enough noise to wake her anyway. Indecisive, I stood there feeling the craving for salt water becoming keener. A possibility struck me. What about the pool? The pool might be salt water. Even if it wasn't, it was worth a try. Taking care to be as quiet as possible, I walked to the automatic glass doors that led to the pool room, went through, 95

and found myself on white tiles again. The lights were fully dimmed in here too, but there was just enough to see by. In the soft illumination, the pool's reflection rippled on the ceiling; there seemed to be some kind of mild motion in the water. I walked the short distance across the room, and down the steps surrounding the pool. Maybe it was my imagination, but I was sure I could smell the water. It smelled just like what I was looking for. I knelt down by the edge of the pool, holding one of the pool ladders for support, and cupped a palmful of water in one hand. I put the water to my mouth, and sucked it in with my lips. Salt water. Perfect. I drank what was left of the water in my hand, took another handful, and drank that too. Oddly, although the salt water was definitely what I wanted, drinking it didn't do too much for me. In fact, my stomach wasn't keen for it at all. I wondered for a moment if I had misread myself again. I then realised what I wanted. I wanted to inhale it. Lots of it. Though we had been told we could breathe water, and though I knew I must have been doing so only a few hours earlier, the idea seemed unnatural now that I was dry and surrounded by air. My instincts were against it, almost like the whole experience had been only the product of my imagination. Also, I didn't much like the idea of getting in the pool, 96

especially since it was so dark down there; I couldn't see anything of what was below the water's surface. However, my body insisted sharply that I do something about my craving. I came to a decision. I would put my capsule shorts back on, see if I could find a towel in the bathroom, and take a momentary dip in the pool. I acted. Returning as quietly as I could to my room, I replaced my pajamas with my capsule shorts. Down at the end of the hall, I found the bathroom lights and rummaged around in the cupboards there until I found a stack of soft white towels. Taking one, I padded back down to the pool room again, trying not to wake Larna even in my urgency. I placed the towel on one of the benches above the steps, and walked down to the edge of the pool. Okay. Standing by the water's edge, still feeling the desire for salt in my chest and throat, I took hold of one of the ladders, and gently lowered myself into the water. The pool was pleasantly warm. I kept lowering myself until the water was up to my neck. Taking a deep breath of air, and not knowing exactly what would happen next, I held on to the short ladder with both hands and plunged my head under the water. It was dark under the surface. The water swirled around my ears and scalp, but I held my breath; that didn't do anything positive for my craving, but I was anxious about the idea of letting water into my lungs again. Would that really be okay? Or would I end up coughing my lungs out? Or drowning? 97

The need for salt water burned to the point of pain now that I was immersed in the pool. I thought I could even taste it on my gills, but the decision to suck it in was checked by a very real fear of what might happen if I suddenly gulped a chestful of water. I pulled my head out of the water and exhaled, gasping. If I was going to do to this, I would have to do it a tiny bit at a time. This time, instead of taking a deep breath, I exhaled all the air out of my lungs. Still grasping the ladder, I went under for the second time. Still feeling some trepidation, and expecting that I would shortly be coughing to death, I opened my mouth and sucked a few drops of water in. It went down into my chest. No reaction. I sucked a little more in. Still no reaction. I felt fine. Feeling bolder, I sucked in deeply. The water went down perfectly. Breathing in and out, I felt the water pass into my lungs and out through the spiracle things on the sides of my neck. Some came back out of my mouth, but there seemed to be an involuntary reaction in my chest cavity that redirected most of the water out through these holes and past my gills, giving me breath. As I breathed, I felt the slits in my neck automatically relax, fanning open gently as if reacting to the water in my chest. Moving my head and neck through the water, I could also feel how the motion enhanced my natural breathing. The effect was 98

so noticeable that I thought I might not need to breathe with my lungs at all, should I be swimming at a decent pace. I was at ease again. The water satiated my body's strange desire for salt, and I felt at peace. Feeling safe in this environment, at least as far as breathing was concerned, I let go of the ladder and allowed myself to drift deeper. Blink! Suddenly the world was full of brightness. Lighting had come on underwater, illuminating the entire pool. I met with a shock, at something I had not remotely anticipated. There was another living space down here! The pool was not just a pool, but a strange sort of octagonal, underwater lounge. Although naturally different to our other living room, there were still some strong parallels. Cool but well lit decor; dappled silvery-blue tiles lining the walls; the floor a mosaic of black, indigo and orange; illuminated pictures, some of them pleasant abstracts, some of them strange underwater seascapes; and odd furniture pieces, including a sculpted black bench in front of a dark hemisphere on the ceilinganother corevision it seemed. There was even a broad, floor-to-ceiling aquarium full of colourful fish, projecting from the wall opposite the corevision. So, this was what the doctor had meant by "major remodeling". I descended further, until I reached the floor of the underwater lounge. I assumed it was fine for me to be down here, given that the doctor had, so far as I could tell, wanted to show us the pool anyway. 99

Touching down, I walked slowly through the water to inspect my new surroundings. I kept pumping water into my lungs, and out via the holes in my neck; as I continued this, it felt all the more natural and comfortable to do so, if still entirely fascinating. Looking down at my legs, I wondered about the thin membranes of flesh that were firmly wrapped around the rear of my calves. I guessed these were some sort of swimming fin, or flipper. I recalled how Larna had caused these to fan out upon prodding them, and wondered if I could open them up myself. Lifting one foot, I flexed my calf muscle, turned my ankle in a circle, wiggled my toes up and down, and tried all these simultaneously, but with no result. Oh well, I thought, I guess I'll figure that one out later. I also wondered about the "bioelectrics" the doctor had mentioned, and how they worked, or even what they really were. While submerged, I couldn't notice anything in myself that gave me any clues about them, so I thought to keep questions on that subject for later as well. It seemed there were more rooms than one down here. Looking around, I saw an arched doorway leading to a hall, which looked like it led into the space beneath our dry rooms. I was about to investigate the rest of this underwater living space, when I glimpsed a dark shape rippling across the surface of the pool. I wondered for a moment if I was just imagining things; however, watching carefully for a few seconds, I saw it again. Wondering if something might be wrong, I decided to ascend carefully and see what it was. 100

Launching myself from the bottom of the pool, I spread the webbing of my fingers and paddled toward the top. Drawing myself higher, my head split the surface, and I felt the water run out of my ears. There was no-one by pool side. I looked higher. Larna and Dana! They were sitting on one of the benches above the pool stairs. Dana was wrapped in a white bathrobe, and was hugging herself while holding one hand uncomfortably at her neck. Larna was in her blue pajamas, presumably the source of the dark shape I'd seen, and holding Dana around the shoulders. "G-gl!" I said, calling out Dana's name in surprise, the words strangling in my throat. Clearly, speaking with waterfilled lungs was never an option. Remembering Doctor Heretofore's instructions on how to empty them, I quickly began doing so, spraying the pool surface with jets of water from the sides of my neck. After drawing deeply on my lungs three times, they were mostly clear. "Dana!" I called out, voice buzzing fiercely, "are you okay?" Clambering up one of the pool ladders, I got out of the water. Dana looked up at me, eyes wide. She seemed pained. It took me only a moment to guess the cause; she must have been suffering the same craving that had woken me. "Hey sugar," said Larna to me, "Dana's having a little difficulty sleeping, though not quite sure yet what the matter is. She felt like coming out here, so here we are. I see you've been exploring the pool, good for you." "It's the water," I said bluntly. I really didn't like what I 101

was seeing on Dana's face. There was some sort of almighty struggle going on inside. "She needs the salt water. To breathe it." Larna blinked a couple times, then nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, okay," she said, "I thought this might happen sooner or later. Problem is, you're not too keen on the water, pet, am I right?" Dana shook her head, and buried her head in one hand. The other was wrapped around her ribs. I could imagine how she felt; she was probably burning up on the inside. I walked up the steps to the benches, and knelt by Dana there. "I'll take you in," I said. "It's nice down there." Dana looked at me, but only for a moment before averting her eyes. She was breathing rapidly, and I could see her clenching and unclenching her pointed teeth in anxiety. She shook her head. "I'm shcared," she said, "I'm not sure why. I can't... I can't do it." Her voice, even in its anxious state, was fascinating. It had the same strange buzz as mine, but sounded so much more pleasant, somehow. Though she was lisping, I supposed her tongue had healed enough to let her talk a little. We sat there for a few moments, not really sure of what to do next. The very notion of trying to force Dana under the water was totally against my nature, but if we didn't do something soon, I had no idea what might happen to her. An idea struck me. "Do we have a... bucket?" I said. I was pretty sure I knew 102

what a bucket was. Larna seemed to catch on to my thoughts. "Yes, I think so," she said, nodding, "in the laundry. I'll go get it, and a cup too. Smart thinking, Zen. Here, you take my place for a moment." Larna got up and left us. I tentatively sat down by Dana, conscious that I was still soaking wet, and wondered whether I should towel myself off first, or if that even mattered. It seemed it didn't, as Dana immediately leaned her forehead against my shoulder in obvious suffering, and stayed close. I put one arm around her, feeling awkward, and wishing I could do something to make things better before Larna got back. Dana's breath sounded laboured, and she grunted when breathing out, as if in real pain. "I'm thorry Zen," she said, "I feel so shtupid. This is all tho thtrange." A tear trickled down her blue-grey cheek, and got squished against my shoulder. Fortunately, Larna returned quickly, with a large white bucket and a clear cup. She must have known exactly what I had in mind, as she went straight down to the pool, filled the bucket with water, and came back up the stairs to us. "Okay, pet, let's give this a try," said Larna, filling the glass from the bucket and holding it out to Dana. "I think Zen's right, you've got to suck some of this stuff in. It won't hurt you, I promise." Looking at the glass, Dana sat up straight, and nodded. She wiped her sleeve across her eyes, and a grim look replaced her tears. She took the glass from Larna. "Okay," said Dana, still breathing heavily, "what... what do I do?" 103

Larna glanced at me. "How would you do it, Zen?" she asked. "Ah," I said, trying to think of what was best, "um, maybe just a little bit at a time? So you know you won't cough." "That's a good idea," said Larna. "Swig just a little of the water into your mouth, pet, and try inhaling it. Breathe it in, don't swallow." Dana nodded again, and set herself to her task. She took a mouthful of the water, and sat there a moment, cheeks bulged. She looked uncertain. "Go on, pet," said Larna, "just a little at a time. If you need to cough, then cough, but it should go down just fine." Dana closed her eyes, and looked like she was steeling herself. She sucked inward quickly, the bulges in her cheeks disappearing. Her eyes opened again, and she blinked rapidly; she looked surprised at herself. "Well, all at once, how about that," said Larna. "Well done, pet. Try another mouthful." Dana took another mouthful from the cup in her hand, breathed deeply in and out of her nose a couple of times, and then sucked that mouthful of water down too. "How is it, pet?" asked Larna. "I... think it'th okay," said Dana, still looking genuinely surprised, "I hardly even feel it." "Awesome, hun," said Larna, "keep goin', and when your lungs start feeling full, then squeeze 'em out. Do you remember that trick the doctor showed you yesterday?" Dana nodded, and took another mouthful. Although she probably had not fully satisfied her craving for salt water yet, 104

the worst seemed over, and the pain had left her face. After inhaling a few more mouthfuls in quick succession, and refilling her glass twice from the bucket, Dana stood up and took a step apart from us. I was about to get up too, but Larna held up a hand lightly as if to suggest we should stay where we were. Dana closed her eyes again. She tensed her neck, and streams of water spurted from the sides of it, soaking her shoulders and the tiles of the floor around her. She repeated the motion a few times, emptying her lungs fully, and then took a big gulp of air. "Ohh," she sighed, sitting back down on the bench next to me, "that'th tho much better." She put her head on my shoulder again, seeming almost as exhausted as when she had awoken the previous day. "You guys are a real adventure," said Larna. "How do you feel about the pool now, pet?" Dana looked up at the pool. She seemed to think hard. After a brief moment, she shook her head and put it back on my shoulder. "Shtill not good," she said. "Well, never mind hun," said Larna, "that's perfectly all right. At least we've got a solution to that little problem, now."

I proceeded to towel myself off, while Larna emptied 105

what was left of the bucket of water back into the pool. She then removed the used glass and bucket, and returned to accompany Dana back to her bedroom. We said goodnight. Dana seemed to be doing better, and walked from the room unaided, though Larna kept close to her just in case. On my own again, I walked to the bathroom and deposited my used towel on a rail. I went back to my room, changed back into my black pajamas, hung my wet capsule shorts over a chair by the dresser, and slept. The sun came up. Or rather, a view of the sun beyond a city horizon appeared on the artificial windows in my bedroom. I got up, made my bed, and walked out into the living room. "Morning sleepy head," said Larna. She was in the kitchenette, still in her pajamas, frying something on what I supposed was the stove, though it was nothing more than a heavy black mat unrolled from a marble trough on the benchtop. Dana was up too, sitting on a tall stool at the kitchenette bar, wearing the same white bathrobe over her pajamas that she had worn last night. She had another icy fruit drink nursed in both hands. Seeing me, Dana smiled and gave me a wave. "Would you like some bacon and eggs?" said Larna to me. "I've put six rashers in. You can have six too if you like." Bacon and eggs, bacon and eggs. My memory failed me on that account, but whatever they were, they smelled fantastic, so I nodded and said, "Yes, please." In no time at all, Larna placed a plate of steaming food in front of me on the bar, so I sat down on a stool next to Dana, 106

picked up a black knife and fork from a convenient cutlery holder set into the bar benchtop, and began to eat. Ah, I remembered these now! Where I had eaten them last I couldn't say, but I wondered how I could possibly have forgotten bacon and eggs. The bacon in particular tasted amazing, and I was glad that there was plenty of it. Larna had a full plate as well, but she stayed in the kitchenette and switched constantly between eating and performing a range of other small kitchen tasks, most of which I couldn't really identify. At one point, after I had just taken a large bite of toast and egg, I saw Dana's hand rather boldly make its way onto my plate, pick up a large piece of bacon, and pop it into her mouth. "Hey," said Larna over her shoulder, as she switched between tasks; among other things, it looked like she was arranging items in the cupboards to her liking. She pointed at Dana with a large jug in one hand. "I saw that missy! No bacon for you yet, your tongue still needs a day to heal." Dana just smiled cheekily and kept on chewing. "Pff," said Larna, turning back to the cupboard, "I guess being a medical specialist doesn't count for much these days. Don't blame me if your tongue swells up like an old Goodyear blimp." I finished my eggs, slipping Dana the last piece of bacon in the process while trying to look as innocent as possible. Dana gave me an appreciative look, which I returned with a wink. "I saw that too," said Larna. Her back was mostly turned, so I wasn't quite sure how she had. "At least you guys get along well enough. Maybe too well." Larna took our finished dishes and packed them into the 107

trays of the cleaning device in the bench, the "soidwash". The trays sank out of sight; however, what was odd was that the dishes couldn't have been covered more than thirty seconds when they popped up again, clean and dry. Larna took them out and put them away. "Right," said Larna, "let's all go and freshen up, and we'll make our way back to the facility. I believe there's a whole bunch that the doctor wants to show you today. I've showered already, so the bathroom is free if you'd like it, Zen." Some of the salt from the previous night's dip in the pool still coated my body; I thought showering sounded like a good idea. The shower was thankfully easy to use, and took only a moment's instruction from Larna to work the touchpad water controls. I also made an attempt to brush my teeth with the strange toothbrush she had given me the night before; it shone brightly in my mouth and made my gums buzz fiercely, but those needle-tipped blades certainly felt clean when I rinsed my mouth afterward. I got dressed. Choosing what to wear was the most difficult thing I'd done that morning. I stood in my walk-in wardrobe, still in my pajamas, overwhelmed with options. Most of the clothing here was unfamiliar, and I had no sense of what was appropriate. Something else was missing too; I knew I should be properly clothed, and I even had a vague desire to look nice, but any memory of what I used to wear was also gone. Fortunately, Larna had more of a clue, and turned up to give me a hand. 108

"You're trying to choose what to wear too?" said Larna. By now she had changed into her familar whites, but was also wearing a long, pale red jacket. I wondered where she kept her clothes. "I only just got Dana sorted out." "Yes," I said, "I can't tell what's right. I... really have no idea." "Fair enough," she said smiling. "Let me pick something sugar. Let's see." Sorting through several drawers, and inspecting a few hangers, Larna selected several items of clothing and thrust them in my direction. "You'll look nice in these, I think," she said. "I always thought turtlenecks were attractive, and that jacket's from a genuine Italian designer. Pick any of the shoes you like, but some dark ones would probably be best. I'll leave you to change, then." Larna left me alone for a couple of minutes while I dressed, closing my bedroom door behind her. Along with the necessary undergarments, I shortly found myself in a pair of black trousers that had the word "moleskin" on the label, though they didn't feel like any sort of skin to me, just soft and supple fabric. On my top I donned a deep green turtleneck, and a short, black, hooded jacket that was covered in straps, buckles, and deep pockets, and that fit me, I had to say, to perfection. I chose a pair of shoes, which was still tough, as I had no idea if they would match the rest. However, they were soft and dark, and very comfortable. There was a quiet ringing in the air again, and the door's touchpad blinked like before. I went and opened the door, and 109

found Larna standing in the hall. "Nice," she said, looking over my new clothes. "I'd probably swap the bedroom slippers for something else, but hey, whatever." "Oops," I said, "sorry, I'll... pick something else." Feeling embarrassed, but grateful that Larna at least could differentiate my clothes, I picked some other shoes. "Better," said Larna. "Retro loafers. Nice choice. All right then, grab the key and let's make our way out." Relieved, I picked up the front door key from the dresser, put it in one of my many pockets, and followed Larna back out into the living room. Dana was there sitting on the couch, waiting for us. "Well, you two are a real pair, ain't ya?" said Larna approvingly. "Talk about style." Dana's appearance caught my eye and held it. Larna had dressed her in a dark grey pleated skirt with black leggings and knee-high, blood-red boots; a long, black hooded jacket with toggles; and, similar to me, a turtleneck, though hers was earthy brown. She looked totally different to before, dressed like that, more like a beautiful, petite woman than a girl. It might have been my imagination, but I thought she was enjoying my attention. She gave me a few curious looks as well. "Ahem, okay then," said Larna, getting our focus back, "if you're both ready, we can go. However, just one request first. Uh, would you both mind putting your hoods on again before we leave?" Larna looked a little sheepish. I wondered why. Dana and I glanced at each other. "Okay," I said, "but why?" 110

"Is it because we look funny?" said Dana innocently. Her lisp had faded, I noticed; I hoped her tongue was doing better. "Oh, no, honey, nothing like that!" said Larna with a horrified expression, quickly stepping over to Dana to give her a reassuring hug around the shoulders, as if she was afraid she might have hurt her feelings. Dana didn't seem to register any kind of hurt, however. "Everyone would be very happy to see you I'm sure. There's just one teeny thing. You see, nobody outside our lab except the accommodation people know that you two are awake yet, and they've already been sworn to confidentiality, as have we. You both woke up a few days earlier than we anticipated, and, well, it's probably going to be quite a surprise to just about everyone in the facility if they see you walking around so soon." "Really?" I said. "So many people know about us?" "I'm afraid so, Zen. Kind of everybody knows about you guys, everyone in the facility at least, and probably an indecent number outside as well. But they were expecting you to wake up maybe a week from today. There's a right way to do things, and I believe that Doc Heretofore will make an announcement this afternoon." "Okay," I said. Dana nodded, too, and we each put on our dark hoods. "How's this?" "Great," said Larna, "that's just fine. All righty, then, let's go, shall we?" We went. Following Larna, we returned to the cloakroom entry hall. I drew a connection here; all the clothing on the shelves and hooks belonged to Larna, by the look of it. She'd left her white jacket from the day before on a hook, her pajamas 111

were on a shelf, plus there was a whole range of other clothes. It looked like she was set up to stay with us for as long as necessary. Larna touched a pad by the front door, which slid open. Passing from the room with the many corridors, Larna led us to the blue room. There was an aged gentleman at the desk there, somebody I didn't recognise. "Good morning!" the gentleman said warmly. "Morning!" said Larna as we passed. I smiled with my lips closed, hiding my teeth, and gave him a nod. Back across the plush carpet of this room, which was otherwise empty of people, we entered one of two elevators at the other side. Larna pressed a symbol, the doors closed, and we descended. As we waited, Larna pulled something out of her inside coat pocket. It looked like a small piece of clear glass, roughly rectangular, but slightly moulded to the shape of her hand. As I watched, she pursed her lips and blew a tiny breath at it, and the face of it lit up with soft green shapes, much like the tablet I had seen her with the day before. She must have noticed me staring at it, as she flicked me a glance, and said, "Pretty cool, huh? Newest model. Just nexing the doc. We'll have to get you guys an optex each eventually too." She pressed a few of the shapes, which flickered under her touch, and then returned the strange object to her pocket. We emerged back in the accommodation lobby, which was much busier than it had been the evening before. It looked like there were more than just facility workers staying in this place too; as I watched, a man in casual attire with two small 112

children stepped out of an elevator on the wall opposite ours. The people at the desk were different also, two young men and a young woman, all unfamiliar. Larna led us over to them. "Hey there Jerry!" said Larna to one of the young men behind the counter. "How are you this mornin'?" "Well, hello miss Larna," he said. "Haven't seen you for a few days. We're busy, lots of new families in today, but doing all right. How about yourself?" "Not too bad, actually. And how's your mom these days?" The young man named Jerry smiled. "Crazy, as usual," he said. "She's taking up wingball in the senior's amateur league." Larna's made a pained face, like she'd just seen someone run into a door at top speed. "Ooh," she said. "I thought she just had her cast off?" "Yep," he said, with what looked like a mixture of pride and his own private horror. "Doesn't seem to stop her. You'd think there was enough to do around here without resorting to padded wingsuits and giant fans." "At least she'll be in training for a while, right?" said Larna. "Maybe she'll quit before she kills herself." "And I thought I was optimistic," said the young man cheerfully. "Anyway, what can I do for you this morning, Doctor Jacobsen?" "I've got two here for a cellscan induction," she said, "penthouse three." "Ah, I thought so!" said the young man, looking at Dana and me. "I was told to expect some new arrivals, though nobody 113

would tell me who it was. Fantastic. Do you have the key handy?" Larna turned to me. I gave her the key, and she passed it to the young man. "Great, thank you," he said. "Come on in." The young man put his hand under the counter, and a counter gate to one side of us swung open. Walking through the gate, the young man motioned us toward a hole in the wall that looked identical to the one outside our penthouse door. "Now then," said the young man, standing at a small visual display, "one at a time, please put a forearm of your choice into the hand portal." "Zen?" said Larna. "You go first." "Do I need to... roll up my sleeve?" I asked. "Nope," said Larna, "you're fine how you are." I stepped up to the scanner, and placed my right forearm into the hole. "Now just relax," said the young man. "I'm going to close an iris around your arm to minimise the light. It'll block most of it, but I still suggest you avert your eyes." A supple black circle closed itself around my arm, and suddenly the scanner hole was filled with light. I closed my eyes and looked away. "There we go, all done." said the young man when the light had faded. "Next please." Dana stepped over to the scanner, and inserted her right forearm also. The light went on and off similarly. "Do you need access to the penthouse too, Dr Jacobsen?" 114

asked the young man politely. "Already got it, thanks Jerry," said Larna. "My profile was linked up last week. Should see me on the system there." "Oh, right," said the young man, "there you are. Any additional profiles you would like to link up right now?" "Anyone else on there currently?" "No, just the three of you." "Then I don't think so," said Larna, grinning at us. "I think Zan can ring the bell if he needs to." "Excellent, then we're done." The young man turned to Dana and me. "Your cellscan profile will be active throughout the facility within the hour. The access level will remain set to Common One, including your penthouse accommodation, until you get approval for additional access. I'll keep the key if you're not going back within that time." "No problem," said Larna, "and thanks again Jerry. See you at wingball, maybe." "Yeah, right," he said wryly. After finishing the induction, we left the counter and passed by another set of large, frosted doors that looked like an exit; someone walked through them, and I caught a glimpse of a huge open space beyond, though too briefly to see it clearly. We entered another elevator, one of the glass-doored type that had originally brought us to the accommodation lobby. The doors closed, Larna pressed some more symbols, and Dana and I each grabbed a handrail. The clear doors frosted over, and we started moving. Less than a minute passed and we were back in the enormous domed space that I could only guess was part of the 115

place they called the Farseer facility. Unlike the accommodation lobby, this area was now almost clear of people. Only a handful were visible, standing around in small groups talking, some wearing white, some in more regular clothing. There was also nobody entering via the screening area; the shining arches and steel turnstiles stood silent and inert. As soon as we exited the elevator, Dana walked so close to me as to be pressing at my shoulder. I could understand any discomfort she might be feeling in this room; it was many times larger than anywhere else we'd been so far. Even though she'd travelled through here in her wheelchair once already, I could appreciate that to walk through it independently was perhaps a little awe-inspiring. I felt similarly; I saw her gaze wander toward the vaulted ceiling, which was so radiant it might as well have been made of light. I expected us to walk back to the capsule room where we had first awoken, but instead we took a different direction. We walked through another glass door at the edge of the space, and found ourselves in a comfortable sitting room, complete with tall windows that looked out to the central area. These windows were evidently for one-way viewing, as I had not been able to see into them on our approach. There was also a service counter in this room, managed by a lady in warm blue. Upon entering this room, Larna motioned for Dana and me to have a seat. We sat down together on a long, low-backed couch, Dana right at my side all the while, while Larna walked up to the counter and quietly addressed the lady there. Dana was sitting very close. I wasn't quite sure if she was 116

feeling anxious, or simply had a preference for contact over being separated, but I didn't mind it. Larna came and sat with us also, and we all stayed there for a minute or two. The room was very peaceful; the gentle trickle of a tiny fountain in one corner and the soft thrum of ventilation were lulling. With Dana's warm shoulder at my side, I could have gone to sleep right there. Before too long, however, a grey, translucent door to one side of the counter slid open, and there stood Doctor Heretofore, clothed in his standard whites. "Well, good morning," said the doctor cheerfully, "and welcome back. I trust you all had a pleasant sleep?" "A couple of minor hiccoughs," said Larna, getting up from her seat, "but mostly uneventful. How about you?" "Ah, slept very well, thank you. Almost five hours, a new record." "Wha-? Good grief," said Larna, eyes rolling up to the ceiling. The doctor grinned. "Anyway," he said, "why don't we all go into the conference room?" He turned to Dana and me. "There are a few people here who are anxious to meet you two." We all got up and followed the doctor through the door. We were led down a long hallway, brightly lit and lined with more frosted glass. We passed by multiple rooms, connected to the hallway with more glass doors, some transparent, some not. Getting a glimpse where I could, I saw more people in white working at desks, or over laboratory equipment, and in one case even performing what looked like an operation on a unseen subject covered entirely by a blue sheet. 117

We arrived at a set of double doors at the very end of the hall. These doors were different to the others I'd seen around here; they were wide and steely, and instead of being automatic or touch operated, they each had a tall bar that I supposed was a handle. The doctor led us right up to them, and pulled one of the doors outward. "Whoa, just a second," said Larna suddenly. "Doctor?" "Hm?" said the doctor, holding the door open with a bemused look. "Maybe I should just... chat to Dana real quick?" The doctor looked puzzled, but then seemed to grasp Larna's meaning. "Oh, right," he said, "yes, absolutely, good idea." Larna turned to Dana. "Sorry pet," she said, "just thought I'd mention that you might not like the next room so much, and if that's so, you can come right back on out with me. Ain't that so, Doc?" "Absolutely," said the doctor, inclining his head. "Didn't even occur to me, sorry." "Come on in first and have a look, though," said Larna, "and see what I mean. Maybe it'll be all right." Without any further explanation, Larna led us through the door, and in we went. We walked around a dividing wall, and my jaw fell open. Dana, too, was likewise stunned. We had stepped into a giant aquarium. The aquarium was shaped like half of an egg laying on its side. The curving walls and ceiling were transparent, and looking through I saw the most diverse collection of sea 118

creatures I could imagine, most of which I only recalled after seeing them again here. My eyes began working in overdrive; there were hundreds of colourful fish of many varieties, from miniature to massive; enormous rays, gliding through the water with expansive, gently undulating wings; slow-moving crabs with greatly elongated legs like those of a giant spider; a group of long, sinuous eels inhabiting a bank of holes in a rock face; a gargantuan octopus creeping along the aquarium floor; and, with silhouettes like dark, brooding shadows, the monstrous forms of several immense sharks. I wondered for a moment if the walls were just another projection, but there was no ripple when I touched them. Looking closely, I had the distinct impression that what we were seeing was real. I was certain some of the fish were eyeballing me. I had a flash of anxiety; Dana was not keen on water, I knew, and I feared that this place might give rise to her panic. That was what Larna must have been getting at, I realised. My fear was unfounded, however, as there was nothing but keen amazement on Dana's face. I supposed water behind walls was less of a problem. "All good, pet?" whispered Larna beside us. Dana nodded, still looking amazed. We stepped over deep cerulean carpet, as deep as that which lay on the floor in the blue penthouse lobby. In the middle of the room was a circle of high-backed, plush grey armchairs. In the middle of the ceiling, and central to the chairs, was a broad black hemisphere, maybe the length of my arm across. There were several people already seated here, and a few 119

others standing with their backs to us, looking out at the aquarium creatures. I didn't recognise any of these people; they were men and women dressed in plain blue and grey clothing of a strange, official cut, and their expressions were similarly austere in tone. As we entered, I noticed several of them fix their attention on our small group, regarding us with searching eyes. As we entered the circle of chairs, the doctor motioned an invitation for us to sit. We went to do so, and immediately experienced a small problem. The chairs were roomy, but definitely for one person each. They were also about two paces distant from one another. As we went to sit, Dana and I had an awkward moment of separation; she followed me to a chair, somewhat unconsciously I thought, as we were both still captivated by the sight of the sea creatures. When we reached it, Dana looked directly at my eyes, blinked as if waking up, and I stepped aside politely to offer it to her. She half-frowned and sat, reluctantly, and I chose the next chair along. It was odd, but I suddenly felt displaced. The morning's unappreciated closeness to Dana had been abrubtly severed, if only by the distance between two chairs, but I found myself wanting to push my seat toward her. Unfamiliar company made the desire even keener. Dana gave me a couple of sidelong glances. I guessed she felt similarly. As we sat, those standing away from the circle came to join it. Amongst this group were more of the austerely dressed individuals, but also an unusually tall and oddly dressed pair, a blond male and a dark haired female. These two wore elaborate, 120

draping

blue

robes,

with

strange,

body-hugging

suits

underneath. Doctor Heretofore shook hands with a few of the austerely dressed people, and everyone soon sat down except for the doctor himself, who remained standing by an empty chair at one side of the circle. Addressing the group, the doctor spoke. "Well, nice to see you all," he said. "Given the overlyserious state of the world today, I thought I'd open this auspicious occasion with a pertinent joke. Ahem. What do you get if you cross a middle-aged, balding geneticist with the most handsome man in the world?" The assembled group looked blank. I wasn't sure what the doctor meant. Cross? "Well, I don't know the answer," said the doctor, "but it sure beats cosmetic surgery." One person in the group burst out laughing uproariously, a heavyset man with cheerful, almond eyes and dark hair. A couple of the others smiled, but most didn't react. I didn't understand the doctor's meaning at all; I saw Dana smile vaguely, but I didn't think she really understood it either. "Anyway," said the doctor, "now that I've disarmed you all with my rapier wit, I suppose it's time to make some introductions. Zen, Dana, would you both come over here please?" The doctor beckoned to us, and we stood from our chairs. We were both still wearing our hoods; I was grateful for that fact, as the sudden change in the group's focus made me acutely self-conscious. 121

Dana and I gravitated toward one another as we approached the doctor. She melted into my side and took my hand in both of hers, and, in that moment, I had the strangest sensation. I experienced the inexplicable sense of knowing, without any doubt, that Dana felt utterly self-conscious, even more than I did. Something passed between us that was more than simple body language; it was almost as if I had heard her speak something aloud, some expression of discomfort that sparked right to the centre of my brain, and yet she hadn't said a word. The sensation was extremely similar to what I had experienced when restraining Dana upon her waking, when I could have sworn I'd heard, or rather felt, that she was screaming. I had been so unfocused at the time that I hadn't paid it much attention, but now the feeling was unmistakably real. I stopped in my tracks and stood there, surprised, wondering what had occurred. I noticed the doctor looking at us quizzically; recovering myself, we continued walking over to him. At any rate, I was glad to be close to Dana again. "Would you both kindly take off your hoods, please," said the doctor as we reached where he stood, "and turn towards our friends here?" I suddenly realised how much my hooded jacket was preserving my comfort, and felt a hot flush to my face at the thought of taking it off. Everyone we had met so far had been entirely friendly; however, the people in this room looked serious and important, powerful even. I felt far less comfortable with the idea of removing my hood in the presence of these 122

invasive, searching gazes. Again, that inexplicable link with Dana, making it undoubtably clear to me that she felt the same. Nevertheless, wishing to appease the doctor, Dana and I slowly, painfully, pulled back our hoods. The doctor motioned politely with his hand, and we turned to face the circle of people seated before us. There was a collective intake of breath, and a murmur went around the room. "My word, Doctor," breathed one of them, the heavyset man that had laughed aloud at the doctor's opening words. "Zen, Dana," said the doctor, "these are some friends of mine, including several representatives of Arca Nova government, some of the Farseer facility board of directors, and a few others whom I shall acquaint you with personally once today's presentation is over. "Distinguished guests," continued the doctor, turning toward the assembled group, "these two young people are Zen and Dana, our successfully engineered human-avarrian chimeras, two of our cryonics program volunteers who unknowingly became the source of the Grudge Virus vaccine." I wasn't entirely sure what I was hearing. However, before another moment had passed, everyone who had been sitting now stood, and we were subjected to a round of applause. A long round of applause, and some remarkably passionate looks. I even thought I saw tears spring to the eyes of several of the women, and at least one aged gentleman. If I had felt self-conscious before, I certainly did now, though for a completely different reason. I glanced at Dana to 123

see how she was doing, but she seemed okay, more curious than anything at this strange reaction from those surrounding us. The applause eventually died away and the people sat. The doctor was looking at us with immense pleasure in his eyes, but almost immediately got back to business. "All right then, if you two would please take a seat again," said the doctor, patting us both lightly on the shoulder. "And feel free to shuffle the chairs if you want. We're going to be here for a little while, and I can see you're both very good friends already." A friendly chuckle ran around the room at this remark, and I felt a warm flush of embarrassment, though I sensed the good-naturedness of the doctor's words. As we reached our chairs, I hesitated over actually moving them, and Dana beat me to it. Before I knew it, she had unceremoniously dragged her chair toward mine. In a moment, our chairs were alongside one another. We sat down again, and I was more than a little surprised when Dana pulled both her boots off, placed them on the floor, and pulled her legs up casually alongside her. She followed this up by leaning her head lightly on my shoulder. I wondered if our casualness might be thought of as impolite, but the doctor seemed only too ready to accommodate us. "That," said the doctor, gesturing at Dana with one hand, "is exactly right. I suggest you all get comfortable, we've got a core presentation to view, after which I'll be open to any questions you may have. Please note that today's presentation will be in English, with a range of subtitles and additional options available via the core interface on your chair's right arm. 124

Given the scientific nature of the presentation, I can recommend subtitles to anyone here for whom English is a second language." I looked down at my chair. There was another black hemisphere on its right arm, a tiny one. I left it alone. "I'd also like to openly thank the Farseer public relations department for coming up with this on such short notice," said the doctor, "since we're a bit ahead of schedule. All right, let's see if I can get this started." The doctor extended one closed fist in mid-air, and flicked his fingers wide. A large holographic screen appeared in front of his hand, a "hocor", similar to the one I had seen in our penthouse. The doctor touched several symbols on the screen, eyebrows frowning all the while. While he did this, a few members of the circle seemed to think that subtitles were a good idea. The heavyset man, the two tall people in long blue robes, and a few others each put a hand to the hemisphere on their chair arms. The hemispheres glowed blue, and a tiny hocor appeared in front of each of them. "Whoops, no, that's not it," said the doctor, still selecting symbols on his hocor. He looked to be having trouble. "Really could do with someone of the younger generation. Larna, give me a hand, would you?" "There's only ten years between us," said Larna under her breath. She got up out of her seat to help the doctor. Coming up alongside the hovering screen, Larna began deftly interacting with the symbols as if it were second nature to her. "Ol' mudger," she said, shaking her head. 125

"Ah, that looks right," said the doctor, smiling. "Please enjoy, everyone." The doctor's hocor disappeared, and Larna and the doctor took their seats. Suddenly the ceiling lights dimmed, as did the lighting in the aquarium surrounding us, and to my surprise a three-dimensional projection of a huge blue sphere appeared in the middle of the room, seemingly out of nowhere. I started just a little; although I'd already seen several holographic projections, the size and abruptness of this one caught me unawares. A feminine voice began speaking. As it spoke, a series of three-dimensional images flashed into view within the sphere, illustrating what was being said: A tall, spiralling shape appeared within the globe. "Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is one of the fundamental building blocks of life. This special molecule contains the basic genetic codes that define almost all living things." An image of various animals, including one that looked like a squat, hairy monkey. "Remarkably, the variation between human DNA and other forms of life found on planet Earth is relatively small. The variation between human DNA and that of one of our closest living relative species, the chimpanzee, is only a few percent." An image of a young boy in a hospital bed, with a smiling medical attendant beside him. "In recent years, great advances have been made in identifying the full functionality of DNA, and methods of manipulating this molecule for an abundance of medically valuable ends have likewise 126

been developed." A picture of a grid, with many bars and lines, and the words "Cancer Rates since 2025" above it. "Farseer exists for the express purpose of engineering genetic solutions for threats to human health and survival. For instance, Farseer has meaningfully contributed to the field of cancer gene therapy, culminating in a survival percentage rate that can all but be called a cure for most types of cancer." An animation; a little red man shakes hands with a little green man. The little green man turns red. The two little red men each shake hands with another two little green men, who also turn red. The four red men shake hands with four other green men, who become eight red men, then sixteen, then thirtytwo, and so on until there are thousands of tiny little red men shaking hands. "Farseer's work has gone on to be recognised as key to human health and survival in the current arcological environment of Arca Nova. The naturally high population density of the arcological lifestyle gives rise to the potential of mass contagion, due to scarcely avoidable contact with high numbers of inhabitants on a daily basis." A strange red symbol made from several circles, with the words "Extreme Biohazard" below it. "Very few of the inhabitants of Arca Nova will be unfamiliar with the recently quelled outbreak of Synthetic Haemorrhagic Mutagenous Nanomachinate Virus, or SHMNV, a level-5 containment, RNA filovirus, presumed terrorist-engineered and also known colloquially as the Grudge Virus. Evidence suggests this virus is the work of a persistent terrorist faction formerly considered defunct, namely HEL, or the Human Extermination League, though their 127

continued existence is technically unconfirmed. "Initially detected in random public screening by V-PACT, Arca Nova's viral biohazard detection program, SHMNV is currently unique in that it employs previously unknown nanomachine technology to induce a lengthy, pseudo-latent replicatory period in the virus. During this time, the virus carrier is entirely asymptomatic, but highly contagious. A proteinaceously attached nanomachine protects each virion from human immunoglobulins by virtue of a sophisticated electromagnetic field, produced via a nanoparticular application of the Moray-Searl Free Energy Drive. The virus eventually becomes pathogenically active, undergoing a timed process of nanomachine degradation, thereafter switching to an aggressive defense system of extremely rapid generational mutation. "At this point in its life cycle, SHMNV becomes deadly, causing an extreme viral haemorrhagic fever similar to the presently extinct pathogens Ebola Virus, or EBOV, and Marburg Virus, or MARV. Patient life expectancy after the latency period of SHMNV has expired ranges from two to six hours, and the survival statistic for infected individuals after the virus has reached this critical stage, a group incorporating approximately eleven hundred individuals on record, is exactly zero percent. "No small order is it then to illustrate that statistical extrapolation indicates approximately ninety-six percent of the inhabitants of Arca Nova were at one time infected unawares with latent SHMNV, from an unknown point of origin. Given the timecritical and decidedly lethal nature of the virus, the consequences of not achieving the necessary cure within the imposed period can be easily speculated. It is thanks to the combined effort of Farseer virologists, geneticists, and medical specialists, and the myriad of 128

human and avarrian volunteers who took part in the resolution process, that a combined vaccine and cure was successfully distributed before further outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever occurred. "Once the treatment was engineered, the general population of Arca Nova were informed of the presence of the virus, and a process of compulsory, arcology-wide human inoculation commenced. As is occasionally necessary to avoid general panic, the ultimately deadly nature of SHMNV was witheld from public knowledge until the vaccination process was complete, and the statistically minor outbreak of haemorrhagic fever was necessarily left unattributed to SHMNV until after that time. Thanks to cooperation between Farseer's pharmaceutical partners and Arca Nova's civil authority, all members of Arca Nova's human population have now been either cured of or inoculated against SHMNV, and the virus is tentatively considered extinct." An image of a woman in a horizontal capsule, similar in some ways to the ones in which Dana and I had awoken, though much smaller and closer fitting. The image zooms out to include hundreds of such capsules, each containing a person lying on their back. "The Farseer Cryonics Venture, initiated in 2028, was a key support factor to the research and development resources necessary in engineering this cure. Furthermore, reversible human cryogenic stasis, or deep cold preservation, was itself made possible through the first successful application of hydrodiamagnetic supercooling to cryonics in 2024, which application prevents the crystalline solidification and problematic expansion of H20 in human tissue when cooling below zero degrees Celsius, without the use of typically toxic chemical cryoprotectants. 129

