Forrest wondered why he had to be the hero.

Despite the heatsuit, he could feel the frigid temperature permeate his body--or so it seemed. Perhaps it was his enhanced senses, or maybe it was just the knowledge of how cold it really was. They strapped him into the lift and gave him a laserknife. He looked down into the hole, but could see nothing in the darkness.

"Are you ready, Forrest?" Creola asked, her voice coming from his headgear.

"Yeah. Ready as ever."

"Leave your mike on at all times. If we hear any indication of trouble, we're pulling you out."

Forrest looked up at the hovercraft and waved. Valencia had remained aboard, acting as Overseer. Val stood on the drilling platform, giving him a concerned look. She felt she should go down into the ice instead of him. But it was he who had volunteered. He was not going to risk Val's life, even if she was a metamorph and thus more qualified.

Be careful, Forrest.

I will, Val.

I'll come get you if things go wrong.

Hopefully that won't be needed.

He pushed the button to lower the lift. His helmet light came on when it sensed the darkness. He shone the light downward and could see where the ice and rock had collapsed. It was about thirty meters down, and he could see a large rock right in his way. He continued to drop until his feet came to rest on the obstruction. The sides of the hole were marked with cracks and fissures. It did not look safe.

"There's a sizable rock in my way," he said into the mike. "I'll have to cut my way around it."

"How does it look?" Creola asked.

"Bad. Hopefully Blaklor escaped into one of the tunnels."

Forrest activated the laserknife and began cutting into the ice. It cut like butter, the ice instantly turning to steam. He would have to be cautious. Hopefully the instability created by the drilling and Blaklor's tunneling would have settled down. Despite the rends in the ice, it did seem solid enough--having frozen in place after it shifted. But he would have to pay close attention.

He cut an opening just large enough for himself and the lift to pass, pausing often to wipe the fog from his faceplate. It didn't take long, and soon he was below the rock. He felt for Blaklor's thoughts, but could sense nothing. Blaklor was either dead or unconscious. He cut in the direction of the drilled shaft, but met only rock and more ice. The shaft was filled. He would have to cut straight downward, hoping to run into one of the tunnels.

"How far down am I?" he asked.

"About forty meters," Creola answered.

Forrest continued to cut. It was an odd sensation--like he was slowly falling into the ice. The steam was making him hot and sweaty, or perhaps is was his fear. He turned down the temperature on his heatsuit.

The ice below him dropped, and he felt a rush of panic. But then he realized that he had broken through into a tunnel. He lowered himself through the opening, and unstrapped himself from the lift.

"I'm in a tunnel," he said. "I can't see to the end. I'll have to leave the lift behind."

"Do you see Blaklor's gantline?" Creola asked.

"No. But he may have left his lift behind when he heard the ice falling."

"Be careful. I don't want to have to write up two death reports."

"I appreciate the sentiment."

Forrest followed the tunnel. It was large enough so that he could walk, as long as he stooped over. He reached the end--about forty meters from where the main shaft had been--but did not find Blaklor. He returned to the lift.

"He's not in this one. I'll have to cut through to the next," he announced.

He cut another ten meters horizontally before breaking into the next tunnel. Blaklor was not to be found.

He's under the ice in the main shaft.

How do you know that, Val?

I can sense him. He's alive and conscious.

Forrest turned in the direction of the shaft. All he could see was rock and ice, some of it spilled into the tunnel. He felt for the man and could feel his thoughts. He was in great pain and terrified.

I've found him, Val. Your right, he's alive. Somehow he managed to survive the collapse.

You can cut him out?

I'm going to try.

Forrest put the laserknife on low and began to cut at the ice. The ice melted and the water flowed down the slight decline of the tunnel. Forrest worked slowly, listening carefully for the sound of ice grinding against ice. He cut a slice at a level he figured would be above Blaklor--no point in finding the man and then cutting his head off with the laserknife. He crisscrossed several cuts, gradually working his way down, allowing the ice to melt away slowly. He searched for the image of a man in the frozen water.

"I've found him!" Forrest shouted.

"Is he alive?" Creola demanded.

"Yes. I don't know how he survived. There must be several tons of ice and rock on top of him. Looks like he was trying to run when the collapse caught him. He's got his breather on. Hopefully his heatsuit's still working."

Forrest removed the breather. Blaklor tried to look at him.

"Who is it?"

"Forrest, the Overseer. How do you feel?"

"Sick and cold. What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you."

"Why?"

Good question.

"Because you're alive. How are you hurt?"

"Can't feel my legs. Don't know why. Heatsuit isn't working."

"Your legs may be frozen. Probably broken. I'm going to pull you out. Let me know if it hurts."

