Forrest entered the bridge, and was astounded by what he saw projected over the holodisplay grid.

There were thousands of them--tiny silver-blue spheres circling the Forever, exploring her like gnats on a warm summer's day. And they moved with extreme velocity, changing directions as if the laws of inertia had been repealed.

All members of the bridge crew were present, including Linwolse--but Forrest paid no attention to this fact--he was more interested in the alien visitors. He stepped down to the command level, and stood by Mandoss. Valencia was to his other side.

"Is this full scale?" he asked.

"No. The spheres are enlarged so we can see them. We estimate they are one meter in diameter."

"Our shields are up?"

"Yes. A few of them came too close and were hurled away. But they learn fast. The remaining spheres are careful to keep their distance."

"Where did they come from?" Forrest asked.

"We do not know. They were upon us before we detected their presence."

"Are they the source of the radio traffic Eletel discovered?"

"At least in part."

Eletel spoke. "We are being scanned. Shall I block their scanners?"

"No," Mandoss decided. "Let them study us. That is what they want. If we do not resist, they will see it as a friendly act."

Forrest went to the engineering station.

"What do you make of them?" he asked Artemus.

Artemus was frowning. "Our scanners are unable to penetrate the surface of the spheres. And they are moving too fast for me to get a laser lock on them for very long. But my initial analysis would be that the surface is made of a metallic alloy--that is no surprise. But they are too perfect."

"Too perfect? How?"

"The laser beams bounce off of them with a nearly perfect dispersion pattern. And it appears that all the laser energy is reflected. Whatever they are made of, it does not absorb electromagnetic energy. They are geometrically perfect spheres--perhaps to the molecular level."

Forrest turned and studied the holodisplay. "Any idea what kind of propulsion they are using?"

"No, it is something unknown to Enonian science."

"I have a feeling they are unoccupied. They're just robotic probes."

"Why is that?" Artemus asked.

"The size, for one thing. If there is biological life inside those spheres, then they are rather small or very cramped. And the rapidity with which they change directions is too fast for biological life to control. These objects are computer directed. If there is biological life aboard, then they are just along for the ride. And I can see no reason for that."

"Your reasoning is good, my friend. But until we know more about them, we cannot make definite conclusions. We are dealing with a new alien lifeform and new technology."

"Yes, that is true." Forrest agreed.

Linwolse spoke, her voice coming from the command level. "I can sense nothing."

Forrest looked in her direction. She glanced at him, but showed no expression.

"Are you sure?" Mandoss asked.

"Yes. If there is life within the spheres, then they are shielded."

"What about machine intelligence?" Forrest asked.

She did not answer.

"Well, Linwolse?" Mandoss demanded.

"I said, I can sense nothing!" She gave Forrest a choleric look, and then quickly looked away.

Eletel spoke. "I think they are trying to find a way in. Look!"

All eyes went to the holodisplay. The spheres had arranged themselves into a spherical pattern with the Forever at the center and twice her size. Relative to the ship, each sphere was stationary. At a rate of about a hundred per second, spheres would leave the pattern and approach the torsion field as if seeking a way through. If a way was not found, the sphere would rejoin the pattern and try again later.

"I think you are right, Eletel," Artemus said. "They are studying the shields--analyzing its properties--looking for a way to slip through."

"I don't get it," Valencia said. "What will that accomplish? They can't get through the hull."

"We are in danger," Lasandra said.

"I do not think so," Mandoss countered. "They are simply curious. Artemus? Your analysis?"

"I still cannot scan them. But I do know they are communicating. They are acting as a cohesive whole."

"The computer reports torsion field failure in thirty-six sectors," Blix announced.

"We have intruders!" Eletel reported. "Security systems report several hundred spheres within the Forever."

"There has been no hull breach!" Blix said. "How did they get in?"

"Where are they?" Mandoss demanded.

"Everywhere! All over the ship. Many are in the thruster cylinder--"

"The Nothingness Drive!" Artemus shouted. "I must go there at once--"

"No, I need you here," Mandoss said. "Forrest can go."

Forrest started for the speedlift, then stopped. "I may need Valencia's assistance--"

"Go with him," Mandoss told her.

"Take this," Artemus said, giving Forrest a portable scanner. Forrest attached the device to his belt.

Forrest and Valencia entered the speedlift.

Linwolse watched as they went, a scowl of suspicion on her face. Valencia was attempting to hide her thoughts--with significant success, and she could not break through Forrest's keepers. They were up to something--she could feel it.