"From 2030 until its unavoidable interruption in 2055 due to a government-mandated shift in company priorities, and its continuation in 2068 until today, the FCV has opened its doors to terminally ill volunteers for cost-free cryogenic preservation, with the promise that participants will be thawed when potential cures are developed, but on the condition that experimental and research-based treatments may be applied, with no guarantees of success provided. It is on this basis that the FCV has received hundreds of human volunteers, some of whom ultimately became test subjects for HACGT, or Human-Avarrian Chimera Gene Therapy. This revolutionary therapy proved a critical step on the path to developing a vaccine for SHMNV . An image of the word "Farseer". "Farseer will continue to respond to the challenges of human health and survival as presented by today's arcological environs, and maintains its position as the global forerunner in the field of gene therapeutics. Humanity is in good hands." The projected globe faded, the room's lighting came back up, and the armchair hocors disappeared. "Hm, well, just a dash of organisational rhetoric at the end there from our good people in PR," said Doctor Heretofore, standing again. "So, as you can see, ladies and gentleman, we owe a great deal to our young friends here. In fact, the entirety of Arca Nova might be considered to be in their debt. Now, happy to field any questions you may have." There was silence from the assembled group for an extended moment. Then a tall, slender man with dark eyes and pale skin spoke. 130

"Zanadius," he said, "I believe I grasp the answer to this question, but perhaps for the benefit of some of our governmental friends here, what is the vaccine exactly? I mean, creating a pair of genetically spliced humans doesn't sound like an ordinary vaccine process." "Aye, an excellent point, thank you Andreas," said the doctor. "Our chairman is right, the creation of this vaccine is indeed out of the ordinary. Commonly, the creation of a standard prophylactic vaccine involves the culturing of a viral pathogen, which is then harmlessly injected either dead or inert into a patient for the purpose of provoking an immune response. Generally speaking, this will cause the recipient to produce antibodies and will allow their system to remember the virus in future, providing them with protection against the harmful version of the pathogen. "However, such a vaccine would be useless in this case, because of SHMNV's ability to rapidly mutate. The particular strain of the virus that a patient's antibodies could recognise would be very different to the one that they would contract once the virus had shed its nanomachine and become active. This SHMNV mutation problem is similar to the challenge provided by the common cold, which also has no conventional vaccine. So, regular vaccines were out this time when it came to finding a solution. "This new vaccine, on the other hand, is not really a vaccine at all in the traditional sense, but actually a type of intravenous gene therapy. I suppose the easiest way to summarise it is that we succeeded in identifying the genetic sequence relating exclusively to the anti-pathogenic portion of 131

the avarrian immune system, managed to make it human compatible by a complex series of processes involving our young friends here, and subsequently determined a simple, injectable method of transplanting it wholesale into human DNA." "Yes, I have some recollection of that from our initial briefing," said a woman with dark hair and skin, a sharply curved nose, and a strong accent. "It was something of an extreme decision to make, though, I'd warrant." "But, I hope you'll agree, a necessary one," said the doctor smoothly, "with a near-unanimous vote in its favour by the authorities involved." "Yes, yes, I know," said the woman. "Enlighten me, Doctor, why are our avarrian compatriots so immunologically resilient? I've never heard the scientific details." "A fine question, Vice-Chancellor," said the doctor, "though I hope you'll permit me some relevant background as I explain." "Please," said the woman the doctor had titled "ViceChancellor". "Thank you," said the doctor. "You see, avarrians are blessed with an immune system that successfully resists all types of pathogenic disease, at least so far as we know about. The key to this adamantine resistance is mostly due to a particular type of immune cell, something called a Leviathan Transgenial Recombinant Immunocyte, also called an L-TRI cell, or avarrian L-cell for short. "L-cells are powerful immunoparticles due to their capacity to directly interfere with the DNA or RNA of foreign 132

pathogens such as viral or bacterial matter. In most cases, an Lcell will simply destroy the genetic material of its target, swiftly killing it. However, the L-cell also has the unique capacity to transplant and repair the DNA of rogue somatic cells, that is, regular cells in the body that go wrong, using a copy of its own DNA as a template. This is the primary reason why avarrians do not contract cancer, and why viruses find it extremely difficult to replicate in avarrian tissue. "It was clear from several blood samples we took that avarrians are immune even to SHMNV. Given the presence of avarrian bioelectricity, this was actually no great surprise. L-cells naturally operate under complex electromagnetic conditions, so the electromagnetic field created by the SHMNV nanomachine is ineffective at hiding the virus from these Leviathan cells. "It is both the efficacy of this cell as well as its method of operation that made it an ideal choice for inclusion in the vaccine generation process. In fact, in a very real way, the L-cells are the vaccine, along with another avarrian immunoparticle called a Behemoth Transgenial Recombinant Immunoblast, or avarrian B-cell. "You see, once the B-cells in this vaccine are injected into humans, they pseudoparasitically lodge themselves in the thymus, and thereafter continually create new L-cells, thus providing ongoing protection against the likely case of SHMNV reinfection. However, for the vaccine to work in the first place, we needed a way to make both avarrian cell types compatible and effective in humans. We thought that if only we could get the L-cells to operate in a human environment, we might have an effective response to the virus. 133

"Naturally, there were drawbacks to this plan. First and foremost, L-cells in their native form are toxic to humans, as they treat human tissue as foreign material, and attack it as a matter of course. No quantity of cultured native L-cells would do the trick, and in fact even if cultured cells could somehow be utilised without attacking human cells, the human immune system would instead eliminate the L-cells before they could do their job. "In order to deal with this problem, we needed a method of making the L-cells human tolerant. That's where Zen and Dana, and the Human-Avarrian Chimera Gene Therapy came in. There's considerably more to the science of course, so I've taken the liberty of linking a paper on the full process to each of your nextrays, in case you desire further reading." "Thank you, Doctor," said the Vice-Chancellor, "and forgive me for sounding adversarial, but how does one directly justify such a treatment as we see has been applied to these young people here? I don't mean to be indelicate, but I can only suppose they will remain thusly altered for the rest of their lives. Even with so much of the population at stake, is it merely a case of the end justifying the means?" "Not at all," said the doctor, "though again, a fair question. The creation of the SHMNV vaccine is in fact a happy side effect, if a painstakingly prepared one, of a pioneering treatment that would have been applied to these young people in any case. The Human-Avarrian Chimera Gene Therapy, although extreme in some respects, is a treatment that works via overwriting large portions of the recipient's DNA with avarrian genes, for the purpose of eliminating otherwise terminal genetic conditions. 134

Zen and Dana, as part of our bank of cryonic subjects, were each previously in the unenviable state of enduring such a condition, which is thankfully no longer the case. "However, in order to facilitate the overwriting of the DNA of every single cell in the body, a special gene vector must be used. Specifically, an altered version of the avarrian L-cell, one with the desired DNA placed inside it, is cultured on a massive scale, and then used to flood the recipient's system for several months, which over time facilitates the change. "Nevertheless, as I mentioned, the drawback is of course that L-cells are not naturally human compatible, thanks to a tiny organelle they possess called a haplotype checker. This checker is basically a comparison device, consisting of a summarised version of the L-cell's original DNA, and is utilised every time the L-cell either attacks a pathogen or updates a somatic cell. "The key to understanding the L-cell's behaviour is to realise that it is the degree of differentiation between the haplotype checker and the target cell DNA that determines the behavioural result. If the haplotype checker is vastly different to the target cell DNA, the target cell is classed as a pathogen, and it is attacked. However, if it is only mildly different, then the target cell is classed as a somatic or body cell, and is merely updated with a fresh copy of the body's DNA from the L-cell. "So then, how to make sure that the cultured L-cells update the recipient's cells without attacking them? Even if we entirely replace the DNA of an L-cell, its haplotype checker remains unchanged, and will cause the L-cell to attack anything that is substantially different to its original code. We needed a way to induce a change to the haplotype checker, so that it 135

would match any new DNA we inserted into the L-cell. "Thankfully, after a great deal of experimental labour, one of my team identified a method for updating the haplotype checker. Under certain environmental conditions resembling those present at the initial production of L-cells in the avarrian body, L-cells can be induced to replace their haplotype checkers with a summarised version of whatever DNA is currently within them. So, it seemed, problem solved. "Nevertheless, a further dilemma emerged. Although the actual DNA of an L-cell in its cultured state can be altered to anything we choose, the haplotype checker is not as flexible. Indeed, the checker has a peculiarly limited range of tolerance for direct change which, if exceeded, will cause the cell to attack and destroy itself. There's a layer of internal cell security, I suppose you could call it, a tiny system that checks the checker, something that our methods are not yet able to access and alter. We presume this to be a natural defence against pathogens that might attempt to interfere with the haplotype checker. "So, we had to make a compromise. Between the L-cells destroying Zen and Dana's bodies due to not enough human DNA in the avarrian cells to make the cells compatible, and the cells destroying themselves due to insufficient avarrian DNA in their new haplotype checker, there was a precarious balance. "This meant that we needed to include a very specific amount of avarrian DNA in the cultured L-cells before their new haplotype checker was produced. In reality, we only needed a small amount of external DNA in order to heal Zen and Dana, but as the L-cells required a significant amount of avarrian DNA, it was necessarily included. 136

"We managed to determine that exact balance after a thorough period of in vitro experimentation. Thereafter we successfully completed Zen and Dana's gene therapy, and finally extracted a human tolerant vaccine composed of B-cells created by their new immune systems. "Note that one forwarded alternative in the vaccine generation process was for us to directly manipulate the DNA of B-cells to create human compatible L-cells right off the bat. However, this proved infeasible due to the vastly greater complexity of B-cells in comparison to L-cells, and their evidently lesser tolerance for genetic manipulation. This meant that we needed a roundabout method of generating new B-cells, making Zen and Dana's involvement in this process both critical and extremely providential. "One final note on that point. You may feel to ask, why were both Zen and Dana needed? Well, you've probably already realised that these new L-cells generated within a vaccine patient might be expected to update their body cells with Zen or Dana's newly engineered DNA, eventually turning them into a copy of Zen or Dana, an obviously undesirable outcome. Thankfully, we managed to entirely obliterate the updating function of the vaccine through a tiny alteration of the extracted B-cells, meaning that L-cells generated by the vaccine will still attack pathogens in regular humans, but will not update body cells at all. Nevertheless, so as to mitigate the worst case scenario of the updating function still surviving in any portion of the vaccine, two vaccines with different DNA for each gender were created, so that only feminine DNA would be injected into a feminine recipient, and similarly for males. Thus we needed 137

Dana and Zen." "My word, Doctor," said the vice-chancellor after a moment's pause, "are we all stuck with the cells from this vaccine for the rest our lives, then?" "Indeed not," said the doctor, sounding just slightly ruffled at the tone of this question, "though personally I fail to see how that would be a disadvantage. In fact, everyone who took the vaccine also received a single dose of a slow-release, anti-rejection drug, for the purpose of preventing the human immune system from destroying the new B-cells. This drug will wear off approximately eight months from the date of injection, after which time the human immune system will reassert itself and destroy the avarrian system. And of course, as the B- and Lcells were made human compatible, they will not fight back. In the intervening time whilst the human immune system is muted, the avarrian cells are more than capable of dealing with any pathogens that might come our way." The doctor finished speaking. There was silence. "Remarkable, Doctor," said the vice-chancellor eventually. "Though I must mention, you have entirely reinforced my appreciation for the legislated limits of genetic manipulation. The power in the hands of organisations such as yours these days is already unfathomable. I dare say, sometimes the cure is worse than the disease." "Not so in this case, I think, Vice-Chancellor," said the tall, slender man whom the doctor had referred to as Andreas. "I personally would prefer to have a little bit of avarrian wriggling around inside of me for a few months than that hideous virus. I 138

mean no pejorative, Representatives Kalto and Misk." "None in-ter-pre-ted," said one of the tall robed figures, the male. He spoke with strange, disjointed phrasing, and a peculiar accent. "Yes, perhaps," said the vice-chancellor, continuing, "and I don't wish to appear ungrateful myself. However, despite my desire to remain positive, and as necessary as the cure may have been, I can't help but consider the possibility of unseen repercussions." "I'm sure we'll take them as they come, Parday," said the heavyset man wearily, speaking with a slight accent also. "Do continue, Doctor." "Thank you, Chancellor," said the doctor, "though there's not much else to say in that respect, I think. Are there any further questions?" At this point, Dana, who had stayed resting against my shoulder for the entire presentation, slowly raised a hand. The doctor looked over at us, blinked in obvious surprise, and smiled pleasantly. "Well, hello there Dana," he said. "Your tongue is a wee bit better now, I hope?" Dana smiled and nodded. "Well then. What would you like to know?" Dana's face took on an expression of careful thought. Her brow furrowed deeply; she was obviously shy, and seemed unsure of speaking in front of a group of such important-looking people. However, she reached a decision. "What is an avarrian?" she said. "Is it a kind of shark?" A light flashed in my mind as I drew a connection 139

between the sharks we had seen, and Dana's and my own appearance. Genius, Dana! I thought. Why hadn't I made the same connection myself? I had recognised something of our similarity to these imposing creatures, but for some reason had not realised that they might have been involved in making us the way we were now. It seemed obvious in the extreme, now that Dana had mentioned it. However, just about everyone in the room raised their eyebrows, and looked slightly taken aback. Larna dropped her head, and covered her mouth with one hand. I thought she was laughing, or trying not to. The only exception to the general reaction was the doctor, who remained smiling pleasantly. "Ah, an excellent question, Dana," said the doctor affirmingly, "especially considering we've had so little time to make explanations to you. However, no, an avarrian is not a kind of shark, though you are not the first to draw a connection between the, er, visual parallels. Before I explain, might I point out to the assembled group that our young friends here are cryonic subjects from before Avarrian First Descension. They have no knowledge of recent events, and so it is a very relevant, and indeed pertinent, question for Dana to ask. Representative Misk, would you and Representative Kalto perhaps be so kind as to deactivate your fabricators for a moment?" "Yes, of course," said the robed female figure. I noticed she spoke normally and clearly, nothing like her male companion. The two robed figures stood from their chairs, and each 140

put a hand to a dark belt around their waists, under their draping robes. I wasn't ready for what happened next. There was a heavy distortion in the air surrounding the two figures; they instantly disappeared, and were replaced by massive, robed monstrosities! Tall, huge, heavy creatures, half again taller than anyone else in the room, with black eyes, powerful humanoid forms, and each with an enormous, many-finned head and a great, grinning mouth full of bladelike teeth. I realised I had stood from my chair, stunned at what I was seeing. I didn't know who or what exactly I was looking at, but I suddenly felt a rising terror, and a pressing urge to escape. I had the presence of mind to spare a thought for Dana; she was standing bolt upright on her chair above me, staring at the monstrous pair and gripping at my shoulders fiercely with both hands. I realised I was preparing myself to whisk us both from the room, carrying her if necessary. "It's all right," said Doctor Heretofore soothingly, taking several steps in our direction, "don't be alarmed, they're good friends." Despite the doctor's words, I couldn't seem to stop the pounding in my heart at the menacing appearance of these two bizarrely styled creatures. Dana likewise was tense, transfixed, and seemed a hair's breadth from panic. "Zen, Dana," the doctor continued, one hand outstretched as if to calm us, "these are Representatives Misk and Kalto, of the avarrian race. They are the source of your change." I looked closer at the two enormous figures. Great 141

webbed hands, blue-grey skin with a white patch visible at the chin and throat, two thick arrays of slits down the sides of the neck, meat-mincer teeth, shining black eyes... Oh. Oh indeed. However, the doctor's information didn't calm my feelings even a bit. I glanced again at Dana. She was blinking rapidly, also no less ready to panic than before. Suddenly, Larna was at Dana's other side. "It's all right," she said softly, "they're not going to hurt us." Larna moved in front of us, reached up and put a hand on each of our shoulders, enveloping us and obstructing our view. It broke the tension, and allowed us a moment of distraction. Dana stepped down from her chair, and buried her face in Larna's midriff, trembling violently. Larna held on to her tightly with one arm, and then put the other gently around my waist to bring me closer. I was glad for the touch, as it soothed whatever terror had been growing in me. I looked at the two tall figures again. They were still unreasonably terrifying, but Larna's reassuring manner defused most of the fear. "Apologies everyone," said the doctor, "I'm sure this is something of a surprise for our young arrivals here. I should call your attention to how the rest of us reacted on seeing our avarrian friends properly for the first time..." "It's all right, Doctor," said the heavy man the doctor had addressed as "Chancellor". "We all understand. No need to make apologies on their behalf. I still have a heart attack myself when they deactivate those fabricator things" 142

"Chancellor!" said the vice-chancellor, under her breath. "Yes, yes," said the chancellor, waving one hand in dismissal, "Kalto and I have an excellent friendship Parday. One day you'll learn that having a joke is acceptable, even if you are a politician." "All-is-well, Vice-Chan-cell-or Par-day," said one of the enormous monsters, the one who had appeared in place of the blond male, now with a heavy husk to his voice in addition to the strange phrasing, "I fre-quen-tly re-mind the chan-cell-or about his weight." "There, you see?" said the chancellor. "Best of friends" "I apologise for my colleague, Representative Misk," said Vice-Chancellor Parday briskly. "Do not be concerned," said the other monster, a comparatively slender and more feminine version of her counterpart, though still huge and powerfully formed. She spoke with a similar husk, but otherwise very clearly. "The chancellor is noted for his sense of humour. We have learned to respond in kind. At least, Kalto has." The one called Misk raised a fleshy, hairless eyebrow at her companion, to which he responded by grinning even more broadly. Something about this exchange seemed to take a great deal of the menace from these two enormous creatures. I perceived that they were indeed people, in a way; starkly different to humans, perhaps, but still people. Dana, too, had calmed, and had stopped gripping Larna quite so hard. Instead, she stood watching the huge creatures with curious eyes, if still wary. 143

"All good now?" asked Larna quietly. I nodded, slightly embarrassed that I had reacted so intensely. Larna gave us each a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. We let her go, and she returned to her chair. Dana and I likewise sat down again, Dana gripping one of my hands very tightly in both of hers. "We shall re-turn our fab-ri-ca-tors to ac-ti-vi-ty," said the one named Kalto. The one named Misk nodded, and for a moment the air around them was full of distortion again. After the air cleared, I could not tell the difference between the robed figures before us, and real humans who might otherwise have stood in their place, except that they were still much taller than average. "Thank you, Representatives," said the doctor. "Well, if there are no further questions, perhaps we should adjourn our meeting. Enough excitement for one day, I should think."

00:44:21...

The meeting ended. We all got up, and Dana put her boots back on. Most of the assembled group filed out of the room, chatting with one another, many of them giving Dana and 144

me long, thoughtful looks as they departed. Several of the room's occupants remained behind, however, including the chancellor, the man called Andreas, the doctor, Larna, and the two robed... avarrians, I supposed they were called. The man named Andreas and the chancellor stayed talking at one end of the room, while the doctor and Larna joined Dana and me. I was mildly alarmed when the two avarrians made their way over to our little group also, but I felt nothing of the near-panic I had experienced earlier. The devices that masked their appearance, these "fabricators", were certainly effective at concealment, and I was more than a little glad for it. "Thank you so much for coming, Representatives," said the doctor, as they reached us. "I know that it was short notice, so we appreciate any shift your schedule may have made." The doctor put out a hand, apparently for a handshake with the one called Kalto. I was surprised to see that although they each extended their hands, and shook them mid-air, for some reason the two hands didn't appear to physically connect; in fact, there was a big gap between them. However, at the same time, it looked like some sort of contact must have been occurring, as the air surrounding the doctor's hand distorted, and his shoulder was almost shaken from its socket. This strange scene was repeated, though with considerably less force, when the doctor extended his hand to the one called Misk. They were both very attractive, these two representatives, at least, when their human mask was applied. Kalto's fair hair topped a strong, youthful face, and Misk's long, dark locks rested over rounded cheekbones and shapely brown eyes. 145

"Certainly worth the sacrifice," said Misk, her voice entirely normal, as if spoken from a human mouth. "Today's work schedule was unimpressive at best, and it was a refreshing change to observe the results of such a daring experiment. You do your people proud, Doctor." "And you, as ever, are too kind, Misk. Now, may I introduce you personally?" "It would be our pleasure." "Excellent. Zen, Dana," said the doctor, "these are Representives Misk and Kalto, emissaries of the avarrian people. They come from a long way away, beyond the stars." I wasn't quite sure how to react, so I merely stood there, dumbfounded. Dana, on the other hand, had found some courage, and extended a hand to Representative Misk, as if imitating the doctor's intent to shake hands. Misk also extended a hand, which stopped partway to Dana's. The air around Dana's hand suddenly blurred, and Dana's arm was gently pumped up and down. Dana squealed, and retracted her arm like she'd been burnt. The doctor and Larna each burst out laughing. "Sorry sweetie," said the doctor, when Dana gave them a look of mild affront, "we don't mean to make fun, but it's quite a surprise, isn't it? My word." "My apologies, little one," said Misk, looking genuinely abashed, "I did not mean to surprise you. It is the natural result of the illusion provided by our fabricators. Our current appearance is smaller than our true bodies, so my real hand will touch yours even when the illusion does not quite reach. I did not consider the consequence of my action. I am sorry." 146

"That's okay," said Dana, suddenly talkative. "It was really weird, though." The doctor and Larna laughed again, and this time Kalto joined in. Even Dana giggled. A question bubbled into my mind. "Why do you wear... fabricators?" I asked the avarrians. Kalto turned his gaze on me, and smiled. "I think you ex-pe-ri-enced the rea-son, friend Zen. We look ve-ry dif-fe-rent to your peo-ple. We strive to make oth-ers at ease, es-pe-cia-lly those who have not yet met us, like yourselves. The doc-tor wise-ly sug-ges-ted them for this vi-sit. We do not wear them or-di-na-ri-ly." "The avarrians live not too far from here, in Aurora Segment," said the doctor. "They basically have the whole segment to themselves, but anyone is welcome there. We'll take a trip there later to show you around, if you like." I wondered how I felt about that. A large area, a segment, whatever that was, full of these avarrians? I supposed it would be all right, if they were all as pleasant as these two, but it was difficult to completely shake the sense of imminent danger from my first impression of their real selves. "You must also be very proud, Doctor, of Zen and Dana," said Misk. "They have developed wonderfully. I believe I can see myself in you, little one," she said, hovering a hand beneath Dana's chin, and inspecting her face. "Not to credit myself, but you are most beautiful." Dana blinked, and shied away from the compliment. I thought the colour of her cheeks deepened. "And you, young sir," Misk continued, addressing me, "to 147

your credit, are much better looking than Kalto." Kalto burst out laughing, a sound that was naturally human. "We feel a lit-tle like pa-rents," said Kalto. "Al-though Misk and I are paired, we do not have a-ny chil-dren of our own. This is al-most the same thing." "Well, then I suppose I get to be the grandad," said Doctor Heretofore, "and spoil them rotten in the process." "You're not old enough to play grandpa," said Larna, "besides, what would that make me?" "I don't know," said the doctor, "the bossy older sister maybe?" "Ooh," said Larna under her breath, smiling despite herself, "you're so gonna get it later." "Mmm," said the doctor, also grinning, "and on that note, Representatives, I think it's time I said farewell to Chancellor Shao over there." "We wish you well Doctor," said Misk. "Please visit us at our home whenever the occasion suits. Saraeanis." "Saraeanis," repeated Kalto, without any hint of his usual stammered phrasing. The two avarrians inclined their heads. "Saraeanis," said Larna, inclining her head. "Sharehanis," said the doctor, doing the same, but not quite matching the others' pronunciation of the strange word. Unexpectedly, Kalto gave Dana and me a surreptitious wink. Then, he and Misk departed our group and left the room, leaving us to ourselves. It was only a moment, however, before they were 148

replaced in our little circle by the chancellor, and the man named Andreas. "Well done, Doctor," said the chancellor broadly, taking Doctor Heretofore by the hand as they joined us. "Brief, to the point, and informative. And, endlessly remarkable, I must say." "Necessity is the mother of invention, I have heard it put," said the doctor. "Well, in that case, genius is undoubtedly its father," said the chancellor. "Do not sell yourself short Doctor. Arca Nova would have been, mm, I believe an appropriate word is 'kaput', without you." "My team deserves every bit as much credit," said the doctor, "not least of which is Doctor Jacobsen here. She's our specialist in avarrian physiology." "Oh, it is an honour," said the chancellor, extending a hand to Larna. "Nice to meet you, Chancellor," said Larna, receiving his handshake. "And of course, our young saviours of the hour, also," said the chancellor, extending his hand to me and Dana in turn. I shook first, and Dana shyly followed suit. "Well, until the next population-devastating virus, yes?" said the chancellor. "Apologies, that was a little dark, even for me. Let's hope we can meet again under better terms. My apologies also for departing so quickly, but my assistant has been nexing me constantly for the last ten minutes. I will say this however, off the record. If you are ever in need of governmental lobby, Doctor, just call or nex me at my office. My humble thanks, and a pleasure to meet you all." The chancellor turned 149

and acknowledged Andreas with a nod. "Andreas," he said, and left us. "Wednesday then, Zanadius?" said Andreas. "Yes, indeed," said the doctor. "Until then." "Ciao then, everyone. Back to work for me." Andreas gave us all a wave, and followed the chancellor from the room, eyes lingering on Dana and me for just a moment as he left. "Well," said the doctor, "maybe I can finally get the conveyor music silenced around here. Now, that would be a miracle. So, how'd I do?" he said, looking at Larna. "Oh, not bad," she said. "A bit wordy, maybe, but you know, you're super smart, so people tolerate that." "You do so fill me with confidence." "Anytime, sugar." The doctor and Larna continued chatting a moment longer, so I took the opportunity to gaze out at the aquarium surrounding us. The sharks still swam languidly in their confined space, full of menace, but somehow left all of the other creatures alone. I was amazed at how Dana's theory of our connection with sharks, which had become my theory too as soon as she had mentioned it, had been so quickly and so profoundly overturned. Beyond the stars. The doctor's words rang out in my head again. He had said that these people, these avarrians, were from a long way away. Did he mean that they were literally from another world? I could see no other way of looking at it. 150

"Well, I suppose we should get back to work," said the doctor eventually. Larna sighed. "Do we really have to?" she said. She suddenly looked deeply tired. The doctor glanced at her, and was thoughtful for a moment. "Well..." he said, looking as if he was weighing something in his mind. He seemed to reach a decision. "Hang it. Let's have a day off." "Woohoo!" said Larna, suddenly jumping half into the air and then grabbing the doctor in a big hug around his middle. "Whoa there," said the doctor, smiling broadly and hugging her in return, "if I'd known that I'd get this sort of reaction, I'd have us another day off every fortnight." "Sounds good," she said, her head buried in the doctor's shoulder. "I didn't realise 'til this morning just how tired I was. I swear I could have slept for a week." "It's been tough, I know," said the doctor, still holding Larna. "No, it's been more than tough." "A nightmare," said Larna seriously. The doctor paused. "Yes," he said eventually. "A bad one." The doctor and Larna just stood there for a while, held in one another's embrace. I'd not seen them so close before; it was nice. "Oh, by the way," said Larna, her head still resting on the doctor's shoulder, "I should probably mention something." "Hmm? What's that?" "They don't read Arc." 151

The doctor blinked. "Ah. Aye, of course. Of course. Didn't think of that. Whoops." "I'll teach them." The doctor smiled. "Thank you. You're amazing." "I know." Larna detached herself from the doctor, and they each stood there a moment, a little embarrassed, I thought. Larna brushed her hair out of her eyes, and the doctor cleared his throat. "Well," said the doctor, addressing all of us, "who'd like an early lunch, eh? My treat."

00:19:13...

We left the aquarium meeting room behind, and walked back down the hallway connecting it. I put on my hood, just in case it was still wise to wear it, and Dana did the same. "I must mention, I'm very sorry to put you two through that," said the doctor as we walked. "I hope the meeting wasn't 152

too arduous. We were given a mandate from the Governance Council to alert them as soon as you had awoken, immediately after which they called a meeting. We didn't really have any choice in the matter. Normally in such a scenario, I'd have given you at least a week's respite before any such thing would have occurred." "It was okay," I said. "A little strange, though." "Well, I don't blame you for saying so," said the doctor. The hallway windows still showed people in white, intently focused on their work. "I would have found it strange too, if I were in your shoes. Oh, and by the way, you can each take off your hoods now if you want. The whole facility has since been alerted that you've woken, and been given strict instructions not to accost you. You might get a few curious looks, but hopefully that's about it." Dana looked up at me, and I glanced back. She looked worried, probably over the thought of taking her hood off. It was becoming ever more apparent to us how different we were, and I wondered if those differences would prove a problem. We had already experienced our own reactions to the avarrians in the meeting room; would others react similarly toward us? I resolved not to show my concern. We were different, but we weren't monsters; at least, I didn't think we looked threatening at all. Moreover, and perhaps this was my strongest motivation in the moment, I wanted Dana to feel confident about herself. She was, frankly, entirely beautiful, so I didn't think there was any justifiable reason for her to become overly self-conscious. I pulled back my hood. Dana copied me, and then took 153

my hand. No problem, I told myself. We would be fine. We walked through the hallway, back through the sitting room with the lady in blue at the desk, and into the huge central space that I guessed was some sort of common area to the facility. There were more people about now; it was almost as busy as it had been the previous day. Dana snuck in closer to me, and, I had to admit, I moved closer to her. This was it, everyone was going to see us. Nothing really happened. The doctor was right; we got a lot of looks, but inquisitive, polite ones, as if people were not surprised to see us but merely curious. There were one or two smiles as well. A table we passed by had some young male workers sitting at it, porters, I thought. As we passed some distance away from it, one of them motioned to his companions, and they all turned to look. Another of them gave us a wave, but was immediately interrupted by a third, who looked like he was chastising the second for waving. I put a hand up to acknowledge his wave anyway, and got a huge smile in return from several of them. This was kind of funny. We crossed almost the entire length of the space, and reached a wide, curving staircase that took us up to a higher tier, one which encircled the room at its edges. Traversing part of this circle, we unexpectedly arrived at an inviting, open shopfront that I recognised as the entry to some kind of caf or restaurant. There were also some amazing smells emanating from the restaurant. I didn't know what kind of food it came from, but I 154

knew instantly that I liked it. Dana's eyes perked up also, and I heard her inhale deeply through her nose. "Ooh," she said, breathing in the aromas. "Smells good, eh?" said the doctor, noticing us. "They do the best beef vindaloo in all of Pacific Segment. Genuine Indian chef, too." "Thankfully, they also do pretty good Italian," said Larna, "for those of us who don't want to smell like cumin." "Ah, curry is the food of the gods, the educated, and the romantic." "Then I'd rather be mortal, ignorant and single." "Oh, how you wound me!" "Just saving you from yourself," said Larna. "By the way, is this what you meant by taking me 'somewhere proper' for lunch? The facility restaurant?" "No," said the doctor lightly, "I thought we'd go to La Rosaleda on Thursday." "What," said Larna, looking surprised, "that swanky Spanish place over in Gio?" "Mm-hmm." Larna was silent for a while. "Okay," submission. We walked into the restaurant, and sat down at a booth in the far corner. The doctor sat next to me, and Dana and Larna sat opposite. The lights in here were soft, not bright at all. There was wood panelling everywhere, in total contrast to the rest of the 155 she said eventually, with uncharacteristic

facility I had seen so far, and the booth seats were of deeply padded leather, with several massive cushions to either side of us. There were regularly dressed people in here too, including a few small children with their parents. Families of facility patients, maybe? After being seated for only a moment, a waitress dressed in a black and orange uniform approached our table. "Hello, welcome to Atmos," she said pleasantly. The young woman had dark hair, light skin, greenish eyes, and a peculiar lilting accent that was nothing like I had heard yet. "Hello again, Doctor!" she said with particular enthusiasm. "Haven't seen you in here for a while." She even went so far as to put a hand warmly on the doctor's shoulder. "Ah, been a little busy, Siobhn," said the doctor. "But, would you believe it, we're taking the rest of the day off." "Ooh, must be a special occasion if you're doing that," said the waitress, giving the doctor a wink. "Wish I could do the same. But you know how it is with facility shifts, there's always hungry mouths to feed." "And feed them well you do," said the doctor cheerfully. "And who are... oh, I see, up and about, eh?" "Aye, indeed. Siobhn, these are Zen and Dana." "Well, top o' the mornin'," she said, "and nice to see you too, Doctor Jacobsen." "Siobhn," said Larna, a little coolly I thought, and inclining her head. There was a moment's pause. "Well, what can I get you all to eat?" asked Siobhn. 156

"Uh, well, I think I'd like a lamb masala with garlic naan," said the doctor. "Might as well make that three masalas and naans, if I can take that liberty. How's your tongue today, Dana? Up to a mild curry?" "Pff," said Larna, rolling her eyes. "So much for medical advice." "Ah, it'll be fine," said the doctor, smiling. "Besides, Indian spices are supposed to be good for wounds." "It's mostly okay," said Dana shyly, "I think I can eat." "There, see? Fast healer," said the doctor. "So, what'll you have, L-gal?" "Pork tortellini, please," said Larna. "No onions." "Anything to drink?" asked the waitress. "Anything with chocolate in it," said Larna. "Iced chocolate will do. Triple the chocolate please, I'm giving up coffee." "And a carafe of mango lassi for the rest of us," said the doctor. "No problem, be done in a trice," said Siobhn. She turned and left us, giving the doctor a big smile and a wink as she went. "She's such a flirt," whispered Larna fiercely to the doctor as soon as our waitress had gone, leaning over the table on her elbows. "She knows I appreciate their food," said the doctor. "She's a flirt. You encourage her." "Well, it's nice to know you care." Larna half smiled, as if she was trying not to. "Maybe," she said. "But seriously, who actually says 'top o' the mornin''?" 157

"Mm,"

said

the

doctor

offhandedly,

"identity

reinforcement due to cultural displacement in a nationless environment, I should think." Larna blinked. "Come again?" she said. "You know. People surrounded by a foreign environment sometimes feel the need to assert their own culture, even if stereotypically so. My dad used to do it. I'd never heard him say 'och aye the noo' until he took me on a holiday as a kid to Sydney, Australia one year, during which time his accent was suddenly on steroids. He became about as Glaswegian as you can get." "Oh," said Larna. "Well, maybe. But you won't catch me saying 'y'all' anytime soon, despite my wholesome Texan lineage." "You do call people 'sugar'," said the doctor. "Yeah, but that's just how things are." "What is a curry?" asked Dana, interjecting. "Ah, my dear," said the doctor, turning to Dana and clasping his hands in apparent rapture, "you are about to embark upon the most tantalising gustatory adventure of your life. Your first taste of curry is always the best. The meat may be cultured protein these days, but the spices are the real thing, and that's what counts." "You're corrupting them, I swear," said Larna. "Hearken not unto the unbeliever!" said the doctor, smiling. "It'll be good, I promise." "Honey, if you don't like it, you can share my pork pasta, no problem." 158

I decided I liked being around the doctor and Larna together. They were fun when they were relaxed. The food arrived quickly, just as the waitress had said. The aroma was even better now that it was right in front of us, and I wondered if I had ever eaten curry before; yet another thing missing from my memory. "One moment, let me say grace," said the doctor. "What, in public?" said Larna. She looked aghast. "Best place. It'll only take a moment." "Oh, all right." The doctor closed his eyes. Dana copied him. So did I, unsure of what to do in this situation. "Dear Lord," said the doctor, "we thank thee for this food of which we are about to partake, and pray it will be good for our health. And, please bless Larna that her tastes will improve, though I realise that's probably asking for a miracle. Amen." I opened my eyes. Larna was staring at the doctor, openmouthed. "Well, don't stand on ceremony," said the doctor brightly, "bon apptit." "It's only my taste in men that needs to improve," said Larna, aggressively stabbing at her pasta with a fork. She was smiling, though, and shaking her head. I tasted the food in front of me. My mouth exploded. At least, that was how it felt. But in a good way. Whatever this "lamb masala" was, I was pretty sure I'd never had it before. However, I was even more sure that I would be very happy to have it again. Often. "So... how's it taste?" said the doctor with extreme 159

nonchalance. "Iss wunnerful!" said Dana, her mouth full, eyes open wide. "And, uh... Zen?" said the doctor, his eyes sparkling. I swallowed. "Wow," I said sincerely. "Hah!" cried the doctor, smacking his palm down on the table. "New converts!" "All right, all right," said Larna, "so, somebody in the world apart from you likes curry. Good grief." "Can I try your food too?" Dana asked Larna. "Of course hun, be my guest. Have as much as you like, there's far too much here for me anyway." Dana stabbed a fork gently into one of the ring-shaped pasta pieces, and popped it into her mouth. "How is it, honey?" asked Larna. "Mm, really good," said Dana. She reached her fork over for another piece. "Well," said the doctor, "once we finish lunch, I was thinking we could go and maybe spend some time at Ecosphere Fuji, show you two around a bit. Farseer is just a tiny section of Arca Nova, you know. There's much more to this place than sterile walls and laboratories." I nodded. That sounded like a good idea. I was infinitely curious about my new environment, though so far I hadn't had the presence of mind to ask any questions about it. I reached out a hand for the glass dacanter of delicious milky drink the doctor had called "mango lassi". I'd already emptied my cup once, so I refilled it. Dana's was getting close to 160

empty as well, so I began refilling hers. She gave me an appreciative look. Something went wrong. The table jumped and met the decanter in my hand, shattering it. The world rocked, and the lights went out.