"I don't think I'll feel anything."

Forrest had to apply more heat from the laserknife before the man would budge. But finally he had him out and away from the shaft.

"How are you doing?" Forrest asked.

"Feel like I'm going to throw up."

"There's no blood. I'm going to check you over for broken bones."

It was a difficult task considering the thickness of the heatsuit. Forrest felt the man's arms and legs, and as best he could tell, the man had one broken leg.

"You're damn lucky," Forrest said.

"I don't feel lucky."

"Send down a stretcher," Forrest said into his mouthpiece.

"It's already down," Creola came back.

Forrest retrieved the stretcher and carefully strapped Blaklor into it. The man did not complain and Forrest hoped it was because his leg was frozen numb and not the result of spinal injury. He dragged Blaklor through the opening and to the lift. He attached the gantline to the stretcher and strapped himself into the lift. He then hit the button to pull them up. The stretcher was too long to pass through the curved opening circumventing the obstructing rock. Forrest set the laserknife to high and carefully cut at the ice. A few minutes later he managed to pull himself and Blaklor into the vertical shaft above the collapsed rock and ice. Thirty meters later they reached the surface of the ice.

"Good work, Overseer," Creola said.

Forrest ignored her.

"He has a broken leg and can't feel his lower body," Forrest said to the medical team that waited. "He may have a spinal injury."

"Understood," a medic said.

They hurriedly checked Blaklor over. Forrest pulled himself out of the lift and sat on the drilling platform. He was sweating profusely, and the icy cold bit at his face. He pulled the headgear off and deactivated it. Val sat beside him.

"You are a hero," she said.

"I don't feel like one. I'm just glad the man's alive."

"That's what makes you a hero. The others--I sense amazement and gratitude from them. Officially you are a Master, and an Overseer. Yet you risked your life to save one of their own. That is very unusual. I believe you have earned their respect."

Forrest stared at her. "I may have their respect, but I'm not sure they have mine. They were going to leave him down there to die."

"It is the law. They had no choice."

"Sometimes the law has to be broken."

Val nodded agreement, if not understanding.

Forrest wondered about his attitude toward the miners. After all, who was he to judge them? He had killed many humans without remorse. And he was at least indirectly responsible for the deaths of countless others. He remembered the young girl who had been first in the line of guards when he and Lisa first reached the bridge on the Forever. She had been crying when he fired the shot that ended her life and those behind her. And he had not felt remorse--it had been little more than an abstraction to him, and he still felt nothing. Yet he had truly wanted to save Blaklor's life. It was important to him. Was he seeking absolution for his misdeeds, despite his lack of contrition? He honestly did not know.

Forrest watched as the medical team carried Blaklor away. The work crew stood silently below the platform, waiting to disassemble it for transport to a new drill site. A man climbed up onto the platform and sat down next to Forrest.

"Thank you," he said. "Blaklor would have died down there, if not for you."

"You are welcome," Forrest returned, less than politely.

The man ignored his tone. "My name is Zak. Valencia may have told you about me."

Forrest eyed him. "Yes she did. What do you want?"

The man lowered his voice. "To arrange a meeting with you. There are things you do not know. You are in danger."

"What kind of danger?"

"You will be told that at the meeting."

Forrest studied the man. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"You have no choice. We are not the enemy. The Imperial Government is. We wish to be your ally."

"Why?"

"The maintenance shack, 2300 hours. You will meet the others. We will tell you what we know."

The man stood and climbed down the platform. Forrest watched him walk away into the white, frigid distance.

"What do you think of this, Val?"

"I think we should go to the meeting," she answered, resolutely.

Marcus-3 had a rotational period of twenty-five point seven hours--Earth standard reckoning. It was dark, and the snow flurries were just barely visible. At least fifteen centimeters of snow blanketed the ice surface beneath. The sounds of the second shift crew working could be heard coming from the drill sites. The area was exceptionally rich in deuterium. Creola had told Forrest they would finish the operation in five days, rather than the seven that had been allotted.

They approached the shack, and Forrest knocked on the door. Zak opened the door and motioned them to enter. The maintenance shack was a temporary structure made of metal partitions bolted together, about thirty meters on a side. Machinery and spare parts filled most of the building. An area had been cleared near the rear and chairs arranged. A single light shone overhead. Besides Zak, there were two others, a male and a female.

"Please be seated," Zak said.

They took their seats, Valencia and Val to either side of Forrest. Zak sat across from Forrest with his companions.

"So what is this about?" Forrest asked.