Forrest punched the transport level into the controls and they dropped.

"How much did she tell you?" Valencia asked.

"Who?"

"Lisa."

"Oh--enough to know that I'm missing three days of memories. She told me about the arrangement we have made."

"Be careful, Forrest. If the Enonians suspect anything--"

"I know. Right now they are too busy with the current situation to notice anything. But we will have to move against them eventually."

"Yes, we will. But not yet. We have to plan our course of action carefully. I've got people studying the problem now."

"Good. As soon as things settle down, we can have our meeting."

Valencia gave him a worried look. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused. These aliens--whatever they are--picked a bad time to show up. I've not had time to sort things out. It's frustrating. You and I have a friendship, but I have no memory of it at all."

Valencia smiled. "Maybe we can get your memories back. We can, at least, replay the files Serp recorded."

The speedlift doors opened. They ran to the nearest shuttle and climbed in.

"Serp?" Forrest requested.

"Yes, Forrest."

"Take control of this shuttle and take us to the thruster cylinder as fast as possible."

"Will do."

The shuttle took off with maximum acceleration.

"Jesus!" Forrest grumbled, as he felt his insides attempting to remain behind. "Serp takes everything I say so literally."

Valencia laughed. "He's doing what you told him to do."

"Good boy, Serp." Forrest said.

"Arf, arf," Serp responded, sounding like a genuine dog.

"Huh?"

"My database indicates that the expression you--"

"Never mind, Serp. I got the connection."

Valencia pulled her blaster out of its holster and checked the charge.

Forrest watched her. "I don't think that will be of much use."

"Me either. But it's all I've got. Don't worry, I don't plan to fire on the spheres."

"The beam would just bounce off of it anyway."

"What do you think they are?" she asked.

"Who knows? But I tend to agree with Mandoss. I don't think they intend harm. They're just checking us out. After all, we did pop into their space out of nowhere. Once their curiosity is satisfied, I don't know what to expect. Maybe they'll invite us to dinner."

"Somehow, I don't think dinner would occur to them," she said, smiling. "But we do have considerable weapons capability. What might they think when they learn that?"

"Since we know nothing about the way their alien minds work, that is hard to say. But it seems to me that they should not be surprised. We are obviously in space unknown to us--"

"Oh, shit!" Valencia cried.

Forrest saw it too. One of the alien spheres was twenty meters ahead of them in the transport tube. It was coming their way.

"Serp, stop this thing!" Forrest yelled.

"Too late," Serp said.

It was not a sound they heard. It was more of a mental whoosh felt in the mind--exactly at the moment the sphere passed through the shuttle. They both turned and looked to the rear. The sphere had reversed its direction and was now following them.

"Did you feel that?" Valencia asked.

"Yes," Forrest said. "Serp, what happened?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I expected a collision. But the object passed through you as if you were not physical."

"Or the sphere is not physical," Forrest added.

"You're saying the object is not real?" Valencia asked.

"I don't know," Forrest answered. "But I expect it is physical. How it passed through us without interacting, I do not know."

Valencia gave the issue thought. "I remember reading somewhere that matter is mostly empty space--something about the nucleus and electrons being very small compared to the size of the atom. Could the sphere have made use of that fact?"

"I don't think so. That concept is only valid if you view elementary particles as tiny objects. Modern quantum theory does not hold that view. Atoms are composed of energy fields--not objects--with the greater part of the volume being composed of the electric field produced by the electrons. It is that field that prevents so-called solid objects from passing through each other."

"Oh." she said.

"In any event," he continued, "a more important question, at the moment, is why is it following us?"

"It detected us--to it, we are alien lifeforms," Valencia suggested.

"I would think so."

They rode in silence for several moments, the alien object on their tail. The shuttle then pulled into the thruster cylinder transport station. They climbed out and headed for the edge of the boarding platform. The companion object followed them close behind. Forrest stopped and turned to face the object. Valencia followed suit. The object stopped. They could see images of themselves, comically distorted by the curved surface, looking back at them. It floated a meter over the platform and about two meters from them.

"Look at it!" she exclaimed. "It's a perfect mirror--a totally reflective surface. We are not really seeing it, but see the incident light reflected from it."

"Artemus said they do not absorb electromagnetic energy."

"What is it?"

"A probe."

"That may be its function, but what is it"

"I do not know. But apparently this one has decided to tag along with us."

"Maybe it wants to be pals," Valencia said.

