Deshima (Part One)

Deshima. An independently run station on the fringes of populated space.

Located deep within a nebula, it is a difficult place to reach.

But that suited my purposes for I came here to meet someone.

Off the beaten track.

-----

February 15 - Deshima

The door to the theatre lobby opened with a hiss.

"Howdy."

I nodded, "Hello Cody."

"Been a while...." he said.

"Glad you could make it," I replied pleasantly.


Cody was wearing blue jeans, a grey armoured vest, side arm strapped to his leg. Sunglasses protected his eyes.

I was out of uniform. It was a deliberate decision, not so much to put him at ease, but as a precaution against anyone seeing Cody with an Alliance officer. Strangers would simply see a couple going to the movies.

"So where you want to.. talk?" he asked.

"In the theatre.."


"Okay," he replied, "After you..."

I handed my ticket to the auto attendant. Cody followed behind me and did the same.

As the inner door to the theatre proper closed behind us, I explained my choice of venue. "The movie will cover our voices.... for privacy sake."

Cody nodded and sat back on the grey sofa.

The theatre was of modest size. Still it could accommodate a small group of perhaps six to eight viewers. We had the room to ourselves.

The film flickered to life as we took our seats.

"I wanted to see if you have heard anything concerning the children," I began, "and to let you know what I have heard about Kitten."

"Okay...."

"Let me go first," I insisted, "since I was the one to ask you here."

Cody nodded for me to continue.

"I have a lead," I said, "about a genetics lab in the Wastelands..."

"Genetics?" he asked.

"...from what I know of you and your sister, it may yield some results."

Cody clenched his jaw.

"It was connected to a man named Mindo.... do you recognize that name?"

"Yeah," he replied, "I gone toe to toe with him."

"Okay, good," I said, "then I will pursue that angle. And what about you? Have you heard anything that might interest me?"

"Not on the twins, but suspect Lily's played with 'em. She's seen 'em..... I don't mean the eggs she's been carin' for either."

Eggs? I nodded. "How many eggs does she have?"

"She has two eggs from the old Easter hunt. Two."

"Ah, Easter eggs," I chuckled, "I thought you meant something else."

"The bio genetic stuff? No."

"What about drones?" I asked

He regarded me for a moment. "Drones? Depends on the kind you mean..."

I explained, "I understand that you had a run in recently.... with a drone belonging to Ardra Aurotharius."

Cody paused for a few seconds. "Yeah," he replied, "Can't say it was a run in....More like seein' what all was wrong. It was all beat up."

"Broken you say?"

"More like damaged," he replied, "It was in pretty bad shape."

"Tell me what happened."

Cody leaned back and looked at the movie screen. "Hmm, it said somethin' 'bout it was comin' to get the program from the host."

"The host!" I said suddenly. That was a surprise.

Cody nodded, "Thin' is it was already gone."

"Do you think it meant Lily?" I asked.

"I got a feelin' it did," he answered, "but it said the program got activated again. Not sure what all that meant. I think this was b'fore the incident with Lily."

Curious. I frowned turning the information over and over.

Meanwhile, the actors in the movie carried on with their own drama in a graveyard of sorts.

"Ardra hurt Lily," I said almost absently, "and she may have the twins."

Cody looked at me. "I don't doubt it," he agreed, "Ardra caused a lot of hurt."

"Tell me more about this drone," I pressed, "Even the most insignificant detail..."

"What," he cocked his head, "you want a runnin' commentary?"

"Whatever information you can provide may be helpful," I said, "These drones are launched from somewhere. Everything leaves a trace."

He frowned, "Fine.....It showed up by the shuttles but on the lower level. Bram was usin' his new scope and said it was there. I went to check it out. Said it was damaged and waitin' for extraction."

"It was there to get the program from the host," I repeated, "...so it was a retrieval drone."

Cody shrugged, "Yeah."

"Did it find anything close to what it was looking for?"

"No. It said somethin' 'bout Project Aurotharius bin' reactivated."

"What did it look like?"

"Was a silver skin female lookin' chassis. Had shorts and a tank on."

"Silver?" I mused. A new colour. "Do you have an image?" I asked, "A security cam capture perhaps... you were a deputy on Hale's."

"Yeah.. or grey. Was too bright out that day. Said it was a drone program extracted by Blue Sun."

"By Blue Sun?" File that for later, I thought.

Cody frowned then carefully pulls out a picture from his kit.

I reached over and accepted the photograph, "Thank you Cody." Again it was dressed in Audrey's style of clothes. Suspended at an odd angle. It looked like a ghost.

He nodded by way of reply.

"What happened to the drone?" I asked.

"It was wanderin' 'round then went into the wastes. It had a temp shutdown.. Was over heatin'."

"Go on."

"Then it said it'd wait where it was for extraction.... then did a data extraction."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It did a verbal data dump... like went on over the convo we had."

"So where is it now?"

"I don't rightly know," he replied, "When I went back later it was gone. Was gonna bring Lily over to check on it, but nada. Nothin' there."

I ran the tip of my finger along the edge of the photograph. "Okay... this has been helpful. Thank you."

Another puzzle piece.

Cody nodded.

On the screen, a policeman asked his partner: "....How are we going to kill somebody that's already dead?..."

"I will let you know what I find out in the Wastelands," I added.

"You got folks checkin' there now?" he asked, "You know..... Ain't seen Lily for near a week now.... She's gone missin'."

"Do you think she might be there?"

"No...," he replied, "I think she might be somewhere no one's been in a long while....."

"What do you think happened to her? She has run off before."

Cody paused to think. "She got taken....... I have a place, but no one can access it without maybe gettin' on a dinner menu...."

"Go on," I prompted.

Cody rubbed his chin, "'Liance most like has the outer rim of the moon restricted..... "

"I see. What would you like me to do?" I asked directly.

"You thinkin' of goin' to Miranda then?" he asked.

"You think she went to Miranda?"

"Maybe got taken there," he replied.

I caught my breath. "By whom?" I asked.