Zak ignored the question. "This is Aurelia." He indicated the female. She was tall with long golden hair and hazel eyes. "And this, Nicholor." The man nodded. He had dark hair and eyes that wouldn't stay put.

"You know our names," Forrest said, still looking at Nicholor.

"Yes. And we know who you are, as I told Valencia earlier."

Forrest did not respond. He stared at Zak, waiting.

Zak continued. "The Imperial Government has been searching for the Forever for three-thousand years."

"The IG did not exist three-thousand years ago," Forrest insisted.

"The IG was formed in the early twenty-second century, shortly after bouncer technology was developed and humankind began to spread throughout the galaxy. It was the World Government before that. The government that killed your wife, Melinda."

"I do not know that name," Forrest said.

Zak frowned at him. "Forrest, let's drop the charade. We suspected your identity when you first popped into our space. When I saw Valencia, it was confirmed. We know who you are. You must trust us."

Valencia spoke. "You are confusing me with someone else."

"No, Valencia. The memory of you is burned into my keepers. I know you, whether you will admit it or not."

"Okay," Forrest said, "let's assume for the sake of argument that we are who you think we are. Why does the IG want us?"

"For crimes against the people. At least that's the way the IG puts it."

"What crimes?"

Zak grinned. "Well, for starters, you skyjacked the Forever, the property of the WG. You can, of course, claim that the Enonians are the real criminals."

They know too much, Valencia.

They are being truthful, Forrest. But we must determine what it is they want, before we admit to anything.

"The Enonians?" Forrest asked. "Of Tau Ceti?"

Zak studied him. "Your information is incorrect. Only Pascanians existed at Tau Ceti. The Enonians were eradicated one-hundred-thousand years before. Only those exiled on Earth survived. If the Enonians are still on the Forever, they are all that is left of the civilization that evolved on Tau Ceti."

"I do not understand. What happened at Tau Ceti?"

"The Pascanians considered Terrans to be a threat. They believed Terrans to be largely of Enonian blood, which was certainly true of genoclones. They sought to destroy all life in the Solar System. We went to war with them. Despite their superior technology, they were just too rigid in their thinking--no match for the creative war makers of Earth-- and were destroyed. Tau Ceti is now a dead system. It will not be inhabitable for another fifty-thousand years."

The Enonians must not learn of this.

I agree, Forrest.

"You implied that the crew of the Forever was wanted for other crimes. What is that?"

"When you fired your thrusters to escape the Earth warships, you blew the asteroid Eros apart. Several large chunks hit Earth. Millions died in the aftermath. You are wanted for those deaths."

Forrest had not considered this possibility. He was thinking of the black hole left in their wake. And of his daughter. What happened to her? Did she die?

"What about--" He stopped himself.

"What about the black hole?" Zak finished for him. "It went into orbit about the sun. The gravitational balance of the Solar System was altered, but not too radically. It is a very small hole. Adjustments were made for the changing climatic conditions. Once Earth recovered from the asteroid impacts, the black hole gave scientists a chance to study one up close. Much was learned."

"I had a daughter on Earth--"

If you ask that, you will give us away.

They believe to already know who we are, Valencia. They could report us to the IG now, if they were so inclined. We can also report them. I must find out about my daughter.

"--what happened to her?"

Zak gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. We do not know. I wish we did."

Forrest felt letdown. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"We are part of an organization working to overthrow the Imperial Government."

"Why?"

"There is a lot you don't know, and you won't find it in the Network. Only what the IG wants to be known or believed is available in the Network. The World Government you knew was not perfect. But at least it was a democracy, and had built-in checks and balances. The WG didn't elect to become the IG. It was taken over by a group of immortals within its ranks. For a long time they operated within the system established by the WG. But in time, they changed the laws, rewrote the constitution, gained more and more power, until the autocracy we now have came into existence."

"The Empress," Valencia said.

Zak looked at her. "Yes. She and her advisors rule the Empire. Their word--her word is law. There are written laws, and a constitution. Certain rights are guaranteed to the people--in theory. But the theory is only followed where it suits the whims of the Empress. In reality, there is no freedom. The Empress does whatever she wants, whenever she wants, to whomever she wants."

"I take it you are not very fond of her," Forrest said.

"We want her dead!" Aurelia said.

Forrest was startled by her outburst. "What has she done?" he asked her.

"She sent my family to a slave world. She killed my father when he resisted."

"I am sorry," Valencia said.

"There is slavery?" Forrest asked.

"The IG doesn't call it that," Zak answered. "But that is what it is. Aurelia's family was sent to one of the slave planets to mine for mentalisiam. No one ever returns. Aurelia managed to escape when they came for her family and has been in hiding ever since."

"What is mentalisiam?"

