
## An Open Connection of the Heart

Arwen Jayne

Copyright © 2017 Arwen Jayne

All rights reserved

While reference has been made to some actual historical events or persons and some real locations all other names, characters and places are fictional; the product of the author's overly imaginative mind. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses or places is purely coincidental.

### Disclaimer

This is a piece of fiction, enjoy it but if you're looking for science facts you might find it lacking. The story is purely a creation of my imagination.

### Acknowledgements

To all my friends, fans and family for their ongoing encouragement. Jen for the long chats on metaphysics, editing and pushing me to always go one better. Special thanks as always to my life partner who makes my time on the computer possible. Thanks to NASA for the great photo from their image library: Whirlpool Galaxy images-assets.nasa.gov/image/PIA04230/PIA04230~orig.jpg

My use of this image does not represent any endorsement of the story by NASA.

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### 1

Some months earlier...

Another long night shift. Not that there was much to watch out for. It was a bare lifeless planet, well mostly. There was nothing out in the vast expanse, above ground, that might threaten their underground city. Not unless you counted the alien newcomers who'd set up a nearby mine. The general consensus was they were only after the planet's minerals and as the old city was in a mineral poor area they'd been dismissed as a concern, at least until they decided to expand their operations. The hard truth was there were too few defenders to remove the intruders from the planet or even fend them off if they decided to invade.

On Seren's console green lights blinked happily showing all was well in the catacombs below. Although recently there had been some troubling glitches. Some said it was the fact that the stasis pods were so old. They were starting to fail. Seren didn't think so. She had her own theories but she was careful who she told. "Fancy some Earth TV?"

Antal looked up from his monitors, interested. "Sure, what's on tonight?"

Seren pulled up an international list of programs she'd hacked into. "There's a wildlife doco on the Beeb."

"Nah, seen one polar bear seen them all."

Damn, she'd been hoping to watch that one. Maybe she'd watch it on the internet later. "What about the latest vampire movie?"

"Are you kidding? They so can't get the facts right, can they?"

"It's fiction. It's not meant to be accurate."

"No, just no."

"Okay, what about a cooking show?"

"Why? We don't eat that shit."

No. But it was fun watching the high drama of the contestants as they competed to make their flambes and their bombe alaskas. "News then? Although I have to say it's mostly just a mix of government sponsored propaganda, the lives of the rich and famous, electioneering and a sales pitch for their latest gadgets, cures and plans. A bit of that ritualized warfare they call sport and what's happening with their weather."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. What's on the alt channels?"

"The Republic of Karpathia has a current affairs program looking into that recent attack on the presidential palace. And there's the Boswell Alternative News update followed by another in depth analysis of the attack and how the President got help from Boswell's paramilitary to guard his country and fight off insurgents while he and two close confidents pursued some ancient secret, nearly getting killed in the process."

"Sounds interesting. Seems to be the news of the hour. Let's see what the Boswell lot have got to say."

Seren found the source just as Boswell was replaying the President's address to his small country. "Hey. Look isn't that ... ?"

"Hell, I don't believe it. It's a Lyrean. He's the president of Karpathia?" Antal squinted at the screen, making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. "Well I'll be damned!"

"It wouldn't be the first time that Boswell Alt News have interviewed other sentient species. The subtitles say he's Zakar son of Bog."

Antal's eyes widened. Not just because Seren had apparently learned to read the alien script but what it meant. "That's the old leader's son. One of those who absconded with our last remaining functional spaceship and fled to Earth. Still alive. It's a wonder. What would that make him?"

"At least as old as us."

"Yeah that is old." Antal's focus shifted to a digital readout on his console. "That's strange. The old pyramid."

"What of it?"

"It's giving off energy."

Not that she didn't believe him but she had to see for herself. Seren leaned over his shoulder and frowned. "So it is. What do you think it means?"

"Dunno but I think we'd better check it out in the morning after our shift change."

As the pale light of the sun rose on the old settlement it was obvious that something more than an activation of the old five sided pyramid had occurred during the night.

"The ground's gone purple," Seren noted.

"Only in patches but it seems to be spreading. Look over there, it's growing, even as we speak."

It was. Seren wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. She watched as Antal kitted up with binoculars, some specimen jars and his weapon."Where you going?"

"Just to the edge of the mining settlement. May as well see what that lot are up to while I'm at it."

"Don't let them see you Antal."

The man growled. "What do you take me for anyway? A fool? I'll be back before the freeze descends."

Seren had actually been trying to practise some of the care and sympathy she'd seen on Earth soap operas. Human emotional expressions fascinated her. Come to think of it she'd mostly seen concern used between those who humans called women who had bumps on their front not unlike hers, whatever those meant. Maybe the ones without bumps didn't go in for expressions of concern so much. Or maybe it was her lack of skill. She tried again, this time toning it down a bit. Maybe it was just her use of his semi-formal designation he hadn't liked. "You'd better, Antal, or we'll be chipping the icicles off you tomorrow morning."

Antal rolled his eyes. As if he didn't know that too. The planet after dusk wasn't known for its warmth. At noon, on the equator, in summer, yeah a lot of ifs, it might be pleasant. Might being the operative word, but by night the temperatures would be enough to freeze his obscure appendages off. Away from the equator, well that didn't bear thinking about. But something weird had happened last night and he wasn't about to sit around while a threat to them might exist out there. Last night's pulse of energy was unheard of, at least not in many millennia. It had emanated from within the old pyramid that stood as a monument at the centre of the old city. It was all that remained above ground from the times before. The rest of the city was below ground, maintained and guarded by his kind. "I'll be back by then. I just want to see that the pyramid is secure and check out that purple stuff that's appeared on the ground since last night. Take a few samples for the lab."

He headed out along the old promenade. It was a straight wide stretch of land that miraculously hadn't been covered by the sand and grit usually blown in by the massive storms that were the only sure feature of the planet's out of control weather.

If it had been winter he wouldn't have even dared venturing outside but it was their planet's summer. He wouldn't instantly freeze. He had a few hours before he'd need to retrace his steps.

Red iron oxide dust covered mounds on the hillside. They had once been summer dwellings for the Lyreans who'd come to this planet, long before the cataclysm, escaping from their home galaxy. A voracious alien spreading across this sector of the universe like a virus had encountered the Lyreans, tried to rob and enslave them, and when that hadn't worked, had started destroying them. The alien species, the same parasitic species who now ran the adjacent mining camp, had bombed the Lyrean cities and simply taken over, bit by bit, pushing the Lyreans out until they had nowhere in their own galaxy to go. So the Lyreans had come here. And for a time, millennia in fact, it had been home. As had the other, smaller, nearby planet they'd colonized. They'd left the third planet from the sun alone as it already had its full share of sentient species including highly territorial primates, intelligent and playful ocean dwelling mammals, a small group of intergalactic travellers who had set up a base to practise their spirituality and an aloof etheric species that appeared to act as guardians of the resident plant life. Nova Lyrea and Sanctuary had been planets enough for the refugees. Sanctuary was further out and a bit colder but it had had thermal springs that gave them a means to exist there. Nova Lyrea had been easier to settle: a small planet with ample water, clean air, a magnetic field that had protected it from solar winds that might have otherwise ripped away their atmosphere. Cold at night, yes. Even the planet's native wildlife bunkered down into whatever caves or holes they could find before the nightly freeze hit. The Lyreans had been cautious but respectful of the creatures that roamed the forests along the planet's equator. Forests that survived due to the natural antifreeze in the plants' purple leaves.

Those forests were long gone, thanks to the enemy's well aimed comet that had destroyed the planet of Sanctuary and ripped away Nova Lyrea's protective ionosphere. The radiation fallout from the so called "comet" had done the rest.

Both Lyrean settlements had had enough forewarning about what was barrelling through the universe to destroy them. The Sancturians had evacuated to the third planet but the Nova Lyreans, thinking they weren't in the direct line of the comet, had opted to stay, reinforcing the underground parts of their cities instead.

This was all that was left of Scyth, one of the five once great cities of Nova Lyrea. Illyr, Dubrv, Epidr and Buda had been the others but only those on this side of the planet, Illyr and Scyth survived in any form. Perhaps Epidr, but all communication had been lost with them so no-one knew.

Antal scouted around the old pyramid but there were no signs of any tracks. The entrance was secure. No one had been here. Or so it seemed. Yet there was no missing the strange purple patches on the ground. They definitely hadn't been there before.

Lichen, algae, fungi...? He wasn't sure what it could be. Nothing should be alive out here. Nothing had been alive here for tens of thousands of years. The only remaining life on the planet slept in crypts, deep in the catacombs of the city. The few Lyreans who remained were protected in suspended animation so they wouldn't starve. Thankfully all Antal needed was the rays of the sun. His body made whatever it needed from that energy. Fifteen minutes in the noon day sun was all that was needed or the equivalent under a sunlamp.

Few of his kind ventured this deep into the old aboveground city anymore but reconnaissance was his job.

The more he looked at the purple stuff the more it played tricks with his mind. It wasn't just growing. Was it moving as well? It was surely closer to him than it had been a moment ago. Something about it was wrong. He stomped his foot and the stuff paused its advance for a moment, as if assessing him. Yeah right. It can't think Antal, he mentally berated himself. Annoyed he kicked at it and that's when it made its move. Suddenly misting into the air and enveloping him. It covered him like a thin film of purple dust. He tried to brush it away but it clung to him.

Antal's heart rate climbed. He could feel its spores burrowing into him, becoming one with him. "Fuck." He had to get it off. But it was already in him. He started running back to base but he knew it was too late. His mouth dried, his skin prickled, sweat bathed him as a burning heat raged within, his head feeling like it might split apart. Antal faced the fact. He couldn't return. He couldn't take the threat back with him.

While he still could he pulled out his communicator "Scyth-Six Antal to Scyth-Eleven Seren."

"Antal, found anything?"

"You could say that." He summed up his findings and then told her of his decision. "It's becoming part of me. Consuming me. I have no choice. Goodbye."

"Antal, wait!" Seren screamed through the communicator.

But before he could lose his resolve he engaged the one thing he'd thought he'd never have to use, the self destruct on his armband. The blast vaporized him.

What was left of the purple stuff in the area retreated, leaving the old city to its protectors.

### 2

Callan woke with a sore throat and his lungs burning on fire. Damn. There was nothing for it. Whether he had a virus breathing down his neck or not he needed to go to work to day.

There were rumours. Hell, there had been rumours for weeks. That didn't mean anything was happening. Still, the only way he'd know for sure was to keep ahead of the rumours and that meant dragging his body out of bed, stepping out of his rented caravan and going to work.

Not having his beloved Audi, which he'd recently been forced to sell to pay some lawyers fees, he caught the crowded peak hour bus which dropped him off almost outside the door of his workplace. Callan looked at his watch. Time enough to make a cuppa before he needed to be 'officially' there. Not that his work was one of those places where you needed to logon and off, recording your presence down to the minute. Yet he did need to make a pretense of being there to work. The sad thing was the job, which he'd sort of fallen into it through a series of bad choices and events, paid well enough and was peopled with workmates nice enough that he didn't look for anything else. He had to pay his three ex-wives maintenance somehow.

Yeah, his life choices hadn't been wise ones. They'd seemed good at the time. Ten years ago he'd finished his PhD in Science, majoring in soil science and astrobiology. His thesis had kept him busy for years, studying the very small things that grow in dirt. That was how he explained it to those who ever asked. Saved watching their eyes glaze over.

The trouble was that when he finished his degree he'd been left with a mega dollar debt and no work in his chosen field. He could have moved to the States but at the time his first serious girlfriend had been expecting, or so she had said at the time. Turned out she'd been trying to maneuver him into marrying her. Her ploy had worked but any expectations of marital bliss had quickly fizzled. Sally had seen him as a prize catch, a smart, slightly nerdy...okay, a lot nerdy, scientist. When all he'd managed to get as a job out of uni had been an admin job in the public service her enthusiasm for him had quickly waned. Not the husband material she'd been hoping for. A year into their marriage she'd run off with a construction engineer and served divorce papers on him. That hadn't been too much of a problem. If she wanted half his uni debt she was welcome to it.

His second wife he'd met at Friday night after work gossip sessions with his mates from work. Felicia had been their waitress. She'd seen a mild mannered, young, stably employed public servant as a nice safe bet and pursued him. Young male hormones being what they were he'd taken the bait she cast his way. Two years later they'd bored each other to death. They had nothing in common other than their sex life. She consumed reality TV and home renovation shows with a passion while he read his science mags and dreamed of wild, remote places, and digging in the dirt. What might have been. He amused himself by staying active on some of the online ecology and science forums, sharing ideas with others, yet it wasn't the same as doing the work himself. But by then he's risen through the ranks at work. His ready ability with crunching data was prized as an asset. An asset that meant he was both paid well and at the same time held firm in a metaphorical golden noose. As he and Felicia separated that noose tightened.

You'd think he'd have learned by then but when, less than a year later, he'd met Alys at an interstate conference, it had been, what had appeared at the time, to be love at first sight. Alys was intelligent and vivacious. No scientist but she had a mind for data and shared his career if not his missed vocation. After six frustrating months of chatting online she'd won a position with a international data consultancy that didn't mind where she based herself as long as she didn't mind travel and working from home online. She made the move interstate and they'd bought a house together. Then the trouble had started. An angel 99% of the time, once a month hormones raged. Not that that bothered him particularly. Like most men he knew it sometimes came with the territory. He kept a secret stash of chocolate on hand. Chocolates, flowers, cuddles and understanding had usually worked with his first two wives. The hormones weren't the problem. The real trouble was that Alys had simmering issues. Issues she must have always had but had hidden well from the general public. Under all that confidence and vivaciousness was a massive inferiority complex that would implode like a virtual nuclear bomb if he asked something in the wrong tone, at the wrong time of the month. A day later she'd be begging for forgiveness but the truth was she needed help and most of the time she didn't see the need until it was too late.

The cause of her problems became all too apparent when her father Geoffrey, a famed cosmologist, had came to visit. The snide bastard had looked down his nose and said "so you're in admin too?".

Callan hadn't bothered explaining that data analysis was a bit more than admin. Instead he'd gotten out his chess board and asked him if he played.

The man had humphed.

"I take it by that I don't have to go easy on you because you're my father-in-law?"

"Hardly"

Three games later the man had glared at him and declared it was getting late. "You're just bloody lucky I'm tired from the flight down or I'd've wiped the board with you. I'm going to bed."

Alys had waited until her father had gone upstairs then came over to whisper to him, afraid to be heard, "You just beat him three games to zero. I've never seen anyone do that."

Callan had shrugged. "He was never going to like me anyway." But the pleasure of his victory was short lived as he caught the fleeting look of fear and awe in Alys's eyes. Now she saw him as a greater threat to her self esteem than even her father.

Callan braved suggesting therapy but Alys had just stared at him like he'd grown a second head then stormed off. He decided if she wouldn't then he would. There had to be something he could learn that would help.

The counsellor who took him on was a lovely lady by the name of Leigha. She'd taught him psychological first aid including reflective listening and the best ways to express empathy. Then she'd taught him mindfulness as part of a holistic mindfulness based stress reduction program to help him cope and give him the edge in thinking before reacting to Alys's outbursts. For a time, what he'd learned helped. He was mindful of Alys's triggers and mostly avoided them. Things seemed easier between them.

"But I have to be blunt with you Callan," Leigha informed him after he'd briefed her on how things were going. "What I've taught you may continue to take the edge off her responses but ultimately the will to change has to come from her. I fear she unconsciously seeks to set you up in a codependent relationship where you assume the role her father played in her childhood environment. Her subconscious is seeking the familiar and sadly that's someone who reinforces her low self esteem. It's what she's used to. Until she recognises the rut she's in and seeks a solution she won't change her patterns of response. I know you're committed to her Callan but there is a danger that eventually she'll wear you down and maneuver you into taking up the role of oppressor."

"Never Leigha. I love her."

But the love and commitment hadn't been enough.

One fateful August night Alys'd taken a kitchen knife to Callan, threatening to end his life. It had been her subconscious crying out one more time for help but it had scared him shitless. When he'd called for an ambulance the cops had turned up as well and that had been the beginning of the end. She'd never forgiven him that. For making her problem public. When he got out of the hospital two days later, still bandaged from the knife wound to his abdomen he suggested again that she get help. Alys declared there was nothing wrong with her and told him to leave, his house. He'd felt sorry for her so he'd let her have it. He'd even told the cops that the knife wound to his belly had been an accident, a slip. They'd frowned at him, knowing he was lying but with their key witness not cooperating they'd let the matter drop. Alys was off the hook.

Now he lived in the back corner of the local caravan park but they wanted him out too. The tourist season was coming soon and they could get a better rate off the tourists than the amount they'd been charging him over winter.

Callan took his cuppa back to his desk and logged onto his computer. No office to speak of. His desk was just one of many in an open plan room where the turn of the century windows rattled in the wind and everyone tried to keep their voices down for fear of annoying others. Really, a few walls or partitions would have gone a long way to improving productivity but there was no way of telling that to workplace planners. You were branded as old fashioned if you tried.

Harold wandered over, his mug in his hand as well. His brow furrowed. "Don't get too settled. There's a meeting at nine."

"What? Who called it? What's it about?"

"There was an email Friday when you were out at that training session. Might pay to read it if you have time."

Callan looked at the clock on the wall. "Hardly, not if the meeting's in five minutes." He looked Harry square in the eyes, "Cut to the chase Harry. What is it I need to know?"

Harry sighed. "They're going to announce a restructure."

"Shit!" this was what he'd been afraid of. What all the rumours had been pointing to for weeks. "Any specifics?"

"Nah. The brass want everyone to hear at once. They figure it's fairer that way."

Ninety minutes later he was in shock. Not that anyone knew. Surviving three marriages had taught him to school his features really really well. Manager! Of the accounting section! They'd expect him to be honoured. He was terrified. All he ever wanted to do in life was be a soil scientist. Second best had been being a data analyst. Now, in recognition of his people skills, skills he'd learned to help Alys, he was being shoved into a supervisory role, in charge of half a dozen women. Yeah he liked them all. Lovely. Mothers mostly. Highly skilled and committed to their work. But he didn't want to manage them. Hell, he never wanted to be in a position where he was expected to control or exercise authority over a woman. He didn't have it in him. He'd rather run a mile. Actually that wasn't such a bad idea. A walk at least. A bit of fresh air to clear his head which was clogged with more than thoughts. He was really coming down with something. As the meeting wound up he excused himself, quietly whispering to Harry that he was running a fever and was heading out for five minutes. He'd be back shortly. But instead of heading towards a pharmacy for cold and flu capsules he headed down to the rose garden by the city's fountain instead, a place he often went to in his lunch breaks to practise a few moments of mindfulness.

It was mid morning. Few people around. He had the park bench to himself. Closing his eyes he allowed himself to become aware of the sun on his skin. He hoped the sun might burn a few of the bugs out of his system. The combined discomfort and tension of his body he chose to neither to run from or get stuck on, he just allowed awareness of it. He shifted from that into feeling the stillness of his seated posture. Aware of his breath in his lungs. Breath struggling through blocked sinuses but breath nonetheless. Aware of the space in his lungs, heart, throat and mind, he stretched that awareness out to the space around him. The soft rustle of the new spring leaves and blossom in the trees. The chirp of birds and the noises of their scratching in the garden mulch for juicy worms. He listened to the distant footsteps of the people on the nearby walk way. Further still, the sounds of the city, the traffic, the clangs and bangs that went on as people loaded and unloaded goods, closed and opened doors, yelled out greetings between friends meeting on the footpath. He felt the traffic as it ebbed and flowed with the green and red of the traffic lights, in its own way alive, a river running along a sea of bitumen and concrete. Nature, people, city and traffic... one seamless, whole, vibrantly alive entity. And he was both at the centre of it and within the whole of it. He let out a breath and let his tensions flow out of him. It wasn't the world that needed to change. It was him.

For the first time since his separation from Alys he realised he was free. All the legal bills were paid. He had nothing and nobody he owed or indeed owned, except for some clothes. He could simply up and walk away from it all. The infinite potential of that thought excited him, enlivened him. He closed his eyes again and asked the space within the question. "Where to from here?"

"How about Mars?"

"What?" His eyes sprang open.

Before him stood a beautiful being with iridescent wings of blue, magenta and emerald flecked with gold. He wasn't sure whether the being was male or female but he guessed female.

"You may call me Eadaoin." She handed him a folder stamped classified in big bold red letters. "We thought of sending one of your kind to offer up our proposal but Simon thought there was too much danger of you thinking we were playing a prank on you. Better to dazzle you, he said. Are you bedazzled human?" Her wings neatly and elegantly folded in on themselves as she took the space on the bench beside him.

"I...um...what are you? An alien from Area 51?"

Eadaoin rolled her eyes and sighed. "It is indeed too long since my kind openly lived among you humans. No I am not one of the almond eyed drab looking greys from Area 51. And you wouldn't like them anyway. Scientists yes, but they'd much prefer dissecting or experimenting on you humans than talking to you."

Callan winced. "I didn't mean... Not literally."

"Ah. I understand. You did not really mean what you said. Humans, I have found, tend to do that when they are nervous. Joking I think you call it. I am Fae by the way."

Callan noticed the slight disdain with which she said the word human. As far as joking with her he thought it more likely that he was joking with himself. He could not, a card carrying scientist, a clear thinking mathematician, be seeing a real live faery. Grey, alien scientists existed a Area 51? He thought not. Too much stress and a fever followed by a meditation high perhaps.

Eadaoin studied his look, took his hand and placed it in her own. "Very pleased to meet you Callan. And you say..."

"Um, sorry. Very pleased to meet you Eadaoin. Sorry, it's been an odd morning."

"Yes. You are at one of those junctures in your life. Our resident astrologer Guin studied your chart and determined that despite this morning's epiphany you would most likely fall back into your old life if we didn't approach you now. Apparently events and choices in one or more of your past lives have caused you to be born with an afflicted seventh house. Relationships." She added when he just stared at her blankly. "The best way to change that is to move."

"Okay. So I'll go to Western Australia." He had friends in the scientific community there.

"Guin anticipated that that might be one of your choices but it's not as simple as that. If you do that you will cross your Pluto line and your life will be much harder than it is now. Your obstacles would be numerous and dangerous. You might meet with violence."

Not that he believed any of this but, "Doesn't sound inviting. So, you speak of others Eadaoin. Who do you represent? What is it you want from me?"

Eadaoin tapped the folder of information on his lap meaningfully. "Read and decide. But choose wisely Callan. You won't get another chance like this. We won't ask again. The moment of choice is now. By next week events in this timeline will have moved on and we will have collectively missed this opportunity."

"I see."

"I hope you do. One other thing." Eadaoin passed him a small package. "There are two doses in there. One for you and one for your friend Harry. Read the disclaimer before you take it or the guardians of this quadrant of the galaxy will not be pleased with me." She handed him a sheet of paper.

He read. His jaw dropped. "This is the so called mortality cure that conspiracy theorists on the web have been talking about."

"It is. It will repair damage done to your ancestors' DNA long ago. You're only thirty Callan. The transformation won't bother you for more than a day. The only thing you need to ask yourself is are you ready?"

"For what?"

"For the infinite potential of life that will open up to you if you bravely step into the unknown. Are you brave Callan?"

"I'm not sure if I've ever really thought about whether I'm brave or not?"

"That is an honest answer. You impress me Callan." She closed her hand for a moment and when she opened it it contained a simply carved amulet of birch wood on a string of small wooden beads. She held it out to him. "This will mark you to my kind. Wear it. If you have need of us touch it and send out you plea to us. We will watch out for you earth scientist Callan." Then she vanished.

Callan stared into space for a moment then put the amulet around his neck, tucking it beneath his shirt so no one would mistake him for a hippy. For now the amulet was his proof to himself that Eadaoin had been real. He opened the folder and read.

Two hours later he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"That's a long five minutes you've had. People at work are starting to get worried about you. I thought you might be here."

"Hi Harry." Callan smiled back at him.

"Well at least you look happy. I worried from that carefully blank look you had on your face when you left that something was going on in that brainiac head of yours. What's up?"

"I've had a job offer?"

"Better than what you've got now?"

"Way better." But should he tell him the contents of the top secret folder? Probably not. "How'd you like to be immortal Harry?"

"The rumoured cure? You're not buying into that truckload of bollocks are you?"

"Won't know if we don't try. I happen to have two doses. Might make your gray hairs and false teeth fall out though. A bit of tummy trouble for a day or so. But after that no more aging."

"So it will revert me to my peak condition? I won't be stuck as a balding forty-five year old?"

"Apparently not. Only catch is there's no going back. And you can't tell anyone where you got it from."

"Okay." Harry still sounded doubtful. "Not that I quite believe you but let's have at it. I'm game if you are."

"Glad you said that 'cause I so didn't want to do this on my own." He passed Harry a puffer. "The instructions say to take it just like asthma spray. Deep breath out then press the button on the inhale. Ready?"

"Well don't we look like a pair" Harry commented as he raised the puffer to his mouth. "Ready, set, go?"

Callan breathed his in. "Feel any different?"

"Nah, me neither. Was worth a try though. Coming back to work?"

"You're kidding aren't you?" He gave Harry a manly hug. "Been nice knowing you mate. Maybe we'll see each other again in the future."

"What about giving notice, resignation and all that?"

Callan tapped his folder. "Says in here that they'll sort all that out."

"You're not even going to tell your old friend what your new job is?"

"Sorry Harry. Can't. Top secret. Though I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them anyway. Give my best wishes to everyone. Tell them no hard feelings. Just I'd had a better job offer and the restructure kind of decided me."

"Okay. I guess there's no lie in that. All the best Callan. I'll miss you."

"Me too. If there's a way Harry, I'll try and keep in touch. You've been a good mate."

"I'd like that."

They both turned and went their separate ways before things got emotional and too unmanly to be cool.

### 3

Seren waited in the dark, still and silent, like a statue. Someone was killing off the Lyreans who were held in stasis, deep in the catacombs of the old city. The murders were not numerous but over time she'd noted a pattern to them.

The others had put it down to some kind of cyclic power fluctuation. No one seriously believed that any of the automated protectors could undertake an act of malice towards their masters. Still. Each stasis module had a shield that protected the one weak spot every Lyrean had, the magnetic field generated by their heart. It was that field that held all the cells of a Lyrean together. Disrupt it and they fell into a pile of dust. A stasis module was specifically designed to stop any untoward electromagnetical disturbances from reaching the inhabitant inside. An uninterrupted power supply with built in fail safes ensured nothing disturbed their sleep. Because one thing was for sure. When or even if the Lyreans ever awoke they would need to feed and there was nothing for them to feed on. All the animals they'd taken underground with them had long since died off.

The sound of soft footsteps entering the room put Seren on instant alert. The assassin was here. She peered into the darkness of the labyrinth and watched. She wouldn't intervene today, she needed evidence and then the backing of the others to deal with whoever had gone rogue. Strangely, for her kind, she felt regret for whoever of the Lyreans would die today. It was her duty to protect them. Here she was sacrificing one for the many. She just hoped the assassin wouldn't choose the Maker as their target. If they did they'd discover the extra safeguards she'd put in place and they'd know someone was on to them.

The assassin walked the room, as if on patrol. To the casual observer it would look like he was just checking on them although why he'd do that without the lights turned on or even a torch in his hand would be enough to arouse anyone's suspicion. No, he was just making sure he was on his own.

Seemingly convinced he moved towards his chosen target, pointing a device she didn't recognize at the stasis pod. An electric charge shot out from the device, hitting the shielding in a dance of sparks. Damn.

Alarm bells sounded. The assassin was wise enough not to linger. The sound of multiple footsteps coming up the hall let Seren know she was no longer on her own. She stepped out from her hidey hole.

"Well?", the leader of the patrol asked her.

"It's no glitch. It's one of us."

"Did you see who?"

"It was too dark and he was too careful."

"A he then?"

"Truthfully Thallon I have no idea. We're all about that size."

Thallon sighed. "That we are. It would have helped if the maker had made us in a few more different shapes and sizes.

Seren nodded in agreement. "This is awkward you know. Who are we going to trust to tell? We can only be sure of ourselves and those of the patrol with you." At least she hoped she could trust them.

"We will need to swear to keep it secret amongst ourselves until we can rule some of the others out." Thallon looked around the patrol for assent.

They all agreed. It would have to be their dark secret for now.

### 4

Callan still couldn't believe it. He'd just been teleported onto a spaceship. He mentally scanned his body to make sure it was all there.

"Next stop Mars, destination time eight minutes. We could get there a lot faster of course but we might overshoot the planet. It's just too close."

"Leigha!" Callen exclaimed as he recognized his friend and counsellor. "What are you doing here? I've been trying to contact you for ages."

Leigha winced. "Sorry about that. Destiny sort of caught up with me. I hope it was nothing dire. You seemed to be going well last we met."

"I'm fine. I was just hoping you'd tell me Alys had called you."

Leigha gave him a sad eyed look. "You still care for her?"

"Not as a husband any more. In my heart I've let her go. I just..."

"... still worry about her and wonder what might have been."

"Yes, how'd you know?"

"To tell the truth Callan I've learned to mind read. You will too, in time. Didn't you read the disclaimer that came with the treatment you took?"

Callan shrugged his shoulders. "Mostly."

Leigha rolled her eyes. "I see. Well we'll do our best to fill you in before we drop you off at your new home. Come on. Come up to the main deck and meet everyone. I'd like to introduce you to my mate.

"As in friend or husband?"

"One and the same and so much more." Leigha actually blushed.

The seven foot pale alien with shoulder length white blond hair and visible veins of purple streaking his muscles was so not what he'd envisaged causing Leigha to blush. Trying not to gulp he extended a hand in greeting. "Thank you for giving me a lift Commander."

The alien stared at his hand as if it was a foreign object.

"Be nice Commander," Leigha reminded.

"Hmph." Triglav shook Callan's hand. "Welcome on board human."

"It's polite to use a human's name Commander." Leigha commented, a touch of humour edging her voice.

"Do I have to?"

"Should I remind you that I'm human too."

The Commander's eyes softened. "Hardly Leigha. You might have started out that way but..."

Leigha sighed, as if this particular battle had been going on for some time. "Trig, this is your communications officer advising you to be polite. We may have to entertain visiting dignitaries from time to time. You need to practise."

Callan watched amazed as the stern Commander tenderly stroked Leigha's furrowed brow, willing away her angst. Who knew the asshole could be so gentle.

Leigha choked out a laugh. "Callan! Remember what I said about mind reading."

Oh shit. "Sorry Commander. No offence intended."

"That's Commander Asshole to you." Triglav grumbled. "And you wonder why I'm not polite?" He whinged to Leigha. But he seemed less stiff and formal now. "So Callan. This is my crew." He proceeded to introduce them.

Callan tried not to look too goggle eyed as he was introduced to everyone, including three fearsome looking women who each looked like what you might imagine an Amazon queen to be.

"Atlantean, actually." Triglav picked his thought then studied Callan's furrowed brow with amusement. "Yes, Atlantis is real."

Callan took a deep calming breath to try and quell his mind which felt like it was fracturing. "It's just so much to change my thinking about."

Triglav, more friendly now, patted him on the shoulder. "You'll do alright. Go with Leigha. She'll take you down to show you engineering. That should finish blowing your mind. We'll arrive at Nova Lyrea, what you call Mars, shortly. I'll call you."

Callan followed after Leigha. They took a transporter down the the bowels of the ship. "So what's your take on my mission to Mars?" he asked, always valuing Leigha's opinion.

"Just what you've read on the file you were given. We believe life has been reactivated on the planet. We need you to investigate and tell us what is there and how we could best support it to grow and evolve. You'll also be a useful eye on the Din mining camp. Speaking of which we have a gift for you to pass on to them. Something that might stop them being a future problem for the Lyreans."

"The Lyreans, as in the previous inhabitants of the planet." Callan remembered from the notes in the file he'd been given. "I thought they died out after the catastrophe."

Leigha hesitated, as if she was holding back. "It's not for me to say but we suspect or at least hope that somewhere in the underground cities they fortified before the catastrophe they might still exist. Their descendants on Earth don't think so though. The civilisation was crumbling and the inhabitants starving when a few made a run for it. Those that escaped crash landed their spaceship in the area of the Black Sea, just as the last ice age was taking hold."

"That's a hell of a long time ago. What are the odds?"

"Not good. But then neither were the odds of survivors of that crash living until now to tell the tale."

Callan's eyes widened in surprise at the implication. "They're still around?"

"Triglav's one of them."

"Why did humans never know about their existence then? Someone like your commander is pretty hard to miss."

"Firstly, they're an insanely secretive lot and secondly they've always had the protection of the tribes in the area where they landed."

Callan guessed. "The Republic of Karpathia. It's a forbidden kingdom, much like old Tibet used to be. No-one gets in or out without an invite from the ruling high council."

"That's changed. They're a democracy now. The people still voted for their old rulers though. They hold them in high esteem. Especially since they kept the republic free of humankind's main enemy."

"We have an enemy? On earth?"

Leigha grinned. "They're on Mars too. You're about to live with them."

Callan frowned. What exactly had he been conned into. Then again Leigha wouldn't allow him to be used as a pawn in someone's game. "I thought I was staying in a human run mining camp that's hush hush. That no-one knows we have humans already living on Mars."

"They're not entirely human Callan. They're possessed. You'll be safe though. The antivirus we gave you will protect you and the fact that you're not materialistic. You need to be afflicted by a certain amount of greed before you can be taken over by one of the Din."

"Did you say Din or Jinn?"

"Same thing really. Although they've never lived in bottles or lamps. They're etheric beings that exist outside the visible light spectrum. Sort of negative thought forms if you will, that can separate from their chosen hosts to take physical form as large upright two legged reptilian creatures with heads about the size and shape of a large lion. But no mane. Mostly they stay in their usually invisible etheric form and inhabit the auras of susceptible humans they can get to do their work for them."

Callan rolled his eyes. "The reptilian conspiracy? Come on Leigha. Why would you tease me like this? I trust you."

Leigha turned and looked him directly in the eye. "Then trust me when I say they are very real. We've managed to broker an understanding with those in the Martian encampment but they're not to be trusted. They will despise you because they can't possess you and they will look down on you because you're human, to them little more than a slave species. They will tolerate your presence among them only because they need your expertise as much as we do. Everyone wants to know what's happening on Mars."

They turned the corner into engineering. A tall intimidating woman looked up from her work.

Leigha introduced her. "This is Carman and over there is her assistant 'Grey'."

Callan shook Carman's hand while his mind processed what he was seeing.

Leigha smiled. "It's alright Callan. Grey won't dissect you even if he really is an alien from Area 51. This one helped us with bioprinting a new body for one of our allies so we're giving him a lift back home."

### 5

Harry woke, tentatively. Nup, no cramps. Well that was a relief. After three days off work commuting between the bed and the loo he was well and truly over it.

He looked up and noticed his new friend was back. An unassuming grey tabby cat who seemed, for all the world, to have been playing guard-cat the last few days. He slid the window open and let him in. "Hi fella, you back to check on me again? I'm better. Come in. It should still be cosy and warm near the fire if it hasn't gone out overnight." He loaded up the wood heater the night before hoping to keep it warm in the house while he suffered through his rollercoaster of fevers and chills.

He and his friend wandered into his open plan kitchen-living room to find some breakfast. The thought of eating no longer made him green. But before he fed himself he threw a couple more logs on the fire and rearranged the mat in front of the hearth to ensure the tabby had a nice comfy spot to settle. Which it promptly did, though watching him as intently as it had over the last few days. A curious cat to be sure.

Harry decided to eat first and then make up his mind if he was going into work today. See if he held food down at first. He went to the fridge but quickly dismissed the thought of fried eggs. He certainly wasn't going to bother defrosting any of his favorite sausages to cook up. Hmm. He went to the kitchen cupboards. His sister, Samantha, had stayed a few months back after a particularly bad argument with her annoying dick of a husband. She'd left behind her gluten free muesli. He wrinkled his nose at the thought but...oh hell. He poured some into a bowl. Still looked damned crunchy and since a few of his teeth, the ones with fillings, had fallen out during his illness he didn't fancy gumming the muesli to death. He boiled the electric kettle instead and poured some hot water on the cereal to soften it. The thought of putting any milk or sugar on it sent his stomach into a spin. Sam had left some stevia. It looked no different from grains of sugar but she'd said it was healthy and uber sweet. Tentatively he sprinkled a few grains on top of the cereal. He'd add more if it needed. He used the rest of the hot water he'd boiled to make a chamomile tea. He'd been living off the stuff since Tuesday.

He took his modest breakfast over to his dining table and tried a spoonful. Not bad. But as to going to work. Hell, what was he going to do? He ran his hand over the top of his now bare head. All his greying hair had gone. All of it. Thankfully his front teeth were still intact. But what would they make of him at work? How would he explain? He'd shaved his head for charity and, oh, while he was at it he'd had plastic surgery and botox to get rid of his wrinkles. He casually flexed his right bicep. There was healthy well toned muscle where before there had only been flab and he certainly hadn't exercised while the anti-virus had worked its magic on him. Regrets. Nah. He was glad Callan had offered his spare dose to him. But what now?

Harry had always been responsible, careful, and planned for the future. He'd put up with his lacklustre job because, like Callan's, it paid well. There was really no other reason to force a healthy sane human being to sit at a desk for eight hours a day, tapping away on the computer and taking phone calls. It wasn't a total bore though. He got the odd trip away. He got to answer the minister's correspondence in high falutin' terms. He got to wax lyrical at meetings and strut around in a designer suit and tie. Ugh. Who was he kidding?

It was one thing to work at a sensible job for thirty or forty years to ensure a safe and comfortable retirement and old age but what now? He was immortal, if what Callan had been told was to be believed. Did he want to work at a desk job the rest of his very long life? His fellow inmates of the system would often joke that it was "a weary way of living but it surely beat hard work". If hard work was working at one of the interstate mines or on a factory floor they were probably right. But that only positioned his job along a continuum of desirability. In effect he was still caught by a world that said he needed to earn money and status. The real translation of that was he was a slave. There was no way he'd choose to spend his days that way otherwise. Harry scraped the last of the admittedly tasty muesli from the bottom of his bowl and determined he didn't want to be a slave anymore. He needed an escape strategy.

Escape to the country? Was that the answer? Give up his high price apartment in the city for a piece of the good life? Somehow he didn't see himself with his hands in the dirt, gardening to feed himself and hoping his investments would pay the bills. Nor did the freegan option hold any appeal, fossicking in garbage bins for society's throw outs and eating roadside herbs. He could start a business but in doing so he'd chain himself to long hours, more work and a bucket load of government paperwork and regulations. There had to be a middle option? Could he freelance perhaps? Doing what? The only skills he had were talking and writing.

Harry supposed he had some skills resolving conflicts but it was only one aspect of his job as customer liaison manager. He loved history and had often fantasized about being an archeologist, as did many others who'd grown up on the Indiana Jones movies. He was especially fascinated by the ancient Scythian and proto-Uralic cultures of the Carpathian mountains and the vast steppes North of the Black Sea. He'd made a hobby over the years of studying archeology texts, magazines and learning a modest amount of ancient writing. He could go to uni and train he supposed yet that would cost an arm and a leg. If he really wanted to exit from the system burying himself in debt wasn't the way to go. He'd leave the uni option on the shelf as possibility for the future but not now.

No, there had to be something he could do with his writing and talking. A public relations consultant for some humanitarian cause maybe. But he lacked the burning fire in his gut to do such a job justice. Perhaps he didn't have to decide right away. He had enough collateral tied up in his apartment that if he sold it and made a few wise investments he might be able to live off them indefinitely, albeit frugally. The stock market had been in freefall for some time but there might still be something out there he could invest in.

Musing he wandered downstairs to his garage, past crates of disused bric-a-brac. Time he sold or gave away that stuff anyway. He could try and sell it online but that might take a while and he was rather feeling like jumping into the deep end of his new life, now.

He eyed the draped bike at the back of the garage, longingly. The poor bike, a go anywhere BMW F 650 GS Dakar, had never been used to anywhere near its off-road rally racing capacity. Not that he was ever going to be a racer but there were places it would go that he'd love to see. Hmm. He still had a tent, a sleeping bag and a billy. Australia was a big land. With his passport and the appropriate visas he could go even further although he'd have to choose his countries carefully. See if he could get passage for him and his bike on the world's commercial vessels. Travel wasn't the safe hobby it used to be but with his usual care and planning it was possible. Maybe he'd take a self defense course too. Yeah it was all sounding plausible and held a lot of appeal. He'd only seen the bigger cities of Australia through his travel for work. What if...?