Cody smiled faintly, "Don't know.... But your folks might....."

My mind was racing. What if Lynx was with her?

A Colonel in the movie remarked, "And it's my guess that she'll look like him." He indicated a skeleton lying on the ground, "With the ship and the ray gun gone, they have no control..."

"I'll see what I can find out," I said carefully, "Traffic logs maybe...Do you have anything else to go on?"

"Might help," he said, "I was asked by the Mayor.. her Ma.. to look for Lily. A big ship come in and maybe swallowed the smaller Reaver ship what were attackin' hers."

"Very well. I will see what I can find out.... What about this big ship? Any markings? Description?"

"Didn't see it on the feeds," he replied, "Heard it though."

"Where was she last seen?" I asked.

"On her ship stuck in the asteroid field," he went on to explain, "We went up to salvage what we thought was a small derelict..... was hers...."

"Okay."

"...down to the ear what was cut from her," he added, clenching his jaw tightly.

"An ear!" I exclaimed.

I asked the question. I feared the answer.

"Was she alone?"

"Don't know.. We think a kid was with her.... Lynx....."

My heart was pounding in my ears.

A man in the movie was making his closing remarks, "...Can you prove that it didn't happen?..."

I heard another voice. It was my voice. "Okay," said the voice.

"...We ain't seen the kid since."

I stood up.

"Send me everything you have," I directed, "I'll be in touch."

"Okay..." he replied.

"Thank you Cody," I managed to say. I turned and walked purposefully to the exit.

-----

The door from the theatre was still closing by the time I reached the next junction.

I walked. Through Deshima Station. Down corridors. Across platforms.

Agonizing over the fate of young Lynx.

I kept walking, fighting the swirl of emotions, the flurry of thoughts.

Until at last I could walk no more. I leaned back against the bulkhead and wept.

Dispatch from the Frontier of Medicine

February 15 - In transit. On approach to Deshima.

Captain Westminster's report arrived. As I have come to expect, it was detailed and comprehensive, covering her current assignment, information on cloning and providing details and images of her autopsy of the Colonel's clone. Important background information on a number of cases.

-----

To: Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU

"My exposure to frontier medicine is full of surprises. The gentle nature of Doctor Danick was something I had never seen before, but all of her subjects are voluntary and require constant comforting and cajoling to elicit their cooperation. This is much different than the military, prison and experimental test subjects that I am accustomed to. I am not sure I am ready to put away my stungun, restraints and fast acting sedatives, but the mission is illuminating.

[Scanner, Hale's Moon]

"Doctor Danick keeps detailed records and more importantly she keeps blood samples and tissue samples. I have spoken to her about starting a blood bank for the locals. I have made casual conversations about the potential lifesaving value of taking tissue samples.

"Human have over two hundred and fifty different tissue types. Contrary to popular belief, DNA is not the sole determining factor in tissue typing. Each cell's DNA interacts with its environment which plays a large role in how an organism develops. This is why clones do not always look identical.

"For example, cloned female calico cats do not look like their mothers. The color and pattern of the coats of female calico cats are not solely determined by their genes. Random inactivation of the X chromosome in every cell of the female cat determines which coat color genes are switched off and which are switched on. The random distribution of X inactivation determines the appearance of the cat's coat.

[Stasis Chamber - Research Hospital, Albion City]

"Many biological phenomena are determined by random, interactive or other non-deterministic phenomenon. Which is why tissue samples are required. Simply having the DNA of the subject does not insure you can reproduce it's unique properties. Even tissue sampling is insufficient to reproduce certain special emergent phenomena such as readers.

"Hale's Moon is crawling with 'specials', I can see why Blue Sun keeps a presence there. I got a detailed full body scan of Cody Winterwolf and by luck alone I got one of his alleged sister Katherine. I will see if I can procure tissue samples at some point.

"There has been no further sightings of the Arudra drone. It seems an unlikely coincidence that the Arudra drone came to Hale just as their were having a warbot problem. Cybernetics is not my field, may I forward my few notes and observations to Doctor Qui? I am told that Doctor Qui is acquainted with some of the locals and even contributed hardware used in the failed drone program extraction from the Blue Sun synthetic cat.

[Clone in Stasis]

"The Aurotharius twins are more akin to savior siblings, which are harvested from the mother (surrogate or natural) while still in early embryonic stages. The tests are inconclusive as to what stage these embryos were harvested, but probably pre-fetus stage of development.

"There is too much commonality to think that they were grown from cells. These were probably developed thru a certain level of cell differentiation in the same mother.

"Said embryos are usually stored and implanted in a surrogate Savior siblings are often harvested for their stem cells or allowed to develop further to harvest replacement tissues. If complete replacement organs are required, they are allowed to develop to full term and birth like the rest of humanity, their organs are harvested later when they're needed.

[Preliminary Strip]

"Most savior siblings do not require such an exact DNA and tissue match that cloning is required, but there are extreme cases. Savior siblings that are brought to full term are usually kept in a form of stasis that allows their bodies to develop sufficiently before harvesting, but does not allow them to become conscious.

"It is peculiar that someone would raise a savior sibling as a child. There are stories of savior siblings being implanted into unsuspecting surrogates and raising them as their own children, just to be collected later when needed. It is curious to me why someone resort to such fraud when there are a lot of willing surrogates who will provide the service at a reasonable fee. The legality is not my field of expertise.

"The clone of the Colonel is very different than the Aurotharius twins. Comparing the telomere length of the Colonel to that of the clone indicates that it is based on a sample taken at least 8 years ago and probably not more than 15 years ago. The quantities of blastomeres and other cloning technology related residues indicate that the rapid growth and development processes were used.

[Cataloging]

"Cloning often has probabilistic organ defects in the heart, liver and several other organs which were present in this specimen. These defects would have been detectable at an early stage and not brought to term. This was a disposable specimen probably used for harvesting or an experiment of some sort. There is a high probability that the DNA is harvested from an ordinary tissue sample and not a germline sample. Germline DNA is much less prone to defects.