00:00:00

I awoke on my back, in pain. I kept my eyes tightly closed; it felt like my head had been bashed in. Suddenly I heard a voice, and felt someone gently shaking me at the the shoulder. Even that soft movement sent lances of pain into my head. "Zen, Zen," said the voice urgently. "Zen, wake up! Zen!" I opened my eyes, and blinked rapidly. Dana's face was over mine, looking down at me. There was a trickle of black blood on her cheek. Her eyes were terrified. "Zen, are you okay? Say something," she said. "Ow, ow," I said. "My head hurts." I put one hand to the top of my head, and quickly pulled it away again. 161

Agh. My head really did hurt. Dana looked more than relieved at my response. I tried sitting up, but almost immediately fell back down. My head swam and throbbed in pain. I tried again, succeeding this time thanks only to help from Dana, who grabbed one of my arms and pulled me upright. I breathed hard for a moment. The world was still fuzzy, and the lights around me were flickering. Where was I? What had happened? I remembered. We were in the facility restaurant; I had awoken lying on the padded bench on my side of the booth. However, everything looked different to before. Looking around, I saw people lying amongst wreckage; tables and chairs were on their sides, many of them broken, and the floor was littered with food, crockery, cutlery, napkins, and whatever other things that had been on the tables. It was horrific. A fear struck me. "Dana," I said, "where are Larna and the doctor?" I saw more distress come into Dana's eyes. She looked on the edge of tears. "They're on the floor here," she said. "I tried to wake them too, but they won't get up." "What about you? Are you all right?" I said. "I think so. My arm hurts, but I'm okay. What happened?" "I don't know," I said. "Help me stand up, would you please?" Dana gripped my wrists, and helped to extract me from the booth. As I stood, the blood rushed the wrong way in my 162

head, and I staggered. Dana gasped, and caught me under my shoulder, steadying me. "Thanks Dana," I said, trying to clear my vision. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Larna and the doctor. They were on the floor next to the booth. I felt the acid in my stomach as it squeezed. Taking a step forward, I realised that it wasn't just my head that was in pain, but my whole body. One of my shoulders felt particularly assaulted, also. However, nothing was noticeably broken, so I knelt down, slowly, between the fallen figures of Larna and the doctor. Dana used her boot to brush away some glass on the floor, and, looking anxious but otherwise okay, knelt on the other side of Larna. "Larna," I said, down close to her ear, "Larna, can you hear me? Larna!" I was almost shouting. There was no answer. Larna was on her back, but the doctor was on his face. They were out cold. Or worse. A fragment of memory flashed into my mind. An image of putting two fingers on her neck. Pulse, came the thought. I did as the memory suggested, and met with almost instant relief as I felt her veins flutter under my touch. With painful slowness, I stretched over to the doctor, and felt a similar sensation from his neck. "They're alive," I said. "Oh, thank goodness," said Dana, sagging with relief. "Mmhhh..." There was a moan from the floor. Larna was stirring. 163

"Larna," I said, "Larna, are you all right?" "Ohhh..." said Larna, opening her eyes and looking around groggily, "what the... wha?" "Something happened," said Dana, "an earthquake, or something. Everything shook and fell over." "Earthquake?" said Larna groggily. "What? That's not..." She trailed off, looking suddenly alarmed. "Oh no, the shields." She struggled to get to her feet. There were some gashes on the side of her neck, not deep by the look of them, but still seeping blood. "Agh," she said, as she struggled to sit up. Dana and I did our best to help her; Dana took most of her weight, putting her arms behind Larna's shoulders and lifting, while my suffering body and I grabbed one of Larna's hands and pulled her forward until she was in a sitting position. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Dammit." She spied the doctor, and said, suddenly panicked, "Zan! Oh, no, no, no, no. Is he breathing? Quick, take a look, please!" "He's alive," I said, "I checked his pulse." Larna sagged in relief too. "Oh, hellfire," she said. "Help me stand, would you? There's hurt people all over this place. Time to be a damn doctor." We helped Larna to her feet. "Ah, my hip," she said, doubling over and switching to one leg, "argh, rrh, stupid pelvis. Something's really trashed in there." She sounded in worse pain than I was. Larna steadied herself on the booth beside us as she hobbled her way over to the doctor. Gently easing herself down 164

onto one knee, she inspected his unconscious form. Larna's face was filled with the utmost tenderness as she prodded with professional care at the doctor's head and neck. A tear filled one eye and dripped down the side of her nose. The doctor was still prone, but she didn't make any attempt to move him. "You'd better not have a broken neck, sugar," she said, choking up, "otherwise I'll be so mad at you." Larna wrenched herself up from the ground, and began a painful inspection of the other fallen customers. It was slow going; it looked like she would be forced to navigate on one leg around broken furniture the whole way. Thankfully, the booths were still mostly in one piece, allowing her some support as she picked her path between the injured. "Wstfng?" There was movement on the ground. I looked down. The doctor had raised his face from the floor, and was looking out through unfocused eyes. His nose began bleeding profusely from one nostril. Dana was immediately at his side, bending down close. "Um, hello Doctor," she said. "Are you okay?" "Hello sweetie," he said dreamily, "you've a cut on your face." "Do I?" she said. "It's fine, really." "Oh good," he said, "can't have you getting hurt, can we? What kind of a doctor would I be then, hm? Although I'm a scientist really, not a people doctor like Larna, funny word, eh? Why'm I onna floor?" "There's been an accident," I said, slowly getting myself 165

down beside Dana on the floor again. "Can you get up?" Suddenly the doctor seemed to wake up completely. His eyes flashed open wide, and he forced himself to his knees. His nose was still bleeding. "Argh!" he said. "What in blazes? Where's Larna?" "She's over there," I said, pointing, "helping the other hurt people." "Other hurt...? What other people? What's going on?" "There was a big... bang," said Dana, "and everyone fell over. Things were shaking to bits. Everyone got knocked out, all except me, I think. I put my head in the cushions, and when it stopped, everyone was lying down." It was the most I'd heard her say in one go. "Big bang?" said the doctor, prodding at his nose. "Maybe one of the absorbers went offline. I think my wonderful little nose is broken, how lovely. Are you kids all right?" "Sore, but okay, I think," I said. "Right, then," said the doctor, with a determination in his voice that belied his gentler self. "Let's go help Larna. Come with me if you can." The doctor got to his feet. His eyes were blazing, and blood dripped from his features. I hobbled to a standing position, and Dana ducked under my arm again to support me. Ugh, I thought; my bones may not have been broken, but my muscles felt pounded beyond belief. Dana had been lucky. "Larna!" cried the doctor, looking around himself. "Larna where are you?" Larna lifted her head up from behind a fallen table. 166

"Zan, over here!" she said. "Help me, there's so many casualties." The doctor picked his way through the wreckage, stepping between broken dishes and other shattered objects, and ducked down by Larna. Dana and I slowly maneuvered ourselves in the same direction. Larna and the doctor were down amongst a group of unconscious people, looking for signs of life. Many of the people on the floor had cuts, and were lying awkwardly on both broken wreckage and one another. I didn't like it; I looked away. "Zen," said the doctor mildly, probably noticing my reluctance, "you and Dana don't need to be here. There's been a shockwave of some sort, but the building structure should be all right. Go back to the penthouse, and wait there until we get this sorted out." We obeyed. Leaving the restaurant behind, we shuffled back out to the tier beyond, and down the curved stairway to the large common area. The scene out here was disturbing. People were laid out on the floor almost everywhere I looked. There wasn't much in the way of furniture here, but all of it had been either moved out of place or broken in some way. Like us, several of the injured people had already awoken and struggled to their feet, but many others remained inert on the floor. As we hobbled toward the line of elevators, a new development ensued; a cohort of people in yellow-and-black jumpsuits scrambled through the turnstiles at the facility entrance. They flooded the room, and immediately began to surround the wounded and unconscious. 167

We were closing on an elevator when one of the jumpsuited people, a tall man with intense eyes, stopped us. "Are you two all right?" he barked at us. "Where are your parents?" I stared at the man in horror. What did he mean, our parents? "I don't know," I quavered, "but we're okay. Please let us pass." The man gave us a long, uncertain look, and continued on. We finally reached the elevator. For some reason, the doors were sitting wide open, so we just went in. Soft music filled the elevator, in bizarre contrast to the scene we had just left. However, we had a problem. "Dana," I said, "I don't know how to work the elevator. Do you?" "Um, no," she said. "What about the shapes the doctor pressed yesterday? Did you see them?" "Not clearly," she said, shaking her head. I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. We couldn't go back to the doctor and Larna. Their hands were already far too full. "Um," said Dana again, "but I think I remember the pattern he used." "Really?" "I think so." "Okay," I said, "maybe give it a try?" 168

Dana and I moved closer to the display on the wall, the one covered in symbols Larna had called the Arc language. Dana extended one hand to the screen, hesitated, and then entered a series of four different symbols, one after the other. Nothing happened. "I think we have to press this one too," I said, pointing to a green symbol in the corner of the screen. Dana pressed the symbol. The hole to the side of the display lit up a brilliant blue. "And," I said, "I think we need to put a hand in that" Before I could finish, however, the elevator doors closed, frosted over, and we began moving. We each grabbed onto a handrail, and held our breath. Something was wrong. The elevator was moving down instead of up. Dana noticed it too. "Oops," she said. "I don't think that was right." We moved down for what felt like a long time, occasionally shifting direction sideways for a few seconds, but then resuming our ever downward course. What was even more worrying was that the music in the elevator abruptly stopped partway down. The sudden airy silence was stifling. The elevator finally came to a stop. The doors unfrosted, and slid open. The space beyond was dark. Tiny red lights illuminated the edges of a long, black corridor that extended away from us and eventually curved around to the right, the exit obscured from view. There was a resonant, industrial breath coursing through it, which I felt on my face even inside the elevator; it 169

sounded like the corridor was exhaling at us from a mouth with infinitely deep lungs. "Definitely not right," said Dana nervously. "Let me try again." "Good idea," I said. I was keen for us to get out of here. Dana moved toward the screen to make another attempt with the symbols. We froze. "Did you hear..." said Dana. "Yes," I said. A high-pitched wail had come from down the corridor. It had sounded like a voice in pain. We stood frozen a moment longer, unsure of what to do. My apprehension in this dark, ominous place was growing rapidly, and the skin on the back of my neck prickled. The sound came again. Someone was there, I was sure of it, and it sounded like they were crying. Dana and I stared at one another. She took my hand in her nervousness, squeezing it hard. Again, I experienced the peculiar sensation of seeming to know her thoughts. A questioning look of surprise on her face suggested to me that she was experiencing something similar. All at once, feelings and ideas seemed to flow between us. A conversation that could otherwise have taken several minutes happened wordlessly in a matter of seconds. Was this real? If not, then my imagination was playing some very profound tricks. Despite our fears, we silently decided to enter the 170

corridor as cautiously as possible, and see if someone was in need of help. We stepped out of the elevator, still grasping one another's hands. My body was miserably sore, but I could at least walk on my own now. However, it was a long corridor, and every step we moved into it was a step away from the security of the elevator. I tried to keep my anxiety under control so that it wouldn't flow over to Dana too much, but it didn't make any difference; by the time we approached the bend in the corridor, we were each suppressing genuine terror. Making it past the bend by the slimmest of emotional margins, we found ourselves facing a more open area, similarly lit in dim red, and lined by two rows of wide pylons, the tops of which disappeared into the black air above us. One of the pylons was clearly damaged; a large jagged chunk was missing from it, and there was wreckage on the floor around us, as if someone had taken an enormous bite out of it, chewed it up, and spat it out again. We heard a whimper. There, lying on the floor by one of the intact pylons, was a woman in a jumpsuit. Much of our fear evaporated when we saw that someone truly was in need of help. We started to her side, but were stopped dead in our tracks. There was an arm on the floor in our way. It wasn't attached to a body. Dana shrieked, and jumped backward. I similarly shouted, lost my grip on her hand, and grabbed her around the shoulders in fright. Looking around, I saw other bodies, torn and strewn on the floor like so much broken waste. There must 171

have been upward of six people lying on the floor between the pylons to our left and right. Very few of the bodies were in one piece. I suddenly felt like all the warmth had been sucked out of me; the air around us was colder than I would otherwise have believed possible. "Zen!" said Dana, clapping her palms over her eyes, and roughly burying her head in my chest, "Zen, Zen, Zen, Zen, Zen..." "It's okay," I said, wrapping my arms around her, and not really feeling okay at all, "I'm here, I'm here." There had been bodies on the ground upstairs, but nothing like this. In the dimness down here, they had been hard to see at first, but now that I had noticed them, I found it almost impossible not to look. I tore my eyes away and stared up into the total darkness above. It didn't help much. "Is... someone there?" said a weak voice. It was the woman on the floor in front of us. In my shock, I had almost forgotten about her. With Dana still buried in my chest and refusing to look up, I limped us closer to the distressed woman. I could hardly blame Dana for her state; I wasn't doing much better. If Dana had not been there with me, I think I would have turned and fled. We approached the woman on the floor, and I knelt us both down beside her. Dana, recovering a little, pulled her hands into a kind of tunnel, looking at the woman but blocking what was to either side of us. 172

"Ah... hello?" I said. "Are you okay?" "Who's there?" said the woman. "I can't see you." The woman's eyes flicked around the room, but evidently saw nothing. I wondered at that briefly; it was dark in here, but not entirely black. Maybe something had happened to her eyes? "My name is Zen," I said, "and this is Dana." "Are you Emergency Response? Aghk," said the woman, wincing in pain. I could see her leg was bleeding; there was a large patch above her knee that was darker than the overalls around it, and it seemed to be getting larger. "My com tag came off, and my optex is in pieces from the explosion. I was worried I'd have to wait for the power grid to process an error before anyone came down here." "Um, no," I said, my voice trembling, "we're just people. Can you stand up? Maybe we can help get you out of here." "I don't know," said the woman, trying to sit up, "ugh, I think my leg's broken." "What if we put your arms on our shoulders?" The woman looked pained, but nodded. "Okay," she said, her breathing laboured, "I can try." Dana and I did our best to get under the woman's arms from each side to lift her from the floor, but as soon as we tried it, the woman screeched in pain. "Rrgh, it's no good," she said, "I'm gonna need a stretcher." We put her back down. I thought fast. This woman needed medical attention soon, or she might even bleed to death. "We'll go get someone," I said, "but we need your help." "What? What do you mean?" 173

"We don't know how to work the elevator," I said. "We only came down here by accident. What symbols do we press to get back to the big white room at the Farseer facility? The high one with the dome on top?" "Farseer?" said the woman, still breathing hard, "I'm not too sure, I don't have access clearance for that place. But I could... probably guess." "That's the best we could ask for," I said. "Well, I know they're on chunk two, level one-twenty-two, slice six or seven I think, pretty sure it's six, and the big white room is probably their common area, so compartment one, most likely." "Thanks," I said, "but... can you tell us which symbols on the grid to press? We don't read Arc yet." "You don't read... really? I thought everyone... never mind, it's just numbers on an octimal grid, so it'll be... agh... row one, second symbol from the right for the chunk, then... row sixteen from the top, second symbol from the right for the level, then row one... hhhah... hhhah... sixth symbol from the right for the slice, then you should see the Farseer logo in the key location display, select that, and then it's first row, first symbol on the right for the compartment. Then the green symbol in the corner, use the... nngh... use the hand portal, and that's everything." "Thanks," I said, trying hard to take it all in. "One-two, sixteen-two, one-six, Farseer, one-one, green symbol, portal. I can remember. We'll get someone down here for you straight away." The woman closed her eyes and lay back on the floor again. I took Dana's hand, holding her close with my other arm 174

around her shoulders, and we whisked ourselves as quickly as we could back to the elevator, carefully averting our eyes from the carnage to either side of us. It was a relief to be back in the elevator's light and warmth, but I couldn't yet shake the cold feeling that the pylon room had instilled in me. I shivered, and went to the elevator display to touch the symbols in the order that the woman had suggested. I didn't know what an "octimal grid" was, but her explanation of the symbol order seemed sufficient. The doors closed and frosted over again before I'd used the hand portal, and we began travelling upward. The elevator music came back on, and after a short while we found ourselves back at the Farseer facility. I could almost taste my own relief; holding Dana's hand as I was, I was sure I could sense hers also. We stepped through the open doors. People were still laid out on the ground everywhere, but many of them seemed to have been revived. Yellow-and-black jumpsuited workers still surrounded everyone, the "Emergency Response" people that the woman down the elevator had mentioned, I supposed. Also present were a smaller contingent of workers wearing whiteand-red jumpsuits, all of whom seemed directly engaged in supplying medical attention to those on the floor. There were four workers in white-and-red, two men and two women, standing in a nearby group immersed in an intense conversation. One had a wide green band around her arm, and looked to be giving pointed instructions to the others. We approached them. "Excuse me," I said, as soon as we got close. "Can you help us?" 175

No response. We were either deliberately ignored, or there was too much going on for them to notice me. "Hey!" said Dana, speaking louder than I had ever heard her before. "Somebody needs some help!" The group turned. Each of them gave us a long, puzzled look as they took in our unusual features. "Um, hello?" I said. "Uh, what's wrong?" said the woman with the green band, blinking and shaking her head sharply. "There's a woman down the elevator who has broken her leg," I said. "She's also bleeding. And... there are other people down there too." I didn't feel like explaining the grisly details. "Where?" said one of the men, a squat, bald, serious looking fellow. "Down in the... red room," I said. "What?" said the woman with the green band. "Where's that?" I felt frustrated at my lack of knowledge, and even more so at my inability to communicate. "I don't know where it was," I said tersely, "but we can show you the symbols to press to get there." After another heartbeat, the woman with the green band nodded. "Okay guys," she said, "go with these kids for now and see who's hurt. Grab a stretcher before you go, sounds like you'll need it." "We'll get it," said the serious looking man. The other man, a younger one, followed him. The other woman moved purposefully over to us. 176

"Show me the conveyor code, please," she said. I supposed she meant the symbols in the elevator, so we went back over to its open doors and walked inside. Back inside the elevator, we faced the symbol grid on the screen. "Dana," I said, "do you remember the pattern?" "Yes," she said, "I pressed these ones." Dana entered the symbols in order, though she waited before pressing the final green symbol. "That's engineering," said the emergency worker, "in the absorber network for this segment. How did you get access to that place?" "We just pressed the wrong buttons, and the elevator took us there," I said. "What? No way. Are you serious?" She sounded seriously taken aback, even angry. Dana shrank into my side. "Yes?" I said, trying not to upset her further. "Hell ho-tel," she said darkly, "that sounds like an open hack. The conveyor doors are all just sitting open, too. If we can get down to engineering without using the hand portal, then something's definitely wrong." The two men who had gone to get a stretcher arrived in the elevator. However, instead of what I expected them to be carrying, they were guiding something that looked like a metallic column on wheels, with two elongated handles on either end. However, when I looked closely, I saw that there were no wheels under it at all; the device, whatever it was, was simply hovering above the ground. 177

"Hold on boys," said the woman, "looks like we're off to engineering." "What?" said one of them incredulously. "Don't ask me," she said, "I'm in the dark as well." The woman pressed the final green symbol, the elevator doors closed and frosted over as before, and we started moving. I felt anxious; I hadn't actually intended for us to accompany these workers down to the evil red place, but we were already on our way. We went down, and the elevator music cut off abruptly as before. My heart began pounding furiously in suspense. The doors opened, and we faced the gaping red corridor again. I heard Dana's intake of breath, and, from the strange connection via her grip on my hand, I suddenly knew there was nothing in the world that would induce her to enter this place willingly a second time. "What th" whispered the female emergency worker. "Everything's in lockdown! And yet we got down here without scan access. What the hell is going on?" "I don't like it," said the serious man. "You don't like anything, Dawes, but this time I'll agree with you. Where's this damsel in distress?" the woman asked us. "Just around the corner," I said, pointing down the hallway. "There's some big pylons there, one of them's really broken. She said there was an explosion or something." "Great, this day just keeps getting better. Okay, boys, let's go. You two can stay here," she said to Dana and me, "and obviously don't take the conveyor anywhere until we get back." I nodded. I was perfectly happy for us to stay right where 178

we were. The emergency workers left us, and I felt a knotting in my throat. Just looking into that gaping maw of a corridor was enough to bring back the terrible cold sensation that had swept over me in the pylon room. Dana turned to face me, and held me close, burying one side of her face in my chest again. I pressed my arms around her. It hurt my chest to hold her that way, but it was worth it for both our sakes, especially if it meant I didn't have to look down that hallway. Trying to ignore the passage, I put my face to Dana's forehead and closed my eyes. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I surprised myself by catching a breath full of her scent. She smelled remarkable. Warm, alive... human. For a moment, the red corridor was absent, along with the rest of the world. The distraction didn't last, unfortunately; the corridor was still there, bloodthirsty and oppressive, when I opened my eyes. We held each other for a while, tensely waiting while the emergency crew got on with their daunting task. A few minutes later, they returned, white-faced and wide-eyed, with the injured woman in tow. The purpose of the floating metallic column the workers had brought with them now became clear; it truly was a stretcher, though far more advanced than anything of its type I was familiar with. The device was carrying the woman, by what means I couldn't tell, except that she was floating above it on a shallow bed of rippling air, which kept her level with the floor at about waist height. The two long handles on the device jutted 179

beyond the edges of this bed of ripples, allowing the stretcher to be manipulated while it carried her. Even in my discomfort, I wanted to touch the rippled air, curious as to how it might feel, but decided it was probably best to leave it alone. The emergency workers said nothing as they entered the elevator. The female worker simply pressed the symbols that would send us back to the Farseer facility, and we began our ascension. The doors opened again, and the two men exited the elevator immediately, rushing the injured woman to medical attention. The remaining emergency worker gestured for us to follow her as we exited, and took us back over to the woman with the green band. "We found her," said our worker, "down in the absorber network in engineering." "In the where?" said the woman with the band. "Are you kidding me, Abs? What had happened?" "I don't know, it looked like an explosion or something. We did a sweep, and there's no other signs of life, though there's several deceased casualties who will need retrieving. There's something weird going on, though, as we didn't even need to use cellscan access to get down there, the conveyor just took us. And the conveyor doors are all just staying open." "Right, I see," said the woman with the band. "Sounds like the conveyor system has been compromised. That might help to explain some of this mess. Good work, Abby, carry on here and come see me when you're done." "Understood." The woman with the green band left our small group, and 180

our worker turned to us. "Thanks for that," she said, "that woman would have died if it weren't for you. Now she'll probably be all right." "You're welcome," said Dana. "It was horrible down there." "Yeah," said the woman, "you're telling me. Poor beggars. Anyway, anything else you need before I get back to work?" "Um," I said, "yes, what symbols do we press to get back to the facility accommodation?" "What, you don't know?" "That's what we were trying to do when we got it wrong. We don't read Arc yet." "Really? I thought everyone read Arc." "Um. Not us." "Okay, I'll come and key it in for you. Farseer Accommodation is a little ways above us at chunk four, I think, probably level one by the chunk commons, but I don't know the slice, so I'll do a search." "Thank you," I said. The woman led us back into the elevator, and pressed a symbol that changed the screen from a simple grid to a swathe of complex symbolic information. She then pressed a series of symbols, the meanings of which I had no hope of comprehending. The screen displayed yet more information, which I could only guess was instructing the woman in what she needed to know to get us back home. After only a few seconds, the woman seemed to find what she was looking for. She pressed a symbol and the grid reappeared. She pressed some more symbols, and then turned to 181

us. "All right," she said, "found it. I've keyed in the location. Just press annik, the green symbol here, when I get out, and you'll be back at Farseer Accommodation. If it asks you for access, use the hand portal, but I don't think it's gonna. All clear?" "Yes," I said, "thanks again." The woman gave us a nod, and departed. I pressed the green symbol. Again without using the portal, the elevator doors closed, and we shortly found ourselves in the accommodation lobby. There was nobody here, not even behind the counter. We got in the next elevator, the smaller one that would take us up to our penthouse. "I know the symbol this time," said Dana, with a hint of self-reproach. "It's the top one." She pressed it, and we ascended, quickly finding ourselves in the placid comfort of the blue room. I limped across the lush carpet, Dana still supporting me somewhat. I thought it was curious how, despite the shockwave, none of the structures we had seen were damaged, at least, not as far as I could tell. Wherever we were, it was built solid. There was nobody here either, no attendant at the desk. Maybe there had been some sort of evacuation. At any rate, the doctor had told us to go back to the penthouse, and I trusted his judgment, so that was where we were going. We walked through to the room with the penthouse doors, and down the corridor where ours stood waiting. I put my arm into the cellscanner next to our door, hoping 182

with all my soul that this would work. Thankfully, there was no reason to worry; the scanner flashed, and the door slid open. We went inside. The penthouse was peaceful, just as it had been earlier that morning. Interestingly enough, the furniture in here had barely been disturbed by the shockwave; two of the chairs by the dining table were out of place, and one of the stools at the kitchenette bar had fallen on its back, but that was about the limit of the shockwave's impact. The vases and ornamental things looked like they had moved too, and several of them were on the floor, but seemed otherwise undamaged. As soon as we got inside, I all but fell onto the big orange sofa. As soon as I lay down, my body throbbed with aches; the blood flowed to all the painful places, and sent them reeling again. Dana sat down by me, and gently lifted my head into her lap. I didn't resist, and closed my eyes as she put her hands to my temples and massaged them gently. "Are you sure you're okay, Dana?" I said, eyes still closed. "My body hurts all over. I think I'm bruised everywhere." "I'm okay," she said, "my shoulder got hit, but it's mostly all right now. I had lots of cushions around me, so it wasn't too bad." "You're lucky," I mumbled. I lay there for a while, Dana nursing my head, massaging it softly all the while. I expected my skin to be more painful at her touch, but instead the gentle circular motions eased the discomfort. My consciousness ebbed and flowed, and I felt 183

myself descending into sleep. "I think I remember you," she whispered eventually. "Hmbl?" I burbled, balanced on the edge of slumber. "You're so familiar." "Hmmhh..." I slept.

I swam in a limpid ocean, golden sun sifting down onto my head. I let the salty water run in and out of my mouth as my face dipped repeatedly into the lucid depths. I pumped against the tide with my arms, splashing thousands of droplets against pale skin, cold ripples flowing through my hair. The cries of seabirds bounced off the water. Several birds circled above my head, while others dropped down onto the water's surface. The day was cloudless, perfect, the sun high and warm in the sky. I swam easily, effortlessly, basking in the coolness of the ocean against the daytime heat. My eye caught sight of someone else, floating a short distance away. It was a girl, with lustrous sandy hair, yet she was too far away to see her face clearly. She gave me a big wave. I waved back. The girl beckoned for me to swim toward her. I plunged 184

forward into the water. Suddenly, from nowhere, a heavy wave rocked me and bowled me over. I sucked in water, coughing, choking. Struggling to keep myself afloat, another wave hit me, and my head was covered. I flailed, seeking the surface. I swam up and up, but the sun darkened, and disappeared. Suddenly, there was no surface above, and all the world around me was only dark ocean. My breath ran out. I panicked. I started awake, jerking my eyes open. My head was still in Dana's lap. I relaxed, and let my eyes close again. Listening, I could hear the gentle sound of Dana's rhythmic breathing. She was sleeping too. There was another noise, unusual footsteps coming from the corridor to the pool room. The glass doors opened, and somebody approached. I opened an eye. "Hello," whispered Larna, looking tired but smiling. She was using crutches for support, and there was a glossy film over the gashes on her neck. I wiggled the fingers of one hand in greeting, reluctant to wake Dana. Larna came and sat on the edge of the couch. Even with me lying down as I was, it was large enough for all of us to fit on it easily. "Is everything okay now?" I asked quietly. It seemed a 185

silly question, as of course everything probably wasn't, but I asked it anyway. "Well, most people have been patched up and sent home, so in a sense, yes, I suppose so." Larna peered around the room. "Looks like everything's in one piece up here. My little apartment was okay too. I'm guessing our accommodation missed most of the wave, thankfully." "Do they know what happened?" "Um. Sort of. It's a little hard to explain unless you know how the arcology works. See, ah... there's these shield things that protect the building structures, and apparently one of them failed, but an auxiliary cut in before any major damage was done. However, something hit our segment during the breakdown, which caused the shockwave. Fortunately no deaths in Farseer, not even amongst the patients we had in, though a lot of people are very banged up. We'll have to check the news to see how the rest of the segment fared. They're probably airing it as we speak." "Okay," I said. I was still very tired. "Anyway, you two look comfortable enough, so I'll leave you both alone for the time being. However, in a few minutes, I'll need to give you both a basic checkup to make sure you're okay. All right, sugar?" "Mm-hmm," I said. Dana breathed in deeply, and lifted her head from the couch. "Mmmph," she said, rubbing one of her eyes. "Hey there pet," said Larna, "are you doing all right?" "Hmm? Oh, hello Larna. Yes, I'm fine." 186

"You've got a cut on your cheek, I see." "Mm. It's okay, it doesn't hurt much." "Well, now I've woken you both, I suppose I'd better take a moment to check you out, if you don't mind. Doctor H is on his way here too, and I think I'd prefer to have it done before he arrives." "Is he all right?" asked Dana. "Well, he won't enjoy sneezing for a while, but yes, he's basically fine, praise be." Larna crutched her way into the kitchenette, and returned with a red-and-white box. "Let's have a look at that cut, pet," she said. "'Scuse me, Zen." I sat up stiffly from Dana's lap, and Larna sat down on the couch at Dana's other side. Larna opened the box and pulled out a thin rubber glove, which she donned. "Sorry if this stings, pet," said Larna, "but this looks like a glass cut, and I've just got to make sure there's no particles in it." Peering closely at Dana's cut, Larna gently separated the edges of the wound with two gloved fingers. Dana blinked rapidly a couple of times, but otherwise showed no sign of discomfort. "There, looks clean," said Larna. "Tell me if it becomes uncomfortable later, okay?" Larna opened the box again and pulled out a small square packet. She tore it open, extracted a square-shaped swab, and used it to clean the cut's surroundings, including a smear of black blood from Dana's cheek. That done, Larna removed her glove, fossicked through the box again, and pulled out a small glass tube of clear fluid with a screw top on one end. 187

"Okay, pet, just going to apply a bandage. Close your eyes for me would you?" Dana did so. Larna unscrewed and removed the cap from the tube. There was a brush attached to it, which she used to apply the filmy liquid to Dana's cut. After a couple of sweeps, she replaced the brush and screwed the cap closed. "There we go, pet, all done, you can open your eyes now. That will close the cut and make sure it heals cleanly, shouldn't even scar. Just don't touch it for about sixty seconds while it dries, and you'll be fine. Now, are you sore anywhere else?" "My right shoulder is sore," said Dana, "but not too bad." "Hm. Okay, bear with me pet, I'm going to prod it a bit. Tell me when you feel any pain, all right?" Larna applied gentle pressure with both hands to various places on Dana's shoulder. "Agh," said Dana, "that hurts a little." "Okay, probably just inflamed some," said Larna. "I'll get you something for that soon. As long as nothing's broken, pet, that's the main thing." Larna turned to me. "Right, now, on to you, sugar. How are you doin'?" "Ah, just some bruises, I think," I said. "Whereabouts?" "Um, I don't know, but it feels like all over." "Not surprised. Take off your turtleneck for me. You can leave your undershirt on." I did as Larna ordered, painfully raising my arms to slip my jacket and turtleneck off. That done, I inspected my skin. I got a shock. Dana gave a little squeal, and covered her mouth. 188

My arms and shoulders were black, the skin covered in dark, mottled patches. Even the white portions on the undersides of my arms were tainted with deep, purplish grey. I peeked beneath my undershirt; my chest and stomach looked much the same. "Ah," said Larna, "you look a bit like me. And most of the other injured people I saw at Farseer." "How did that happen?" said Dana. "Vibrations, mostly, I'd say," said Larna. "That shockwave knocked out almost all of us, and then aftershock vibrations bruised us all up, big time. Looks worse on you than it really is, sugar, so don't be too concerned. Avarrians always bruise real dark on account of having dark blood." "Ick," I said, "will this go away soon?" "Well... avarrians typically heal about three times as fast as humans, so in your case, fingers crossed, they'll probably be fading by tomorrow night." Larna turned to Dana. "That's likely why your tongue got better so fast, pet, and tongues heal up quick as it is." Dana nodded. "Mm," she said, "my mouth doesn't even really hurt anymore." A soft ringing noise filled the air. "Ah," said Larna, "that'll be the doc. I'll go and let him in. You can put your top back on now, Zen." Larna crutched her way out of the room, and I put my turtleneck back on. Dana was looking at me with an expression of deep concern. "That looks really sore," she said. 189

"Yeah," I said, "it hurts." "Well, hello kids," said a voice. I turned my head. Doctor Heretofore stood in the doorway, dressed for the first time that I'd seen in casual attire. He'd changed into a t-shirt and loose grey trousers, and was carrying his multi-zippered jacket. He had a small piece of something white in one nostril, and a tiny white strip across the bridge of his nose. "Hello Doctor!" said Dana. "Are you all right?" "Aye, doing fine," said the doctor, walking over to us and sitting down on the couch. "Won't be doing any boxing for a while, but then I never took it up to begin with, so I guess that's not a problem." "Where's Larna?" I asked. "She's just changing into something comfortable. Those crutches are a real inconvenience, I notice. How are you two?" "We're okay," I said, "just... sore." "Mm, to be expected, I'm afraid. We were hit by a tsunami, high enough to go straight over the deflector banks. Normally that wouldn't matter, but the primary absorber for our segment was down somehow. If it wasn't for the auxiliary cutting in so quickly, the damage would have been a lot worse." "Oh," I said, not really understanding any of what the doctor had just said, "that sounds... lucky." "Well, that's how they're designed, but it's a mystery how the primary absorber went down at all. Those things are built to endure. Even I know that." Larna walked through the door and joined us, still on her crutches. She had changed into a longsleeved black top with 190

ballooning black trousers that looked about as comfortable as they came. "Is there room for a cajun on that couch?" she said. "Plenty," said the doctor, "but I don't see one anywhere, do you Zen?" "Har-de-har," said Larna, "but I win. Had a grandaddy from French Louisiana, so close enough. Move over 'fore I crutchify you." "We'd better do as she says," said the doctor grinning, "she looks deadly with those things." Dana and I made space for Larna to sit in the middle between us and the doctor. It was sweet to see Larna slip herself under the doctor's arm as she sat down, dropping her crutches to one side, and he seemed happy, if a little surprised, to hold her. It seemed that outside of work, they were a lot more comfortable with one another. "Ah," said the doctor, reaching into his jacket pocket, "almost forgot. Took the liberty of bringing a few of these with me. Don't want you two to forget them." The doctor extracted a shiny blue packet, and handed it to me. I opened it, and looked inside; it was full of mineral rods. "Oh," I said, "thank you." "Wow, I'd forgotten about those," said Dana. "Can I have one now? They're cool." The doctor laughed out loud. "Of course," he said. "I wish more people thought the treatments we made for them were 'cool'." Dana and I took a mineral rod each, and sucked on them. 191

They tingled just the same as the first ones had. "Well," said the doctor, putting his arm back around Larna, "should we catch the news?" "Good idea," said Larna. She lifted her fist into the air, splayed her fingers, and the hocor appeared. The room lights dimmed, and the corevision glowed into life. Larna flicked a couple of symbols, and the image was suddenly filled with a video feed of the common area at Farseer facility, similar to the scene we had experienced ourselves only a short while earlier. Larna pressed another symbol, and the hocor disappeared. "Look, it's the facility," said the doctor curiously. "I wonder why we specifically made the news?" A female reporter began speaking. "... isn't known, but initial engineering reports suggest that an explosion occurred in Pacific Segment's absorber network, rendering the absorbers inactive, and leaving the segment temporarily vulnerable to external environmental forces. Fortunately, secondary shielding activated in time to prevent serious structural damage, but the question remains as to who, or what, is responsible for thousands of injuries and the deaths of at least twenty-seven of Pacific Segment's occupants, including several members of an engineering crew who were present in the absorber network at the time of the blast." "Oh, that's tragic," said the doctor earnestly. "However, on a positive note, one of the injured engineering crew was reportedly saved when two avarrian youths alerted 192

emergency response workers to her presence in the network." The serious looking, bald man in the white-and-red jumpsuit, one of the emergency workers who had accompanied us on our rescue mission, came into view and spoke. "Yeah, it was quite a surprise really. They just came up to us and said there was someone hurt down in engineering. We didn't really know at the time how that related to the current scenario, given how deep down those levels are, but it led to our arrival at the site of the absorber network damage, and saved someone's life in the process." "Avarrian youths?" said the doctor, as the female reporter continued speaking. "How strange." "Ahem," I coughed, "actually... that was us." The doctor looked at Dana and me like he'd never seen us before. "What?" he said. "Larna, turn that down for a second, would you please?" Larna brought the hocor back, turned down the volume, and dismissed it. "Now," said the doctor, "what did you say, Zen?" "We found the lady down in the engineering place," I said sheepishly. The doctor looked incredulous, but then burst into a peal of surprised laughter. "Good grief, however did you manage to do that?" "We got lost with the elevator," I said, "we tried to come back here at first like you said, but we used the wrong code." 193

"Oh, you still don't read the symbols!" said the doctor, dropping his head back on the couch, and covering his eyes with one hand. "What kind of an idiot am I trying to send you back here? I'm sorry kids, I wasn't thinking clearly. Ach. But how did you make it back, then?" "An emergency worker lady told us the right code." "Glory be," said the doctor, shaking his head. "Heroes in our midst. And I suppose you do look extremely similar to avarrian children at that. Some of the younger ones are even dressing in human fashions these days too. But how ever did you get down to the absorber network? That's usually off limits to everyone except the engineering teams." "We don't really know," said Dana, "I chose some symbols and we went there. We meant to come here, sorry." "Well, don't apologise sweetie, that's the best thing you could have done, even if it was a mistake. Still, it should have been impossible." "Um," I said, "the emergency worker lady mentioned an 'open... hack' or something?" The doctor was silenced by this comment, and his face darkened. He looked like he was thinking carefully. "Huh," he finally said. "I see. That's... hmm. Well never mind about that, the important thing is that you both did a fine job, however it happened." The doctor turned to Larna. "How about that, eh? Less than two days out of the capsules and they're already saving people's lives." "Looks like they take after you, then," said Larna. "Ha," said the doctor, "they'll do much better than me, I hope. Anyway, I think we've seen that the media doesn't know 194

much more than we do right now." Larna brought the hocor back again, and turned the corevision off. The lights came back up. "Well," said the doctor, "now we've only got one problem." "What's that?" said Larna. "What to do with the next two weeks. Andreas has already told me that the facility is in forced shutdown except for a couple of critical procedures and the nursing roster. The rest of us are all on compulsory sick leave." "How terrible," said Larna ironically. She snuggled closer to the doctor. "I guess we'll just have to suffer through it." The doctor smiled, and hugged her in return.

END PART ONE

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PART TWO PROLOGUE

Project Redemption Encrypted Report. Serial: xx34-A129CKOD2213 Stage 1 complete. Stage 2 commencing: immediately.

iii

"Pathetic, aren't they?"