Forrest continued on to the boarding platform railing. Valencia and the object followed. There were at least a hundred of the spheres darting about the expanse of the thruster cylinder. And ten of them had taken up positions around the Nothingness Drive. Forrest took Valencia's hand and pulled her along as they ran along the walkway that led to the drive stage. The alien companion dutifully followed behind them. When they got to the stage, they slowly walked the distance to the drive and stopped ten meters away.

The spheres were stationary, as if studying the drive. Forrest pulled the scanner from his belt and activated it. He panned the area around the drive.

"What are they doing?" Valencia asked.

"They're sending high-frequency photon beams at the drive. But they are not learning much. The drive is absorbing the energy."

"Will that harm it?"

"I don't think so."

Forrest snapped the scanner on his belt and retrieved his communicator, signaling the bridge.

"Bridge," Eletel answered.

"Transfer me to Artemus."

"Forrest," Artemus exclaimed, "what does the scanner show?"

"They are scanning it. Are you getting any unusual readings?"

"All indicators report normal. We have you on the fore screen. Are you aware there is a sphere close behind you?"

"Yes. It seems to have adopted us."

"Probably examining you."

Valencia interrupted. "One is approaching the drive!"

"You must stop it, Forrest!" Artemus cried.

"How?"

They watched as the sphere neared the decahedron holding the emitter arrays and passed through it. The object then made contact with the drive "surface" and instantly disappeared. The drive shimmered briefly and then settled down."

"I got an energy fluctuation reading," Artemus said, "But no harm seems to have been done."

"Well, that's one less sphere we have to deal with," Forrest said.

"I expect so. That one is in superspace now. But I cannot understand how it penetrated the drive. That should not be possible!"

"You saw how it penetrated the emitter array," Forrest said. "Our companion sphere passed through the shuttle, and us, when we were on our way here. They have the ability to pass through solid objects. And that's how they got into the Forever to begin with."

"But they could not get through the torsion fields," Artemus added.

"Apparently. So they figured a way to disable the fields."

"That still does not explain how it penetrated the drive. It is not a solid object!"

"They're trying again!" Valencia said.

The second sphere followed the same procedure as the first, and immediately vanished upon contact with the drive.

"Artemus?" Forrest asked.

"Same as before. An energy fluctuation, but no harm."

"You'd think they would have learned the first time."

"The first sphere was not able to communicate anything back from superspace. The second went looking for it. I doubt there will be a third attempt," Artemus suggested.

"Sounds reasonable."

"You and Valencia stay with the drive. Signal me if anything unusual happens. Mandoss wants me to check on other areas in the ship. I will notify you if anything interesting is learned."

"Okay. Forrest out."

They found a bench next to the stage railing, and sat next to one another. The companion followed them, floating patiently nearby. They watched the remaining spheres, but as Artemus predicted, a third sphere did not approach the drive. Forrest scanned them, and noted that they continued to beam high-frequency photons at the drive, modulating the frequency, phase and amplitude in an effort to get some kind of response. Forrest knew they would get no response, no matter what they tried. He wondered why they were so interested in the drive. Did they sense something about it? Was it because the drive seemed to resemble themselves? Could they even "see" the spherical interface of the drive with normal spacetime?

Despite the uniqueness of the alien objects, Forrest found himself becoming bored with just sitting and watching them. He looked at Valencia. She returned his look and smiled.

"Lisa said you and I--the three of us--have become good friends," he said.

"I like to think so," she responded.

"It feels odd. I can feel the friendship, but I have no memory of how it developed."

She touched his arm. "I don't know what the Enonians did to you. But the fact that you are able to feel something, means that we may be able to restore your memories."

Forrest took her hand into his. "I have always liked you, Valencia. There's something special about you--"

She withdrew her hand from his. "Be careful of what you feel about me, Forrest."

He gave her a confused look. "I don't understand."

"Do not try to seduce me."

"That's not what I was doing," he said, adamantly.

"No, but your keepers were. They were setting me up as a blood source."

"Valencia, I would never drink from you! I could not--"

"I know that, Forrest. But that is beside the point. Don't think that I do not find you attractive. I do. And I think I would even if your keepers were not working their magic on me. But you belong to Lisa. She is having a hard enough time dealing with your relationship with the Enonian women. If we were to become sexually involved, she would be devastated."

"I--I love Lisa, deeply. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. How does she know about Lin and Eletel?"

"You don't remember, but you told her."

"Why would I do that?"

"She suspected it. You were just being honest with her. And that was the right thing to do. But let's not complicate matters by us becoming involved."

Forrest looked at her. "You care about her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. And I care about you. We all care about each other, and that is how it should be."