"A mind altering drug. It makes people more susceptible to suggestion. The IG uses it to control the population. Under its influence, they are more likely to believe what the Network tells them to believe."

"So why do people take it?" Valencia asked. "Does it make them high?"

"No. In small dosages it has no direct psychological effect. It's in the water supply, and from there gets into the food chain. Terrans consume it from the time they are conceived and until they die. They just don't know about it--they don't know they are being drugged. If the drug were removed they would not notice any difference, at least not immediately. The effect is very subtle. But over time people are made less willful and more impressionable."

"We have consumed food since our arrival," Forrest began. "Does that mean--"

"Yes. You have mentalisiam in your system. But do not worry. It takes many years for the effects to manifest. You will not be here that long. Your system will flush it out."

"What about you? How do you prevent its influence?"

"There are drugs that will cancel the effect. For some, just knowing that the drug in their system will cancel it out. In my case, and perhaps yours too, the keepers destroy the drug before it can have an effect."

"So, the Empress rules the Empire using drugs and false information," Forrest said. "I can understand your revulsion of that. But the standard of living seems rather good, at least on Susania. Is Susania typical of an Empire world."

"Yes. The Empire is wealthy. The Empress is smart enough to share that wealth with the people. In part, that is how she controls the Empire. Keep the people happy, and they don't rebel. But you have to understand that it is material wealth only. The people think they are happy because the government tells them so, and provides material things to prove it. But they have no spirit. They live in an artificial reality created by the government. Those who manage to see through the illusion are labeled insane and taken away for treatment. If they do not respond to treatment, they are put to death. The IG calls it humane termination."

"That is disgusting!" Valencia exclaimed.

"Yes, it is," Zak agreed. "But the people have been conditioned to believe in it--just as they have been conditioned to believe it is an honor to be drafted by the IG to serve the Empire on some distant slave world. And this is just part of what is wrong with the Empire. The atrocities committed by the IG over the years run into the thousands. There was a planet, about a thousand years ago, that attempted to secede from the Empire. Something in the biosphere of the planet canceled the effects of mentalisiam. The Empress ordered the planet destroyed. No one survived. Don't bother looking it up in the Network. You won't find it."

"Jesus!" Valencia said, aghast.

Forrest scratched his head. "How do you plan to organize a rebellion, if the people are so duped?"

Zak gave him a serious look. "There will be no rebellion. We will overthrow the Empire from within, not without."

"And that's where we come in," Forrest said, matter-of-factly.

"Yes, we need transport to Prime System--Earth."

"And you assume that is where we plan to go?"

"If your circumstances were mine, that's what I would do."

"What about the Maloids?"

Zak smiled. "What Maloids?"

Forrest returned his smile. "You're right. I made that up."

"I thought so. There has not been a Maloid attack on an Empire world in over a thousand years. And no outlaw world has reported an attack. We are not sure if they still exist."

"Outlaw world?" Valencia asked.

Zak considered her. "Not all systems colonized by Terrans are part of the Empire."

"And the Empress allows this? That seems out of character."

"Not really. The Empress is very pragmatic. If a system does not contribute significant wealth to the Empire, she does not care. They, of course, do not have the protection of the Imperial Military. And they are required to stay out of Imperial space, except for established commercial lanes. The outlaw worlds are harsh, desolate places for the most part. Life is difficult, but at least the people are free and masters of their own minds."

Forrest spoke. "I still don't understand why you need the Forever. You know where Prime System is. In all these years, you have not been able to obtain a ship?"

"We need a bouncer ship. The outlaw worlds have them, some at least. But we can't get to them, and they would not likely agree to risk the wrath of the Empress by helping us. All bouncer ships in the Empire are owned by the government. In addition the ships have hyperspace transponders that cannot be disabled without the ship self-destructing. The Empress can locate any of her ships at anytime when they are in normal spacetime. To skyjack such a ship would be folly."

"Then along comes the Forever--no transponder, and an enemy of the Empire."

Zak nodded. "The Empire has not been the only one looking for you. We have operatives in every system and on many outlaw worlds. They know how to identify you."

"Why? Why the Forever? Why is she so important to you?"

Zak smiled. "Because she is important to the Empress. Because you, Forrest Hauser, are important to the Empress."

Forrest stared at him. "Me?"

"Yes. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but after the Forever bounced out of the Solar System, you became rather infamous. Your name became synonymous with traitor. That's the way you were put in the history books. Of course, that episode of Terran history has been erased from the official history. No one but the Empress and her advisors--and us--know who you are."

"But why does the Empress want me? You make it sound personal."