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PART TWO

Two very absorbing weeks passed. Dana and I became more comfortable with our new environment, and adopted the penthouse as our home. It wasn't hard to do; wherever we had lived before this, we still had no memory of it. Although I managed to recall a great deal more in terms of words and concepts, I made no progress whatsoever in remembering the events of my former life. Our official arcology address was Penthouse Three, Farseer Facility Accommodation (Staff), C4-L1-S3, Pacific Segment, Arca Nova. Arcology. Now, that was an interesting new word. I learned that an arcology was an enormous building, or in this case, several massive buildings interconnected like a technophilic ant nest, a super-city all in one self-contained structure. Arca Nova was home to many, including approximately one hundred and twenty-two million humans, and over four million avarrians. I also learned that multiple layers of vast agricultural fields were maintained deep underground in order for the arcology to independently provide for the daily dietary needs of 197

such a huge population. How this worked I didn't fully understand, but apparently the systems down there could grow, culture, synthesise or otherwise cultivate everything needed to keep everyone in the arcology well fed, and then some. I wondered how the enormous structures that comprised Arca Nova could stand without collapsing under their own weight. Curious, I asked the doctor about that on one occasion during his two week break. "You can thank fullerenes for that," he had said, "and a combination of paramagnetic strapping and diamagnetic support. I'm not a building engineer, so I can't tell you exactly how it's done, but it's down to lightweight, superstrong materials reinforced even further by superconductivity and flux pinning." I got accustomed to not having a clue what the doctor was saying half the time. I still didn't understand how everything stayed up, but since it obviously did, I didn't ask him any more questions about it. I also observed that, for whatever reason, nobody ever seemed to go outside. At least, there were no doors to the outside world anywhere that I could see. It was a burning question for me, but in my reticence, I hadn't yet found the right moment to bring it up. The doctor favoured us by spending most of his two week holiday with Dana and me. After we'd each had a couple of days rest, he showed us as much as time permitted of the vast hyperstructure that was Arca Nova, which was still only a small portion of it. Fortunately, Larna got off her crutches within a few days, meaning she was also able to accompany us on our trips 198

almost the entire time. The place was beyond reckoning. Along with being unfathomably huge and efficiently ordered, it was also infused with an endless degree of creative variety. Design was employed relentlessly, making for a continually changing landscape of internal spaces, each with its own unique identity. No two public locations were recognisably the same, and on the maps accessible from within the conveyors and other systems, the overall beauty of the arcology and its highly individualised layouts was immediately noticeable. There were also vast opportunities for shopping and entertainment. An uncountable number of cinemas, theatres, playgrounds, amusement parks, indoor gardens, parklands with real grass, virtual reality simulators, digital museums, art galleries, cafs, culturally diverse restaurants, malls, department stores, and innovative and sometimes bizarre combinations of all of the above were available. Also, the arcology was continually expanding, presumably to meet the needs of an ever-increasing population. At one point, I even witnessed work on the construction of a new segment from an observation deck that had been put in for that express purpose; however, any view of the outside world was obscured by the towering exterior walls that formed just one fraction of the new edifice. I also learned more about how the arcology was arranged, and how the transportation system functioned. Segments were themselves huge megastructures, each comprised of several massive portions that were organised differently for each segment, with each portion technically called 199

a "chapter tier", but commonly referred to as a "chunk"; levels were like floors in each chunk; slices were like pie portions of a level; and compartments were entry points to key locations, whether private like Farseer and its accommodation services, or public like the common areas or shopping and entertainment districts. Segments were free-standing buildings, interconnected with one another but still structurally distinct. They had individual names, like Pacific Segment, Fuji Segment, Aurora Segment, Dao Shan Segment, Giovedi Segment, Espiral Segment, Patta Segment, Vida Segment, pe Segment, Apollo Segment, Corona Segment, Mond Segment, Kaskazini Segment, and several others, a few of which I had trouble pronouncing. Chunks, levels and slices each had numbers like grid references, and compartments often had names relating to key locations but were also given a number in the conveyor system. The conveyors themselves, which I had initially thought of as elevators, were limited to the current segment you were in, but could travel anywhere within it. I was right when I had originally thought the conveyors had moved sideways; in fact, they moved in many directions, and at high speed. Also, the screen in each conveyer could perform a variety of search functions, and access maps of the segment that could zoom, rotate in all dimensions, and pinpoint locations to initiate travel. Using the maps was much slower than punching in grid symbols, but useful for people like Dana and me who weren't so familiar with our surroundings. Transport between segments was provided by even faster shuttles, named SRTs, which stood for Shared Rapid Transit, but 200

which everyone simply called "pods". Each pod could carry up to eighty people, and followed a predetermined route along different lines, kind of like a single train carriage. You had to sit down and be strapped into these; they moved far too quickly to stand up in safely. There were also smaller versions of these pods named PRTs, meaning Private Rapid Transit, but often called "minipods". These carried a maximum of six people, and could be programmed similarly to the conveyors to take you directly between hundreds of segment stops, with at least one stop on every segment chunk, and usually more. PRTs were far more convenient than the SRT lines, which only docked at large podstations on the ground chunk of each segment. Taking a PRT allowed you to avoid the conveyor congestion of the ground chunks, which were usually crowded with commuters. However, the minipods were not free; they cost a handful of "points" to operate. Using your points in public locations was as simple as putting a finger in a tiny version of the cellscanner portals. Apparently Dana and I had already been inducted into this system before awakening, meaning all we had to do to purchase something was extend a finger at a sales checkout, and the item cost was added to our account. Larna had been right; we did have a very high number of points each, more than enough to fulfill our wants. Furthermore, "ecospheres", the I was equally impressed by the arcologys gargantuan, self-contained,

hemispheric landscapes of plant and animal life. Man-made as they were, the ecospheres felt natural, and gave me a sort of 201

healthy release from our otherwise hyperurban environment. I vaguely recalled that the doctor had mentioned Ecosphere Fuji in the Farseer restaurant before the shockwave incident, though his words hadn't meant anything to me at the time. We finally did visit it, in Fuji Segment, naturally; upon entering it, I believed for a moment that we had finally gone outside, and experienced a twinge of both surprise and disappointment when I realised that we were still indoors. It was a glorious, jungle-like place, apparently one of the smallest but most natural of the ecospheres, and the doctor's favourite out of them all, he told us. Larna loved it too, so we stayed for most of the day, and had a picnic in a clearing surrounded by lush rainforest, resplendent tropical birds, and small, inquisitive wildlife that watched us from the trees. Ecosphere Fuji even contained real clouds floating in the air beneath an artificial sun, and the excitement on Dana's face when we experienced an indoor rainstorm was an experience I wouldn't have traded for anything. However, as remarkable as the illusion was in each ecosphere, the roof high above was always present. Even though the domed ceiling was covered with a three-dimensional projection of sky and landscape that made each ecosphere feel larger than its reality, the way it came sweeping down to connect with the ground was always a clear reminder that we were, undeniably, still inside. We also spent a portion of each day learning, using the computers at our desks in the penthouse lounge. Although the arcology language presented us some initial problems, it thankfully proved easy enough to absorb, as Larna had said. 202

Mostly, we learned the language by play; the computers were full of games that Larna had loaded for us, and which we soon learned to operate for ourselves. We also had the option to play against other people in the arcology, something we did fairly frequently, which kept learning interesting. Dana and I would often play against each other too, just for fun; I usually lost, but it made Dana laugh when she won, so I didn't mind. We discovered that Arc was actually based around the avarrians' native language, "Sartuk", being a heavily simplified version of it. The visually intuitive nature of the symbolic language, combined with Larna's proficient ability as a teacher, my thirst for knowledge, and plenty of space in my otherwise vacant memory, meant that I absorbed Arc quickly. In those two short weeks I absorbed almost six hundred symbols, enough to navigate the conveyors, read most signs, and even basically operate the corevision. Dana was similarly capable, though we seemed to absorb different elements of the language at different rates. She took enormous innocent delight in showing me what she had learned and how to apply it, which was of help to me, as it was often different from what I had studied. We continued our daily dietary regimen of mineral rods, and whatever Larna cooked for us with ingredients from the vendomax. I felt entirely indebted to Larna for doing this; Dana and I still weren't at the stage of successfully operating that device, plus neither of us had the slightest clue about how to cook. Larna, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy feeding us, and since we were always eager to eat whatever she made, she seemed totally content to make us food until we could manage it 203

ourselves. Out of necessity, we also took a daily swim in our salt water pool. That is, I swam, and Dana continued inhaling the water from a cup and bucket, until our cravings were satisfied. Our gentle attempts to coax Dana into the pool, not for any particular reason except that we didn't want her to be denied the experience, got her as far as sitting on the bottom step above it, but no further. These water breathing sessions, which we usually took together in any case, gave me plenty of opportunity to explore our underwater rooms; however, curious as I was to see past the open doorway, I hadn't yet taken a look. Instead, my basic routine was to get in the pool, breathe some water, and get pretty much straight back out again. The fact was, I stayed no longer in the pool than was necessary, as I felt oddly keen not to surpass Dana any further in that respect. I didn't want her to feel left behind, I supposed, so I decided to wait until she was fully comfortable with the pool before going any further, however long it might take. There was another reason to hope Dana would conquer her water aversion; toward the end of Larna and the doctor's two week holiday, we paid a visit to Aurora Segment, the home of almost every avarrian in Arca Nova. We had already observed a few avarrians in other segments, though typically at a fair distance away, which diminished their intimidating size a little. However, our first proper look at them since our meeting at Farseer was from startlingly close up. We had been traversing one of a series of long moving 204

walkways; as we stood with the doctor and Larna, surrounded by a concourse of people, a pair of avarrians zipped past us down the opposite track barely an arm's length away. It was a jolt; Dana and I almost fell off the walkway belt. The doctor gave us an amused glance, and smiled to himself. "You'll get used to them," he said. "They really are the nicest people in this place." It was hard to believe that something so hulking could be perpetually easygoing and pleasant, yet it proved to be so. It amazed me how quickly we became comfortable in the avarrian quarter despite being surrounded by enormous, twoand-a-half metre tall, visually imposing alien beings. I think we owed a large part of this comfort to our newfound avarrian friends, Kalto and Misk, who were our guides on this visit to Aurora Segment. The representatives were waiting for us near the doors of our podstation when we arrived in Aurora. I presumed the doctor had communicated with them beforehand, because they noticed us immediately, and hailed us. The representatives were not wearing their fabricators this time, nor even their robes. Instead, they were clad only in dark, sheer bodysuits that failed to minimise their massive forms even one iota. I was initially anxious when they approached, but this evaporated almost immediately when they opened their arms wide and, without warning, each gave Dana and I a smothering hug. Having only a split second to react, we froze. 205

The avarrians were warm to the touch, which was odd, because I had expected them to be chilly. They were also extremely gentle despite their obvious strength. And, even harder to define or express, I felt like they... Well, like they loved us. The doctor and Larna were next to get a hug. They seemed to expect it, however, each enthusiastically spreading their arms to accept the affectionate gesture from the two towering creatures. I wondered about this. I wondered whether the representatives had taken some sort of particular liking to Dana and me because of the genetic connection between us, but it seemed that this was only part of the explanation. From watching them throughout our visit, it quickly became clear that this attitude of kindness and concern was something they held, I could have sworn, for absolutely everyone. Getting a closer look at their faces, I noticed that they were perhaps not so inhuman as I had initially thought. Certainly their skin and eyes were startlingly different from regular people, but their noses were almost human, if a little flatter, and the shapes of their faces were very like the human faces they had displayed when using their fabricators, with only minor differences; their brows were thicker, and moulded into a sort of permanent frown, especially the male's; the fin-like protruberances on their scalps were proportionately larger than Dana's or mine, though perhaps not as exaggerated as I had first imagined; and the corners of their mouths were turned upward in a grimace, their whole expression being that of a smiling adversary, but again, that interpretation was probably just my 206

imagination. In fact, even though their eyes were black nearly all over, there was a quality to their gaze that softened their features, rather than making them more fearsome. Also, their hands were just like Dana's and mine, webbing included, with one peculiar exception: each had only four fingers. After the hugs, Dana just stood there looking astonished. Kalto remedied her shock in an instant. He poked her gently on the nose, and said, "Donk!" Dana squealed and jerked back. Kalto burst into uproarious laughter. "Kalto!" said Misk, giving him a thunderous slap on one massive arm. "Stop being a gtharicnah." She bent forward until her eyes were level with Dana's, which meant she was almost bent double, and put a hand lightly on Dana's shoulder. "I do apologise little one. You have to forgive Kalto. He is, I believe the word in your language to describe it is... 'mental'." Dana smiled. "He's funny," she said shyly. "See?" said Kalto. "She likes me." Misk smiled strangely, stood up straight, raised a hairless eyebrow at Kalto, and flicked him on one of the fins of his head. "Ow," he said, clutching at the fin. "I like you too," said Misk, shaking her head, "but you are still mental." She turned and walked away. Kalto bent down to us and whispered conspiratorially, "She loves me." I didn't feel any fear of the avarrians after that. Something I had not noticed about avarrians at first, but 207

which was immediately obvious in Kalto and Misk when we met them without their robes, was that each possessed a stocky tail, extending from their lower backs almost to the floor, mostly uncovered by their bodysuits. This was the case for all avarrians we saw, who seemed to wear bodysuits as a matter of course, though in many individual colours and styles. These bodysuits were much thicker, more covering, and more complex than the capsule clothes Dana and I had worn on awakening. Rather, they seemed designed to be every bit as functional as human attire, or perhaps more so, with many pockets, compartments, straps, clips, belt loops, and other things that might facilitate a multipurpose piece of amphibious clothing. The avarrians also wore dark, slip-on footwear, virtually identical to the foothuggers the doctor had given Dana and me. I wondered; did that mean these shoes were good for the water? I also learned that by no means were the avarrians deliberately segregated because of their species or culture, but merely because they had similar needs to Dana and myself. Their segment, as the doctor explained to us and we subsequently observed for ourselves, was filled with a network of pools and waterways that were used just as often as the dry areas. Avarrians would happily visit all parts of the arcology, but nevertheless returned home every day to immerse themselves in the salt water of their own segment. Given that the presence of water here was dominating, we didn't plan on spending long in this place; Dana was obviously uncomfortable even though we never approached too close to any of the massive pools, baths, channels, or inlets to water208

filled tunnels. Much of the decor was even based on water, with enormous waterfalls, fountains, giant aquariums full of ocean life similar to what we had seen in the Farseer meeting room, and wall projections of intensely coloured alien seascapes. There were plenty of humans wandering about the avarrian segment too, and none of them seemed bothered in the slightest by the presence of the alien race. Instead, they interacted with one another without any hint of fear. My confidence that these creatures posed absolutely no threat to us was solidified when I saw a male avarrian child, as tall as me, and a human boy, littler than Dana, swimming in the same pool, playing some kind of complex, high-tech game. It was a shallow pool, and they were each wearing long shorts, which was maybe the first time I'd seen an avarrian out of a bodysuit. The porcelain colouring of his front was the same as mine. They each wore a pair of controls on their wrists, like translucent wristbands; these were waterproof, as I could only assume, given the way both kids dropped in and out of the water with them. By orientating the wristbands, the children controlled the movements of a shiny, hovering sphere each, one blue and one silver, which dipped under the water, spun over its surface, and sometimes flew high above it. The spheres regularly discharged balls of bright purple light at one another. Sometimes, one sphere would try to shield itself from the other's shots with a shimmering purple circle, yet occasionally was hit instead, causing it to spin wildly out of control. The spheres evidently had more than one type of tactic 209

they could employ. I noticed one of them suddenly form a lance of purple light, and then attempt to spear the other through its circular shield; the other dodged swiftly out of the way and then successfully shot the first with its purple missile. We watched this fascinating duel for a while, a small crowd of young people, both human and avarrian, gathering to watch also. Even Dana seemed to like it, despite her nervousness near the water. We were treated with the most remarkable hospitality throughout our visit, but in a way that felt completely natural, and seemed entirely unassociated with Kalto and Misk's positions as diplomatic representatives. In fact, we were taken right into their personal lives, introduced to their respective parents and several of Misk's younger siblings, and were even treated to lunch in the home of Kalto's father and mother. My appreciation for our penthouse increased during this visit; during an earlier trip to Larna's apartment in the lower levels of Farseer Accommodation, from which she retrieved a few personal items for her stay at the penthouse, I began to realise that space was at a premium throughout the arcology. Larna had not overstated the smallness of her own home; she lived in a shoebox. However, the same was true, I was surprised to discover, for avarrian homes. Their public spaces were enormous, but their private dwellings were miniscule, even despite raised ceilings and doorways to compensate for their inordinate height. Kalto's father, whose name was something like "Pejorinan", but pronounced in a way I found difficult to repeat, was the smallest and most slender adult avarrian I had yet seen, 210

at only half a head taller than myself. Dressed in a simple grey robe, he welcomed us in with the air of a congenial, quiet gentleman who has lived long but still relishes the company of new guests. Kalto's mother, whose name was Pinn, was at least twice her husband's size, and looked considerably heavier even than Kalto, if not quite as tall. Dressed in a grey robe similar to Pejorinan's, her affectionate warmth exceeded even her mass. Upon Dana and me being introduced to Pinn, she subjected us both to bone-crushing hugs that were only mitigated by Misk's gentle intervention. If it was possible to be killed with kindness, I think Pinn could have done it; Dana looked severely lost for breath when she was finally released from Pinn's overenthusiastic embrace. Pinn didn't speak any English, as it turned out, and wasn't even very proficient at Arc. Nevertheless, although she babbled away in a language that was about as far from Arc as I was from speaking confidently in public, every word she spoke sounded laden with some kind of unrestrainable, unconditional alien love. Pejorinan didn't hug us on our first meeting. Instead, he seemed satisfied with simply grasping our hands warmly. It seemed appropriate; his wife's hugs were more than enough for the two of them. Their compact home put me in mind of an otherworldly alien temple, and was lined with many peculiar wall hangings, like slender, hypermodern tapestries filled with unfamiliar symbols and incomprehensible images. Other than the hangings, the whole place was of a gentle golden hue, with identical 211

golden tiles on the walls, ceiling and floor. Against several of the walls sat banks of blue, oddly-shaped candles with pale white flames, floating in shallow basins made from the same tiles. These were the first open flames I had seen anywhere in the arcology. "Ah," Pejorinan had said, noticing me staring at the candles in a quiet moment on my own. The others were all engaged in talking at a far corner of the room, out of sight around a bend, and I had taken the opportunity to absorb my new surroundings a little. "You not see flame often, am I so?" His speech was a little broken, but I understood his meaning; the mature avarrian had apparently perceived my thoughts. "Yes," I said, suddenly feeling bashful, "that's true." "This flame, special," he continued. "Try... candle under water." I looked at him for a moment, and saw something of a gleam in the ovular blackness that was still, remarkably, such a kind eye. "Okay," I said, hoping I had understood him correctly. I knelt down by one of the large candles, took the edges of it with both hands, and gently submerged it. The candle sputtered, but then flared brilliantly. It startled me, and I jumped back to my feet in surprise. "Hagh hagh hagh," rumbled the old avarrian's laughter, though he grasped me warmly around the shoulders at the same time. "Quite surprise, yes?" "Yes," I said. "Yes. What happened?" "This, special flame," said Pejorinan again, squatting down beside the trough by where I had knelt. He put his hands 212

on the same candle I had chosen, and gently put it under the water. The candle flared as before. "Put water, burn brighter. It is... symbol. We respect." He stood again, and surprised me further by taking my wrist in one hand. "Come," he said, "I show you." Pejorinan pulled gently at my wrist, as if to get me to kneel down with him by the trough. Not understanding what he wanted, I let him lead me at first, but resisted when he went to immerse my hand in the water. "Come," he said again, his tone warm and reassuring, "I show." I allowed him to immerse my hand, wondering what on earth it was he meant to show me. In a flickering instant, I experienced the same inexplicable certainty of knowing what someone else thought and felt, just as I had experienced with Dana. However, this time it was far more intense; this old avarrian was suddenly not just by my side, but seemingly everywhere within and around my being. I entirely froze. Ah, you are not used to this, came the words into my mind; they seemed to be from Pejorinan, perfect and unbroken, yet more felt than heard. I did not mean to surprise you. Maybe he hadn't meant to do it, but surprised I certainly was. It took me a few seconds, and a lot of blinking, to recover my composure. No, it's all right, I eventually said, thinking only, and somehow knowing that he understood me. What is this? Oh, you do not know? said Pejorinan. This is but the 213

connection of the aura you carry within you. Your doctor has told you of this, I see. He calls it 'bioelectricity' in your language. Bioelectricity, I said internally, thinking of the word again, we haven't learned much about it yet. Everything is so new. The avarrian smiled. You will learn, he said, your doctor will show you, soon enough. He is truly a great man. I believe you. That is well. But this is not that which I wished to show you. This is what I wished to show. Suddenly my mind was filled with light, and the most remarkable sense of peace, as if the avarrian was shining it from somewhere within his soul to mine. This, he said, is what the symbol means. It is a symbol of our people themselves, but far more deeply, it is a symbol of this, the brightness underneath. It is a symbol of life. True life. True life, I repeated back, able to do little more than echo him in the midst of the wonder this experience was invoking in me. This is what bonds us all, he said. It will bond you and your little one, if you will let it. Little one. The image of Dana flashed in my head; I knew she was the one he was referring to, and I felt a strange surge of feeling in my heart. Was Dana somehow special to me? It seemed so, far more than I had realised. This was confusing. I didn't know why I felt this way, or even what I was feeling, exactly. Tears bled involuntarily into my eyes, and drops fell from the corners as I blinked; it embarrassed 214

me, and made me want to shy away, but Pejorinan's warmth and reassurance overcame even that. Were there memories from the past mixed with these feelings? I almost thought I could catch fragments of events, things relating to Dana and me, but they slipped away before I grasped hold of anything specific. Pejorinan allowed his communications to gently fade. He released my wrist from his soft grip, and drew his hand out of the water. I stayed kneeling there a moment longer, absorbed by the peace, and ruminating for a moment on the impressions I had felt. I felt a little shaken, but not in a bad way. I extracted my hand from the water also, and stood. "Thank you," I said, blinking rapidly again over the unexpectedness of it all. "Many welcome," he said, smiling, back to his broken speech. Shortly afterward, we all knelt, or sat cross-legged on the floor, in front of a broad, low table topped by a meal that looked like it had been prepared for a small army. There were over twenty dishes that I counted, of varying sizes, and all of them different. However, I didn't recognise anything specific; it was all unlike anything I could recall, and entirely distinct from Larna's style of cooking, which was mostly bacon. As we sat, the doctor leaned over and whispered in my ear. "They eat mostly the same basic things as us," he said, "but you may want to watch out for anything with little red 215

leaves on top. Not sure if you like raw fish." I nodded, and noticed Larna across the table leaning over similarly to Dana's ear. I hoped that Dana was getting the same warning the doctor had given me; I was pretty certain that raw fish wasn't on either of our lists of favourite dishes. The food was self-served with familiar utensils, if gigantic ones, onto plates of a size that made me think we would have to be rolled home if they were completely filled. Thereafter we ate with our fingers, each of us having been provided with a hand towel and a rinse bowl. The meal progressed comfortably, with Larna and Misk providing most of the conversation, showing that they obviously had a strong friendship already. Larna impressed me by switching between English and Sartuk many times, as if it came entirely naturally to her. She spoke with our avarrian friends like she was one of them; in fact, Larna seemed more open, more at home in this place, than I'd ever seen her among human company. Kalto also kept us entertained, making Dana and me laugh so often it was hard to get on with our meal. He really did have an irrepressible sense of humour, and took every opportunity to use it. As we ate, I was enchanted by the abundance of flavours we were presented with. If food ever had the power to take you somewhere very far away, purely on the merits of its strange but alluring tastes, then this food certainly did. I entertained the idea that I could imagine something of where these people were originally from, simply from the experience that their food offered. 216

"Many of these dishes use foods that the avarrians originally brought with them," said the doctor at one point to me quietly. "Some are acquired tastes, but virtually all of their foods are human-edible, and the agricultural instutions here succeeded in culturing most of them. In fact, lots of humans go for the avarrian diet these days, though usually barring the raw fish. Pinn even runs an avarrian restaurant, which explains her proficiency." "It's amazing," I said back, "I've never tasted anything like this. At least, I don't think so." The avarrians each ate a great deal, which was logical given their size. The only interruption to the fluid progression of the meal was an awkward moment when Pejorinan, with a strangely knowing smile on his face, picked up one of the redleafed dishes and offered it in my direction. I initially declined the offer with a politely lifted hand, but Pejorinan persisted. Worried, I glanced at the doctor, who met my look with an uncertain smile and a shrug of his shoulders. I was caught. Glugging down a fillet of raw seafood didn't hold any attractions for me whatsoever, but I was extremely loath to reject Pejorinan's offer, given the welcome we had received from our hosts so far. Shuddering internally, and desperately hoping that I wouldn't be spending the rest of the evening throwing up into a bowl, I took the fillet. The only reprieve from the unpleasantness of downing a slimy, translucent, and very large piece of raw fish was that my teeth went through it like a mincer through soft cheese, 217

shredding it into slivers at every bite. I decided not to prolong the experience, but to eat it all at once. Dana, Larna, and even the doctor were all transfixed on me as I did so, but Pejorinan and the other avarrians didn't seem to take any notice after my first mouthful. It didn't taste particularly bad. In fact, it didn't really taste of anything except slightly salty fishiness, but the raw texture in my mouth combined with the uncertainty of how my stomach would react made it difficult. However, I finished the fillet, making only the slightest of faces as I swallowed the final piece. Larna gave me a look of impressed admiration from across the table. Dana just looked shocked, and then became very introverted. I guessed she was worried that she might be offered a fillet as well. We eventually finished our meal, Dana having escaped the expectation of repeating my feat of gastronomic bravery. We bid our goodbyes to Pejorinan and Pinn, complete with more ribcage-shattering hugs from Pinn and an infinitely milder embrace from her husband. As Pejorinan embraced me, he said in my ear, "Remember, true life." He released me, gripped my shoulders and gave me a piercing look. I nodded, knowing no other way to respond, and he smiled broadly. He nodded once himself, let me go, and turned to give Larna his farewell embrace. As soon as we departed, Kalto and Misk still leading us, Dana stepped into line beside me. She grabbed my arm and whispered intently, "How was that?" I knew she meant the fish fillet. 218

"Honestly..." I whispered back, "kinda gross... and slimy." "Ick!" she said, shivering intensely and shaking her head. She leaned her forehead against my arm. "I'm so glad they didn't offer me any. I think I would have spewed all over the table." "Mm, that would have been fun," I said. Dana laughed, and took hold of my hand. There was no sudden connection between us this time, at least not the inexplicable mental one that I had experienced previously. However, there was something else. I had the peculiar sense that all this automatic affection from Dana somehow meant something, as did my natural, unthinking willingness to accept it. There was something more, something I was confident that neither of us were directly aware of. It wasn't just our shared situation, nor the physical similarity between us. What was it? The feeling sank away almost as soon as it had surfaced. However, Pejorinan's words came back to me. It will bond you and your little one, if you will let it. I let go of Dana's hand and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, perhaps the first time I had initiated affection toward her outside of a crisis. She looked up at me, and gave me the most appreciative look I thought I'd ever seen. She leaned her head against my chest as we walked, and I sensed it again, without any special mental link; there was something important between us, something just beyond the edges of my fleeting comprehension. I wondered why it had taken me so long to reach out to her like this. But then, to be fair, I supposed I was relearning 219

almost everything, these behaviours included. As we walked, Dana warm under my arm, I noticed that the lights around us were rapidly dimming. "Why is it getting dark?" I asked the doctor. "Ah," he said, "each segment experiences night on its own schedule. I suppose you haven't seen it in Pacific Segment yet, as you've always been home before its nightfall, and we've only been visiting other segments during their daytimes." "It's turning night inside?" I said. "But it's still the middle of the day." The doctor smiled. "The segments are on staggered twenty-four hour time," he said, "kind of like imposed timezones, giving an approximately even round-the-clock work schedule for Arca Nova's major institutions and balancing system usage. However, Aurora is actually on a thirty-two hour clock. Aurora's lighting is a near match to the rotation of the avarrian's home planet, and their natural circadian rhythm." So, the avarrians had fed us dinner. I had thought it was lunch. "It plays a little havoc with dates," the doctor continued, "but we're all on an integrated calendar these days, so it's scarcely a problem. Besides, I think you'll like Aurora Segment at night. They don't call it Aurora for nothing." We kept walking, and I soon saw what the doctor meant. Suddenly, the nearby pools and inlets surrounding us reflected something brilliant from their surfaces. Dana and I noticed it together, and we both looked up toward the ceiling far above. 220

"Whoooa," said Dana quietly. The air far above us brightened with shimmering ripples of coloured light, snaking and intertwining like ribbons. The ripples shone brilliant purple in places, blue in others, and pale green everywhere else. The doctor was right. I liked it a lot. We reached the podstation, said goodbye to Kalto and Misk with another warm hug, and boarded a pod for Pacific Segment.

"Farseer, hm? I doubt they'll see this coming."

"Well, now our holiday's over," said Larna at breakfast the first morning after our two-week break, "I guess it's back to work. Do you guys mind coming to Farseer today? The doctor and I would like to run a few simple tests." "Tests?" said Dana, slightly anxious. "You mean like... an exam?" "Heck no, pet," said Larna, frying thick slices of toast in a pan on the stovemat, "no, you guys won't have to do anything much, just sit still and follow some simple instructions. We'd 221

like to learn more about your bioelectrics. It'll give you a chance to learn about them too, and maybe practice using them a while." "Oh, okay," said Dana, "that sounds kinda fun." Bioelectrics. So we were finally getting onto that mysterious topic. "You've been in the pool a few times now, Zen," said Larna, bringing a big plate of toast over for all of us, and sitting down at the kitchenette counter opposite Dana and me. "Have you learned anything about yourself?" I thought about that a moment. "Not really," I said, "I haven't spent enough time there. I don't even know how to open those... fin things on my legs yet." "Yeah," said Dana heartily, "those are weird. I don't get mine, either." "Ah, those are called aquafoils," said Larna. "The avarrians have them too, you may have noticed, though their suits tend to cover them when they're not in the water." "Aquafoils," I said, tasting the word. "Yep," said Larna. "Perfect for swimming. You'll beat any other human in the water, no trouble. You might even catch up with the avarrians." Dana shied her eyes away, and looked intently at her plate. "Is there... water in the tests today?" she asked quietly. "Oh, sorry honey," said Larna, sounding genuinely apologetic, "but yes, there is. I know going under the water gives you trouble. The doctor's been thinking about it, though, and he's told me we can do today's tests in very shallow depths if 222

you want. No pressure though. You don't want to go in, that's fine by me." Dana looked introspective, and we ate in silence for a few moments. Larna's batch of toast was spread with a kind of delicious, sweet fruit paste that she had whipped up earlier that morning. "I don't know what it is," Dana said finally, "but I just can't put my head under. It's so strange. I know I won't drown, but it's still really hard." "That sounds like a phobia, honey," said Larna, "and don't you worry, lots of people have them. Me too, as a matter of fact, though not of water." "Really?" said Dana through a big mouthful of food. "Yep," said Larna. "Totally afraid of flying. I was forced to travel in airplanes and aerodiscs as a kid, but never again, that was more than enough. Not that we really have to worry about those now, of course." Airplane. I thought I knew what one of those was, but the word "aerodisc" escaped me. "Anyhow," said Larna, continuing, "once we finish up here, we'll go straight down to the facility and get started. Doctor H nexed me this morning, said he's ready whenever we are. I guess he's back in work mode again." We finished eating, helped Larna to pack our dishes in the soidwash, finished dressing and accompanied her down to the facility labs. We found the doctor in a curious workspace, somewhere we hadn't seen before. It was a moderately sized area with silver-grey tiles on the floor, a large visual display on the far 223

wall, several smaller ones on metallic desks, and a raised platform like a dais at the other end of the room. The walls and ceiling in here were geometrically patterned silver, with a similar geometric lattice of windows covering the wall by the door. These windows were of the onedirectional type, so we could see out to the hallway, but passersby couldn't see in. There were three other white-garbed facility workers here also, a woman sitting at a monitor desk and a man and woman seated casually on a bench by the wall. "Morning kids!" said the doctor as we entered. "And a most splendiferous morning to you, Doctor Jacobsen!" "Well, you're sure chipper today," observed Larna dryly. "Ah, just enjoying being back at work," said the doctor, "though having a holiday was frankly tremendous. I feel entirely renewed. How are you all doing, then?" "I'm good!" said Dana cheerfully. "And very glad to hear it too, sweetie," said the doctor, "though I hope I don't cause you any discomfort today. There's a couple of tests involving water, but don't worry, we'll keep it very shallow, nowhere near your head, I promise. Will that be all right?" Dana blinked a couple of times, but didn't look overly concerned. "I think so," she said. "Wonderful," said the doctor, "and I should mention to both of you right from the get-go that we'll always work to your comfort levels. Do tell us if you need a break at any point, or if you need to stop, but I think you'll find it easy going. Sound all 224

right?" "Mm-hm," I said. "Yep," said Dana happily. "Excellent. In that case, Zen would you kindly go with Frederick, and Dana, you with Adele here? They'll outfit you for this set of tests." The doctor gestured toward the two seated workers in white, who immediately stood and motioned for Dana and me to follow them. They led us to a wide, open doorway at one side of the laboratory, past which were two large cubicles. The worker I presumed to be Frederick, a man with a shaved head and brown skin that was darker than my blue-grey, entered the cubicle on the left, so I followed him in. Dana and Adele went into the one on the right. In the cubicle was a pair of benches, a set of shelves, and several wall hooks, on which hung a strange white bodysuit and a pair of shorts that looked identical to my capsule clothes. "Well, let's get you suited up," said Frederick once I had entered our cubicle. Gesturing to the white bodysuit, he said, "This outfit is a special biodata collection unit. It will tell us about your responses under given stimuli, and also provide the feedback that we hope will assist you in bioelectric control." Bioelectrics! So we really were about to explore them. My pulse picked up a little. "If you'll kindly change into the hydroskin shorts," he continued, "I'll come back and help you to put on the biosuit." Frederick exited the cubicle, and left me to change into the shorts. Once that was done, he came back in as he'd said, and 225

helped me put on the skin-tight white suit. It was zippered at the back, and covered me from neck to wrist to ankle, with even a white hood that fit the contours of my scalp perfectly. The suit was covered with a network of white nodules, like little buttons, that dotted the entire outfit. There was also a solid white disc just below the sternum, like a larger version of the little buttons, plus a number of tiny vents on the back, legs and stomach. Frederick and I exited our cubicle only a few moments before Dana and Adele emerged from theirs, Dana similarly suited. The four of us left the changing area, and returned to where the doctor was stationed by the raised platform. He was interacting with a tablet docked at the corner of the platform block, giving some sort of commands to the system. "Ah, excellent," he said as we returned. "If you would both please step onto the platform and stand in one of the squares each, that would be stellar. Dana sweetie, you take the square on the left, the one with the stool in it." Dana and I ascended two steps to the platform and did as we were asked, Dana stationing herself in a large square on the doctor's left, while I took the one on the right. "All right, excellent," said the doctor. "The squares you are now standing in are in fact testing compartments for studying avarrian bioelectrics. However, they should also be perfectly suitable for you two. Now, just relax, I'm going to raise a field around each of you. Don't be concerned, it's not dangerous, and you can touch it if you like. If at any moment you feel anxious, just press the white pad on the floor at the front of your square, and the field will drop again." 226

The doctor pressed something on his tablet, and suddenly the air surrounding the edges of each square rippled momentarily, and darkened slightly. When the rippling ceased, Dana and I were each encased by a barely visible, transparent vertical layer that reached right up to the ceiling. I pressed a tentative finger to the layer. It was solid, but slightly flexible. Amazing. The doctor then disengaged a slender cartridge from the side of the tablet, and spoke into it. "That field stops sound," said the doctor, "so I'll be communicating with you through the audio system now. If either of you want to speak, I'll be able to hear you, and you'll be able to hear one other." "Yoo-hoo!" said Dana, waving at me. "Hi Dana," I said, smiling. I heard her fine, though her voice was projected from somewhere above my head. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "Okey doke," said the doctor, "we're just about there. Now, Zen, I'm going to fill your tank with saline, all the way to the top. And Dana, I know this causes you difficulty sweetie, but I'd like to fill your tank up to your waist, with you seated on that stool. If you stand up, it'll barely be above your knees, and I promise it won't go any higher. Will that be all right?" I looked over at Dana. She appeared momentarily tense, but she took a deep breath, nodded, and sat down on the stool. "Thank you, sweetie. For the purposes of this test, if you would please keep your feet and hands submerged in the water at all times, that would be very much appreciated." 227

The doctor made another adjustment on his tablet, and water began filling our compartments. Dana's filled slowly and stopped at a low level, but mine filled rapidly and continued until it reached the ceiling. I took a deep draught of water into my lungs. No problem, but I wouldn't be able to speak again until the water was drained out of the tank. Looking over at Dana once more, I saw that the stool in her compartment allowed her to sit with her feet flat on the floor, and water up to her middle. I appreciated how it was both there for her comfort, and to make it possible for her to be submerged more deeply than she might otherwise be okay with. It was the only time I had ever seen her voluntarily underwater, but she seemed all right. The doctor removed the tablet from its dock, and cradled it in one arm as he walked to a position in front of the platform. "Rightio," he said, still speaking into the cartridge, "can you both still hear me clearly?" Despite the water surrounding me, I could hear the doctor's voice just fine, if slightly altered from being passed through a machine and then through the water. His voice sounded just like it had in my capsule on our first day. Dana and I both nodded, and I gave the doctor a thumbs up. "Excellent," he continued. "Now, here comes the fun part. We'd like to learn more about your bioelectrics, as I'm sure Larna has mentioned to you. Those suits will give us the data we'd like, and will also provide you with some visual feedback to assist you in controlling your bioelectric responses. So, please 228

listen closely as I explain a few things." I gave the doctor my full attention. "Similar to members of the avarrian race," he said, "each of you possess a number of electric organs, located at various points throughout your bodies. These organs produce currents in series on a cellular level, and in parallel at an organic level, the combined effect of which is to create an electromagnetic field of potentially very high voltage and current. The functions of these organs are most observable when you are submersed in saline, though even a surface layer of electrolytic fluid is enough to conduct electricity. For instance, even your sweat is sufficient to provide a bridge for current, which leads me to my first point. Once you learn about how to use these organs, and forgive me for being quite serious, you'll need to be very, very careful. You could easily harm or kill someone if your ability is misappropriated. And so, we've got to get things right. "However, I should also mention that avarrians themselves possess a powerful instinct of self-control when it comes to bioelectrics, even from a young age. This fact is so thoroughly appreciated throughout the human culture of Arca Nova that many people are perfectly comfortable in allowing even their children to swim with avarrians in Aurora Segment, as you probably noticed during our time there. However, it's hard to predict whether either of you will naturally have the instinct and capacity for that kind of self-control once your ability is consciously accessible. Hopefully we can teach you the necessary control even if it doesn't occur naturally, thus one of the reasons for this exercise. "The other reason is that we hope to learn as much as we 229

can about how active bioelectrics interact with your internal systems, most of which are still basically human. We don't anticipate any problems, but preparation is nine tenths of... well, just about everything." Dana raised her hand. "Yes, sweetie?" "Will any of the tests be painful?" The doctor pursed his lips. "That's a good question," he said. "My answer is that I truly don't think so, and I definitely hope not. Again, if either of you feel any discomfort at all, just press the white pad on the floor with your foot, and the entire test will disengage. Any pain whatsoever, and I promise I'll buy each of you an avarrian-sized ice cream sundae." Dana seemed to consider this, "It's probably worth it, then," she said, a little uncertainly. The doctor barked a laugh. "Fair enough, sweetie," he said, "I hope so. But anyway, let's get started." The doctor turned to the woman seated at the desk, and said a few words to her that I couldn't hear. He then spoke into the cartridge again. "All right," he said, "we're going to start with a simple bioelectric resonance test. A small electrical current will be passed through the containment field into the water surrounding each of you. Your bodies are now natural conductors, and will allow the current to pass through harmlessly. However, the current should interact to some degree with your electric organs, and hopefully give you a notion of the 230

internal sensation of activating your own bioelectrics. Here we go, initiating test. Current on." The doctor pressed a finger to the tablet. Nothing seemed to happen. "Eight volts, two hundred milliamps, pulsed direct current," the doctor said, seemingly to himself. "Do either of you feel anything?" I certainly didn't, so I shook my head. I glanced toward Dana. She looked similarly toward me, and shrugged. "All right," said the doctor, "that's fine. Now, what I'm going to do is increase the voltage continually over five second increments until you sense something. If you do feel something, please would each of you press the green pad with your foot, one of which is to your right in each tank." I looked down. There was a pad on the floor that lit up and glowed green as the doctor spoke. "Okay," continued the doctor, "if you would each please close your eyes now until you feel something, so that you don't influence one another's response, that would be tremendous. Initiating incremental voltage increase." The doctor pressed his finger to the tablet again. I closed my eyes, and waited. It was serene in this tank. I relaxed, and flexed my senses to see if I could feel anything. It took a while, but after maybe a minute or so, I sensed a mild buzzing through my midriff. I opened my eyes, and placed my foot on the glowing green pad. The buzzing faded. 231

"Excellent," said the doctor, speaking into the cartridge again, "you each responded for adjacent voltage increments. Two hundred milliamps, six hundred and three volts for Dana, six hundred and sixty-five volts for Zen. Now tell me, did you each experience a sort of bodily vibration somewhere? Just nod or shake your head, Zen." I nodded. "Yes," said Dana. "Good, that's consistent with the avarrian response for a similar test. I expect it was near your lower back, or waist?" I nodded again. "Also excellent. That's where your largest bioelectric organs are located, just below the kidneys. However, you happen to have several more, so we'll try to engage all of them together in just a moment. "I'm going to repeat the test, but this time the current will be much higher, closer to what your own maximum output should be. This time, instead of responding immediately when you feel something, please press the green pad when you feel the same vibration in your calves, thighs, and upper back as well." The doctor spoke again to the woman at the monitors, and then returned his attention to us. "Eight volts," he said, "five amperes. Current on. Initiating incremental voltage increase." I closed my eyes. This time I felt the vibration in my lower back immediately, though it felt different, deeper, more solid somehow. I waited as the sensation increased a little at a time, eventually becoming a very intense throb. 232

Suddenly the sensation seemed to spill out of my lower back, decreasing in intensity and dividing itself between my back and the region beneath my shoulder blades. The intensity continued increasing in both areas, splitting again into a space behind my thighs, and dividing one final time into the middle of my calves. I felt the aquafoils at my shins spread in a sudden convulsion, and press against the restraint of my skin-tight suit. So, that's how they work, I thought. I supposed this was everything the doctor wanted me to experience. I opened my eyes again and pressed my foot to the green pad. The sensations instantly dissipated. I looked over to Dana. She was already sitting quietly, watching the doctor. "Tremendous," said the doctor. "Well, some excellent results, both over six thousand volts at five amperes. Looks like you've each got quite a high output capacity. Your full-body bioelectric resonance was just a little higher in voltage, Zen, though that's to be expected since you're a wee bit bigger than Dana." Six thousand volts. I didn't know much about electricity, but that sounded like a lot. "All right," the doctor continued, "now let's see if you can activate your bioelectrics on your own. Perhaps it's time I let someone more qualified in this area take over. Doctor Jacobsen?" Larna stepped forward, and the doctor handed her the tablet. She spoke into the cartridge. "Hi guys," she said, "let's see if we can light you both up, hmm? Next, we're going to give you a display that will show 233

any bioelectric reactions initiated by your own bodies, so you can see if you're on the money. Katya?" The woman at the monitors keyed something into the system, and in front of my tank was projected a twodimensional image of a masculine silhouette on a grid background. A similar image was projected in front of Dana's tank, though hers was of a feminine shape. "If you succeed in activating anything," Larna continued, "the picture will light up green in the corresponding area. The numbers at the bottom of the image will indicate your total output in volts, amperes and watts. Don't worry if you don't understand those, just realise that higher numbers mean a more powerful bioelectric output. "Now, can you recall how the test we just did made you feel, kind of like a vibration where your electric organs are?" I nodded again. I couldn't do much else to communicate while in this tank. "I think so," said Dana. "Okay, good," said Larna. "You basically just need to recreate that feeling in the location of each group of organs, and they should respond. I've been talking with Pejorinan about it, and the avarrians have a specific exercise they use if any of their young ones are slow at engaging their bioelectrics. It might take a while to master, but we're going to have a shot at it now. First of all, I want you both to close your eyes again." I did so. Larna's voice softened, and dropped to a gentle, lulling pitch. "Good," she said. "Now, relax as best you can. I want you to take three deep breaths, and imagine all the tension in your 234

body escaping in those breaths. Ready? In..." I breathed the water in deeply according to Larna's instructions. "... out... in... out... in... out... there we go. Now, imagine yourself surrounded by a bubble of light. This bubble extends about three feet from the centre of your body, to just past your fingertips when your arms are stretched out. This bubble is your aura, so to speak, or your natural electromagnetic field." Aura. Unfamiliar word, though Pejorinan had mentioned it to me before in this sense. "Now, I want you to imagine yourself controlling your aura. The way to control it is simply by using your imagination. What you imagine it to do, it does. I want you to imagine your aura slowly condensing, getting smaller, and focusing on two points at either side of your spine, right in the middle of your lower back, the same area where you felt the first vibration. As it shrinks, I want you to imagine your aura getting brighter, with all its energy concentrating into a tiny space. Do it with me now as I speak. "Your aura is shrinking, getting smaller, more compact. Shrinking, shrinking, shrinking, getting brighter, and now... it's focused on those two points in your lower back. Now, keep that energy focused there, and on a count of three, I want you to push those points with your energy, just with your energy, not with your muscles or anything, just energy. Push those points hard, and let the energy out through your body. Ready? Here we go. One... two... three." I had no idea if I was doing it right, but I pushed mentally, squeezing the imagined sphere of energy into the two 235

points at my lower back. My back buzzed. I was so surprised that I opened my eyes and lost focus. Noticing the projection in front of me, I saw that the silhouette's midriff had turned a bright, fuzzy green. Larna had turned away from us, and was looking at the monitors at the desk. The woman seated by the desk had turned toward Larna, and was smiling broadly. "Well done, guys!" said Larna back into the cartridge. "Dana, seven hundred and fifty-eight volts, Zen, eight hundred and twelve volts, almost an ampere each. That shock would have taken any human out. Not that, y'know, that's what we're trying to do here, but great job! Let's see if you can go higher."