"You are wise, Valencia. I will heed your advice."

She looked at him, concerned. "Don't let a wall developed between us, Forrest. It is okay for you to have feelings about me, as long as those feelings are platonic."

"I understand, Valencia. No walls. I promise."

"Good." She squeezed his hand, and then let go.

They sat in silence. Forrest looked inside of himself and realized that perhaps he had been leaning toward a sexual liaison with Valencia. He was attracted to her, but he could not be sure to what degree the keepers were creating his feelings.

"Valencia?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think my feelings about Lisa are real? I mean, how do I know--"

"The feelings are real, Forrest. You have allowed me into your mind on two occasions. And both times I could feel the love you have for Lisa."

"But the keepers--"

"The keepers may have played a part in starting your relationship with Lisa. But they are not the creative force behind it. Believe me!"

"Thank you."

She started to say something more, but then her eyes were drawn to the drive. Forrest followed her stare.

"What in hell?" he said.

One of the spheres had lowered itself to the platform. At first it looked as if the sphere was passing through the metal flooring, but then Forrest realized it was flattening itself out. In a matter of seconds, the sphere had become a silvery puddle nearly ten meters in diameter. The puddle then divided itself up into thousands of small disks perhaps two centimeters in diameter. Finally, the disks grew eight long and thin wiry legs with smaller disks as feet. The metallic creatures began rapidly crawling all over the hexahedron like so many spiders. Forrest was reminded of the daddy longlegs he used to watch as a child.

He went to the decahedron to get a closer look. Valencia and the companion followed.

"Do you believe this?" he asked.

"It's amazing. The sphere turned itself into these--spider things--so fast. Do you suppose these are the aliens?"

"No. These are mechanical creatures. They have simply selected a different way to explore the drive."

Forrest reached for one of the creatures.

"Careful!" Valencia warned.

He ignored her and caught one of the spiders by its central disk. He turned it over to inspect it. Its legs were about ten centimeters long, and they pushed against his hand as the creature tried to free itself. The device was not very strong, nor did it weigh much. It might as well have been made of balsa wood for all the mass it had. Forrest could not see anything that looked like eyes or any kind of sensor. But then the original sphere had not required any such accessories either.

"What does it feel like?" Valencia asked.

"Like a very hard and lightweight metal. And very smooth--almost slippery."

"I don't think it likes being held."

"I'm preventing it from executing its program--"

Suddenly a beam of light was emitted by one of the nearby spheres, striking the captive spider. The spider evaporated into the beam. Forrest felt an electrical prickle.

"I think you upset its mother," Valencia said with a chuckle.

"I guess so," Forrest said, not seeing the humor.

Valencia took his arm and pulled him away from the drive. "I think we should stay out of the way," she said.

They returned to the bench, the companion following, and sat while watching the spiders swarm over the hexahedron. Forrest was reminded of the time as a child when he had been watching a spider's cotton-ball nest, and hundreds of tiny spiders had suddenly appeared and immediately commenced exploring their new world.

He took the scanner from his belt, and surveyed the activity.

"They must be radio linked," he said to no one in particular. "But I can't detect such transmissions."

"Why do you think that sphere keeps following us around?" Valencia asked, looking at it.

Forrest looked at the companion. "I don't know."

He scanned the sphere, and then raised his eyebrows.

"What?" Valencia prodded.

"It's emitting electromagnetic signals at us. And the signals are varying--different frequencies, modulation methods. I think it's trying to communicate with us."

"Too bad we can't transmit back to it," she said.

Forrest thought for a moment. "Maybe we can."

She looked at him. "How?"

"Telepathy!"

"That's not radio!"

"Do you know that for certain?"

"No one knows how telepathy works--but wait. It is known that electromagnetic fields can interfere with the process--"

"So there just may be a relationship," Forrest finished for her. "Gravity and electromagnetism are the only forces in nature known to act at a distance greater than the size of an atomic nucleus, and I don't think telepathy is done using gravity."

"Linwolse was unable to connect with them."

"They weren't trying to communicate with her."

"Well, let's give it a try. But how?"

"We transmit our thoughts to it. If it picks up on that, maybe it can adjust its output to whatever means we are using."

"You really want to let that thing into your head?" she asked.

"I don't think it means harm. Chances are no meaningful communication will be established anyway. But we might get a feel for what it is. I'll go first."

"Be careful!"