"To her I think it is. We are not sure why. No one knows who she is. Perhaps she was around when the Forever bounced out. Perhaps she lost something because of you. We can't be sure."

"I still don't see how this helps you."

"We have operatives in Prime System, some fairly close to the Empress' Advisors. Not all her Advisors are in agreement about her obsession with finding the Forever. If we show up in Prime System with the Forever on our side, the Empress will be at a disadvantage. We will have enough fire power to force her into bargaining with us for the Forever, and you. This will create conflict within her government, and open some doors. It is a first step. But a very powerful step. The Empress' desire for revenge against you is that strong."

"You expect us to go along with this?" Forrest asked.

"Forrest, we have no intention of turning you over to her. It is merely a political tool."

"Something doesn't make sense here. If the Empress has been searching for us, why weren't we taken prisoner when we bounced in?" Forrest asked.

"Each system is responsible for investigating unknown ships that pop into their space. Sometimes the ships will be outlaw ships arriving by accident. More rarely, it will be a Lost Ship--the initial conclusion about the Forever. In some cases it will be an alien ship from one of the few species that have bouncer technology. When the investigation is complete and a report issued to the Empress, she will know who you are."

"The local systems don't know how to identify us?"

"No. Only the Empress and her Advisors have that knowledge. The local systems don't know you are wanted. They just know they are required to issue full reports of all unknown ships. When the Empress receives the report on your ship, you will be taken prisoner."

"So it is imperative we bounce out as soon as possible."

"Yes. But it seems you already knew that," Zak said.

Forrest grinned. "True. When we realized this system was of Terran origin, we knew it would be better not to hang around too long."

"But you needed fuel, so you invented the story about the Maloids to speed things up."

"Yes."

Zak gave him a concerned look. "That has both an up and down side. The Planetary Governor had no choice but to assume you were telling the truth, just in case you were. And so here you are gathering fuel. But the PG will have reported your story to the Empress immediately. What she will decide to do is unknown. No one believes your story about the Maloids. Neither will the Empress. She may decide to take you prisoner at any time, putting caution aside."

"Great," Forrest blurted.

We must inquire about his apparent age.

Do it, Valencia.

"Zak, you told me you were aboard the Rising Star when we bounced out. How old were you then?" she asked.

"Twenty-eight."

"You don't seem older than that now."

"That is my chosen age. What are you getting at?"

"Earth did not have keeper technology then."

"That was not discovered until the late twenty-first century. Do you doubt me?"

"How was it discovered?"

Zak looked confused. "As I understand it, the WG somehow obtained a blood sample from Forrest. That sample contained Enonian keepers. It was studied until it was understood."

He's telling the truth, Valencia. My doctor did draw blood from me. The WG must have gotten that blood.

"So the Terran keepers are based on Enonian keepers?" Valencia continued.

"Yes. It took nearly forty years for researchers to fully understand it, but finally they did."

"How old were you when you transitioned to immortality?"

"I was in my early seventies."

"You don't look that old."

Zak seemed flustered. "Of course not! I reversed aged. I would not want to spend forever living in a seventy-three year old body!"

Valencia stared at him. "Enonian keepers are not capable of reverse aging."

Zak laughed. "Oh, I see. You think I could not possibly have been on the Rising Star. Listen, Valencia, my keepers are not Enonian. They are Terran. Researchers were able to transition people to immortality long before the technology was understood. But what they got were blood drinkers. It was not until the programming was understood that the keepers could be reprogrammed. The Enonian keepers were badly programmed. The bad programming had to be fixed before immortality could be made available. Terran keepers may be based on Enonian technology, but the programming is Terran. And that programming includes reverse aging."

I believe him, Valencia.

So do I. What do you think, Val?

He's telling the truth.

"Okay, Zak. We believe you. You understand that point had to be cleared up."

"Yes, of course."

Forrest spoke. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way--what makes you think we would be willing to help you?"

Zak looked at him. "I would think that should be obvious. This is your world now. You have no choice but to live in this galaxy. And as long as the Empress is in control of the Empire, you will not be safe. Once we gain control, all charges against you will be dropped."

"Who is we?"

"We do not have a name. The IG refers us as Schismatics."

"Who are the leaders?"

"I do not know. We operate under a double-blind system for security reasons. Information is disseminated throughout the organization via coded messages delivered by multiple couriers. I have already sent the message that the Forever has been found. My job now is to recruit you to our cause. We must join the others at Tau Ceti."

"Tau Ceti?"

"Yes. The rendezvous point. The others will be bouncing there now."

"How many others?"

"Several thousand, I would guess. I don't really know."

"How many here?"