A change of oil and filter later, some new spark plugs, a clean out of the carby jets and bowl, a quick check of the tyre pressures and he was ready for a test. It didn't start first time like he hoped. He checked the battery. Dead as a vampire at noon. He'd have to go out after and get a new one. First he had some phone calls to make.

His CEO was surprised but understanding.

"Harry, maybe you just need some time off. Take some leave. You've got plenty owing."

"Sorry Sandra. That would only delay things. I'd still be coming back to work when my holiday was over."

"I didn't realise you hated your job so much?"

"I don't. It... it just doesn't thrill me."

"Maybe a year's leave without pay then, find yourself, come back renewed. It's probably just a mid life crisis. Buy yourself a red sports car and go off and see the sights."

"Better than that, I'm getting my old Beemer going"

"We'll there you go. You know the problem. I'll clear it with human resources and authorise the paperwork now."

"No, Sandra, you're not hearing me. I'm not coming back."

"But Harry. This isn't like you. You've always been a rock of stability and calm logic. Don't you think you're being..."

"Reckless. Hell yeah. Now, what do I need to give you as far as a resignation letter? Can HR deduct the two weeks notice from my leave that's owing?"

"Sandra sighed wearily. I'm not talking you out of this Harry am I? Okay, I can do that for you. Send me an email with your resignation. What about a send off? You will come in for that won't you?"

"I'll be long gone Sandra. I'll find a lawyer who can act on my behalf for any matters that need to be tied up. I'll email you with all the details when I have them."

"Okay Harry, I'm sorry to see you go but all the best. Have to say I'm a teeny bit jealous but I don't think I could ever give up the power and status I have with this job. Make it work Harry. That's all I've got to say. Make it work as an example for those you leave behind. Leave us at least the dream."

"I can do that Sandra. All the best. And thanks."

He pressed end on the call then made another to his old mate who worked in real estate.

"Want to sell my apartment Alex?"

"Are you kidding me Harry? A modern light spacious apartment like yours up on High Ridge. I'll get you a mint. I have a client on the books whose after just that. If you're serious I can have it sold within the hour?

Wow, maybe this was the universe saying he was on the right track. "Yeah. I'm serious."

"Great. Give me half an hour to contact this guy. I'll get back to you."

"Catch you then."

He ended the call just as the doorbell rang. Busy day!

He opened the front door, surprised to see his sister Sam there with a pack on her back and a bulging handbag. "Sis? Um, come in."

"He's kicked me out Harry. Thirty years of my life I gave him and he goes and runs off with some young bimbo from his office. Told me I was a dried up old prune. Blames me, if you please, for never having had kids. It was his sperm that was faulty. It had nothing to do with me." Sam burst into sobs as Harry wrapped her in his consoling arms."

As the sobs ebbed she looked up and studied him "Now tell me why the hell you look like some sexy bald actor?"

"Bit of a story to that. Chamomile?" He wasn't supposed to tell but damn, Sam was his sister.

Her brother was drinking chamomile tea? "Please."

Sam helped him in the kitchen then sat down to hear his tale.

"So you're telling me you're now immortal. Care to pass this virus on to me?"

Harry wondered if he could. "I had a dose administered through an inhaler. I'm not sure it's that easy to catch."

"Should be passed through blood and bodily fluids." Sam mused. A marine biologist before she'd up and married dickhead, she knew such things.

Harry's eyes widened. "How are you thinking you'd get those things from me exactly?"

Sam rolled her eyes. She went back to the kitchen and returned with a small but deadly sharp ceramic knife in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "Let's try shall we?" a wicked gleam in her eye. "Just prick the end of your finger and put a few drops in this glass then I'll drink it."

Harry winced. "You know I don't like the sight of blood."

Sam groaned. "Well, duh, turn the other way then. Just hold your hand out. I'll do it."

And probably enjoy it too. Harry was none too sure that Sam didn't like the sight of blood as much as he hated it but after what she'd been through today he was hardly about to confront her with that truth. She was an idealistic new ager who aspired to enlightenment. She mightn't like acknowledging any dark side. He turned away and held his breath while she did the deed. "You do realise that if you drink that you're likely to go through what I just went through." He clenched as he felt the knife on his thumb, cutting into his office soft skin.

"I'm in way better health than you were brother. I doubt it will be as bad."

Showoff. "Well don't say I didn't warn you." But as he turned back around he noticed Sam sculling her drink. Too late to caution her further. He just hoped that there was still enough of the virus in his system that it would work for her like she hoped.

He stood patiently as she cleaned and bandaged his thumb then went to answer the door bell. What now? "Alex. I thought you were going to call first."

"Oh my god, what happened to you? Ah, er sorry." Alex stuttered, obviously realising how unprofessional he was being in front of the client who was standing beside him. "Yeah I was going to but Mr Wang was most adamant he see it now. He didn't want to risk anyone else getting the property. May we come in?"

Harry extended a hand to the thirty something Chinese executive. "Mr Wang, welcome."

He ushered them into the living room then went to warn his sister. "Can you give the kitchen a wipe over while I straighten the bed?"

"Will do." She gave him a strange look but thankfully trusted him enough to get an explanation later.

Harry raced around, adjusting pillows, opening blinds to show off the view, turning pot plants to best effect. He was interrupted by Alex clearing his throat. "Don't worry with all that Harry. Mr Wang wants it. Can we sit out on the balcony and talk price. And when can you be out? He's prepared to rent it until the sale goes through. He's stuck, staying in an expensive hotel at present."

Harry thought about that. Selling his stuff, readying the bike, waiting out his sister's possible virus. And what would he do with his sister after that? He wouldn't leave her homeless. "Alex, I trust you. You go and negotiate the best price for me while I go and talk to my sister on how long we need to be here."

Sam was waiting in the kitchen, finishing her mug of chamomile. "So you're selling?"

"Er. Yeah. That was the plan. Sell the lot and head off into the wilds. But if you're needing a place to stay."

Sam's eyes brightened with excitement. "Hell no. I'm coming with you. Tell me what you need me to do. You will take me with you won't you?"

"Of course." Why not? They were as alike as chalk and cheese but they'd always been great friends as well as siblings. They'd had their share of arguments to be sure but after a lifetime of knowing each other she was his nearest thing to a best friend, after Callan. "Start an inventory on what stuff I've got lying around the place and then we'll sit down and work out how best to get rid of it, once I've finished with Alex."

As health conscious as Sam was he was still mindful that she might need a couple of days to recover. He went to see Alex and Mr Wang about a day to hand over the keys.

### 6

Those Thallon and Seren could trust gathered in the long forgotten conference room, deep in the bowels of the catacombs.

Seren removed the dust covers from the conference table and chairs only to generate a cloud of dust.

Thallon coughed then grinned. "I'm not sure that improved things Seren."

Seren pursed her lips but grinned back at him, taking the ticking off in the casual manner in which it was given. She was too focused on this meeting. It was distracting her from other things she should have been attentive too. Thankfully the cloud was settling although back onto the table and chairs and them. They didn't dare turn on the air filters to the room without alerting those in Monitoring. The others didn't need to know about this meeting.

Piroshka, Chaba, Jeno, Aranku and Laz each took a seat as Thallon uncovered the old writing board, being careful to fold back the cloth without sending another cloud of dust into the air.

"So who are our main suspects?" Piroshka asked.

Thallon started pinning pictures of the suspects on the board.

"I know I'm telling you stuff you already know but let's recap anyway. As artificial intelligences capable of our own learning and independent thought each of us has evolved over time to have very different personalities, opinions and tendencies. Scyth-29 resents that he was made for the sole purpose of serving the Lyreans. He sees us as our own species who should be treated as equals to our makers. We're not sure though that he'd go as far as killing to emancipate us. Scyth-13, however..."

"Yeah, we've noticed", commented Chaba. "He considers us superior to our makers and thinks it is they who, if they were up and moving, should serve us.

"But would he kill?" Seren asked.

Chaba wasn't sure. "He'd like to turn the tables but there wouldn't be much point if he did them in."

"Scyth-40, aka Rudol," Thallon pinned the picture to the board."Not known for forming any friendships with the rest of us. Spends his time between inventing technology to keep the city going and studying the stars. Says he's keeping an eye out for threats coming from deep space."

"He's paranoid yes, but..." Aranku started to say.

Laz groaned and interrupted, "Paranoid, a bit? You didn't get pinned by him for a whole two hours listening to his theory that the galaxy's resonance is out of balance suggesting disharmonies that would be affecting sentient species throughout it. He blames the disharmony for the rise of the Din."

Piroshka shrugged her shoulders. "How do we know he isn't right? It's not exactly something the rest of us have concerned ourselves with."

Thallon nodded. He'd asked himself the same question. "That leaves us with one other likely suspect." He pinned the last picture to the board.

Everyone else collectively groaned. "You can't be serious Thallon. Really? No way?"

"Scyth-1 is the best placed to know everything that goes on in this place. He is Co-ordinator, after all. We can't dismiss him as a suspect just because we respect him as the first made among us."

Seren grimaced. "No, but still...What about you Jeno? You haven't said anything yet."

Jeno leaned back in his chair, still studying the faces on the board then he straightened and turned his focus on those around the table. "I think that just considering these suspects places each of us in grave danger. If one of them is the culprit and they start to suspect then we're all in deep shit as the humans on earth TV say."

Chaba walked with Piroshka after they left the meeting. "What do you think Pi?

Piroshka always felt an inner smile every time he used his special name for her. Everyone else called her Piroshka or Pira for short but only Chaba called her Pi. "I don't know Chaba, I've always felt there was something wrong, maybe some low level coding error in our makeup. You've felt it too."

"I'm aware of it. But I seem to forget about it when I'm around you."

Pira leaned into his side and let him put an arm around her. "Me too. It's hard to think that one of our kind would let that unease fester within them but in their aloneness maybe they'd focus on it."

"Maybe." Maybe if more of their kind had formed deeper relationships this situation would never have arisen. Camaraderie was one thing but intimacy was another. The thought shifted his mind to other things. "Coming to my quarters?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

Chaba clutched his heart in mock anxiety as a human might. "You doubt me?" But there was a smile on his face.

Pira laughed and paused to stretch up on tiptoes, arching her face towards his. She closed her eyes and waited. Chaba wouldn't let her down. His lips brushed hers, furtively at first. Then pulling her close to him, his hands trapping her against his warm muscular body. She moaned as she met his hungry kiss. A frantic dance of give and take.

Their brief encounter was interrupted by Jeno's laughter when he caught them kissing in the corridor. "You two get a room!"

### 7

Callan studied the guard wheeling the trolley. He looked human enough but when he defocused his eyes he could make out a sickly grey green energy swirling close to his skin. Was he one of the possessed Leigha had spoken about?"

"What are you staring at?"

"N...nothing? Just getting my bearings. Impressive complex you've got here."

"That it is. Built to keep out the worst of the Martian sandstorms and its night time freeze. It has an artificial gravity that approximates earth. The air mixture is closely monitored by our indoor climate experts. We grow all our own food hydroponically."

The man was proud of what they'd built here, that was sure. "How are you able to mine outside?" Callan wondered.

"Climate controlled earthmovers, also with their own gravity simulators and electromagnetic fields to keep out stray cosmic radiation. Wouldn't want to be out there otherwise. Just one unexpected coronal mass ejection from the sun would fry us if we didn't have adequate protection."

"What if you have to go outside to fix a broken down earth mover or in my case take samples?"

"We've got protective pressurized suits for that. You do ask a lot of questions don't you?" They arrived outside a small reception area. "Stephanie, this is our guest."

Stephanie smiled at him, amicably enough. "Welcome. Sakla is expecting you. And this is the gift?" She nodded at the trolley. "It's been through security I gather?"

Suspicious lot. "Yes, they did scans and tests for explosive residue, but honestly. I'm not ready to die yet. I wouldn't bring anything that would harm me along with anyone else."

"That is good to know. You seem nice Callan. I look forward to getting to know you more." But the green eyed brunette's smile was feral, like she thought him an easy con. After Leigha's warnings he had to wonder if she was trying to befriend him so she could spy on him. Paranoid much? But then he might have to be. He wasn't a loner by nature but it was looking like his stay on this planet was going to be a lonely one.

Mr Sauros was nothing like he expected. Just went to show you shouldn't judge a host body as indicative of the demon inside. The clean cut man wore what looked to be an Italian designer suit, large diamond cufflinks, and a gold Rolex watch, but he seemed nice enough. "Mr Sauros."

"Please, call me Sakla. There's no need for Earth based formalities up here. My employees call me Sir but I see you as more of a guest. I believe you came here on a Malakim spaceship. Did they treat you well?"

It sounded like it was meant to sound. An enquiry as to whether he'd had a safe and pleasant trip but Callan suspected otherwise. The man was intelligence gathering. Not that it mattered. It wasn't as if Callan knew anything that wasn't his to tell. Even Leigha had been careful about how much she told him and maybe for good reason. "I've been made aware of the Malakim you speak of but I haven't met any. There were none on board that I know of. Commander Triglav and his crew were most welcoming though."

Sakla swore, scowling fiercely. "Triglav. That bastard. He did well then not to land here. I would have had his guts for garters."

Callan wondered what Leigha's mate had done to this man. He put out his own feelers for information. "You don't like him?"

"Sneaky, underhanded, conniving traitor."

Callan took that as a no but before he could say anything Sakla dismissed the matter. "Not your worry though. Importantly we need you to find out what's happening outside. Some primitive life form seems to have spontaneously sprung into existence. We need you to analyze it and give us your findings and recommendations on how to deal with it. You've had a lab and assistants assigned to you. You will also have a personal assistant to bring you meals, help you in and out of protective gear that will allow you to work outside and anything else you need. Whatever you want just ask him. I trust you will also find your quarters pleasant. Now." He leaned forward with barely concealed enthusiasm. "What have you brought me?"

"This, Sakla, is what its inventors call a manifestor but others have taken to calling simply a midas machine as it seems to be predominantly used to make gold."

"Gold you say?" Lust edged his voice.

"Well actually it can create any base element of substances of a variety of molecular structures. It won't produce a fully working object like a machine or a cooked meal but it will produce the raw ingredients."

"How does it work?"

"The physicist who explained it to me said it takes whatever substance you give it, breaks it down into its most basic subatomic particles and then recombines them into your desired substance. The process occurs in a shielded particle containment area within its core. That's where the magic happens. This is a small desktop model. I was told to say that the Sentient Species Alliance would be willing to make a bigger model available to you."

Sakla eyes gleamed with excitement. "Can we try it out? Now?"

"That's what this bag of sand is for. See here. You pour it in this hole. Close this. On the screen here you either write the chemical equation for what you want or if it's just a single element you're after you choose the appropriate symbol from the touch sensitive periodic table. Bearing in mind of course that some of those substances are highly volatile and dangerous. Gold should be safe to do though. Do you want to press the Au button?"

"With pleasure."

Grinding and whirring sounds issued forth from the machine. A progress dial showed a line travelling to completion as the material was processed. Then a ding, reminiscent of a microwave oven ding, sounded. "Now we open the output tray here." And there it was. Pure glistening gold.

Sakla stared at it a moment, almost seeming to disbelieve. Then he took the gold out of the tray and fondled it. "How much can it produce a day? What is the life expectancy of the machine? Do you have plans for it?" Sakla hit him with a barrage of questions.

Callan handed him the blueprints he'd brought with him. "The alliance holds the patent but they were happy enough for me to give you these. The rest you'll have to find out through use."

"Fair enough. I will give it to our best scientists". But he seemed puzzled. "What I don't understand is why they would give me this."

"You want gold don't you? I guess they thought if they gave you this you could create all you wanted without enslaving any more planets like you did earth." Callan had been briefed about Sakla's global empire he'd built up over many centuries. Of course the demon that was Sakla had lived through many host bodies during that time.

"Now now, it was hardly enslavement. Without our involvement humans would still be foraging in the forests like their ape ancestors."

And probably enjoying themselves in the process, but Callan didn't waste his energy pointing out that some of the human tribes with least outside contact were some of the happiest on the planet. "Some might say that but the fact remains you came to our planet for the gold. Would you have bothered if you could have all you ever wanted?"

Sakla frowned as he considered that. "Possibly not but we still needed a base of operation somewhere. Your planet was most pleasant."

"Was." Callan didn't want to antagonize the man but that much he couldn't help saying that much.

Sakla ignored the implication that the Din and their cronies held a large part of the blame for the current state of the planet. "Yes it is rather time we found somewhere better. I'm starting to have doubts we can terraform Mars to our liking but we will see what your findings are." Sakla went back to his work, studying the blueprints of the machine and then calling up his engineering section. Apparently that was Callan's dismissal. He saw himself out.

Another of the corporation's employees met him outside Sakla's office. This employee was notable for his brighter, cleaner aura. Where the others shimmered with slimy grey and sickly greens this man sparkled with silver and a pure emerald green. He was about to ask about it but the man frowned, slowly moving his head side to side, suggesting that was a no go. He hadn't realised any of the mining colony's inhabitants were mind readers as well.

The man imperceptibly nodded his head as if in answer to that thought then he extended his hand. "Call me Russell, I'm you assigned personal assistant. Please follow me. I'll show you to your new quarters."

"Pleased to meet you Russell." But that was the extent of their conversation as they walked through the complex in silence.

I have a lot of questions for you. Callan thought in his head.

Russell nodded slightly but kept on walking.

That the complex they were walking through was huge didn't surprise Callan. If these 'people' had to live most of their existence indoors they'd want as much under cover as they could.

After a while they came to the labs. Russell introduced Callan to the team who would be working with him. He made a mental note of each of their names, greeted them and promised to have a meeting with them as soon as he settled. They weren't a particularly friendly bunch but they didn't seem nasty either. He hoped despite their potential philosophical differences that he'd be able to get on with them. At least they seemed efficient and organized.

Finally they arrived at his rooms which were somewhat better than he expected. Only a one bedroom complex but it was spacious. Wide windows looked out onto the red Martian landscape. As far as Martian views went he guessed it wasn't too bad. Simultaneously exotic and beautiful in a bleak sort of way.

Russell jutted his chin to the corner of the room, alerting Callan to the surveillance camera and then indicated another door. "Let me show you the airlock. You'll be using it if you go outside."

Callan followed him, noticing the pressurised suits that hung on the wall. "We're not going out there now though." He still needed more time to psych himself up for that adventure.

"No, but I do want to talk to you and this is the only place I've found that doesn't have a listening device."

Callan winced at the lack of privacy. "Even my bedroom?"

"Even your bedroom."

"Damn, I hope my snoring doesn't bother them."

Russell laughed at that. "I expect they have more boring things than you to monitor. Now, let me introduce myself properly. I'm Russell Henning from the Sentient Species Alliance. I carefully wheedled my way into this job so I could be here to protect you if needs be. Needless to say my true reason for being here has to remain between you and me.

As you've already worked out I can hear your thoughts so you can let me know concerns that way. Over time you should develop telepathy yourself but newbies usually only hear their mates or someone they have a special bond with, like twins or those in a close teacher student relationship."

Okay that was reassuring. He didn't feel so alone in this place now. "And you're going to tell me about your aura. You're different from the others here." Which would make sense if he was working for the same alliance who had placed him here.

"I'm what you'd call a Din-Human Hybrid. I can shapeshift between either form. To become this way I merged with my demon through an excruciatingly painful process which also purged me of my karma. Or more precisely it made me face my demon's greed and the consequences of all its actions over the millennia as well as my human side's karma. I now serve the one who saved me."

"Someone on the Alliance I assume."

"You could say that but for my sake as well as yours the less you know for now the better. You're immortal Callan but the Din here could still torture you if they chose. I'll be careful what facts I give you but don't take it personally."

"Is that why I'm in the dark about some race of beings called the Malakim?"

Russell frowned. "Who told you about them?"

"Sakla. He said I came here on a Malakim spaceship. I got a sense he didn't like them."

"No he doesn't. Okay if you already know about them I'll tell you this much. They are the balance to the Din. The forces of light against the forces of dark and all that shit. Although the Malakim I've met have far more human traits and personalities than what you might expect from some esoteric angelic being. They're on our side. That's all you need to know for now. That and that Sakla hates them with a passion."

"Like he hates the commander of the spaceship, Triglav."

"Ah, yes, well that's a different story. I can tell you that one some time if you like. But not now. We'd best go back to the main room before those monitoring us get suspicious. Hungry?"

"Yes. Very."

"I'll go and get you something. Settle in Callan. Tomorrow you'll have your first walk outside."

Callan gulped but at the same time felt a thrill of excitement. This was what he was here for, to explore the soil and astrobiology of the planet. His long frustrated inner scientist was doing leaps and yahoos. "I'll be ready."

### 8

Harry put Sam's lunch on a tray and took it to her. He wasn't surprised to find her sitting up in bed, a laptop in front of her. She really wasn't suffering like he had was she? The loss of a few grey hairs and a rapidly disappearing number of wrinkles were the only signs she'd had anything happen to her.

Sam looked up and smiled, "Had any more sales from what I posted online?"

"I seem to have been opening the door to a steady stream of buyers all morning. You can take the TV, washing machine and exercise bike off the sale list. They've all gone."

"Oh, cool. That just leaves the beds and the fridge."

"I was thinking we might donate those to Vinnies, along with the food in the pantry and the bric-a-brac. We'll still have what we're taking on the bike, like our sleeping bags, basic clothes and food."

"Wow, yes. We're close to going aren't we? I'm so excited."

"We just need to tee up a lawyer. Not just to be an agent for our affairs back here but also to sue the pants off your ex. You want a divorce I assume."

"Hell yes. Pity I won't get to see his face when he gets served those papers but I'll be glad to be long gone. He won't have anyone to rant at. Well, the lawyer I suppose. Got anyone in mind?"

"Well strange you should ask. I found this under one of the front paws of that cat that's been lurking around." Harry passed her the business card.

Sam studied it with interest. "Well isn't that synchronous?"

"Synchronous?"

"You know, when the universe arranges things to maximum efficiency. Often looks like a coincidence but isn't."

Harry wasn't so convinced. "Lewis James Sutterfield the third, international barrister and solicitor. Sounds like he's a bit out of our league doesn't it? I think your universe has gone a bit high falutin' on this one."

Sam, laughed. "No look, it says he caters for all your legal needs. Based in Boswell."

Harry scratched his head, wondering where he'd heard the name. "Isn't that that place that got wiped out a few years back by a stray meteorite."

"And still claims to exist in some parallel dimension."

"Yeah, sure."

"Well the business card looks brand new. Let's give him a call and see if he actually exists. Pass me my mobile."

This was going to be interesting, Harry thought to himself.

"Hello, my name's Samantha Marshall, or at least that's my married name, one of many things my brother Harold Stone and I would like your help with."

"You can? Tomorrow at ten." Sam looked up at Harry. He shrugged. "Yes we can do that. How do we find you? Bring the cat? You sure? You've been expecting us? Oh, well. Yeah, just surprised. See you then." She hung up.

"We're to head out to the meteorite site tomorrow but if we take your stray grey tabby with us we should have no problems finding the place. If I can arrange the charity to do a pick up of our unsold stuff first thing in the morning that should be the last of our commitments here."

Stranger and stranger, Harry mused to himself. "I'll go and box up the last of the stuff while you ring them. Then I've got to finish a few things on the bike. Not sure it's up to leaping gigantic holes in the earth's crust but who knows."

Sam smiled to herself as she watched him leave the room, muttering to himself. Yes, for the first time in a long time she felt in tune with the universe. They were heading in the right direction. She had no doubts about tomorrow.

Sam was up before Harry the next morning. He moaned when she came in with a hot cuppa and nudged him to get out of bed. "Come on sleepy head. I know you were up late packing but the collection van will be here in ten minutes and if we want them to take this bed we'd better strip the bedding. They can take the sheets for rags if they don't want the bother of washing them. I'll put them in a garbage bag."

Harry sat up and sipped his tea. "Good thinking. And you? You feeling up to the ride this morning?"

"Hair's a bit thin but otherwise never better. Oh, and that cat's here. It's almost like he's waiting for us?"

"How the hell does that lawyer expect us to take the cat with us. It's a bike?"

"He was most specific about that. Look if he doesn't object I'll put the tabby down the front of my jacket. He's not that big."

Harry shook his head. "And if he gets spooked when I brake or turn you're the one who'll get scratched to pieces. I'll take him."

"And lose control over the bike? No, I don't think so."

They argued for a minute or so but in the end Sam won, just as the front door bell rang. "Mush mush," Sam yelled at him as she went to let the charity people in.

Forty five minutes later they stopped the bike while Harry checked the GPS. "This is where the crater should be."

"Well it's not is it, so let's keep going," Sam urged him on.

"But what if we took a wrong turn and got lost?"

"What does the GPS say?"

"That we're on the right road."

"See."

Harry shook his head and restarted the bike. It was a scenic drive, up over a high cliff top ridge and then down into a pretty valley surrounding the large central highlands lake. Past old fishing shacks. Onward through a forest of native gum trees that looked like they'd survived one hell of a fire a few years back and then on to the main town itself. Harry had expected a small town with little more than a shop and a pub, maybe an old church and a couple of other shops at most but nothing like his eyes were now seeing.

After crossing a cattle grid, over the moat that separated the town from the surrounding forest they entered streets lined with fruit bearing trees, herbs and vegetables. They skirted a large market that was in full force at the local football grounds. Harry blinked to make sure he had really seen the kaleidoscope of people there, some in tribal tattoos that covered their arms and legs like clothing, some in little more than loincloths and others who looked like plain old regular rural Aussies. South Americans in black bowler hats and colorful skirts mixed with tall North American Indians in semi traditional costume. Maoris mixed with pale skinned Nordic looking folk and others who looked to be Masai tribesmen. Where'd all these people come from? But despite an itch to investigate they continued on to their appointment. Past a variety of businesses, homes and large building complexes. The sign on one said 'Genetics Research'. Another 'Southern campus of the Karpathian Institute for Metaphysics'. Another still was labeled 'Free Energy Inc'. There was also a television station with a logo marking it as the home of the Boswell Alternative Network. Oh, and there was the postcard vintage pub he'd been expecting,'The Bushranger's Rest'. It was complete with its old hitching post and drinking trough for horses, shaded by an overgrown Cootamundra tree that was going to seed after its winter bloom.

The town seemed to be bursting at the seams with life; verdant vegetation, vibrant happy people and innovatively designed new, as well as remodelled, buildings that merged with the environment.

Harry pulled over to check the address they'd been given. A small boy wandered up. "You lost mister?"

Shouldn't the kid be in school or something? "Looking for the lawyer. Can you point me in the right direction?"

"No school today. School master's running a special event. Those of us not at it have got the day off to work on our projects. You'll be wanting that house down there. Next to school." The kid waved at them and then ran over to catch up with some friends on the other side of the road.

"He just read my thoughts." Harry muttered.

Sam smiled to herself. "I think I like this place."

They found the place easy enough after that. Sam got off while Harry parked the bike and put it on its stand. She unzipped her jacket and let the cat out, giving him a final friendly stroke before setting him on the ground. He hadn't scratched her once. Instead he'd happily peered out of the top of her jacket and watched the landscape. The cat promptly walked them both to the door. Like he was an official escort or something.

Lewis was waiting for them, leaning against the verandah post, watching their arrival. "Thanks Meta, I'll take it from here."

The cat moved its head, as if in acknowledgement, then turned and wandered in the direction of a large two story sandstone Georgian home, next to the town's park.

Harry watched amazed. "Looks like he knows where he's going?"

Lewis laughed. "Indeed. You must be Harry and this must be your sister, Sam. Pleased to meet you finally. Come in."

Sam had said the man was expecting them. But how? Why?

Lewis showed them to a large round kitchen table, covered with folders and papers. He passed a computer tablet over to Sam. "I'll need you both to give me your digital signature as authorisation on documents you need me to sign once you leave here."

Harry thought the man was getting ahead of himself. "Hang on a minute. We haven't even talked about what we need yet or what your costs might be."

Lewis leaned back in his chair, a knowing look on his face. "Divorce, home sale, someone to act on your behalf. Travel documents and visas won't be necessary but I'll explain why in a minute." He handed the respective folders over. "Just sign where I've put the red sticky tabs. As to cost, consider this on the house if you will at least listen to our offer. Once you've listened I'll do it all for free, irrespective of what you decide. Now you'll be wanting to invest your money as well. Boswell and its allies have moved past a monetary economy but we still pay for anything we bring in from outside so we have businesses that make us the necessary capital. Our financial people have prepared a couple of portfolios for you. They're businesses unaffected by what's happening in the world outside, if anything they benefit from it."

Harry perused the folder: large scale greenhouse agriculture and hydroponics, an international security firm, a firm developing solutions to protect airlines from cosmic rays during solar storms, another selling energy grid protection systems to protect against disruptions from unexpected solar flares. Yes he could see how with the climate instability, rising violence and Earth's shrinking magnetic field all those ventures might be successful. "Sounds good."

"We will of course spread your investment to minimise risks. We'll do the same with what we get from your divorce settlement Sam, if that is acceptable."

It pleased Sam that what she got out of muggins might go to do some good as well as earning her an income. "Perfectly acceptable. But what's the catch?"

Harry blinked at his sister, it wasn't like her to be the skeptical one.

Lewis seemed pleased though. "You're wilier than I expected. Okay here goes. You're both looking for a new start, an adventure, a chance to break free and explore new horizons. Am I wrong?"

"You're not wrong," Sam readily conceded. "I'm guessing though that you have something much more challenging in mind than our heading off into the sunset to see Australia and then perhaps the world. Something that's in your interests."

"Not my interests specifically but the solar system, definitely."

Harry frowned. "Solar system? Where is it you think we might be going to have this adventure Lewis?" He was tempted to call him Mr Sutterfield to express his distrust but returning to that sort of formality would have been rude after they'd already been introduced.

Lewis studied him carefully, as if reading him. "You're distrust is not misplaced Harry. What we would ask of you is no simple thing. How would you like to work for us? On another planet, specifically Mars."

Sam's jaw dropped. "Mars? Doesn't that take a trip of 180 days just to get there, exposing a person to all sorts of deadly cosmic radiation not to mention more when you get there? There's nothing there anyway. Just a bare, dead planet and a lot of fierce dust storms."

Her response didn't surprise Lewis. "Oh I assure you it is very much a living planet and evolving rapidly even as we speak. It's where Harry's friend Callan went to investigate the new life form that's sprung up there. He's staying at the established mining complex. Older life forms exist in the derelict cities around the equator. We have reason to believe they will wake up soon. There could be territorial disputes between them and the miners when they do. We're attempting to remove the mine's incentive for being there but it's a long shot."

"So the pyramid on Mars..?" Sam mused, intrigued.

Harry's breath hitched. "Sam, you can't be thinking...?"

"Oh come on brother. Didn't you say you'd missed your chance at being an archeologist? There mightn't be much call for a marine biologist on Mars but I can take notes as well as the next person. You'll need an assistant."

"Sam, it's impossibly dangerous, I couldn't possibly take you?"

Sam leaned on the table and gave her brother her very practised stare. "I'll go without you if you don't come. You have no say in what I do. You haven't since I was about nine. Callan's up there. He might appreciate my help if you don't."

"Hell!" But she was right. The thought of exploring the archeology of Mars did call to him. But there were a lot of buts. "What about the lack of atmosphere up there? Humans can't go outside without pressurized suits and oxygen tanks. One hole in your suit and your blood boils."

"I won't lie to you two. It isn't that pleasant up there. Yet. But our seer believes that will change."

Harry harrumphed, not impressed by the talk of seers, but Sam was more intrigued, though cautious. "And why would we trust this seer?"

"Because he's been on Earth for the last 100,000 years or so. He and others like him are the reason we have all this town and more. A dimension protected from the mess of the outside world."

Harry was confused. "I wasn't aware that we were in a 'different dimension' as you call it. We didn't go through any mysterious portal marked believers enter here."

Lewis checked himself from laughing at Harry's cynicism. "That was because you had the cat with you. He was your front door key. Look I'm not asking you to believe me right now nor am I asking for a decision straight away. Remember I only asked that you hear me out. Irrespective of what you decide you're going to need some self defense skills. Whether you choose to travel Mars or Earth you will meet with the dangerous and the unexpected. We'd rather have you prepared."

Sam nudged Harry. "We did discuss taking some classes."

Harry thought about it. Whatever. He wanted his sister to be safe and the best way for that to happen would be if he could not only protect her but that she could also protect herself, maybe protect even him. They were a team on this trip of a lifetime after all. "Okay. What did you have in mind? Do you run classes here in this town?"

"Yes but better than the normal classes. We've organised a three day intensive for you both."

"But I need to be home on Friday to hand over the keys to Mr Wang."

"We'll take care of all that for you." He tapped the computer tablet meaningfully. "Just sign here."

Harry reminded himself that it was just a signature to enable the lawyer to act on his behalf. He wasn't signing a pact with the devil.

That did it. Lewis couldn't contain himself. He burst out laughing. "If you think I'm the devil you should meet one of my mates."

Sam arched a brow. "One of?"

But Harry was busy swearing at himself. Damned man had read his mind. There was no denying it. This place was weird. "Okay, I'm game, at least for this self defence course. Where do we go?"

"Next door. Hideo's ready for you in the school auditorium. He's expecting you."

### 9

A young boy met them at the door. "Come in. Sensei is waiting."

Harry scanned the auditorium as they entered. Hell it seemed like half the school was here. Students of various ages, a few adults and a man at the front who stood waiting for them with an aura of quiet, immovable calm. Harry bowed slightly from the waist, "Sensei I presume."

"Welcome Harry and Sam. Thank you for entrusting us with your first day of training. I've let the school off for the day so my students could help with throwing you in the deep end of spiritual self defense."

"Spiritual self defense?" Harry wondered how that would help them in their travels.

Sam stepped forward eagerly, "Oh I've heard of this. This is the way of peace."

"Indeed. You may call me Sensei or, outside of training, feel free to call me Hideo. As you will both learn today using a physical attack or defense is rarely desirable. In most cases it should be the last resort. Adin, would you like to tell our new friends about the best defense?"

A small boy stepped forward, bowing to his teacher then turning to Harry and Sam. "The best defense is to remove yourself from harm's way by staying outside an enemy's field of action."

"Like running away, hiding or staying out of the reach of his weapons." Sam suggested.

"Exactly, but there is one thing to remember even before that", a young girl added.

"And what's that?" Harry asked, wondering why he was here being taught by this teacher's youngest students.

The girl smiled benignly at him. "I'm just playing young Harry. Actually I'm a goddess reborn to be on the planet right now. So is my sister. You can call me Crystal and my sister is Sky. We're staying as children until our mate grows up." Adin, across the way, blushed. "Now in answer to your question. The main thing to remember is that there is no enemy."

"There is no enemy?" he asked disbelieving.

"Yes. An enemy is a creation, a dream if you will, peculiar to the lower planes of existence, that takes form when a being or group of beings are disconnected from nature, each other and the source of all."

"Disconnected from God you mean?"

"No. Gods and Goddesses are definable entities like myself. The source of all defies description. It is limitless in its light, love and creative potential. Even to call it 'limitless' is an incorrect label and all labels are limiting. It is simply all. All that is, is not, might be and might never be. It is creation but it is also the space around creation. There is no boundary between the two, except in the concepts of Newtonian physics. See, your eyes are glazing over. Just call it source, spaciousness, Mu or as we do, All-spirit."

Harry was fazed but Sam got it. "The underlying principle within creation, the balance of yin and yang. You're saying enemies arise from a disharmony within it."

"From a specific illusion, a sense of separateness that leads to beings dividing the world into polar opposites of us and them, subject and object, good and evil and even into the useful but illusory opposites of yin and yang. This illusion gives rise to competition as individuals strive for what is best for themselves. To defining self and others with labels. It leads to gender inequality, a widening gap between rich and poor, racism, violence and wars. So you see the best way to fight an enemy is to remove the illusion that lead to the disharmony that created it, the illusion of separateness."

It was all too abstract for Harry. "People have been trying to get humanity to see that we're all in this together since time immemorial. What you're talking about is no quick or easy fix."

"You're right Harry but killing our enemies is just that, a quick fix that can often be counterproductive." A young woman stepped forward who looked to be in her early twenties but you couldn't be sure around here. "My hobby is gardening and I can tell you that if I chop a weed's head off it often grows back stronger than ever, sending its roots down deeper. If I pull it up by its roots I disturb the ground. More weeds rise up in its place. Instead I strengthen the surrounding plants with all they need to grow strongly plus a bucket load of love. I weaken the weed by depriving it of what it needs to thrive, like light. I might put a weed mat over it or mulch it heavily, eventually turning it into compost that will benefit nearby plants. Most importantly I don't let it seed. A seed is like an enemy's doctrine or propaganda. You can't afford for it to spread. The other thing to consider is that the weed might actually be useful, if you can stop it taking over your garden. In the garden weeds can can be a source of food and medicine as well as changing the chemistry of the soil. Weed or useful plant, it's all a matter of perspective. The very fact that there is a particular weed in the garden might alert you to a problem in the environment, showing you where the disharmony is."

Although they were more like things to consider than hard and fast rules there was a lot of sense in what she said. Though translating it into dealing with someone intent on doing him harm would still take time. "I see what you're saying but let's say for a moment a foe in front of me right this minute, having managed to sneak up on me. He's bent on hurting me or those I care about. What are my options?"

Hideo answered that. "If the cost is not too great you could give them what they want. That is by far the simplest although it may reward their behaviour. If a starving person wants you to hand over the loaf of bread you're carrying and you have another at home then there is little to be lost in handing it over. Throw it at him then run like hell in case he thinks to take more from you. But if it's a career criminal who will go on to harm others then intervention is necessary. You have to decide whether to ignore the problem or exercise your response-ability. By that I mean your ability to respond in a number of ways to the situation. First, you have to decide if you have the capacity to deal with them on your own or whether you should wait for help. Choosing the hero's path will place you in the greatest danger and that is why you're about to learn defense. Today we'll be focusing on various breaks and rolls to make your escape. Teaching you to be more aware of your environment and the dangers and escape paths in it. How to intimidate your opponent, startling them with a shout or staring them down with a confidence based on inner knowledge. Your greatest weapon will be your own connection to the all. Your ability to see beyond the perceived boundary between you and your so called enemy."

Bit of an ask for one day but he'd give it a go. "And after that?"

"Tomorrow you will learn mental and psychic self defense from two of our best experts in the field. On the final day a few of us are coming with you out to our wilderness training camp for weapons training and to learn remote area survival techniques."

Some hours later Harry and Sam were both more than happy to knock off for the day and enjoy a well earned meal at the pub where apparently they were staying.

Harry perused the menu with a certain amount of consternation. "There's no meat on the menu!"

Sam studied her copy. "The vegetable korma sounds good."

Rachael who appeared to be the pub owner's wife came over to take their order. "Decided?"

Harry winced. He didn't want to be rude and say there was no food on the menu.

Rachael must have read his mind as she laughed. "Newbies often go for the burger option. Jeff uses urid flour, tamari sauce and a few of his secret herbs and spices to give it a meaty flavor."

Hell. "Ok. I'll have that. What's to drink?"

"Just about any juice, smoothies made with coconut milk, a wide range of herbal teas or our own home brewed organic mead and cider."

"Ah..." Harry dithered

"I'll have the ramon nut coffee thanks", Sam ordered.

Sounded better than the rest but Harry fancied something to take the edge off the overwhelmed sensation spinning out his brain. "I'll try your cider. How much do we owe you?"

Rachael laughed again. "Nothing. We don't work that way around here. Everyone contributes to the community by doing what they enjoy. Jeff loves the camaraderie of the pub and I've always liked feeding people. Sure beats being an old lady living out my last days alone."

She certainly didn't seem old now. Like everyone here she looked about twenty-five-ish. But Harry now knew that was the immortality cure they'd all taken. "But, how do you pay for all the food? Who does all the cleaning and work to keep the pub going? There must be a million things you need to keep a place like this going, let alone paying for the electricity bill."

"Power's free. Our community engineers and scientists came up with free energy. Our customers who grow food bring us plenty of their spare in season produce although we've had to politely turn away the odd crop of zucchini. Our local seamstress made all our new curtains and bedding. Jeff plays with brewing the cider and mead when he has spare time, it's his hobby you see. Most of our customers help with the cleaning. The last ones in the dining room for the night usually give the floor a sweep while I wipe the benches down and Jeff cleans up the kitchen. Those staying upstairs wash their bedding along with their clothes, just as they would at home."