"The brain development and lesions indicate that headchip training programs were probably used instead of traditional learning. It was not well developed, adding to the disposable clone theory.

"There are many indications of tissue, glandular and even cellular harvesting of the specimen. So much so that it would not have been viable outside of life support for more than a few hours and probably only a day more even with any life support short of full biostasis.

[Heading for Storage]

"My theory is that this was an experimental specimen subjected to extreme harvesting for exploratory purposes, probably looking for certain results. It might have been a fast and dirty job, only harvesting one or two usable tissues, secretions or organelles per run. They also might be experimenting on a process and took samples to evaluate their progress."

Captain Westminster, UAP SIU

The Haunting of xOxO Zhangsun

"Do not go thence leaving me unwaked and unburied behind you, or I may bring heaven's anger upon you." - Homer, Odyssey, Book XI

-----

It was just over a week since my visit to Hale's Moon when I received two messages both marked with the highest priority.

The first was from x0x0 Zhangsun of Blue Sun.

"Major, it is urgent that I have a word with you. It concerns the matter of mutual interest."

The second arrived along diplomatic channels.

*** Urgent Wave to Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU ***

I spoke with Cody Winterwolf today. He mentioned that we have a missing not-cat. Lily's ship, Eponine something or other, was found abandoned in the upper levels of the 'roidfield. There was a picture of Lynx on the ship, he may have been aboard.
I am sure Lynx contacted you about the so-called school being set up in Hale's. Lilybell allowed a teacher who did not give his name nor present credentials to set up a school. This person might be a good place to start. Cody didn't know anything about him. Frog (a local boy) and AuroraBlue were among the class, I am not sure who else.

Jai Raghilda

*** End Wave ***

Lily had gone missing before. While it was possible that Lynx had travelled with her, I could not see him running off with her. I wasn't going to panic.

So I sent a terse message - "Lynx. Call in please" - determined to wait for a reply.

I also contacted Ms. Zhangsun. We arranged to meet, once again, at her offices on Hale's Moon, as she had something that she described as 'difficult to transport'.

-----

February 13 - Hale's Moon

It was day time when I arrived. People in the streets going about their business. A man lounging in a deck chair by the landing pad.

I arrived at the Blue Sun offices. The door was open.

"Up here," called a voice.

At the top of the spiral stairs she stood, barefoot and unarmed. She looked pale.

"Hello Ms. Zhangsun," I greeted her.

She stood staring out the window. "I...was bitten today," she said distantly.

"Bitten?"

She lifted her dress to reveal four small punctures on her left ankle.

I frowned as I examined the wound.

"Yes," she answered, "I was...walking...and a large snake ..well, it attacked me."

"I'm sorry to hear that...."

"A young woman carried me to safety," she related, "When I woke up, Gallagher was there. He said he is not the doctor... and that Destiny had been hit by an asteroid. I told him, I could hear the snakes. He wouldn't listen. I told him but he wouldn't listen. It was so loud. So loud. He said he could not hear it." She looked back out the window. "So loud..."

"You mean Destiny... the refugee colony?"

Hit by an asteroid. That was months ago.

"Yes..." she replied, "So I tried to show him...he still could not hear....then he was attacked. Another huge snake....it didn't bite him. He killed it...but... another one was hiding, staring at me. As soon as he was busy killing the one, the other one attacked me."

"Was this why you contacted me?" I asked.

She blinked, "I contacted you?"

"You sent word," I reminded her,"'It is urgent that I have a word with you. It concerns the matter of mutual interest.'"

"Yes," she responded, "That's right. Major Siamendes. I did contact you, didn't I? My brother is dead. Mindo. He's dead. Everything is different."

"Yes, I realize that... I'm very sorry."

Again, this was old news, but I did not want to divert the flow of her thoughts.

Ms. Zhangsun furrowed her brow, "I don't know where Lily is."

"She is missing?" I, of course, had heard this from the Consulari.

"Lily is...she is one of ours. Apparently so since maybe four days. No one will tell me anything.... Oh! ARDRA." She looked at me, "That's right."

"Go on..." I prompted.

"She was here..someone was here. Do you know what the Colchester Directive is? You do know. Tell me. Tell me." She seemed confused.

This was not something I was prepared to discuss. So it was a moment before I answered. "Can you tell me what was the context?" I asked.

"It came first," she said looking as if she might cry, "Look, I took photos."

There was a black panel hanging on the glass wall. She slid the panel to the side revealing eight images. They showed the heighliner. Gold light pouring from the ship in some of the pictures.

"Where were these photos taken?" I asked.

"The work has continued," she said, "Inside....you can see there is an orbital insertion point. What is an orbital insertion point? Inside... there are ..look, the golden light. It goes to the sky. It goes to infinity. I followed it. I went in." She pointed to the picture on the bottom left, "See?"

She went inside?

"x0x0...," I said carefully, "what did you see?"

"It is activating. Look," she pointed to the sparks. "Look. Look." She pointed to the second photo on the bottom caressing it gently. She then pointed to the third image. "Look. That is where it stops."

"These photos...they are from Mu Draconis," I said. The image at the top showed the mark of the Marauders.

She touched another photo. "Here. I went inside." She looked up, "and I was supposed to tell you something..it was important.... what is the Colchester Directive?"

"How did you hear that term?" I pressed.

She touched the bottom left photo very lovingly. "I was here. Look."

She pointed to the second photo. "Look, it's attached to the outside. And here."

She indicated the third picture. "...close..and here..."

And then the fourth picture "..you can see..." She looked up again, "What is the Colchester Directive?" She stopped and stared silently.

"It is a protocol in place," I explained, "that directs Alliance officers to inform my office of any and all information related to.... Ardra."

I said Ardra. I did not say Project Aurotharius. It did not matter, not with a psychic in the room.

"Ardra is not the project. She is part of the project." She tilted her head and parroted words.

"No... she is not the project," I agreed.