Forrest stood and approached the companion. It did not move, and he reached out and touched it with his hands. It had the same smooth, slippery feeling as the spider. He closed his eyes and projected several geometric images at the object. Several seconds passed and he felt nothing. He concentrated more intensely for an additional thirty seconds.

"Nothing," he said, sounding disappointed.

He took the scanner and studied its display. No change. He looked up and saw that the companion had moved closer to him.

"It understands what you are trying to do!" Valencia said, excitedly.

He put the scanner into record mode and gave it to her. "Monitor its output," he instructed.

Forrest put his hands back on the companion and focused his thoughts. He again created various geometrical images in his mind and projected them at the sphere. Several minutes passed and he still felt nothing.

"I think it can feel you," Valencia said. "It's modifying its transmissions--"

"Oh my god," Forrest cried. "It's working!"

The images he had projected at the object were streaming back into his mind at a rate almost too fast to follow. The sequence repeated several times and then stopped. Forrest sensed that the object was waiting for a response. He formed an image of himself and the sound of his name and transmitted the message. He then formed an image of Valencia and the sound of her name, and retransmitted. He repeated the images and sounds several times.

"What is happening?" Valencia asked.

"I'm introducing us to it."

Forrest stopped his transmissions and waited. Almost immediately a string of pulses entered his mind.

"I felt that!" Valencia whooped. "But what is it?"

"Binary code, I think. It doesn't understand that we cannot decode it."

"Talk to it, then. Maybe it can learn our language,"

Forrest did so.

"Ouch!" they said in unison.

The object had entered their minds and was exploring the neural connections. To Forrest it felt like hot water was flowing through his brain. It was not painful, but a little uncomfortable. Fortunately, the process only lasted a few seconds before it ended.

"Is this the language you use?" the sphere asked.

It was not a sound. It was inside their heads, but manifested as if it were sound. The "voice" was androgynous. Forrest guessed that it had synthesized the voice from a combination of his and Valencia's voice.

"Yes," Forrest said out loud. "My name is Forrest, and this is Valencia."

"I do not have a name. I do not understand the need for names."

"What are you?" Forrest asked.

"I am--" it seemed to be searching for a word, "a Guardian."

"What do you guard?"

"The Makers."

"Who are the Makers?"

"The ones that made us."

"What are the Makers?"

"I do not understand the question."

"What kind of beings are the Makers? Are they biological?"

"They are like you."

"Like us? Do you mean they look like us?"

"They are biological. They are constructed the same as you."

Forrest gave Valencia a startled look. She returned the look.

"When you say that, do you mean they have the same physical appearance as Valencia and myself?"

"No two are the same. But the general construction is similar. Your variations are within normal parameters. You are as the Makers are."

"Why have you entered our ship?" Forrest asked.

"To determine your purpose and capabilities. The Makers require this information."

"May we speak with the Makers?"

"That has not been decided. I must go now."

"Wait--"

The sphere rose and joined the others. The spiders were gone--presumably they had rejoined to form the original sphere. The spheres passed through the walls of the thruster cylinder into space. They watched until no sphere remained.

"Do you realize what we have discovered?" Forrest asked.

"I see two things," Valencia said. "One, the Makers are humanoid, and two, mental telepathy is an electromagnetic phenomenon."

"Exactly. And the spectrum used for telepathy is stored in the scanner."

She looked at the scanner. "What do we tell the Enonians?"

"We tell them what we have learned--but not about the data stored in the scanner. I will upload that to the computers later for analysis."

Forrest's communicator beeped.

"Forrest here."

"The spheres have left the Forever," Eletel said. "Mandoss wants you and Valencia to return to the bridge."

"We're on our way."

"You spoke to it?" Mandoss asked.

"Yes," Forrest said. "It probed our minds, learned our language, and spoke to us telepathically."

"What did you learn?"

"The spheres refer to themselves as Guardians. They are machines of a very advanced nature. They refer to the aliens that built them as the Makers. And it said the Makers are the same as us--they are humanoid. It further said that our construction was within normal parameters. In other words, the Makers are identical to us."

"The same species?" Lasandra asked.

"Maybe not the same species, but very close."

"That is highly improbable," Blix asserted.

"Perhaps not," Linwolse said. "Maybe we have discovered the Creators."

"That could be," Blix continued. "But that we should just happen to pop back into normal spacetime at their home system, is improbable."

"Nevertheless, here we are," she countered.

"The Mind brought us here," Jerac decided.

"This is just talk," Mandoss said. "We must seek out these Makers to learn about them."

"I think we will meet them soon," Eletel said from her station.

All eyes went to her.

"What do you mean?" Mandoss demanded.