"The three of us. Not counting our operatives on Susania. But they will stay behind."

"Creola is not involved?"

"No. Creola and her people have their own political agenda. You know of the conflict between Susania and Marcus-3."

"Yes. So she does not know about you?"

"She knows of us. If we are successful, her people will benefit. She supports our cause, but is not a member--has little knowledge. She will cooperate with us. Your rescue of Blaklor will help the situation. You have won the respect of the miners."

"What about Theolor?"

"He is a Master and part of the IG. But he is sympathetic to Creola's cause. He will look the other way. As long as we are not too obvious, he will not be forced to investigate."

What do you think, Valencia?

I am feeling cautious, but I think we should help them. It is to our advantage.

Val?

I agree with Valencia.

"Okay, Zak," Forrest said. "We have agreed to help you. We are placing our trust in you. If you betray that trust, we will destroy you. Understood?"

Zak grinned at him. "We know of your telepathic and telekinetic powers. We will not betray you."

"Good. There are other problems."

"That is?"

"The Enonians are still onboard the Forever. We commandeered the ship, but we have lost control of the Enonians. They may cause trouble. And our bouncer drive needs to be calibrated. I might be able to do that, but it will take some time. We may have to enlist the aid of the Enonians."

Zak smiled. "Nicholor can do that."

Forrest looked at the man. "I am an engineer in bouncer technology, at least I was before I went underground. I know how to calibrate your drive." The man seemed to have difficulty meeting Forrest's eyes.

"It's an Enonian design," Forrest said.

"The Terran design is not very different," Nicholor said. "Between the two of us, we can do it."

"Excellent. So all we have to do is get you aboard the Forever."

Zak spoke. "You will need inside assistance transferring the fuel from the freighters into your tanks. I can convince Creola to assign us that task. Later she will write us up as casualties--an unfortunate accident. She won't ask questions."

"Okay, let's do it," Forrest concluded.

But still, something bothered him. There was a clue in all of this--something he should have seen, should know. He no idea what it was.

The five days passed quickly. The eight tankers holding the fuel needed by the Forever were on their way. The Alfred had gone on ahead. As they approached the huge seeder ship, the six passengers watched her image with anticipation. As instructed, Doraltor had set up a communications console in the commons. They gathered around with Valencia at the controls.

"She's beautiful!" Zak exclaimed.

Forrest agreed. He had to admit that he had missed the Forever in the several days they had been absent. He felt anxious, and was not sure why. Perhaps it was because of the risk they were taking involving themselves with Zak's organization. Or perhaps it was because he knew Lisa would be nearing the completion of her transition to immortality. Perhaps it was both.

The Guardians were still present, along with the controller ship. Forrest was not sure what he would do if word came from the Empress to take them prisoner. He did not want to have to fire upon the Guardians or the planet. And he didn't want to make an uncalibrated jump. Nicholor had told him he could do a quick calibration in twenty-four hours--maybe less if the Enonian drive was not too different from a Terran drive. But that may not be soon enough.

"Hail her," Forrest told Valencia.

"Forever, this is the Alfred hailing. Requesting permission to dock."

There was no answer.

"Helen? Do you copy?"

Still no response.

"Something is wrong," Valencia said.

"Could something be wrong with the communications systems?" Zak asked.

"No," Forrest answered. "There are backups. Valencia is right. Something has gone wrong."

Valencia continued. "Helen, why do you not respond? Please answer."

Several seconds passed, and then a voice spoke.

"Helen does not respond because she is dead. Permission to dock denied."

"Who was that?" Zak asked.

There was no video, but the voice was unmistakable.

"Lasandra," Forrest answered. "One of the Enonians. They must have taken over the ship."

"Poor Helen," Valencia said. "She must have fought back, and they killed her."

"Let me at the console," Forrest instructed.

Valencia moved and Forrest took her place.

"Lasandra, this is Forrest. What has happened?"

The holodisplay lit up with Lasandra's visage.

"Forrest, it is good to see you again. Surprise!" She had an evil smirk on her face. Forrest felt an intense need to kill her.

"What have you done with my bridge crew?" he demanded.

"Why, they are dead, of course. They were foolish enough to resist us. What a mess they made." Lasandra smiled at him, cutely.

Forrest killed the console.

"Norse?" Valencia cried.

Forrest looked at her. "I'm sorry Valencia. We will avenge his death, and the others. This I promise you."

Valencia looked at him through her tears. "Yes, we will," she decided.

"Who is Norse?" Zak asked Forrest.

"He was acting captain while I was away. And a close friend of Valencia's."

Forrest reactivated the console. He hailed the tanker lead ship.

"Creola here. What is it, Forrest?"