We repeated the underwater exercise a few times, trying to see how high we could score. We each went a little higher, but not much, though Larna assured us that it could be developed over time, kind of like lifting weights, she said. We also repeated the exercise for our other bioelectric organs, eventually identified them all, and found them all responsive and functional. Dana initially found those in her upper back tricky to engage, and I thought the ones behind my thighs were dicey, but I supposed that we would master them in time. We also spent time trying to engage several of the organ 236

groups at once, but that proved way beyond us for now. Dana managed to engage her lower back and thigh organs together for about four seconds, but found it impossible to maintain thereafter. I didn't even achieve that much. Regardless, this was exciting. I didn't know how useful these bioelectrics would be, exactly, but it hardly mattered. They were beyond fascinating. "Just a quick reminder," Larna told us when the tests were complete, "you've both got to be careful about where you activate your bioelectrics. For example, you probably shouldn't go swimming in Aurora segment with any other humans nearby, until we're all confident that you've mastered bioelectric control. A split second's lapse in judgment could mean fried human, understand what I'm sayin'? We care about you guys, and don't want you to mess anything up." It was a sobering thought. "One exception to this," she continued, "is your aquafoils. You've probably noticed by now that your aquafoils respond to the bioelectric organs in your calves. Thankfully, the output of your calf organs is much lower than for the rest of your system, meaning you can engage these without doing harm. When we're sure you're safe to go swimming with others, don't be concerned that opening your aquafoils will shock anyone, as they won't even feel it. All righty guys, I'm handing you back." Larna handed the tablet and cartridge to the doctor. "Well done, you two," he said, speaking into the cartridge. "Well, I guess we can get you out of" The doctor stopped speaking, and turned his head to look at something. I turned mine also. 237

The door to the lab had opened. As I watched, a group of four men strode into the laboratory, looking forbidding and resolute. The two at the back wore thick white suits that fully covered their bodies, including gloves, heavy boots, and visored helmets that partly obscured their faces. The third, immediately in front of the two in white, was a youngish man with blond, impeccably placed hair, and clad in an austere black uniform. The fourth I recognised as Andreas, the doctor's friend from our meeting at Farseer a couple of weeks back, clad in his official grey and leading the small group. The three unknown men each had an insignia on their chests, a black symbol on the men in white, and a white one on the man in black. I knew the Arc symbol on that insignia. It meant "law". Anxiety surged. Something was very wrong; the demeanour of Andreas' group made that a certainty. The two law enforcers in white even carried weapons of some type holstered at their sides, heavy white pistols by the look of them, the first instance of a weapon I had seen anywhere in Arca Nova. I looked over at Dana. Her eyes were fixed on the group, and both hands already covered her mouth. She had sensed the change in the air too. An exchange followed between the doctor, Larna, and the man Andreas. The doctor gestured toward Dana and me, and the man Andreas waved a hand dismissively, even irritably. Andreas said a few words, and then Larna stepped directly in front of the doctor, looking like she had begun to give the 238

assembled group a piece of her mind. Suddenly the man in the black uniform stepped forward, and made what looked like a very stern statement, pointing aggressively at Larna with one hand. She abruptly turned to one side, her face hidden from view, but her fists were clenched and her body was racked with tension. I had no idea what had just been said to her, but knew I didn't like it. With an odd look on his face, as if puzzled but otherwise not disconcerted, the doctor turned back toward Dana and me and spoke into the cartridge he still held in one hand. "Sorry, kids," he said, "looks like that's all for now. I've got to go with these gentlemen here rather immediately. Not to worry though, Larna will let you both out and get you sorted. Ah... right. Nice work today, both of you." The doctor gently passed the tablet to Larna, who stood there stiffly and watched as the doctor was marched brusquely from the room, flanked by the law agents with Andreas in the lead again. I was stunned. What was going on? After they had left, Larna still stood there, immobile for a long moment. Eventually, Adele, the lady who had helped Dana to get her suit on, put a hand softly on Larna's shoulder. As if awaking from a stupor, Larna looked around, and seemed to reorient herself. She looked back toward us, and spoke into the cartridge. "Okay guys," she said, "I'm going to let you out now. Just... give it a minute." Her voice was quiet, but she sounded shaken. Larna pressed her finger to the tablet, and almost 239

immediately the water began draining from our compartments. Dana's emptied first, and when the last of it finally gurgled from mine, the fields surrounding us rippled and disappeared. In an instant, Dana leapt from her seat and ran to Larna, catching her in a hug around the middle, and burying her face in Larna's front. Larna was close to being bowled over, but returned Dana's hug with one arm, blinking repeatedly as if warding off tears. She proffered the tablet toward Adele without looking at her, who tactfully then took it and replaced it on its dock by the platform. I stepped down from the platform, wondering gormlessly what I should do. Standing there, I watched Larna holding Dana, both of them in tears now, wondering what exactly had happened. Whatever it was, Dana clearly had a better idea of it than I did. I was rescued by Frederick, who took me at the elbow and motioned me back to the changing cubicles. "Come on," he said softly. He sounded shocked too. "Let's get you out of that suit." With Frederick's help to remove the biosuit, I changed back into my regular clothes. I did so in a sort of daze, not really thinking about what I was doing, but instead brooding over what had happened, and why it had distressed Larna so much. I exited the cubicle and returned to the lab. Larna was standing forlorn and alone in the middle of the room, staring at a wall. Her face was partly away from me, but I could see that her eyes were red. Her features displayed restrained anger, overlaid with intense puzzlement. Dana was not to be seen for the moment, but shortly 240

emerged from her cubicle, having also changed back into her regular clothes. She looked a wreck. This time, I found Dana's side. She all but fell into me as I put my arms around her shoulders and held her, and she started sobbing for the second time. I still felt like the captain of the good ship Infinite Awkwardness, but I wasn't going to leave Dana alone in this state, whatever the cause. Eventually Dana looked up to my face, and gave me a smile to suggest that she was all right. I gave her another squeeze, and let her out of my arms. I had questions for Larna. I didn't want to disturb her, but I cared about the doctor too, and had to get more information on what was going on. "Larna," I said quietly, approaching her. "Larna?" Larna turned, and looked at me as if waking from a dream. She shook her head, as if to clear it. "Uh... hi Zen," she said. "Sorry. I'm a bit struck. What's up?" "Um... what happened?" She looked oddly at me again. Realisation dawned on her face. "Oh, right," she said, "you guys couldn't hear what was going on. The doctor... the police think Zan has something to do with the shockwave that hit Pacific Segment a couple of weeks back. They think that... he's involved." "What?" I said. "That's crazy!" "I know. Insane. Utterly ridiculous." This was madness. Doctor Heretofore? Accused of causing the shockwave? And of killing twenty-seven people, and 241

injuring thousands? How could that even be possible? Something was broken in this picture, and, I was ready to swear, it wasn't the doctor. "I knew something awful had happened," said Dana, joining us. "I couldn't hear you, but you looked so angry. I thought you were gonna hit that policeman." Larna flicked her eyes to Dana. "You're perceptive, sweetie," she said. "I sure felt like it." Dana and I stood there uncomfortably for a few moments while Larna brooded over the situation. There didn't seem to be anything we could do about the doctor, I thought, other than wait to see what would happen. Larna seemed to arrive at the same conclusion. "Well, I guess there's no point beating myself in the head," she said eventually. "Come on guys, let's go home." She turned to the other laboratory workers, who had been waiting meekly while Larna made up her mind. "Katya, if you would pack up here, that would be much appreciated. Slide some copies of the results to the doctor's nextray before you shut down, and mine too please, and then go home. Frederick, you and Adele are relieved for the rest of your shift. And, everyone, please keep all this to yourselves. I'm sure it will get around soon enough on its own." Larna walked straight for the lab door, and we followed close behind. When we had walked far enough down the hallway to be out of sight of the lab, she halted, took each of us around the waist, and held us close while we continued at a slower pace. Tears began running freely down her cheeks again, 242

though she didn't make a sound. "Oh, hellfire," she said eventually, letting go of us and wiping her eyes, "people stink. You guys are the lucky ones."

We went home. The rest of the day was pretty bland. None of us really felt like talking; I supposed each of us were caught up in our own thoughts about the doctor. I got hungry, so I made myself some food. Larna didn't usually cook us lunch; even though Dana and I didn't have much cooking skill, and couldn't operate the vendor yet, Larna regularly ordered plenty of basic ingredients for things we could make ourselves. I put together a couple of thick salami sandwiches with heavy grain bread and an obscene amount of butter and cheese, picked up two cartons of syrupy chocolate milk, grabbed a mineral rod, and went back to my room. After I had eaten, I lay on my bed for a while, sucking idly on the rod and looking at the ceiling. The soft lighting on my bedroom ceiling really was pretty, and never exactly the same twice. The constellations that made up the starry surface of the ceiling altered every time the lights were turned off and on again. At that moment, there was something like a small galaxy above my head, revolving at a barely perceptible speed. I dozed. When I awoke again, the ceiling lights had 243

turned themselves off. The coreview windows were showing a scene of a vast desert at dusk, complete with stars, shadowy red dunes, and clouded mountains in the far distance. I wondered what time it was. I realised I had left my plate and the milk cartons on my bed cover, so I picked them up to take out to the kitchen. I left my room and walked down the hallway. As I entered the lounge, I noticed Dana sitting on the couch, hugging her knees, eyes closed and her head resting against the seatback. I put the plate in the soidwash, dropped the milk cartons in the recycler, and walked over to Dana, wondering if she might be asleep. I walked softly in case she was, but as I approached, her eyes flicked open, and she gave me a tired smile. "Hi Zen," she said. "Hey," I responded. I sat down cross-legged on the other end of the couch. "Whatcha been doin'?" she asked. I thought for a moment, and shrugged. "Nothing," I said. "What about you?" "Mm. Worrying. A lot." I smiled. "Fair enough," I said. "Where's Larna?" "She went out for a walk. She said she'd be back later tonight. I hope she's okay." I looked up at our wall clock by the kitchenette. Blue light on a black background said that it was 6:03pm, Pacific Segment time. I must have slept almost the entire afternoon. 244

Dana gave me a sidelong look. "How do you do it, Zen?" she asked, almost whispering. "Huh?" "You're always so calm. Nothing ever seems to bother you." I guessed I wasn't too bothered, at that, even though I cared greatly about the doctor. I shrugged again. "Dunno," I said, "maybe I'm just not smart enough to worry about stuff." "No way. It's the worrying that's stupid." We sat in silence for a few moments. "Zen?" said Dana eventually. "Mm?" "Are you salt thirsty yet?" Salt thirsty. Dana's way of describing the craving for saline. "Not just yet," I said. "Why's that?" Dana looked at her knees. When she spoke next, she sounded quiet, but deadly serious. "I want to get in the pool." I blinked. "Really?" I said. "Are you sure?" Dana looked at me imploringly. "I hate that I can't do it, Zen," she said, suddenly impassioned. "It's just so stupid. It's like there's a big chain around my neck, and I can't get it off. I shouldn't be afraid of the water, especially since I can breathe it for goodness' sake, but there's something about it I just can't figure out." She was silent again. 245

"What would you like me to do?" I said. "I don't know. Just... be there with me, maybe? It might be easier for me if we go under together. I've got to try it." I was impressed. Dana sounded really determined. "All right," I said. "When do you want to try?" "Oh, in about a hundred years," she said morosely, putting her face in her hands, "but I think we should try it now, before I change my mind. If that's okay." "Sure," I said, getting up off the couch, and trying to sound optimistic. "Let's do it then." We each went to our rooms to change. Having investigated my huge wardrobe over the past two weeks, I had found a drawer full of extra pairs of capsule clothes, or what Frederick had called "hydroskin shorts". I quickly changed into a fresh pair, and donned my black bathrobe over the top. Leaving my room, I found Dana already changed and waiting in the hallway in her shoulder-to-knee bodysuit and white bathrobe. She must have moved like lightning to beat me out. Probably due to nervousness, I thought; she was standing there staring at the wall, fidgeting with the webbing between her fingers and jigging one leg up and down. She seemed determined to make this work, so I was going to do whatever I could to help. Dana blinked when she saw me approach, and smiled ruefully. "You'll remember me if I die, won't you?" she said meekly. I shrugged my shoulders. "If I can fit it in," I said offhandedly. "I think Tuesdays are free." 246

Dana snorted, and then shook her head. "Oh, no," she said, closing her eyes, "let's get this over with." We went together to the pool room, Dana walking with her arms crossed and shivering as if cold, despite the even temperature of the air. We took off our bathrobes, and left them on the benches above the pool steps. Descending the steps, I kept my eyes on Dana's face as she went before me toward the water, looking for signs of panic. So far she had approached the pool relentlessly. I almost thought she was going to jump into the water on her own when she grabbed one of the pool ladders with both hands, froze there, and took a step back. "That's as far as I can get on my own," she said, voice shaking slightly. "Good grief." "This is closer than you've ever been before," I said. "Yeah," she said, staring at the pool like it was an open abyss, waiting to swallow her alive. She seemed to be having second thoughts. I tried to encourage her. "How did you cope with the water at the labs today?" I asked. "You seemed fine then." Dana shook her head. "It's the depth," she said. "I knew the doctor would keep it shallow, so it wasn't really a problem. Still scary, but okay. This is totally different." "All right," I said, "let me get in first. Let's see if that helps." 247

I walked over to the other pool ladder, and lowered myself gently into the pool, taking care not to splash Dana or do anything that might otherwise startle her. I dipped my head under, surfaced again, and held on to the side of the pool directly in front of Dana. "It's warm," I said. "Really, I think you'll like it down here. There's a whole other living space." "Yeah, I remember you mentioned about that," she said. "I really want to see it." "Maybe just one step at a time? Try dangling your feet in first." "You won't... pull me in or anything?" I was a little shocked by Dana's question. If she was worried that I might do something like that, then she really had to be frightened. "I think," I said seriously, "that I would rather eat a bucket of raw fish fillets at Pinn's place, throw it all back up, and eat it again. Twice." Dana screwed up her face at the analogy I'd chosen, but she smiled too. "You will be completely safe," I said, "I promise. Here, come sit down near me." "Okay," said Dana. She shuddered once more, and then with extreme gingerness sat down by the edge of the pool, gripping the pool ladder for support the entire time with one hand. The knuckles of her gripping hand whitened despite the blueness of her skin. She made it down to the floor, and sat there with her feet still dry at the edge of the pool. 248

"You won't fall all the way in if you slip," I said, "I'll catch you if you do. I've got a good grip on the edge here." "Okay, okay," she said, sounding quietly focused, "I'm doing it." If I had thought she had sat down gingerly, that was nothing compared to the mind-wrestling concentration she maintained while extending her legs and lowering them toward the water. It looked like she was pushing her feet through solid steel rather than air, which, I imagined, was probably how it felt also. Eventually, painfully, the heels of her feet reached the water. She recoiled ever so slightly at the touch, shuddered slightly once more, then looked angry at herself. Dana exhaled, and took a couple of rapid, shallow breaths. She kept pushing her feet down until her ankles were under the water. However, barely a second later, she whipped them back out again, and sat cradling her feet with her free hand on the side. "Blergh," she said, her breathing still shallow. "Sorry Zen. I think that's as far as I can go. I'm such a moron." "Hey, hey, you're doing fine," I said. "Just sit for a while, maybe. There's no rush." I had no idea what could have such power over her feelings, especially regarding something she consciously knew was safe. I wanted more than anything to put her at ease, but couldn't think of anything else to do other than try to reassure her. We sat silently for a moment, me hanging on to the pool edge, and Dana still gripping the pool ladder with one hand and 249

her wet feet with the other. "It looks so deep," she finally said, "like there's no bottom." "The lights will come on if you go just a little deeper," I said. "There's lights?" "Yep." "Oh. I never noticed. Can you show me?" "Sure. Hold on a moment." I took a deep breath of air, allowed myself to drift under the water, and then dived deeper. The lights came on as they always did. I swam back to the top, resurfaced, and breathed out. "There you go," I said, "not too deep at all." "Wow," said Dana, "how does that happen?" "Um, I don't know. Movement detector, I think." I took up my position holding the pool wall again, and we sat there a moment longer, Dana all the while staring at the water. She didn't look anxious, exactly, but neither was she relaxed. I wondered what she was thinking about. "Zen?" Dana said, breaking the silence once more. "Hm?" "What do you think our lives were like before we... woke up here?" I thought for a moment. Nothing came. "I've no idea," I said. "I wish I knew." "Do you think we had... families?" "I guess so. I actually wondered about that. I tried once or twice to remember, but I couldn't even recall who they might 250

have been. Or if they even existed." "Yeah, me neither. But I kind of feel like... there's people missing, you know?" I considered that. "Yeah, I suppose I do." It was true. Though I had absolutely no recollection of any family I might have had, there were strange gaps in my mind that felt kind of people-shaped. "Do you think about it much?" Dana asked me. "A little," I said. "But when I couldn't remember anything, I sort of stopped worrying over it." "You don't ever seem to worry." "Mm. I guess not. Not much, anyway." Dana let go of her wet feet, and touched the very tip of one finger to the water. "What do you worry about, then?" she asked. You, my mind said involutarily. I didn't want to speak it aloud. I thought it sounded... not great. "I dunno," I said eventually, "I guess I worry about things in the moment, but when they pass, it seems like there's no point, really, so... I just don't." "Wow," she said, "I wish I could be like that." Dana sat quietly a moment. "Larna told me..." she said eventually, "that we were kept cold for a long time. And they used a special field to stop us from turning to ice. And that this was probably the reason why we can't remember anything." I nodded. I supposed it made as much sense as anything else. "She also said," Dana continued, "that we were the first 251

ones they had woken up for a while. Like, years." "Really?" "Mm-hmm." "Wow," I said. "I guess this is kind of new for them too." "Larna keeps saying sorry for not knowing how to help me," said Dana, "you know, with the water and stuff. She's very sweet." "She's tough too, though," I said. "I think the doctor's got a real handful there." Dana shook her head, and smiled. "I think he's even tougher," she said. "He's so nice, but it's like there's this... thing burning inside him. Sometimes I see his eyes, and it's almost scary." "Scary? You think so?" "Not that he'd, you know, ever hurt anyone or anything. It's more the opposite, like he'd do anything to protect people. Maybe he'd hurt people that were trying to hurt other people, something like that." I thought about this idea. "I guess so," I said, "but I reckon that, whatever he did, he'd do it very politely." Dana laughed. "Yeah," she said, still laughing, "and then lecture them about science until they died." It was my turn to laugh. Dana giggled away happily beside me. It was nice for some reason, seeing her like that. Dana splayed the fingers of her free hand, and sat there peering at her webbing. "Do you mind it Zen?" she asked. 252

"You mean... this stuff?" I said, holding up my hand and splaying my own webbing. "Or just... being different?" "Both, I guess. I mean, I didn't even notice anything strange when we first woke up. It was like, that was how it was, so it was just normal, but now I realise..." "I know," I said. "We're kind of unique." "Not that I don't like it," said Dana hurriedly. "In fact, I love being like Misk and Kalto, and the way they treat us like family. But I keep wondering... you know... who I was." We were quiet again, this time for a much longer moment. "Zen?" said Dana finally. "Hm?" "If I get into the water..." "Yeah?" "If I get in..." She left it hanging. "What?" I asked. "Will you kiss me?" Wha? I turned and looked Dana in the eye. Had she said that? She looked blank, like she'd asked if I would pass her a towel. "Um," I said, "what do you mean ki" "Nothing," she said, suddenly turning her face away, and looking desperately embarrassed. "I was just being... stupid." She pulled her knees up to her chin, and hugged them to herself. I thought her face flushed a little darker. "Oh," I said, clueless. "Okay." We stayed silent a while, this time even longer than 253

before. I felt frustratingly inept. It was suddenly like Dana had closed up and shut me out, though for what reason I could hardly say. I wished I could have understood her in that moment better than I did; about a thousand times better might have been enough. Also, I realised we weren't progressing far with conquering Dana's fear of water. I refocused, forcing myself to think of anything I might be able to do to address that problem. Inspiration hit me. An unexpected one, but I thought it was worth a try. "Dana?" I said. "Yeah?" she said, coming slightly out of her shell. She didn't look directly at me, though. "I've got an idea." "Huh?" "Here, take my hand. I won't pull you in, I promise." Dana looked at me quizzically, but offered the hand she was using to hug her knees, the other still gripping the pool ladder. I took it in mine. "Now what?" she said. "Do you remember," I said, "a couple of times maybe, when it felt like you could almost... sort of... read my thoughts?" "What do you m" "Like, we were... connected in some way," I said, with a little more intensity. Dana dropped her eyes back toward the pool. "I feel like that all the time." I coughed in the back of my throat, feeling awkward 254

again. "I mean," I continued, "like you could tell exactly what I was thinking and feeling, more so than at other times?" Dana blinked twice, and looked straight at me again. "You mean... like in the big aquarium room that one time." "Yes!" I said. "At the meeting. And down in the dark red corridor, when we helped rescue that lady. You reached out to me, and suddenly I felt like I could almost read your thoughts. I knew exactly how you were feeling." "Really? You had that as well?" she said. "I thought that was just my mind doing weird things." "I wasn't sure myself," I said, still gripping her hand, "but I think it was real." "And it happened maybe a couple other times, too," Dana said introspectively, "when we were..." She looked down at our hands. "... holding hands," we both said. "Kalto's dad did something kind of like that with me at his home," I said, getting more excited, "and showed me all this stuff in my head just by grabbing my wrist and putting it under the water. At the time I thought it was just some strange avarrian thing, but I think I know what it was now." "What was it?" said Dana. "Can you guess?" I said eagerly. Dana screwed up her features in thought, staring at me. Then, her eyes lit up. "You mean..." I nodded my head encouragingly. "Magic?" she said. 255

Dana stared at me, wide-eyed. It was all I could do not to laugh. "Um," I said, "I was thinking more of" "Wait, wait," she said, finally comprehending me, "you mean the bio-electric thing!" "Yeah!" I said. "I think we can connect like that whenever we want." Dana looked down at our hands again. "It's not happening now though, is it?" "No," I said, "not yet. But I was thinking that maybe, if we can connect, it might help you to be less afraid of the water." Dana looked at me again for another long moment. "Okay," she said, "let's try it." "All right," I said. "Now, I'm not really sure of the best way to" Dana closed her eyes, and the world around us was suddenly transformed. The room was still there, and the pool was still there, but both were suddenly overlaid with a multi-hued sphere of thought and feeling that appeared as real as the physical world surrounding us. Dana opened her eyes and stared, like I did, at the swirling abstractions. Dana, I said in my mind, did you do that? Um, I think so, Dana said in hers. Sorry, I got ahead of myself. I sent a pulse through my arm just now. Zen, I can hear you inside my head! Yeah, and I can hear you! That's crazy! In a good way! I know! 256

Shutting my eyelids for a moment, I saw that the colourful abstractions were still there; I realised that it wasn't my physical eyes seeing them, but my mind's eye. Curiously enough, the rolling colours looked just like the patterns on the glassy walls of this room. Even more interesting, although I heard Dana's thoughts in her own voice, she sounded more confident at expressing herself than she usually did. Maybe that was normal for this kind of communication; certainly Pejorinan found it easier to talk this way. And those weren't the only surprises. You know what else is strange, I said, is that I can feel my shoulder organs reacting involuntarily. They're buzzing. Mine too, said Dana, though I only sent a single pulse. How weird! Maybe the connection keeps itself alive. Yeah, I said. But it's never been like this before. Maybe we never used enough bioelectricity to connect fully before, she said. We didn't have a clue what we were doing then. I suppose so, I said. Wow, this really is... Amazing, we both thought. We sat there a few more moments, absorbed in one another. That's interesting, said Dana in her mind. What's that? I think we are only sharing surface-level thoughts and feelings. What do you mean? As in, this must be just one layer of feelings. I think there are still private spaces in each of us. What makes you say that? 257

Well, she continued, how about this: I'm thinking of a colour. What is it? I looked around, both physically and mentally. There were a lot of colours perceivable, abstract as they were, and it was not clear if Dana was thinking about any one of them in particular. Er, yellow? I said. Nope, said Dana, green. Suddenly a well of green burst forth, and coloured the entire sphere of thought. Wow, I said, how did you hide that? I think I just decided it was private, and then afterward decided it wasn't. Okay, fair enough, I said. I supposed privacy made sense in such an otherwise vulnerable state. How did you figure that out? Oh, nothing, she said. She was embarrassed, and just a little coy. I just realised you didn't have access to everything. The connection is a bit like a mirror, I think. I get it, I said, like with two mirrors reflecting one another. I can see what you see... And I can see what you see. And I can see what you see of what I see. And so on, she finished. Wow, I'm glad our heads don't explode. "Hah," I laughed aloud. Yes, me too. So, what's your plan? Dana asked. Yes, right, I said, refocusing again. My plan. I think I might be able to help you. Share your fear with me. My fear? But 258

Everything, I said. Let me feel all of it. If I can resist it like this, maybe you can too. Dana paused. Are you sure? No, I said, but let's try it anyway. Dana took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Suddenly the room appeared to dim. The swirling sphere of thought was replaced by a black cloud that was not so much fear as pure, suffocating terror. The cloud circled, surrounding us, and immediately the water darkened. Something wasn't right; the water felt chilled, like all the warmth had been sucked out of it. Before I knew what had happened, the pool began churning, and I felt a strong, sucking current at my feet. I maintained my grip on the side with my free hand, but the turbulence and awful suction increased, threatening to pull me under. I looked up at Dana. Her eyes were glazed, as if what was happening around me wasn't even registering. This was bizarre. Was it real? Or just part of the connection? There wasn't any time to consider this, as barely a few seconds later the churning water swelled into a black, raging, tempestuous whirlpool! Foam frothed at the edges of the pool, and the roiling waves tore at me like a blade, pulling on my entire body and threatening to break my grip. I could feel it, the fear, the terror of being sucked down, the absolute surety that if I lost my grip on the side that I would plunge to the bottom of a streaming abyss 259

and never return. Neither being able to breathe underwater, nor even my conscious awareness that my fear was illogical, had anything to do with it; I was going to die, and that was certain. "Dana!" I said with both mind and mouth, "Dana, close it up again!" Slowly, gradually, the force of the terrible maelstrom died away. The suction decreased, the froth ebbed, and the water calmed and warmed. The air regained its odd multi-hued state, and we were again surrounded by the sphere of thought and feeling that was both Dana's and my own. Zen, oh Zen, she said, seeming to wake up from whatever state she had been in, sorry, sorry, are you all right? Yes... I said, I mean, no... I'm not sure. Dana? Yes? I understand. This isn't going to be easy. I let go of Dana's hand; the sphere of thought faded, and the world returned to normal. I pulled myself out of the water and sat next to Dana on the pool edge, and not a moment too soon; a hint of the fear still tainted me, and I was all too glad to get my body out of there. Dana immediately wrapped her free arm around me, her other having never left its grip on the pool ladder, and I wrapped one of mine around her. We were going to need some help.

260

We had taken to leaving a bucket by the pool benches so it was convenient to get water for Dana's salt thirst. This time, Dana and I both used it to inhale from before leaving the pool room. I was confident the effects of Dana's shared fear would fade soon enough, but for now I was happy to leave the pool alone. Dana and I went back to our bedrooms, changed into our pajamas, doled out some giant bowls of chocolate ice cream from the freezer, and sat eating it next to one another on the couch. As we sat, she turned on the corevision, dimming the lights, and slumped against my shoulder, her white pajamas against my black. As Dana leaned against me, she shivered once, roughly. I couldn't tell if this was because of the ice cream, or what we had just experienced at the pool, though the look on her face made me suspect the latter. I put my arm around her, hoping this might warm us both up a little. So far, Dana had spent a little more time using the corevision than I had, so I was happy just to go along with whatever she felt like viewing. At that moment, she'd chosen some kind of crime thriller, something set a long time ago, with mafia men in old-style hats and coats, using automatic weapons which were apparently called Tommy guns. I didn't have any recollection of these; I wondered briefly who Tommy was, and why everyone back then had used his guns. During a high tension scene in which a lawman crept into a warehouse, unaware that a group of mobsters were awaiting him with weapons drawn, there suddenly came a familiar male voice from behind us. It said, "Good film, this." 261

It was the doctor! With Larna! We all but leapt off the couch. Dana ran to catch them both in an embrace. I had the presence of mind to first flick my hand open to access the hocor and turn the corevision off, after which I also dashed to join the three of them, wrapping my arms as far as I could around the entire group. "Hey kids," said the doctor lightly, "did you miss me?" "Yes!" said Dana, hugging both Larna and the doctor tightly. "Of course! Is everything okay now?" "Mostly sweetie," said the doctor, "mostly. There's a wee bit of confusion about the whole affair, I think." "Pff," said Larna under her breath, "that's the understatement of the millennium." "Aye, well," said the doctor, "thank goodness for hard evidence, is all I can say. Though I'm not quite out of the woods just yet." Dana disengaged herself slightly from the hug. "What do you mean?" she asked. The doctor sighed. "Let's have a seat, and I'll explain," he said. "At least, I'll try anyway." Larna motioned us over to our glossy dining table. We each pulled out a chair and sat down. "Ah, let me get us something to drink," said Larna, standing back up and going to the kitchenette. She returned shortly with a cold pitcher of fruit juice and a glass for each of us. "Thanks, gorgeous," said the doctor as Larna poured us a drink each. He sounded extremely tired. 262

Larna sat down, and put the pitcher on the table. The doctor drank his glass in a single draught and poured himself another, half-emptying that also as soon as it was poured. "Well," he said, "I've learned something today." "What's that?" asked Dana, all ears. "It pays to be nice to the police, even if they are being very, very rude to you." Dana looked shocked. "Don't worry about it, sweetie," said the doctor soothingly, "I'm perfectly all right. However, something very odd indeed has happened." "What's that?" I asked quietly. "It would seem," said doctor, swirling his glass and staring at the circling juice, "that I have been, as they say, framed." Dana and I looked at one another. "You mean," said Dana, "someone said you did something you didn't do?" "Aye, that's right," said the doctor. "And they made it look like you when it really wasn't?" Dana continued. "Yes sweetie," said the doctor, sounding a little surprised, "that's exactly it. Know about that sort of thing, do you?" "It was on the movie we were watching just now," she said. "There was a man accused of killing someone, but really it was a setup by the mob in Chicago, and he had to run from the police and prove his innocence, and shoot lots of bad guys on the way who were trying to kill him before he could prove it was actually them. Is it something like that?" 263

"Except for the running and shooting part, I'd say that's pretty well on the money." "Oh," said Dana. "That's not good." "No," said the doctor, "no it's not. But it's more strange than anything else." "What's so strange?" I asked. "Now, I'm not worried about this at all," said the doctor, not yet answering my question, "because I can account for just about every minute of my time over the last eighteen months, plus I have considerable access to eyewitnesses and company data to prove exactly what I have and have not been doing. The case against me really doesn't seem to have any weight, but there's one peculiar thing about it that does bother me." "What is it?" I asked again. The doctor looked very sober. "The police found... my DNA," he said slowly. "Apparently cells with my DNA in them were clearly traceable at the crime scene, and were also identified on certain objects that were evidently used to commit the crime. As irony goes, I must say it's a wee bit thick." "Larna told us what they think about you and the shockwave," said Dana, clearly fascinated by the doctor's story, "but how could anyone even cause that?" "That's a good question," the doctor continued, "one that is still stumping the law a little. It seems that the damage to the segment absorbers was caused by a man-made explosive device, essentially a small but highly penetrative bomb, one that must have been denotated with near-perfect timing to coincide with the tsunami impact before the auxiliary absorbers cut in. I don't 264

know much about electrical engineering, but I know those absorber columns are built very tough, so it must have been a highly specialised device. "Fortunately for me, however, I know even less about bomb-making than electrical engineering, and my record bears me out there also. So again, not much there to worry about, I should think. However, the issue of my DNA is a mystery I still haven't solved, and one that the police feel is necessary to pursue to its fullest until they can eliminate me as a suspect, or find some other form of evidence against me." "So, who did it then?" asked Dana. "And who would want to do something like that?" "Again, excellent questions," said the doctor, "and had I not such an intimate awareness of recent terrorist activity, I would myself have been extremely surprised. Nevertheless, it seems, as with most of our problems here, to be yet another extension of an outdated extremist group that refuses to give up the ghost. I just wish I understood what it has to do with me, and what I've done to annoy them so badly." "You did save the entire population from a super virus," said Larna. "That would annoy most terrorists, I should think." "And yet," said the doctor, waving a finger, "that was entirely a team effort for which I never received any individual public press. Someone ill-disposed towards me for that would need to have intimate knowledge of the Farseer personnel structure." "They could look it up," said Larna, "it's not exactly secret." "Perhaps," said the doctor. "But why just blame me? Why 265

not take it out on the company as a whole? I thought at first that maybe the shockwave was an attack on the facility, but anyone who knows anything about the segment absorbers knows that there are auxiliary backups, so taking out the main ones won't do much more than shake us up a bit, which is what happened. And, frankly, this setup seems an illogical way to take revenge anyway. I mean, if, for argument's sake, I was the terrorist who put the virus out there in the first place, I'd probably just try to assassinate the people who foiled my plan, not waste my time trying to convict them of a bizarre crime in such a highly implausible manner." "I suppose that makes sense," said Larna. "So, what do you think is happening?" "Well," the doctor continued, "other than the entire world going mad, which I always keep in reserve as a possibility, I think something is up. I'd say this is just the beginning of something bigger, and that bothers me. Not that I mean to worry you all." "Well, you're far more often right than wrong," said Larna, "so I'll take your word for it. But, in the meantime, let's hope it's just a gang of terrorist thugs who think that committing a lame crime and framing you for it is all part of their weekend kicks, and that they get caught soon and go to prison for the rest of their lives." "Sounds good to me," I said. "Me too," said Dana. "Shoot 'em! Dakka-dakka-dakka!" "I do appreciate your support," said the doctor, smiling, "so I guess I hope you're right, too." "But, did they just let you go?" interjected Dana. "They 266

don't think it's you anymore?" "Ah, I wish it were that simple, sweetie. I'm out on bail, which is a small miracle in itself, and under what you might call segment arrest." "What does that mean?" I asked, hearing the strain in my own voice. I felt indignant; the doctor was still under arrest? "For me, it means three things," he said. "One, I'm restricted to Pacific Segment, and any attempt to leave the segment without police permission will land me in very hot water. Two, I've swallowed a lovely wee tracking pill that'll stay well put until they choose to deactivate it, meaning they will know my every move for a while. And three, I'm banned from Farseer facility until further notice, which was apparently a request put in by the Farseer board, and has already been sanctioned by legal proceedings. I'm allowed in Farseer Accommodation, but that's about it." "So, you can't go to work?" said Dana. "Another holiday?" "I suppose if you look at it like that," said the doctor, "maybe it's not so bad, but unfortunately it doesn't feel like much of a holiday. Plus there's not that much to do in Pacific Segment anyway. I think it's going to be a long, dull haul for a while." "We'll do things with you!" said Dana. "Won't we Zen?" "Sure," I said sincerely, "whatever you like." The doctor laughed, though he still sounded tired. "Well then," he said, suddenly speaking in a heavily muffled version of the accent Dana and I had heard in the mobster movie, "that sounds like an offer I can't refuse." "Excuse me?" said Larna. 267

"Marlin Brando," said the doctor, speaking normally again. "The Godfather. Film classic." "Oh. Haven't seen it, sorry. I thought you were coming down with something." The doctor sighed again. "I won't give up my day job, I guess," he said, "and hopefully they'll even let me keep that after all this is over. Anyhow, you'll all have to forgive me, I think my bed is calling. I'm afraid my burst of energy this morning has been all but wiped away as a result of this afternoon's events." "Of course," said Larna, getting up. "Shall I walk you back?" "I would love that," said the doctor, also getting up and walking toward the door, "but no, it's all right L-gal. These two could probably benefit from your company for a while. I certainly know I have." The doctor stopped, turned to face Larna, and said thoughtfully, "I could use a hug, though." In an instant, Larna wrapped herself around the doctor, and surprised us all by planting a very overt kiss on his lips. The doctor's eyes went wide for a moment; he then glanced at Dana and me in the midst of the affectionate embrace, and gave us a wink. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around her, and allowed Larna to finish her extended kiss, which she followed up with another tight hug. "Well," he said softly, still holding Larna in his arms, his nose in her hair, "you're certainly giving Pinn a run for her money. Maybe I should get in trouble with the law more often." "Don't you dare," she mumbled back, "I've been worried sick as it is." 268

"Nice to know you care," said the doctor, still sounding playful. "I do. A lot. Now scoot, before I vomit on you from all this excess feminine emotion." The doctor placed one final kiss on Larna's forehead, let her go and waved to Dana and me. "'night, kids," he said. "Probably see you tomorrow." "Good night," said Dana. "G'night," I echoed. The doctor departed. Larna retreated from the doorway, and walked over to us. "Sorry I left you both for so long," she said, "but everything took longer than I expected down at the police chambers." "That's fine," said Dana, "we were fine. Weren't we Zen?" "No problem," I said. "We had another go at the pool, actually." "Really? How'd that go?" Larna didn't really look up to the full explanation. I shrugged. "We made some progress," I said. "Good," said Larna, "glad to hear it. Tell me all about it in the morning. Now, if you'll both excuse me, I think I'm about to collapse too. Do you mind if I take the couch now? Sorry to interrupt your movie." "No, not at all!" said Dana. "We'll... go do something else. It's probably time for bed anyway. Good night Larna." "Thanks guys. Sweet dreams." We started toward the hall, but Larna stopped us by 269

speaking again. "Oh, and Zan was right about one thing," she said. "What's that?" I asked. "The world probably has gone mad. If it can accuse someone like him of a crime like that, then it can do anything."