"The spheres have us in tow. We a moving toward the inner system."

Mandoss looked flustered. "Everyone to their stations! Valencia, get your people to battle stations."

"They mean us no harm!" Valencia insisted.

"Do it, Valencia! It is just a precaution."

"Understood." She pulled her communicator from her belt.

Mandoss turned to Forrest. "Do you think you can communicate with them?"

"I doubt it, at this distance. But they have learned our language and studied our ship. Try hailing them."

"Do it, Eletel."

"Hailing now," she said.

"We are picking up speed," Blix announced. "At our current rate of acceleration, we will reach ten percent of lightspeed in a matter of minutes. We will reach the inner system within hours."

"What is the flight path?" Artemus requested.

"Direct!" Blix answered. "They are ignoring the gravity of this star system. Our flight path is nearly a straight line."

"I do not understand," Artemus said. "I am picking up no energy readings from the spheres, yet they are moving the Forever in what appears to be a violation of physical laws."

"Where are we headed?" Mandoss asked Jerac.

"The second planet from the star. I am scanning now, and will have a report in a few minutes."

"I think we are getting a response," Eletel reported. "One of the spheres is approaching the bridge."

"Let it through," Mandoss said.

"I do not think that is wise," Lasandra insisted.

"I appreciate your concern. But they have been all through this ship, and no hostile acts were committed. I do not think they intend harm."

"I still--"

"Too late!" Forrest blurted. "Look!"

A lone sphere had passed through the hull of the Forever and now hovered silently three meters over the bridge command level. It did nothing, but Forrest got the feeling it was surveying the area, considering its options.

"Talk to it, Forrest!" Mandoss commanded.

"What do you want?" Forrest projected.

"You are the one named Forrest?" it asked.

"Yes. Do you wish to communicate?"

"Your ship requested communication. That is why I am here."

"Can you speak with sound. The others may not be able to understand you if we use telepathy."

"I cannot understand your meaning of telepathy. Do you mean hyperradio?"

"Yes," Forrest answered. "The others may not be--tuned in, though."

"I understand. Please wait while I--adjust."

The sphere lowered to the floor, forcing them to back up. It flattened just as the sphere had done in the thruster cylinder, and then a shape began to form, rising up out of the silvery puddle. Soon a humanoid form could be seen developing. Thirty seconds later, an exact replica of Valencia stood before them. And it was naked.

"Oh shit!" Valencia said from Forrest's left. "Why did it have to choose me as a model? And why is it naked?"

Forrest looked at her, unable to suppress a grin. "Is that the way you really look? When naked, I mean?"

She gave him a venomous look. "It could have chosen you as a model, you know."

"I think it has good taste," he said.

She hit him lightly on the arm and grinned. Forrest did not notice that Linwolse had observed their interaction.

"Is this satisfactory?" it asked, looking at Forrest. It spoke using sound.

"Yes, quite."

"You wished communication. I have been authorized to communicate limited information."

"Who are you?" Mandoss demanded.

It looked at him. "I do not have a name."

"Then we shall call you Val, since you look like our Valencia," Mandoss pronounced.

"I am Val," Val said.

"Where do you come from?" Mandoss asked.

"I was made at the--factory."

"No, I mean what planet?"

"Susania."

"That is the second planet from your star?"

"Yes, that is correct. That is where the factory is located."

"What are you?" Artemus asked, stepping down from the engineering station.

"A Guardian," Val answered, moving its gaze to him.

"What I meant was, how are you made? What are you made of?"

"That information is restricted."

"We are being taken to your planet?" Mandoss continued.

"That is correct."

"Why?"

"The Makers wish to study you."

"Study us? How?"

"In such a way as to learn about you."

"We will not be harmed?"

"No. Why would the Makers harm you?"

"We do not know the Makers. We do not know what to expect."

"The Makers will not harm you unless you try to harm them."

"We mean no harm," Mandoss said. "The Makers? They are like us?"

"The biology is similar."

"Did the Makers evolve on the planet Susania?" Linwolse asked. "Or did they come from somewhere else?"

"That information is restricted."

"When will we reach your planet?" Mandoss asked.

Val showed no expression, but seemed confused. "I am not sure how to express that. I do not understand the way you scale time."

"You have studied our ship. Surely you know about the hours, minutes and seconds we use to measure time."

"Time is a difficult concept for a Guardian--I have been informed that we will reach Susania in forty-three thousand seconds."

"Twelve hours," Artemus provided.

"That means we will reach a velocity twenty percent of lightspeed," Blix added.