"Ardra is not the project. She is part of the project," she repeated, "The work did not stop." She again pointed to the pictures.

"Yes ... she is part of the project," I replied. "Can you give me a copy of these photos?"

"A ..broken.... came...here... broken."

"One of the Arurda?" I asked. The term slipped out.

"'Pick me up'," she said, "Frail. Cody ....tried...terraforming."

"x0x0...you should rest." She was not well.

"You can have them..." she said. She meant the photographs.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

"They are burned in..now." She looked very lost.

As I gathered up the pictures, she wandered into another room. I followed.

"Where do you think Lily would go?" I asked.

"Look," she said, "Lily carried this up here. It is very heavy. Tonnages heavy."

The object sat on a counter. It gave off a blue white glow. It was shaped like a spool or perhaps a lantern. Some sort of component. Possibly a fuel cell. I could see no markings.

She continued, "Lily is really a good ...Lily...It was not time and Mindo sent snakes like a plague." She grimaced for a moment as if she was in terrible pain, then just looked frail and pale again. "I am so glad you came to visit me," she said, "Will you come again?"

"Yes," I answered, "of course I will."

We walked back to the first room. She walked over to the wall and stood in front of four pictures.

"This is my daughter, AuroraBlue," she said, "My husband, Daniel. My mother... and Lily."

"Your family then," I replied smiling kindly.

"Yes," she smiled, staring at the photos. She stood there silently, tears streaming down her face.

"I will let you rest," I said finally.

Ms. Zhangsun smiled shyly and looked at the floor. "I'll see you to the door."

She accompanied me downstairs.

"Good evening," she said politely.

"By the way," I asked, "Have you seen Lynx?"

"I ...I don't think so."

"Very well."

"Be careful," she warned, "The snakes are..horrific."

"Thank you," I replied, "and take care."

As I walked away, the woman stood looking at her hands. I could hear her speaking, almost chanting, "Two by two..."

Woman of the Blue Sun (Part Two)

February 3 - Hale's Moon

-----

"Now, since we are alone...let's chat a little about our joint venture," I suggested.

Without a word, Ms. Zhangsun slid her office door shut. The mechanism locked.

"Thank you," I replied.

She nodded in return.

"As you are by now aware," I began, "Ardra has deleted all information about her from Lily..."

"Seems so," agreed Ms. Zhangsun.

"...I suspect it is to cover her tracks as much as it is to punish Lily."

"Remember," said the woman, "when I purged Lily...turned out, Lily had actually kept the information...."

"Lily proved herself capable of independent thought," I mused, "even when linked to the Ardra Overmind, by hiding the information about the twins."

"Lily never loses information," she stated, "It just....moves around. Do you think she did it intentionally? Hid the information, I mean..or was it random?"

I offered my theory, "I think Lily protected the children because she sees them as her friends."

"They've been here, you know..."

"What were they doing here?" I asked.

"...followed by their Auntie," she replied. "I don't know."

I nodded.

Ms. Zhangsun continued, "Mercedes left something for Lily."

"Oh?"

"Lily hid it, then put it in a crib."

"Ah right," I replied, "I have seen that."

Something red and fleshy in a glass container.

"Then someone stole it. But she managed to get it back. Did you get a good look at it?" she asked.

Before I could formulate a reply, she said, "Pepper....you know...when Lily met Ardra...Ardra wasn't the one seeking a place to leave her information."

"What was she looking for?" I asked.

"Ardra was...phasing out..ending...in a lab that was about to blow."

"Phasing out?"

She explained, "Lily was the one found Ardra. Not the other way around. Arms and legs and all were hardly moving, Lily refused to leave her to 'die alone'."

I frowned as I considered this information, "You know that was a drone...and you are telling me the drone was...dying?

"Yes."

This struck a chord.

"Tell me...." I pressed further, "was it ...suicidal?"

"Whatever it was, it was...endin'. It told Lily about captivity.....how it wanted to be free...needed to be free.... Lily recorded it all. The others, they all ran. Lily wouldn't leave her."

My mouth dropped open slightly. "Do you have that record?"

"I might have," she replied, "I'll have to look. My point is they all ran. Exceptin' for Lily."

"Tell me more," I asked with some urgency, "about the captivity."

"Trapped in the metal body. I can't remember really...just that Lily expressed it was in agony. Would rather die. Yes, that's right. Said it would rather die."

I thought this over.

Trapped in a metal body....

Would rather die....

When Ardra Aurotharius spoke to me about reacquiring the drone program, I had assumed she had lost control of the drone when Lily downloaded it. This information suggested the drone had a degree of autonomy prior to Lily's actions.

"I think the Consulari was there," added Ms. Zhangsun.

"Ms. Raghilda?" I asked.

Ms. Zhangsun nodded.

I nodded carefully. That would have been long before she held political office.

"It was a genetics lab...in the Wastelands."

"One of your brother's labs." I knew where she meant.

"Yes. Right after they left, that's when Lily went to ...well, 'mate', with Blue."

Things were falling into place and the picture that was emerging was disturbing. The lab to which she referred was reported to be the location of the termination of the Colonel's illegal clone. An Ardra drone in the same area as an autonomous, unauthorized clone of an UAP officer.

"An Alliance man was there, correct?"

"At the lab? No....I don't think so," she replied. "I wasn't living here yet at the time.

"We will find out," I said, "if you can find the tapes."

"No, no, Lily records it, and transmits.... oh hell." Ms Zhangsun stopped suddenly and rushed over to her desk computer once again. She continued, "I wonder...no.. couldn't be. She stopped transmitting until a few days ago. Only...there ain't nobody for her to be transmitting to. I thought she was just parroting old subroutines."

"So... what are you saying?" I asked.

"Maybe she's been transmitting what she got from Ardra....I hear another drone was found wandering here...oh dear. An injured...sickly..." She sat down abruptly.

"Another drone," I repeated, "but here."