"Do not approach the Forever. I repeat, do not approach the Forever."

"What is wrong?" she demanded.

"We have trouble here. I will contact you later. Forrest out."

"We will remain in orbit until we hear from you. Out."

Forrest stood and began pacing. He looked at Val.

"Can you make contact with Serp?"

"I have tried. It is too far," Val answered. She was holding Valencia next to her, trying to comfort her.

"Damn! I should have realized--"

Val interrupted. "We all knew there was a danger in us leaving the Forever, Forrest. It was a chance we had to take. Do not blame yourself."

"I am blaming the Enonians. They shall die for this."

"What can we do?" Zak asked.

"I'm thinking," Forrest responded, not looking at him.

There was moment of silence, and then Val spoke.

"I can enter the ship and contact Serp."

"They will be expecting that," Forrest said.

"I know. But they can't know the full extent of my abilities. My chance of success is high."

"Think, Val. They must have disabled or bypassed Serp somehow. They could not have taken the ship otherwise."

"I know that. I will find what they have done and undo it."

Forrest studied her. She was their best chance. "Okay, Val. But be careful."

"I will. In the meantime, you must keep them distracted."

"Understood."

Val removed her clothes, and then metamorphosed into the silvery ball of a Guardian. She passed through the hull of the Dove and was gone.

Forrest sat down at the console.

"Lasandra, speak to me."

The holodisplay came to life.

"Considering the way you cut me off, Forrest, I was beginning to think you didn't like me anymore," Lasandra said, smiling.

"I never liked you, Lasandra."

"Oh? Too bad."

"What are your plans?" Forrest demanded.

"You already know that, Forrest. As soon as you deliver the fuel, we will bounce back to Enonia."

"I have no intention of delivering the fuel as long as you are in control of the Forever."

"Then we will be forced to kill off your genoclonic friends one by one until you change your mind. I'm sure Valencia will enjoy the show."

"What will you do when you run out of genoclones?" Forrest glanced at Valencia, but she showed no expression--she understood what he was doing.

"We know you better than that, Forrest. You will not be able to stand it. You will give in to our demands."

"Have you not been monitoring the Network?"

"The Network?"

"The local computer system."

"You know the Guardians will not let us make that link. Why do you ask?"

"Because we have had full access to the Network and the full cooperation of the local government. We know things you do not."

"Such as?"

Forrest laughed. "Do you expect me to tell you? Give me Mandoss."

Lasandra glared at him. "No, Forrest. You shall speak to me. Mandoss does not wish to speak to you."

Forrest stared at her a moment. "Then you shall not get the fuel. And the Maloids will destroy you!"

He killed the console. Lasandra immediately demanded reconnect, but Forrest ignored her.

"They know about the Maloids?" Zak asked.

"They have clashed with them in the past. The Maloids are their worst nightmare."

Zak smiled. "Psychological warfare. Will they believe you?"

"They will tend not to. But they will allow for the fact that I may be telling the truth. That will keep them occupied for awhile."

"So what now?"

"We let them fret a bit, and then answer their hail."

Forrest leaned back on the couch. Valencia came and sat next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. He took her hand into his.

"Are you doing okay?" Forrest asked.

"Yes. We cannot afford for me to be weak now."

"I'm sorry about Norse. I know you loved him."

She looked into his eyes. "Yes, I did. But it's more than that. The others, Helen, Raymond and Alice were all that's left of my tribe. I am alone now."

"You are not alone, Valencia. You have me, and Val and Lisa. You know we love you. And in his own way, so does Serp."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Zak approached and sat next to Valencia. "If I remember correctly, your tribe was the Astraea."

She looked at him. "That is correct."

He smiled at her. "Then you are definitely not alone. The Astraea set out to colonized a new world when the Purge began. Your tribe still exists. There must be millions of them by now."

Valencia sat up. "Where?"

"I'm afraid I do not know. But we can find out. They are an outlaw world and not influenced by the Empire."

"You will help me find them?"

"Yes. I might even take you there. But we have to bring down the Empress first."

"Of course. I understand. Thank you, Zak."

"You are very welcome, Valencia." He touched her arm, and then moved to join his companions.

The console was beeping incessantly.

"I think this has been long enough," Forrest said.

He activated the console and Mandoss came on screen. He looked at Forrest with anger.

"Why did you delay answering our hail?" he demanded.

"I figured you needed time to consider your options," Forrest said.

"What options?"

"Have you calibrated the Nothingness Drive?"

"Yes. But it will do you no good."

"I think it will. Return the Forever to me, and we can refuel and get out of here. There isn't much time."

"The Maloids?"