"Who did you just communicate with?" Mandoss demanded.

"That information is restricted."

"You say we are biologically similar to the Makers," Linwolse said. "Does that mean we are compatible with your planet?"

"Yes."

"We can breathe the air. Withstand the gravity?"

"Yes."

"This is too much of a coincidence," Blix interjected.

"Perhaps it is not a coincidence," Jerac insisted.

"May I ask a question?" Val said.

"Of course," Mandoss agreed.

"We are interested in the one you call Serp. We would like to converse, but he--it does not respond. Why is that?"

Forrest froze.

"I do not know that name," Mandoss said, confused.

"Serp is one of my people," Valencia said, a bit too quickly. "Mandoss, if you don't mind, I would like to take it--her--and put some clothes on her. I find it discomforting for her to be--undressed. She looks too much like me."

Mandoss smiled at her. "I understand. Yes, take her and dress her. Return to the bridge when you are done."

Valencia looked at Forrest. "Can you come with me. I--I don't want to be alone with her."

"Okay," Forrest agreed.

"Please come with us," Valencia said to Val.

As the three of them made their way to the speedlift, Forrest glanced at Linwolse, and received a cold look in return.

The speedlift doors shut and Valencia entered the crew quarter's level into the controls.

"That was close," Forrest said. "One of your people may have to pretend to be Serp."

"Maybe. I don't think the Enonians suspect anything, not yet." She looked at Val. "Val, please do not mention the name Serp to anyone again. Okay?"

"If that is what you wish."

"If anyone asks, you have never heard the name."

"The subject is restricted," Val concluded.

Forrest studied her. She was an amazing replication of Valencia, but the lack of facial expressions made her look like a store-window mannequin.

The speedlift doors opened and Valencia poked her head out, looking both ways.

"Good, no one is in the corridor," she said.

"You are embarrassed, aren't you?" Forrest said, more of a statement than question.

"How would you feel if a replica of yourself was walking around naked?"

"Can't say I've had the experience."

"Well, this is a first for me."

"It's just a machine, Valencia."

"It may be just a machine, but it looks more like me than you will ever know."

"Ouch! I guess you told me, huh?" Forrest said, laughing.

"Forget it," Valencia said. "This way, Val."

They walked down the hallway, the naked Val between them, until they reached Valencia's apartment. The door sensed her presence and opened. The apartment was just as plush as the ones on the officer's level. The designers of the Forever had decided that all persons should have an equal standard of living, no matter what their rank. Forrest agreed.

Valencia led Val into the bedroom and Forrest followed.

Valencia looked at him. "Are you planning to watch?"

"What am I going to see that I have not already seen?"

"Have it your way. I'm not going to argue."

"Valencia, can't you get it into your head that this is a machine."

"I might find it easier if it looked like you!"

Valencia went to the wardrobe to get a jumpsuit.

Forrest stood in front of Val. "May I touch you?"

"Forrest! For god's sake!" Valencia cried.

"Purely for scientific reasons, Valencia!" he countered.

"If you wish," Val said.

Forrest touched her arm and lightly squeezed. He then took her hand into his and felt her fingers.

"This is astounding. She feels real. She is pliable and warm, just like human flesh."

"Well, don't get carried away!" Valencia bossed.

"I can't believe you, Valencia."

"Are you discussing matters sexual?" Val asked.

Valencia stared at Val. "Yes, we are. We are having a minor disagreement."

"Valencia is having a minor disagreement," Forrest said. "Me, I'm doing just fine."

"The Makers have what you call sex. There is much information available to me. But I do not understand it. I do not know pleasure. But this replicant body has--feelings. I feel wants I do not understand. Is that sex?"

"I don't know," Valencia said. "How close of a replication of me are you?"

"That information is restricted."

"Then I can't answer your question."

Val looked at Forrest. "Would you do sex to me?"

Forrest was dumbstruck. Was Val, a machine, asking him for sex?

"No, Val," Valencia said. "Forrest cannot do sex to you."

"Do I have a say so in the matter?" Forrest asked.

Valencia glared at him. "You want to have sex with it?"

"I didn't say that. I just don't like others making decisions for me."

"Bare in mind, Forrest, that Val is a replica of me. The replication may be exact enough to fool a medscanner for all we know."

"Point taken," Forrest acknowledged. "Val, the time is not right for sex. We cannot do that now?"

"Then when?"

"With me, never."

"Why not?"

"There are--things that have to be considered. We do not just have sex all of a sudden without due forethought."