"I..I don't know. There are so many possibilities." She began tossing around ideas. "Maybe it was the remains of the one Lily 'wouldnt leave'....maybe she's been transmittin'to it, or to the main Ardra. This place used to be crawlin with drones. Lily was attached to one, a robotic, named Aldea. When the revolution came...and they all attacked, Aldea could not bring herself to end Lily....Lily took up arms ...against..us."

"Was this when the Replicant Order was active here?" I asked.

"Short time before," she answered, "Although, they may have been active underground."

"What happened to the Ardra drone that was here recently? Do you have a photo?"

"I don't," she replied, "I only heard about it from young Winterwolf."

I was satisfied. "Well if you can access Lily's recording of her first encounter with the Ardra drone... that could help."

"I think first things first," she insisted. "Before I can search for information with Lily, this 'marriage' situation has to be resolved. Right now, all she is talking about is how she loves this boy, and 'him a boy'. Odd really. Her reaction to him, I mean."

"I trust you will steer her in the right direction," I said confidently.

"Ain't but one direction," she replied, "if there ain't no love lost, then there ain't no point in trying to pretend there is. Better for him, actually. Guess there is a bit of the hopeless romantic in me, thinkin' such things still happen. Course they don't."

I smiled, "Well, I wish you a good night, Ms Zhangsun."

"I'll see what I can find," she added.

"Thank you."

-----

I stepped out into the night air. Lynx turned and watched as I approached.

"Time you head indoors and rest," I advised, "Ms Zhangsun will see what she can do to straighten things out."

Lynx nodded. "I'm sorry for the mess I've caused," he began.

"It is not your fault..."

"I should have researched the cultures here," he continued.

"And you don't have to marry if you don't want to," I reminded him.

"I.. I'm not ready."

"Okay then," I smiled.

"I don't know what to say or do," he blushed slightly, "I was chastised by a companion for making a faux pas."

"Well, for now head off to bed," I directed.

Lynx nodded, " I will." He looked a little more relieved.

"Good ...we will talk later."

"Alright," he replied.

"Good night Lynx."

"Thank you for being here. Good night Major."

-----

Back in my ship a message was waiting from a member of my staff:

"Continuing to build trust in the local clinic at ______, collecting medical scans and tissue/blood samples. Medicine with voluntary patients is fascinating."

I sent a coded reply:

"I am glad you are enjoying your assignment, Captain. I understand you conducted the autopsy of the clone of Colonel M_________. How does it compare with the forensics of the Audrey twins? Is there anything to link the two sets of clones?"

-----

[OOC - when Lily met Ardra http://jairaghilda.blogspot.com/2009/08/mission-to-wastelands.html ]

A Letter from Home

January 27

I have been grounded here several days. A tropical atoll on a distant world. Tracking the three men who first salvaged the Colchester.

Mercedes Celestalis had been aware of the location of the survey ship. When I refused to deal with her on the matter, she may have hired these men. The information we received from Ardra's drone indicated that two items were removed from the Colchester before we arrived. I wanted to know what those items were and where they were now.

I had my suspicions, of course. The information in the drone helped a great deal. From the context, one can surmise that Ardra referred to the Audrey clones as the Zahir. Further, she stated that the Aleph (and Alpha Constant) were stolen from the survey ship.

The Colonel believed that Audrey's remains had been in the Colchester.

I conclude:

Aleph = Audrey's remains.
Zahir = Audrey's clones.

If I could reacquire her remains, it could give us leverage.

It was hot when I arrived. The air was heavy with humidity making breathing uncomfortable. Skin was wet to the touch. Paper warped and buckled.

But by the late afternoon on that first day the wind picked up. It cleared the air and turned the waves an angry, icy blue. The temperature dropped and I had to wrapped myself in blankets once the sun went down.

Within days the persistent wind had removed enough sand from the beach to expose sharp rocks beneath. Conditions were appalling. The hut was dark and drafty. If I ventured outside, seeking some glimmer of the tropical sun, I had to resort to heaping chairs and crates into a make shift shelter.

By the end of the week, the wind finally calmed. And as if the passing of the storm had permitted contact with the outside world, I received a message from Ceasar.

It was his interview with Constance Zdychava, the guardian of the two missing girls. While it contained information very useful to my investigation, it made me feel...homesick.

I travelled a lot, but this was a new feeling for me.

I didn't like it.

I took a second look at the data screen. My fingertips resting lightly on his name.

-----

Private message from Ceasar Otsuka:

"You're gonna wanna see this. Constance Zdychava came to see me today. She worked on the original Ardra project and is guardian to the girls who were kidnapped from Paquin. Hope to see you soon."

Recording begins.

[Time stamp 08:51]

A woman's voice: "Chief Otsuka I presume?"

Ceasar's voice: "Hello, Ms. Zdychava. Yes. Would you like to come into my office?"

"Yes I would," she replied, "I apologize that it has taken me so long to get here. I am stationed in deep space and there are no regular transports."

"I spent 15 years in the UAP military," answered Ceasar, "I understand completely."

"15 years. You were in the war?" asked the woman.

Ceasar nodded.

Constance Zdychava replied, "Tragique affaire."

"Very," agreed Ceasar, "Luckily, Paquin was neutral during the war so it was never attacked."

"Beaucoup de chance."

"I still saw too much."

"You are native to Paquin?" asked Ms. Zdychava.

"I am," answered Ceasar, "I grew up in a small farming community over the mountains from Spinwheel. So when I left the military, I came back here."

"The conflict did not come here, so you went to the conflict," prompted the woman.

Ceasar continued, "I'd already been in for a few years when it started. Didn't have much of a choice at that point."

"You are pro-active, oui?"

"I try to be."

"Has there been any progress on the kidnapping investigation?" Ms. Zdychava asked.

"Not as of yet," replied Ceasar, "We haven't found evidence of a struggle and no records at the school. There was very little trace evidence in the room."

"I have received no ransom demands," admitted the woman.

"We have brought in federal support as well," Ceasar elaborated, "It seems like they've been taken offworld, so they could be anywhere in the UAP."