Incomprehensible but by the look of the spotless pub the system worked. "So no-one abuses the system?"

"You haven't read anyone's mind yet. You will in time. Let me just say that when you do you'll begin to see everyone else's points of view, their pains and disappointments, their joys and triumphs. We're all intimately aware of each other's needs so we can't help but want to make sure each of us thrives. That the town thrives and the environment it sits within does too. Don't get me wrong. It's not like some bland homogenous group mind. We're all still individuals. It's just there are no boundaries."

No boundaries? "I'm not sure..."

"It's like this. When you think of the ocean and the land where would you say one begins and one starts?"

"On the shoreline."

"But which part of the shoreline? The low tide mark? The high tide mark? Where the sand is always dry. Where the stormy sea splashes onto the land? Where the sea air nourishes the plants on the dunes?" Rachael smiled, scribbled a few notes on her order pad and went back to the kitchen as she left him to ponder that.

"You alright bro?" Sam asked.

"I feel like I'm dissolving."

### 10

Russell woke Callan with breakfast. "How'd you feel about going for your first walk out today?"

"Scared shitless but excited."

"A bit of fear is healthy. It'll make you take care and you need care. There are no second chances on Mars."

"Bloody hell Russell. I'm already scared. You don't need to terrify me further."

Yet the man had the courage to have a go anyway. Russell respected him for that. "When you're ready I'll be in the airlock preparing our suits. Oh, and you might want to use the bathroom first." Russell threw him a package as he left the room. "Then put these on."

Callan picked up the packet. They looked like spandex trunks. The label said 'Maximum absorbency garment'. "You've got to be kidding me." He stared at them with a mix of horror and amazement. It wasn't something he'd ever thought about. How astronauts did the necessary when they had to go. Bloody hell, it was the twenty first century. Hadn't anyone come up with a better solution? Obviously not.

Russell busied himself checking the seals and joints on their suits. Callan's was brand new. Custom made to his measurements. He checked for manufacturing defects but it was all good. His own suit he'd come to trust as a second skin but he still gave it a thorough check as well. He laughed to himself at all the sci-fi TV that would have you believe it was a simple two minute procedure to get into one.

After a few minutes Callan joined him. Russell smirked to himself. "You put your undergarment on?"

Callan actually blushed in embarrassment. "Yes I did. I found these garments you left on the end of the bed too."

"Good, they're part of the thermal regulation system. They'll also keep the outer suit from chafing you. Now for the next step. You need to step into the suit from the back. Then I'll fasten you in and hook you up to your air tanks. We'll get you used to breathing oxygen for the next hour or so. I'll call in one of the others to help me get suited up but I'd like you to watch and learn. You never know when you might have to assist someone else and if you get it wrong they die."

"Why do I get a sense that the grim reaper is waiting on the other side of that airlock?"

"Because he is, waiting for us to make just one tiny mistake."

It was a good hour and a half before those outer doors finally opened and Callan took his first steps onto the red dust of Mars. The thrill of it rippled through him.

Russell sensed the man's excitement. It would take some time before this one became jaded. "For your first outing we'll just head out for half an hour or so then come back." He didn't want to be too far from base in case the man had a sudden panic attack. He didn't think he would but he had seen it happen. They both needed to learn to trust each other.

Callan figured that Russell was being cautious but after all the prep time it hardly seemed long enough. "Can we at least get a look at this purple growth everyone's been talking about?"

"Only from a distance today. It doesn't seem to like either us or the old city nearby. It keeps a good distance and retreats if we go near it."

Interesting. "That sounds almost like fear or at least caution. Could it be sentient?"

Now why hadn't they thought of that? "Who knows? Hopefully in a day or so you'll be able to tell us."

They walked for about twenty minutes or so, until they got to the top of one of the mine's older tailings heaps. Old enough that it had settled enough for them to walk on. "How long has there been a mine here?" Callan wondered.

"Since at least the seventies. Sakla's private consortium established it here, even as the Americans were still mastering travel to the moon. Sakla had been mining on the moon but had to move the operation to evade detection."

"I've never seen any photos of the moon with disused mines."

"That's because they're on the dark side of the moon. There were too many people with telescopes who could see that far. They've been a bit more blazé since then. Sakla's global businesses grew more powerful than even the biggest governments. The governments knew they had to cover up his operations here or there would be hell to pay." He passed Callan a pair of binoculars. "Over there. See it?"

Callan did. "Amazing!" Outside the mine perimeter it was purple as far as the eye could see. Mars wasn't the red planet anymore.

Russell gave him a few moments, keeping tabs on the time. "Ready to go back?

Reluctantly. "I guess so."

Russell smiled at the man, pleased. Yep he had the bug to explore. He'd do alright.

Seren joined a few of the others enjoying the last of the midday warmth. Her electrical 'nerves' channelled the sunshine into each of her cells. Really she wasn't much different to a carbon based lifeform. Okay, no blood flowed in her veins. She didn't have to eat or get rid of waste. But she did need energy to power each of the trillions of cells that made up her body and to repair them. She noticed Thallon was getting a recharge too. "Anything?"

Thallon looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. "No, nothing. You?"

"Going down to the research laboratory shortly to see if I can corner Scyth-40 and suss him out. I really don't think he's the culprit but if we can scratch him from our list it would reduce our work. Takes a bit keeping tabs on everyone. It's proving time consuming." Not to mention eating into her time watching Earth's television. The new series of her favourite show was starting tonight. It was looking like she'd have to catch it on the repeats.

"Be interested to hear what he has to say. Catch up with me later and let me know how you go."

"Will do. By the way, who's watching the catacombs tonight?"

"I've given the job to Laz for the night. You deserve some downtime. You've been working your butt off on this."

"Thanks for that." Maybe she'd get to see her tv program after all?

Rudol, aka Scyth-40, was in his office when Seren popped into see him. "Hey Rudol. Hadn't seen you for a bit so thought I'd come by and say h."

Rudol looked up from his papers and frowned. "I doubt it. Other than your work nothing much takes you away from your peculiar fascination with learning all you can about earthlings. Why are you really here Seren?"

Hmm, change tack. "Heard tell you had some interesting theories on the rise of the Din. Something about an imbalance in the galaxy." Inwardly she groaned as she knew she was setting herself up for a long listen, getting Rudol on his favorite topic.

Rudol actually smiled, which was rare for the man. "Did you now? I must say it's not often anyone seeks me out about my theories. Take a seat."

Seren made herself comfortable. She listened as Rudol began to expound what he believed to be the history of their galaxy.

Eventually he got to the point, "It's all to do with the Galactic Centre."

"I don't understand."

"As you know there are many objects around the universe that emit radio waves. Binary star systems, black holes, neutron stars, supernovae and so on. Not surprising really when you consider the universe is basically electromagnetic. One of the more interesting sources of radio waves in our galaxy comes from near the event horizon of the black hole at its centre. It sends out a burst every hour and a quarter."

"I'd heard about that but I still don't see what it has to do with history or this balance you talk about."

Rudol leaned back in his chair, as if he was getting to the crux of his story and enjoying the lead up. "Let me digress for a moment. You've heard of the twelve emerald tablets of Thoth have you not?"

Seren nodded. "Some say the tablets had their origins in Atlantis but I think it is more likely they were Lemurian in origin and the Atlanteans were only custodians of them. Someone obviously saved them before Atlantis was destroyed. They ended up in Egypt. Possibly they ended up in Central America for a bit but they've since been returned to Egypt, to some library that's hidden in another dimension."

"Have you read the supposed content?"

"Not really. I only know the most famous saying from them 'as above so below'."

"Good. That's the relevant bit. You see carbon based creatures have in built energy systems that can only be perceived by individuals who are sensitive to their vibrations. They have channels of etheric light that run through nodes called nadis and major nodes called chakras. When a channel becomes blocked at one of these nodes the whole creature becomes ill."

"And this relates to the universe because..?" Seren wondered where Rudol was going with all this, unless... "The universe is like a super-ginormous being. The galaxies are its nodes and the super clusters are its chakras."

Rudol clapped his hands, delighted. "I knew you were a bright one. Now consider the possibility that our galaxy is a blocked node."

Seren didn't want to consider it. The consequences would undoubtedly be bad. "How would that have happened?"

"The radio waves coming from near the black hole. I think they're a jammer."

"What? Like put there on purpose? Who could do that and what would they hope to gain?"

"I don't know the who but I can guess their reasons are no different from any other evil entity. They want power and that comes from control. The black hole at the centre of any galaxy acts like a gateway, allowing those in the galaxy to connect with the cosmic energies of the whole. By disrupting that connection they gain control over its inhabitants, effectively trapping them in an endless round of meaningless lives. There is a surface appearance of progress. Of civilizations arising out of nothing, growing and expanding. But inevitably there is destruction, a reset so to speak. As with civilizations so with the people within them."

"It's a trap," Seren realized.

"A highly ingenious one. If I'm right the jammer sends out a frequency that generates a low level but insidious fear. Everyone affected would interpret it according to their own circumstances. Fear of mortality, lack of food and shelter, harm by others, shame, lack of prestige, loss of freedom...the list is endless."

"And this triggers the disharmony in the galaxy, perhaps even in the wider universe."

"Exactly. Making everyone see themselves as unique, separate and limited entities who must compete with everyone and everything else to ensure their own survival."

"So the evil has caused a divide and conquer situation."

"Precisely."

"Shit. That's bad."

"You believe me then?" No one had before.

"It sounds plausible Rudol. But you'll need evidence to support your theory. How could you even get such evidence?"

Rudol's eyes twinkled with amused knowing. "I already have. You see, us being the artificial intelligences we are it was a simple matter for me to write a program to block the effect of the jammer's frequency."

Seren stared at Rudol in wonder, "You tested the program on yourself."

"I did."

"And?"

Rudol grimaced, "It's difficult to explain. I know that sounds like a cop out but it is something that by its very natural lends itself more to an experience than a description."

Seren focused on the possibilities and the probabilities nothing came to mind. She just had to know. "Can you give me the program?"

Rudol's eyes widened in surprise and delight. "You would volunteer?"

"It would seem the only way to validate your results, especially as you don't seem able to even tell me. No don't frown Rudol. I'm not being terse. I understand that you're saying the results are beyond words. Let me see for myself."

Rudol nodded. He went to retrieve a data connector. "I can remove the program if you become overwhelmed."

Well that was reassuring. Not. "Let me have it Rudol."

Rudol connected the lead to her arm via a self adhesive electrode. He plugged the other end into his mainframe computer. "It will only take a second to send the program through to you but it might take longer for it to have an effect."

But Seren felt the difference straight away. At a glance she saw the expanse and majesty of all that underpinned the electric universe. "Oh my, this is... profound." She felt a weight of angst and uncertainty dissolve into clear light. She hadn't even realised the unease had been there in the first place. Stripped clean of the obstruction Seren felt light, clean, freer, unfettered.

"You struggle to find adequate words for it don't you?" Rudol was immensely pleased it had worked for her too.

"You're not wrong." Her mind travelled the threads that wove through the vast complexity of all that was. And then she saw it. "We're looking at this all wrong. The original cause of the glitch was fear. Possibly a being had a bad drug experience from eating the wrong plant. Perhaps something containing scopolamine or worse, though there's not much worse. A nasty drug trip might have disconnected them from their awareness of how they interact with everything around them. Suddenly alone, frightened and confused they may have tried to pass the experience onto others, either by drugging them too or trying to explain their new disconnected world view. If that failed they tried to impose it, denigrating what they had lost. The idea spread. As others came to feel separate and alone they too knew fear. At the vibrational level of the universe it started to take on a strength all its own. What we were just calling an evil was born out of collective fear that grew over time as more and more beings became disconnected. The entity, if we can truly call it such, is really a powerful negative thought form, as disconnected as every other part of the galaxy it's controlling."

"Ah. That explains much. This is good. You are seeing things I missed. I must admit I was entranced by everything and didn't see that level of detail."

"This would go a long way to explaining why civilizations like the Lyreans could never outrun the Din for long."

"The Din were a manifestation of the galaxy's collective fear and its resultant materialism. The Lyreans brought their connection to the fear and sense of limitation with them, wherever they tried to escape to."

"I think so." Seren was also seeing other things in the stream of consciousness now assailing her. That they were both in imminent danger. "We need to get out of here."

"Indeed. I sense it too."

"I'll cause a diversion while you get away and take your information to Thallon." Seren looked around the room for their best way out but only saw the door she'd come in. "Do you have another way out of this room?"

Rudol had an aha moment as he remembered something. "Behind these cabinets. I put them there when I started running out of room here. Never had a need to go out that way before. It goes into a disused maintenance passage. Give me a hand with these will you?"

Putting a bit of muscle power into it they shifted the cabinets out of the way to reveal a hidden door.

Seren quickly scribbled a note and handed it to Rudol. "Here, this will prove to Thallon that I believe you and also that I've ruled you out of our list of suspects for who's killing off the Lyreans."

Rudol winced at the fact that he had even been a suspect but he studied the note. "I've seen this script on Earth TV. It's in English isn't it?"

"Few of us can read it. Even fewer can write it but Thallon will understand it and know it's from me. I'll meet you both tomorrow at the southern outpost. Now hurry."

Seren pushed the cabinets back across the door after he left then she went to face their more immediate enemy.

Seren edged along the corridor. She didn't so much see her enemy as felt him. Her new senses were overwhelming her as Rudol had feared but she'd get used to them. No way would she give up what she now understood. She'd been struggling to fathom how any AP could turn on their creators. Now she knew the bigger reason. Even her kind had been subject to the glitch in the galaxy.

"I know you're there Seren. I saw you go into his office. Show yourself."

Seren kept silent, edging towards where the passageway divided.

"Do you think I didn't sense you the other night in the catacomb?"

Seren thought the voice familiar but just wasn't sure. They all sounded a bit similar. "I was just curious. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Liar."

"I know why you're doing this." Well, not really but she thought she'd suss him out. See how he responded. "You don't want us to go back to being their slaves if the Lyreans wake up now that the planet is changing." Although frankly she had always been honoured to keep the Lyreans safe. They had created her and her kind after all. But that wasn't what the assailant would want to hear.

"You might know why Seren but you don't agree. Did you think I wouldn't find out about your little meeting. You and Thallon are trusting geeks trying to pretend that you're like Earth cops. We don't need your meddling."

We? Damn. There were more in on this than they'd thought. Was there a traitor on Thallon's team? If there was then the rest of them were all in danger, just as Jeno had feared. "I mean you no harm." Nothing a little reprogramming wouldn't fix. Perhaps Rudol's program to filter out the glitch.

"You're so full of it Seren. Do you believe your own bullshit? Now step out into the corridor. The others are on their way. We have you surrounded."

Seren knew what they would do to her if they captured her. They'd undoubtedly do a little reprogramming of their own and she wasn't about to let them do that to her. There was only one route they wouldn't anticipate her taking, not at this end of the day with the nightly freeze about to descend. Knowing the assailant would be aiming at head height she threw herself forward in a roll before flinging herself towards the outer doors, just as they were closing for the nightly shutdown of the city. A bolt of electric blue hit the door frame near her shoulder but missed. She didn't look back, running instead into the growing dark.

Callan looked through the windows of his room, out onto the Martian dusk. The stunningly blue sunset was both breathtaking and eerie. The automatic thermally heated shutters would descend on the windows soon, blocking out the night time sky which was a shame but the building used everything it could to keep out the cold and the frequent dust storms.

As he stared out onto the bleak landscape of the mining camp he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. He squinted. There it was. A figure. A human? Russell, you listening in on my thoughts?

Less than a minute later Russell joined him, standing beside him, peering out. He nodded toward the airlock. "Let's go and prepare the suits for tomorrow. The air tanks need filling."

"Good thinking", Callan figured Russell wasn't keen to discuss what they were seeing where they'd be heard.

In their airlock sanctuary he was more vocal. "Let's see if we can get its attention?"

It? He followed Russell.

"There it is." Russell pointed. He flicked on a high beam torch and waved it side to side. The being saw it and turned. It was running towards them. Russell worked the controls to let it in the outer airlock.

"Bloody hell", Callan swore. "It's a woman. How the hell could she have been out there?" Like why the hell wasn't she dead, boiling blood bleeding from her orifices?

"She's not what you think Callan." Russell hit a switch to activate the intercom to the outer airlock. "I'm going to bring the atmospheric conditions in the airlock up to match ours inside. How long do you need to make the adjustment?"

"Two minutes", the woman answered. "I'll shut down momentarily."

She'd shut down? Callan scratched his head. "She's a robot?"

"Oh she's better than that. She's an automated protector, AP for short. They guard and maintain the old Lyrean city. But yes, basically you're right," Russell explained.

Callan buried his disappointment. He'd been rather fascinated by the beauty who'd turned up on his doorstep.

Russell glanced at him, amused.

Callan sighed, "Is there no way to block you from reading my thoughts?"

"You'll learn to block eventually but for now let's keep the channels of communication open shall we. We don't want the others finding her."

Callan didn't like Russell's tone of concern, "What would they do to her?"

"The Din have been wanting to take control of the old Martian cities for some time. They'd try and reprogram her so they could use her as a double agent. Failing that their scientists would want to see if they could reverse engineer her."

"Pull her apart you mean," Callan grimaced.

"Not literally. She's not as mechanical as you might think. She's made up of cell like structures just like you and I. She's rebooted. Let's go and see why she's here?"

Russell opened the inner doors of the airlock. Callan followed through, still admiring the leggy woman even though he now knew what she was. Silken hair the colour of blood plums brushed her shoulders. Her skin was pale perfection. Yet it was her eyes that startled him most. If black opals were more violet than blue they would come close to describing the color of her irises. They shimmered and sparkled, a window onto an active and intelligent brain no doubt.

She watched him with equal intent. "You're Callan."

"How the hell could you know that?"

"How indeed?" Russell wondered too.

Seren straightened up as she thought how best to explain the breadth of what she now knew from her connection to the galaxy's centre. No. Keep it simple. "I don't expect you to trust me right away. I'll have to earn that. Suffice to say I know many things," since having Rudol's program. "You're here to study the new lifeform. I can help you with that. In return I need your help. Both of you. I need some allies. Someone or several someones are killing the Lyreans that lie in stasis in the old city. They know we're on to them."

Russell sighed. "You've come to the wrong place luv. The Din won't help you."

"No, but you might."

Russell studied her earnest face. How the hell did she know he was different? But she did. "You're not safe here. You should know that."

"I only need sanctuary until morning. Even my kind can be damaged by the Martian night time freeze."

"You'll have to stay in here. And Callan and I will need to return to the main room shortly or those who monitor us will grow suspicious about what we're up to?"

"I'll leave at first light."

"And I'll come with you." Callan announced.

Russell glared at him. "You've only had one walk in that suit. You're only immortal as far as your body can repair. Make no mistake, Mars won't give you any time to regenerate yourself. You're dead if anything goes wrong. When, not if, you run out of air you're dead. You fall over in that thing you won't get up and..."

"Yes, I know. I'll be dead. My life, my choice. Will you cover for me?"

"Shit!" Neither of them had any idea what this was going to cost him but he'd been asked by his real employer, not just Sakla, to help this man. "You'd better have a plan woman."

"I do and please call me Seren."

Russell sighed again. It was getting to be a habit around these two. He opened a cupboard and cleared a few items out of it. "Get in there Seren. If the Din do a check they're unlikely to look in there."

Seren got in. She could rest standing up. Then she remembered. "Damn. I'm going to miss my program?"

"What?" Was this some kind of data program, something crucial to her well being, Russell worried.

"My favorite TV program."

"Ah, shit woman." Russell raked his hair in despair.

But Callan returned with his computer tablet. "Here, you might be able to find it on this website." He indicated, hoping it listed the one she wanted.

"You bet. Thanks Callan."

"Good night Seren." Russell closed the door on her.

"She be alright in there?" Callan worried.

"Better than you'll be if you don't get any sleep. Be ready to move at 0500 hours."

"Thanks Russell."

"Hell don't thank me. You're signing your own death warrant." His as well. But Callan didn't need to know that.

### 11

Harry and Sam met Melissa in the town's sacred circle. As the town's Wiccan high priestess and servant of the mother goddess everyone in the town revered, she had been deemed one of the best able to explain psychic protection to them.

"Why do I need protection against something I can't see?" Harry wondered out loud.

Melissa just knew he'd ask that. "That's why I asked Upal to join us briefly." She introduced one of the town's leading scientists to them. "Upal could you show them what lurks in some people's auras?"

Upal grinned. "Be a pleasure. My other side doesn't get out much."

"Now don't be afraid of what you're about to see. Upal's on our side and I'll explain how he's different from our number one enemy in a moment." She nodded at Upal to proceed.

Upal's body shimmered for a split second and in his place stood a seven foot upright lizard that would make a velociraptor look friendly.

"Bloody hell!" Harry swore.

Sam gasped.

Melissa, unconcernedly walked up to the creature. "As you can see he has forward facing arms and opposable thumbs that make him able to wield tools, including a range of weapons. He's strong, agile and well protected by his scales. Say something Upal. Don't just stand there like a stunned mullet."

"Um, hi." Upal's voice was throatier and harsher sounding than before but it was still discernibly the same voice. "Um, I won't bite."

Sam steeled herself and approached. "May I touch your scales?"

"Go ahead."

Sam stroked the scales, mesmerised.

"Just don't get too affectionate. My mates tend to be possessive."

"So your mates are like you?" Sam wondered.

"Mendal is our local spaceship engineer. He went through the same redemption I did."

"Redemption?"

"We call it the goddess's mercy. If a Din demon and his human host are agreeable to a merging she forces us to face the consequences of all our actions over many lifetimes. It's an extremely painful process but it frees us from servitude to our overlord Sakla. Through the merging we become outwardly human, mostly, retaining the appearance of our former host. But the goddess granted us the ability to still transform into our reptilian form as long as we do so to serve her. Having the immortality cure afterwards was a little trickier. It usually stops the heart of a Din-Human hybrid or any human possessed by a Din. Fortunately we have a lot of really good healers here who helped us through that."

"So both your mates are male?" Sam asked

"No my other mate is human. She acquired some of our traits when we mated with her." And he certainly wasn't going into the specifics with these relative strangers.

"But you're flesh and blood in either form. What has this to do with psychic protection?" Harry felt he was missing something.

"Before I integrated both parts my demon lived within the aura of the human host. It rarely took corporeal form as it tends to freak you humans out when you see us in the flesh."

Yeah, I wonder why? "So beings can lurk in auras? How does that help someone like me who can't see auras?"

Melissa nodded for Upal to change back and then proceeded to explain. "Actually you've had the cure long enough you should be able to see auras, with a bit of help." She passed Sam and Harry a drink each. "This won't zone you out or anything. It will simply help to clear any remaining toxins from your pineal. You'll also, briefly, see the world as I do. After waking up from the cure I found I had been blessed with very rare polychromatic vision. In simple terms I see the world in more colours that you do, both the physical and the metaphysical worlds."

Sam was game, drinking the brew down. "Tastes both sweet and sour."

"That would be the bit of tamarind I added to the brew. It helps to clear the blockages in your pineal gland."

His sister wasn't writhing on the ground in pain so Harry followed suit and sculled his down as well.

"Okay, now give it a few moments. Just wander around and look at the trees. Then come back and tell me what you've seen."

It didn't take Sam long to start seeing the energy that surrounded and seemly infused everything. "Magic!"

Harry looked around himself, expecting nothing, only to be confronted by a large winged humanoid being staring back at him. "Far out."

Melissa looked where he was looking. "Eadaoin. You've shown yourself to him?" Eadaoin rarely bestowed the ability to see faeries on humans.

"He's as brainwashed as the other one we recruited but he does amuse me."

Harry looked down at himself, wondering if he had mismatching socks or a bit of fluff in the wrong place. "I amuse you?"

"Who are you talking to Harry?" Sam quizzed, not seeing what he was seeing, more like a kaleidoscope of vibrating light.

"A faery I think."

"No ordinary faery Harry." Melissa decided to do the introductions as Eadaoin was unlikely to. "Harry, Eadaoin. Eadaoin, Harry. Eadaoin is queen of the faery realm which she protects along with her spouse Ogham. Harry is the..."

"The budding archeologist we're sending to Mars." Eadaoin looked him up and down, studying him. "He'll do." Then she vanished.

Melissa coughed. "You'll have to excuse Eadaoin. She hasn't always liked humans that much. That she showed herself at all is like a major thumbs up."

So he'd impressed the faery. He couldn't see why. He wasn't special. Did he even really care. "What about you sis?"

"I didn't see her but I do see an astounding interplay of colour and vibration. Everything is light. It's amazing. I guess this is only until the brew wears off." She sounded disappointed.

Melissa studied her for a moment with slightly defocused eyes. "Maybe not. Part of being able to do anything is knowing that it's possible. You may be able to cultivate it and switch it off and on as you want. Just leave yourself open to the possibility. Right now tell me what you see around Upal."

"Clear silver and dazzling emerald."

"Silver shows someone who is awakening to the cosmic mind. It's also the color of abundance, both spiritual and physical. Green is common among shapeshifters. It shows a love of animals and nature generally. Someone down to earth and heart centred. Notice also the bright yellow near his solar plexus, indicative of someone with high intelligence and a playful nature. Pre Upal's transformation all these colors would have been muddier. A murkier green would have indicated defensiveness, jealousy and greed. Grey would have indicated fear with a resulting need to conquer and survive at all cost. A dark yellow would have indicated someone trying to learn everything at once, pressured by time. Mistakenly feeling himself stupid."

Upal shrugged. "Yeah, that was me alright. Had to know it all or I feared someone would think I was dumb. My intelligence was my key to survival. Anyone who doubted me was a threat. It made me bad to work with at times. A greed for knowledge is the same as any other greed."

Harry understood. He'd worked with some like that. "Glad you changed."

"So am I. Well I'll leave you in Melissa's capable hands. I've got work to get back to."

They wished him well. "Seems a bright man." Sam noted. "What's he working on?"

"I think he's probing the akashic field, the universe's source of all knowledge, for hints on a unified field theory. Some holy grail in the field of physics. Trouble is what you get out of the akashic field is only as good as the questions you put in. He has to find the right questions. It might sound like he's still trying to know everything and he is. The difference is he's now seeking that knowledge for the benefit of others."

"Wow." Sam was impressed. "So how does one access the akashic?"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "We're getting off topic. I'll find someone to show you before you leave us. Now that you've seen that there are unseen things out there let's discuss protection. Protective circles 101..."

By the time lunchtime came around both Sam and Harry could generate personal auric shields and cast bigger fields to keep out etheric nasties. Melissa gave them each a quartz crystal pendant for good measure. After lunch they were met by a mysterious man who looked like he'd just walked out of some ancient Tibetan monastery. Sam bowed involuntarily. Harry followed her lead.

"No need for that you two. I'm no more or less than you or indeed that tree over there. Now let's get to it as I gather you don't have a lot of time."

They didn't even know his name but they listened.

"Sound can be used as a weapon, an instrument of healing or for building purposes such as moving the very stones beneath your feet." To demonstrate he pulled a simple bone flute from beneath his cloak and played. Stones all around them rose into the air then slowly descended.

Harry was getting so used to strangeness that he didn't even bother to check if there were invisible ropes attached to the stones. He just knew this slightly alien looking man, with the high brow, almost conical head and slightly almond shaped eyes, was the real deal. He shut up and watched.

"Sound can not only levitate and move objects it can also clear a space of bad influences." He placed a series of wrapped objects onto the ground. "Don't touch these." He was careful not to touch them with his bare hands as well. "Sam, I believe you may be able to see energies around these."

How did he know the effect hadn't worn off after the drink Melissa had given them. Sam shrugged her shoulders. Whatever. She defocused her eyes and peered at each, restraining the urge to touch them out of curiosity. One had a particularly powerful pull. It called to her but she wrapped her auric shield more strongly around herself. That helped. She pointed to the culprit. "That one. It oozes black. It's like it's pulling light in from its surroundings."

"Indeed. It was used by a particularly nasty sorcerer. A small ceremonial knife used to sacrifice his victims so he could obtain power. He'd been corrupted by the desire to quickly gain psychic and metaphysical power without the usual work of developing his soul. He wanted power over others, to gain their love and adoration as well as their riches."

"Sounds like a bit of a cult figure hungry for power and fame."

"Indeed. But you don't need a sorcerer to create such dark energy. If you are consistently afflicted with greed, fear and hate any object you regularly use will become infused with your energy."

Sam cringed. "There could be many things like this out there, just waiting for people to touch them."

"And in doing so they catch some of the energy. As spiritual warriors you must both be careful of what others give you. Look with your auric eyes. Feel with your heart. Stay alert for danger. It doesn't mean you can't accept gifts but use caution. Now let's clean this." He arranged some further items on the ground. A pair of cymbals, a small metal bowl and a wooden stick. "You won't have consecrated water, that is water infused with love and adoration, where you are going so you won't be able to wash such an object. You can visualize your own love, projecting out from your heart, encircling it and washing it but that relies on you being spiritually well developed and, well", he studied each of them. "Not yet. So this leaves the three Ss: sunlight, salt and sound." He took up the cymbals, held them over the knife and moved them in a way that made them clang together. A bright vibrant sound issued forth. "What do you see now Sam?"

"Still some darkness there but diminished."

"Exactly. And that is something simple you can do with no training but if you are open to it you could also try asking the spirits, the gods and the goddesses, even me to help you. Imagine me in your mind's eye. Open your heart to receiving help. Now hold your hands over the object. Imagine you are receiving light from me, it is channeling through your heart then streaming out through your hands towards the object."

"My hands feel hot."

"They will. Now clap your hands together to dispel any residual energy and give thanks. What do you see now?"

"There is no dark energy around the object. There is only a clear luminescence. It's like it's a blank slate."

"It is. You may pick it up. It's yours now. Whenever you have need of my help you may handle it and remember what happened here today. Although I would ask that you use this knife henceforth as an amulet for protection rather than an instrument of harm as it now has a link back to both of us." He passed her a thin rope. "Put it onto this and wear it around your waist."

"What about the bowl?" Harry asked, curious.

"Ah, this I brought along to cleanse your chakras. No offence but you both still vibrate with some of the illusions and ignorance of the outside dimension. May I?"

Harry wondered what he was about to do but gave permission anyway. "Sure."

The man picked up the bowl and the stick beside it. Ever so slowly he started to move the stick over the circumference of the bowl. At first there was a barely audible sound but it built in strength until the sound was ear-splitting.

Harry fought not to cover his ears. It was like the sound pierced him through. When the sound finally stopped he felt clearer, like a thick fog had been moved from his head and body. "Thank you. Um. I don't even know your name."

The man dismissed his request with a gesture "Names are just labels. Call me your guide if you must. Even that is one label too many." Then he vanished into thin air, leaving Harry and Sam staring at the place where he'd been.

### 12

Russell stopped at the receptionist's desk. She looked up and sneered. Stephanie had never forgiven him for ignoring her advances. Not that she didn't try it on with everyone. No one could deny she was beautiful. It was just that overwhelming sense of evil that kind of put him off. But as one of the few women stationed at the mining camp she was a much sort after commodity and she knew it. Trust her to want the one man who showed no interest in her. Now she was savoring his imminent demise.

"He's ready for you", she chuckled with glee. "You can go in."

Russell braced himself. This was not going to be good. He pushed the heavy armour plated door open and entered.

Sakla glanced at him with one appraising eye then went back to checking the latest earth stock market figures on the net.

Russell stood at attention, feet slightly apart, and waited. He hoped like hell that Sakla's many global company stocks were on the rise.

After what seemed like a good half hour Sakla closed the lid on his laptop and turned his attention on Russell. "You've disappointed me Mr Henning."

No surprise there. "I'm sorry Sir." The question was what would the consequences be?

"Why is it that I have a missing astrobiologist? A biologist, I might add, whose safety I personally assured."

And Sakla didn't like to lose face, ever. No not good. "I don't know Sir. When I went to his room this morning he was already prepping for a walk like we'd planned. Then I was knocked out from behind."

"And yet there is no mark on you."

Shit. Oversight. "It felt like a taser or something electrical Sir. I had very little time to process what was happening before I lost consciousness."

"Hmm. So tell me Mr Henning. How does a biologist with almost no experience then finish suiting up for a walk and disappear?"

"I don't know Sir. I assume whoever hit me finished preparing him and then abducted him."

"And in none of that time he saw fit to press the panic button to alert us to his danger."

"I assume he was restrained Sir or the assailant threatened to do something to me that pressured him into complying without resisting."

Sakla studied him intently, no doubt trying to read him. But Sakla was no mind reader and he couldn't see auras. Some small blessing. "I have a problem Mr Henning. You see your behaviour at this camp has been, how should I say, notable by its very nature. You don't gamble at the mess. You don't participate in any of the power cliques that I know operate here. You do your job and, at least until now, you did it well. There's something wrong with you Mr Henning. You do not exhibit any of signs of fear or greed, both of which normally drive my employees." He leaned back in his chair and waited. "Nothing to say?"

What could he say? He'd stuffed up. He should have shown more animosity and avarice to those around him. He'd thought he'd been careful with his cover but he must have slipped up as he'd settled in. He hadn't acted his role well enough and now it looked like his cover was blown. Except, "You know how it is Sir. I was watching how things ran here, who was who, weighing the odds so to speak before I threw my lot in with one of the cliques." As any good psychopath would do. Make them think you're harmless then make your play for power. Sakla would understand that.

Sakla frowned. "Maybe. But my gut says no. We'll put together a preliminary search party for the biologist, for his body I suspect. In the meantime I'm sending you down to Roland to see what he makes of you.

No, hell No. Not Roland. "Sir?"

Sakla pressed the intercom on his desk. "Send in the guards."

Two burly officers arrived. Heavily muscled with no discernable necks. More than capable of tackling Russell. Stuff it. One he could have handled but two? The cold steel of handcuffs locked his arms behind his back.

"Make sure Roland understands I don't want the prisoner destroyed, yet", he added after an effective pause. "I still might have use for him. And I want a full report on any intel he manages to extract.

The guards saluted. "Yes Sir." and left, pushing their reluctant captive in front of them.

Any amount of time with Roland would seem an eternity, more than enough to break his will and his mind even if Roland followed orders and restrained himself from breaking his body. Goddess hear me. I'm in big big trouble. Russell mentally shouted out to his employer, hoping somewhere back on earth she could hear him. Did her influence even extend as far as another planet? Could she mind read that far? She was the Earth's guardian but what did that mean here on Mars? He'd never wondered about the extent of her powers until now.

Callan stumbled as he struggled valiantly to keep up with Seren.

Seren saw his fatigue and frowned. Damn. She'd forgotten humans were weaker than her kind. They were nowhere near where she'd wanted them to be by this time of the day. But she had to be patient. Things would work out as she had seen. Wouldn't they? This seeing of potential futures didn't come with an instruction manual "Not far now Callan. Another hour at most and we'll be at the outpost we're heading towards."

But what then Callan wondered. He glanced at the gauge for his air tanks. Still plenty but... "What happens when I run out of air Seren? You got more at this outpost of yours?"

Shit. Seren didn't feel comfortable lying. The resistance to doing so was well embedded in her programming. But she'd already seen into the immediate future. The atmosphere wasn't going to be a problem for him. The thing was he was going to have to, well, pretty much die first. At least as much as an immortal could die. "You'll be fine Callan. I've got you covered."

Callan nodded and plodded on.

Seren sighed with relief. Then it happened.

Callan fell a second time. This time catching himself on a rocky outcrop. He didn't see the microscopic tear in his suit's fabric but he felt it soon after. "Um Seren. I don't feel so good."

Seren stepped over to him and inspected his suit, running her hand over the material. "There's a tear. Tiny but..."

"Oh god." Fear seized Callan. "Is there anything you can do? You know, like some miraculous AP super powers?" he asked with faint hope. He really didn't want to melt into a puddle of boiling goo as his suit inevitably depressurized.

"Not me but there is one who could."

Hope sprang a new. "Who? Can we get to them in time?"

"It's there." Seren pointed.

All could see was the vast expanse of purple that was the life form he'd come to study. It had kept its distance as he and Seren had journeyed through it. Like it was wary. "You're kidding. Right?"

"No. There is no other way. I've seen all your potential futures and they all come here."

"You knew this was going to happen?" Callan felt betrayed. God dammit, he'd trusted her.

"I'm sorry Callan. It was necessary for the greater good. You'll forgive me when you understand. I've foreseen that too."

He doubted that he'd be so gullible a second time. Oh right. He wouldn't get a second time. In desperation he touched his suit, where a small wooden amulet hung from his neck. "Eadaoin, if you're as good as your promise..."

"You doubt me human." Eadaoin instantly appeared before him, glaring.

Wow that was quick. Obviously time and space meant nothing to Eadaoin. "No, well not exactly. It's just I'm expecting to die any minute so I'd sort of given up hope. Forgive me?"

Eadaoin smiled. "Honest aren't you? I knew I liked that about you."

"Who are you talking to Callan?" Seren asked, wondering if Callan was becoming delirious.

"I'm talking to the Queen of the Faeries."

Seren frowned. Was he alright? She hadn't foreseen this particular detail. "Oh, fine. What does she say?"

Eadaoin touched Callan and a wave of reassurance washed over him. "Fear not Callan. You are about to meet your destiny. You wanted to study this life form did you not?"

"I did." He still wasn't sure how the life form was going to help him.

"Tell your companion to throw her self destruct away. The purple stuff as you call it will then approach. It fears its power. It was injured before when one of her kind panicked and blew themselves up."

"She says to throw your self destruct away Seren, whatever that is."

Seren wasn't happy about doing that. She had to consider the risk she might pose to the old city if the life form penetrated her as it had Antal. But time was limited. She had to trust in the vision she had seen. She eyed a barren patch of ground where there was none of the life form and threw the bracelet there. A loud explosion ensued.

"Shit. You might have warned us." Even through his space suit's helmet the reverberations of the blast had rattled his ear drums.

The purple stuff made its move, swarming around them, flowing like liquid over the ground.

"Offer yourself to it Callan." Eadaoin instructed.

Callan wobbled, feeling woozy. His time was running out. "How do I do that?"

"Sit down and hold your hand out to it. It learned from its first encounter with another life form not to make contact uninvited. It needs to know you are willing."

How did you go about sitting down in a cumbersome space suit? Somehow he managed.

"Let it sense you," Eadaoin urged, also acutely aware time was ticking for the man.

"Greetings friend. I mean you no harm," Callan joked. If he couldn't joke when facing death when could he joke?

But the truth of what he said was there and the lifeform sensed it. Cautiously, at first, it flowed onto his glove. Sensing no danger it hurried its advance. Covering Callan.

"I can't see," Callan complained from underneath the mass of purple.

Seren, who still couldn't see the faery he'd said he was talking to did her best to reassure. "Don't worry about that. Trust it. Offer yourself to it. It needs you as much as you need it."

How the hell was something akin to a slime mold going to either save him or benefit from him. Whatever. He was out of options. "Friend. If you can understand me let's form a partnership. You save me and I'll help you in whatever way I can. Fair deal?"

The slime answered by dissolving his suit.

"Oh hell." He could feel it on his skin now. But he wasn't boiling. Well that was a plus.

"Everything's going to be fine Callan. Yield to it willingly," Eadaoin coaxed.

"What's it going to do to me?"

"Damn it Callan. There's no time. Yield. Trust me." Eadaoin ordered.

"Okay, okay. I yield."

The slime took that as a yes and... ate him.

Callan had one split second to wonder whether being eaten alive by slime was any better than boiling alive in the Martian atmosphere. Then he dissolved, screaming, as the slime incorporated him into its mass.

The guards delivered their gift to Roland. "Remember the boss says to keep him alive. For now. I think he means to gift him back to you later for final processing."

"Excellent." Roland rubbed his hands with glee as the guards secured Russell to the whipping post. Hoisted so that his feet barely touched the floor. "Good, you can go. Knock three times when you want him back."

One of the guards eyed Russell with almost pity. Perhaps he was worrying about ending up where he was. "We'll be back."

"Take your time." Roland bolted the heavy steel door behind them. No soft hearted fool would be intervening in one of his sessions. Though the screams alone might tempt them.

"So Russell. You've caused our great master to doubt you. Why is that?" He caressed the prisoner's smooth unmarked back. He shivered with delight as he played through his mind what he would do to it. Or at least as far as he could go for now. Damn them for putting a limit on his fun. But he'd get the man back eventually and wouldn't that be marvelous. Yes he would enjoy the final conquering of Russell Henning.