"Yes, Mandoss, the Maloids. An invasion fleet is on its way here as we speak."

"I do not believe you."

"Are you prepared to die because of your lack of belief?"

Mandoss stared at him with contempt. "Why should I believe you?"

"Have you not noticed the buildup of warships in this system?"

"Yes. But that is to be expected, considering our presence."

Forrest sneered at him. "I can't believe you are so stupid, Mandoss. Only one of the warships could blow the Forever away before we had time to say good-bye. They've got their whole fucking fleet in readiness. They are preparing for the Maloid invasion. We have to leave now, before it is too late. Give the Forever back to me!"

"No, Forrest. The Forever is mine!"

"Then you shall die at the hands of the Maloids."

Mandoss looked confused, but only slightly. "If what you say is true, then you will die also."

Forrest smiled at him, knowing it would anger him. "We have discussed the matter, Mandoss. We have decided we would rather die than allow you to have the Forever."

Mandoss returned his smile. Forrest felt disconcerted, but tried not to show it. "That is an easy decision for you to make, Forrest, considering there are no Maloids."

"Mandoss, I do not want to die. But the decision has been made, and we will stick to it. Here's something for you to consider. We not only have fuel, but we also know the way back to Earth. That is where we plan to go. It would be a simple matter for us to drop you off in the Enonian system--"

"Why would you want to return to Earth?"

"We left Earth three-thousand years ago. The record of our leaving is just a paragraph in the history books now. We want to go home, the same as you."

"We time-shifted?"

"Yes."

"How do you know this?"

"This system is Terran. Their ancestors came from Earth."

Mandoss studied him. "I cannot trust you."

"Nor can I trust you. But if you turn the Forever over to me, I have no reason not to return you to your people."

"My people might not exist."

"No, Mandoss. Your people survived the Great War and repopulated. The Enonians and Pascanians now live in peace."

"How--"

"Earth established relations with them a long time ago. The Terrans promised the Enonians that should they find you, you would be returned home. That is partly why the Terrans here have been helping us. Your people await your return, Mandoss. Enon waits for you."

Mandoss was visibly moved. "Enon lives?"

"Yes. And I intend to fulfill the promise made by my ancestors. But only if you turn the Forever over to me."

Mandoss said nothing for a moment. He moved off screen, and then returned.

"Linwolse says you are lying," he said.

"The wrath of love scorned," Forrest offered.

"What does that mean?"

"Lin hates me for rejecting her love. She will do anything to hurt me--even if it means the death of all of you."

"You underestimate her, Forrest."

"No, Mandoss, you overestimate her."

The holodisplay blanked.

"Damn you, Mandoss," Forrest muttered.

"What happened?" Zak asked.

"He cut us off--"

"Forrest?" The voice came from the console.

"Serp? Is that you?"

"Yes. I've intercepted the communications channels. Power to the bridge has been cut."

"What happened, Serp? How did the Enonians gain control of the Forever?"

"Blix tried to disable me. He was unsuccessful; but he did manage to force me into hiding. He set up blocks that I could not bypass. Val has released me."

"She is okay?"

"Yes. We are working to undo the damage done by Blix. It shouldn't take long."

"We have to board the Forever. And we have tankers waiting to refuel her."

"Docking bay three, level one. The genoclones will be waiting to supply you with weapons and assist you with the refueling."

"We're on our way."

"We could not stop them, Sir," the genoclone called Aidan said. "They killed the bridge crew, and those who attempted to approach."

Forrest looked at him. "How many dead?"

"Thirty-five. We tried--"

"No one is blaming you or your people, Aidan. You did the best you could."

"Yes Sir."

Forrest studied the docking bay. Fifty genoclones stood about, armed and ready. Forrest checked the charge on the blaster Aidan had given him.

"You have teams posted throughout the Forever?"

"Yes."

"Good. Instruct them to kill the Enonians on site."

"I took the liberty to give them those instructions already, Captain."

"You are wise, Aidan. Assign ten of your people to assist with the refueling. The tankers should be here shortly. Zak, you and your people go with them. The Enonians will not interfere with the refueling. You should be safe there. Valencia?"

"Yes, Forrest."

"Take a team and go to the humans. Explain the situation to them, and enlist those that are willing to join us. Arm them. And take a team of medics to tend to those that are sick. You and Aidan are in charge of destroying the Enonians."

"Understood," Valencia said, giving him a look of concern. "What are you going to do?"

"Find Lisa."

"Alone?"

"It's the only way. They would sense any others with me."

Valencia came to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Be careful, Forrest. They will not want to give her up."

"Neither do I," Forrest said, and walked away.