Constance Zdychava looked away, "This is supposed to be a safe planet. A safe school, secured. The children have been here for 9 years, since my transfer to Heinlein."

"I can't speak to the school," began Ceasar, "But this is a safe planet over all. Very little violent crime. However...as a trading world, there is more than a little information, smuggling and intrigue making its way through."

"Intrigues involving kidnapping of minors from boarding schools?" she asked.

"When they have a connection to Ardra, yes," he replied.

"Ardra is here?"

"No, she is not," replied Ceasar, "But records have been found of the genetic relationship one of the girls has with her."

Constance Zdychava was dismissive, "Ardra is a machine, it has no genetics. It is an Auto Regressive Derivative Research Algorithm."

"And the machine was based on a living person, the personality."

Ms. Zdychava countered the point, "Millions of children play immersive video games with neural interfaces. It does not grant the program genetics."

"No, but these particular girls have a genetic relationship to the family that created Ardra."

"I am the executor of the Aurotharius Estate and the legal guardian to the Aurotharius children," said the woman, "15 years now. You have evidence that this program is active? That project was shut down ages ago."

"Yes," replied Ceasar, "Most of the evidence is with Major Siamendes of the UAP."

"Très troublant."

Ceasar continued, "The project was shut down, but Ardra has stayed 'alive'."

"I was not notified of this."

"It's not something that has been publicized," he explained.

"I was an advisor to that project," said the woman.

"You...were?"

Constance Zdychava continued, "If a part of the project has been reactivated and is outside of containment, we should have been notified."

"Have you talked with the Major about this?" asked Ceasar.

"I do not know of this Major," Ms. Zdychava replied, "I need to speak with Lt. MacMoragh. He was liaison to the project." She closed her eyes. "Wait. Focus. Prioritize..."

"This is a bit above his paygrade..." remarked Ceasar.

"I don't know what to do," admitted the woman, "15 years..."

"This is part of a case that has gone well beyond Paquin," Ceasar stated.

Ms. Zdychava began to explain, "Ardra and Hal were field tested here almost 20 years ago. Relatively simple automated ship that combed the magnetosphere of Heinlein for antimatter..."

"It's doing a lot more than that now," remarked Ceasar.

"....When the solar wind impacts the magentosphere, antiparticles are created and are trapped at the poles," she added, "I was told that there were no drones in the field. It must have uploaded and distributed on its own."

"Which is pretty much what the Major has thought."

"Nous sommes damnés. Nous sommes condamnés," declared the woman.

"You definitely need to talk to the Major about this," said Ceasar, "She's seen evidence of Ardra as far away as Mu Draconis. She and I both believe that Ardra may have had something to do with the kidnapping."

"Where else has Ardra been?"

Ceasar listed off places throughout the system, "Hale's Moon, Bihar, Weisshorn. Even some connections to Zenobia at this point."

"Well, the project was based out of Avalon, so that is not surprising," commented the woman. "Hale's is remote. Mu Draconis."

Ceasar continued, "There's been rumors that Ardra has taken control of some of the rogue and independent artificial lifeforms on Hale's."

"That is most strange."

"More than strange," replied Ceasar, "It has a ship a kilometer long."

"Les navigateurs de la Guilde."

"Beg pardon?"

"Arrogant bâtards."

"You know of a connection," prompted Ceasar, "The Guild isn't UAP."

"No...," she replied, "I mean, yes, you are correct, they are not. The Navigator's Guild was one of the parties interested in the Ardra and Hal projects."

"Do you think they may have helped modify the programming?" asked Ceasar.

"The usual suspects, Blue Sun, Umbrella, Iskellan, Corsone, The Guild. They got a copy from someone." Ms. Zdychava's voice descended into a whisper. "Hal is a systems management program, nothing special. Not even a true AI, what they call and expert system. Ardra was a data mining program."

"She's used the data," observed Ceasar.

"It would seek out other programs and extract data. Get them to cooperate to leverage its program. It would get the other programs to use their spare server resources to search for data. The Guild must have set it loose. Arrogant bas_tards."

"It may not be the Guild doing it," Ceasar suggested, "She has grown. Would they have any reason to download into a genetic construct named Lilybell on Hale's?"

"That would be the drone crawler," explained the woman, "It downloads a program into the other system." She whispered again, "That system located data for it."

"That sounds like Ardra," said Ceasar, "Not the Guild."

"The Guild probably did not use it for that purpose," she agreed, "But they were probably the ones who set it loose. But you're right. I can't be sure. Too little information to reach a conclusion. It was not a true AI. This sounds too self-motivated."

"The operative word here is 'was'," added Ceasar.

"Yes. I can't be too quick to jump to conclusions. I feel no closer to figuring out what to do about the girls."

"I think it'll take solving the larger mystery. You need to talk with Major Pepper Siamendes."

"Who is that?" asked the woman.

"She's the one in charge of the case," explained Ceasar, "And the one who's gathered the most information so far. She is based here on-world, but has to travel a lot." A slightly pained look crossed his face

"I see."

"I can com her," he said, "and let her know what we've talked about. She has direct access to sources I don't."

"I am based here when I am not at station," replied Ms. Zdychava, "Yes, have her contact me."

Recording ends.

[Time stamp 09:51]

Mind Wipe

December 1 - Al Raqis

A suspicious character recently appeared on Al Raqis. Erratic behaviour and consuming a steady stream of purple pills.

He met the Consulari quite by accident but it seems they talked at length.

His memory was severely impaired. Despite this challenge, several points came to light during their conversation. The Consulari passed along the information.