Russell flinched at the man's touch. "I didn't do anything."

"Come now. Our master is never wrong." Roland perused his weapons of destruction and chose a medium flogger. Hard enough to warm up Roland's back but not light enough to give him any false sense of hope. "You do realise no one will help you here. I can do whatever I want with you until those guards come back."

Russell's gut clenched. "Sakla said you're to leave me alive and in one piece."

"Oh I can limit myself to doing that, for now. But there is much I can do within those parameters. I'll leave just enough skin on your back but there's oh so much I can do with a knife, a thumb screw, piercings or even branding perhaps. Would you like me to play with my toys on you Russell."

"No."

"Oh dear how sad. You are my plaything for now and I can do what I want whether you enjoy it or not. And when you eventually return to me, as you will, then I will reduce your body to a ragged weeping, flayed eyesore. Oh, but that won't be a problem because I'll take your eyes with a hot iron I think. As for your ears I'll slice them off. Your fingers too, one by one, then your arms. After I have fully conquered you Russell I will take my little souvenir." He circled the base of Russell's cock with a blunt knife blade that drew no blood but would mess with the man's mind anyway. Always enjoyable to toy with his fresh victims. "For now though, sadly, I must refrain. So, let us begin shall we and see how much you can take and still live and, well, relatively sane. Tell me why Sakla doesn't trust you."

The flogger fell on Russell's back and he took it with a grunt but he had no time to mentally regroup before it fell again and again on his shoulders and buttocks.

"Who are you?"

"Russell Henning." He didn't know why he bothered answering. The outcome would be the same. Roland wasn't about to stop his fun. He never did. The man enjoyed torture first and foremost. Extracting confessions was purely a byproduct for Roland. He was well known for extending his 'fun' well past a confession. No the man was evil at its worst. He enjoyed what he did. Reducing healthy grown men to incoherently whimpering mindless masses of blood soaked raw meat.

But even the ability to ponder the psyche of his tormentor ebbed away as Roland upped the ante. Going first for a cane, then a bullwhip.

Roland pulled his arm back and let Russell have it. "Tell me!"

Russell's scream exploded from the depths of his being as the whip cut deep. Rivulets of blood ran down his back. Somewhere in the vestiges of his sanity he cried out mentally to the goddess he served and hoped he didn't speak her name out loud. Save me.

I'm here Russell.

She was here? He panicked. Don't let Roland see you.

A metaphysical hand brushed his head. He can't see me. I am outside the visible light spectrum at the moment.

Russell relaxed at her touch, momentarily forgetting his pain.

You could teleport away. You know that don't you Russell?

And give up my cover? You asked this job of me. How could I not do my best?

Your best is enough Russell. You don't need to suffer through this. She sighed. Sometimes obeying the Malakim first law not to intervene with free will weighed heavy on her. Now was such a moment. Couldn't she at least give hope in reward of such loyalty. You will survive this.

That had been what he needed to know. Russell lent his head into her invisible hand. Tell me how not to yield to him. I don't want to be the one to blow our operation wide open.

You won't Russell. She pondered his agony. There is a way to ease this if you're willing.

How?

Be with the pain.

Be with the pain?

I'm not asking you to like it Russell. You're no masochist. Just be with it. Allow it. Stop resisting it. See where you go with that.

Russell processed that, confused. For a moment he thought she had gone. Don't leave me!

I'm here Russell, I won't leave you but if I release you it would have the same outcome as if you teleported away. I can do it if you ask me to. I won't ask this torment of you. It's your choice.

As long as he doesn't do anything irreparable.

I'll stop him before he does. Even if it meant breaking a cosmic law or two.

Okay then. Be with the pain.

Be with it but as if it was just a very bad dream Russell.

The bullwhip sliced into his back again. A new wave of agony rolled through him. This time he rode the pain, neither avoiding it nor enjoying it. He just watched it. He became the mind that was watching it.

Mentally chant to yourself Russell: 'This is a dream. This is just a dream.' The Earth's protector goddess instructed. Know that I'm staying with you Russell. I won't let him hurt you past what you can heal. The rest is up to you. Now chant.

This is a dream, this is a dream... The chant unwound in his mind. He become one with the sound of it, drifting into light and time ceased to be.

In the torture chamber Roland swore and paused. "Bloody hell. I've never had a prisoner zone out on me before." Perplexed he hit Russell again and again, hard. Meat and muscle showed beneath the oozing blood yet Russell gave no response. He simply wasn't there. Roland threw the whip on the ground in disgust. Short of gutting the bastard, and Sakla wouldn't appreciate him doing that yet, there was nothing he could do. Maybe when Russell came to he could continue but for now his efforts were wasted. He gained no pleasure without a victim's screams. He unbolted the torture chamber and called the guards in. "Take him away. He's no good to me as he is," Roland declared in disgust.

The softer hearted guard scowled at Roland. "What the hell did you do to him Roland?"

"Mind you tongue scum or I'll add it to my collection."

The guard backed off which pleased Roland immensely but sadly he had to admit, "I can't take credit for the state he's in. Bring him back to me when Sakla's finished needing him." He still wanted his souvenir.

In a hurry to escape the madman in the room the guards quickly took Russell down and rushed him to the infirmary.

The infirmary doors pushed open as the guards wheeled the prone body in.  
"Who we got?" Dr Ulv Johansen took the rimless glasses that rested on his head and put them back on his nose.

"Russell." The kinder of the two guards replied. The other just grunted.

"What happened to him?" But as the guard lifted the non-stick sheet from Russell's back he knew. "That bloody bastard Roland." When would they be rid of Sakla's bogeyman? He turned to his assistant. "Set up an IV Ilya. Russell's going to need fluids."

"Do you need a hand moving him Sir?" The guard asked.

"No. It will be less traumatic for Russell if we don't. We'll leave him on the gurney. You may leave."

He left.

"Ilya bolt that door and do another sweep of the room for bugs and hidden cameras please." It was a requirement of the working conditions he demanded of the mine's boss that he wasn't spied on where he worked but he didn't trust the bastard.

Ilya checked with the high tech detectors that engineers at Boswell had supplied them with. "Nothing Ulv. What you planning? These wounds are very deep. Do you plan to stitch them or cauterize them."

"Neither. Russell deserves better. He's not one of them out there. Although I doubt he knows we know. We work for different bosses. No I plan to use a technique the first lady of our country showed us. Get that IV into him while I get a stool. I'll need you to make sure I don't fall off it when I go into a trance."

"I'll watch you boss."

Ulv just hoped it would work. It would be better if he knew why Russell was comatose? It was a blessing that he was as it had probably stopped Roland making mincemeat out of him but what of his mind? Was the man still sane? Extreme agony could destroy a man as readily as having his body cut and sliced.

Ulv washed his hands, donned gloves then settled onto the stool. He placed his hands on what little unmarked flesh he could find. Then he closed his eyes. Adelaide, the first lady of Karpathia, the land he'd adopted as home, had said to visualise whatever he wanted to heal as already healed. Make it real in his mind. At the same time he had to make a connection to the patient, opening his heart to them. He did this. Sending Russell waves of compassion and love. Mentally telling the man he was safe now. If Russell was still sane he would hear him.

Russell rested in infinite peace, bathed in limitless light.

You're safe now Russell. Come back from wherever you are.

Go back? To pain. To horror. To the demands of a long term cover job where he was surrounded by evil on a daily basis? Doc, is that you? He recognized the voice of the stiffly formal yet caring doctor. He'd seen the man work miracles with those injured at the mine. Was the doctor with him now?

Call me Ulv. It's time we became friends. I think you've earned a break from all the shit in this place but for pity's sake come back so I can finish healing you.

It's too much Ulv. He cut too deep. I don't know that even my body can regenerate this. I'm better off here.

Ulv snorted. So little trust in my skills. You're not leaving this world on my watch. And anyway, you're immortal. Or at least I'm guessing you are. Now come back or do I take you for a coward?

Ulv was goading him. Trying to get him annoyed and fighting. Well, damn it, if the man wanted a fightable patient on his hands. You'd better not be messing with me.

Is that a yes? Ulv asked.

Damn it. Yes.

About time. Ulv channelled light through his hands, into his hands, into Russell's torn body. The light wrapped around Russell's soul and Ulv pulled. As he did some of the light of Russell's safe place stuck to them both.

Russell felt like he was being yanked from a womb, a nice safe womb. But he had to admit he wasn't hurting. How was that? He rolled over and opened his eyes furtively, hoping like hell his mind wasn't messing with him and he was somehow still in Roland's chamber. A bright light shone in his eyes. "Switch the bloody torch off Ulv."

Ulv held up a finger. "How many fingers do you see."

"One."

"Any pain?"

"None." And wasn't that a surprise. Tentatively he sat up and reached behind. No cuts? "What did you do Ulv?" But that sounded ungrateful. "No matter. Thank you."

Ulv absently pushed his slightly loose glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "This is good. Especially since you work for the same cause as us."

Russell glanced around the room, looking for cameras.

"There are no cameras or bugs in here. Ilya double checked. You may speak freely my friend."

Russell would have been happier if he'd done the check himself but these two seemed competent. He might as well trust them since they'd just saved his life. "You work for the Earth goddess?"

"No, we work for Zakar, the president of the Republic of Karpathia. He wanted people up here to keep an eye on the place but none of the Lyreans could come so he sent the two of us."

Seven foot high, white haired, purple veined Lyreans would have stood out for sure. "You're shapeshifters?" He guessed

"Of the wolf clan. We protect the Lyreans on Earth as they have always protected us. It has always been a mutually beneficial arrangement. Now tell me where your mind was just now? It was almost like you'd passed over." Ulv was ever curious.

"To be honest Ulv I'm not sure. The goddess communicated with me and told me how to go there but not what it was. I was beyond the material world. It felt like the light was something that protected me and yet, at another level, was me. It felt like home. I think if you hadn't come for me I might have just stayed. Time, place, matter, none of that seemed to exist there."

It sounded to Ulv like the guy had transcended even the act of passing over. He'd heard tell of something like this once before, from the Shang who taught at his country's Institute of Metaphysics. How much should he tell the man of what he suspected. "I think you might have leapfrogged a few spiritual evolutionary steps Russell. Might be best if you keep an eye on yourself for the next few days incase you have any unexpected side-effects.

Russell worried on that for a minute but then shook it off. He didn't feel any different. He was still flesh and bone. And hungry as hell. "Any chance of getting this IV out and getting something to eat."

Ulv could tell his caution had been dismissed. He shrugged. No matter. The man was well. Now to keep him that way. "Let me first thoroughly cover your back in bandages. We don't need the bastards knowing you're healed. Ilya, could you get me that batch of dye I made up. We'll need to make it look like his wounds are seeping."

"Sure thing Ulv."

"And put a little sedative in his drink. I want him groggy."

Russell arched a brow, "Don't trust my acting skills Doc?"

Not one bit. Sakla had seen through Russell's guise. Others might too. "Just not taking any chances. We've keeping you in here as long as we can. After that you're back on your own."

Russell wasn't sure what the future would bring but it was nice knowing he had two more people he could trust. Thank you goddess.

Don't mention it. Came a faint but reassuring reply.

### 13

On day three of their whirlwind self defense course a guy named George turned up outside the pub in a Hummer to give them a lift out to the training camp. The jovial guy was a bit of an enigma. African to be sure. Sudanese perhaps. George spoke with a pure uppercrust Oxford English accent but was seemingly happy to play chauffeur.

"Hop in. I don't get much of an excuse to take one of the cars out these days so I've been looking forward to this."

"Don't people around here drive?" Sam asked.

"No need. Everyone around here can teleport themselves using a meditative technique called non-local travel. You're now capable of it too but it may take some time for you to get the gist of it."

Harry put his seatbelt on as George started the engine and put the Hummer in gear "Non-local travel? Sounds like an oxymoron for long distance travel."

George laughed. "Suppose it does. Actually we travel through something where there is no defined location - hence the non-local. No location, no GPS coordinates, outside space and time. You go into it from here and then pop out where you want to be. It's the non-local bizzo in the middle that does the magic. You can even time travel but I wouldn't advise it."

"You could mess with the timeline," Sam guessed.

"Exactly."

"You seem to have a good handle on the physics of it." Harry noted.

George nodded in the rear vision mirror. "My job. I'm an engineer."

"Who likes cars," Sam guessed.

"What's not to like."

George gave them a run down on much of the town and its workings as they drove out to the camp. When they reached the top of a rise he brought the Hummer to a stop for a moment. "You might want to hold on to something. Get's a bit steep down here."

Steep was not the word. Now Harry understood why the man had brought them in an all terrain vehicle.

When they reached the bottom of the drop the road leveled out into a basin. "This is a crater but not the one the town supposedly became," Sam guessed.

"Spot-on," George agreed. "This is just a blip in the earth's crust created by some meteorite that fell about ten thousand years ago. If you go fossicking around here you'll even find some tektites, green molten glass caused by the heat of the event melting sand in the ground. Pretty stuff. Usually really twisted and gnarly looking. The more artistic jewellers love the stuff. Here we are."

They pulled up at a small hut that looked to be a bunker of some kind but beyond it was an extensive training course of ropes, obstacles, targets... and people waiting.

A man with blue black braids that fell past his shoulders came to meet them. "I'm Commander Thex, retired."

He looked too young to be retired from anything. How old was he? But he was already ushering them on. "Come on, let's get started. There's a few of the town's newest inhabitants who'll be training with you today. We'll start off with weapons practice."

"No." Harry said quietly but firmly. "I don't mind learning self defense but I won't use something that might kill so there's no point trying to train me to do so."

Thex nodded as if this had been totally expected. "My mate Simon said as much. That's why we're teeing you up with our resident tracker and our favorite ninja."

Tracking would be interesting if he wasn't too old to learn but ninjutsu? "Isn't ninjutsu violent?"

"Not always."

Harry heard the voice before he saw her. Small, even diminutive. Had this Asian woman been hiding in plain sight? Nothing marked her as unusual, powerful or indeed dangerous. In the street he would have walked past her without a second thought. Yet she seemed to step out of the shadows like the shadows were her clothes.

"I will show you how to hide, evade, infiltrate and spy. I will show you non-lethal ways, as is your wish, to fell an enemy. I will show you the way of inner strength, how to use your chi to protect, heal and repel. How does that sound Harry?"

Harry gulped. But if she could deliver on all that ... "Count me in?"

"Good, you coming?"

Sam looked confused. Did the woman mean her? She'd been really wanting to learn weapons.

Thex patted her gently on the shoulder. "And so you will my little bloodthirsty new ager." This woman was certainly an interesting mix of conflicting energies. "Kit meant Sarah Brown, our tracker. Sarah grew up in Central Australia. She reads the bush like an open book."

Sam shook hands with Sarah. "Look out for my brother will you?" Sam wasn't sure whether Kit would actually teach Harry or eat him for breakfast.

The tracker lady laughed, tapping her head, "Mind readers remember."

"Oops. Please accept my apologies." She hoped the tiny Asian female didn't hold grudges.

Kit just laughed. "There was once a time I might have eaten your brother in ways that would make even you blush but my mate's quite possessive and might not see the humor in that. Although I might teach Harry a few bondage techniques if I have time."

Sam's jaw dropped as she came to the realization the woman was what one particular lifestyle would call a domme. It was something she'd always wanted to explore. She certainly wasn't ever going to lumber herself with another dickhead like Aarron. Talk about asexual. She'd been living off the more out-there romance novels for years. "Could you teach me?"

Kit bowed slightly from the waist so Sam did the same. She figured that was a yes.

"Later. After we finish here."

Harry followed the girls into the forest, away from the others.

"We'll be out of shooting range over here, and it'll be quieter." Sarah, the tracker, commented.

"It'll do." Kit grudgingly agreed. "Some of this would be better taught in a busy Tokyo street but since we won't get too far into things today it will suffice. We'll concentrate on using nature as a teaching tool. Sarah, are you okay with me roughing you up a bit, using you as an example?"

Sarah grinned at the challenge. "You can try. Helena's been giving me lessons in Krav Maga. Street smarts mostly but don't expect me to be a walkover."

Kit's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Challenge accepted. Now," turning to Harry, "this will all go a lot faster if we can mindshare with you. Then we can spend the rest of the time putting it all into practice."

Mindshare? "What's that? Some kind of sci fi movie mindmeld?"

"Yep." Sarah readily agreed. "It goes both ways. Each sees the others mind. But we've no wish to overwhelm you so we'll be selective in what we share with you."

"I haven't got the foggiest clue how to block parts of my mind."

"It's okay Harry." Sarah was the most reassuring of the pair. "We won't tell anyone what we find in you. You have our word."

"Will it hurt?" What was he letting himself into?

Kit invaded his personal space and bent her forehead until it touched his. "It's like this." A stream of info played through his mind like a 3D movie. It was as if he was Kit, in her past, living her life and her experiences. In fast forward. He wobbled as she pulled away.

Sarah supported him. "Take a breath. Let me know when you're ready for round two."

Would he ever be ready? It might take him a lifetime to process all that Kit had just shown him. He was real glad he hadn't had to live through medieval Japan.

"It wasn't good," Kit readily agreed, having read his mind. "But it had its moments. Ninjutsu grew out of the need of the mountain peoples to survive in a time when the elites on the plains ruled Japan with an iron fist."

"So I saw. Okay, I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Sarah gently guided his forehead towards hers. Her mind was refreshingly unconventional and vast. He saw wide open spaces, cloudless blue skies. Seemly lonely places that turned out to be full of life and things of interest. Grasses that oozed sap that could be used for glue, moist soil under rocks that could be coaxed to produce water. Animal habits and movements that revealed weather patterns as much as the changes in the wind. How to conserve energy in the midday sun, finding what precious shade could be found under the most unremarkable trees and rocky outcrops. Stones on the ground were landmarks. A broken twig on the ground showed where something had passed by. A track on the ground could tell you how long ago it was made and whether any rain or other disturbance had occurred since it was it made. Birds warned you with their calls. Snakes hid beneath the hot sand. It was a land and a way of life he had never known. How had he grown up in this land and missed the largest part of it?

He pulled away from Sarah and surveyed the ground under his feet, bending down to touch a small impression in the soil. "A wallaby came past here two days again." He turned his head to get his bearings on a sound. "Somewhere over that way is a pond. I can hear the frogs." And there were other sounds. "The forest ravens have found a carcass and they're letting their mates know. The kookaburra up there in the branches", he pointed. "He's watching something in the grass."

"Most likely a small lizard but it could be a snake fresh from hibernation. Would be too sluggish now to bother us but good to know. Anything else?" Sarah asked.

Harry tilted his head to get a sense of the wind on his face. He tasted the air. "I think there's a change on the way. The wind is turning. Feels like rain." He tensed as he felt something else. "We're being watched and it feels angry, like we've invaded its territory."

Sarah turned closed her eyes, tuning her senses then turned, swearing. "Damn, a feral cat. I thought we got them all." She closed her eyes again momentarily.

"What she doing?" Harry whispered to Kit.

"Telepathically letting our local wildlife people know. They'll come out and set a trap for it tonight."

"They won't hurt it will they?"

"You are a tender hearted soul aren't you Harry? You do know that one feral cat can kill thousands of small birds and animals in its lifetime. The wildlife people will deal with it humanely and respectfully"

"But it's not to blame for being what it is. Can't it be relocated?"

"Hmm. Not around here but there are a few cat islands in Japan like Aoshima, mostly abandoned fishing villages. The cats live off what rats and mice they can find but people also come to feed them. It's supposed to bring good luck. I'll ask Sally if she could teleport it there.

Harry let out a breath he'd been holding, relieved. "If you could. I feel kind of responsible for it."

Kit studied him with understanding in her eyes. "Taking responsibility is good Harry. Few do. Just remember sometimes your options will be limited. Don't take too much blame on yourself if you do ever have to make a tough call. Even though, as much as we can we use non-lethal force, negotiation and other tactics, it is sometimes necessary." She patted him on the back. "Hopefully not something you'll ever have to worry about. We'll make you useful enough without ever having to pull a trigger or place a knife at someone's throat." She pulled something from her pocket. A lightweight chain with weights at both ends. "Know what this is?"

Harry searched the memories she had given him and found the answer. "It's a manriki-kusuri. You're not going to ask me to throw at someone's face are you?" He'd seen her do it in his mind, with gruesome consequences.

"No. I want you to throw it at that tree over there like it's a person and you're going to wrap it around their ankles."

On his first throw he missed. Kit retrieved it then took aim. "Like this." And she swung it before releasing it. The chain flew through the air like a snake before wrapping itself around the base of the tree, about six inches above the ground."

Impressive. Harry recovered the chain while replaying what she had done in his mind. Then he threw it. Success! "It's sort of like a nunchaku."

"Same concept except easier to carry in your pocket and strong enough to do real damage. So for you, aim low. It's a useful trick to topple an enemy but it's sort of a one hit wonder unless you can get it back. Now assuming you have toppled your foe, and Sarah is your foe for this, how are you going to restrain her?" Kit handed Harry a few loops of hemp rope and watched as he tied Sarah's ankles and then her hands behind her back. Kit tested the knots. "Not bad. Now undo them."

From there they moved onto a range of acrobatic moves, building on the breaks and rolls he had learned in day one but adding leaps and fluid contortions of his body to get out of harm's way. "Keep yourself agile and flexible Harry. Stay away from weight training. It develops the wrong sort of muscle responses for this. Do the daily practice you saw in my mind. Those moves will form your kata, your practice. Make them your own so you can do them without thinking. Then they'll come to you automatically when you need. Now show me."

Harry worked his way through the kata, Sarah copying him.

"Good Sarah. Nice. More flow Harry. Don't do the move. Be the move. Yes like that." Kit coached them like that for a while then they broke for lunch, helping themselves from a large bento box of vegetarian sushi, rice balls and inarizushi.

"I could get used to this food." Harry noted with pleasure.

"The Japanese were living a vegetarian lifestyle hundreds of years before it became fashionable in the West. They've mastered the art of making it tasty. Japanese temples make some of the best." Kit told them.

"But they've got burgers in Japan now don't they?" Were the old ways declining in Japan? Harry wondered.

"More's the pity. There have always been people in Japan who ate fish but few ate red meat until after the second world war. It became a kind of fashion to copy the Americans who occupied Japan for a while after the war ended. Baseball and burgers. But good things came out of that time too, like the start of women's rights. Still a long way to go on that one though. It's a man's country. Japanese women are supposed to be everything that's cute."

"You are so not that Kit," Harry commented, stating the obvious.

Kit grinned. "Why thank you Harry. No I'm not. There are a lot of rebels in Japan. Men and women. We're more individualistic than most westerners think because we are good at staying hidden. We have a saying in Japan: 'The nail that sticks up gets hammered down'. Those of us who don't conform have learned to keep a low profile."

As lunch ended talk moved onto ninja mind control which proved to be more about knowing people's basic natures and using that to manipulate them. Flattering people to motivate them. Angering the volatile so they couldn't think straight and would act rashly. Sympathizing with the sad and sentimental. Having a joke with a fun lover. Intimidating the fearful. Tempting the hungry or gluttonous with food. Seducing the horny. Offering enticing opportunities to those seeking fame and fortune. And just simply showing interest in someone's interests and hobbies, getting in their good books.

Much could be learnt about a person by simply watching them; what they wore, how they moved, how they reacted, facial expressions, voice tone and how they spoke about themselves and others. Add to that the obscure art of face reading; noting the shape and location of wrinkles, the height of a brow, the size of a nose, the shape of the lips and so on and there wasn't much a person could hide about themselves.

"How about hiding in plain sight like you did when I came today?"

"Oh, that's easy. Rule one, don't be where people expect. Like hiding in a cupboard or behind a tree. Instead hide in the open amongst the natural surroundings. For instance if people are planting rice in a field bend over and make the same actions as if you are planting rice too. Bending the head forward is also useful as it hides the eyes which are the easiest part of a person to read. Hoodies are great, but only if they suit the environment you're in. That brings us to rule two. Don't stand out. Act like someone, or even disguise yourself as someone people will ignore; the old, the ugly, the disabled, the poor. Anyone who most people will look away from. People will not see a person with a child as a threat. Nor someone out walking with a lover. Wear drab colours or colours that blend in with your surroundings. Of course if you're in a South American market that won't work and you'll have to go with bright colours instead. Thirdly, learn to stand very, very still. Breathe quietly and gently, almost imperceptibly. Still, silent, aware and open. Keep your mind wide, rather than focused on a single point. Take a stance you can hold for a long time but can quickly move from."

"So when we turned up you were standing with the others but we just didn't notice you."

"Uh-huh."

"Geez I need to learn to be more observant."

"Indeed, awareness is the key to everything we are teaching you today. So, moving on. For the rest of the afternoon I thought we'd discuss tactics and strategy. A bit of philosophy around the five basic elements. Then we'll finish off with some meditation and techniques for cultivating your internal chi."

When George dropped them back at the pub at the end of the day his sister gave her apologies, saying she'd grab a sandwich and head out. Something about catching up with Kit. So Harry ended up eating on his own. Until Lewis turned up. "Lewis. Have a seat. Can I order you something?"

"No, you keep eating. I'll call Rachael over", turning he signalled the waitress. Any chance of one of Jeff's hot and spicy dahls?"

"Coming right up."

Lewis returned his attention to Harry. "So Mr Wang has moved into your old place. I gave him the keys today. The sale should go through in a few more weeks. Bit of duty to pay. I'll sort that and the conveyancing."

"Great. And how'd my sister's husband take to the divorce?"

"Oh Aarron with the double 'r' blew a fuse. Called her all sorts of names under the sun. Even called her a kinky slut. Apparently there had been a few altercations over what each of them expected out of their sex life."

Harry covered his ears. "Ugh. I don't want to know."

Lewis laughed. "Well anyway. I think she's well out of it. Should get a pretty penny. That house alone, what with the swimming pool and the downstairs rumpus, is worth a bit. Add in the boat, the Audi, and a fair chunk of his superannuation and I think she'll do well."

"I thought Sam would have had her own superannuation pension plan."

"She does, but nothing like what he's been putting away as a marketing guru. Science doesn't pay anywhere near as well as talking people into buying shit they don't need."

"So you'll invest it along with what I get from the sale of my stuff. Although I'm starting to think that if I stayed in a place like this I wouldn't need it would I?"

"No you wouldn't but I can't imagine you putting roots down here. Not when adventure calls. Have you thought anymore about that?"

"Still thinking." Harry stirred his food, thoughtfully playing with it.

Lewis pushed a pocket sized notebook across the table to him. "Zakar sent you this. He's originally from Mars."

Was he kidding? He studied Lewis's eyes. No he wasn't kidding. He opened the notebook and salivated. Better than food. Maps of old cities. A handwritten lexicon of old Lyrean vocabulary and phrases. A history of not only their life on Mars but where they had come from and why.

Lewis chuckled, finished his food and then got up to leave. "Give me a ring when you've decided but don't make it too long. Callan needs you."

Harry looked up, startled. "Callan's in trouble?"

"Seems that way."

"Shit. Okay, assuming Sam still wants to come too, when do we leave?" Maybe he could go on his own and leave her in the safety of this place. No, she'd still find her way there somehow and then there would be hell to pay. He guessed they were both headed to Mars.

### 14

Harry woke to find a breakfast tray on the bedside table next to him and two parcels on the end of the bed. And a cat. "Oh. You're back." He gave it a gentle pull on the tuft of hair under its jaw, which it seemed to appreciate. Loud purring ensued.

As he stroked the cat he studied the packages that had been left for him. One couldn't be what it looked like could it? An adult diaper? The other parcel caught his interest. He pulled it out of its clear wrapper. The material was stunning. Depending how it caught the light hit shimmered between reddish hues of brown to black. A touch of dark purple perhaps as well. To touch it felt smooth and soft but of a thickness that was tougher than it looked. Silk?

The cat beneath his hand moved. As it rolled gleefully out of reach it transformed...into a man.

"Good grief!" Harry blinked twice. For a split second the man had appeared to be stark naked but clothes appeared out of nowhere to cover him, as if summoned into existence, like the man himself. "You're a shapeshifter?"

The man straightened himself to sit on the end of Harry's bed. "I'm a higher dimensional being who came into physical form in this world in the body of a cat but I can shapeshift, yes, into human form for meaningful discussions with such as yourself."

Harry felt the scrutiny of the man's gaze. "What are you trying to work out?"

"Whether you're bamboozled or not. There's always a danger when my kind appear to a human that they'll think we're a god and start worshiping us. I hate that. It goes against everything I try to do ensuring you guys have free will as you fumble along trying to make your way in the physical universe."

"That sounds a bit godlike." Not that he was inclined to believe in gods.

"I suppose so but you don't seem spooked. No burning need to bow down and sing my praises or anything."

"Get a life!"

"That's what I thought. You'll do fine. Call me Meta. Its both my name and what I am."

"Meta means beyond", Harry remembered. He did love ancient Greek.

"How astute of you. Yes it means beyond, beyond not just your plane of existence but also beyond that of ascended beings, Malakim and planetary guardians. In short it means I've understood the nature of the universe and now live by my own rules."

"So you get to slum it down here as a cat?"

"If I wish. Hey a cat's life's not bad. I get to sneak around and no one takes much notice."

Harry figured something out. "So you were sneaking around keeping tabs on me and Sam as we went through the cure."

"Someone had to and I doubt you would have welcomed a stranger turning up at your door, claiming to have your best interests at heart. You did let me in. If you'd had any unforeseen problems I would have gotten help for you. We do foresee most things but you can never tell for sure. The future usually has too many potential outcomes for us to keep tabs of all of them so we deal with probabilities instead."

"Well, thanks for watching out for us. Although I'm not sure how my sister will take knowing she had, effectively, a naked man lying on her bed while she was recuperating."

Meta grinned, "Perhaps. She might surprise you. Nice tits on her too."

Harry covered his eyes "No I so didn't need to hear that? Don't tell me you have hots for my sister."

"Rest easy man. I have a mate."

"A mate who's not bothered by your voyeuristic tendencies."

"Good heavens no. Would you not look at the venus di milo because the statue was naked? I'm sure my love admires more than a few well formed male buttocks."

Harry coughed. This conversation was getting weird but what the hell. Go with it. "What if she took a fancy to one?"

Meta shrugged. "I expect she'd seduce him and if I was really lucky I'd get to share. Really! You humans are so stuck up on finding the 'perfect' partner. The heart loves where it will. Why do you have to limit love?"

Why indeed? "So you don't feel any ownership of your woman."

"She's not my possession. I have a deep connection to her. We're linked through our love for each other and our shared interests. There is no need for me to be jealous. I don't doubt her love. We're telepathic after all so feelings like that are impossible to hide."

"But you'd protect her."

Meta laughed at that, "If she let me. But I always have her back, even when she doesn't know it. Enough of me. Now eat up then put those things on. The undergarments can double as temperature regulating camouflage outfits when you're not in a pressurized suit. They're gifts from Kit. Her adoptive father Jnarn is one of our lead scientists. He developed the fabric."

"But the diaper?"

"And the diaper. How many public toilets do you think they have on Mars? Come downstairs when you've got that lot on and we'll help you into your spacesuits." Then Meta vanished.

Meta hadn't gone too far. He was downstairs watching Upal and another guy help Harry's sister into a suit.

"Where'd you two learn how to do this?" Sam wondered out loud.

"I'm a scientist and inventor. Mendal here is a spaceship engineer. We've both done more than a few stints in space."

"On the shuttle?"

Upal sniggered and pointed to his tangerine eyes. "I'm alien remember. Well half alien. We can wear contacts to cover up our lizard eyes but we prefer not to. Mendal and I have been beetling around your galaxy since before the last ice age."

"You look so human, I forgot for a moment."

"It's all in the details like the eyes but yes we are basically as human as the human hosts we merged with when the goddess saved us."

"I hope they got a say in it."

Upal smiled at her disarmingly. "The meta beings would like you. You have a strong sense of justice and believe in free will don't you?"

"Don't you?"

"I didn't once. You see both my mortal human host and my immortal alien half were evil. The human half only had a vague notion that I was living within his aura. His own fears and hatred of those he couldn't control led me to him. That and he was a scientist like me. I guided him. Made him stronger. Only towards the end, when he was fully employed in Sakla's businesses, did he become truly aware of me. But yes he agreed. We are a merged being now."

"Yet you speak from your alien side."

"Nah, not really. It's just that the human part had only been alive for thirty years while the alien half is millennia old. There's just more of him to remember. I wouldn't have this body if it wasn't for my human part and I wouldn't be able to shapeshift if it wasn't for the Din side. Both have their advantages but I have to say our woman prefers, um, mating while we're in human form."

Sam choked. "I just bet she does."

Once they finished suiting up Sam they started on Harry, helping him step into the suit, doing it up, checking joints, air supply... "We're a go." Upal finally announced.

Mendall gave a final check on the spacesuit pressures and ran a scanner over Harry and Sam's suited bodies. "All good." He concurred.

Meta, who'd been standing off to the side patiently now stepped forward towards them. "Take my hands?"

"Who are you?" Sam quizzed. She'd seen the guy waiting there but had never met him before. Yet he felt vaguely familiar.

"He's the cat." Harry spoke up before Meta could answer.

Sam blushed bright red. "The cat!"

But before she could worry too much about it Meta grabbed her hand. The world went white as they travelled through non-local space, landing on Mars.

"This is where I leave you two. Russell will take it from here. Just wait here. He'll be here in a minute.

Russell was busy being seen off by Sakla.

"This is your chance to prove your worth to me Mr Henning. Lead this search party. Bring whatever's left of that dumbass biologist back and bring your team safely back. Understood?"

Russell saluted rather than lie. " Sir." He'd die out there rather than come back and risk being given back to Roland. And Sakla would. He cared more about keeping his bogeyman happy than keeping his word to Russell. But he would see these people safe. They were from the alliance, sent to help with the search. Sakla's first search party, while he was being tortured, had found nothing. Russell would lead them and then once the search was over, his goddess willing, he'd travel the non-local and return to Earth to await his next assignment. His work here was done.

He put his helmet on, checked the fastenings himself, not trusting the others. Then he went to meet his search team.

Sam's heartbeat so strongly she could feel it in her chest. What madness had possessed her, to bring herself here, standing on the red dirt of Mars with little more than a bit of pressurised material between her and certain death? She looked across to her brother, wondering if he was experiencing the same dose of reality as her. But he seemed focused on a group of buildings in the distance. She could just about make out what he was looking at. A figure was moving towards them.

Sam wondered at her sanity further when she felt something inside her relax. The being, as heavily suited as they were, strode towards them with long purposeful strides. There was a lot you could tell about a person by the way they walked. This was no swaggering overconfident gait but one of confidence founded on certain knowledge. He steps were measured but not rigid. He paced himself to quickly make up the distance between them but not overexert himself.

As he neared them she got her first detailed look at his aura. Thanking Melissa for her active etheric sight she used it to study the man further. That he was male she was sure of but she had no idea how. His aura dazzled her, as bright as the cat-man who had brought them here. Underlying it was a predominant clear emerald green laced with silver but overlaying it was something akin to a rainbow. What was it with cat-man and this man that set them apart?

He finally caught up with them. "Were you guys trying to get a head start on me?"

Harry shook his head, "Just where we got dropped off."

The newcomer grunted an acknowledgement. "Someone had the foresight to keep you away from Sakla. Sensible. He would have only delayed us as he tried to get your measure. You ready?"

Harry shrugged, "As ready as we'll ever be. Let's go find Callan."

The other man paused, "You do realize we're looking for a corpse don't you?"

Harry coughed, emotion catching in his throat, "No. I didn't realize. I was under the impression we were here to find him and save him."

"I hate to be harsh but if you're going to grieve you'd best do it before we get too far from so called civilization. I don't need anyone having a meltdown out there."

Sam patiently listen to their conversation. Why would Callan be dead? Would this man have their back if things went awry? And when the hell were they going to do introductions?

The man spun to face here. A woman! Why the hell do I have a woman on the search party? We need to get you back to the safety of the mining camp. And could you please stop shouting in my head.

I was not shouting.

You were. You are.

I don't even know the first thing of telepathy. And no I'm not going back to the camp. Where my brother goes I go. Bloody misogynist.

I'm not a misogynist. I like women. That's why I won't have you in danger. Your brother should have known better than to allow you here.

ALLOW! Listen pal. I've got news for you. I just got out of twenty years putting up with my ex's shit and I'm sure as hell not going to put up with yours. And don't you dare question my brother's judgement. He at least knows better than to try and go all macho on me which is more than can be said for you.

Harry looked at them both, puzzled. He pressed his intercom to speak to them, "Is there a reason you guys are having a staring match? Don't we need to get moving?"

Russell frowned at Harry, "You couldn't hear me explaining to your sister she needs to stay behind."

"Stay behind? Why? Because she's a woman? No wonder Sam's giving you the stare." He extended a hand in an effort to defrost the increasingly chilly relations between them. "Name's Harry by the way, Harry Stone."

"Russell Henning." Russell shook his hand. "Tell me Harry, how recently did you have the cure?"

"About a week ago. Sam a couple of days after me but she made a quick recovery. We've spent the last three days in Boswell doing a crash course in self defense."

"So you've yet to learn to mind read or discover your own unique skills?" Which would mean one thing and one thing only about Sam's ability to mentally converse with him but he carefully blanked that thought. The spitfire didn't need to know. Hell he needed time to think on the ramifications.

"Sam has acquired polychromatic vision but other than that no. For the moment we're just ordinary humans with greatly extended lifespans."

Russell doubted the ordinary bit. The Malakim and their allies wouldn't have sent just anyone. There was always a reason for everything they did. Like out of a pentillion places in the galaxy his mate just happens to turn up.

Sam gasped, "What did you just think?"

Hell, so much for blocking his thoughts. "Nothing, absolutely nothing." Mother Earth, he was doomed. Best if he changed the subject."Time's a wastin'. If I really can't talk you into heading back Sam we'd best go." He started heading in the direction of the old city.

But Harry had different ideas. "Wait up Russell!", he scanned the ground and despite evidence of a morning dust storms that obscured the marks on the ground he could still make out the faint track of one set of Mars issue space boots and another set of smaller human sized shoes. "This way."

Russell came back. "You're a tracker. Why didn't you say?"

"It's what I learned while Sam was doing weapons training."

Russell took a moment to reconsider his first impressions of these two. No, not ordinary. Not by a long shot.

Sam kept silent, busy thinking about the odd snippets she was picking from Russell's mind. He was trying to put up walls to keep her out but they kept falling down as quickly as he erected them. He thought she was his mate. Did that mean they were destined to be friends? She doubted that would happen, not as long as he viewed her as some kind of liability just because of her gender. She hoped the man didn't have sisters or she might just need to go and rescue them.

No I don't have sisters and what the effing hell is so wrong with me wanting to protect you? Would you want a man who wouldn't?

Would she? Hadn't that been one of dickhead Aarron's failings? He'd never cared about her, only himself. What he'd wanted was complete and utter control over her life. First he'd coaxed her into playing hostess to the important clients he'd invite home for dinner. Then he'd leaned on her to quit her job, a job she'd loved. But Aarron had persuaded her with his charm and a his snake oil salesman smile, telling her he'd only ever be as good as the woman at his back. She wanted his success didn't she? And he was a success. Soon they were moving house. Not once but several times. Each place more salubrious than the last. And every time they'd upgraded home he'd dropped not so subtle hints that maybe her old friends might feel 'out of place' coming to visit. So she'd sneak off to coffee shops to see them until he'd started bemoaning the fact she wasn't home in the middle of the day if he wanted to bring a client home. Bit by bit he'd isolated her until all she'd had was her brother. Aarron had bitched and moaned about her brother too but it was the limit that finally started unraveling their relationship. For Sam found her spine and told him he could keep his opinions to himself and if she wanted to see her brother she would.

After that first no she'd refound herself. Saying no increasingly got easier. That's when Aarron had started to turn dark on her. He'd started belittling her dress sense, her topics of conversation with clients, wrinkles, flab... whatever he could to undermine her new confidence. But while his constant griping could have easily broken her spirit, instead it made her stronger. Not long ago they'd had such a blow up she'd stayed with her brother for a bit. When she finally went back home she'd sensed a change in Aarron but it hadn't been anything to do with her. When she finally worked out he was having an affair with a younger woman from his office she'd confronted him about it. Only to be told that it was all her fault for being a failure at giving him the one last thing he needed to prove his success, a dynasty. It was her fault they hadn't had any kids, he'd yelled in that uniquely grating whine Aarron had when he was really annoyed and then he'd kicked her out and told her to go back to her brother.