Sleeping that night was difficult, even for me. I was used to putting my head on the pillow and falling into almost instant slumber, but that night I tossed and turned, and generally just felt uncomfortable. When I finally did get to sleep, I was awoken what felt like mere seconds later. Larna's voice was above my head, and I was being shaken at the shoulder. "Zen," she said, "Zen, sugar, wake up!" She sounded urgent. I opened my eyes and wondered what was wrong. There was also an annoying sound in my ears, a sort of high-pitched, two tone whistle that repeated itself over and over. "Need to get up, sugar. There's an evacuation call over the core. We've got to go down to Andromeda." "The where?" "Andromeda Terrace, the chunk commons, sugar. We all gotta go, sorry." "What time is it?" I groaned. 270

"Little after four a.m.," she said, still sounding urgent. "C'mon, hun." I blearily looked up and around. Dana was in my room also, not three steps away from my bed, wearing her white bathrobe over her pajamas. Her eyes were sleepy, but her face was worried. "Okay," I said, rousing, "okay, I'm getting up." "Quickly, put on something warm over the top," said Larna, "and put some shoes on too. It could be nothing, but we don't know how long until we'll be able to come back in." I opted for my black bathrobe. Noticing that Dana had slipped on her foothuggers, I put mine on also; their convenience and snugness made them an easy choice. "Okay, let's go guys," said Larna when I was done. We walked swiftly from our rooms toward the lounge. As we passed through, I saw that the corevision was on and displaying an evacuation notice, with blue lines of text in multiple languages. Also, the generic Arc symbol for "alert" or "attention" was flashing insistently. Larna grabbed her thick white jacket from the cloakroom on our way out, and slipped on a pair of shoes herself. As we emerged into the many-corridored penthouse lobby, we encountered others departing their rooms, also in pajamas and dressing gowns. All those we saw were at least middle-aged, and some much older. I wondered who they all were. The penthouses were part of facility accommodation, so I supposed the residents were important board members that I hadn't yet had the privilege of meeting, and presumably their spouses, though I thought I 271

recognised some of them from the presentation at Farseer a couple of weeks back. One or two gave Dana and me a curious glance upon passing, but most hurried onward without paying us any attention. As we passed from the main lobby, through the small corridor, and into the blue ocean room, we met with Josphine, the woman who had originally shown us to our penthouse. She was politely trying to herd everyone out through a slender doorway in the wall. Despite her polite manner, she sounded harried. "Bonsoir!" she said breathlessly, as we entered the blue room. "Are you all wearing shoes? If not, I have a box of slippers... ah, oui, trs bien. If you would kindly evacuate through the stairwell, that would be very kind. This way please." A man walked past her, ignoring all of us completely. "Monsieur Treasurer," continued Josphine, again in a harried tone of voice, "please, do not use the elevators, it could be dangerous..." The man didn't respond, and disappeared into a lift. "Portes d'enfer!" spat Josphine in obvious frustration. Addressing the passing group with more resolve, she said, "Elevators are not conveyors! The stairwell please, everybody!" "Come on," said Larna, "better do as she says. Are either of you afraid of heights?" I considered it quickly. "No," I said, fairly certain that it was true. "I don't think so," said Dana. "Good," said Larna. "Let's go. And remember to hold on to the rail." We ducked into the dark passageway, and through a dim 272

tunnel that looked alarmingly like the one that had led Dana and me to the injured engineer after the shockwave incident, complete with ominous red lighting. Dana must have noticed the similarity too; I heard her draw a sharp breath, and she sought my hand, which I gladly gave to her. Fortunately, this tunnel was much shorter than the one down in the engineering area; we soon left it behind, and found ourselves on a covered platform in a stairwell that, perhaps for the first time, led me to truly perceive the size of the immense structure that surrounded us. The semicircular platform was open at the front and left, and edged by a rail all around, with the right of the platform connected to a staircase leading both up and down. Beyond the rail at our front were maybe twenty metres of empty air, terminating at a colossal industrial wall. Two lines of lights dotted the wall vertically in front of us, spaced at about every five metres or so, up and down. To the left, the wall curved around to our rear until it disappeared past the vertical horizon of the wall behind us. There was also a hollow rushing sound, not overly loud, but dominating in its presence. I walked forward, curious, and took hold of the platform rail. It was positively frigid; I could see my breath out here, thick and white, and I understood why Larna had suggested we put on something warm. I leaned out slightly over the front edge of the covered platform and looked up. There was no visible end to the two lines of lights, nor the upward stairwell to our right, each fading off into the distance. 273

Then I looked down. Like a mirror of what was above, beneath us was a semicircular abyss so deep and dark, it looked like I could fall into it forever. I felt a strong, cold breath on my face, blowing from the bottomless gorge. Had I been afraid of heights, this could easily have been my worst nightmare. Dana followed me, and approached the rail. She took one glance over the edge, and recoiled. "Whoa!" she said. "Whoa. I don't think I want to look at that." I could hardly blame her. I also stepped back from the edge, feeling giddy. Larna waited until we had taken a look, and then motioned us onward toward the stairs. We joined a group of reluctant, cold-looking walkers who descended the zig-zagging stairway at a pace that was urgent but unenthusiastic. Fortunately, the stairs were more enclosed than the platform had been, with a heavy grille between us and the enormous empty space. The grille allowed the industrial wall lighting to illuminate at least part of the stairwell interior, which was fortunate, as nothing else lit our way. "That's weird," said Larna as we walked, almost shouting to compensate for the rushing noise and the echoes of many feet on the stairwell. "Something's not right. There's usually lighting on these stairs when an evacuation is triggered. Hold on to the rail and be careful you don't trip." We shortly reached another semicircular platform by another passageway just like the one we had evacuated through. A few people came out of the tunnel and joined the passing stream of evacuees. 274

I recognised someone joining the procession, a darkskinned young man with a shaved head. "Frederick!" I called out, waving to him. He turned and saw me. "Zen," said Frederick loudly, "good to see you! Even if it is hell early." Frederick was wearing pajama bottoms above his shoes, and some kind of heavy jacket that looked like it belonged in a serious winter military. I wasn't too cold myself yet, but I was starting to wish I had something a little more substantial than my bathrobe over my pajamas. We continued down flight after flight of stairs. Occasionally we came to other platforms, but no new people joined us that I noticed. I supposed anyone living this far down had already begun their evacuation, and were either far below us on the stairs, or safe and warm in the common area. We had been descending stairs for maybe three or four minutes when I noticed something strange about myselfmy mind was becoming cloudy. I didn't think much of it at first, but my hand suddenly slipped, and I lost hold of the rail. I pitched forward, and fell against the grille that separated us from the abyss. My adrenaline surged, clearing my head a little. Fortunately I had only been two steps above the landing before the next set of stairs, so it didn't hurt much, but it was a jarring impact. "Zen!" cried Larna, rushing to help me. She and Frederick picked me up, and put me back on my feet. However, what was even stranger was that as soon as I had gotten back up, my rush 275

of adrenaline faded, and I felt like I was about to fall asleep. Dana had approached us also, and I opened my eyes just in time to see her gently teeter sideways, and slide down the grille. "No, Dana!" cried Larna, leaving me with Frederick and bending to pick up Dana. I wondered what was happening. I felt very strangemy body was hyper-relaxed even though I knew something was wrong. I fought to keep my eyes open. Larna picked Dana up and supported her on one shoulder. She even lightly slapped her on the cheek a couple of times; Dana looked asleep. "Dana," said Larna, "Dana. Wake up." Dana started, and opened her eyes. "Huh?" she said. "What's happening?" "It's okay, hun," said Larna, "you're fine, the cold is just slowing your body down, that's all. It's called poikilothermy, odd word I know, it means your body behaves a little differently below a certain temperature. It's another avarrian thing, I should have gotten you guys to dress warmer than this before we rushed out, sorry." The cold was making us sleepy? Funny, I didn't really feel that cold, but I certainly felt ready to fall asleep. The sensation reminded me of how I had felt upon awaking from the capsule. The water inside it had seemed warm enough, but apparently had been frigid all along. My feeling of dreamy relaxation at this point was exactly the same as back then. "You've both got to try to stay awake," said Larna. "Try 276

moving more energetically, it should heat you up. Tense all your muscles a few times over, that should help." I did the best I could at following Larna's instructions, but it was like I was in a daze. Still holding Frederick's shoulder for support, I tensed my body repeatedly, and shook out my arms. It helped a little, to the point I felt I could walk without tripping over my feet, but all I wanted was my pillow. "Here," said Larna, taking off her white jacket and putting it over Dana, "put this on pet, it'll keep you warmer." "And here's mine," said Frederick, removing his heavy jacket and putting it over my shoulders. I smiled gratefully. "Let's take the stairs a bit faster, yeah? That should keep us all warm." Though still careful to hold on to the rail, we moved rapidly, shortly outpacing the rest of the group by what must have been several stair legs. A few platforms later, the stairs ran out. We reached a final platform that was broader than the others, with a collection of unfamiliar Arc symbols inscribed on the wall by its exit. "This is it," said Larna, pointing at the open doorway, "Andromeda Terrace." We dashed through the doorway and found ourselves in another tunnel, though thankfully this one was lit by regular white lighting instead of emergency red. After negotiating two turns in the passage, we saw a set of heavy double doors that appeared locked fast. As we approached them, a wall of brilliant light appeared in front of us, outlining the edges of the passage like a barrier. Dana and I halted, unsure of what we were about to walk 277

through. "Safety protocol," said Larna, noticing that we had stopped, "it's just a basic bodyscanner, like the ones out the front of Farseer. It tells the authorities who has entered the commons, so they'll know if anyone is missing." Larna and Frederick continued forward undeterred, and stepped through the wall of light. The doors before them retracted. Dana and I hesitated. "Come on guys," said Larna, sounding a little impatient, "we'll never get back to bed at this rate." We walked through the scanner. I swore I could actually feel the line of light passing over my skin. It tickled. The doors stayed open until we passed through them, and then shut quickly behind us. The passage continued a short distance further, and then opened up into a wide, dark, unfamiliar space. Andromeda Terrace. Though it was night here, lit only by intermittent floor and wall lighting, I could see that this was was one of the largest common spaces we had been in, easily several times bigger than the Farseer common area. There was a sizeable group of people here already, mostly standing in huddles, though some sat on benches, or on the high edges of raised garden beds. This place was clearly the result of some remarkable craftsmanship; an artificial sky complete with stars and a moon shone above us, not quite as elaborate as the firmaments of the ecospheres we had visited, but still very beautiful. There were multiple levels here, with stairways that led up to a progression 278

of terraces which branched in a gently swirling pattern from the central lower floor. There was also an abundance of attractive, irregular columns arranged in groups, many of them cascading with quiet flows of water that collected in shallow pools, with one particularly broad, irregular pool a feature of the lower floor on which we stood. The floor and walls were coloured much like the rest of Pacific Segment's public spacessilvery-blue, black, and shiny white. The water was a nice touch; this common area could easily have been part of Aurora Segment. The four of us approached the crowd, most of whom seemed in the same bedraggled state as ourselves. Clearly, nobody liked being woken up for an evacuation, especially one for which the cause hadn't yet been explained. I wondered how often everyone had to undergo this. "Are you two feeling any better now?" asked Larna quietly. It was much warmer down here in the common area; even though it was only normal room temperature, it felt like a sauna for a minute or so until my body adjusted. I felt much more awake now that we were out of the cold. "I'm cooking, actually," said Dana, taking off Larna's white jacket and handing it back to her. "What about you, Zen?" "Mm," I said, nodding in agreement. I slipped off Frederick's jacket and handed it back to him. He slung it over his shoulder; there was no need to wear them down here. "So, what do you think happened?" "It's probably no big deal," said Larna. "Every time someone has a cooking fire, or even creates a significant amount 279

of smoke, they evacuate several levels. Though, it's odd, everyone I can see looks to be from Farseer, so I guess it must have been something just in our staff block. Someone should be here soon to tell us what's going on." I thought Larna was right about the people. I recognised several from Farseer, including Adele and Katya, the two women who had assisted with our bioelectric testing; Siobhn, the lady from the facility restaurant; and, huddled in a group, Fortuna, Blondie, Sazz, and Jerry, the young people from the accommodation desk. "Can you see the doctor?" Dana asked Larna. "Good question, hun. Zan should be here somewhere too..." "There he is!" I said. I had spied him far off to our left, sitting alone on an illuminated bench, a short distance away from the rest of the crowd. He, like most everybody else, was wearing pajamas, with his green, multi-zippered jacket over the top. The four of us walked over to where the doctor sat, and received an appreciative smile from him as we did so. I was glad he smiled; he was looking pretty lonely. "Come to associate with the criminal?" said the doctor as we approached. Larna sat down next to him and put an arm around his midriff. "Don't trash-talk yourself, sugar," she said, "it's not even funny." "Well, I imagine that's what everyone's thinking by now," said the doctor a little despondently. I hoped it was just the 280

lateness of the hour that was making him this way. It wasn't his usual self. "I wouldn't be so certain, boss," said Frederick. "I checked the Farseer intranexus, there's no public bulletin about it, and nothing on the admin board either. I think the only people who know about it are those of us who were in the lab when that agent and those two whiteboots came in with the chairman, and if anyone else does know about it, they're not saying anything." "Really?" said the doctor, brightening somewhat. "Well, let's hope beyond hope that you're right. Public embarrassment is a wound that cuts deeper than I thought." "Doc," said Frederick, "nobody, bar nobody in the facility is going to think you're a criminal. You're a freakin' hero, man." The doctor looked directly up at Frederick, and I thought I saw a profound gratitude radiate from him. A weight seemed to slide, at least in part, from the doctor's shoulders. "Well, we're always hardest on ourselves," he said ruefully. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, son. I needed it more than you know." Larna put one hand to the doctor's face, and rubbed her thumb under one of his eyes. "You haven't slept, have you?" she said. "You're all dark under your eyes, here." "Oh, you know sleep and I aren't on speaking terms," said the doctor. "Yeah, but usually only when you're workin' on something. You're worried, aren't you?" The doctor gave Larna a sidelong glance. "Honestly," he said, "yes, but not about what you might 281

think. Fear of professional humiliation is one thing, and something I'll freely admit to, but it doesn't keep me awake at night. It's worse than that. I can't shake the feeling that I've missed something. A very important something. And, frankly, in the wake of recent events, that's worse for me than all the public humiliation I can imagine." "I hate to sound all reassuring, sugar," said Larna, putting her arm around the doctor again, "but everything's gonna be all right. I just wish someone would turn up to let us know why we've all been taken out of our damn beds." Larna had a point. Although we had only been in the common area a few minutes, I had also kind of expected someone in authority to take charge as soon as we had arrived. So far, we'd been left to ourselves. "What's that over there?" asked Dana suddenly, peering out past the crowd. "Sorry, pet, what did you say?" said Larna, looking up. "I think... there's something on the ground over there." There was an odd note in Dana's voice that made us all stop and take notice. Our eyes followed hers. "Where, hun?" asked Larna, searching. "Next to the big pool, on the right." It was dark over there, and I struggled to see anything in particular. "Sorry, hun," began Larna, "I don't see any" "I see it," said the doctor, suddenly standing up from the bench. "I see it, sweetie. Larna, I think we're going to need you." "What?" Larna said, sounding bewildered. "What's there?" "I think someone's injured. Quick, come with me." 282

The doctor dashed from his place, with Larna only a split second behind. Their sudden movement caused a mild commotion in the otherwise static crowd as they passed, all eyes turning to see what was going on. Dana and I started to follow them also, but were interrupted by a raised hand from Frederick. "Let's not get too close," he said, "we don't want to get in their way." I nodded, and we continued on, Frederick joining us. We approached where the doctor and Larna had stopped, and halted several steps away. Larna and the doctor had gone to their knees beside a silhouette on the ground. Looking closer, I saw it was the figure of a slender man in dark clothing, lying on his front with the back of his head to us, almost invisible in the deep shadows of a group of overhanging columns by the pool. It was no wonder he had been difficult to see; his dark hair and clothes made him almost invisible, even at this distance. The doctor and Larna continued their inspection of the fallen man. As we watched, Larna whipped a tiny light out of her inside coat pocket, and shone it on the face and torso of the prone figure. By now, a few others from the crowd had drifted closer, and were quietly watching a respectful distance away. There was no panic or overt reaction; most of these people were either scientific or medical professionals, I realised, and were probably not unsettled in the presence of injury. Finishing up, Larna and the doctor slowly stood, and came to join us. They looked grim. 283

"No vital signs," said Larna quietly to Frederick. She sounded disturbed. "Definitely deceased." "Who was it?" he asked. "Anyone we know?" "Ah, not entirely sure," said Larna, drawing a scattered breath, "but I think it was a night supervisor." "You mean like the one who should be telling us why we were evacuated?" "Yep. Pretty much." "Cause of death?" "I think," said Larna, "that we should put in a call to the segment police. And put ourselves somewhere else." "What is it?" said Frederick, pressing the question. "What's wrong?" Larna looked at him straight in the eye. "He had no face," she said. "And part of his neck and chest were cut to shreds." "What?" said Frederick. "What could have happ?" "I don't know," Larna said quickly. "And I really don't much wanna know either." "Plasma taser on breach mode?" Frederick continued, undeterred. "Maybe someone stole a pistol." "No burn marks," said Larna dismissively, sounding irritated and shaking her head. "More like a meat grinder, if you could wield one of those by hand." She shuddered, and screwed up her eyebrows. "Anyway, it didn't look much like an accident, and whoever did it could still be around. I think we should be recommending that we all hightail it outta this area at the fastest walk we got." "That's weird," said Dana quietly next to me, looking 284

vaguely off to one side. "I'll do it," said the doctor. "I hope these people still have faith in me, as you say, son." "What is that?" said Dana, this time tapping at the doctor's elbow to get his attention. "Hm?" he said. "Did you see someone else, Dana?" "Um..." said Dana, "I just thought I saw something in the pool over there. It's gone now, though." "There's no fish in these pools, honey," said Larna, looking more agitated by the second and glancing over at the curious crowd, "they're just for show." "Oh," said Dana, blinking. "Then, what's that?" We turned. A massive shadow had breached the surface of the large pool, and was remaining perfectly stationary, mostly submerged at the water's edge. "What the?" said Larna breathlessly. "Is that?" Larna remained still for a moment, transfixed. In fact, we all did. I suddenly felt a chill in my stomach that was colder than our evacuation walk down the stairs had been, and my heart skipped to a higher beat. Something in the air had changed. In a bad way. With all the tension of balancing on a wire, Larna advanced several steps toward the massive shape. "Hello?" she called softly. "Moro vin tuit? Aprit es?" Nothing happened. Larna got a little closer. She stopped, and inclined her head. "Saraea" 285

She was interrupted by a low rumble from the silhouette, one that had all the wrong harmonics to it. If I'd had any hair, it would have been prickling. With even greater tension in each step, Larna came away backward, until she was in our midst again. "Zan," she hissed to the doctor, eyes still on the shadow, "I think we need to get everyone out of here right now." The doctor looked frozen, his eyes also on the silhouette. "Zan!" hissed Larna more urgently. The doctor broke off his gaze. "Okay, okay, right," he said. He turned to address the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said, just loud enough to carry. "If you would all please" A horrendous bellow rang out from the direction of the shadow, cutting off the doctor's words. For a moment, the shrieking cacophony was all I could hear; it was so harsh I wanted to cover my ears. Even more alarming, as the bellow subsided, I saw the shadow unfold itself to a monstrous height. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This silhouette. It was an avarrian. "Let's move!" shouted the doctor. "Everyone follow me, now!" The crowd didn't need any further persuasion. Bewildered and confused, we all ran, keeping pace as best we could with the doctor who, impressively, outstripped us all, and led us in the direction of a line of conveyors on the far wall of 286

the lower level. Dana also ran very quickly despite her small size, and I was glad for it. Both she and Larna went before Frederick and myself, and I was ready to pick either of them back up should they trip or fall. We weren't all fast enough, however. As we ran, I heard a series of sounds that I hoped, even in that moment, that I would never hear again in my life. There was a heavy grunting closing on us, followed by a scream, followed by a heavy smack which cut the scream off cold. Finally, there was a clear snap, like a tree branch being broken in half. Almost as one, the crowd halted, and turned back around to face our assailant. Dana and I pressed forward a moment longer, but stopped when we saw that the doctor had halted also, and had turned himself about. I realised in that moment, from whatever insight that accompanied me, that the people at Farseer cared about each other. Immensely. The scenario had changed. Somebody was down. I held my breath as the doctor rushed back past Dana and me, slipped round the edge of the crowd and disappeared from view. Frederick seemed to grasp his intent, swiftly following in the doctor's wake. Larna stayed put a few steps from us, highly alert. The room became strangely quiet and still. Dana grabbed at my arm. "What do we do?" she whispered, sounding terrified. "What's everybody waiting for?" "I don't know," I whispered back, also terrified, "this is really weird." 287

"Quick, let's go look," said Dana. "No" I started, but Dana had already begun pulling me toward the crowd. I felt like I didn't have much option but to follow; if I pulled away, she might go ahead on her own. Still, I wasn't about to let anything happen to her. As soon as we could see around the lip of the crowd, I caught onto her shoulder to slow us down, and kept her close. What we saw then was scarcely to be believed. It really was an avarrian, a huge male in a blue bodysuit, bent low over the body of a woman. In the low light from some nearby benches, I could see the woman's face; she was unconscious, if not worse. The avarrian seemed to have latched his mouth on to her midriff, and was simply squatting there immobile, hunched over forward, black eyes gazing up at the crowd. Dana and I had arrived just in time to see the doctor, Frederick, and another three men approaching the avarrian from several sides, now only a few steps away from the enormous figure. I had no idea what their plan was; what would they try against such a hulking opponent? Something truly was wrong; the avarrian looked maddened. Though his body was tense and still, his brow twitched uncontrollably, eyes flickering randomly between the approaching men and the rest of the crowd. Disturbingly, I could also hear his breath coming in shallow, rasping bursts. Without moving the rest of his body even an inch, the avarrian's tail suddenly flicked up into the air, becoming nearvertical. The doctor and the other men recoiled as if stung, but held their ground. Then, something happened that I'd never 288

seen before. The avarrian's tail split in half. Slowly, languidly, a gap appeared at the base of his tail, and rolled leisurely upward until the tip split in two. Thick strands of a clear, sticky fluid made droopy bridges between the upper tail halves as they separated, gradually pooling together and dripping onto the floor. I wasn't entirely certain of what I was seeing. Was this normal? Certainly nothing else was right now, so I couldn't be sure. The men approaching the avarrian resumed their forward movement, though one of them seemed to have lost his nerve and stayed rooted to the spot. The crowd also seemed cowed by this new development, and many began edging further away. Of the five men, the doctor was now nearest to the avarrian, and looked dangerously close to receiving a swipe with that tail. As if in response to his nearness, something else occurred. The two halves of the tail, the tips of which were scarcely a foot away from one another, began vibrating so hard that they blurred at the edges; I could even hear them humming. As if that wasn't enough, the tail halves then began sparking low down on their inner faces, tiny dots of blue light jumping from one half to the other. Finally, an enormous single spark erupted and connected the two halves together, arcing like perpetual lightning. For a long moment, I couldn't take my eyes off that spark. As soon as it had formed, it began rolling upward from the base of the tail halves to the tips, billowing sinuously all the while. 289

When it reached the top, it evaporated into the air and instantly reformed at the bottom. The spark rolled repeately with an audible sizzle that sounded like the air surrounding it was being fried. Despite the unmistakable threat, it was mesmerising. "Oh no," said Larna's voice at our side. "He's laddering. We've really, really got to get everyone out of here." "Larna," demanded Dana in a harsh whisper, "why's he doing this?!" "Wish I knew, honey," said Larna, sounding totally exasperated. "You and Zen should get to the conveyors." "What? No way!" Dana said, still whispering. "We're not leaving you!" "Oh, hellfire," said Larna under her breath, no longer listening, it seemed. "Zan, what are you doing?" Although the doctor had slowed his approach, he hadn't stopped. Again, what his plan was, I had no idea. However, I suddenly knew one thing for certain. If that tail so much as touched him, he would be a dead man. I made a decision. I wasn't going to let that happen. I started forward, gently propelling Dana toward Larna's arms, and left them both behind me. I painfully ignored Dana's cry of protest as she realised I was advancing toward the deadly scene. Shedding my bathrobe, I circled far to the left, out of what I believed was the avarrian's field of vision. I moved at a swift but steady walk, keeping my eyes on the avarrian all the while. 290

Thankfully, he seemed to ignore me, or at least so far hadn't reacted to my movements. The doctor, however, was another story. He noticed me almost immediately, giving me a look of massive surprise while at the same time trying to keep his eyes ahead of him at the avarrian. I kept circling, moving toward the avarrian's tail, and began closing on him. The doctor caught my eye again, and stopped me momentarily with a tiny, but very urgent, shake of the head. However, he seemed to change his mind in an instant, blinking as if a burst of realisation had struck him, and gave me another extended look. His eyes then slid sideways to Frederick, who was the next closest to the avarrian. Frederick returned the look and gave a tiny nod. Then, looking back at me, the doctor nodded once, very slowly, with confidence in his eyes. I felt reassurance in that look, and took up a position behind the avarrian, barely three steps away from that sparking tail. I tried to be just out of range should he decide to take a swipe at me. With extreme deliberation, the doctor put one hand up to eye level, and held it there as if for an eternity. I heard my heart in my ears, and tried to keep my eyes simultaneously on the doctor's hand and the tail that was my target. Whatever we were going to do, we were going to do it together. In silence, the doctor plunged his hand down, and the three of us leapt forward. The avarrian reared up, tearing his mouth from the woman on the floor, and swept around as if to catch the doctor 291

with his tail. I was there first, though, and caught him at his tail's base, hugging it as hard as I could with both arms. The tail was strong, and felt like pure muscle. It smacked into me as I caught it, almost pushing me off my feet with the force of the avarrian's sweep. It was also still vibrating madly, and thrummed against my chest, making it even harder to grasp. I held on, however. Nevertheless, as soon as I had grabbed the tail, I became target number one. The avarrian rounded on me, roaring and twisting his torso to try and get his massive hands in place to pry me loose. However, my position on his tail was about as ideal as it could be; strong as the whipping tail was, my hold at its base meant that the avarrian's flailings could do little more than push me around, rather than throw me off. The avarrian even snapped his teeth at me, snarling like a wild animal, and I was beyond grateful that he was not flexible enough to reach me with his head. Strangely, the avarrian kept his tail separated in an open "V" shape, which actually made it easier to keep hold of despite the intense vibrations. He had only to close his tail and he probably would have been able to shake me off, but so far hadn't figured that out. Or, maybe was no longer capable of figuring that out. He seemed to be acting wildly, out of his own control. Furthermore, although the arc continued sparking, it seemed confined to the sticky fluid on the inner part of the tail. Despite a few droplets of water on the avarrian's skin, I had thankfully avoided any pulses so far; although I knew I could 292

take a shock, I had no desire to test myself. Still, I was like a child trying to restrain a grown adult. My mass was nothing in comparison, and it was all I could do to keep the avarrian's attention on me while he flailed ferociously in circles, trying to free himself. I lost my footing a number of times, but was able to regain it by pulling myself back up on the tail. What the doctor and Frederick were doing, I couldn't tell; my sight was obscured by the avarrian's bodysuited back. Only the barest of peripheral vision was afforded me, the world flying past my eyes as I continued being flung roughly back and forth. Failing to break my grip with either his massive hands or desperate flailings, the avarrian began swatting at me, and struck my side with an open palm. I felt the wind forced from my lungs as the thump resonated through my chest, but I succeeded in holding on for dear life. Until, that is, I was struck in the head. The avarrian got a lucky hit in, twisting his torso quickly from one side to the other and catching me in the temple with his elbow. Whether he had meant to do this was beside the point; the blow staggered me. What must have been a split second of unconsciousness followed, and I regained my awareness about halfway down the avarrian's tail, with a critically loosened grip. I tried shoving forward to regain my former position, but it was too late. The avarrian tore his tail from my arms, and immediately whipped it back at me. He caught me with it around the waist in a single pincer-like motion that pinned me between the two halves. 293

I felt the goosh of a sticky substance through my pajama shirt, and the world exploded in pain. It felt like I was being vibrated, burned, crushed and choked to death all at once. My muscles refused to respond as a massive current coursed through my body, more powerful than anything I had ever experienced. My skin in immediate contact with the tail fluid felt like it was literally on fire, and I would have screamed in pain had it been possible to breathe. The only thing the tail didn't do, however, was knock me out. I felt trapped for another eternity as the avarrian held me fast in his paralyzing snare. The image of his twitching black eyes glaring over his shoulder, observing me with insane satisfaction, juddered before my view. I thought I was going to die. Then, two things happened at once, in such perfect synchronisation that I wondered if they had been planned by the doctor. First, Dana was suddenly there. She appeared from the avarrian's blind side, running, and sank her needle-tipped teeth deep into the avarrian's tail at its base. The avarrian shrieked, and I felt the power in the tail diminish. Then, the doctor appeared in front of the avarrian, also running. He leapt into the air, caught the avarrian around his stocky neck with one arm, and jammed two fingers at his face. The avarrian immediately released me, and fell to the ground, limp. I did the same.

294

Dana's horrified face was immediately over mine, shortly followed by the doctor's. I was still conscious, but my sides felt like they had been melted off, and my body refused to let me breathe. Then Larna was there, cutting off my pajama shirt with a tiny pair of scissors that sheared through the fabric in a single sweep. Dropping the scissors, she gently pulled the shirt edges back from my hypersensitive skin. "Superficial," she said, sounding relieved, but immediately becoming urgent. "Quick, Fred, get me some clean water from the bottle vendors." She dropped her face closer to mine. "Zen, Zen sugar, can you breathe? Just nod or shake your head." My ribs felt like a steel cage. I shook my head. "You've got to relax," she said. "Your body has been all forced to tense up, but you can relax it. Let go of the tension in your chest." I tried to do what Larna suggested, but it was hard. I had only the tiniest amount of leeway in my lungs, and I was dizzy from lack of air. "Come on sugar," she said. "Everything's okay now, you're gonna be fine." Everything certainly wasn't, and I didn't think I was. Maybe the avarrian was down, but if anything, I felt even worse than when he had been frying me alive. I couldn't breathe. I just couldn't. 295

I really was going to die. I started to panic. "I know it hurts, but you're going to be fine. Just relax, sugar. Try to" Something warm and soft touched my lips. I realised, after a moment's surprise, that I knew exactly what it was. It was Dana. She was kissing me. My panic died. My body somehow relaxed a little, and I drew a sharp, ragged breath. Dana kissed me again, holding one hand softly against my forehead as she did so. I breathed in again, feeling looser this time, but still with a deep, hollow rasp. Dana kissed me for a third time. "All right, pet, all right, well done," said Larna quietly, "that'll do for now. Otherwise, you'll be the one smothering him." Dana reluctantly withdrew her face from mine. I saw her eyes shining with tears, streaks running down both sides of her cheeks. Black was smeared all over her mouth and the white patch on her chin; it was a moment before I realised the blood wasn't hers, nor mine. I breathed in as deeply as I could, which wasn't deeply at all. My chest hurt like crazy, and I felt tears fall from my own eyes. Relief cascaded out of me as my fear subsided, and mixed with the overwhelming sensation of still being alive. I continued gulping air. I was still in lots of pain, but for some reason, I felt amazing. We'd done it. We'd defended ourselves. 296

And... Dana had kissed me... Just then, Frederick arrived with several bottles of water. Larna cracked one open and began pouring it down my open shirtfront. The chill was sharp, but soothing as well. I had the courage to look down at my open front, and saw two broad, purplish, raised welts on the otherwise porcelain flesh there. They looked as sore as they felt. Larna cut the remnants of my pajama shirt from my body with her scissors, slicing through each of the short sleeves and pulling the whole thing off in one piece. She then soaked the dissected garment in water, wrapped it around my midriff, and tied it like a bandage. "Keep that against your skin," she said. "It's not much, but it'll have to do until we can get you a proper dressing." "Thank you," I wheezed out. "You're very welcome," said Larna, "you crazy, halfavarrian, heroic moron. Can you walk?" I nodded, unsure if I could really, but determined to try anyway. Larna put out both her hands; I took them, and pulled myself unsteadily forward, my entire body protesting fiercely. My legs buckled almost immediately, but Dana, disposed as ever to stay by me, dipped her shoulder under my free arm and supported me as I tried to stand up straight. Standing there unsteadily with Dana at my side, I looked over to our fallen attacker, who was still unconscious on the floor in an awkward, massive heap. Oddly, the doctor was kneeling there in front of him, keeping two fingers pressed onto the avarrian's face. 297

"What's the... doctor... doing?" I rasped fitfully at Larna. "Keeping him asleep," she said. "The electroreceptors to either side of an avarrian's nose are super sensitive. Apply pressure to both sides, you get a kind of neural short circuit, and they're out like a light. You guys are basically the same. Remember back in the lab on your first day?" I remembered. The doctor had put a panicked Dana to sleep with simple pressure on both sides of her face. "Oh," I wheezed. "Lucky... for us." "Yeah," said Larna. "The immobility response is pretty much their only natural vulnerability. A bit like sharks, actually, though a much stronger reaction." I stood still for a few moments, steadying myself. I was exhausted, and deeply sore, and trembling all over. The rest of the crowd was, curiously, still present. Most of them had taken seats on benches and ledges, and were sitting and talking in a subdued manner. My eyes also caught sight of a small group clustered around where the injured woman had fallen. "What about the... lady?" I asked Larna. "It's Ayako, from the doctor's research team," she said. Larna sounded weary, and more than a little shaken up herself. "She did a lot of the genetic sequencing that gave us your treatment, and the vaccine. Looks like she's alive, at any rate. Glad I'm not the only physician in this group, she's a good friend of mine. I'm pretty sure Frederick put in an emergency call, so the parameds should be here shortly with some proper gear. Segment cops too. You and Dana should have a seat, the police are gonna have questions. For everyone." 298

I glanced at Dana. She was looking at me with something akin to... actually, I couldn't say what it was. Her eyes were wide and tense, her mouth was slightly open, and she was staring at me unabashed. When I looked directly at her eyes, she breathed in sharply, but held my gaze. "Come on Dana," I said, voice still unsteady, "let's go sit." Dana led me to a small bench over on one side, away from everybody else. As soon as we had taken a seat, she took my hand in both of hers, pulled her legs up on the bench beside her, and nestled into my shoulder, just like usual. The pressure kind of hurt my side, but I didn't protest. Instead, I put my free arm around her shoulder and held on to her. I realised something. Dana had seriously risked herself in biting the avarrian. Had that gone wrong, she could easily have been swatted like an insect. I pulled her a little closer. As we sat, a kindly-looking senior gentleman brought me my bathrobe, and placed it on the bench at my side. "Well done, you two," he said quietly, sitting down on the bench next to us. "Showed some real mettle. Poor sod of a thing, though, brain must have been boiled somehow. I've never heard of an avarrian doing that, ever, and I've read just about all the data there is on them. Ah, well. How the world turns, eh?" He stood, gave us a parting nod, and walked off again to join the rest of the subdued crowd. I pulled the bathrobe over my shoulders, and then resumed holding the beautiful human-avarrian girl next to me. Dana had kissed me. Three times. I wondered what that meant for us. 299