• the man said that he currently lived in a shuttle in orbit above Khayal Alramady.
• he had been institutionalized in some capacity. Location unknown but he reported that the food was good. He stated that he had been released a few months ago.
• he has had interactions with doctors who told him he had military training. One such doctor called him Shatar. While he did not seem to identify with the name, he said that he knew it was an important name, a leader of something.
• he receives regular air drops of his pills, from whom it is unclear. He said that he needs less water now because of these pills. The Consulari observed Shatar taking his pills at a rate of approximately one every five minutes.
• he said he was a miner and that he was frequently covered in spice. He claimed to have, on one occasion at least, added chemicals to the spice changing its structure.
• he appeared to have a familiarity with droids.
• he had a pin with some kind of logo. The Consulari describes it as "a metal triangle inscribed inside of a metal circle. It also had a red circle and slash."
• during the conversation, Shatar made a reference to a plot to poison the spice fields.

The Consulari managed to obtain a sample of his medication. Captain Manda Westminister did the analysis. I received a copy of the lab report she sent to the Consulari.

-----


Lab Report

December 1

To: Baronetess Jai Raghilda Lordhunter née Oyl, Consulari of the Zenobian Moore in the Diocese of Mu Draconis.

From: Captain Manda Soldi Westminster, Medical Examiner, UAP Special Projects

Reference: Unidentified Purple Pill

Subject: Lab Analysis, part 1

The first round of testing utilized non-destructive testing because of the limited sample size, 1 small pill. We decided to see if the non-destructive testing might give us indications as to what destructive testing to attempt to best preserve the sample.

Water: Presumably used in preparation.

Sugar and spice: Probably for ease of swallowing.

Traces of Gold and Platinum: Both have known medicinal properties, but not in the dosages present even if consumed frequently. Probably a byproduct of some other process, a tracing medium or to scatter some e/m scans like our initial attempts.

Epcore: A basic medical ingredient used to treat headaches.

Instelio: Another medical ingredient used to treat mild nerve problems.

The combination of Epcore and Instelio is known colloquially as "Mother's Little Helper", but is typically packaged as a little yellow pill. You may recall the commercial jingle:

"Kids are different today, I hear ev'ry mother say Mother needs something today to calm her down And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day."

If we had not checked below the outer level of the pill and we might ignored it as an ordinary pharma violating trademark and formulation patents, but the inner layers of the pill were very unorthodox.

Luckily we did not start with standard destructive testing methods and the pill contains what is known by its street name of "Firestone", a highly unstable volatile flammable explosive substance. What medical process it enables is unknown.

We were able to isolate a small particle which completely changes oxygen and carbon dioxide into a completely different substance. We have not been able to determine what its chemical composition is or of the transformed substance. It is however instantly fatal in the minute dosage we tested on lab animals. We may have to consult outside of our pharma sources to get a better idea about it.

21 unidentified substances: A surprising number of active ingredients, technically making this pill a cocktail pill. More than any leading brand.

More after destructive testing procedures have been decided upon.

Captain Manda Soldi Westminster, Medical Examiner, UAP Special Projects

CC: Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU
Colonel Aodhfionn MacMoragh, UAP Special Projects

-----

December 15 - Hale's Moon

A report came through from Gage Macarthur. An incident during the local Christmas ship decoration festivities. It concerned Lily.

"Major. I wanted to report that Miss LilyBell was on board the small freighter we use to haul cargo down to Hale's from the Sinkov. It looks like she's very interested in our Nav module. She said it was Ardra. I'm not sure what that about but felt you should know. Also there is a man named Elix wearing an Alliance uniform but not Alliance. He may have stolen it..."

-----

Transcript edit

[Time stamp 6:17 PM]

Gage Macarthur: "Good evening Miss LilyBell"

LilyBell Snoodle: "Hello. Can you move please? Ship to here. Now there room. It..nice."

Gage Macarthur smiles: "I most certainly can. "

LilyBell Snoodle: "Okay. Thank you."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "Taking part in the contest?"

Gage Macarthur: "I am."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "Wish I had the time."

Gage Macarthur: I was allowed this old ship to use. Shows the happier side of the Alliance at holiday time. That's alright. Go on in and look around."

LilyBell Snoodle: "I am only one of me. Please. I created to bring information. This one name Li...oh."

Gage Macarthur: "That's alright Miss LilyBell."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "Looks good."

Gage Macarthur: "Thank you. I sort of imagined this as the inside of a snowglobe."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix remarks: "Nice concept."

Gage Macarthur: "I tried." He chuckles. "Putting the the giant Santa hat on was hard."

LilyBell Snoodle tries to pull the block off the stand.

Gage Macarthur: "Uh Miss LilyBell? That's fixed there by magnetics."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix: "That could be bad for her."

Gage Macarthur: No doubt.

LilyBell Snoodle seems unable to pull herself away from the object: "Mine..."

Gage Macarthur: "Oh no."

LilyBell Snoodle: "...MINE." LilyBell Snoodle hisses at Gage.

Gage Macarthur: "That's our system navigator."

LilyBell Snoodle: "Ardra.." She looks blank. "I not know anybody wif that name. My twins is Audrey and Ardra." She leans in towards the cube. "Her tell Blue, you for me".

Gage Macarthur: "Blue? What's this with Ardra?"

LilyBell Snoodle whispers and purrs: "Mine."

Gage Macarthur: "Um.... It's the Alliance ship."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix adds helpfully: "We could get you some candy, Miss Lily."

LilyBell Snoodle twitches slightly.

Gage Macarthur: "Miss LilyBell? Are you alright?"

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix asks: "Can't you turn the magnets off?"

Gage Macarthur explains: "It's a Nav system."

LilyBell Snoodle begins to head butt the shiny square.

Gage Macarthur sounds worried: "That looks painful."

Man in Alliance uniform/Elix asks Lily: "Would you like another shiny instead of this one?"

Gage Macarthur: "Are you thinking my Nav system is Ardra?"

LilyBell Snoodle: "This one not know any Ardra. All information regarding Ardra has been purged. This one not know any Ardra."

Gage Macarthur: "All information?"

End of transcript edit.

[Time stamp 6:33 PM]

-----

It would seem that the word 'navigator' triggered the episode, like a shortcut pointing to a missing file.