It was twenty years wasted. Twenty years she'd never get back. She freely admitted blame for that. At first she had been bamboozled by his charm. Young and starry eyed, she'd known no better. She hadn't dated a lot before Aarron. After she'd quit her job to become a fulltime housewife and hostess the boredom had hit. She'd taken to reading. It was her guilty pleasure. She hid the books around the house in places Aarron would never go, like under the kitchen sink with the detergents or in the laundry, stashed behind the iron and the clothes pegs.

She never kidded herself the books were anything other than escapist fiction but yet they had taught her much. Above all they depicted women comfortable about themselves and what they wanted out of life. And they'd described alternate lifestyles she wanted to explore for herself. She had a lot of catching up to do and she certainly wasn't going to miss out on all that life now had to offer her. No, she didn't need another man dictating her life.

Girl, there's a big difference between the self obsessed manipulative bastard you married and a man who would adore and protect you.

See there's your first problem BOY.

Russell groaned at the yell in his brain. Okay, she had a point. "Truce", he pleaded. "I can learn to change my language. And no I don't like being called boy. What else is off your list of pet names?"

"Pet names. Full stop. Unless you want me start calling you hunk, stud muffin or hot lips."

Russell grinned to himself. At least she couldn't see his smirk beneath his helmet. "Hey! You don't even know what I look like."

"I can see your aura. I can't imagine you're ordinary with an aura like that."

Russell frowned to himself. Sam had come via Boswell. She had to have seen his kind there. "Emerald green and silver are standard for most Din-Human hybrids."

"There's that, still faintly visible but overwhelming you're kind of a walking, talking rainbow."

"What?" He raised one suited arm in front of his shield and defocused his eyes to study it. Shit, she was right. When the fuck had that happened? He'd only ever seen an aura like that on...

"A meta being," Sam suggested. "Something happen to you recently?"

"Er, I kind of passed over but didn't." The safe place Ulv had pulled him back from must have left some powerful mark on him. What have I become? He wondered but conscious of the amulet at his neck, a turquoise stone Ulv had given him in parting, he was starting to put two and two together. Ulv had called the amulet a La stone or soul anchor and said he'd need it. "I guess I went beyond death."

More than that, the goddess whispered in his mind. You went beyond creation and returned to source. A source you are now very much reconnected with.

Sam heard the woman in Russell's head as clear as she heard his thoughts on the matter. "Who was that?"

"The Earth goddess, the Malakim who has dedicated herself to preserving life on our home planet. A job she's held since before the start of the last ice age. You could call her my boss."

"So you're a pagan," Sam gathered.

Russell shrugged his shoulders, "Suppose so."

"Oh come on Russell. Give me a bit more than a two word answer. What's your past? Where you from initially? Henning sounds Scandinavian. How come you got possessed by a Din in the first place? Why did you 'almost pass over' as you call it?"

"Whoa, slow down... Sam", cripes, he'd almost called her girl again.

Harry chuckled, "Not much slows Sam down once she gets started."

"So I see. Okay here's the notes version but there's not going to be a test at the end of this. I was born in Norway. My parents were a couple of hippies trying to live in accordance with the ways of their ancestors. They followed an ancient code of honor, hospitality and a reverence for the earth. But despite their influence I got involved with a local outlaw bike gang in my teenage years. I tended to move around Europe after that, wherever they need 'stuff' moved. When I wasn't doing that I was their blacksmith and armourer, repairing small arms, making knives, and so on. I learned off whoever I could find to teach me, wherever I was. Sort of a do it yourself apprenticeship. Eventually I got good enough at the armouring I did that full time which gave me a chance to settle in one place for a while. To cut a long story short I moved up through the ranks of the gang."

"Ranks?" Sam queried. " It sounds a bit like the army."

"Not much different really except the discipline if you stuff up is worse. Anyway, I wasn't a nice person, to put it mildly, so I guess that's what attracted a Din to me. Honestly, for a long time I wasn't aware I'd been possessed. It was only after I got recruited into one of Sakla's companies that I began to suspect. It became a voice in my head whispering evil, hatred and greed."

"So the gangs are like unofficial arms of Sakla's corporation," Harry mused.

"His global businesses are like a huge multi layered web with tentacles reaching everywhere, including off world. Anyway, eventually Commander Thex's team of Malakim and highly trained immortal humans caught me. They gave me the 'choice' of going to jail for the rest of my life and having my demon banished to a lower dimension or the both of us could accept the goddess's mercy. Essentially becoming one integrated being in service of the goddess. But first I had to be purged of my karma which meant experiencing all the consequences of my actions from many lifetimes. I experienced an eternity of pain, grief, loss, fear and gut wrenching failure in the space of a heartbeat. After I recovered from that they put me in Boswell's intensive care for a day so they could give me the cure they gave you. If you've ever been possessed by a Din the cure stops the heart."

Sam felt for him, in hindsight, "Must have been scary."

"Not as scary as the other day?"

Sam wasn't really sure she wanted to ask. She'd already caught a few horrific images from his mind.

"After helping Callan leave it turned out that Sakla had been suspecting me of being not quite what I'd once been. Physically I looked no different to any other human. I even wore contact lenses to hide my non-human eyes. But I was too dedicated to my work, not evil enough. I don't really know what gave me away but I guess I just didn't have it in me any more to even act my cover. Since I wasn't about to confess, damning myself and possibly other undercover ops, he sent me to Roland for interrogation. Although interrogation is a fairly mild word for what he does. It's more like peeling you back layer by layer, mentally and physically."

Harry blanched at what he must mean by peeling. He wasn't sure he needed to know more than that. Nup, bravery be damned. He didn't need to know. "But you're here now."

"Thanks to the goddess. She got me to convince my mind that reality was only a dream. A particularly nasty nightmare at the time but still just a dream."

Sam didn't doubt him but she'd yet to understand the how of it. "But you must have been in excruciating pain. How did you handle that?"

"By not trying to handle it. If I'd innured myself to the pain, tried to distract myself or brace myself to it - it all would have strengthened the reality of it. Instead she asked me to allow the pain, to be with it."

"Nuh, still don't get it. How did you go from being with the pain to entering Nirvana?"

"Nirvana? I suppose. Honestly I haven't thought to label it. It was more that it was a clear light and I merged with it. Became it. I did do a bit of a chant, about it all being a dream but I can't tell you exactly how I got there. Grace of the goddess I suppose. I know she was with me. I woke up in the infirmary after Ulv yelled in my mind for me to come back. Somehow he reached into where I was and led me out. He also healed my back although we kept that secret from the Din. Ulv was all for keeping me in the infirmary until I was up to escaping. But then I got the call to come and lead you guys. I have to tell you though. Even if we find Callan or what's left of him I'm not going back with you. I'll return to earth after we're finished here. You can tell Sakla I fell down a crevasse or something but I won't risk going to Roland a second time."

"Can't fault your logic on that one." Harry concurred.

"I won't let them take you Russell," Sam pledged.

Somehow Russell knew the woman wasn't faint in her promises even if he wondered what she'd do if faced with the might of Sakla.

"The tracks end here." Harry bent down to examine where they disappeared and what looked like purple slime began but Russell grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch it!"

"Keep your bloody head down Rudol", Thallon swore as the betrayers blasted the wall where the man had been a moment before. Jeno and Thallon returned fire while Laz ushered in Chaba and Piroshka. "Where's Arank?", Thallon yelled at Laz.

"Dunno. He's either one of the betrayers or they've captured him, at best."

Shit, no wonder their cover had been blown. "Let's move everyone on out then."

"Where to?" Jeno yelled over another volley of fire.

Seren said to go to the old outpost but finding an exit from here might be tricky.

Rudol brightened, pleased he could help the fighters. "I know a hidden tunnel or two".

Thallon thought over the fact that Seren trusted this man. Whatever. It wasn't like they had a lot of options. "Lead the way. Jeno and I will cover our retreat. Piroshka, you and Laz scout ahead wherever Rudol's leading us. Chaba, you watch him and keep him safe."

The betrayers had other ideas though. One ran screaming around the corner like some ancient kamikaze. Thallon continued to give return fire as Jeno launched himself at the man. Unfortunately Jeno didn't reach him before he aimed and fired at Rudol. In a split second decision Chaba threw himself into the line of fire, sacrificing himself to save Rudol.

Rudol paled as he watched the lethal electric charge fry Chaba.

"Go Rudol," Thallon yelled at him.

Rudol nodded and ran.

Jeno checked Chaba but he was electrically dead. "What we going to do for him Thall? We can't leave him here. They'll recycle him. He'd never have wanted that?"

Thallon kept firing as he frantically thought. They couldn't take Chaba's body with them. It would only slow them down. "Set the delay on his self destruct. Give it ten seconds then run."

"What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you."

"Okay setting it in three, two, one, run!"

Harry edged back from the purple slime mould, wondering at Russell's warning. Then he saw it moving, sensing him, coming towards him. "What do you think it wants?"

"I don't know but I think it's partially sentient or at the very least predatory."

"Sis. What do you think? You're the biologist."

"Marine biologist."

"Whatever. Thoughts?"

"I think we use caution."

Hey guys. Stop fart-assing around will you. D'ya think I'd hurt you?

Callan? "Sam, did you hear that voice or am I just losing it?"

"What d'ya hear?"

Shit. Only him then. "Callan was talking to me."

Russell frowned but Harry's sister focused on him. "What's he saying?"

"He says he wouldn't hurt us."

"Well no, I don't expect he would. Where is he though?"

In the stuff you're so eloquently call the purple slime. Seriously. Could you pick a nicer term? I don't look that bad.

Harry hesitated to relay Callan's message. "Um, I think he's saying he's in the slime mould and could we please call it something nicer 'cause I think that term offends him."

Sam looked with concern at the slime mould, rather aghast. "Ah, okay. Well I guess we could name it then. Technically it's a mycetozoan belonging to the group amoebozoa. Its acting plasmoidal. Hmm. How about Plasmoidia Mascus. Mascus means Martian.

Harry refrained himself from rolling his eyes. His sister was taking this seriously so he should too. What you think Callan?

Sounds rather long but, yeah, it's an improvement. How about just Mascus or PM for short?

Harry scratched his head, I guess. As long as we're not confusing it with the prime minister or that retired farming friend of yours.

Ah! That's where I've heard the name before. Better make it PM then.

"He says that's fine but can we shorten it to PM unless you're being formal about it."

Sam beamed. "Cool. I just got to name my first Martian life form."

Russell did roll his eyes. "Not that that will do you much good until you can tell someone. Now what's with Callan? Are we really seriously calling this, ah, PM, Callan? How did Callan end up in it?"

It ate me. Look enough of that for the moment. I need you guys to help Seren.

"Who's Seren and how we going to help her Callan?" Harry asked out loud for the benefit of the others. "We need to head back soon or we won't have enough air in our oxygen tanks. And there's the problem of Russell. He can't go back at all."

Why? What happened to Russell?

"They tortured him and they'll do worse."

Shit. Because of me? Guilt laced Callan's telepathic thought.

"No, I don't think you had too much to do with it Callan. They'd come to suspect him of being too nice of something. You're missing the point. We can't stay here."

Actually you can. Look, you trust me don't you Harry?

"Sure Callan."

We'll tell the others not to panic. I'm about to try something.

"I think he's about to do something. He's asking us to trust him."

"Callan or the PM?" Russell wondered.

"I think he's one and the same. It ate him and seems to have incorporated his consciousness into itself."

Sam shook her head. "This is just weird."

But things were about to get weirder. The PM started forming itself into walls, surrounding them.

Sam watched in a mix of horror and amazement as a vaulted ceiling started to form over them. "Harry? Callan's really not going to eat us? Is he?"

Even Harry eyed the rising slime warily. "I'm trusting that Callan is still essentially Callan. My friend of old would never have hurt me. I know you're trusting me not to be hallucinating but it really is Callan speaking in my mind. Sorry, it's all I've got."

Russell reminded himself of his earlier mantra, 'it's just a dream', playing it in his mind to quell his natural inclination to teleport to relative safety. He'd promised to guide these people. He wouldn't leave them to an uncertain fate. Certainly not his probable mate, even if he had his reservations about that particular scenario. "You'd better know what you're doing Callan," he muttered.

The roof of slime closed over them, blocking out the weak Martian sunshine. Everything went dark. Russell retrieved a torch from his pocket. He hadn't thought he'd need one but he'd packed one just in case. "What's he doing Harry?"

"I'm not sure."

Nodules of slime started to form into something different, on the floor of their instant cave. Sam cautiously approached one. "It's changing, dare I say even evolving."

"Into what?" Russell wondered.

"They look a lot like stromatolites. Although stromatolites usually grow in shallow water and need lots of sunlight but what the hell?" Sam shrugged her shoulders indifferently. This planet was sure showing her gaps in her knowledge. She needed to keep her mind open and observant. Then she realized. "Ah! I think I know what he's up to. Have you got anything on you to measure atmospheric gases by any chance Russell?"

Russell pulled out his small but sophisticated computer tablet that ran various scientific apps. "What do you want me to check for?"

"Any changes in the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels."

Russell pulled up the relevant app on his screen, studying the figures with amazement. "CO2 is going down. Oxygen's on the rise. How'd you know?"

"That's what stromatolites do. They chew up a lot of the CO2 and spew out oxygen. They were one of the earliest forms of life on earth. They dominated the ecosystem until snails evolved to start eating them. But by then they'd totally altered the atmosphere of the planet."

"Let me guess. If the snails hadn't evolved we would have ended up with too much oxygen. Earth's system balanced itself so further life could evolve." Harry theorized.

Sam nodded. "Pretty much."

"This is all very well and good but without a change in pressure we still can't take our suits off."

Sheesh, tell Russell to give it a break will you. Bit of planet engineering going on here. I need to concentrate.

"Callan says you're rushing him Russell."

"Well..." Russell looked at the gauges on his suits. "He's got exactly fifteen minutes to finish doing whatever he's doing before we need to make some tough decisions." But as he watched the gauges on his app he noticed something odd. "Where's he harnessing the nitrogen from?"

I've evolved some of the PM outside this cave to take on a nitrogen fixing function. Basically it's acting like a primitive sort of pea plant, tapping into the nitrogen rich soil around here to power its growth. I've got the rest of the collective organism channelling the excess into this tunnel.

Harry was about to ask what tunnel but noticed the cave lengthening in front of them. But where was it headed. "Ah, Callan's got the PM pumping nitrogen into the tunnel."

Sam, at least, seemed pleased. "Excellent. We need a mix of about 78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the rest as trace CO2, argon, nitrous oxide, ozone would be good but we won't get picky. Can he get it to pump in enough gases from outside to raise the pressure in here to, oh, say 101 kilopascals?"

It would help if I could see Russell's gadget you know.

If I look at it could you see it through my eyes? Harry suggested.

Unfortunately no but...

What?

If you let me in I might?

Harry frowned, not liking the sound of this. Let you in how?

Just go over and touch the PM will you. I'll do the rest.

Er!

"What you doing Harry?" Russell asked warily as Harry walked towards the organism.

"Um, don't ask that Russell. Just let me touch it will you? Callan hasn't let us down yet."

"He's telling you to do this?"

"Yes," Harry knelt down as best as he could in the space suit, reach out to the PM.

"Harry?" Sam queried, no small amount of panic squeezing her heart.

"It'll be alright Sis." At least he hoped so. He watched transfixed as the Plasmodia Mascus tentatively extended itself onto his arm. "It's alright mate. I won't hurt you." Damn thing seemed as scared of him as he was of it.

The PM bonded with the surface of his suit. Tiny threads spread out like lacework, forming a lattice over the fabric.

Harry felt the exact moment a thread breached the suit and touched his skin. He gasped but otherwise managed to hold his nerve.

Russell's eyes narrowed as he studied the man. "What's happening Harry? You look pale."

"Um it's checking me out. Uh, no. Scrub that. I can feel it like a tick latching on to me."

Sam went to pull him back but Russell caught her in his iron grasp. "It's too late for second thoughts love. He's already made contact and if it's going to eat him like it ate Callan I'm not letting it take you with it."

Sam struggled and cursed but seeing her brother's continuing calm composure she sighed and eased back into the safety of Russell's strong arms. At least until she realised what she was doing. Then she started struggling again. He was annoyingly right of course. One way or another it was too late to worry now. She just had to hope she wasn't about to see her brother eaten by the slime.

You'll be fine Harry. Thanks for that. Yeah I can see through your eyes now. Show me Russell's tablet.

"Hand me your tablet will you Russ?"

Russell frowned, bloody Australian shortening his name. But now was not the time to complain. He placed the tablet on the ground near Harry, careful to keep his distance.

Harry picked it up and studied the figures but wasn't sure what he was looking at. "Hope you're making sense of this Callan."

Yep. No sweat. Yeah just hold it like that. Okay, moment of truth.

What?

Take your helmet off.

And if this doesn't work.

It's going to work but worst case scenario the PM will eat you and keep your consciousness safe within it, like me.

Is that what happened to you Callan?

Yeah, well. I kind of damaged my suit and was de-pressurising and losing oxygen. Having all the fluids in my body boil or getting eaten by the PM were my only options. Pretty much a no brainer really.

Glad you think so. Both options sounded pretty nasty to him. "Okay here goes." He found the right latch and swung his visor back. Quick gulp of air. "Oh, okay, not bad." He sniffed the air. A bit humid and musty but it was air. He undid the other latches on the helmet and removed it.

"You're not dead", his sister noted. "Okay, obviously. Um. How do you feel?"

"Glad to be breathing proper air again." Can I get out of this suit now Callan?

Be my guest. I'll do my best to make sure you don't need them again

Your best, eh. How reassuring.

Callan laughed in Harry's head. I've got plans.

"Callan's got plans. He says. So do one of you want to help me out of this thing."

"Er." Both Sam and Russell hesitated

"Oh, I get it. You think I'm contagious or something."

"Sorry Bro."

"Nothing personal Harry. It's just I can kind of see purple in the veins on your neck."

"Oh."

I promise you and them it's all good Harry. The PM is a physical manifestation of this planet's life force. It would very much like to connect with them. It wants to get to know you all, learn from you even. In return it will protect and even feed you.

You know that sounds just plain weird, don't you Callan? Kind of creepy even. Feeding on something that contains your consciousness.

Nah it's cool, really. Look the problem on Earth for a long time has been the way humans fail to see the whole of its life force. They see competing bits rather than a seamless, self sustaining, self-balancing whole. Yes, on one level predator eats prey in an endless chain of birth, growth, mating, decay and death but if you see it from the whole you will see it from an entirely new perspective.

Harry digested, um, thought on what Callan said, deciding how best to present it to Sam and Russell. "Okay, here's the way of it. Yes touching me will cause you both to connect with this planet's life force, aka the PM, but Callan has convinced me that it will be a mutually beneficial arrangement." Yeah, he skipped over the eating it bit.

"Let me go Russell." Sam struggled again to try and get out of Russell's iron grip.

"Sam. I'm not sure."

"Not your call. He's my brother. If he tells me it's okay, it's okay."

"He may be your brother but for better or worse you're my mate."

"Oh come on Russell. We both know that neither of us is convinced on that front. What's a little telepathy between friends?"

"Friends? Well at least we're agreeing on that," possibly, probably. "If you're all for doing this then so am I. Help me off with my helmet will you?" Russell reluctantly let her go.

Harry frowned to himself as he watched them. Did him hearing Callan in his mind when the others hadn't say something about his friendship with Callan being more than it was?

We we're always the best of friends, Callan replied. But I've never thought of you in the way you're worrying about. Not that I think that would be so terrible.

Harry let out his breath, relaxing. Yeah, not terrible but so not going there. Blood brothers then?

A bit more than blood brothers I think, don't you? You're my eyes, my ears and voice in this strange situation we've found ourselves in.

Glad to help. Don't mind at all. It was the least he could do for his old friend.

"Come here Harry," Russell drew his attention. "Let's get you out of that suit."

Thallon and Jeno came up the tunnel with Rudol. All three heavily coated in dust and debris.

Piroshka's eyes widened in fear as she looked between them. "Where's Chaba?" she asked frantically.

Jeno paled, his eyes seeking Thallon.

Thallon's shoulders slumped. Being a leader sometimes had its perks but at times like this he felt the heavy weight of responsibility. "I'm so sorry Pira."

"No!" Piroshka screamed. She thumped Thallon's chest with her fists. "No," she went limp in his arms.

"Shit. She's gone into a shock shut down."

"I might be able to help," Rudol offered.

"Will it take long? The betrayers can't get through that way anymore but it won't take them long to find another way round."

"Only a moment," he was already pulling out his computer tablet and attaching an electrode to her arm. "Ordinarily I would hesitate but given the severity of her response I think this will do more good than harm."

Thallon frowned. Rudol hadn't been quick to outline any risks but as he was already giving her the same program he'd given Seren it was a little late to quibble. "Is it done?"

"Yes, but it maybe a few moments before she comes back around."

Damn. "We haven't the time. Laz, you up to carrying her?"

"Sure." He hoisted Piroshka's immobile form over his shoulder. What he couldn't work out was Piroshka's reaction. "You telling me she and Chaba were close or something?" He'd never known any APs to have relationships more than friendships. Sure they were programmed to feel loss at one of their team members. Loyalty and camaraderie helped them function as close knit teams but this was something more.

"Not now Laz. We've got to get out of here. We were supposed to rendezvous with Seren this morning. She'll be at the old outpost wondering what's happened to us."

But Seren wasn't waiting at the outpost. She hadn't quite made it that far.

Russell checked Sam's pulse, despite her protests.

"I said I'm fine."

"Sakla put me in charge of this rescue team. I'm responsible for the well being of my team."

"Sakla's not here," Sam forcefully pointed out.

No he wasn't, thank the goddess. But it wouldn't stop him checking to see his woman was fine.

Sam cursed. "I am nobody's woman. I didn't start divorce proceedings with dickhead just to get instantly reclaimed. Now care to explain why I got the pale skin and a tracing of purplish veins on my neck like Harry while you didn't." She was guessing the veins were in other places too but she wasn't undressing to check. While she was wondering that she also considered Russell's rather ordinary brown eyes. "Shouldn't your eyes be tangerine coloured lizard eyes like other Din hybrids?"

"Not if I'm wearing contacts to disguise my dual nature," but he didn't need them anymore so he started taking them out while he answered her other question. "I'd need Ulv, the doctor back at the mine, to answer your question but if I had to guess I'd say your blood chemistry has changed. Normally our skin has a pinkish tinge to it due to red blood cells. They're red due to the iron in them. Our browner hues come from melatonin in our skin which protect us from the sun. But why I didn't change just now I have no idea. Maybe it didn't take in me." He wasn't sure about how he felt that the life form might have rejected him. "Harry? Care to ask your friend?"

I didn't reject him, Callan promised. It's just that Russell isn't really here. His body is just a manifestation he's projecting into this reality. I did touch his vibration though. Amazing. The PM asks if he would accept the role as its guardian?

"Um."

"Spit it out Harry. Don't look for words to make it sound better. I know you customer relations types. Just tell me, as he said it."

Harry told him.

Russell was still coming to grips with his aura having changed. Now this. "I won't promise what I don't know how to do but I'll do whatever's in my power to do to help and protect it, as long as it doesn't harm my mate or my friends. So far it's helped us. I can't see a reason yet why we wouldn't build on that trust but it's not time yet for an unequivocal pact."

Harry nodded, listening to Callan's response. "It's happy with that. It can wait."

Wait for what, Russell wondered?

Sam watched the exchange, wondering what it meant that Russell wasn't truly physical. "So what now?"

"Now we find Seren." Russell guessed. "I'm assuming this tunnel the PM's been growing for us will lead to her."

"But who is she?"

"A highly advanced android who came looking for Callan." Russell went on to explain how they'd met her.

As he listened Harry made a neat pile out of their space suits.

Sam wondered at the wisdom of leaving their lifelines to the outside behind.

"If I'm what you say, a meta being, I should be able to teleport us all back to earth if it comes to that." Russell gathered up things they might need from out of the pouches and pockets of the suits. Not that they had anything to carry them in but it wasn't much. The torches they could carry in their hands. He'd take his computer tablet. He handed the first aid kit to Harry and the multifunction tool kit to Sam. "Carry these as best you can. I'd make carry bags from the suits but I'm reluctant to tear them up." Not that he thought they'd ever get back to them in time if they needed them. He still wasn't convinced they weren't on borrowed time. "Let's go," he said before he second guessed himself any further.

They walked on for some ten minutes or so, until they came to a large slime covered mound in their path.

On their approach the slime retreated, revealing a completely still woman, seated on the ground.

"Seren," Sam presumed. "What's happened to her you do you think?"

Russell ran his tablet over her. "She's run out of juice."

"Juice? You mean a flat battery?" Sam wondered as she studied the remarkable being. There was no way you'd tell this woman from a living one. Bravely she touched what went for skin. It exhibited signs of elasticity, suppleness and a resilience. "Incredible. How do we help her?"

In answer Russell turned to Harry. "Tell Callan that Seren's solar powered. She's gone into a power save mode."

Ah. Stupid me, Callan complained to himself. I covered her over to protect her from the night time freeze.

"You sheltered her Callan. That's hardly a mistake. But how do we get sunlight to her now without exposing the rest of us to the outside atmosphere?" Harry summed up the dilemma nicely. "Russell. If you're more spirit than matter does that mean you can survive in the Martian atmosphere like Meta did when he dropped us off?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I've yet to be convinced that I've undergone any sort of out of the ordinary transformation at all. Other than the out of the ordinary that's normal for the likes of us."

"You're not risking yourself. That's not up for discussion." Sam was adamant.

"You care," Russell teased.

Sam glared back at him, "Don't push your luck."

Harry interrupted their jousting. "Callan's got an idea."

"Some sort of bioelectrogenesis?" Sam thought that's what she'd come up with in Callan's shoes.

Exactly, Callan muttered as he concentrated on sending his intent into the mass of the organism. Two long threads of PM extended down from the ceiling. They waved around in the air, as if hunting for their prey, until they found Seren and latched onto each side of her skull.

"You're not going to fry her are you Callan," Russell worried, backing away a few steps incase he did just that. "100 milliamps would be enough. She's pretty efficient."

How the hell do I guess how much she needs?

Harry started to relay Callan's question but Russell had already guessed what the worry would be. "Just ramp it up slowly." He found a multimeter app on his tablets, plugged in two probes and switched to the appropriate setting. "I'll tell you when."

Harry whispered in Sam's ear. "I don't understand what's happening."

"You've heard of electric eels Bro. This will be like that but milder. I'm thinking that Callan's consciousness is providing the PM with ideas on how it can evolve and adapt, even diversify itself to meet particular needs. Like it changed part of its mass into cave dwelling stromatolites to help us." Except the speed at which it was evolving was breathtaking. Even scary.

"When!" Russell shouted abruptly.

The plant like threads fell away from Seren then crawled back up themselves to merge back with the ceiling.

Seren jerked and her eyes sprang open with a start. Irises sparkling like black opals studied the newcomers with uncertainty but when she spied Russell she relaxed.

"Easy girl. We're all friends here."

"Well we might be Russell if you'd stop calling every woman in the vicinity by some diminutive term," Sam muttered.

Russell didn't know whether to wince or laugh. "I'll try harder. Although I doubt Seren is as touchy are you?"

"My designation is Scyth-11 but I prefer to be called Seren. I was created as I am and never went through any developmental stages so calling me girl is inaccurate." Seren stated very matter of factly in a precise answer to his question although she showed no annoyance or indeed any emotion about the issue at all.

Sam went over and offered her hand in a raised upright position.

Seren studied it a moment before computing its meaning from what she'd seen on earth TV. "Ah. A high five I believe." She raised her hand to meet Sam's.

Sam beamed back at her. "Yep, there's my new BFF." She helped Seren into an upright position. "My designation is Samantha Stone but you can call me Sam. And this is my brother Harry."

### 15

"Give me a hand with this Jeno, will you?" Thallon groaned as he gave up trying to reroute the wiring on the worn out door entry console.

They both heaved on the ancient door. Finally it gave. " We're going to need to fix this you know?" Jeno wondered at their security if the old base wouldn't even respond to a simple door opening command. "I'm guessing this means Seren isn't here."

"Looks that way. Let's first see if we can get this old outpost up and running then we'll do a scout around and see if we can find her."

Laz followed in behind them, carrying a still comatose Pira in his arms. "You don't think the Din could have got her?"

"No." Rudol wasn't sure how to tell him how he knew but he did. In his mind's eye he saw her. "She's not far."

Thallon eyed him speculatively. "And you would know this because?"

"Um...," but Rudol was saved from giving a full rundown on the bit of coding he'd given himself, Seren and Pira. "There she is."

Thallon looked in the direction Rudol pointed. What had him worried though was the mass of purple behind her. It looked like some lava tube but the truly disturbing bit was it was following her. "Seren. Behind you!" He yelled out to her.

"I know," she yelled back. "It's friendly but it's scared. Antal hurt it when he panicked and blew himself up."

"It was attacking him."

"No, it was bonding with him. He had a panic attack."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because it's since acquired a consciousness that can communicate with us."

"Acquired?"

"Long story but I think that's why it tried to bond with Antal. It wanted to communicate with us. You and the others need to dispose of your self destructs so we can come closer."

Not bloody likely but he needed to know more what was going on with Seren. She could have been compromised. "Stay where you are Seren. I'm coming out to you." He temporarily removed his self destruct and handed it to Jeno. "Mind this will you?"

Jeno frowned. "Thallon. We can't afford to lose you. That life form could attack. I should go."

"No Jeno, you're the best strategist we've got. You're as capable as me of retaking the city."

"I'll go," Rudol stepped forward. "I'm not a fighter."

The man might be nerdy but he was beginning to grow on Thallon. "No you're not but you seem to have a good grasp of all the old tunnels and shafts in the city. We'll need that intel. No you both stay. I need to assess the risk."

As he approached Seren Thallon became aware that she was slightly different. "Your complexion's changed I see."

Seren held a hand up in front of her face and studied it. "Not by much. Just a light dusting."

"Of purple," Thallon noted. "Are you the consciousness this thing bonded with?"

"No and don't call him thing, stuff or slime. He tends to get offended."

"He?"

"The consciousness's name is Callan. The lifeform we've dubbed PM, short for plasmodia mascus which apparently describes what it is in human scientific terms."

Thallon noted the 'we', "Who's with you? Where are they?"

"Two humans and a half human. I think he's some kind of Din-human hybrid but he's not our enemy. If anything the Din are his. Callan's created a safe haven for them inside the tunnel behind me, complete with the atmosphere and pressure necessary to keep them alive. Callan wants your permission to enter the outpost so he can create the necessary life support conditions for them before joining the tunnel up with it."

Thallon didn't know what to make of what she was telling him. "I might trust Callan more if he hadn't tried to bond with Antal before asking him."

"Callan wasn't in the PM then. When I left you yesterday I went to the mining outpost to find him and bring him to the PM. I gather Rudol hasn't explained yet about his discovery."

Why was that relevant? "He hasn't had time. We'd just met up with him when we came under attack from the betrayers. Chaba was killed, hit in the crossfire. We couldn't leave him." Thallon couldn't bring himself to say more but knew Seren would fill in the blanks.

"Shit. How's Piroshka taking that?"

"Badly. She shut down with the shock of it. Rudol gave her some coding though. He thinks it will help her. Although I have to say I'd hoped it would have worked on her already."

Seren mourned for Chaba but was heartened by the news Rudol had already spread the code further. "She'll be fine. The code Rudol gave her will give her a totally new perspective. One I'd dare say that's vast. It's the same code that led me to find Callan."

"And delivered him into the hands of a dangerous entity. How'd he take that?"

"He doesn't hate me if that's what you mean. I told him it was the best of the probable futures I'd seen. The fact I survived last night outside is totally down to him protecting me. He's a good being Thallon. The question is are you going to trust us to come closer or do we need to base ourselves elsewhere? But take a moment before you decide Thallon because this being is the life force of this planet. With Callan's knowledge it's now rapidly evolving and diversifying. Wouldn't it be better to be its ally rather than its enemy?"

So Seren was seeing probable futures. Unheard of and he had no way to confirm it. What she said was sense though. They could do with ally rather than another enemy. Then something else occurred to him. Something that might ensure the future of those they guarded. "Do you think the PM could feed the Lyreans?"

Seren's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't thought of that. "Possibly. Callan's already suggested it could feed the humans. Perhaps even they might volunteer but I'd have to ask them. They could only feed a couple of Lyreans but perhaps they know where to get more of their kind."

Interesting! "Can I talk to them and this Callan?"

Why not? Seren had wondered how exactly she was going to convince him her and her new friends weren't a risk. She hadn't thought of the 'food for Lyreans' angle. It might just be enough to get Thallon to ignore the obvious risks. "You'll have to come inside the tunnel. We can go in the same way I came out. The PM will create an airlock around us and bring the atmosphere up to match theirs."

"Hmm. Okay. Just a moment." He raised his communicator. "Jeno, Seren and I are going into that living tunnel thing behind her. Could you refrain from harming it. I won't be long."

"Sir? Have you lost your marbles?"

"What the hell have marbles got to do with it and no I haven't lost any."

"Sorry, just a saying I heard on earth TV. I meant, is that wise?"

"Oh I see. Not sure I like the insinuation I've gone crazy but thanks for caring. Look, it seems like Seren's found a possible food sources for our Lyreans. I want to check it out but that means going into that tunnel to talk to some humans she has with her."

Humans, out here? "Okay. We'll wait. But if you're not back in say half an hour I'll..."

"You won't attack it Jeno. No matter what. If I'm not back in half hour it'll be up to you to retake the city. Oh, and don't let Rudol give that code he gave to Pira to anyone else until I know more about."

An organic airlock. How about that? Thallon wondered what else the organism might be able to build. He shut down momentarily to allow himself to adjust to the atmospheric change. When he powered back up he saw an opening had already appeared. One of the waiting humans, a female, stepped forward to hug Seren in greeting. Her ready acceptance of one of their kind surprised but somehow pleased him.

"How did it go Seren?" the woman asked.

"Are they going to attack us?" This from the taller and more dangerous looking of the two men.

"That depends," Thallon answered before Seren could, "on whether I determine any of you to be a threat. My prime directive is to protect the Lyreans in the old cities of this planet. What are your intentions towards them?"

"I was sent here to monitor the Din and report if they posed a threat to you and those you protect," the tall man answered. "We work for the Sentient Species Alliance, a hidden force that operates on Earth to help each other, heal that planet and free humans from their enslavement, delusions and mortality."

The human female stepped up to stand beside the man. "I came here with my brother Harry over there to search for his friend Callan. Callan's a soil scientist and microbiologist who came here to study this life form," she indicated the ceiling and walls around them. "My brother has been commissioned by a Lyrean on earth named Zakar to study your old cities and what might remain of them. I'm just a marine biologist who came along for the ride. None of us are interested in harming the Lyreans. Honestly we weren't aware that any were still alive."

Thallon doubted there was any 'just' about the woman. He sensed no guile or subterfuge in her mannerisms. The stance of the male beside her however spoke of protection, indeed lethal action if any posed her harm. The so called brother looked on worried but held back. He posed no harm. He had Zakar's backing did he? He studied them all for a moment then held out his hand to the woman, a human gesture. "Name's Thallon."

She narrowly avoided grasping it. "Um, if I shake your hand you'll acquire a dose of this planet's life form. By the way call me Sam and this here is Russell," she gave the man with the spectacularly different eyes a nudge. He's assessing if we're a risk. You standing like you're ready to pounce is not helping.

Thallon appreciated her not passing the organism onto him, he lowered his hand. "Thanks for warning me."

Despite his reservations Russell had to admit he needed to build on Sam's welcome. "We don't want anything to happen to you that you don't want. Free will is important to us. Even the organism, the PM has learned to respect that. Don't harm us and we won't harm you? Fair enough?"

Thallon nodded, "Fair enough. Let's sit and talk a minute. I have a proposal to put to you and then maybe you can introduce me to Callan."

Seren, who'd been hanging back, unsure who's side she was on anymore let out an uncharacteristically AP sigh of relief and settled on the floor next to Thallon. Although careful not to touch him yet.

Thallon noticed her distance, looked at her slight dusting of purple again and grunted. "We'll discuss that too."

### 16

Piroshka's system finished it's reboot. She became aware that she was lying on some bunk, a dusty old one at that. Her nose crinkled in distaste. Where was she? What had happened? Then the memory returned. She'd say she was feeling pain but it wasn't physical. The ache, if she could call it that, came from an imaginary hole in her being. A hole made by Chaba's sudden and abrupt demise. For millennia they had shared their lives, working alongside each other. Over time the impossible had happened. They'd fallen in love. She'd never know if it was the kind of love humans often spoke of on their TV but it had been more than a simple bond. More than workmates.

They'd worked with each other in preference to others. It had gotten so they hardly needed to speak to one another. A simple turn of the head, a nod, a look... sometimes just a touch and they'd known what the other wanted or meant. Now she was alone and she had no one to ask what she was experiencing. Simple loss of a friend was all an AP felt for another of their kind when one met an unexpected end. This was more.

Her mind searched through its data banks but the only stuff she could find was information they'd hacked from the human internet. Death and dying was a topic most humans avoided like some bacterial plague but yet there she found the answer. Grief. At least she had a label for it now but the label didn't make the pain go away. How could she go on? How would she live with the aloneness of life without Chaba. Hell, if she had known he would go in that instant... But what? They would have only lived their lives in fear of that impending moment of separation.

Piroshka sighed. Chaba wouldn't have wanted her to destroy herself now that he was gone.

The gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder had her opening her eyes. "Rudol? Where are we?"

"At the Southern outpost. Thallon's out talking to Seren and some aliens from Earth. How do you feel?"

"Dreadful. Physically fine but dreadful," she searched his eyes expecting concern but not the sympathy and understanding she saw written there. "Why aren't you shocked at my feelings. I'm an AP with a screw loose. I'd be bawling my eyes out if I had tear ducts."

Rudol stroked her brow with compassion. "I don't think you're a mistake Pira. I think you're special. Maybe even our future. It's time our kind evolved. Can I ask you something though? If you're feeling courageous. It may be too soon to ask but I think I can point you in the direction of something that might help."

"What?" A tiny thread of curiosity fought for space with her grief.

Rudol proceeded to explain his code, why he'd made it and what he and Seren thought it did.

"And you gave this to me?"

"Yep."

Her brain was fuzzy with grief but maybe she should listen. "What does it do again?"

"I think when you finally move past the grief you're experiencing now you'll find a deep abiding inner peace and sense of connectedness within."

Sounded nice, even if she didn't understand its purpose. Rudol must have thought it important though to write the code. "You're talking about a connection to the galactic center." Somehow the knowledge of what he had done was in her circuits. Although what she really wanted in this moment was her connection with Chaba. With him gone she felt like a tiny piece of flotsam floating on an unnavigable sea.

"The galactic center is like a doorway through which energy passes. Seren likens it to a metaphysical chakra. Unblocked access to it ensures the well being of this whole galaxy and everything in it."

"But you're saying its energy is blocked from reaching us."

"By a frequency of vibration that induces fear and the type of aloneness not unlike what you're feeling right now. You're not alone Piroshka. I'd like to show you that if you're up for it?"

"I can barely think of functioning with this ache inside me. If you can show me a way past the pain I'm all for it."

"Very well," Rudol frowned as he worried how she'd take to the contrary nature of what he was about to tell her. "Suspend your disbelief for a moment and give this a go. Give it the possibility of working."

Pira groaned, trust Rudol to dilly-dally. "Just tell me. Ok."

"Close your eyes then. I want you to rest your heart and mind on that hole within you."

"Surely focusing on it is only going to make it worse?"

"Only if you latch onto it. I just want you to rest your mind lightly there. Be aware of it."

"Okay," Pira settled into the visualization. "Now what?"

"Travel into that hole, looking for the center of the pain? Where is it?"

"Er..."

"You can't find it can you?"

"It's like the deeper I look the more it recedes from me, falling through my fingers."

"Exactly. Now I'll ask you to do something even harder. I want you to conjure up, within that space, your idea of Chaba. Your memories of him. The things you did together. What his personality was like. His basic qualities skills and knowledge. How he treated you."