Shortly, the doors of a conveyor on the far wall opened, and in rocketed four of the white-suited police, all of them carrying their strange white guns unholstered. To my extreme surprise, two helmeted avarrians in massive versions of the heavy police suits followed close behind. One of the avarrians was male and the other female, by the look of them. Unlike their human counterparts, whose suits covered their whole bodies, the avarrians' tails were left mostly uncovered, just like with their regular bodysuits. Bringing up the rear was one of the black uniformed agents, the same blond-haired one, I could have sworn, who had arrested the doctor. I suppressed a sudden, random desire to throw something at him; I didn't have anything other than my bathrobe anyway, and I doubted that would have been satisfying enough. As soon as the police realised that the danger had been abated, they relaxed, and approached the fallen avarrian. Less than thirty seconds later, another conveyor door opened, and in strode a small team of paramedics in their whiteand-red jumpsuits, towing several hefty red crates on wheels. Frederick intercepted them as they entered, and led them in the direction of the injured woman and the deceased night supervisor. It didn't take long for the paramedics to attend to Ayako. Cutting the clothing from her midriff, they sprayed her open wound with a foamy, aerosol-based treatment. Although a pair of them lingered some distance away by the night supervisor, waiting for permission to remove the body as I supposed, the 300

rest left with Ayako, taking her away on a stretcher device they extracted from one of the crates. The police, however, were in for a longer haul. After arriving, the immediate duty the police attended to was the restraining of their quarry. However, both the avarrians and the humans in white approached the task with what looked like serious reluctance, hesitating for several seconds with poignant glances to one another, until the agent in black gestured at the fallen avarrian and made an obviously pointed remark. They obeyed. First, they cuffed the still-unconscious avarrian's wrists to his own waist with a broad, flexible belt. That done, the male police avarrian returned to his conveyor and retrieved a device that looked much like a stretcher, floating similarly above the ground, but wider and flatter, and with only one protruding handle. Positioning the device by our unconscious assailant, he activated it. To my surprise and no small wonder, the device picked up the avarrian from the floor with some kind of field that was visible by only the barest of shimmers. It centred the avarrian above itself, and then manipulated his posture so as to force him into an uncomfortable-looking fetal position, head between his knees and tail wrapped around his feet. Clearly, he wasn't going anywhere on his own any time soon. The police avarrian then pressed a pad on the device, and the projected field became very visible indeed, shimmering with a dark golden intensity. With the rogue avarrian confined by the field, it looked infinitely easier to maneuver his bulk out of this place. The 301

police avarrian operating the device took up a position behind the handle, and used it to steer the device as he pushed it frictionlessly toward the conveyors. The female police avarrian accompanied her male companion, as did two of the humans in white, the four of them returning to the conveyor they had arrived in and disappearing from sight as the doors closed and frosted over. The other two humans in white, and the one in black, stayed behind to question our group. The white-suited ones retracted their helmet visors and approached several crowd members, seemingly at random. Once their visors were down, I was a little surprised to discover that one of the police in white was a woman. It had been otherwise impossible to differentiate the gender of the human police behind their thick suits, which looked invariably masculine. Not surprisingly at all, however, the agent in black began his questioning by approaching the doctor. I was initially afraid that the doctor might be subjected to a harsh interrogation, as he'd hinted had occurred during his time at the police chambers. Instead, he spent some time quietly talking with the blond-haired one in black, who even stood with both hands behind his back, listening politely as the doctor recounted our experience. By the look of it, the police were all being very respectful right now. As I watched, Larna came over and sat on the bench by Dana and me. "Here," she said, "I've commandeered this from the parameds, should make you a lot more comfortable. Stand up 302

for a sec." I reluctantly extricated myself from Dana, letting my bathrobe slide from my shoulders. Larna undid the knot in the makeshift bandage that had been my pajama top, and peeled it from my skin. The welts were still there on my sides, looking even darker and no less vicious. "This will dull the pain," Larna said, "and help you to heal. It'll sting a mite on application though." Larna uncoiled a wide roll of thick, translucent blue film with a white gauze backing. Pressing the inside of the film to my skin, it almost instantly melted into gel and stuck to me. She then proceeded to wrap the roll once around my waist, entirely covering the painful welts, and simply tore the rest of the roll off with her fingers when she had made a full wrap. She peeled the gauze backing off, and I felt the treatment begin to burn on my skin, like hot curry under the tongue. Larna was right. The treatment did sting for a few seconds, but the pain was very quickly replaced by a warm, relaxing sensation. "All right, you can sit back down now," she said, and I did so. "It's lucky topical painkillers still have some effect on you guys. Ingested ones and even most intravenous general anaesthetics do zilch, one of the few downsides of the complete avarrian immunoresponse. Means you can chow down on cyanide pills if you want, though, and only get a mild stomach ache. Still, I wouldn't recommend it." I put my bathrobe back over my shoulders, and allowed Dana to mold herself into my side again. Her fingers were warm in my hand, her webbing soft against mine. 303

Larna sat beside me again and got our attention, pointing. "See the little green light on their suits?" she whispered. She was pointing toward the two remaining police in white. I looked. There was a single, slowly blinking green dot near the neck of each of the police uniforms. I glanced over at the one in black, still speaking with the doctor. He had one too. I nodded. "That tells you they're recording us," Larna continued. "Make sure you only say what you mean when they come and talk to us." I was glad Larna told us that, as it was only moments later that the policeman in black made a beeline for Dana and me, with the doctor a few steps behind. "Jhonnar," said the agent, immediately at our feet. "En do Agent Muri. Doctor Heretofore pron yin dott sur halbooric den es kamstaclioor, em sortic?" What? I thought. I glanced at Dana. She looked nervous. "Marmt irch neem Sartuk?" the agent continued. I hadn't a clue what he was saying, though it sounded like Sartuk. Almost. "Sorry?" I said. "Ah, English, excellent," said the agent, speaking with a light, peculiar accent, "I didn't realise my Sartuk was that poor. Or are the younger generation forgetting their mother tongue these days? Hah," he laughed to himself. "Regardless, I am Agent Muri. Doctor Heretofore tells me the two of you are to be credited with neutralising this particular scenario. Am I right?" "We helped," I said. "Really?" said the agent. "And how did you do that?" He 304

was listening politely, but he had a blue-eyed gaze that made me uncomfortable. "Um," I said, "I grabbed him by the tail." "You mean, the fellow who allegedly attacked this group?" said the agent. "Yes," I said. "Indeed?" said the agent. "And then what?" "Then, he grabbed me with his tail and shocked me," I said. Agent Muri stared at me. "And then... Dana bit him on the tail..." The agent continued staring. "... and then the doctor... put him to sleep." "Hm. So," said the agent, in a strange tone, "a team effort, then?" His tone was even more discomfiting than his gaze; not only was it impossible to tell if he believed me or not, but he sounded like he was simultaneously trying to make me reveal and doubt myself. "Yes," I said, "that's right." "Well, how about that. So, tell me. How is it that two children like yourselves decide to take on such a massive fellow? He must be three times your size. Combined." "We're not children," said Dana sullenly. I appreciated the agent's reaction. He glanced at Dana, and for the briefest of moments, his eyes displayed his own uncertainty. Unfortunately, this disappeared in an instant. "Oh really?" he said. "Think you're all grown up, do you?" "It's true, agent," said Larna, "in fact, they're not even avarrian." This comment was even better. It got a pair of raised eyebrows, followed by a scowling look of consternation. 305

"What?" he said, looking back and forth between the three of us. He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should probably mention, that deliberately misleading a civil authority is a" "They're the source of the Grudge vaccine," said Larna matter-of-factly, "part of our work at Farseer." This was the best comment of all. Agent Muri went entirely blank for a long moment, inhaled slightly as if to say something else, and then stopped again. "Not avarrian?" he said finally. "No. Look at their hands. See? Five fingers, not four. And no tails either. Otherwise, not much different to look at, but they're human." The agent peered at us intently for a few seconds. Realisation surfaced on his face. "Gene therapy?" he said, eyes narrowed. "Exactly." The agent nodded a few times, and looked introspective. "My apologies," he said. His demeanour softened slightly. "I did not realise. Hm. So, how did you withstand a tail shock?" he asked me. "I can answer that, too," said Larna. "These two have bioelectric capabilities almost exactly equivalent to avarrians, minus the tail. In fact, they probably have outputs of even greater capacity than most avarrians in proportion to their sizes. They both punch above their weight, you might say." "So," said the agent slowly, absorbing it all, "you can take a shock, even a big one. You're the first human I've ever heard of to be intentionally shocked by an avarrian's tail, and yet you 306

survived fairly unscathed, it would appear. Impressive." The agent sounded like he meant it. There was no duality in his tone this time. "Thank... you," I said, unsure of the right response. "Not at all. You certainly got away with less than the unfortunate night supervisor over there. And my shift is only just starting, too." The agent sighed deeply, and pressed a tab at the neck of his suit. The blinking green light there went out. "I suppose I'd best go and see to him. I think those medicos are going to jump out of their coveralls if I don't pay them some attention shortly." "Of course," said Larna tightly. "And then all that remains," said the agent, introspective again, "is to determine why in blazes this brutish avarrian began attacking people at random, as would appear to be the case. The news people are going to have a collective brain aneurysm." "Yes," said Larna, still sounding tight. "Thank goodness the media are no longer commercially motivated." "Indeed," said the agent, becoming formal again. "I wish you a good morning." He then inclined his head to Doctor Heretofore, who had stood to one side the entire time, listening quietly. "Doctor." The agent turned away from us, but immediately turned back. "By the way," he said seriously, "you may each be called upon to provide evidence should this become a criminal case, which very likely it will. Thank you for your cooperation." The agent gave us a curt nod, and paced off in the direction of the remaining paramedics. 307

"Upstart," spat Larna under her breath, staring after the agent. "'Good morning' my left fist, he's lucky I didn't flatten him. 'Jump out of their coveralls', pff. And I don't think he even remembered me from yesterday." "Ah, but you weren't wearing your cute pajamas yesterday," said the doctor, sitting down next to Larna. He put out an arm and began rubbing her back. "People like him need clues like that to function properly. Besides, you should probably save your animosity for whoever caused our evacuation." "What do you mean?" said Larna. "I mean," said the doctor, "a kitchen fire wouldn't cause every single level of Farseer's staff accommodation to evacuate, and the fact that none of the other accommodation groups in our chunk have evacuated means it's not a structural fault or a natural disaster either." Larna sat up straight, and looked at the doctor's eyes. "What are you thinking, Zan?" she said. "I am thinking," said the doctor slowly, "that the people of Farseer facility were just targeted by terrorists."

It wasn't much longer before we were allowed to go back home. Dawn was breaking in the artificial sky of Andromeda Terrace as the police finished their questioning. Speaking to our group as a whole, Agent Muri told us 308

they had found the evacuation call on the monitor in the night supervisor's booth, but there was no data on what it had been caused by. The agent declared that it must have been a false alarm based on faulty sensors, and said we were free to go. I thought that sounded suspicious, given the doctor's theory on the matter. However, whatever had caused it, I was more than pleased by the chance to go back to bed; I was severely shaken up, and feeling nauseous. I was also relieved to discover that home was only an elevator trip away; the doors to the Farseer Accommodation lobby actually opened right onto the common area. So far, we'd always taken conveyors straight to and from the accommodation lobby, so I'd never properly identified what was beyond its frosted front doors. Once we had made it back home, Larna sat Dana and me on the couch for a checkup before letting us go to bed. First, Larna took each of our pulses. Then, from her jacket, she pulled out the tiny light I had seen her use in the common area, and shone it into each of our eyes. After that, she retrieved our medical kit from the kitchenette. Taking a couple of sharp-smelling swabs from it, she used them to clean both our mouths. I hadn't realised until then that Dana had left splotches of the avarrian's blood on my face. As Larna put gentle pressure to Dana's skin, wiping the blood from her lips, Dana pulled away suddenly, looking surprised. She put her hand to her mouth, and extracted a couple of bloodied, stiletto teeth. She gave Larna a fearful look. "Ah," said Larna kindly, "don't you worry about that, pet, 309

they'll grow back soon, trust me. Musta dislodged a couple of them when you bit that big fella. They come out pretty easy for avarrians too, but they always grow back." "Oh," said Dana, relaxing, "that's a relief. Ick, they're kinda gross." "Here, put them on the swab, I'll get rid of them." Dana dropped them onto the blackened gauze in Larna's hand, which Larna then folded over and put to one side. Larna then produced a blood pressure belt from the kit, and attached it to each of our arms in turn, starting with me. Looking at the reading on the belt screen, she bit her lip thoughtfully, and removed the belt from my arm. She moved on to Dana. "Well," she said, once she had checked Dana's reading, "looks like you've both got a mild case of shock, and I don't mean the electrical kind. You've both been under a lot of stress tonight. Zen, yours is a little worse, and I wouldn't be surprised if your stomach was pretty upset at the moment, am I right?" She was. I nodded. "It's... woozy," I said. "Woozy, ha," said Larna, "haven't heard that word since I was a kid. How's yours, Dana?" "My stomach's okay," she said. "My heart's still fluttery, though." "Mm, I could tell. Anyway, you should both go to bed and sleep as long as you need to, don't feel pressured to get up too early. I'll probably bust into each of your rooms before the morning and check on you, so don't be fazed by that either. Zen, I can give you something to settle your stomach, but you may 310

have to get to sleep on your own. Sleep tablets won't work on you guys." "It's okay," I said, "I'm about to fall asleep anyway." "Fair enough," said Larna. She rummaged around in the medical kit, and pulled out a tiny bottle of blue capsules. "Here," she said, opening it and dropping two out onto her hand. "Swallow these. They'll work even for you." She handed me the capsules. I put them straight into my mouth and swallowed them; I was too tired to worry about getting a glass of water. "Larna?" I said after taking the pills. "Mm?" "Thank you." She smiled. "You're very welcome," she said. "All right now, I know I'm not old enough to be your mom, but back to bed for both of you." Dana and I left Larna in the lounge and went back to our rooms. As Dana approached her door, she stopped, lingering outside a moment. I stopped too. Dana was staring at me. "Goodnight, Zen," she said, looking lost. "'night, Dana," I mumbled, trying to smile. For a moment, she looked like she was about to cry. Instead, she held out her arms. I all but fell into them. We held each other gently for a long moment. I was exhausted. Yet, it was my privilege to hold this amazing little creature who cared enough to risk herself over 311

me. My eyes were so heavy, and her warmth so relaxing, I could have fallen asleep in her embrace. "Thank you, Dana," I said eventually. "You're welcome." "I mean... for tonight. For everything." Dana didn't say anything further, she just hugged me a little tighter. When we finally pulled away, she gave me a pained little smile, pressed the pad on the wall, and disappeared past her doorway into her room. I went to my room, kicked off my shoes, dumped my bathrobe on the floor, fell onto my bed in just my pajama shorts and bandage, and slept. The next morning, I awoke to discover the doctor in the lounge on the couch, watching a news broadcast on the corevision. The volume was down low, the room lighting mostly up, and he was flicking through screenfuls of information on a transparent tablet on his lap. Larna and Dana were nowhere about. "Oh, morning Zen," said the doctor, noticing me as I approached. "Larna's gone off to get you some new bandages from the facility. Can't vend everything, I'm afraid." "Morning," I said. "Have you seen Dana?" "No, sorry, still in bed I guess. I'm frankly surprised to see you up and around already." I sat down on a chair at the dining table, and tried to clear my sleepy head. "I feel okay, actually," I said, and it was true. I felt fine. "What are you reading?" 312

"News reports, mostly," said the doctor. "Trying to catch the first instance of our escapades from last night. Though I'm not really sure what good it'll do. Morbid curiosity, I suppose." I sat there for a while longer, not really sure what to do next. "What do you think happened last night?" I said eventually. "I think," said the doctor, "that it's a conspiracy, you know." "Pardon?" I said, not quite sure what I had heard. Something sounded wrong with the doctor's voice. "I said," said the doctor, "that's it's a wind-up. A setup. A no-good schtick." Oh. The doctor was talking like a mafia gangster again. "Do me a favour," he said, still in his mafia voice, standing up from the couch with his back to me. "What's that?" "Go sleep with the fishes." The doctor turned. In his hands he heldof all thingsa Tommy gun. And it was pointed straight at me. This was impossible. But, there it was right in front of me. "Doc... what is that?" I said, eyes wide. "You know what it is," he said, continuing with the voice. "It's time for you to meet your maker." This was insane. "Oh wait," he said, suddenly going back to his regular voice. And yet, for the first time, he sounded truly sinister. "That would be me." He opened fire. Bullets went everywhere, spraying the walls, ceiling, 313

floor, table, and chairs around me. I was hit, and knew searing pain as a spray of lead pierced my stomach. I sank down, unable to move; this was it, surely. But why was the doctor doing this? As I lay on the floor, dark blood seeping from my certainly fatal wounds, the doctor stepped forward and stood over me. Funny. He seemed to have changed clothing. He was wearing a gangster hat, and a long coat over a suit and tie. The ceiling above us had disappeared; instead, there were only stars. The doctor spoke one last time. "I told you I'd make you an offer you can't refuse." I awoke. I was fully under my bedcovers. I felt exhausted and sick, and my sides hurt like crazy. Had I survived being shot? Had someone patched me up, and put me back to bed? Conscious awareness poured in and told mewith no small amount of relief followingthat I'd been dreaming. I was still hurt, but it was due to an electrical roasting from a maddened alien rather than a volley of bullets from a Tommygun-wielding Doctor Heretofore. Thank goodness for reality, I thought. Even in my exhausted state, I could taste the irony. I laughed to myself. It hurt my sides. "Morning," said a voice. I pulled back the covers just enough to peep one eye out 314

from under them. It was Larna, in her pajamas, sitting on a chair next to my bed. "Ghgn-nng," I murmured. "You were talking in your sleep," Larna said, smiling. "Something about an offer I couldn't refuse?" "Nnnnghh," I groaned. Great. "Anyway, how are you feeling this morning? I heard you making noises when I went past your door earlier, so I thought I'd come in and see how you were doing." I pulled back the covers a little further, and tried to sit up. I didn't get very far. "I feel like I've been shot," I said. "Well," said Larna, "so you should. You must have absorbed something like thirty thousand volts at who knows how many amperes. And, really, you're barely scratched. A regular human would have been baked lasagna on the pavement after that." "Yum," I said dopily, not really focusing, "though I think... I'd prefer it on a plate." Larna chuckled, sat back and put her hands behind her head. "Well, I think I can help you there," she said. "Dana's making breakfast for you." That caught my attention. "Huh?" I said. "Yep. Asked me to show her what to do this morning. Said she wanted to do it all on her own, too. Basically threw me out of the kitchen once I'd shown her the ropes. She's a gutsy 315

kid, that girl." "Mm," I said, in general agreement. Talking wasn't fun at the moment. "Larna?" "Yeah, sugar?" "Can I have another blue pill?" Larna's mention of food hadn't made my stomach feel any better. I'd also had the sudden realisation that if Dana was making me breakfast, I wanted some hope of eating at least part of it. "Of course, hun. Already on your bedside there. Try not to have more than two every three hours, if you can manage it." I turned my head, and saw the little bottle sitting on my bedside table next to a glass of water, with another full pitcher next to that. I painfully sat up. Leaning over, I winced as my outstretched arm pulled at my side, and took the bottle. Opening it, I took a couple of pills, and gulped them down with all the water in the glass. I definitely wasn't hungry yet, but I was thirsty enough to pour myself another glass and drink that too, despite how sore I was. "Hhh," I sighed, putting the glass down and dropping back onto my pillow. I had another strange craving, something that was hard to place. For some reason, I tasted metal. My tongue was tingling for it. Of course. The mineral rods. I'd had one the day before, but somehow I wanted one now so much that I could already taste it. "Larna?" I said. "Yeah, hun?" 316

"Would you mind getting me a mineral rod?" "You're always so polite, sugar. Of course. I'll bring one in with your breakfast. I'd say Dana's just about done." "About... that..." I said. "Hm?" "I don't know if I can eat much..." Larna smiled again. "I get it, hun, I know. Believe me. But that's one incorrigible little lady out there. Just do your best, okay? Maybe just take a couple bites. I'm sure you won't hurt her feelings if you do at least that, she knows the situation you've been in." I breathed out, deeply. "Okay," I said, closing my eyes again. "I'll try." "Right, then," said Larna. It sounded like she stood up. "I'll go see how she's doing. Oh, beat me to the punch. Hey there pet." I opened my eyes, and turned my head. Dana was standing in the doorway, in silky pink pajamas. In her arms, she carried a tray. She looked nervous, or excited, I wasn't sure. Funny, I could have sworn that Dana had been wearing white pajamas last night. "Morning," said Dana shyly in my general direction. "Larna said you were waking up, so I... thought you might be hungry." "Come on in, Dana," said Larna. "We were just chatting." Dana padded hesitantly into the room, carefully balancing the tray. She approached my bed, and stood next to where Larna sat, looking unsure of what to do next. "Let me take that for you, pet," said Larna, standing and 317

taking the tray. It looked like it was designed for breakfast in bed, with legs on either side of it. "Here you go Zen, bon apptit." Larna put the tray gently over my lap. It took me a second to register exactly what the food on the tray was. I'd seen these before, I knew, but the word took a moment to arrive. Pancakes. Some of the pancakes, laid out in a slipshod stack of about eight high that drooped at the edges, looked burned. They were all different sizes, most of them less than round, and a couple could even have been called deformed. But, in a word, they were beautiful. There was also a tiny decanter of syrup on one end of the tray, miniature plates of butter and fruit paste, a knife and fork wrapped in a white napkin, and a tall pinkish-red drink that looked like a fruit shake. Also, to my immediate gratification, sitting on a shallow plastic tray next to the plate of pancakes was a mineral rod. Hoping I wouldn't offend Dana by starting with this, I picked up the rod immediately and put it in my mouth. My craving was instantly soothed. "Ohh, thanks Dana," I said, "I really needed one of these. And your pancakes look amazing. I still feel a little sick, but I'll do my best to eat them." Although I wasn't hungry yet, at least the sight of food wasn't making me nauseous. I supposed the blue pills worked pretty quickly. "That's okay," said Dana, looking pleased, "I just wanted to make sure you had what you needed when you woke up. It's been a while." 318

"Hm?" I said. "What do you mean?" "Ah," said Larna, her eyes narrowing. "I guess you didn't realise." "Realise what?" I said, looking back and forth between the two of them. "You've been asleep for two days and nights, Zen," said Larna, "and I'm not at all surprised. Dana here was worried sick the second day when you still didn't wake up, but I told her it was pretty normal after an experience like that." The mineral rod almost fell from my mouth. "Two days?" I said. "Yes," said Larna, "though I woke you up a couple times to make sure you had something to drink, and that you went to the bathroom, but then you went right back to sleep. You were practically a zombie. Do you remember at all?" "Oh," I said quietly. "No, I don't really. Wait. Did you also bring me... a bucket of water from the pool?" "Yes, that was yesterday morning," said Larna. "And I mopped up after you'd finished expelling it on the tiles over here, too." "Oh," I said again. "I thought that was a dream. Sorry." "Don't you worry about it, sugar," said Larna, smiling, "just eat up at your own speed, and see if you feel good enough to be up and around soon. I need to change that dressing of yours, plus we're expecting some visitors in an hour or so." "Really?" said Dana, looking curiously at Larna. "Who?" "Well, they're very tall. And they like raw fish." "Misk?!" said Dana, open-mouthed. "And Kalto?!" "And Pejorinan," said Larna, smiling. 319

"They're coming here? Awesome!" Dana looked suddenly uncertain. "Will they fit?" "Ha, let's hope so, pet. They might have to take separate elevators up to the penthouses, but they'll make it in." "Wow, this is great!" said Dana. I thought so too. I didn't know why, but the thought of our friends coming to visit us in our home had never previously entered my head. It was kind of exciting. However, something else cropped up in my mind. "Larna," I said feebly, "did they figure out what really happened last... I mean, the other night?" "Ah, good question. Short answer, not really. And, thankfully, there was only an extremely understated mention of it on the news nexus as of yesterday. I think that somebody somewhere has applied some very appropriate discretion." "Oh. That's good," I said. "There's something each of you may be interested to know, however." I blinked. Dana and I both looked attentively at Larna. "What's that?" I asked. "I was informed this morning that the avarrian in question, the one who assaulted Ayako, passed away late last night." I was surprised enough to sit up a little straighter. "Really?" I said. "How?" asked Dana. "I don't know precisely," said Larna, "but by natural causes, it seems. I haven't had a look at the body, so it's hard for me to say, exactly. However, the avarrian coroner inferred 320

enough for me to believe that he was very, very sick." "Sick?" I said, perplexed. "Do avarrians even get sick?" "Only rarely," said Larna, "and generally not for the same reasons that humans do. Malnutrition can do it, or genetic disorders from birth, or certain types of extremely specific poisons not naturally found on this planet, but not much else. It's still a mystery, but it does provide at least some basis for his behaviour." I nodded thoughtfully, and looked at my plate. My stomach was finally a little hungry after taking the blue pills, so I decided to give the food a try. I picked up the shake and sucked at the straw, trying hard not to shred it with my teeth. Dana watched me closely as I did so. "Mm, guava shake," said Larna, "my favourite. I think I'll have one for breakfast myself." The shake was cold and pleasant. I didn't know what kind of fruit guava was, but it was sweet and tasted exotic. "Try the pancakes," suggested Dana shyly. I poured some syrup onto the pancake stack. Unwrapping the knife and fork from the napkin, I put the white square over my front and picked up the cutlery. I carved myself a small wedge, and put it into my mouth. The pancakes were perfect. Despite being misshapen, they were light and fluffy on the inside. "What... what do you think?" asked Dana. "Mgh m-my mmoogf," I said, mouth full. Dana gave me an uncertain look. I swallowed. "They're really good," I said. 321

She beamed. "It was funny," Dana said quietly. "I think I've made them before. I have no idea when, but my hands seemed to remember flipping them over." "Wouldn't surprise me, hun," said Larna, "pancakes have been around pretty much forever. All right, Zen, let me know when you're done, and I'll fix that bandage. You might need some saline soon too, if I'm any judge. Come with me, pet," she said looking at Dana, "let's give Zen time to finish his breakfast. Zan will be here in a few minutes, too, so I should probably change into somethin' a little less slovenly." "The doctor?!" I realised I was the one who had spoken. Abruptly, too. Larna turned back to me. She looked surprised. "Yes, sugar," she said. "Everythin' all right?" "Ah, yes," I said, nodding, "I just had a bad dream about him last night, that's all." "Me too, actually," said Larna, with a wry look. "I don't think I'll ever see salsa dancing the same way again, that's for sure." She shuddered. "Anyway, see you in a minute." Larna left the room, and Dana reluctantly followed, keeping her eyes on me until she had passed through the door. I did likewise with her. She was amazing. I knew we looked more avarrian than human, but I couldn't think of her as anything other than a perfectly normal, if extraordinary, human girl. And she had kissed me. I recalled it again. Vividly. I kept eating, and finished all of the shake and almost half 322

of the pancake stack. Ordinarily, this much food would not have been a problem, but my stomach felt shrunken from not having eaten for a while, and I already felt bloated to overflowing. I hoped Larna was right, and that Dana's feelings would not be hurt by my leaving some over. Weakly lifting the food tray to one side, I pulled back my covers and, with hypersensitive care, tore myself from my bed. My legs supported me well enough, but the world swayed as I picked up my bathrobe from the dresser. The bathrobe was neatly folded. I supposed Larna must have picked it up from the floor. I walked blearily from my room. I could hear the sound of voices from the end of the hall; it sounded like the doctor had already arrived. Emerging into the lounge, I saw the doctor was seated at the dining table, casually dressed, and chatting with Larna, likewise dressed, who was leaning against the kitchen bar. I had half expected the doctor to be on the couch, looking through news reports. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. "Morning, lad," said the doctor enthusiastically as soon as he had noticed me. "Morning," I replied. Dana was on the tall swivel chair by her computer desk at the far side of the room, now in grey jeans and a black top, her back mostly to us. As soon as she heard me speak, she turned around. "Feeling any better?" said the doctor, all cheerful empathy. "Ur. Sort of," I said. "I don't think I want to go through that again, though." 323

The doctor snorted. "Well, I'd be worried if you did," he said. "I myself am hoping it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us." "Good to see you're up, Zen," said Larna. "Here, come have a seat. Take off your bathrobe, and I'll change your bandage while you chat. Dana, come have a seat over here too. The doc's got something to share with you both, I'd say." Larna pulled out another chair by the dining table. I hung my bathrobe over the back of it, and sat down on the edge of the chair. Dana also came and sat at the table, opposite me. Larna picked up a roll of the filmy blue wrap from the kitchen bar, knelt down by my side, and began replacing my bandage. "Larna's right," said the doctor. "I've got good news." "What is it?" asked Dana. "Well," said the doctor, "the authorities have been kind enough to relieve me of the privilege of being the prime suspect of their investigation. Thankfully, it seems they've joined a few more dots, and have absolved me of suspicion. I am no longer under segment arrest." "Whoa, that's great!" said Dana. I agreed. It was a huge relief. "Maybe saving everyone's lives, for the second time, gave them a clue," murmured Larna from beside me. She had succeeded in peeling off my previous bandage; the welts under it were black, but no longer raised or swollen. "Now, unfortunately, I'm not quite done with the whole process," continued the doctor, "as I'm still under observation until the matter is over. I've still got the tracking pill, and can't 324

enter Farseer until it's sorted, otherwise they'll set the dogs on me." "They've got dogs?" said Dana, looking shocked. "Thankfully just a figure of speech, sweetie," said the doctor, smiling. "Oh," said Dana, sounding relieved. "Right." "Although," continued the doctor, "I wouldn't put it past Andreas at the moment to employ the idea literally. He seems terribly prejudiced against me for some reason." "He's jealous," said Larna, applying my new bandage. "He always liked the spotlight. Probably thinks you've taken that from him now, since dealing with the whole Grudge thing." "Well, anything's possible, I suppose," said the doctor, "but regardless, I just hope you'll all consent to spending some more time with me so that I don't go stir crazy sitting in my little box downstairs." "Of course!" said Dana. "We can all go places together again now, can't we?" "Though, what about you, Larna?" I said. "You still have to go to work, don't you?" "Actually, I don't," said Larna, standing up. My new bandage was on; it stung briefly, as the other one had, and then I felt the soothing warmth of painkillers. "Farseer put most of us off for another week on stress leave. Over two thirds of the facility staff were there that night. We're supposed to get counselling, too. You know, Zan, if Andreas and more of the other board members had been there, he might not be giving you such a hard time." "Yes, well, he rarely stays in one place as it is," said the 325

doctor, "and many of the board aren't exclusive to Farseer, so I guess it can't be helped. I am starting to think, however, that keeping individual penthouses for each of them just in case they happen to be staying in Pacific is a bit rich. We could use the space more economically, I think." "Hear, hear," said Larna, taking the fourth seat at the table. "So, Zen, to answer your question, you guys aren't getting away from me that easily." "Guess we'll have to think of something else, then," said the doctor, grinning. Larna smiled and stuck out her tongue at the doctor. He grinned even more broadly. "So, why are Misk and Kalto coming over?" I asked. "I mean, I can't wait to see them, but I was just wondering." "Ah, actually, you can blame me for that one, too," said the doctor. "I have some things to discuss with Pejorinan. I contacted him last night and suggested he come here, as I wasn't relieved from segment arrest until this morning. And, well, since it's almost impossible to invite just one avarrian anywhere, I figured this might be the best place to visit, given the extra space. I checked with Larna. You guys don't mind, do you?" "Not at all!" said Dana. "Do they know where to come?" "Oh yes," said the doctor. "Kalto helped us to design your pool. He's been here twice now, at least." "Speaking of which," said Larna, "I should mention that your bandage is essentially waterproof, Zen, so you can shower in it and use the pool today if you want." "Thanks," I said, "but I think swimming is out. I can hardly walk." 326

"All right, sugar. Up to you. Probably best you shower and change soon, though, they'll be here before you know it." "Yeah, you're kinda stinky," said Dana, teasingly. Her eyes were coy, but she was grinning gleefully. I laughed, once. It hurt. "Agh," I said, "no being funny, please." They all laughed.

I went back to my room, and took the leftovers of Dana's pancakes to the refrigerator. I had a shower, brushed my teeth for all the twenty seconds it took with my luminescent toothbrush, changed into some loose grey trousers and a dark green t-shirt, went back out to the lounge in bare feet, and made myself almost comfortable on one of the bean bags. I was glad we were having visitors, but relaxed clothing was all I could put up with for the time being. I didn't think avarrians cared much about human fashions, anyway; they almost exclusively wore bodysuits. It didn't take long for our friends to arrive. If I'd ever forgotten how tall they were, it was impossible not to notice in our penthouse. Kalto and Misk had to stoop through the pool corridor as they entered the lounge. Pejorinan, in his grey robe as before, was able to walk through unhindered, but only by the barest of margins. 327

I experienced a moment of weird anxiety at the first sight of Kalto. My heart pounded from a surge of adrenaline; he was wearing a blue bodysuit, and for the briefest moment I saw in him the avarrian who had attacked us. It quickly subsided, however. Kalto was even taller and more massive than our assilant had been, and looked nothing alike in the face. Also, his presence, as usual, could not have been more warm. Larna showed them in, and the doctor rose from the dining table to greet them. I carefully got up from my bean bag, and watched as the three avarrians exchanged affectionate embraces with the doctor, Larna and particularly Dana. Kalto was about to advance on me, when Larna intervened. "Whoa there. Zen's injured," said Larna, standing between me and the avarrians, "so no hugs. Doctor's orders." I had to admit, my body was grateful. Kalto and Misk looked genuinely concerned at Larna's mention of my injury, while Pejorinan looked merely curious, but it didn't faze them at all. Instead of hugging me, each in turn took gentle hold of my shoulders, and touched their foreheads to mine. It was peculiar, but nice. "Here," said Larna after our greetings were done, "let's leave Zan and Pejorinan to chat, shall we? Misky, Kalto, would you join us over on the bean bags?" Misky? I guessed Larna and Misk really were close. "Certainly," said Misk. "I hope we fit!" "You can have two each if you want," said Larna, "there's 328

plenty. You guys sit, and I'll get us all something to drink." The doctor and Pejorinan had a seat at the dining table, Larna went to the kitchenette, and the rest of us walked across the room into the little alcove with the bean bags. As we walked, I noticed something for the first time. There was a faint line running down the middle of Kalto's tail. Misk's too. The line was barely visible, but it looked like the tailsplitting thing was not unique to the avarrian we'd faced in Andromeda Terrace. The memory again gave me a flash of anxiety, but I did my best to ignore it. We spread out and sat down on the bean bags. As soon as we were seated, Kalto produced something from a compartment on his belt, and held it up in front of him. "Here," he said, almost whispering, "we brought a present." It was a small, black container. I looked from Kalto, to Misk, and back to Kalto again. They both looked eager in some way, excited even. I glanced at Dana; her eyes were on the container, but she didn't do anything to take it. I put out a tentative hand, and took the small but weighty object. "O-pen it," Kalto said encouragingly. The container was like a firm bag, pliable and roughly square, with snap fasteners on three sides. I pried them open with my fingers, and slowly lifted the top, holding it toward Dana so we both could see inside. A soft, purplish light shone from within it. I lifted the top 329

all the way back. Inside were two pieces of polished black stone, held in place by a layer of black foam. The light was coming from a split between the pieces; their shape suggested the stones were two halves of what originally must have been a single, egg-shaped rock. "Lift them out," said Misk, watching us intently. I put my hand to one, Dana grasped the other, and we each lifted them out. They were remarkably heavy for their size. "Wo-ow!" said Dana. I agreed. Light shone from a formation of crystals inside each of the egg halves. The crystals were dark in the centre of the egg, almost black; however, the edges of each formation were transparent, and shone as a ring of violet light that encircled the egg's centre. "These are from our home world," said Misk, obviously pleased at our reaction. "They were a gift to us on our pairing day. They are yours, now." "Oh," said Dana. "What is a pairing day?" "You would call it a wed-ding," said Kalto, with his massively toothful smile, "but it's a lit-tle dif-fer-ent for us." Dana's eyes went wide, almost with horror, I thought. "We can't take this," she said, blinking rapidly. "It's a wedding gift. Zen" "It was a long time ago," said Misk, calmly interrupting her. "Please, accept them." "But" Dana looked genuinely horrified now, but didn't say anything else. She looked lost in her own head. "It's just a rock," rumbled Kalto, shrugging. Misk gave 330

him a sidelong look. "Mechni," said Misk, another unfamilar word, looking back at Dana, "you are very sweet, I think." She moved deftly from her bean bags to sit by Dana, put an arm around her shoulder, and brought her close. "But you need not worry. It is very common for our people to pass on such gifts. Especially to those who are close to them. You do not have to have it, but it will make us very happy if you do." Dana was blinking again. Oddly, there were tears in her eyes, and she sniffled. She nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "Thank you so much. I don't know why I..." She trailed off, looking perplexed. "Why does it shine?" I asked softly, as much to smooth the conversation as to know the answer. Even in the room's brightness, I could clearly see the light radiating from the crystals in the rock. "It is... dif-fi-cult to ex-plain," said Kalto. "It is rare, e-ven on our world." "Magnetics are part of it," said Misk. "Beyond that, we do not know the appropriate words in English to say exactly, I think, and I am no expert regardless. It is magnetics, and a special structure within a metallic mineral, a very special structure. It is a natural example of the energy principle that powers our cities, the same principle that powers this arcology. The stone is called demechthi ardop in our language, which means, ah, 'infinite light', or similar, I think." "It's beautiful," I said, and I truly thought it was. As I turned the rock over in my hands, the light scintillated within the crystal in a thousand different directions. 331

At this point, Larna joined us with a tray and five white mugs, two of them the size of pitchers. I hadn't seen those large mugs before; it looked like some of our crockery came avarriansized. "Here we are," she said, offering each of us a mug. "Hot cocoa, Texas style. Secret family recipe, and all that." Dana and I put the stones gently back into the container, and I fastened it closed. "Ah, I have had this be-fore!" said Kalto, sitting up straight and looking excited. "I like Te-xas things." "Well, y'all got good taste, that's all I can say," said Larna, obviously pleased. She froze suddenly, and looked straight at me. "I just said 'y'all', didn't I?" she said, looking mortified. I blinked. "Um, yes?" I said. "I am so glad Zan ain't listenin' right now." Looking relieved, Larna put the tray to one side and sat down on a bean bag, the last mug in her hands. "What is your world like?" asked Dana, calm again now. Misk smiled. "It is very beautiful," she said. "The sky where we lived is often purple with ice clouds, or green with heavy storms. The air is filled with electrical discharges, in many beautiful shapes and colours. The sands are mostly blue and black where we lived, though white and green are common also, and there are many beaches. There are many different plants to here, ones you would find very strange, I think, and some of them quite dangerous. But the water is clear, and home to many different 332

animals, and full of many colourful rocks and crystals." "Wow," said Dana. "Did you live in the water there?" "Yes, mechni, in a way. But we lived in a city, too. Our cities are mostly like this arcology, though many are even bigger, and built with networks of water far more expansive than those in Aurora Segment. Some cities are even built in deep ocean, with only the very tips of the buildings visible above the surface. But our cities are very crowded now." "That is why we came here," said Kalto. "Well, al-most." "Our ship was damaged by a burst of radiation in space," said Misk. "Nobody was hurt, but it stopped our fast travel. We were actually going somewhere else far away, I think, but had to land here instead. I am glad we did." "So, you really have a spaceship?" asked Dana, listening wide-eyed. "Yes," said Kalto, "of course." "I would love to see that, one day." Kalto chuckled, a deep throaty sound. "You al-rea-dy have," he said, grinning. "Aurora Segment was our ship, mechni," said Misk, "though it is much bigger now than it used to be, and it no longer flies. We are here for good." Dana's eyes went even wider. So did mine. "Wo-ow!" said Dana. "You say that a lot," said Kalto, still grinning. This was amazing. Even with no memory of my former life, I knew that spaceships were a big deal. At least, I thought they had been once. "So," I asked, "how did everybody react when you 333

arrived? It must have been a surprise for them. Did they... treat you well?" There was silence. I noticed Misk glance toward Larna, with slightly raised brows. It looked like she was silently asking for her approval. "Ahhm," said Larna, clearing her throat. "Maybe I should, ah... ah, no. I suppose now is as good a time as any." "Was that... wrong?" I said, afraid I might have made a mistake. "No, nochni," said Misk, shaking her head, "it is a fine question. Yes, everybody was good to us when we arrived. Though, they did not recognise us as different from them, to begin with. Our fabricators helped to put them at ease. And even after that, they treated us well, though they were very surprised to meet new people like us." "Zen," said Larna, "actually, we were all in pretty deep when the avarrians got here. So much so that, well, I think most people barely reacted at all. It was kind of a miracle, so everybody probably thought they were dreaming. I was only a little girl back then, but I remember it pretty good. It's actually the reason why I chose this line of work." "There were many unhappy people," continued Misk. "We did the best we could to help them. Our shuttles picked up many, and brought them to safety here." "Including you two," said Larna, "though you didn't know it at the time." "What was wrong?" I asked. "Well, you name it," said Larna, "it was happening. War, mostly. And terrorism too, which kinda started the whole thing, 334

though I don't think anybody realised that to begin with. We were also really crowded, and everythin' was runnin' out, and, well, I guess somebody decided it might be a good idea if we got ourselves all uncrowded, really fast. Not nice, I'm afraid." I didn't like the sound of that; I wasn't sure I wanted to hear any more, just yet. I changed the subject. "Larna," I said, "the doctor said you gave us our names. Is that right?" Larna looked suddenly amused, as if she hadn't expected the question. "That's right, sugar," she said, "lucky old me. Wanna hear the story?" "I do!" said Kalto enthusiastically. "You heard it already," said Larna, giving Kalto a wry look. "I like sto-ries," said Kalto, shrugging. "I want to hear it!" said Dana. "What happened to our old names?" Larna's brow furrowed. "Yeah," she said, "that's a good question, pet. Well, like Zan told us all at that meeting, you two were a couple of cryonic subjects in supercold storage, due to being pretty sick a long while back. Like I said, I was just a kid at the time, but when you were brought here, the conditions were pretty rough. Apparently most of the data from the old Farseer facility had been destroyed, having been made a target by some terrorist hacker wannabes, which set the facility back a few years. However, included in that data was all your personal information. After everything got moved here, someone did a 335

biopsy while you were still cold to figure out why you were sick, but all your other data was gone for good, and had been for a long while." "Mm, I see," said Dana, nodding her head. "And what about our new names? What made you choose Zen's name?" Larna smiled. "Well, pet," she said, "once we got you guys sorted out and onto the treatment, I took a lot of turns watching you both, to make sure everything was progressing properly. It wasn't an easy road, and there were some very late nights, just watching your vital signs and making sure we weren't giving you too much too quick. Even had a bed set up down by your capsules during one of the really critical phases, so I could take a nap when I had to, but it was basically a twenty-four hour shift there for a while. The only one who slept less than me was Zan. I could have sworn he didn't sleep at all for two weeks straight during that time, maybe longer. "Anyhow, you were always moving about, pet. For some reason you wouldn't sit still, just always twitchin' and moving your head around. That was kinda worrying. Since your gills took a while to develop, you were both on underwater respirators to begin with, and I was afraid you'd dislodge the thing from your face. We even had to strap you down a couple of times so you would stay put. I figured you were dreaming. "Zen here, on the other hand, always looked so serene in the water, and hardly moved a muscle. He always had a little smile on his face, like he was just quietly meditating, and knew something we didn't. So I called him Zen." "Plus it sounds like Zan," said Dana with a teasing look. 336