"I have thought about it."

"So have I. And we--you and I--cannot have sex. Perhaps we can arrange something for you later. But not now."

"I think I feel disappointment--or this body does." Val looked down at her vulva. She was in an obvious state of readiness.

"Oh, shit!" Valencia cried. "She has--Forrest will you please leave the room so I can dress her?"

"Er--okay." He left the room and shut the door behind him. He sat on the couch in the main room to wait.

"Serp?"

"Yes, Forrest."

"Have you been following events here?"

"Yes."

"What do you think of Val?"

"She is amazing."

"I know that much. Have you scanned her?"

"Yes. She is an exact replication of Valencia, perhaps at the molecular level, except for the brain."

"Except for the brain?"

"Val retains her original consciousness. The brain is the same as Valencia's, but without her memories."

"That makes sense. The replicant would not be very useful, if it thought it was Valencia."

"I agree."

"You said she was a replica, perhaps at the molecular level. What did you mean by that? I felt her, and she feels like a human. Is she now biological?"

"The scanners do not have sufficient resolution to make that determination. But I suspect that she is not biological. For her to have transformed into a biological construction would have required atomic transmutation, and that would require energy levels I do not detect within her. I suggest that she is made of molecules that closely resemble biochemical molecules, at least in function. She is a machine that mimics the biological."

"So she is not alive, then."

"She is alive in the same sense that I am alive."

"Because she is conscious and self-aware?"

"Yes."

Forrest pulled the scanner from his belt, and went to the computer terminal that extruded from the opposite wall. He plugged the scanner into the receptacle.

"You remember when I first established contact with the sphere in the thruster cylinder?"

"Yes."

"This scanner has a recording of that communication. I want you to analyze the recording in every detail. I want to know exactly how it was done. What frequencies were used, the method of modulation, everything."

"Will do."

Forrest hit the Upload button.

"Receiving," Serp confirmed.

"One more thing, Serp. When you scanned Val, could you read her thoughts?"

"I could record the brain waves, which are similar to Valencia's, but her thoughts were blocked. As Val would say, that information is restricted."

"Too bad."

"No, that's good. If I could read her thoughts, then so could the others. And Val knows about me."

"Oh, you're right."

Forrest returned to the couch and waited.

Once Forrest and Valencia and the intruder were gone, Lasandra approached Mandoss.

"Something is wrong," she said.

"What?" Mandoss demanded.

"When the intruder asked about the one called Serp, I sensed great concern in Forrest. And Valencia's response came too quickly. They are hiding something."

"I sensed the same," Linwolse concurred.

Mandoss studied Lasandra. "Do you think this Serp is not one of Valencia's people?"

"I do not know. But I suspect not. The intruder seemed to have difficulty in deciding the gender of Serp. It should not have had that problem with a genoclone."

"One of the humans?"

"I think not. I suggest Serp is not biological."

"Serp is part of the computer systems," Blix said.

"Explain," Mandoss said, looking at him.

"There are thousands of processes running in the computers. Each process has a unique ID in binary code. The programmers also gave each process a human pronounceable name, apparently to make it easier for them to keep track of things. One such process has the name Serp."

"What is the purpose of this process?"

"I do not know. Many processes are tagged protected. And I cannot examine a protected process--I do not know the access code that will let me in. Serp is a protected process. But I do know that the process exists within the kernel code. It is able to interact with all other processes."

"Forrest will know the access code," Linwolse said, with some pleasure.

Eletel spoke. "I do not see anything suspicious about this."

"I had not either," Blix said. "That is why I have not mentioned Serp before. But Forrest's and Valencia's reaction makes it suspicious."

"Exactly," Lasandra concluded. "Why should they be concerned about this particular process, and why did the intruder want to communicate with it?"

"It is the machine consciousness I sensed," Jerac remarked.

"So," Mandoss decided, "we must consider the possibility that our New One and Valencia are up to something."

"I believe they are," Lasandra said.

"I agree," Linwolse said, perhaps with too much force.

"I do not," Eletel said. "I have spent time with Forrest. I would have sensed something, if anything was amiss."

"The time you spent with Forrest was for sexual reasons," Linwolse said. "You were not looking for anything suspicious."

"And what about you? You are bonded to him. Why have you not reported anything before now?" Eletel countered.

Linwolse gave her an angry look, but said nothing.

Mandoss spoke. "Hopefully, nothing is amiss. But we must determine the truth, one way or the other."

"And what do we do if we find that they are working against us?" Lasandra said.

"We destroy them."