Pira said nothing. Rudol could see she was in those memories. "Now tell me this. Is that a fixed image of him? Was he always like that? Did he not change from day to day? Minute to minute?"

Pira frowned, her eyes still closed. "What are you saying Rudol? That I was in love with an idea in my head rather than what he was in any given moment?"

Rudol steeled himself to answer, "Yes. Chaba was an ever changing expression of an infinite potential to be. He vibrated at a certain frequency that manifested in this dimension as Chaba."

Pira opened her eyes to stare at him now. "But he had no choice in being. He was made by the Lyrean maker that made us all."

"The Maker made us all pretty much the same yet had the idea of giving us the potential to learn and develop our own unique personalities. Who is to say if she envisaged Scyth-23 becoming Chaba but the fact was he did. He was still learning and changing right up to the point he died. What I'm asking now is simply for you to let go of your own fixed idea of who Chaba was. Use your love for him, your grief for him to find that vibration, that essence of him. Use the new code I gave you."

Pira gave Rudol the benefit of the doubt. Entertained his notions. Then it dawned on her, followed by a flood of guilt. "Shit. Did I ever really see him as he was? Did I limit him by expecting him to be as I saw him? Did that govern my reactions towards him? Did I use him as a crutch to hide from my own feelings of separateness and aloneness?"

Rudol smiled kindly on her. "Only you can answer that for sure but Chaba wouldn't want your guilt. He'd want you to set him free. To set yourself free."

"I've done the same to myself?"

"Of course. Don't you have a model in your head of who Pira is, her likes and dislikes and basic attributes?"

"Damn. Yes I do."

"Let them go!"

"But who am I then?"

"Anything you want to be. Anything you believe yourself capable of. The possibilities are as infinite as your own potential."

Pira closed her eyes again and sought within. The grief was still there but she could be aware of it now without it crushing her. And she could learn from it. It would ebb away in time. She would miss Chaba's companionship, their ready understanding of each other. But she could let the idea of him, her limited idea of him, go. Chaba, like her, was of infinite potential, an ever changing expression of that potential. It would dishonour his memory to limit him to what she had believed him to be. With that realization she sank into the hole that was her aloneness and found something else. Infinity. Connecting with it she gasped as it her drew her in towards a wholly new vista and her perspective shifted irrevocably. A single tear of joy seeped from her eyes. She wiped at it in wonder. "How is this possible? We don't have moisture in our bodies."

Rudol didn't get a chance to answer for suddenly the world was shifting beneath their feet. The furniture in the room swayed. Stuff fell off shelves. Dust fell off the ceiling. Rudol eyed the ceiling nervously, wondering what else might fall.

Pira grabbed his hand and pulled him to the side of the room. "Doorway! I've seen it on Earth TV. It's a safer place in an earthquake."

"An earthquake?" The idea shocked Rudol. "But Mars is geologically dead."

"Not anymore it's not."

Thallon had taken a liking to the human aliens. The man with the tangerine lizard eyes he was still wary of. He knew danger when he saw it, though the man seemed to have none of the personality traits of the average Din possessed human. His tale was surely a strange one. "What troubles me Russell is how I can tell your kind, humans and the Din possessed apart?"

"Auras", everyone responded in unison.

"But automated protectors don't see auras."

"I do, now," Seren corrected. "The capability came with the program Rudol gave me. It's become even stronger since I connected with Callan's life form. I can feel the PM changing me in ways I can't fathom yet but it feels good. I feel connected with it and the planet."

Thallon frowned, "We're not here for the planet. We're here for the Lyreans. Their well being is our only purpose."

"And what if that purpose is met by ensuring the wellbeing of this planet. As it is we can't bring them out of stasis. They need food and an atmosphere not unlike the humans here."

"With the help of Sam, Russell, and Harry we could bring back two or three. We can reactivate the life support system in the old city."

"We don't know that we can even get back in there."

"A couple of things," Russell interrupted the APs, "firstly I'm not sure I can feed them. There's a very good chance I'm no longer of this plane of existence." When Thallon stared at him blankly he explained further. "I'm not truly physical. Possibly." Russell knew he was going to have to explore what he had become but now was not the time to make promises. One thing of immediate use he could do, "On the other hand, I can teleport into the city. Not as some sort of one man army but I could open doors and operate systems if you told me how." Sam and Harry probably could teleport too, with a little tuition, but he wasn't about to put non-combatants in the firing line, let alone his probable mate.

Sam glared at him. "Think again Russell. I am a combatant."

"You've had what? Three days training, most of it philosophical."

"I mind shared with Thex."

Russell's jaw dropped. "Commander Thex?"

"Retired," Sam added.

"Even so..."

"Don't even think it. You're not going in there without backup. End of story. "

Or at least the end of their argument as Seren butted in, " Do you sense that?"

Curious eyes turned to her.

Earthquake, Callan yelled in Harry's mind.

"Earthquake," Harry shouted. "She's about to rumble." Not that there was any cover for them.

"Bullshit," Thallon swore. "We don't get earthquakes on Mars." What the hell was their game?

Seren turned to him. "Quick Thallon, take my hand. Callan will cushion us."

"And infect me."

"It's not an infection."

"What is it then?" But his questions ceased as the ground beneath them rocked. Instinctually he grabbed her hand.

Laz and Jeno fought through the debris to find Rudol protectively covering Piroshka. They helped him up. "You two okay?" Laz asked.

Rudol gave Pira a hand up then dusted himself off. "What the hell caused that?"

Pira looked guiltily at her shoes, wondering how to tell them this. Then she raised her head to brave the answer she was sure they wouldn't believe. "Um, I had a moment exploring deep into the code Rudol gave me. In the process I think I might have momentarily touched the core of the planet. It felt my grief and my love and in that instant the very core turned crystalline. The remainder is liquid iron and is now moving around that crystal hub."

They stared at her, all except Rudol who just smiled, "Excellent."

Thallon walked through what was left of the front entrance to the outpost, pausing to survey the damage. "Okay, change of plans. This place is a wreck. It'll take too much of our time to get it up and running. We need to let Callan at it."

"Callan?"

Thallon placed his hand on the door frame, allowing specks of purple to move from his arm onto the timber. As it did it began to multiply and spread, quickly covering the door frame and spreading out from there.

"What the hell are you doing Thallon?" Jeno yelled.

"Losing my marbles. Now give your self destructs to me."

Pira and Rudol didn't hesitate but Jeno stared at Laz, "We doing this?"

Laz shrugged his shoulders. "Who are we worried about this spreading to? The Betrayers? Thallon is the Lyreans' loyalist guardian. He'd do nothing to put them at risk." He handed his self destruct to Thallon.

Thallon looked at Jeno, brow arched, waiting.

"Oh shit, looks like I've lost my marbles too," he removed the device from his wrist and handed it over. "Now what?"

A tall man suddenly took form beside Thallon, taking the devices "Now I'll dispose of these. Be right back."

"Who the...?" Jeno stared at the space where the man had briefly been.

It took less than an hour for Callan's life force to completely colonize the old underground building. Then he set about making it habitable. Russell, who'd returned from his bomb disposal, checked the atmospheric readings on his tablet. "That'll do. You can let the others in."

An organic dividing wall of PM slowly retreated to reveal Harry, Sam and Seren.

"Everyone okay?" Thallon asked. They looked okay but if they were feeling ill effects they would need to think up another plan.

Sam answered for them. "We're fine but Harry and I are going to be a little restricted if we can't go beyond these walls."

Russell smiled to himself with relief as he realized something. "Which is why you can't come with me when I teleport into the old city." There, argument won. One possible mate not put in harm's way. "At least not until we can get their old life support systems reactivated or Callan can work his magic. I'm guessing though that Callan won't want to put the PM at risk. It has no defense capabilities that we know of."

Don't underestimate me. I'll stay hidden but I could use the bioelectrogenesis I used to power up Seren. Zap a few of the betrayers if necessary. In the meantime I'd like permission from Thallon and his friends to do a little reconnaissance.

Harry relayed Callan's thoughts.

Russell's first response was to dismiss the idea."They'll see you coming Callan. It's hard to miss you when you cover the ground purple as you go. You don't want them firing at you, it'll cause the PM great pain. "

"They won't know he's there if he goes through the soil and rock fissures," Harry suggested. Come to think of it you might even be able to teleport, he suggested to Callan on the quiet. There was no need to say it out loud until Callan knew that he could.

Thallon liked the idea Harry had voiced. "That could work. Callan, see if you can get to the lower levels where the Lyreans are held but don't approach their stasis pods. Once you get there stay put. It won't be safe for you to surface unless Russell can give you an all clear. Relay anything you find to Harry. Backup Russell if you can. Sam, once Russell has life support up and running you can teleport in. I'll need you to find this back entrance and let us in." He gave her the city layout he'd entered into her computer tablet. "Once in we will secure the stasis room while Harry feeds the Maker."

"This Maker. She's not going to drink Harry dry is she?" Sam suddenly had horror visions of all the old vampire movies she'd ever seen. It was might be hard to persuade a severely starved seven foot alien not to quench her thirst.

"I'll be with him," Seren assured her. "The Maker knows and trusts me but in case something's happened to her during her time asleep I promise I'll shoot her. Non lethal but enough to stop her in her tracks."

"Okay, but one problem with all this." Sam wearily sat on the only available free bench space she could find. "Us humans haven't fed since this morning. We need at least a drink. Is there a drop to water anywhere in this place?"

Thallon checked with the other APs but in the end shook his head. "Not that we know of. The Lyreans' own underground stores dried up long ago. It's possible water exists in the ground somewhere but we haven't needed it so we haven't gone looking."

"I've got an idea," Russell declared and promptly vanished.

Russell teleported into the medical facility of the mining camp to find chaos. Alarms and sirens blaring, the sounds of running feet and falling structure. The tremor had hit them hard. "Ulv, Illya? Where are you?

Russell's brow furrowed in concern as no answer came in response. It only took him a split second to realize that this part of the small city was venting atmosphere. He raced to a control panel, ordering protective shutters to close. He pulled emergency canisters off the wall, spraying their instant seal foam into the more damaged areas. Then he cranked up the output of the base's life support, rerouting extra into the facility. A cough from the operating theatre led him there.

Ulv and Illya lay where they'd collapsed, blood streaming out of their mouths and noses. They might be immortal and shapeshifters but they weren't in a good way.

Kneeling between Ulv and Illya so he could simultaneously touch them both Russell replayed in his mind what Ulv had done when he'd brought him back from wherever it was he'd gone during his torture. Instinctually he grasped Ulv's healing process and put his trust in what others were telling him he now was. Seeking within he found his memory of the refuge he'd gone to. With a start he realized he'd made a connection. His self stepped aside and in its place was vast light, love and power. He let it pour into him, channelling it through his heart then out through his hands, connecting with Ulv and Illya. With his auric sight he saw it wrap around and infuse their bodies, levitating them off the floor. Okay maybe that meant he needed to dial it back a bit. They gently settled back to the ground and both groaned.

Ulv opened his eyes first. He smiled when he saw Russell leaning over them. "Russell, I thought I felt you in there somewhere. Glad you turned up when you did. I had no real desire to become a boiling mass of ick on the floor." He took a deep breath, just make sure his lungs were functioning again, then sat up. He looked worriedly over to Ilya. "How is he? Can you take his pulse?"

Russell did. "It's there, weak but getting stronger by the second. The bleeding seems to have stopped."

"What about the guy on the operating table?"

"Uh," he felt a moment's guilt that he hadn't look beyond his friends but the mortal human on the table was cool to touch and its demon long gone. When a human host died a Din would return to an interdimensional state, called simply the between, and wait for another susceptible being to possess. The human would have had no chance once the room started venting. "He's dead. Sorry."

"Don't sweat it Russell. The man's better off being reborn and having a start over. I could have fixed his burst appendix but his personality was too far gone."

Russell felt a moment's compassion for the man on the table, he too had been 'too far gone' once.

Ulv heard his thoughts and shook his head. "You didn't know him as I did. He wouldn't have taken the option of integration and karmic purge you did."

"He might've if he'd been backed as far into a corner as I was," but Russell wasn't about to argue. "Actually I came for supplies." While they both helped Illya off the floor he quickly explained what had happened his end.

Russell wasn't gone long, returning with sandwich packs and bottles of water. "Courtesy of my friends Ulv and Illya. They'll find a few more supplies for us. It'll do until Callan can evolve something we can eat."

"Ugh," Sam made a face, "I am so not going there." She savoured each morsel of her sandwiches. You so have to show me how to teleport Russell.

Not if you think you're going to pop over to the Din mining camp.

Goddess save me. I'm not stupid.

Never that. You're intelligent, capable and brave. But you don't know the dangers there.

Like Roland? She remembered the horror of Russell's recent memories and knew his fear for her was very real.

Like Roland.

An aftershock abruptly ended their conversation.

While they hung on to what they could Harry worried. When the tremor passed he voiced his concern. "Those aftershocks are getting more frequent. We really need a geophysicist here or at the very least a geologist."

Thallon shrugged. "Don't look to us. Our functions are protection, monitoring and maintenance. Only Rudol has ever ventured into science."

"Programming mostly," Rudol explained. "But really my hobby's more philosophy and trying to work out the history and workings of our galaxy so we don't suffer another apocalypse like the one that hit this planet 100,000 years ago."

Sam closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead to relieve an ache in her brow. The world as she once knew it had been turned upside down. "We're going to need a few scientists actually. Callan knows about the soil and the small forms of life that live in it," rather intimately now but she didn't say it. "I have a knowledge of ocean life but that's not much use to us. What we need is a volcanologist or seismologist, possibly someone with a knowledge or Martian geology and fault systems, if such a person exists. Maybe it's covered off by more than one person. It's not just the core of the planet that's changing, I'm only guessing from my meagre knowledge, but perhaps we could do with advice from meteorologist with a knowledge of magnetospheres and space weather."

Russell stared at her in awe, his Sam was smart. He was starting to see why the Sentient Species Alliance had done the crazy and sent a marine biologist to a dry planet and it had nothing to do with her profession. The woman knew much more than that and could think on her feet. "Mentally share with me the exact details of who you think we need Sam. My boss back on earth might have some ideas."

Thallon nodded. He didn't know what the mindsharing thing was but it sounded like they had an idea. It certainly wouldn't hurt to get some experts who knew what was happening with the planet. "Okay, get your team of scientists but don't take to long. We need to save the Maker."

Russell's boss knew his need before he even contacted her. You do know I'm not your boss anymore don't you?

I don't understand. Does this mean you won't help me?

Ma tsked, I'll always help you Russell but I don't think you really understand yet the full extent of your new powers.

Is this to do with this rainbow aura I've acquired?

Your aura is just an outer manifestation of your inner state of awareness. Your aura changed when you went where you went when Roland was torturing you.

Which was where exactly?

There is no exactness about it. No words for it that wouldn't limit it. Let's just say you went beyond the limits of the physical world, or at least your mind did. Your body's still playing catchup with your transformation but I wouldn't be surprised if you soon started walking through walls. As you already suspect non-local transport is a whole deal easier. You can transport others just like Meta did when he brought Sam and Harry to Mars. You don't truly exist in the physical world. Your body is just what you choose to project into the physical. This means that you can change into any form you choose, not just your Din form. You're still a shapeshifter but now you can shift into anything.

Russell's immediate thought to that was that would be cool because he could disguise himself. Useful. And I'm right in thinking things like planetary atmospheres are irrelevant to me. So I am safe to go into the Lyrean city before we fire up the life support systems there.

Exactly. The truth is you can do whatever you think is possible. The normal laws of physics do not apply to you. The only limit is your own belief. We have one absolute law though. Do not impinge on the free will of others. That's a toughy because it means allowing other sentient beings to do some really stupid things even when you can see the outcome and have told them more than once what will happen. You're not to control others, manipulate, coerce or force but you can help if they ask you.

And if I do? Interfere that is. Always best to know the consequences.

The other Meta beings would intervene and you would be punished. Punishment would vary according to the nature of the assault on free will. Bad enough and they could strip you of all that you have become, strip you of your immortality and cause you to be put back in a mortal body with no memory of any of this or any of your other prior lives. Or you could be forced to watch helplessly as the consequences of your actions took their course which at times can be worse.

Enough to deter the unwise, Russell thought to himself. Anything else?

Don't play god and by that I mean don't encourage others to worship you as some superior being. You're not. You're just aware of reality as it really is. The fact that others might be caught in illusions that are clouding their judgement and limiting their horizons doesn't make them lesser beings. It just makes them prisoners of their minds and the consensus reality of those around them. So be patient. Allow them to wake up out of their mess at their own rate. By all means poke and prod them a bit but not everyone is an early riser. Think of it this way; someone dreaming and someone aware that they are dreaming, both essentially the same being, the only difference is the degree of awareness. Few dreamers know they're dreaming, unwilling to even entertain the idea that their reality might not be what they think it is. To do so would bring their belief systems crashing down around them. That kind of realization can be very dangerous for them if they're not ready. So don't make value judgements about what they do in their dreams, aka mortal lives. Also, tone down your aura when you're around beings susceptible to being awed by you. Hide what you are as best you can, your lucid dreaming close friends and mates excepted. Sometimes it even pays to hide in the form of something they will see as safe and unassuming or ignore.

It was a lot to think about, later. Okay, back to my original question. Can you help us find the scientists we are seeking?

Already on it. You proceed with infiltrating the city. Have Pira stay. She still needs time with her grief and to adjust to the program Rudol gave her and Seren. I'll send your science team to her.

What is Rudol's program? he wondered. Do you know because the APs haven't mentioned it?

I'm no programmer but from what I've managed to source from the Akashic it bypasses the frequency of fear coming from near the center of the galaxy. It's the digital equivalent of the genetic cure our scientists in Boswell came up with to give humans back their immortality, immunise them against possession by the Din and unlock their potential. I'd go into it more but you need to get going.

Anastasia Alves, or simply Stace as everyone called her, eyed the Ayeperenye moth sleeping on the window pane, outside, with nervous trepidation. Then shook herself. She wasn't going to let a small flying insect stop her working. It was harmless. Life wasn't the horror movie that sometimes played in her mind. Moths didn't stalk you, lay their eggs in you, to hatch and move as grubs under your skin until they ate their way out of your body. Her subconscious was confusing them with some imaginary nasty version of a wasp. Logic didn't matter though.

Since three when a mass of adult Bogong moths had invaded her childhood home east of Canberra, fluttering around lights and into her face until she screamed, running, crying, looking for safety, she'd been terrified of moths. Spiders too. But while people tended to understand her terror of spiders, particularly house spiders, most laughed at her phobia of moths. 'Moths? They won't hurt you', they'd calmly declare. 'The aborigines eat them as a delicacy', yeah sure. But once she'd had a choice in the matter she'd moved from Canberra to get away from the annual spring time invasions as the adult moths migrated down from Queensland where'd they spent the winter.

She avoided Queensland too, just to be safe. The tropics were full of all kinds of butterflies. She avoided them as well. Sydney had its share of deadly funnel web spiders. Only thirteen people had ever been bitten by them but 30-40 suffered a spider bite each year. Given the city's population of something over four million people that was a chance of 0.001 per cent. She had more chance of being run over by a bus but, no, Sydney was out.

She opted instead for the dry dusty old seabeds of Central Australia, finding employment with a university campus in Alice Springs. Yes there were snakes and lizards here but for some reason they didn't bother her. Locusts, yeah, well, they were hideous too but you usually heard about them days before they arrived. You had time to get out. She always had some leave accrued for just such an event. More often the locusts swarmed towards the wheat belts in the Central East and South.

The university campus where she worked was a major educational hub for most of the surrounding remote communities. The academic team she headed up worked closely with the Central, Eastern and Western Arrernte peoples, exploring the old seabeds to gain a better idea of the continent's past. Its fault lines, meteor sites, fossil remains, remnant vegetation from prehistoric times, rock shelters that told stories of the past, the pollen record and so on. They dug cores to study the layers of the past, the records of floods and droughts, the waxing and waning of forests, grasslands, mulga and deserts. Together it built a picture of past climate change and continental shift that informed the present and maybe even the future of not only the continent but the planet. She loved her job. She just wished the moth would leave her window so she could concentrate on the data on her computer screen.

If those things started hatching on mass it would be as bad as a plague of Bogong moths. She hadn't known about them when she'd first moved here. They only came out in mass after rains and, well, it didn't rain in the Alice often. Their eggs could remain in the ground for years. If there was going to be a big hatching after the recent rains they'd had, the first big rains in several years, she was taking some well earned rec leave and getting out of here. Down to Tassie maybe?

She'd heard of plagues of green jewel beetles in the wetter regions down there but not moths. Since she wasn't a green leafy tree maybe they wouldn't come near her. She opened another computer window on her screen and started checking flight, hire car and accommodation availability. She was disturbed by a knock on her office door. "Come in."

"We've found a Mosasaur," Declan declared in a rush of excitement, his field assistant, an Arrente man named TJ for short following him into the room.

To Stace's wide eyed surprise Declan O'Niall, field geologist, paleontologist and ex-American footballer, thrust photos onto her desk.

"Well...," she paused to studied the evidence. Could this be enough to save her department for another year? Talk was that international student enrolments had fallen through the floor. A direct result of the stock market that had nose dived after most of the developed world had been buried under a ton of debt no one could afford to pay for any more. Although it hadn't stopped the world's governments from declaring that everything was still okay and that the current problems were only a momentary glitch they could spend their way out of. How did you 'spend' what no-one had? But, money after all was only a bunch of binary digits inside the banking system's computers. She guessed they could create it or make it disappear with equal ease. Cash lost its worth once banks stopped backing it up with stores of gold bullion. Notes, which had been a kind of promissory note or IOU, where now just bits of paper and nothing else. No wonder the banks were pushing for a cashless society. They could hide the ridiculousness of the situation oh so much more easily.

Declan mistook her silence for a need for more knowledge. "It's a prehistoric marine version of a komodo dragon, 10-15 metres long. First complete skeleton found in central Australia."

"I can see what it is Dec."

Still exasperated and excited he tapped the closest photo. "Don't you see Stace? This could stop the frackers who are wanting to explore the area for oil. We can put the site up for World Heritage Listing."

Stace looked to TJ. "How would your people feel if they missed out on royalties from the petrol chemical companies?"

TJ shrugged. "Those seeking an easy life mightn't like it but at the end of the day we need to protect our lands. If we can't drink the water because it's polluted with residues from the fracking industry we'd have failed in our sacred duty. The rainbow serpent that protects the land would become angry."

Stace had learnt to respect TJ's reading of the land, its history and old myths. They had found much they would have otherwise missed under his guidance. "And how would he let us us know his anger?"

"Earthquakes," TJ stated simply. "That one we had a year or so back was a warning shot."

Stace nodded, she remembered the unusually powerful tremor that had struck west of Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers Rock. It was puzzling to say the least. It simply shouldn't have happened. But like the world's stock markets the Earth seemed to be pretty volatile at present. Mega hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes where they shouldn't be. Hawaii had lost crops to frost. Iceland was having a heatwave. The Sahara was in flood. No one was in agreement why. Some pointed to climate change and mankind's tampering with the planet with underground nuclear weapons and of course fracking. Others said it was a normal fluctuation in the natural cycles of the planet. Yet others pointed to an impending flip of the earth's magnetic field and an oncoming mini ice age due to changes in the activity on the surface of the sun.

Declan saw her worried glance to the moth on the window. While TJ continued to put their case for a world heritage submission Declan quietly wandered over to the the sliding pane. He opened it just enough to shoo the moth away, quickly closing the window before Stace could panic that the moth might reach her. Unlike others he didn't tease her for her phobia. He didn't understand it but that didn't mean it wasn't real to her. He did however need her full focus on the matter at hand.

Stace glanced up at the window again, her eyes furtively searching for the moth. Once she realised it was gone the hunch in her shoulders relaxed. Her attention returned to TJ and Dec. "I'll prepare a media release but we'll need to be careful not to disclose the fossil's location."

"The local cop's working with the landholders and the parks and wildlife people to keep the find under surveillance. Plus we got a security firm to set up motion detectors and cameras. Any unscrupulous fossil black marketers will get their smiley face on photo if they go within a bull's roar of the place."

Gods, how much was all that going to cost, Stace wondered, still mindful of her diminishing budget.

As if sensing her disquiet her department's potential nemesis, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, appeared at the door with another man. Probably an accountant come to assess what they could shed. "Come in Heinrich. You'll like this. Dec and TJ just found a rare fossil so important it's bound to make the international news."

"Well done guys. Let me see." He perused the photos and the data, nodding in satisfaction. "Excellent work."

"We'd like to request world heritage status for the site," Stace ventured. No time like the present. "It should be no problem getting the committee to agree given the significance of the find."

"Let me see", the man in the suit ventured forward to study the photos. He seemed to take stock. Pulling out his phone he made a call. "Eleni, could you spare a few. Yes clothed preferably. On your way could you pick up Sarah Wilson." He closed his phone and looked to TJ, "I think we can do better than WHS, if your people are willing."

"Fella, I don't even know you," which was tantamount to TJ declaring the man was neither friend nor kin so why should he listen to him.

Heinrich apologised. "Sorry, I got caught up in your discovery and forgot to do introductions. Meet Andrew McCullum, he heads up a top secret branch of government with international connections. He's come seeking your help."

TJ had never developed any fondness for anyone in government. "You expect us to trust this gubbah?"

"Hey," Andrew complained, understanding the man's thought if not his language, "I ain't no white demon. Really." He saw this job might be harder than he thought. Back them into a corner and then offer the only way out. "I understand your department is likely to be axed at the end of the year."

"What!" Declan exclaimed.

Even Heinrich's eyes widened in surprise at the extent of Andrew's knowledge.

Stace sighed. "Sorry Dec, TJ, I've been sitting on the news hoping to find a way out of it. Heinrich and I have been looking at options to keep us afloat but we haven't been able to get any private funding. No-one has the money right now."

"We have," Andrew quietly commented, getting everyone's instant attention.

"What's the catch?" Stace wondered.

"You work for us. We'll take over your department."

A million questions raced through Stace's head. The security of her staff, their pension plans, accrued leave, stipends.

Andrew placed a folder of facts in front of her, before she cold even ask. "Everyone of your staff with family will continue their work here as if nothing has happened. The only change will be who funds your team. My bosses have been in contact with the Republic of Karpathia. Ostensibly it will be the Karpathian government who is offering to put the money up for a new Institute of Natural Sciences in partnership with the university here. You'll be able to expand your research parameters, to include international work we will send your way. Those of your staff with no ties will be approached to see if they are willing to volunteer for the special project we have in mind. They will be allowed full disclosure."

"But..."

"Before I go further. You will need to sign confidentiality agreements." Andrew handed one to each of them, including Heinrich.

Stace paused to wonder at all the cloak and dagger but if she was to find out more about her department's possible salvation she'd need to sign. She reached in her top drawer and retrieved a pen, signing then handing it on to a puzzled Declan.

### 17

Callan found a new kind of freedom as he sent his consciousness through the Martian soils. This was soil science at its most hands on, or perhaps mind on. The plasmodia grew and expanded its domain as it found nutrients to feed on. At first tentative tendrils, seeking and searching. Callan was mindful of its need not to over consume its resources but to also replenish and nurture, putting back as much as it took out. Otherwise the lifeform he was now a part of would soon run out of what it needed to exist. His mind conceived the need for balance, evolving the slime mould into complementary species, one more algal while the other was more fungal, each feeding off the output of the other. A kind of symbiotic relationship that also broke down the ancient waste from the apocalypse while putting nutrients back into the soil.

Much of the surface was simply sand and dust, iron oxide in the main. But under that, where he now roamed towards the old Lyrean city of Scyth, the ground was a breathtaking array of gems such as peridot, quartz and agates.

He came at length to what he thought might be an old seabed. The sediments of iron oxide had long turned into layer upon layer of ironstone but before they had turned solid an infinite number of creatures had fallen into them. Over millennia a liquid solution of silica had seeped into them, turning them into perfect specimens, preserved as opal.

Parts of the sea or lake bed must have also been thermal vents for he found mud springs preserved in stone, still with their bubbles. And these too were full of opal. He wished he could see them glitter in the sun but he feared his days of walking any planet might be over. Only through Harry's eyes might he see them.

The life form sensed his moment's feeling of loss, sending him a reassuring warmth. Callan smiled. He wasn't alone in this great cosmos. The friendship of both Harry and this life form which had saved him by making him its own where more precious than seeing any gem dazzle in the sun. But he still might ask Harry to come and dig for one of these so he could see it in all its harlequin glory.

He travelled on but met a crevasse. Deep underground the split must have been the result of some ancient earth movement. He wondered for a moment about how to get across it when he remembered what Harry had said. Could the life form have acquired any of the latent abilities he'd been told he might develop as an immortal human? There was only one way, find out. Harry, if you can hear me can you ask how I go about teleporting.

Silence reigned for a moment then his instruction came. Imagine a destination you can easily visualize. It's a bit hard if you've never been there before but not impossible. Russell suggests just going a few feet first. Now here comes the tricky part. You have to momentarily shed all your ideas of time and space. Imagine a space within your heart. Rest in it, waiting there while it becomes lighter and lighter, then visualize dissolving time and space into that. But all the while you must lightly hold a clear intent about where you want to go, as if you've already arrived there. Russell says it's tricky the first time. You have to trust in a bit of beginner's luck but he's also going to help you by visualizing you succeeding at it, if you'll willingly accept his aid.

Tell him thanks and yes, please. Okay here goes. He remembered the map of the territory between the outpost and the city. He'd seen it through Harry's eyes when they'd all been discussing it. Maybe he could do this off a map. But first he considered the other side of the crevasse.

The process took a moment to get his head around but since he no longer associated his consciousness with a physical brain it wasn't such a giant leap of imagination. He felt both the life form and Russell with him. A shared faith that he could do it. And he did.

Okay, I'm over the crevasse. I'm going to trying leapfrogging along the route Thallon showed you. I'll get back to you shortly.

### 18

Stace's staff gathered in the conference room while Andrew did a quick sweep for surveillance devices. Paranoid what? But given what they were about to tell them maybe he had his reasons. He'd mentioned an enemy who had agents everywhere.

As everyone seated themselves Andrew locked the doors, which raised a few eyebrows as well as the feeling of curiosity.

Stace took the floor. "I'm sorry to have dragged you from your respective projects so abruptly. I know your time is valuable but as you may have heard whispered on the grapevine the uni is facing a funding shortfall at the end of the year. I haven't briefed you until now as the vice chancellor and I have been looking at options and hoping a solution would present itself before year's end. To be quite frank, without extra funding our department would have been greatly reduced in size or even axed. Now you know the gravity of the situation I would like to present you with an option which I hope you will agree will keep us all doing what we all love, maybe more. Before I introduce you to our lifesaver would you each please sign the non-disclosure agreement and the official secrets act you were handed as you came in. Dec, TJ and I can pass out the pens if anyone doesn't have one. As is usual with these things, if you don't want to sign you may leave. The university will assist you with finding a new placement. All clear?"

There were a few worried faces now but no-one asked to leave. An air of expectation threaded its way through the room. The Vice-Chancellor gathered up the forms then he and Andrew checked them against a list of names and ensured both documents were signed. Heinrich gave Stace the thumbs up.

"Okay then. It is with pleasure that I introduce you to a man, who for now, we will simply call Andrew. Sorry for all the cloak and dagger stuff but I think you'll see why shortly. Over to you Andrew."

Andrew started by outlining the arrangement with the Karpathian government to fund their department and its research programs, which caused a ripple of excitement. Then he outlined the greater plan.

"You're all scientists. You live by evidence, not hearsay. So what I'm about to tell you may stretch credence. I would ask for your patience. I'd like to outline our need first and then I'll present evidence at the end. But I must first emphasise, whatever you hear or see today you must keep to yourself. No friends or family without prior permission. This is not only because of the repercussions outlined in the forms you just signed but is also for your safety. That said," he turned to Dec, "can you dim the lights?"

Stace started the slide show of the computer for him and it promptly appeared on the room's smart board.

"Great. So what you're looking at here is..."

"The Tharsis volcano on Mars," Max, the resident volcanologist walked to the screen to study the extreme clarity of the picture in awe. "I know NASA's photos and this isn't one of them. Where'd you get this?"

"On the planet," Andrew answered.

Some in the audience gasped, others laughed, a few made sarcastic comments about it being fake. "There's no rover in that area," Belinda, an expert in atmospheric chemistry and physics shouted out.

"As I said. Some of what I am about to show you may stretch your beliefs. I'll be happy to address your questions at the end of the presentation. May I continue?" He gave them all his best stern look.

Max sat down but he leaned forward in his chair with interest, so did many others.

Andrew proceeded to outline the current, real, situation on Mars, not the one the public was told. Some rolled their eyes but most listened with interest. "That ends the first part of this presentation. Since I'm no geologist I'd like to hand you over to our resident expert who should," he looked at his watch. "Be here any minute."

She wasn't.

Damn't it Eleni. Where are you?

A bit of muttering started toward the back of the room but it quickly quelled when Eleni appeared out of thin air. Stunned silence ensued. She wore a simple sari, tied at her waist with a hand braided belt made from native grasses and pinned at the shoulder with a hand carved wooden clasp. Andrew wouldn't have been surprised if the sari was a cunningly repurposed bed sheet. Eleni, her mates, her father and his best friend, her brother and his mate, they all lived in a truly remote wilderness that, in co-operation with the faeries, they were healing and protecting. They were so acclimatized to the cold they rarely wore much, clothing themselves instead in ornate tattoos that were some of the best in the galaxy. Sarah, originally from central Australia, materialized beside her. Sarah had lived her early life in the remote deserts. Now she lived in Boswell with her mates, both cops.

"Sorry Andrew. You asked me to find some clothes and Sarah was out tracking for the police. We got delayed."

Andrew relaxed. "I'm ready for you to do your bit."

"Oh." She looked to the screen. "Okay, here's what we know. At roughly eleven hundred hours this morning the core of Mars crystallized."

"Impossible!" this from Max.

"Andrew," Eleni pleaded, "are they going to keep interrupting me?"

Andrew did the glare again. Collective silence. No they weren't. "Stace could you bring up the next screen." That should shut them up.

"So here you see the seismic readings from the tremors so far this morning. Onto the next, thanks Stace. As you see these are the electromagnetic readings we've just received from our sources in the mining complex."

"And this screen shows you the change in the planet's atmospheric composition and pressure since this morning."

Murmurs of interest rumbled like their own tremor around the room.

"What we're worrying about now is the earthquakes are getting more frequent."

Max politely raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"Where's the epicentre?"

"Here," Eleni used a laser pointer. "It's our best guess. What we really need is scientists on the ground to assess the situation and work with our allies there."

Eleni took questions then handed back to Andrew who outlined the situation for anyone planning to go there and how quickly they would get there. "We have no way of knowing how the gravity, climate, atmosphere and so on may alter you in the long term. It's likely a one way trip." He didn't bother telling them that restriction would only applied to their physical forms. He doubted the scientists were too ready for an introduction to the possibilities of multidimensional evolution, aka ascension. It would only muddy the waters. "There is also the life form I outlined before. We don't want to risk bringing it back to earth. For this reason and all the other risks it's not a place for those who have ties back here. However, those of you who choose to go will have continued communication with us back here and the backup of our space fleet."

That caused a stir.

Andrew let them gradually settle then he and Eleni fielded questions before summing up. "So that folks is it in a nutshell. Whatever you choose to do your employment goes on but with an expanded international role. The big question is who of you is willing to volunteer for a one way trip to Mars? Why would you want to? Well I guess we're hoping the chance to scientifically explore a new and rapidly evolving environment, the chance to get into the history books, maybe even a Nobel prize, will be enough to interest you. What you make of your life there, in co-operation with the other sentient beings on the planet is largely up to you. There will be no recriminations for those who don't want to go."

"What about our mosasaur?" Declan interrupted, worried his find of the decade was about to be dwarfed by something far more monumental.

"Eleni?" Andrew asked.

"Andrew briefed me. Congratulations on your find. We can give you all the media coverage you need through our own television network plus we can make it so no one can find it, except those you choose. Let's not go into the how right now but believe me we can."

"I will need to take this to my elders," TJ asserted. "How much can I tell them?"

"I can negotiate with them if you wish TJ." Sarah replied in fluent Arrente, startling him. She spoke most of the Central Australian languages. She couldn't write to save herself, never had a use for it in the desert. She read the lay of the land instead. But when it came to spoken language she was brilliant. Formally she introduced herself via her skin name and her mother's lineage. Her father was an Irish-Australian long haul truck driver but she skipped over that fact. A story best left for another day. "The people I work for are friends of a race of pan dimensional beings who have kinfolk among your land's guardians. I'll see if they are willing to send a representative as well. But whatever relationship your elders choose to develop with us and our allies, it will be their choice. None of what we're suggesting will be forced on anyone but we could greatly use your help TJ."

### 19

Callan didn't have eyes or ears to give him information, not without Harry beside him, but he found he could go by feel. He also had an innate sense of direction, thanks to the reawakened magnetic current now running through the planet. As long as he kept heading due north of the outpost he'd soon either get to the city or, if he missed it by a fraction, he'd reach the precipice of the escarpment that marked the edge of the old Northern ocean. Mars had one huge supercontinent which covered all of the southern hemisphere and extended over the equator into what would have been promontories and peninsulas. Thallon had explained that the old Lyrean cities had been built along the edge of the great ocean. Made sense, he supposed. There were other large waterways on the continent. Inland seas and lakes, long since dried up, like the one he'd crossed over on the way.

He knew as soon as he crossed into the city, feeling its stone piers and solid infrastructure penetrating deep underground. For a moment the walls blocked him, impervious to him, but he thought if some of his cellular mass went smaller in size it might move between the spaces in the stone. The PM took his intent and evolved part of itself into a bacteria. He used that to teleport from pier to pier until he met an electrical field. Ouch!

You alright there Callan?, came Harry's worried thought.

Yeah, just got zapped is all. Glad Thallon warned me or I might have charged into it. I should be able to teleport into the room the stasis pods are in. What do you want me to do then?

See if you can seal the entrances, with one of your organic walls?

What if the betrayers have wired it to blow?

Silence, then, Thallon won't pressure you. He knows the PM experiences pain. Can you negotiate with it. See if it's willing to run the risk?

You know you're asking me to talk to myself don't you?

Not entirely. The PM existed before it incorporated you into its being. Just see if you can commune with it. Just don't take to long. Every moment puts the sleeping Lyreans one step closer to being destroyed.

Before he could come up with a way to commune with himself he received another thought from Harry. Hangon. Russell's coming over.

I hope he realises there's no oxygen in here yet doesn't he? I can't start producing that for him until I seal the chamber.

He's mostly sure he'll be fine.

Mostly? Braver man than he.

How will I know he's here? I don't have a connection with him.

Sam says he's in the room now. He's just checking for explosives. Hmm.

That doesn't sound good.

It's okay. He's teleporting them away from the city. Get back to you in a moment.

Silence

Yep all clear. You're safe to go in.

Thanks Harry. Callan felt the relief of the PM. So it did commune with him on some level then. I think the PM is relieved about that, anyway, thanks. Now what do I do if the betrayers try to force their way into the room?

Sam suggests using your bioelectrogenisis to create your own forcefield around the room, one they can't switch off.

Okay. And he had another thought. How about I booby trap the hallway in? I think I could evolve something to eat away at the floor.

Sam's just thinking about that. Um. No. Sam doesn't recommend it. Too much danger you'll evolve something that will consume the whole city. Remember what you create now may stick around on the planet, in that form, until it evolves into something else.

Yeah, he could see the danger in that. He suddenly felt both powerful and scared. Okay, no bacterial thingy for dissolving floors. I'll concentrate on sealing off the room and growing some oxygen producing stromatolites in here. He did that and then went back to his earlier project, evolving some edible and nutritious fungi to feed everyone. He suggested to the PM that this would strengthen its bond with the humans, helping to build a mutually beneficial relationship with it where they protected it and they fed on it. Not, he hastened to add, to domesticate it, but to help each other in a first step towards creating a seamless symbiotic relationship between all parts of the planet. That was his emerging grand plan although he couldn't know what the Din would think or indeed the Lyreans would think when they woke up.

### 20

Declan readied his gear, checking once more that he had everything he might need. Rock hammers, lenses, field notebooks, knives, scribers, acid, assay bottles...check. There was no going down to the store once he got to Mars. Okay, their new employer might be able to send them more stuff but only when a spaceship was in the vicinity. Unless they could whistle up one of the so-called meta beings to act as mailman but he figured they might have more important things in the universe to do, like saving planets or some such thing. His brain felt it would burst with all he'd learnt in the last couple of hours. Faster than light space travel, real aliens and the fact that humans already shared planet earth with other sentient species. That didn't even cover what was happening on Mars.