Larna raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, well, what's a girl gonna do?" she said. "You lucked out on that one, Zen. Just be grateful I'm not as creative with names as the doc's parents were." "So," continued Dana, "we were really in the water the whole time?" "Yep," said Larna, "almost. We needed to do most of your treatment in the water so your gills would develop properly, but also because we expected your anaesthesia would wear off as soon as your immune system kicked in. We had no idea of knowing exactly when that would happen, and we had nothing to reliably keep you asleep after that time but saline, ready to be cooled as soon as you showed signs of being insensitive to the anaesthetic. Thankfully, we managed to make sure your poikilothermy was properly developed before your immune system went all antitoxin on us, so we were able to switch you from heavy drugs to cold water in all of about half an hour. You guys didn't even bat an eyelid then." It was my turn to be curious. "What about Dana's name?" I said. Larna smiled again, but this time it was a sad expression. "Aw, heck," she said, "I guess today is for the tough questions. My little sister was named Dana. She was sick, too, passed away from it, actually, a little thing called... biological warfare, kinda like this whole Grudge thing. It was a long time ago, when we were both just kids. But I kind of thought you two girls looked alike, so I guess the name stuck." "Oh, Larna," said Dana, looking deeply sympathetic, "that's... oh..." she trailed off. She reached out and took Larna's 337

fingers. "That's awful. I'm so sorry." "Ah, you're beautiful," said Larna. "But it was a pretty long time ago. It's all right, sweetheart." Dana looked pensive. Clearly something else was on her mind. She changed the subject. "How did we look, Larna?" she asked quietly. "How did Zen look?" "Mm, now you're testing my memory, pet," said Larna. "Let's see. When you came out of stasis, and we'd warmed you up properly, Zen had... black hair, and grey eyes, I remember. And you had sandy hair, and blue eyes. You were both very pale, too." Sandy hair, I thought. A girl with sandy hair, swimming in the ocean. Another question that I had put off for a while struck me; now seemed like the right opportunity for it. "Larna?" I said. "Um... where are we?" "Sorry, sugar?" "I mean... where is Arca Nova?" Larna stared at me for a long moment. She then slapped her palm on her head. "I'm gonna make a terrible mother," she said. "Sorry Zen. I don't know how many times I'm going to forget that you guys don't have the tourist brochure. Not that there's any of those, anyway. Anyway. Antarctica, sugar. The bit that's about as far south as you can get." Antarctica? I thought. What was that place again? Antarctica, Antarctica, Antarct A fragment of memory resurfaced. 338

It was of ice. Lots of ice. "Antarctica?" I said. "I thought that was covered with... ice." "Ah," said Larna, looking sheepish. "Hm. Yeah. Used to be." My shock must have showed on my face, because Larna glanced at me once, and put the topic to rest. "Well," she said, "that has to be about the dreariest subject I can think of, sugar. I can explain more about that later if you like, though." "Okay," I said, feeling suddenly melancholy. "Is there any more of that hot chocolate?" said the doctor's voice. I turned my head. The doctor and Pejorinan were standing just outside the circle of beanbags. "We've already finished our mugs," continued the doctor. "I think I might need one of those bigger ones next time, L-gal." "That was quick," said Larna, getting to her feet. "You two done with your pow-wow already?" "Pretty much," said the doctor. "I only had a couple of questions anyway. May we join 'y'all'?" The doctor put just enough emphasis on his last word, and looked just a little too innocent. Dana and I both got the joke; we tried not to laugh, but it was impossible. Larna made a face that was somewhere between a smile and a defiant grimace. "I think you'll just fit," she said. "Zen, let's make some room. Can't be without our court jester, now can we." 339

We spread the circle out a bit, and the doctor and Pejorinan made themselves comfortable on a bean bag each. It was curious how Pejorinan always looked so serene. I wondered what he was thinking, if anything at all; it was impossible to tell. When he had grasped my wrist at his home, and connected with me for that brief moment, I had received the impression of an intensely active mind. Now though, as ever, his face was a relaxed mask. "Where is Pinn today?" asked Dana. "Ah," said Kalto, "mo-ther is at home. She is not fee-ling well." "Huh?" said Dana. "She's sick?" Dana gave Larna a confused look. I was surprised as well; more instances of avarrians getting sick? "It's okay, pet," said Larna, "Pinn has a genetic condition, but it's all right. It's a bit like diabetes, if you're familiar with that, and since it's inherent from birth, there's nothing that even avarrian immunity can do about it. Farseer actually provides treatment for her condition, though sometimes she feels unwell regardless. It's not life-threatening if properly managed, just unpleasant." "Oh," said Dana meekly, "okay." "Ah, I have a ques-tion!" said Kalto, suddenly piping up eagerly. He was looking at Dana and me. "Do you like your pool?" I hesitated, unsure of what to say. I thought about glancing toward Dana, but decided to avoid her gaze, in case I embarrassed her at all. "It's great," I said, "really, really... really good." 340

Kalto looked pleased. "Do you like the exercise room?" he said, smiling even more broadly. Exercise room? "Um... well, we... ah..." I floundered. I desperately didn't want to disappoint Kalto, but I was not about to risk embarrassing Dana, either. I could scarcely imagine what avarrians might think about water phobias; Dana might as well have had a fear of air. Would they even comprehend the idea? "It's a little tricky," said Larna, obviously trying to take over for me, "they're still very new to the water, these two, and, well... um... we've still got a little way to go..." She didn't seem to be doing much better than I was. Kalto looked innocently at each of us, not comprehending. Dana broke through. "It's me," she said, looking downcast, "I can't go in the water." The words came tumbling out of her mouth all at once, as if she'd held them back, and they'd forced their way out. She held her breath, and glanced at me. Misk suddenly looked as concerned as I had ever seen anyone look, without actually moving a muscle, or even really changing her facial expression. There was just a glint in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Kalto just said, "Hm?" and looked bewildered. "I'm sorry," said Dana, the words tumbling out again, "I really want to see it, but... I'm... I'm just..." "Dana has a phobia," said Larna, being calm and direct again. "We don't really know why, but the water gives her trouble." 341

Dana nodded. "I'm too afraid," she said, still downcast. "I'm sorry Kalto, the doctor told us you helped to make our pool. I feel bad, I'm so sorry." There was silence for a moment. Kalto still looked uncomprehending, though cheerfully so, and glanced at Misk a couple of times with no result. "Come," said a voice suddenly. It was Pejorinan. We all turned to our gazes to him. He slowly stood up from his bean bag, and held out a hand toward Dana. "Come," he repeated, gesturing mildly. "Come with me." Initially hesitant, Dana looked to me, uncertain. Somehow, I trusted Pejorinan implicitly; I gave Dana a nod, and she got up from her seat. Pejorinan turned away, and began to walk quietly from the circle. "Come, all come," he said, gesturing to us all over his shoulder. We obeyed. There was something in the quiet, authoritative, yet reassuring manner that Pejorinan wielded which made me want to do as he asked. He had something to show us. Pejorinan walked toward the pool room. The rest of us followed closely, Dana in front. We passed through the corridor, and into the pool room itself. Pejorinan didn't stop there, but went straight down the steps to the edge of the pool. The rest of us crowded around at the top of the steps, watching. 342

Pejorinan disrobed. In an instant, a clasp was undone at his neck, and his robe was deftly slipped from his body, folded, and dropped to the floor in a single movement. His black bodysuit underneath showed that he was not as slender as his robe made him appear; though still a shadow next to his son, Pejorinan was muscled in a way that would have made any human athlete proud. Pejorinan turned toward Dana, who was still at the top of the steps with the rest of us. "Come," he said, gesturing like before. "No," said Dana, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, I... it's hard." I heard anxiety in her voice. I didn't think she had expected this. Besides, she wasn't dressed to get in the pool just now either; did Pejorinan want her to try swimming straight away? An expression of compassion passed over Pejorinan's features as he looked, smiling, at Dana. He slowly reascended the steps, and came to where Dana and I stood. Pejorinan held out both hands, palms turned upward, and looked at Dana and me. "Here," he said to both of us. "Hands, please." Dana and I copied him, putting our hands out, palms turned upward. Pejorinan chuckled his raspy, low laugh, and shook his head. "Here," he said again. He gently took one of our hands each, and put mine on top of Dana's. Pressing our hands gently together, he said, "Hold. Now, come." It was the simplest thing, but it gave Dana the confidence 343

she needed. She slowly followed Pejorinan down the steps, and I followed behind her, still holding the hand that now gripped mine with all its might. We approached the edge of the pool. As we reached it, Pejorinan turned and said, "Please, sit," gesturing toward the floor at the pool edge. We did so, Dana grasping the pool ladder fiercely with her free hand, like during our last attempt at the pool. Pejorinan took a moment to undo a clasp at each ankle of his suit leggings. As soon as he'd finished this, he pulled them up and fastened them with another set of clasps just below the knee. As I watched, I saw his calves fan out to over three times their previous widths. Of course, aquafoils. Though I'd seen many avarrians swimming from a distance in Aurora Segment, I'd never actually seen their aquafoils up close. Pejorinan also wore a pair of foot-hugging slip-ons. I thought he might take these off before getting in the water, but I was wrong; without ceremony, he grabbed on to the side and lowered himself into the pool, ignoring the ladders. He did so with barely a splash, sinking until all but his head and shoulders were submerged. So, they really were water shoes. Maybe ours were good for water too; with all our activities over the last two weeks, we'd never really arrived at an explanation about them. Letting go of the side, Pejorinan stayed at exactly the same depth in the pool. He appeared entirely stationary, though I had no doubt that his legs and aquafoils were working to keep him aloft. 344

Turning toward us, Pejorinan brought himself close. Cupping his hands together, he lifted some water out of the pool, and proffered it to us. "Here," he said again, "all hands wet, please." I let go of Dana for a moment, and wet both my hands thoroughly in the makeshift bowl. Dana reluctantly let go of her grip on the pool ladder and did the same, but grabbed hold of the ladder again immediately after finishing. "Good," said Pejorinan, letting the water drop back into the pool. "Now, you holding here," he said, indicating for Dana and me to hold hands again, "and I holding here," he said, reaching his arms wide to my outside hand and Dana's wrist at the pool ladder. "Very good," Pejorinan continued, with a gentle grip on each of us. I realised we now sat in a kind of loop. "Now, eyes close, please. Relax. Breathe deep." I closed my eyes, and did as Pejorinan asked. I hoped that Dana could relax while sitting so close to the water. I felt the gentle surge pass through my body as Pejorinan connected the three of us. Suddenly, there we all were, collected into what felt like a single space, still distinct, but joined, unified. This was the first time I had experienced this kind of connection with more than one other person. With my eyes closed, the experience was even more absorbing, as if the lack of distraction made my perception of it clearer. Dana and Pejorinan manifested themselves in my mind as blurry-edged, floating images cast against a mild blue background. These images flickered between those of their 345

personal identities and vibrant, panoramic landscapes of what they were currently thinking. Even more lucid than the visual immersion were the emotional impressions, which had no equivalent in other senses, but nevertheless conveyed themselves perfectly. Ah, it is so much easier for me to communicate like this, said Pejorinan. You must forgive me for my weakness in your language. Dana and I didn't say anything really; I think we were too overawed by the strength of the landscape behind Pejorinan's eyes. There was just so much there. However, as absorbed as I could tell Dana was, her thoughts had not fully strayed from the fact that she was beside the pool. Though she wasn't intentionally revealing it now, I could still sense the coiled tension of her suppressed fear. Dana, said Pejorinan, I wish to help you, but I require your utmost trust and confidence. Even among our people, there are fears, of many sorts. However, yours is held very deep, and you grip it tightly just as it grips you. Why it is so deep for you, I cannot say, but it is so. Dana and I listened closely. Every one of Pejorinan's words was communicated with a weight of experience and compassion that defied any doubt on our part. I felt we could trust him completely, and Dana responded similarly. You and your fear are intertwined at your deepest level. The fear holds you, for that is the nature of fear, but you grip it also so that it does not dominate you. However, as long as you hold it, you will prevent me from reaching that part of you that contains your fear. I can only deal with it if you share it with me, all of it. That means, however, that I will be able to see everything about you, all your thoughts and feelings, and many memories. I know that these are 346

private, but there is no other way. Will you try to trust me that far? Dana nodded mentally. She didn't seem to have any reservations right now. Thank you, said Pejorinan. The reason I have asked Zen to be here also is not just for your reassurance, but because I wish to use his strength for a purpose. If successful, I will be able to obliterate the core of your fear, but you will have habits, strong mental habits that will perpetuate your former negative reactions to that fear. It will seem, to some degree, that the fear is still there, even though it is not. I wish to show Zen how to help minimise these reactions in you so that, over time, even these will be erased. You could of course eventually do this on your own, but assistance from a partner makes the process infinitely more expedient. However, if we do this, he will unavoidably see much of your inner self as well. Is that acceptable to you? Dana nodded again, though a shade more reluctantly this time. Something made her hesitate. Now, said Pejorinan, share your fear with me. Do not hold anything back, not even from yourself. You must, unfortunately, release your fear sufficiently to let it dominate. This dominance will last only a moment, however, as I will almost immediately intercept it. You must remain relaxed, and not attempt to fight along with me, as this will only obstruct my view. Your task is simply to remain open. Do you understand? Yes, said Dana, I understand. Good. Now, please keep your eyes closed. I am going to ask Kalto to come and hold you. Really? said Dana. Why is that? Because you are going to lose control. 347

My ears heard Pejorinan say, "Kalto, arnet morith, Dana noye," but in my head it was Kalto, come here please, and hold Dana. Shortly, I heard heavy feet against the tiles next to us, and in my mind I experienced the proxy sensation of Kalto sitting next to Dana and placing a huge arm around her waist. Dana's sense of him was one of infinite strength, applied with perfect mildness. He squeezed her lightly on the shoulder, as if to reassure her. Pejorinan? said Dana, an additional worry now tinting her inner voice. The thought of losing control was clearly unnerving for her, but she was dealing with it courageously. What will Zen do? Zen, said Pejorinan, will watch. Whatever happens, Zen, do not break contact. This is very important. Now here we go. Dana, show me your fear. Show me all of it. Dana did the mental equivalent of taking a deep breath. Suddenly, her landscape of thoughts and feelings peeled away, layers shedding and dropping from her mind like petals from a shining rosebud. As this progressed, I received countless impressions of the different memories that Dana had accumulated over the past few weeksour experiences so far this morninghow she had felt when I failed to wake the second day after being injuredfacing the avarrian in the chunk commonsher kissing me... Even though Dana was revealing her whole inner self, she nevertheless deftly disposed of her feelings of kissing me, as if wanting to remove them faster than the others. However, it was still too slow. 348

I saw exactly how she felt. How she felt for me. The landscape of her inner self continued shrinking and peeling away, until there remained only a single dazzling layer, a white ball that coruscated with pulsating light. Finally, even this layer was slipped away, though instead of peeling off and being discarded, it was drawn gradually upward, like an elastic sheet being stretched from its place. Remember, said Pejorinan, do not hold back. Eyes still closed, I felt Dana's grip on my hand tremble, and the elastic sheet of light was suddenly withdrawn to its limit. I heard Dana scream, a rising shriek that cut through my serenity without mercy, worse to me than being fried by an avarrian, or anything I had ever experienced. It was bad enough to know that it was Dana screaming, but our link almost tore my heart out. Her fear hit us like a tsunami, spreading as a mountain of black water and striking with a force that threatened my resolve. I almost broke contact in that moment; I hadn't realised how much of the terror I would feel along with Pejorinan. This was what Dana held hidden on the inside? It was not to be believed. I sustained myself, however, if barely; a determination to help her rose within me. I decided that if she had to endure this, then I wasn't going to turn away from it. I felt Dana rip herself against Kalto's powerful restraint; though she gripped at my hand with all her might, as I gripped at hers, she also pulled against it as if trying to break free. 349

Pejorinan himself was surprised at the intensity of Dana's phobia; I wondered for a split second if he truly could do something against such a horrendous influence as this. Nevertheless, after the briefest of interludes, during which an assessment of the most precise order flitted across Pejorinan's mind, he responded. Light burst forth like a fan from the landscape that was Pejorinan's inner self, and pressed against the surging wall of black water, halting its advance. Immediately following, an even brighter light from Pejorinan shot forward in a slender column like a spear, and lanced into Dana's core. The blazing column of light snapped out as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only the radiant fan. Once the column had gone, I noticed something drop from Dana's centre, falling away like the other layers of thought and feeling had. This time, however, I didn't comprehend what fell. It looked like a heavy sliver of black, and instead of fading like the other thoughts, it fell to our mental floor and remained there, inert. The strength in the wall of black water subsided. As it slackened, so the strength in Pejorinan's fan of light increased, slowly pushing the water back one narrow step at a time. The water is not evil, said Pejorinan to Dana, repeating the unusual phrase over and over. The water is not evil. The water is not evil. The black water ebbed, diminished, and slowly faded, until Pejorinan's light fully enveloped Dana's core. Then, finally, the last drops of water evaporated entirely, and all that flowed from Dana's open centre was more light, a combination of her 350

own and reflections from Pejorinan. Zen, said Pejorinan, ceasing his mantra, please pick that up. Understanding that he meant the black sliver on the ground, I reached out a mental hand and lifted it. The sliver was heavier than it looked, if a purely abstract thing could have such weight, and cold, very cold. Tiny reflections danced on its surface, and I sensed pain in it, a leaden pain that numbed other sensations, like ice on the skin. Is Dana okay? I asked, troubled. Dana is well, Pejorinan said, though right now she cannot hear us. In her open state, supported by my aura, she is in what you might call a trance, mentally asleep but still physically alert. Kalto still holds her also. She will not fall into the pool. I was glad Pejorinan thought she was all right. Reassured, I looked at the sliver in my hand. What is this? I asked. That, said Pejorinan, is a fragment of memory, a deeply traumatic one. It appears to be nothing more now than a sense of loss, disassociated from much of what it once related to. Its darkened state indicates that it is also a very old memory, relatively speaking, and was likely formed when Dana was a child. The original memory is shattered, and must now be virtually impossible for her to access. However, this fragment was deeply enmeshed with the idea of water, until I severed it out only a few moments ago, and was the cause of Dana's great fear in the presence of this pool. It is consistent with other memories I have observed of the loss of someone very close. Perhaps it is the result of a death by water, the drowning of a sibling or parent, though I merely speculate. Shall I throw it away? I asked. I didn't want Dana to be in 351

pain. Although the idea of destroying something from someone else's memory was foreign to me, it seemed like it would be desperately easy in this situation. Pejorinan shook the abstract version of his head. Memories, even fragmented, painful ones like this, make up much of who we are. We need to return it. But won't that bring back her fear? I said, deeply concerned. No, said Pejorinan. I have made a conceptual wall between the pain of her memory and the idea of water. Her fear resulted from her hatred of large bodies of water, which hatred came from the notion that such water is evil, which notion originated from the trauma of this memory. As long as she does not suffer a similar traumatic experience, her fear will not be reconnected to the idea of water. So, what can I do to help? I said. You mentioned there was something I could do to stop her from reacting badly in future. Pejorinan smiled. Indeed, he said. Although her fear can be accurately called removed, she will nevertheless retain strong reactions in the presence of water for a time due to ingrained mental pathways. The key to dealing with these is to create new pathways, new associations, so that the water becomes connected with positive things. A good friend nearby in the water is perhaps the most effective means of creating such new pathways. There was something in the way Pejorinan emphasised "good friend". I think I know what you mean, I said. I had seen Dana's feelings myself. It had made me consider my own. Pejorinan smiled even wider. Yes, he said, Dana loves you. 352

And I loved her. And suddenly I knew it was so. And that was strange, as we'd only known each other for less than three weeks. What was I missing in all this? Nevertheless, continued Pejorinan, I am confident that she does not fully know why she feels this way for you. Even from your external minds, I can tell that each of you are full of fragmented memories. I understand this is an unavoidable result of the deep cold you underwent for such a great period before being thawed by Doctor Heretofore. The deep cold. The "cryogenic stasis" I had heard about in the Farseer meeting room. Larna had also said something about that to Dana, hadn't she? There is one more thing, said Pejorinan. If Dana is having particular difficulty at any time, you have a further option. You can bioelectrically transmit the same concept I gave her, specifically, that "the water is not evil". Do so with as much genuine concern for her as you can, and the idea will be amplified by the wall I have placed in her mind, which utilises the same concept. This should soothe her reactions. This is why I wanted you to observe this process. Got it, I said. The water is not evil. Excellent, said Pejorinan heartily. Now, let us restore Dana's fragment of memory, awaken her, and return to physical reality. Dana's shining core was still held open, reflecting the light that Pejorinan shone from his personal landscape. I brought myself closer to her inner self, tentatively inserted the heavy fragment past the open barrier, and let go of it. The fragment hovered there for a moment, was seemingly accepted as something familiar, and finally disappeared, reabsorbed into her centre. Pejorinan's light faded, and Dana's 353

core softly closed. She seemed to rouse. Her shed layers of thought reappeared, languidly picked themselves up from the mental floor, and enfolded themselves about her. The connection between the three of us faded. I was suddenly left to myself with my eyes still shut. The loss of connection left me disoriented; we'd gone much deeper than I had realised. Coming to, I heard something at my ear. I felt something also, warm against my neck. I opened my eyes. Dana's head was leaning against me, and she was sobbing quietly into my shoulder. Kalto had left us. I let go of Dana's hand, put my arm around her back, and pulled her closer. Looking down, I noticed something. Despite her jeans and shoes, Dana's feet were in the water.

Pejorinan removed himself from the pool, and tactfully left Dana and me without another word, though I managed to give him a look of profound appreciation as he did so. He smiled, and gave me a nod. After he had left us, I heard everybody else quietly leave the room. Dana cried for a long time, sobbing with a silent intensity. I think over half an hour passed before it finally subsided. 354

When she finally looked up, there was a light in her expression that seemed entirely at odds with her darkened, tear streaked eyes. "Zen," she said, rubbing an eye with her palm, "I think I'm ready." I felt my heart flutter in excitement. Would she be able to go in now? I nodded, and stroked my thumb gently on her forehead, where I supposed one of her eyebrows used to be. "Do you feel well enough to come in with me?" she said. "I want to try." I considered this. Something about the connection with Pejorinan and Dana had invigorated me. I nodded again. "I think so," I said. "Let's go change." Dana sniffed deeply, and carefully extricated herself from me so that she could stand. She pulled off her soaked shoes and socks, walked up the steps, and left them under one of the white benches. We left the pool room, and returned through the lounge to our bedrooms. Everyone had seated themselves on the beanbags again, and were chatting quietly. We got a couple of quick smiles as we passed through, but were otherwise left to ourselves. I changed quickly into my shorts and bathrobe despite my ragged and bandaged sides, and as an afterthought, my foothuggers, having finally realised these must also be for the water. It was probably going to hurt for me to try swimming, but, well, it didn't matter right now. I met Dana back in the hallway, similarly in her suit and 355

robe. She was wearing her foothuggers too; I guessed we'd both finally seen what they were for. We returned to the pool. Pejorinan had been right; it still wasn't easy. I entered the water first and held Dana's hand as she descended, trembling violently at every step of the ladder. She stopped several times to acclimatise herself to a new depth, but eventually, finally, we were both floating in the water, each holding the side of the pool with one hand, and each other's hand in the other, submerged up to our shoulders. "This... is... terrifying!" said Dana, wide-eyed, and taking rapid, shallow breaths. "I can't believe I'm doing it!" "It's okay," I said. "You can do it, it's all yours. Do you want to go under now?" "No!" she squealed, shaking her head, "but let's do it anyway! Oh my goodness, I've gone crazy!" "Yep," I said, laughing to myself. "But how do I do it?" she said. "I don't think I can put my head under yet. Not, you know, just like that! It's still really scary." "I've got an idea," I said, thinking quickly, not wanting to miss Dana's chance at success, "hold on to me, and I'll drop us under. You can close your eyes if you want." Dana went quiet for a few seconds. "Okay," she said finally, "okay. Sorry if I freak out. Whoo. Oh man, here I go! Watch out, crazy girl comin' over!" Dana quickly switched her grip, wrapping trembling arms around my neck and shoulders, and held on determinedly. I kept her close with one arm, and maintained a solid grip on the 356

pool side with the other. Her face was barely a hand's width from mine. I could feel her breath on my lips. I had a sudden thought. "Dana..." I said. "Mm?" she said, looking me in the eye. I stayed there for a moment, caught. I'd never seen her quite in this state before, at once anxious, yet excited, and somehow completely, utterly, totally open. Her lips were apart, her eyes were smiling, and I suddenly realised I knew who she was. I didn't know how to explain that, as there was still no memory to guide me, but I knew her. She was... me. The other side of me. "What?" Dana said, grinning a little, curiosity in her eyes. "I think..." I said, "I owe you something." I felt a flush of warmth from her. Her breath fluttered on my face, and her eyes flickered ever so slightly. "What's... that?" she whispered, eyes still wide, hardly breathing the words. My eyes closed. Her breath was in my mouth. Our lips brushed. They met. We descended.

* 357

The lights came on. The kiss lasted a while. It was very gentle, little more than a caressing of lips. Dana didn't seem to want to pull away. Neither did I. We reached the bottom, and stood there. Together. The need for breath eventually overcame us. Still holding one another close, we exhaled the last of the bubbles from our lungs, and filled them with water. Dana's eyes were still closed, and had been the whole time. Eventually, carefully, she opened one eye, and peered around. When she seemed satisfied that her destruction was not imminent, she opened the other. I sent a pulse through my arms, still holding her. The world of thought and feeling that materialised was coloured a deep, warm pink and red. Hey, I said. Hey, she echoed, ever so quietly. I stood there a moment, my forehead against hers, our noses touching. See? I said. All good. She breathed in deeply. It's okay, she said, still very quiet in her mind. Actually... it's kind of... amazing. But don't let go of me yet. I won't, I said. I could feel that her anxiety was still there, underneath everything else, though it was far more diffuse than before. 358

Dana was silent for a while. Then, looking to one side of us again, she said, Wow. This really is amazing. Do you want to look around? I asked. She considered my question carefully. Maybe we can do that tomorrow? Sure. One step at a time, huh? Yeah. We held each other for a while longer. Dana looked curiously at the underwater lounge, eyes lingering on the various objects, wall decorations, furniture pieces, the door to the hallway, and especially the large aquarium. I think I like it, she said eventually. Kalto has good taste. Yeah, I said. Who'd have guessed it? Dana laughed inwardly. Dana had relaxed a great deal, but I could sense that she was weary from the effort, and that it would be best to quit while we were ahead. With barely another shared thought, we each engaged our aquafoils, using them for their intended purpose for the first time since discovering how to open them, and propelled ourselves toward the inlet above with even, slow strokes. We reached the top, and breached the surface. Reaching out to one of the ladders, Dana raised herself carefully out of the pool. Noticing her arms were still trembling, I followed immediately behind, taking care that she didn't fall back in. As soon as we were out of the pool, we expelled the water from our lungs. That done, Dana gave me another long hug, and kissed me lightly, once, on the collarbone. I returned the kiss to her forehead. 359

We put on our bathrobes, and walked back to the lounge. Everyone was still there on the bean bags. They looked expectant. "So..." said Larna nonchalantly as we approached them. "How did you go?" "I think there's still water in my ears," said Dana, tapping herself on the side of the head. The doctor and Larna jumped out of their seats, clapping their hands and laughing, and moved immediately to embrace us. Larna seemed to have forgotten her own "doctor's orders" about hugging me, but I didn't mind so much. Our avarrian friends stood too and crowded around; Pejorinan, wearing his grey robe again, looked extremely pleased; Kalto put his massive arms around our entire group and looked enthusiastically happy if still a little bewildered; and Misk was moved to silent tears, getting her own hug in with Dana and holding on to her like she didn't want to let go ever again. "Well done, mechni," she said at last, still holding Dana. "Oh, I am glad Pinn is not here today. She would have crushed you to death." We all laughed loudly, even Pejorinan. In fact, especially Pejorinan.

It was time for our avarrian friends to leave. The rest of us 360

didn't have anything else to do that day, and I was feeling a lot better after our dip in the pool, for more reasons than one, I had to admit, so we decided to all go together to see them back to Aurora Segment, and maybe even have another look around after we had parted ways. Given that Dana was feeling more comfortable around water, she had no objections to spending some time there. Dana and I changed back into normal clothes, suitable for a day out. Larna also changed again, and shortly we were all walking out the door together, and making our way via the elevators to the Farseer Accommodation lobby. We took a conveyor to our nearest podstation, and entered a pod destined for Aurora. As our friends strapped themselves in, I noticed their bank of larger seats, obviously suitable for avarrians, behind the smaller ones on which the rest of us sat. It was nice, the way most everything seemed designed for human and avarrian use in tandem. Dana sat next to me, or I sat next to her. Or both. It was as usual, but it was more now. The pod started moving, and we were underway. Soon after, Dana leaned over to Larna, and I heard her whisper, "Larna? What does mechni mean?" Larna gave her a knowing look, and whispered in return, "Daughter." Dana sat back, nodded, and smiled. Aurora Segment was some distance away, close to the centre of Arca Nova, while Pacific Segment was at one extreme end. I supposed that made sense to me now; maybe Aurora Segment had initially branched out from the middle to build 361

spaces for all the humans that lived here. That idea fascinated me; I supposed it was something else I would have to ask Larna about. Not to mention the revelation that we were in Antarctica. If that was so, how had everybody gotten here? Maybe every single person had indeed been picked up by the avarrians. That thought left me wondering for the rest of the trip, which took almost half an hour despite the pod's impressive speed. I watched the world of Arca Nova whizz by through the pod windows as we passed between stations, over raised rails, and through transparent tunnels that provided a fascinating view of millions of people, avarrian and human, going about their everyday lives in the vast public spaces of the arcology towers. I was almost disappointed when, finally, we approached our destination. I had been lulled into a daydream, sitting with Dana's head on my shoulder, hypnotised by the world constantly sliding past my eyes. The pod slowed, and came to a halt. We unbuckled ourselves from our seats, waited for the doors to slide open, and stepped out onto the station platform. We stopped dead. I noticed it immediately. So did the rest of our small group. So did the other few travellers, human and avarrian, in the pod we had taken. There was nobody about. The station was entirely bare of other people. This was weird, to say the least. This station had been massively busy the last time we had been here. Plus, it was still 362

daytime in Aurora segment, so there was no reason for the lull. "That's fun-ny," said Kalto, voicing what the rest of us were clearly thinking. "I won-der where ev-er-y-bo-dy is?" Pejorinan seemed particularly alert, and took a few steps forward, looking around. We all watched him closely, even the travellers that didn't know him. He turned. "Something wrong," he said gravely. "Careful. Follow. Grobis na, eurit." Arc for, Follow me, everyone. Pejorinan gestured authoritatively, and we all trailed him as he walked watchfully down the platform steps. Silence greeted us as we walked toward the massive doorways that would take us from the podstation into the lower common area. This was eerie. Where were all the people? Suddenly we saw someone. It was an avarrian wearing black, though not a standard bodysuit, it seemed. When he came closer, I saw that his bodysuit was the black uniform of a police agent, though an amphibious version of it, with the familiar white insignia on its front. I was slightly surprised that the avarrians had police here too. I would otherwise have assumed, if naively perhaps, that nobody among them would ever commit any sort of crime; they seemed far too generous and caring. Even my experience after our evacuation the other night now seemed like an irrelevant exception, considering that the avarrian who assaulted us had been extremely ill. Then again, I realised, there were plenty of humans in Aurora segment too. We could be far less agreeable. 363

The avarrian agent hailed us with a raised arm, and approached. We stopped, intercepted before we reached the doors. "Saraeanis," he said to our collective group, inclining his head slightly. He then spoke a few basic phrases in Arc, saying in essence, "Apologies for not meeting you earlier, you are the last pod through. An incident has occurred." Misk came to the fore. "What is wrong?" she asked in English. "Representatives," responded the agent in English, sounding surprised, and inclining his head again in genuine, deep respect. "I had no idea you were on this pod. And Mayarch Pejorinan. I apologise." Pejorinan dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand. "What wrong?" he said, gently repeating Misk's question. The agent seemed slightly at a loss for words, blinking several times before finally answering. "There has been a... fight," he said. "A very... big... fight. I am sorry, external transport has been locked down. You will have to come with me." Nobody was exempt from the shock of this statement. A fight? In Aurora Segment? Even Pejorinan's mask betrayed his surprise. "Please, come with me," said the agent. We followed the agent as he took us through the doorway, and around a bend in a broad corridor that led us to the lower common area. Whatever our shock had been before, it paled in comparison to what we faced now. 364

There were hundreds of avarrians and humans alike scattered all over the common area floor, being attended to by paramedics. At first glance, I feared that the fight, or whatever it was, had been humans versus avarrians or vice versa, though thankfully this thought evaporated quickly; there were both humans and avarrians among the paramedic teams, and each were attending to the fallen without regard for species. Also, many of the lesser injured were assisting one another, including several avarrians supporting the smaller humans, and there seemed no animosity between them. It looked like the Pacific Segment shockwave all over again, except for far bloodier wounds this time among the injured. Whatever had happened, it looked like it had been inflicted personally. The agent led us past a guard of six helmeted avarrians in white police suits, standing by the doorway to the common area. The agent quickened his pace as we entered the area, and we all hurried to keep up. We were taken down a long flight of broad stairs, necessarily stepping around patients assembled in groups on the various landings. Dana and I kept close to one another, not looking too carefully at what we passed, or who, yet unable to entirely avoid the scene of suffering that besieged us. Reaching the broad lower floor of the common area, the number of injured thinned out, thankfully. I exhaled deeply; I realised I had been holding my breath in shock. More police avarrians in white suits appeared on the scene from a set of conveyors in front of us, and ran past. The agent hailed one of them, stopping him and exchanging a few 365

brief words in Sartuk that I couldn't interpret. I heard the whitesuited avarrian's words in spite of his helmet, projected through a crisp speaker at his neck. Finishing their exchange, the avarrian in white tagged along with our group. Following the agent, we reached a large conveyor and entered it together. The doors closed. "We will escort you somewhere safe," said the agent. "Currently there are dangers on a number of levels, so our passage is restricted. But please, follow us, and everything should be all right." "There's fighting on other levels?" said Misk, aghast. "What has happened?" The agent turned to Misk, and seemed to lose his nerve. I could have sworn that he was on the brink of tears. "I am so sorry, Representative," he said. "I do not know. People have been going crazy. All of them avarrian, by all accounts. Something is very wrong." I felt a keen sense of pity for the agent. I supposed that my first notion of avarrian law enforcement might have been correct; they didn't have to deal with crime very often, and definitely not massive waves of violent crime. What on earth was happening? The agent entered the symbols for a conveyor destination, and we moved. After only a short trip, the doors opened again, and we exited. We were in another common area, one we had not yet seen, packed with people sitting on the ground. Thankfully, none of them appeared injured. 366

"This area is safe, so far," said the agent. "We are very sorry for the inconvenience. There will be a broadcast when it is safe to travel again. Most people are staying in their homes, so if this is your level, you may return there." "Unfortunately not," said Misk, "but thank you for your consideration." "Again, my apologies," said the agent. "There are many police on this level, so please approach them if you have any concerns, or if you notice any dangerous behaviour. Also, please feel free to use the waterways, though their access to other areas is restricted to our current level." "Thank you," said Misk again, inclining her head to the agent. The agent inclined his own, and both the agent and the white-suited avarrian left us. Our group broke apart, those travellers with whom we had no association departing from us. "It is o-kay," said Kalto, whispering to Dana and me, "we know ma-ny peo-ple here. We will find a com-for-ta-ble place to stay." I appreciated the reassurance. Despite the size of these common areas, the notion of staying surrounded by so many people in such close quarters made me uncomfortable. The crowd was more densely packed here than anywhere I'd seen in Arca Nova. Pejorinan seemed to have the same idea as Kalto; he immediately took the lead again, and gestured for us all to follow. Kalto and Misk brought up the rear, both of them alert and ill at ease. I thought they looked ready to defend us at a moment's notice, should it prove necessary. 367

We walked a little way, keeping to a path lined with people in the same situation as ourselves. So far, everybody seemed civil and physically relaxed, though I sensed a terrible foreboding in the air. Eventually, the crammed assembly thinned out, and we reached the edge of a large pool connected to a series of other waterways. The pool was uncharacteristically empty of avarrians; I supposed that everyone was awaiting the announcement that all was well again, and that they could return to their homes, something easier heard out of the water than in. Then it happened. Whatever it was, something hit our group like a bullet, knocking Dana, myself, Misk and even Kalto to the floor. There was a scream. One I'll never forget. "No, Zen, Zen!!" It was Dana. I got up from my back just in time to see a huge shape disappear into the water. It was a massive female avarrian, large enough to topple Kalto. I recognised her, I was sure of it. It was Pinn. And she was clutching Dana.

END BOOK ONE

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