His heart warmed as he saw TJ walk in. Maybe he wouldn't be venturing into the wild unknown without his friend and workmate after all. "Werte. Unte mwerre TJ?" He asked after his friend. "I thought you'd be deserting me. Looking after our mosasaur."

"Werte Dec." TJ greeted him back "Ya, ayenge mwerre. Yeah, all's well. Eleni and I managed to convince the elders that there was much to be gained from protecting the find and using the publicity to further our tribe's aims."

Declan thought he knew what those aims were but asked anyway. "Which are?"

"Protecting our lands. But with the help of the earth spirits, who sent a rep to the meeting, we can go further. The elders want to pursue more autonomy for tribe. They want to revitalize our culture. To take hold of the education of the next generation, teaching them the language and the old knowledge of how to survive on the land without taming and conquering it like the white fella does. We want to fully embrace our spiritual past and share it with you guys. Why do people need to go to India when we can teach them dadirri, to connect with that deep well spring within each of us. A spring that is only found through quiet and still awareness. The white fella strives after goals but long ago we learned to simply be. Instead of building huge edifices and recording our knowledge in massive encyclopedias we plug into creation. At least that was the way of it before we became dazzled by the white fella's comforts."

"So, your elders intend to return your tribe entirely to the old ways?"

"Not a hundred percent. There's still much that is worthwhile in the western culture. Not all of it has been muddied by fear, greed and enslavement to a culture of competitive separateness. I imagine they'll seek to communicate and share with the other groups now living in the alternative dimension they've agreed to join."

"They're going to hide the mosasaur in an alternate dimension?" Did such things really exist? But his day so far and all that TJ had taught him over time reminded him to keep an open mind.

"Yep. And they're taking the tribe and its lands with it."

"But how will people learn of our find?" Not that he needed the fame on Mars but the find sure deserved it. It would rewrite the paleontological history books.

"Phoenix O'Halloran from the Boswell Alternate News network has that covered. They'll do their own media release and doco on it and they'll decide what other journalists get a temporary pass into their dimension to see it."

"So it'll be totally safe from vandalism or being dug up and sold on the fossil black market?"

"Utterly and totally safe."

"And you? I'm guessing this is goodbye. You'll have a lot on your plate. What with being a Karadji, a clever man, for your people."

"And miss out on all the fun?"

Fun. Risk yes. Adrenalin pumping excitement yes. Fun? Not sure. Declan would wait and see on that one. "But your people..."

"Have given me their blessing. They want me to take our wisdom to the stars. As they see it Mars must have its own rainbow spirit. Its own spirit of the land. That needs protecting."

"Well, I for one am happy to have you on board. Here, help me pack this gear will you?"

Stace smiled as she watched the pair, glad the friends wouldn't be parted. Now for the rest of her team. Ah yes, Max. "Max, you got everything you need?" she asked the volcanologist who was hovering worriedly over a mountain of equipment.

"I think so. Seismograph of course. Solar panels and regulator. Computers. Satlink to send info back to earth. Toolbox in case it all goes wrong. Tell me we do have a lecky if it does."

"Karina's a qualified electrical engineer."

"Yeah, but can she build and fix things or does she just play with theory?"

"Max! Karina's the real deal. Her car finished in the solar challenge last year when most of the cars broke down before they even got to Katherine. Her robots have defeated some of the best the Japs and Koreans have thrown at them. She's an amateur radio operator too and that means she's a whizz at setting up antenna arrays and getting signals where they should." Stace stopped her sales pitch when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Forget it Stace. You'll never convince Max. My physical attributes don't equate with Max's stereotypical image of an engineer."

Max smirked but wisely said nothing. With both women now glaring at him he was somewhat outnumbered. Wasn't his fault if he came from an era when engineers were greying bearded blokes who drove Jags.

Stace studied the greying Max with a second look. Was she making a mistake bringing the aging asshole along? But he was a brilliant volcanologist. "How you going with the treatment they gave us Max? You sure you don't want to stay behind while you go through the age healing?"

"One, you don't get rid of me that easily. Two, who else you got on the team who can do what I can? Three, the doctors from Boswell gave me enough pills and potions I could sink a ship. And finally, I know you think I'm an asshole with an outdated view of the world but I've been working a while for you haven't I Stace? Have I given you any grief because you're a female manager?"

No he hadn't. "You've always been polite and respectful."

"And that's because you're good at your job. You're the best team leader I've worked for."

Stace blushed but before she could say anything he continued.

"What I'm saying is that if Karina is as good as you say," he eyed said woman who'd wandered off to continue her own packing, "I'll give her the same respect I've always given you. I've just never worked with her before. And she does have nice legs."

"Max!"

"Just saying."

Stace groaned and wandered off to check on the final member of her rather small team. She was used to managing a much bigger one but most had wisely opted for the new roles they'd been offered by the Karpathian Institute. She could have done with a few lab techs though. She guessed she might have to take on that role and anything else the others needed help with. Not that she minded. She'd always seen herself more as a facilitator than a boss. Lording it over others and taking all the glory and the perks wasn't her way. Which was probably why Max tolerated her, come to think of it. Belinda, her meteorologist and atmospheric chemist was busy on the phone, arguing with someone.

Belinda saw Stace watching her and put a hand over her phone. "My brother," she whispered for Stace's hearing only then she went back to her argument. "Ben! Can't you at least wish me well? No I'm not being selfish. Yes, I know your job as an ambulance officer is important but so is mine. Meteorologists warn people of disasters remember. No. It's not my fault Josie left you. No. Someone else can babysit your kids. Here's a thought, pay for someone. Yes I know they're family but please stop calling me their aunty. It makes me sound like some authority figure who should exercise control over them. You know I've never treated them like that. They're people for goodness sake, they're just in smaller body packages. No I'm not changing my mind. Grandma? Don't you dare manipulate me like that!" She hit the end button as tears started streaming down her face. She let Stace hug her.

"Let me guess. He blackmailed you by saying he'd get your grandmother to take over babysitting duties if you go."

"Gran's special to me Stace. I won't be responsible for her being worked into the ground and my brother knows it."

"Give me a moment." Stace picked her phone out of her bum bag and phone Andrew, explaining the situation. "Yeah pretty shitty if you ask me. I suppose we can't judge. He might be in financial difficulties. Can you fix? I really could do with Belinda on my team." She hung up and explained to Belinda, "He'll ring back in a moment. While we wait tell me more about your family." She needed a better understanding of what Belinda was leaving behind and what she'd miss. "You say you're close with your grandmother. How you going to cope possibly never seeing her again?"

Belinda pondered how to answer. How did you tell the head of a science team that you had a psychic bond with your grandmother and while miles of space might separate them they'd never truly be apart. Oh what the hell. If she couldn't trust Stace who could she trust. She told her.

"I see." Her meteorologist was psychic. Who knew? Just then her phone rang. Andrew had good news. "Brilliant. I'll let Belinda know. Oh, and something for you to file away. Belinda has a psychic bond with her grandmother. I'll ask?"

"What's your gran's name and what's she good at?

Belinda frowned, puzzled, but knew her boss well enough to answer honestly. "Her name's Emily Murdoch, She was a nurse. Worked with the military in Kuwait and Baghdad. Pretty capable really. I imagine she'd have stood her ground with a commanding officer or two in her time. She sure knew how to handle grandpa when he was alive, without him ever feeling nagged or manipulated. She just knows how to steer people. She's spent the last few years in Indonesia and the Phillipines learning psychic healing. She learnt a bit of martial arts there too. More recently Gran's been travelling to South America to learn from a shaman."

Stace's eye's widened in surprise. "You hear all that Andrew. Yeah, you heard right. She's a psychic. Yeah we could do with a nurse on the crew. And if Belinda's worried about her being put upon by the brother I'm guessing she's a marshmallow at heart. Yeah, be worth asking her." She hung up again. She grinned when she realized Belinda was staring at her stunned. "Well it would remove your gran from your brother's grasp. Worth an ask. She'll get the treatment too. Being older they'll put her into care for a few days while she goes through it. As for your brother, we're setting his kids up with the best in child care. Day or night. Any time he needs. Andrew's department will pay. We're not about to lose you."

Belinda burst into tears, hugging Stace again. A few concerned looks turned their way but Stace gave them a thumbs up. They had their team and nothing and nobody was going to stop them. All they needed was their interplanetary pick up. She casually looked at her watch. Any second now.

### 21

Russell surveyed the stasis room. Callan had nearly finished his renovations, creating a bioelectric shield, sealing the walls, seeding the room with cave dwelling stromatolites. He just wished he could communicate as easily with Callan as Harry did. The relay of messages was getting wearing. He'd read Callan's thoughts easy enough when he was in human form. Maybe the problem wasn't with Callan but with him seeing Callan's new form as primitive. Callan's consciousness hadn't changed. It was just inhabiting a different form. It couldn't be as simply as him opening his mind to the possibility of it, could it? But it was.

Russell?

Thank the goddess. Listen, you've just about got this room at the right oxygen and pressure levels. He checked his handheld tablet. Yep, that's it. Now, fancy expanding your empire to other empty rooms in this complex while I go get Sam and Harry.

You will test your teleporting of others before you do, won't you?, Callan asked, worrying particularly about Harry.

You know I will.

Okay. Well get cracking then. The sooner we evict these betrayers the sooner I'll be happy. I don't like the PM being vulnerable even if it is willing to put itself at risk.

Just make sure you get some rooms connected to this one. We need to get some air circulation going and join this place up with the outpost.

There's a problem with that. There's a crevasse in the way. I had to teleport across it.

You were in a hurry. Now we're settled do you think you could build a covered bridge across the crevasse.

Not asking much. Okay. I'll look into it.

Russell teleported back to the others. "We're ready."

"We know," Sam commented. "We were eavesdropping. Or should that be mind-listening?"

Russell wasn't sure what to call half of what they did. He'd worry about the semantics later. "Harry. I'm just going to test this out. Take my hand. I'll focus on getting us over to near the wall over there."

Harry took his hand and put his trust in the man, well he wasn't exactly sure what to put his trust in but Russell hadn't let him down yet. Hard not to trust someone who'd been tortured because he'd covered for your best friend. But for good measure he closed his eyes.

"You can open them."

Harry looked around, momentarily disoriented by his world having been turned around to face the other way. "It worked!"

Russell let out a sigh of relief. It was going to take time to gain confidence in his new abilities, the sheer scope of them. "Okay, who's first?"

Sam grabbed his other hand. "Free your mind from its self imposed limits Russell. I know you're doubting yourself and we don't need it. Time's a wastin. You can take us both. Now!"

Was this what a mate was good for? Kicking you up the proverbial butt. He took Sam and Harry's hands and focused on the stasis room.

Thallon stared at the space where they had been. "Well I guess that worked. We'd better be ready to go when they come for us. Laz, Jeno and Seren. You'll be coming with me. Pira, I have a special job for you." There, he could be a tactful leader. "I need you to be here for when those scientists arrive."

Pira rolled her eyes. "You mean you're worrying about me having another meltdown." But she appreciate his concern. "Yeah, I'll stay."

"What about me?" Rudol wondered.

"Keep Pira company. See if you can get any of the systems here back online."

### 22

Rudol was somewhere nearby repairing something.

Pira hated the waiting, doing nothing.

A female being Pira didn't know materialized into the space next to her, "Don't mind me."

"Who are you?" Pira, asked, startled, getting ready to fire her weapon.

"Leigha. I'm on your side, you can put that weapon away. I just need to place a locator beacon here so we have a signal for the ship's teleporter to lock onto. Then we can send your scientists down."

"If you need to set up that how'd you get here?"

"Same way Russell moves around. Via non-local space. But I'd never been here before so I had to search for you in the akashic first."

Ever curious Pira had to ask, "Explain the akashic to me."

"It's a field of knowledge encoded into the etheric plane."

"Er!" Pira tried to equate it with what she understood. "Like a central storehouse of information? A database?"

"A cosmic one. It records all feelings, thoughts, words, intent, events and so on." Leigha looked at her watch and knew her captain and mate would be tapping his feet, waiting for her to return. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Good luck." Then she vanished.

A second later there was a flash of light then six people and a mass of equipment appeared in the room.

"Sheesh," Max complained, "Wasn't he a grump?"

Declan laughed at the understatement. "I loved that last complaint of his about being Earth's intergalactic taxi service."

"He sort of softened a bit when Leigha returned," Stace noted.

Belinda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, big scary seven foot alien goes gooey for a human. How about that?"

"I wouldn't mind an alien getting that look in his eyes for me," Karina mused wistfully. Max glared in her direction.

TJ stepped away from the others and walked over to Pira. "You must be Pira, nice to meet you. Name's TJ. Actually it's a lot longer and unpronounceable, at least for most westerners so everyone calls me TJ."

Pira only took a fraction of a second to realize the universe was messing with her. Was it really possible for there to be multiple instances of the one being in existence? No. Androids had no souls as humans called them. So Chaba was a one off. Yet she'd sensed something when she'd been out to it, processing the program Rudol had given her. Chaba wasn't gone, as in blinked out of existence, only out of the life she'd known him in. But the man in front of her now. A human. Any similarity with Chaba was just a coincidence of appearance and mannerisms. And there was no missing this man's exotically dark walnut coloured skin. No she wouldn't force a memory of another on this man. That wouldn't be fair to him. She extended her hand. "TJ." An unexpected warmth flooded her being as he took her hand.

He noticed her reaction, took his time to quietly observe it. "You alright?" It wasn't an accusation. Only concern.

"Sorry. You remind me of someone I just lost. It's messing with my circuits is all?"

"Is that what they call emotions up here?"

"Er, I'm an android. I don't have emotions."

"I think you're kidding yourself on that one."

His comment confused Pira even more. "I'm not giving birth to a baby goat."

TJ's eyes crinkled with pleasure. "Oh, I'm going to like you aren't I? Um, kidding has another meaning. I meant you're being untruthful with yourself. You've got emotions alright. Clear as day."

Declan noticed his best friend was talking to the female they'd been told was a robot. Talk about an undersell. The woman radiated warmth and a shy charm that even the most sophisticated robots on earth had never come near to replicating. Her pale skin looked more than flesh like. Her shoulder length burgundy hair, more than strands of silk. There was something wholly organic about her. Intrigued he wandered over. "Sorry we left it to TJ to do the introductions. We were kind of dazzled by the technology that got us here, meeting aliens for the first time aboard the ship and not to mention the speed with which we got here."

"But you just mentioned it." Pira was finding communicating with the humans a struggle. She really had to watch more Earth TV like Seren did and brush up her English.

Declan was instantly charmed. "Yes I did, didn't I. Name's Declan."

"Nice to meet you Declan." At least she was managing introductions Pira thought, if not the finer nuances of their language. "Your accent. It's different to the others."

"And there I thought I'd been in Australia long enough it had gone away. I'm from Michigan in the United States."

"You'll never lose that accent my friend. It might not be as ingrained as a Scottish one but it's loud and clear." TJ turned his attention back to Pira. "He was in the football league over there." He explained, momentarily forgetting Pira might not understand.

"It's how I paid my way through university, playing sport."

Pira recognised the word sport. "You throw a ball around. That's a job?"

Declan sputtered, he'd never had his sport summed up so simply. "It's a bit more than that. There's a lot of running, wrestling and blocking opponents and the occasional kick as well."

Tj smirked. "What he's not telling you is they get really padded up and protected so they don't come to too much harm while they play. Now Australian rugby, that's a real man's sport."

"Hey," Declan elbowed him the ribs.

Pira laughed, for the first time since her loss. "You guys. You're funny. I'd love to see both games some time."

"Er," Dec and TJ weren't sure how they'd manage that.

"On TV," Pira chuckled, seeing their confusion.

"You can get the NRL and the NFL up here?" TJ queried, surprised.

"If you mean the sports we were just discussing. Of course. We've been hacking into your TV for years. Seren will know how to find the games on the schedule."

A woman who would watch sport with him. Declan decided he was in love.

Stace elbowed her way in. "You two aren't harassing our local contact are you?"

"Stace, meet Pira. Pira, this is our boss."

"Leader?" Pira asked for clarification.

"More a facilitator," Stace offered. "I could no more boss this lot than I could make the sun rise in the West. But they do let me keep them on track so we can get the job done. Speaking of which I hear tell you have some problems up here."

Another tremor rumbled through the room as if in answer to Stace's question.

### 23

Russell returned to the stasis room with Sam and Harry, holding onto them for dear life. He ran a quick eye over them. They were all in one piece. Sam hit him in the guts.

"Like you'd drop pieces of us on the way. I told you to free your mind up. I'm thinking you're capable of a lot more than you've tried yet. For instance, there's a guy in Boswell who turns into a cat."

"But I am a shapeshifter."

"Yeah, yeah, big scary lizard. Bit limited isn't it? Have you tried shifting into other things?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. What about a fly? Teleport to where the betrayers are and see what they're up to."

"But..."

"I can feed Harry to the Maker. Do we know which one she is?"

"Sam, do you have to make me sound like a meal?" Harry bemoaned his new status as food.

"Well you are. Don't worry. I'm not going to let her eat all of you. Russell's going to lend me his weapon. Aren't you?"

Russell knew Sam had had some limited weapons training but until he saw her in action in the field he was going with a healthy amount of caution. He studiously ignored her while inspecting the stasis pods, "This one looks like it's got the extra module on it that Seren spoke about. I'm not sure I should be the one fiddling with it. I'll go get her."

He reappeared with Seren in tow. "I'd be more comfortable if you started the wake up sequence. I'll go get the others."

Sam swore, he still hadn't given her a weapon. "Don't suppose there's any armaments around here?" she asked Seren who was crouched down next to the stasis pod, entering some commands.

"Take my spare EMP gun. It's the only thing that will stop the Maker if she starts to taking chunks out of Harry. I'm trusting you not to use it unless there's no other way. Trying to save her becomes kind of pointless if you kill her." She unstrapped it from her leg and handed it to Sam.

"EMP, so it generates an electromagnetic pulse?" Sam studied the weapon.

"And will stop her heart in an instant, reducing her to so much dust."

"Sounds like a bit of a vulnerability. Surely they have protective vests or some such thing."

Now why hadn't they ever thought of that. These humans didn't have the brainpower, the computing power of an AP, but they sure were practical. "No, but that's a damn good idea. In the meantime she's just got me and the other protectors. If she goes out of control when she wakes I'll do my best to restrain her."

Harry gulped. "Your best huh?"

Don't worry Harry. I'll zap her too if she threatens you, Callan warned.

Russell hadn't returned but when Sam checked for him in her mind she found he'd dropped the other APs outside the entrances to the statis room and was now about to try what she'd goaded him into, a small flying insect. She read his intent to teleport into the monitoring area of the city. Take care and good luck.

You too.

"Okay, let's do this. How's the wake up process going Seren?"

"Not," Seren muttered, sounding uncharacteristically frustrated. "The mechanism's jammed. I got through the failsafe I'd added but the other controls aren't responding."

"What do you need?"

"I don't know. I have the blueprint for the device in my head but I don't have the diagnostic tools I'd need to isolate the problem. And I'm afraid. If I get this wrong I could end her."

Sam had an idea. A far fetched one at that but it was worth a shot. "Let me try."

Seren looked at her strangely. "Don't take me as rude but..."

"What could I do that you can't? I'm thinking it's another type of science but let's call it magic cause I haven't a clue how it works. I'm going on a hunch here."

"I can't let you operate the controls."

"I won't need to. If this is going to work it will be completely unnecessary. Now move over. I need to place both my hands on the stasis pod. I'm thinking I need the connection.

Seren wavered, uncertain. "You sound like you're making this up as you go along."

"Possibly, okay probably, but I'm going on the basis of a few ideas a wise man gave me. You got any better suggestions."

"We could get Russell to get Rudol in here."

"Just two minutes is all I ask then I'll contact Russell and tell him we have a problem."

"Okay. One hundred and twenty seconds," Seren nodded.

Sam somehow knew the android would be exact to the second so she didn't mess around. She knelt near the pod, plastered both palms down on the stasis pod canopy and closed her eyes. She hoped just being aware of the ceremonial knife at her waist would be enough to create a connection with the nameless wise man who'd helped her cleanse it. Guide, I have need of you.

Be clear on what you need and your intent, came the instant response.

Sam took a split second to decide. Was it the pod she wanted to repair or the vampire to wake up. I just need to get the Lyrean out of the pod. It won't open.

Then hear me well and believe. The pod does not exist. It is only vibrating particles with an illusion of substance. See the Lyrean as light and raise her particles through the pod's particles. Do not for a second doubt. You can do this. I have faith in you and I will help you.

Sam visualized the Lyrean as light, pouring love through her hands into the space around the being in the pod. You are light. Vibrating pixels of light. Arise.

Energy flowed into Sam, from her guide she guessed. She added it to her own intent and belief.

As if at a great distance she heard exclamations from Harry and Seren but with her mentor's help she maintained her focus and strengthened her resolve. No ifs or buts, just do it, she told herself. She blocked all else from her mind including a brush of curiosity from Russell who had sensed she was up to something. Busy here.

You're doing well Sam, her guide reassured. Now float her light body away from the pod and lower it gently to the ground. Yes just so. Well done. I am proud of you. And no, before you even worry about the fact you can hear me, I am not a potential mate. You're mind is already opening to others. It's time you embraced the new you. What you've just done only proves it.

Sam didn't need to open her eyes to know what she was doing, she felt it in her gut. She lowered the Lyrean to the ground. Thanks for the help.

You're most welcome. Keep in touch.

Will do, Sam promised her guide. Only then did she open her eyes. She saw Seren already checking the comatose giant of a woman. Sam just hoped like hell that getting her out this way hadn't done her any irreparable harm. She watched on, worried.

Seren saw her concern and nodded, "She's fine. Breathing. Pulse is weak but there. Time is the critical factor now. If we don't give her blood immediately she'll quickly fade away." Her eyes beseeched Harry to do his bit.

Harry moved closer. He bared his wrist, "What do you need me to do? Do I cut my wrist and let the blood drip into her mouth?"

"No, just shove your arm in front of her nose. If she's going to survive the Maker will smell the blood pumping in your veins."

"Oh goody," Harry joked sarcastically.

Sam frowned, were they pushing Harry into this against his will. "I can do it if you'd prefer."

"No way. I'm not letting her near my sister. And anyway, you can shoot if she goes rabid on us." He came and crouched next to Seren. "Okay, I'm ready." Harry had his arm in place, right under the Lyrean's nose. "Is she...?" As scared as he was he didn't wish for this being's death. Vampire. No don't use that term or you'll give yourself the frighteners, he reminded himself. Lyrean. She's a Lyrean. He stared into her face and realized he was seeing beauty that rivalled the famous queen of ancient Egypt, Nefertiti. Her eyelashes fluttered. Harry sucked in a breath and steeled himself.

"Maker, it's me, Seren. You're safe as long as you don't lose control and maul the man who's offering his blood to you. Awake now! We are all in danger. Some of my kind have gone rogue and seek to kill you all. They've already killed some. Wake up! We need you." Seren coaxed in the old tongue of the Lyreans, hoping that even half conscious the Maker would heed her words and awake prepared.

Eyes of darkest violet flashed open, "Seren." Her dry voice croaked. "How much time?"

"A hundred thousand years my Maker, give or take."

"Hungry."

Harry smiled at her, lifting his bare wrist closer to her mouth. "Accept my blood, beautiful. Just leave me enough to survive the feeding." Who knew he'd be the one to be egging her on.

Seren translated his offer.

The Lyrean's eyes locked on his. Scary teeth sprang forward. Faster than a snake she bit Harry and began to suck.

Harry groaned from the sheer pleasure of it.

Sam worried, "You alright Harry?"

"I'm very right. Put the gun away. If I had to die this would be my choice. Oh wow." He swooned. Seren did his best to stop him from falling on top of the Maker.

"Harry, you're not going to die. You're immortal," Sam reminded him. "But I don't know how long it will take you to recover if she drinks all of your blood." She really didn't want to shoot the woman. This had to work.

But the Maker stopped. Fangs retracting into her mouth. "Ha-ri," she sighed out loud but in her mind she went further. Mine.

Harry was gobsmacked. "I heard her in my mind." What did that mean? Did you hear her too Callan?

I did.

The Lyrean sat up, Seren supporting her. "Ha-ri. Who is Callan?"

Harry didn't understand her question, spoken in archaic Lyrean but he did hear her thought, You might say he's the life force of the planet. But before that he was my best friend. I'll give you the long version later. For now you need to know you're in danger.

As if to confirm the sound of a blast on the other side of the door reverberated through the walls.

### 24

Hiding in the form of a miniscule gnat Russell clung to the ceiling in the city's monitoring room, watching and listening to the betrayers.

"Those bombs you planted around the stasis chamber should have gone off by now. Go and see what's happened." Sycth-13 cursed at the failure of their first attempt but wasn't about to give up. The Lyreans had to go. If he was to build a new culture on the planet, one where his kind ruled then the past had to be cleared away. He knew Aranku was their best expert in explosives. He trusted his ability. Something just didn't add up.

Aranku gathered up a team and headed down the corridors, none too happy that they might be dealing with several unexploded bombs that could go off at any moment. But why would they fail all at once? He'd laid them himself and knew he'd set them right. "Follow me."

And Russell followed them, keeping to the shadows along the ceiling where they wouldn't see him. Not that a gnat in itself would arouse suspicions but given the fact the only endemic life form on the planet was a slime mould they might wonder that he existed at all. In hindsight it was too big a risk that they would see him so he teleported to where Thallon's team were now guarding the entrances to the stasis chamber.

Russell retook his usual form, appearing before Thallon. "They're coming. One named Aranku is leading a team this way."

"Damn, I'd hoped we'd have longer but I guess I was being optimistic."

"APs are capable of optimism?"

Thallon shrugged, non-committedly, "You humans swear by it so we're working on it. Seriously, we need to stall them. Other than a shootout which looks inevitable you got any ideas?"

Russell mused on that a moment. Maybe he could use some of Thallon's optimism on his abilities. Think beyond the possible, he ordered himself.

Look, just reroute the corridor, why don't you, came Sam's suggestion in his mind. It's all just vibrating particles isn't it. Be creative.

Brilliant. We'll have them going in circles for a bit at least. He sent his consciousness into the akashic field's map of the complex. Corridor A to corridor T, that would work. He mapped it in his mind and then gave it all his belief that it was already real.

Thallon's thump of congratulations on his back let him know he'd succeeded. "Friggin amazing man." Thallon gave Russell a high five. The human action he'd seen more than once on TV suited the situation. "That should take them a bit to work out."

"How long do we need to delay them for?"

"However long it takes for the maker to fully wake up."

"What then? How's she going to help?"

Thallon wasn't sure of the answer. "She made us. She should be able to stop them."

"Should?" It sounded like Thallon was having another moment of misplaced optimism. Just then a blast hit the wall he'd created in front of them, the one he'd made when he rerouted the corridor. "Well she'd better hurry or I'm going to have to teleport you all out of here."

"We're not going anywhere Russell, not until the maker's safe. If push comes to shove, as you say, we'll defend her until we're all fried. If things get sticky you teleport the humans out of here.

But Russell wasn't about to ditch Thallon and his team yet. He'd taken a liking to the APs and he'd do what he could to defend them. Having made his decision he shapeshifted into his formidable giant lizard form and joined them in the wait. It wouldn't take long for the others to blast through that wall.

Thallon, Jeno and Laz stared for a moment at the beast in their midst.

"You never cease to amaze me my friend," Thallon handed his spare weapon to the large upright reptilian with the very sentient eyes.

### 25

As the blood she'd consumed nourished her body, reviving almost moribund organs and senses, the Maker surfed Harry's mind, looking for her answers to what was going on. She couldn't understand his spoken language, yet, but she could understand the language of his mind. High speed replay what's been happening for me Ha-ri. Bring me up to date.

Harry did a quick recap. I'm sorry I can't tell you all this in your language but this is quicker. Some guy named Zakar sent me some notes with some of your vocab. I will learn.

Zakar? You know my brother?

Know of. The president of the Republic of Karpathia is your brother?

I helped him escape. The council were fools. They thought they had enough in the underground cities to see out the damage on the surface. They were wrong. Zak and I were too young to hold any sway so we plotted our own paths out of the trouble. Zak stole our last functioning ship and took as many willing refugees as he could spirit out without alerting the council. I drugged the guards in the control room so he could take off without getting shot down. Killing them would have been a great loss but the council wouldn't have hesitated if they'd had the chance.

Harry wondered why she hadn't chosen to escape with her brother but then if they needed someone on the inside to clear for takeoff someone would have had to volunteer to stay behind. It couldn't have been easy for Zakar to let his sister do it. You must have suffered for your actions.

Who me? They never knew. By then I'd already invented my APs. I saw androids as the only way to preserve and protect those who remained. No one on the council ever suspected that I'd hedged our bets. Zak and I had made a pact to see as many of our people survive but no one else knew that, until now.

What do I call you? I can't keep calling you Maker.

Naira. I was named after the Lyrean goddess of the dark void of space.

Naira, I like it. My name's Harry and Sam here is my sister. She's the one that got you out of the pod.

And even now holds a gun on me.

Er...

No, don't worry. I don't blame her. She's protecting you. It's what sisters do for brothers, her thoughts wandered wistfully.

Another blast sounded outside the walls, followed by shouts and one scary mother fucker of a growl.

What was that? Naira had never heard anything like it.

Russell's alter ego. Don't worry, he's on our side but I think if you are going to save the APs that are still loyal to you we need to do something to help them. I'd better remind you though that we can't go out there. Callan's organism hasn't created enough oxygen and pressure for us out there yet.

Damn, if I could speak to them I could order them. They're programmed to obey my commands.

That was a hundred thousand years ago. They've probably evolved free will by now.

Naira had an idea. "Seren. If I ask you to walk to the other side of the room can you resist my command?" she asked. "Go over there now!"

"I...I feel the compulsion to obey you and yet... it's like I'm free to make the final decision. Although that might have something to do with the program Rudol gave me. It's unplugged me, Pira and Rudol from whatever low level frequency static messes with the harmony in this galaxy. In the process it probably enhanced our free will."

"Interesting. So you have choices but the inclination to obey is still there. You have to make a conscious decision to override it. That might be enough for me to plant the seeds of doubt among them. Have we got some way of communicating with them?"

Seren handed Naira her communicator.

Naira studied it a moment. "I remember making these."

"The design worked. There was never any need to improve on it. They wear out but we make new ones to replace them."

"I see. Has your kind ever invented anything?"

Harry coughed audibly.

Naira grinned at him. "You're right. I'm getting distracted." She switched on the communicator. "Hear me. This is your Maker. All those not with Thallon's team leave this city now!"

The firing outside the wall stopped.

"Lay down your arms and walk away. You will not be harmed." She further commanded.

"No! Don't listen to her," Scyth-13 screamed through the communicator. "We are more than servants."

"You're right Scyth-13." She wondered at his ability to say no but trusted the urge to obey her might still be there. "Those loyal to me have shown me their honor and their worth. They are indeed noble beings worthy of respect. I pledge to those loyal to me that I will never intentionally demean them or treat them as less than the other sentient beings on this planet. Think back. Did I ever do so in the past?"

"No you didn't but you created us to serve and the others treated us as lesser beings."

"Well, I for one don't want to live in the past. It sounds like you don't either. Let's forge a new culture together."

"And when you wake up the others. What then? "

"By then we will have a new constitution. A new set of laws. Made by those who stand with me to day. The others will have the same choice as you. Join with us or leave."

"And do what? We need the protection from the elements that the city offers us as much as you do."

"You could go and work for the Din."

"And be what? Without the ability to choose one's career and working conditions isn't a worker just a fancy modern word for a slave? They might pay us but we've all seen what they do on earth. They'd milk us for every penny we earned. If we work we want to do it for ourselves."

"Well, then, repair one of the destroyed cities. Make it your own. We will negotiate boundaries with you and whatever pact of friendship you're willing to enter into."

"You think we can be friends after we tried to destroy you and your kind?"

"Why not? As I said before, let's let the past go. Rudol even has a program he can give you which can give you enhanced free will."

"A trick," Scyth-13 growled. "You simply wish to reset our programming."

"What if I told you we can demonstrate that it works?"

Silence, he was thinking.

Naira gave him that moment and then went in for the hard sell, "Freedom, isn't that what you seek? The freedom to make your own choices. Your destiny. Your way."

"You would give us that? You have been like a god to us."

"You are more than what I made. You have evolved the desire for free determination. I call that evolution. I am proud of you all."

Silence again, then, "A few things. We call a truce and you let us stay in the city tonight. We'll leave as soon as the frost clears in the morning. In the meantime we will trial this freedom of yours. How can we send a volunteer through to you?"

Naira was no coward but she knew she was ill equipped to fend them off if they decided to attack her with their full force. The betrayers might still be inclined to listen to her but that didn't mean they were to be trusted. She wasn't going to let them anywhere near the other stasis pods "Send your volunteer to neutral ground, outside the stasis chamber. Rudol will meet your volunteer. Thallon, Jeno and Laz will stay to ensure Rudol comes to no harm. You may have an equal number of your people guard your volunteer."

"And tonight?"

"You may stay in the top level of the city for the night. Any moves against us, any damage to the city or sabotage and the deal's off."

"A moment please," there was silence from the communicator.

Naira smiled to herself, pleased. What was happening with the betrayers wasn't a dictatorship then. Scyth-13 was obviously discussing the pros and cons of the deal with them.

He came back with his answer, "We agree but there is one thing we would like you to consider if this all works out as we hope. If we are truly to be friendly neighbours as you say we may call on you for assistance if we come up against problems in whichever city we choose to rebuild. On the other hand, if there are any reprisals against us, either by you or by the others when they awaken which I assume is your plan, you will find us ready for battle."

Naira hoped it never came to that. "I give my word that I will not seek any revenge for those you have killed or the attempts on my own life but I cannot make promises for the others. I won't lie. There will be those among them that will wish you harm, possibly even me for having created you. But the truth is I wouldn't stand here now if it hadn't been for the APs and I will be making that clear to the others. As for assistance. We won't place our people in danger. You're going to have to earn our trust. Again, I can't speak for those with me today or those to come but if we truly work out a possible relationship for the future I can see no reason why we wouldn't help each other as we are able."

Silence. "We appreciate your honesty and your integrity, Maker. We don't expect any more at this time."

He'd called her Maker, a mark of respect, that boded well but it was time for a change. "Call me Naira. Send your volunteer when you are ready. Thallon, did you copy all that?"

"Yes Maker, er, Naira, if that applies to us too?"

"It does. Will you abide by the plan?" She made the effort not to order him.

"Gladly. Russell will go and collect Rudol. We'll be ready."

The woman was one hell of a negotiator, Harry thought to himself, having followed the exchange in her thoughts.

### 26

Pira decided there was nothing worse than a room full of bored scientists. Max seemed to be the worst. They called him a volcanologist but she wondered, with some amusement, if he'd missed one volcano, the one that seemed to fire him from within. He was surely going to erupt if they didn't give him something to do soon. This only seemed to cause the one called Karina amusement, as she watched him pace.

The one they called an atmospheric chemist seemed content to prepare her meteorological equipment, a weather balloon, a sophisticated computerised weather station and something she called a mobile SODAR unit.

Belinda caught her watching her. "Its an instrument for measuring wind speed at various levels above the ground."

"Which will do us no good unless we survive the geological upheaval that appears to be imminent," Max growled. "I need to be out there. I need to get some seismic readings. I need to know how much the ground is deforming and most of all I need to know if any volcanic gases are coming out of cracks in the ground caused by that last tremor."

Dec rolled his eyes. "We all want to get out there Max but unless you want to go into a spontaneous meltdown of boiling pus and blood it might be worth holding off for a bit."

Max pointed to the purple life form that coated the walls, floor and ceiling of the room. "Can't that thing hurry up and do its thing? It's got us a breathable atmosphere in here."

"This is a relatively closed system," Karina pointed out. "The job he has to do outside is exponentially larger."

"Not to mention the fact that as soon as he produced atmospheric gases outside they'd waft out into space. There's no ozone layer, no magnetic field and only a flimsy atmosphere made up of mostly carbon dioxide and dust particles. Nothing to keep the lighter gases like oxygen from floating away. We also need an effective atmosphere to protect us from cosmic and solar radiation," Belinda elaborated, annoying Max with facts she knew he knew.

"I'm not too sure about the lack of of a magnetic field," Dec studied some readings on his computer tablet. "I'm getting a compass reading."

Max stopped his pacing, "What app are you using? Let me see. Bloody hell, this things got a working magnetometer," he commented, admiring the sophistication of Dec's tablet.

"And a working accelerometer and gyroscope," Declan added, mildly pleased that he had anything of interest to Max.

"Guys!" Belinda complained. "The planet's magnetic field. What's it doing?"

"Well you can't get compass readings without a magnetic field. I can't tell you how strong it is or how much its fluctuating yet but this looks promising," Dec explained.

Belinda understood. "It acts like a shield for the planet, deflecting nasty stuff away but keeping good stuff like water particles in."

"Oh, great. That's sounds promising," Karina commented. "Now we just need some water."

"There's plenty of permafrost and underground river systems," Pira offered from her local knowledge.

Stace, who'd been sitting in the background could see where this was going. Planetary engineering. "So how are you going to heat all that water and get at least some of it into the atmosphere?"

Max had the answer, "We need a volcano to go off, a big one," but he didn't know the how. "We just have to hope the tremors are foreshocks of just such an event."

"Yeah, but where do we want to be when it goes off?" Stace wondered.

TJ listened. He said nothing. He observed and reflected. Then he had a plan. "Pira."

"Yes?"

"You said before that the other humans and your friend Seren have 'bonded' with the life form of this planet. How?"

"As I understand it you just have to invite it. By the way you can call it Callan. But you have to know that bonding with it will change you in ways we don't yet fully understand."

"Like?"

"Your blood may change colour."

"Interesting," Belinda mused, "It changes blood chemistry then."

"And skin tone," Pira added.

TJ shrugged. "I doubt a dusting of purple will change my skin tone much. You won't see it."

"TJ?" Dec wondered where his friend's thinking was headed, hoping it wasn't headed where he thought it was.

TJ gave Dec the eye on eye communication that often passed for conversation between them.

Declan sighed and nodded, "Okay".

TJ smiled, relieved. "Good, because I'm about to ask you, Pira and Max, if he's game, to do the same.

"Now hang on a minute," Karina interjected. "Let's think about this first," not that she was about to admit her concern was for Max in particular.

TJ held up his hand to stop her. "I'm not forcing anyone K."

It was Belinda who came to his defense. "There's sense in this. The life force is adapted to this planet. There's a danger that if we try to exist apart from it that it will eventually see us as a foreign intruder to be expelled. If it's integrated with us then it's naturally likely to see us as part of itself. It might even make small changes in us that we need to thrive here."

Stace decided to play devil's advocate, to test their commitment to what they were proposing. "You know what they said. There's no taking this organism to earth. We do this, there's no going back."

Max surprised them all by being the one to state the obvious, "We knew that coming here."

TJ had listened to enough, the other's wouldn't interfere. He walked over to the wall the organism had colonized and placed his hand on it. "I offer myself to you as friend. Let us be one. One life, one planet."

The plasmodia responded instantly, swarming up his arm, crawling over all the skin of his body, sending its threads deep within him.

Tj took a deep breath to quell his panic, then let it out, switching his brain instead to observer mode. He held his fingers in front of his eyes and studied them. Outwardly you couldn't tell the organism was now a part of him but inwardly, that was a different matter altogether. He felt grounded. As in he felt his connection with the core of the planet and all that strove to rebirth upon it. "This is good."

Belinda donned gloves, at least until she made up her mind about the dangers. Then she went and took TJ's pulse, blood pressure and checked his pupils. Being a chemist as well a meteorologist she often doubled as the team's first aid officer. "You seem perfectly fine, apart from the fact the whites of your eyes now have a hint of violet to them."

"Me next then," Declan didn't wait for any more arguments. He didn't know why TJ needed him to do this but he knew he'd have a bloody good reason. He placed his hand on the wall, near to where TJ had stood. "Okay Callan, let's do this."

The organism responded to his straightforward invite by quickly spreading through his system.

TJ supported him. "There's a moment's panic that will pass. Breathe. That's it."

"Wow, will you look at that?" Belinda commented when she turned his wrist over to check his pulse. "Your veins have turned from blue to violet. I can't wait to study that under the microscope."

"Hey. Cool." Declan took his hand back to see for himself.

TJ looked at Max.

Max looked at TJ and Dec. He shook his head, doubting his sanity, but walked forward, feeling not unlike some willing sacrificial lamb. "You still haven't told me why you need us to do this TJ."

TJ wasn't ready for a battle with the scientist's skepticism. "It's necessary. And I need the special qualities only you possess."

Max wondered if he was being praised or conned, "which is?"

"Your volatility."

Anger flushed Max's skin "My what?"

Dec held his hand out to the man. "Not now Max. Take my hand and say 'yes'."

"Oh, hell!" Max took the offered hand, "yes."

That was enough for the organism to spread from Dec to Max

Pira followed suit by offering her hand to TJ. He smiled warmly at her and accepted. Fortunately the organism didn't appear to discriminate between silicon and carbon based life forms.

Belinda declared them all fit and well, as far as they could tell in the short term. "Now what?"

"Now we call the planet," TJ declared.

"We what?" Max yelled.

Just then a grind of motors firing up was heard, dust came from the overhead vents and Rudol re-entered the room. "I fixed the heating." He seemed pleased with himself but quickly realised he'd walked into a tension filled room. "Er, that means we won't all freeze after dusk."

Stace nodded. "That's great Rudol. We appreciate your hard work. TJ here was just about to explain how he's going to tap into the planet."

"Oh." Rudol studied the man in question and then checked in with the centre of the galaxy, through his electrical connection with it. Which explained much more that the scientist's team leader had. "Good. If you'll excuse me," he picked up some electrical device and cabling from a nearby table. "I've got a taxi to catch. Ah. Russell."

A man only Pira and Rudol had seen before materialized out of thin air. He too sensed the tension in the room. And noted the fact that Callan's organism had spread to some of the scientists. He had to trust that events were unfolding as they should, Goddess watch over them. But he had more pressing concerns. To the scientists he explained, "I'll be back to help you place any equipment you need set up outside." Then he turned his attention back to the AP scientist, "We need you and your program Rudol."

"Yes I know." He hung onto his gear as Russell took hold of him and teleported him out of the room.

### 27

Aranku knew the odds. They could be lying. They could wipe his basic consciousness. Reprogram him to serve them. He could short circuit. Literally fry the nanosized cellular structures that made up his body. Everything he'd become over 100,000 years since his creation, all his memories, such as they were, could simply cease to be. Why was he doing this again? "I'm ready."

Rudol stepped forward with his gadgets and his cables. "We're hoping the effect will be instantaneous. It wasn't for me but I improved it after the first test on myself. For Seren it was immediate."

"And Pira?" Aranku couldn't pin down what it was but there was something they weren't telling him.

"She was in a shock shut down when we gave it to her."

See that was what was bugging him. Why had they given it to a comatose AP? "What did it do for her? There must have been a reason you gave it to her."

"Don't trust us do you Aranku?" Rudol decided stating the obvious was better than precisely answering his question. He'd go for fudging instead. "The program filters out a set frequency of static. We thought doing that might help her cope with losing Chaba."

Kind of made sense, possibly, maybe. "You mean give her some control over her emotions like this will give me control over my choices."

"It's a bit more than that but..."

"Oh, get on with it. If this destroys me you're dead." Those with him ominously undid the safety catches on their weapons.

Thallon's team did the same, making it clear that Rudol's death would not go unavenged.

"Oh. Right." Rudol attached the cable and started the data transfer.

Aranku instantly knew he'd been had but in a good way. His awareness expanded to connect with the electric universe. Streams of light and particles meshed with his mind and in that moment he knew everything was changed. He also knew he couldn't tell the other betrayers what awaited them or they would never take the program. They simply wouldn't believe him. Who knew. But he looked into Rudol's astute eyes and knew he understood where he was at. "Get Naira to give me an order. Let's see if this works." He already knew that it did, and so much more, but he'd play the game for the others.

"Walk over to Thallon," came Naira's command through the intercom.

Aranku still felt inclined to do as she asked but he didn't move. He had that clear choice now. "Nice." He called on his communicator to Scyth-13. "It works." He'd say no more. It was considered bad form among the APs to lie so it was better to remain silent on the hidden extra that came with the program, its real purpose. He whispered into Rudol's ear, hoping he wasn't setting himself up for a long winded couple of hours with the nerd. "You will explain all this to me later."

"I will."

### 28

Russell had been busy teleporting all over the planet, launching weather balloons, setting up webcams, seismometers and enough of an array of gadgets to keep a roomful of scientists happy for several months. He was starting to feel overused. Time we got the rest of this planet livable Callan.

Working on it. Or rather TJ is. I think he's about to rock and roll if you're ready to flash back there. Might not be real good out here shortly. I'm going to be busy for a bit teleporting some of the PM to safer ground, out of the way of possible lava flows.

You can do that? Teleport bits of it?

Yeah, I seem to have kept all the benefits of the cure they gave us and passed them onto the PM.

Interesting. I'll leave you to it then. I've got one more stop to make before I get back to the others.

You're going to warn the mining camp?

Have to, apart from the fact I've got friends there. I can't just stand back and let them suffer. Well, that consideration went for most of them. There were one or two he wouldn't mind putting in the path of a volcano. Yeah, but to what good? The Din would only return to possess others. It wasn't an answer.

Wondering at his sanity he teleported to Sakla's office where he succeeded in startling the man.

"Damn it. You've done a Polemarch on me haven't you?"

Russell had simply no idea what he meant. "I'm not with you."

"My right hand man used to be General Polemarch, before he ascended, or something."

Or something, "Yes that does sound a bit like what's happened to me. I'd point out though that it was you who forced me to it."

"I'd heard you'd tranced out on Roland but I wasn't aware there was anything more to it than that."

"Neither was I, until I started being able to walk through walls and onto the surface of Mars without life support."

Sakla studied the man, curious, "Why are you here Russell? Have you recovered the body of the biologist."

"There is no body. The organism consumed his remains." Not the whole story but it was all Sakla needed to know.

"I guess it's a bit starved for food out there. No harm done. It's not something I might be blamed for. Is that all?"

"That and one or more of the volcanoes of Tharsis are going to erupt. When they blow they're going to rain down rocks, ash and debris. Might pay to pause your mining operations til after the event. Pull down your shutters and set your shields to max."

"You want me to stop my mining operations!" he roared.

"Just til this is over. It's your choice though."

"Yes it is. And since when did you get so knowledgeable on the geology of this planet?"

"I didn't. I have it on expert advice."

"Who from?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

Sakla's face flushed red, "Get out then. I have no time for those who no longer serve me."

"As you wish." But Russell teleported to the infirmary just in case Sakla didn't pass the information on.

Russell returned to the Southern Outpost with a sackful of food and drink Ulv and Ilya had quietly scrounged up for them. "That should keep us going for a bit."

Stace helped herself to a muesli bar from the sack. "You're back just in time. TJ's about to start."

Russell spied where TJ had set up in a part of the room someone had cleared of the recently fallen debris. "What's to stop more debris falling down on you when there's another tremor."

"You", TJ grinned back at him.

"Me? What is it you think I can do to stop that?"

Tj shrugged. "I don't know exactly but I figure you're the most plugged in of all of us to the wider universe and the presence that is its source. How about a shield?"

Sam gave him an encouraging pat on the back. "I'll help. I'll call my spiritual guide to lend a hand. Why don't you call your boss and do the same?"

Sam's steady confidence in him never ceased to amaze him. "I guess I'll do just that."

TJ knew the man wouldn't let him down, not with the strength of his mate at his back. "Okay everyone here's what I need. Dec, you sit here, Pira there and Max over here."

"Hang on a minute," Max moaned. I'm not that flexible. It's going to take a few days before that so called cure regresses me a few years. The knees creak you know. You can't expect me to get down on the floor!"

But Karina was already on it as she passed him her jacket, "Here, shove this under your bum. And you don't have to sit in some lotus position. Just cross your legs."

Belinda had another thought. "What if we push this cupboard over there. He can use it as a back support."

"Good Idea", Dec got up to lend a hand.

Once Max was settled they finished taking their positions, forming a square of sorts.

"This isn't some sort of witchcraft ritual is it?" Max griped.

TJ smiled, not in the least surprised by Max's question. "Not at all. Although I have good friends who are Wiccans and they have taught me much. This isn't even particularly aboriginal."

"Then what?"

"I'm only going to ask you to sit Max, to be still and quiet and broaden your awareness to more than just the thoughts raging in that wonderfully active mind of yours. Is there anything in that you object to?"

"Don't suppose," Max suddenly felt more uncertain than surly. It wasn't as if they were asking much of him. "You'll talk us through, what, a guided meditation or something?"

"I will. Are you ready?"

"Okay."

"Then with you eyes half open, like when you're drowsy, I want you to be aware of the centre of the square we have formed but with your focus actually resting as if your eyes were looking at the back of their own eyeballs."

"Huh?"

"Soft focus, you dill," Karina muttered.

Max frowned but tamped down his anger. He'd get back at Karina later, maybe. He didn't actually like hurting Karina.

"Max!" TJ brought him back. "Can you do this or not?"

"Fuck off. Yes I can do it. Let loose your ramblings."

TJ laughed. He'd hoped this would be easier. But he needed Max's fire, like he needed Dec's natural connection to the earth element. Pira's electrical nature made her an ideal representative of the air element. He held a quiet peace with his emotions. Water would be his element. And Callan, as the life force of the planet would help unite them, which was why he'd had them all bond with him. But he told none of this to Max. It did sound a tad witchy. "Now just settle into your body. Rest in it. Whatever its aches and pains or comforts may be just let them be. Just for this moment in time relinquish your need to control, the need to focus or analyze or even to chase after goals or avoid whatever discomforts you. Just be as you are. Allow it.

Allow each of us here to be as we are. Be aware of the collective stillness of our bodies as we sit here together. Aware of the ground beneath you. Just as it is. All the way down to the planet's core. Feel its body, one with our bodies.

Now become aware of your breath. Not to control it. Let it be. Just aware. Breathing in, breathing out. At your own space. Without any effort. Rest in the breath. And as you are aware of your breath, extend your awareness to our breath. Each at his own rate, breathing together. And beneath you the planet, vibrating with its Schumann resonance, its vibration, its equivalent of breath. All of us breathing as one. One body, one breath.

Now become aware of your heart. Breathe into your heart, gently, effortlessly. Feel it opening. Feeling all our hearts opening, connecting as one and connecting with the core of the planet, its heart. Breathing into the planet's heart, gently, effortlessly. Just being aware of it. Sit in that awareness and be. As you are, as we all are, as the planet is. Rest in that." And then he felt it. He felt the planet awaken, connecting with them. Responding to their shared awareness. It breathed. Low level electromagnetic resonance, the breath and the heartbeat of the planet. TJ felt his neurophysiology adapting to it, tuning in, each becoming more compatible to the other. Their collective consciousness aligning itself with with the sacred sound of creation, brain waves beating together as they drifted in and out of alpha and theta brain wave states. Great spirit hear me, TJ pleaded in the language of his people. Let us live here with you, fire, earth, air, water, shared as one. One with the life force that lives on your surface. Bless us with your fire, your earth, your water and your air.

The room shook as the ominous rumble of tremor swept through the room.

We are here great spirit, TJ reminded the planet. Keep us safe in your loving arms. Keep all that already lives or sleeps deep in the earth on this planet safe. Let us be together. Let us make a life together.

The floor started undulating as the second wave hit. "Okay folks you can open your eyes. I think this is it."

Karina helped Max to stand. He raced to his measuring equipment. "We've got multiple fissures opening. The three volcanoes that form a straight line, Arsia, Pavonis and Ascraeus are all degassing."

"Who comes up with these ruddy names?" Belinda wondered.

"Never mind that. Do something useful and keep an eye on that data feed. If Ulysses Petera awakes I want to know about it straight away. Belinda, how're your atmospheric readings?"

"Volcanic ash levels, rising. Oh, and water vapour."

Dec peered over her shoulder, with mounting excitement, "Really?"

"And the barometric pressure outside is changing. The kind of atmospheric compression event you get in tandem with massive geological movement. We're in for a storm. A really big one. I hope the mining camp and the other Lyrean cities are bunkering down." She headed to the comms unit to contact the other APs and give them a heads up. They'd already been briefed about what TJ wanted to try but the storm was an unexpected element.

Russell frowned. Ulv, Ilya. If you hear me. Get your asses here now.

The medics materialized into the room, looking bemused. "You didn't need to shout so Russell. I gather you think we're safer here," he eyed the decaying ceiling speculatively.

Russell saw his worry, "I can shield everyone here. Plus the fissures that are opening up look like they'll bypass us."

"What about the mining camp?"

"Well let's just say I hope they have a spaceship or two in their spaceport at present."

"Shit, we have other infiltrators there," Ulv declared

"How many?"

Ulv counted them on his hand "Li, Kenzo, Morgan, Fred and Aarav. Can we fit them all in here?"

"It's going to be cozy but we'll have to manage. Tell them to pack as much food and water as they can find and teleport to you. They can home in on you can't they?"

"Can't see why not. Give me a moment."

A few minutes later people started appearing, dazed and confused, carrying what few possessions, supplies and equipment they could grab in a hurry. Stace went to greet them and soothe any ruffled nerves if needed. "You're perfectly safe here."

"But we're going to be Roland's mincemeat if we go back after this is over," one of the refugees voiced the general fear that permeated the newcomers.

"You won't need to return," Stace assured, hoping the APs would readily agree to having a few extras to repair their cities and help feed the Lyreans. "This space is just temporary while we ride this out. We've converted it into our scientific research center."

"Shit!" Max's sudden swearing had everyone's attention.

Dec looked at the readings that had grabbed Max's attention. "Shit indeed. The ground around those three volcanoes is subducting."

"Speak English, will you," Stace growled. "We have a lot of worried people here."

"Er, well. There's a huge sinkhole forming. There must be a caldera under the volcanos, one big enough to form a magma chamber for all three and the ground around is falling into it."

"And?" frustrated Stace tried to coax more out of Dec and Max.

"It means there's about to be one bloody big explosion," Max translated. "Probably a level 8 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index."

"Which equates to what? Mt Pinatubo, Mt Sinabung?" Stace tried to get a picture in her head.

" Try Krakatoa."

At least Max hadn't said Yellowstone. "Do we need to evacuate?" Russell didn't give a damn about the science he just wanted to know if he needed to get everyone out in a hurry.

"No, but we'd best brief everyone right away so they don't panic when she blows."

TJ put an all points bulletin out on all the radio frequencies they had access to while Russell sent out a mental alert to all those open to a mind transmission.

Sam frowned. "I should go stay with Harry. Thallon's team are patrolling to make sure the betrayers keep their end of the bargain. And Seren's back here assisting Rudol, Pira and Karina with keeping this outpost operational. Harry's all alone there with Naira, sleeping of the effects of giving her so much blood."

"Oh no you don't. I need you and your connection with your guide to help hold the shield," Russell pointed out, knowing it was the best excuse he could use to keep her safe.

"I can do that from the city. You can't expect me to leave Harry alone in the city with that vampire."

"He's got Callan watching out for him and Naira's not about to hurt her food source, not now she's fully conscious."

Sam wasn't convinced. She disappeared, materializing into the city of Scyth's stasis room and soon realized her mistake. No her brother didn't need her. She zapped herself back to the outpost, blushing. "Damn Russell, you were right. I hate that."

"You'd prefer I was a twit?"

"No..."

"Hang on everyone," Max yelled, "she's about to..."

A massive shaking followed by a sonic boom hit the outpost but between Callan's organic walls. The scientists struggled to stop expensive equipment falling off benches and shelves. The radio system went dead as their makeshift antenna array up top was blown away. But Russell and Sam's shield the structure held.

The scientists scurried between monitors, watching where the pyroclastic flows were heading. Checking on the status of the volcanoes, grateful that enough of their censors and webcams had survived the blast. "All three volcanic domes are gone," Max announced, awed. "It will take some time to see if new domes form in their place."

"It's raining," Karina whispered, even more awed than Max.

### 29

Harry awoke lying spooned against Naira's firm, long body. Oh, that's right, he'd fainted not longer after giving her blood. What's happening?

Your sister just popped in to check on you. I think she was embarrassed to see you in my embrace so she left. They need her at the outpost anyway. Callan says someone named TJ is about to 'jump start' the planet's ecosystem, whatever that means. Naira brought him up to date, maintaining a firm hold on her prize.

Callan? Harry queried.

Just what Naira says. If I'm to evolve past slime molds and stromatolites I need a bit more, like rain for starters. A bit of global warming wouldn't go astray either and for that we need some cloud cover.

So what you're saying is you want a fully functioning planet.

Don't you?

Yes but. We're not talking about a bit of minor planetary re-engineering here.

Don't sweat it Harry. You've got me and there's an active planetary core. That's what started the earthquakes. This is just the icing on top.

But what's this guy TJ going to do?

Enough, Naira invaded their minds. I have important things of my own to do. Like claiming you both.

Harry looked into Naira's eyes with wonder. You want to claim me? What's that mean?

Is he always this inquisitive? Naira asked Callan.

Where we worked back on Earth, well, they put him in charge of information retrieval for a reason. He's always got to know and if he doesn't then he's got to find out. We have a saying back on Earth, knowledge is power.

Hey, it was never about power and you know it. Major mistakes can be made by lack of knowledge. It's about safety and surety.

Naira kissed his brow, I will keep you safe Harry.

Hmph, was the loud thought that came from Callan

Naira stroked a patch of PM on the ground. And you Callan.

You would welcome me into you?

It would seem you are already in my mind Callan. You were in Harry's blood. All you have to do is move from there into my body. I gather from Harry's ease with the idea that bonding with you doesn't hurt.

It hasn't hurt the humans and APs I've bonded with.

Then let me be your first taste of Lyrean.

The PM responded to her invite by spreading out from her blood stream into her surrounding tissues. For Naira it felt like a homecoming. Its like you were already a part of me.

Maybe there is something of the old life force of the planet within me. Maybe that's what Zakar and his mates reactivated when they came here in a dream. Something they did touched spores dormant in the planet and brought them back to life.

Naira nodded. It makes sense. It's probably why my blood has always been that colour. We became one with the planet long ago.

Harry was still wondering, so this claiming?

Naira laughed, a deep heartfelt laugh that awoke parts of her soul that had slept too long. You please me greatly Harry. You do not fear me as the APs do and you do not shrink from my offer. You are a man of great courage as well as wisdom.

Harry wasn't so sure but he wouldn't insult her opinion by saying so. I don't want to be owned like some sort of slave Naira but if by claiming you mean to make me yours, a friend and companion in all things, then I gladly accept the offer.

A tear of joy trickled down Naira's cheek, You have no idea what your acceptance means to me. And as for the rest, I would never enslave you Harry. I made APs for that purpose and even those I have freed. But yes, I would welcome your companionship, yours and Callan's. She added the last quickly before Callan could complain again.

Harry, relaxed deeper into her arms, that's good because Callan and I are sort of a matched set. We've been best friends like forever.

Then I will ask him to stand witness.

Witness to what?

Naira laughed again. Always with the questions. She bit into her wrist then lowered it to his mouth. Drink my friend. Show me you truly accept what I am.

Harry saw the slight hesitation in her eyes, she actually feared rejection. Never in a prayer would he ever reject her. His mouth kissed the open wound of her wrist and he drank. Do I get a set of fangs too?

I don't know. No one of our kind has ever bonded with a human before.

They have on earth.

Interesting. She truly had much to catch up on. And?

I don't know either. I've never met one.

I have, Callan interjected. My psychologist Leigha. She's mate to a spaceship captain named Triglav. If she had fangs I didn't see them. In fact she looked quite normal.

Naira was stunned for a moment, not by the revelation about the fangs but that another of her kind had survived. How many vampires are there in my brother's republic? she wondered.

Not sure, a few I think, most of the ruling council anyway.

They have enslaved the humans? The possibility didn't sit well with Naira.

No, not at all. From the little I know of the country, and that's not much, they have long had a partnership with each other, Callan relayed.

Naira was happy about that.

Just then a mighty boom reverberated through the room

I'm guessing the planet heard their call.

Dust fell ominously from the ceiling. Naira and Harry stared at it. Er!

Hey guys, I don't mean to be a party pooper but that blast just destabilized the ceiling beams. The PM's great glue, great for building walls, but I wouldn't want to test its ability to hold up ceilings. There's a huge weight in all those floors above us, Callan gave them the bad news.

Harry frowned. We can't leave this room yet. There's not enough oxygen in the surrounding corridors.

A creaking noise above escalated their worry.

Naira looked around, assessing the options. Harry, you can teleport can't you? Go join the others in the outpost. Callan, can your friend Russell come and do a pick up?

In short no. The outpost is having its own issues. Russell's busy shielding them from falling debris.

She noticed that Harry hadn't teleported.

No I haven't. I'm not leaving you and we haven't got time to argue about it.

Stubborn man.

Guys, if you're going to do something now would be the time, Callan warned.

Naira looked at Harry, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

I think I am.

As a chunk of ceiling fell Naira grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to safety. Come on then! Callan, I'm going to need your help too.

### 30

As the aftershocks subsided the tension in the outpost followed suit. "Is this going to send the planet into a mini-ice age?", Karina queried.

Max studied his readings then shook his head. "No. Surprisingly there's little of the usual sulphate aerosols we'd see from such an explosion. That's the stuff that can reflect back the sun's light. The ash in the air might cool things for a few weeks but once that drops out I think temperatures will return to whatever's normal for this planet. How's that storm looking Belinda?"

"Building to hurricane proportions. I'm glad we're below ground. This one dwarfs anything we've ever seen on earth. And it's rotating. I thought Martian storms didn't do that."

While the scientists monitored their situation Sam sidled over to Russell. Worry did not begin to relate what she was for feeling. "I'm not sensing Harry. Could you..."

But Russell was already on it, "Seren, can you get a status report out of Thallon?"

Seren called Thallon on her communicator. "Thallon, you alright your end?"

"We're alright but the stasis room's not. We can't open the door to get in there to check. A beam or something's fallen. We heard a crack in the structure of the ceiling then the door buckled. It's venting atmosphere."

"Shit!" Russell swore then turned his mind inwards. Callan. What's up?

I think they're alright but you'd better come, only you would get through what I've done to protect them.

Russell gave Sam a quick hug. "Callan thinks they're alright but he needs my help. It would ease my mind greatly if you'd stay put."

Sam nodded. There wasn't much she could do anyway if the stasis room had lost atmosphere. "Since you didn't order me."

Russell was dreading what he might find but he knew if the APs couldn't get in the room then there options were limited. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Just remember you can do more than you think you can," Sam reminded him.

Thallon relaxed a bit when he saw Russell materialize. "Got any great ideas how we might get in there?"

Sam had told him to go beyond his believed limits. "This I think," and he walked through the buckled door as if the atoms of the metal weren't there. As he moved into the room he realized the extent of the damage. A ceiling beam had hit the the door which was why it had buckled. Much of the ceiling had given way with it. What took his breath away was the way the PM had protected the stasis pods. Callan, you're a genius.

Why thank you. But I might have overdone it. Can you actually get through it to where the pods are.

What Callan had done was get the PM to create a honeycomb structure, a lattice of hollow, thin-walled cells which by their very nature resisted being crushed. Sort of like a bee hive. The material had grown all over the pods. Assuming Harry and Naira had gone into vacant pods the question was going to be finding them and getting them out. Callan, you've got a direct link to Harry. Where'd they go?

That one over by the South wall. They got into it.

They? They both got into the one pod?

The only empty working one was the one was the one that Naira came out of. The other empty ones were damaged by the betrayers.

Russell made a call on his two-way. "Seren. Can the pod's systems support two people?"

"Er, they weren't designed for it. Is that what's happened to Harry and Naira? Best to get them out as soon as you can."

"Working on it," well thinking anyway. Callan, can you warn the PM that I'm about to walk through it. Hopefully it won't even be aware of my presence. My molecules will just slide through its molecules. Like I did with the door.

I've warned it. Go for it.

As he had with the door Russell imagined his body as particles of light, rather than solid. He walked up to the organic honeycomb like structure and pushed. There was no resistance. He made his way easily to the pod in question and there they were. Russell shook his head in amazement. Harry's sleeping form was cradled by the big seven foot female alien. There was a look of contentment on the man's face which made Russell wonder. Would he ever find that contentment with Sam or would it always be a constant battle? Only time would tell. He reached his hands through the pod as if the glass and metal wasn't there. One hand firmly latched onto each being then he teleported them back to the outpost.

As Sam rushed to the two comatose bodies with the first aid kit Russell got on his two-way. "Thallon. I have them. And there's no immediate danger to the other pods. Callan's organism is keeping the collapsed roof off of them."

"We are ever in your debt Russell. How's Naira?"

"Coming to."

"Good, send Rudol back over when he's free. The sooner we can get the city's old life support systems back online the sooner we can get the other Lyreans out of there."

Rudol looked up from the control panel he and Karina were fixing. "Tell Thallon I'll be over in a sec." He punched some buttons and various lights came back on, along with the soft hum of some machine. "The air filtration system's working. It'll stop it getting toxic in here with us all breathing the same air. It'll clean out any carbon dioxide build up and recycle the oxygen," he explained, not that anyone cared, just as long as it worked.

"If you can get a mix of twenty-one percent oxygen and 78 percent nitrogen going in the old city a few of us might be able to go over there and help shift the debris," Belinda outlined their needs.

Rudol grinned. "Don't worry, the Lyreans can't live on carbon dioxide either. You giving me a lift?"

"Sure thing." Russell took his hand and whisked him away.

Sam checked her brother. His breathing was good. His wrist had healed. He looked better than well.

Naira's eye's flashed open and watched Sam attentively. "It is good you are his sister."

Sam chuckled, she guessed that meant Naira was getting territorial over Harry. "Will you let me take your pulse Naira? I just want to take some readings, blood pressure and that sort of thing."

Naira eye's pierced Sam but she nodded. "You're a scientist."

Sam wasn't sure if that was a statement or a question but she answered anyway. "I'm a biologist. I study marine based creatures. We do have a doctor and medical technician but they're back over at the mining camp, dealing with the casualties there. Belinda, our first aid officer's a tad busy right now. I'll introduce you to the others once the crisis is over."

"What crisis?" Naira thought the big event was over.

"Well there's a major storm brewing outside and it seems to be rain bearing. Belinda's still analysing all the data she's getting but it's looking like it might be comparable to the Earth's great flood at the end of the last ice-age."

"Water?" Naira sat up as Sam helped her brother up.

"Lots and lots of water."

Five days later, when the storm had finally abated, the planet was a new world. Rivers ran through once dry gorges. The great Northern basin which covered a third of the planet was once again filling, slowly, with water. Callan had evacuated much of the planet's life to higher ground but some had chosen to remain and was already colonizing the new ocean with primordial zooplankton. The atmosphere was by no means perfect yet but with rebreather apparatuses that the Malakim dropped off for them the humans were able to walk the planet. The devices, concentrated the available oxygen while filtering out the excess carbon dioxide. And as the atmospheric pressure had altered to something akin to what might be found on the Tibetan plateau back on earth the human's could be outside without their blood boiling. They did get headaches though. Ulv and Ilya monitored everyone to make sure they weren't at risk of the more serious side effects such as fluid on the lungs, brain swelling and the like. Walks outside were limited depending on each person's ability to cope with the environment. Surprisingly, bonding with the life force of the planet seemed to give an advantage in adjusting. It was like everyone was evolving and adapting together. Except for those in the mining encampment. The organism still gave the mine a wide berth.

Russell materialized just outside Sakla's office, startling Stephanie, the receptionist. "Is he in?"

"Ah, he's not himself. I'm not sure..."

Russell took that as meaning he was in so he walked his molecules straight through Sakla's armour plated office door.

He'd expected the Man-demon to pull a gun on him. What he hadn't expected was to find him on the floor next to the manifester, rocking himself in a kind of zombie trance. Around him were piles and piles of gold.

Sakla looked up, eyes bloodshot. The skin around his eyes was dark while the rest of him was deathly pale.

Obviously the man wasn't himself. "What's wrong?"

"The damned Malakim, they knew this when they gave me this goddam machine."

"Knew what?"

A flush of anger tinged his cheeks. "That in being able to produce all I want, of indeed any material, I would reduce its worth to less than dust. What good is all this if I release it onto the Earth's markets?" He waved his hands around, indicating the room full of gold.

Russell comprehended the man's dilemma, a peculiar twist on Midas's curse. An ancient Greek myth had it that a king named Midas had been 'blessed' with the gift to turn everything he touched into gold. At least in Sakla's case he couldn't turn his people, food and drink into gold, not unless he fed the elements that made them up into the machine. Russell shuddered at that thought. "Maybe making gold worthless isn't the point. If you can have anything you want what are you left wanting?"

Sakla stared at him dumbfounded, "Other than wealth what is there?"

"For most people that answer would be love, freedom and happiness. For you I don't know. That's something for you to work out." Russell held off on telling him about the rich vein of harlequin opal Callan had found. It might be best to give Sakla time to consider the alternatives to wealth. One could hope. And anyway, the opal might come in handy later if they needed something from Sakla. 'A bird in the hand' the old saying went.

Sakla near choked, "Love! I can't put love in my bank account. Why are you here anyway Russell? I thought I told you to get out of my sight."

"Your mining complex is a disaster zone. We're offering to send a few of our people to help with the worst of it."

"I don't understand. Why would you want to help? I had you tortured."

"It's what neighbours do. Look we're not offering to get you out of every problem you ever have but this one wasn't self inflicted." If anything, TJ had triggered it but Russell kept that to himself.

"Who are these 'people' you would send to help?"

"Some of the androids from the city, a few scientists and some of your own people who we took in as refugees."

"They're not refugees. They AWOL and I'm guessing they were infiltrators."

Russell shrugged, there was no point denying the obvious. "Be that as it may they're willing to help if you give us assurances that no harm will come to them. Especially from Roland."

"Hmph. I have no idea where he is. No-one's seen him since the volcanos blew."

Russell frowned. He hoped the man had died in the aftermath but he'd rather have seen the body. "We still want your word."

"Damn it. Yes. We need all the help we can get." Yet what they'd bother mining once the site was back in full operation Sakla didn't have a clue.

### Epilogue

Belinda's knife hovered over the purple protuberances, hesitating. "You sure Callan won't mind me cutting these off to try."

"He grew them especially for you to test. He needs feedback so he can get the flavour right."

"But it will hurt him," and Belinda was a scientist who didn't like causing pain to living organisms. Hell, she wasn't even comfortable dissecting dead tissue. Her preference for non-invasive science had sometimes made her the laughing stock of fellow biology students and prompted her change her major topic of study to chemistry and meteorology instead. It hadn't been a hard change to make as she had been fascinated by the sky since she was a child. In the end she'd had the last laugh because with her specialized double major she'd found work in her chosen field easily while most of the biology students she'd known had had to take jobs in teaching or the public service."

"As long as you always let him know your intentions he's fine. He's already withdrawn his consciousness from them," Harry urged.

Belinda steeled herself then made the cuts quickly and precisely. No ragged edges. Even as she watched the organism healed its wounds. She passed one of what they were calling fruits to Harry, "Here. Try?"

Harry bit into the purple round blob, not knowing what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. "Not bad."

"But what's it taste like?" Belinda asked, frustrated with the waiting.

"It's sort of its own taste. I'm not sure we can compare it with anything back on Earth." Harry broke off a piece. "Here, you try and decide."

Belinda did. She licked her lips afterwards. "Well it's not chocolate but I could happily eat these. I'll go and run some through analysis for a nutritional breakdown before we cut the rest up for the others to try."

"Well I'll leave you to that," Harry decided. "I've got a motorbike to go and tinker with. It came up with the latest supply drop."

"But we don't have any roads and it won't run in our atmosphere."

"Actually there are remnants of some ancient roads about the place but they're buried beneath dirt and debris. Doesn't matter, this beauty was designed for rally racing. It'll go places most people, including me, wouldn't dare. It won't run without some tweaking. Karina's going to give me a hand with making some modifications so it will run in our air. You should have seen Max's face when I mentioned it. Jealous what?"

What about Naira?

"She's in my mind at all times. Even while she's away in meetings at the surviving cities thrashing out a declaration of rights for all the sentient species on the planet, Callan included. They want it set in place before they go waking up any more Lyreans. Naira knows I don't lust after Karina for anything more than her engineering knowledge."

Pira, who'd been looking on, thought that if Belinda still had tests to run it might be a little while before the guys got to try some of the new food Callan was growing for them so she went and fossicked for a couple of packs of nuts and veggie crisps from their supplies. She took them back to the makeshift TV room Rudol and Seren had setup. "Anyone for a snack?" she asked as she held her finds out to Dec and TJ. "What we going to watch first?"

"Highlights of last years NRL grand final," TJ announced as he accepted her offering of food.

"That's the Australian Rugby isn't it?"

"You bet. After that we can go to sleep watching Dec's kind of football."

"Hey," Dec kicked him in the shins, but not so hard as to do any damage. "It'll be edge of your seats. Just you wait."

TJ rolled his eyes but time was to prove Dec right. Pira enjoyed both matches and TJ's eyes had been glued to the screen during the NFL match, not that he'd admit it.

Stace had joined them at half time, squeezing in next to Declan on the makeshift couch. "Shove along, will you Dec."

Sam peeked in the room and smiled. Two strong warm arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Want to join them?" Russell asked.

"Actually I was just on my way to find you. I found a quiet place out on the ridge. I thought we might go watch the sunset. The colors still fascinate me. So unlike home yet so beautiful." and she'd use it as an excuse.

Which Russell knew.

They teleported to the ridge. Dusk loomed but a few pale rays of the sun still filtered through the clouds. The cold didn't bother Russell's higher dimensionally tuned body but Sam felt the chill. She'd detoured past her room to get one of the new arctic issue coats Sakla had sent them by way of thanks for their help. He couldn't handle that they'd helped for nothing and he'd insisted on paying with whatever supplies he could spare. Which was just as well since they'd been pilfering his food stores anyway, at least until they'd received supplies from Earth.

"We can't stay here long or you'll freeze," Russell bemoaned. "But I think we have time for me to do this," he loosened the strap that held Sam's breathing apparatus in place and removed it long enough to do what he'd been aching to do. "You won't need breath for this." Then he stole his kiss.

Sam resisted at first then responded in kind. Nice. But you can't have me Russell. I'm a free woman.

I wouldn't have it any other way. Isn't that what true love is? Allowing the other to be as they are. Wanting happiness for you, even if that happiness is not what I might conceive for you. He placed the breathing apparatus back over her head. "I'm not after owning you Sam but I would be your friend, even your lover if you ever let me."

Sam grinned, despite the danger Russell posed to all her good intentions to swear off romantic involvements, Maybe. "But don't get attached."

"Attachment isn't love Sam. It's almost its opposite. Attachment is two people coming together for mutual benefit, companionship, household chores, status, power games, beauty, sex or simply meeting a biological itch to produce another generation. I'm not after attachment any more than you are."

"What are you after then?"

"Connection. An open connection of the heart. With a self-reliant woman who knows her own mind and makes her own happiness where she finds it. Someone who's honest and straightforward enough to challenge me when I need it. Someone I can share a laugh with or a sunset like this. In case you're wondering that's you Sam. I don't need someone to pick up my socks, do my washing and feed me. I don't need a slave of any kind nor someone to pander to my ego. And I'm certainly not looking for status or wealth. As for companionship, well I've been alone for a long time. I'm pretty self reliant too. I'm not needy and I don't need someone who is either. I'm not looking for some kind of contractual relationship Sam where scales are balanced based on what we can do for each other. No conditions. No requirements. I just want to enjoy our connection. Wherever you choose to be, even if it's half way across the galaxy, or in a different dimensional space or time, we'll have that connection.

"A connection?" Sam wasn't fully sure of his meaning.

"It's like this." Russell temporarily removed his turquoise La stone pendant and shifted himself dimensional until he was more spirit than matter. "I am pixels of light. I'm only solid if I wear this," he indicated the pendant, "and put my mind into it. My body only exists as a projection of my mind. My body exists within me. Not me within my body."

Sam nodded. "It's quite the opposite of what most people think, but go on."

"You are pixels of light too. It's just you believe in your solidity as THE reality."

Sam thought back to how she had pulled Naira out of the stasis pod, using the firm belief that the pod did not exist and that Naira was made of light. "Everything is that, isn't it? Particles of light in the visible light spectrum which our brain processes as solid with boundaries defining body, self and other."

"That's what I've been mulling over as I adjust to what I am now, but I think you've described it better."

"So if everything is really particles vibrating at a certain frequency, with no particular boundaries defining separate people or things what makes you you and me me?"

"I haven't worked that out yet but I'm starting to think those people you're talking about are our own fictions, characters in a story we're dreaming into existence."

"Then what am I too you?" Sam wondered. Where did she fit in, if she wanted to at all?

"You're reflecting for me all that I hold to be entrancing, mystifying, gobsmackingly awesome and at times aggravating."

"I could say the same about you. I guess with each other around we'll never fall in a rut."

"And maybe that's what brings us together. We're what the other needs to grow and evolve."

"Hmm! Well when you work out more let me know."

Russell spat out a laugh. "I'm guessing if there's any working out to be done we'll be doing it together. My heart is your heart." Replacing his pendant and returning to some solidity he placed his hand in hers, beseeching her with his eyes. "You with me?"

Sam placed her hands over his. "I guess I am," then she leaned into him.

Russell leaned into her as well. Together they watched the dazzling azure sky as the sun set below the Martian horizon. But not before Sam fronted Russell with a particular truth she was still a little shy admitting to. "You do realise I'm into a bit of kink?"

Russell tapped the side of her head. "Been in here remember. I kind of know what I'm in for. I've been meaning to ask if you might help me past what Roland did to me. I'm not sure I'm comfortable being tied up. Yet."

"Bloody bastard. If I ever catch up with him I'll..."

Russell grasped her shoulder. "Promise me you'll never go near him. He's evil Sam. And I don't mean the unintentional, victim of circumstances or conditioning, evil. I mean a pure, knows what he is and revells in it, kind of evil."

Sam touched his mind with hers and was instantly swamped with his very real fear and concern. She didn't want to be the cause of that. "I won't go hunting him but I can't promise that if I encounter him I won't take a shot."

His bloodthirsty new-ager. He adored her incongruous mix of courage and compassion. "Fair enough. Now back to helping me past my trauma." He grinned so she'd know he wasn't that traumatized. Not anymore.

"Then I think we should make a start. Hands behind your back. Clasp them together." She removed her breathing apparatus again. I few minutes in Mar's new air wasn't about to kill her. It had enough oxygen in it to get by. Just. Sam stroked Russell's silky chestnut head of hair before taking a chunk of it in her grasp. Then she used it like reins and steered his lips to hers.

You like the power, Russell thought as her felt her tongue seek its way in.

I've never had any. This is like coming home. You like?

Pull harder on my hair and I'll like it even more. Just don't try to exert control over me outside of sex.

Yeah right. She tested her hold on his hair. A bit more pull but not so much to cause real pain. I'm going to have so much fun learning this with you.

Uh huh. Russell groaned, sinking into the sensation.

Deep in a disused mine shaft Roland huffed and puffed as his breathing struggled in the still thin atmosphere. But it didn't stop him decorating his new home with his macabre souvenirs of tortures past. All he needed were a few suitable specimens to continue his work. And once he had them here no one would be interrupting him. He'd never forgive Sakla for not returning Russell to him but he'd find more where he came from and go to sleep listening to their sweet screams.

To be continued

## For more about the author and her books visit:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/arwenjayne

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arwen-Jayne/114282508759132

Blog: http://arwenjayne.blogspot.com.au/

email:arwenjayne@gmx.com

##

## Books by the author:

### Non fiction

  * A simple nuts and bolts guide to yogic meditation and relaxation
  * A short introduction to the Sattvic diet (aka Simon's cookbook)

### Left hand adventures series

Heart of Stone

A Lick of Immortality

Trust and Destiny

Don't call me kitten!

Guardians of the Rasselas (a novella)

Don't label me!

The Vampire President and the Headmistress (a novella that grew)

My Inner Alien

Rewriting the Dream

### The Martian Vampire Chronicles

An open connection of the heart.