I knew from the information we obtained from the captured drone, Lily had kept the knowledge of the Audrey twins from Ardra Aurotharius. In response, Ardra had ripped a hole in Lily's mind.

Lily did good protecting the children from Ardra. But now, it seems, she suffers for it.

Interregnum

November 29 - Zenobia. Restricted Zone.

"Then shall the realm of Albion
Come to great confusion" - Shakespeare

"Times are bad. Children no longer obey their parents,
and everyone is writing a book." - Cicero

-----

There was a quietness to the station.

This region was now under a full lockdown. All to ensure the safe transportation of the bones of a man dead for over two thousand years.

-----

The year was 337.

It was the end of the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great. A time of violent transition. Constantine had been the ruler that established Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire, and in so doing changed the course of history. Upon his death, his three sons killed many other members of his family in an effort to consolidate power.

St. Zenobius was born that year. Raised by pagan parents, he came to the church early in life. His career advanced and he rose to become the first bishop of Florence. He was also credited with the miracle of raising children from the dead.

["The Last Miracle and Death of St. Zenobius" Sandro Botticelli]

When I reflect on this last point, I can't help but think of Audrey Aurotharius.

It is from the father of St. Zenobius that the Girolami family of Florence would claim descent tracing their heritage through him to Queen Zenobia of Palmyra. The ruling families of our planetary government have maintained this tradition, bringing it with them from Earth-That-Was, only now instead of pedigree books and family trees they use DNA analysis.

His bones therefore serve as both a national treasure and the genetic marker used to substantiate any claim to power.

-----

During the war, the UAP placed the bones of St. Zenobius in secure holding. At that time, we used the opportunity to substitute the relics with a copy used to substantiate the claim of a leader inclined to support the wartime policies of the Alliance.

Over a year ago, the Alliance lost control of the authentic remains. Soon after, Ardra Aurotharius placed them on the black market.

We found her ship and my team confiscated the authentic remains in March this past year.

Which brings us to the present...

Towards the end of November, Lord __________, the current head of state of the Government of Zenobia, walked away from the seat of power. If someone in his immediate circle is aware of his plans, they haven't made it public yet.

It is not unheard of for a ruler to disguise himself in the dress of the common man and walk among his subjects. And it is all very good if we are talking an evening out at the tavern, or a stroll through the barracks, but if the absence is prolonged who is to know if that ruler will return? Perhaps he grows to enjoy the taste of life away from the court. Perhaps he meets with an untimely end.

So while we wait to see if he will return, the machinery of succession engages.

And I am left with the bones of St. Zenobius, this time to ready them for transportation to the capital city, where a committee of scientists, appointed by the Senate, will conduct the DNA testing of the relics and begin the screening of candidates.

-----

But here is the twist.

No longer do we have the fog of war behind which to make another substitution of the relics in order to ensure the protection of Alliance interests. Without another substitution, we are left with using the authentic remains in order to verify candidates for the highest office in the land.

Further, if Lord __________ were to return, he would likely fail the genetic testing necessary to verify his identity, belonging as he does to the line established by the UAP during the war.

This makes a shift in government inevitable.

Does that really mean that by placing the relics on the black market, Ardra had set into motion the events that will restore the traditional leadership of Zenobia?

She did mention that she had an employer in the matter of the stolen relics...

I have a sick, dizzy feeling that I am standing on a giant chessboard, only now getting a hint of the size of the game.

The Skies over Bihar

November 15 - Bihar Sanctuary, Evangeline Island, Avalon

"To the island-valley of Avilion;
Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly; but it lies
Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard lawns
And bowery hollows crowned with summer sea,
Where I will heal me of my grievous wound." - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

-----

Around the time Manda and the Doctor were hunting drones in the deserts of Al Raqis, Major Aodhfionn Muircastle sent word of having detected the presence of an anomaly that could be an indication that further Project Aurotharius technology had been activated.

While I knew of the Major, we had not had direct dealings with each other before last month. He is the nephew of my commanding officer and I am told there is a strong physical resemblance.

According to the coordinates he provided, the source of this phenomenon was in the vicinity of Avalon, Albion's solitary moon.

I did not, however, head directly to the area indicated.

I felt restless.

The Aurotharius case had taken a disturbing turn.

From the retrieval of stolen antiquities (accomplished) and the reacquisition of lost classified government research (ongoing), this case now included the kidnapping of two schoolgirls from a private school on Paquin.

Further, our investigation had revealed that the girls were in fact clones, with all the dubious legal status that entails. But it did not take away from the fact that somewhere out there were two young girls, taken from their home, alone, afraid....

And so I travelled first to Bihar Sanctuary in hopes of meeting Bai Feargananym Karillion, in search of a kind word and perhaps some spiritual guidance.

It was night.

A heavy mist clung to the surface of the water occluding the Romany camp, transforming the bright caravans into colourless shapes. A dampness crept into my joints despite the small campfire that marked the edge of the sanctuary proper.

The temple compound itself was dark and silent. The weeds tugged at my boots as I waded through the meadow thick with growth. Only the flickering of butter lamps and traces of incense were indication of a human presence.

Perhaps the Bai and his staff were in seclusion or at meditation. Either way, I was left with little option but to begin my search with nothing but my own thoughts for company.


-----

Through the course of my investigation I uncovered three hard dates with which to frame the story:

2500 - The Ardra AI goes on line (source - Colonel M). Ardra - Auto Regressive Development Research Algorithm - was originally designed as a data mining AI program. The researchers of Project Aurotharius used it to co-ordinate other AIs. The result was a composite AI. (source - Qui). Project Teams included cybernetics, artificial intelligence, robotics, biological reanimation and particle physics. (source - Colonel M)

2505 - Audrey Aurotharius dies at age 15 (source - Assistbot). Audrey's father, Wylder Aurotharius was the lead researcher of Project Aurotharius. When Audrey took sick with familial amyloidosis, an uncontrolled growth of amyloid proteins, her father used his influence to implement an illegal, experimental and ultimately unsuccessful form of treatment. The two missing Audreys appear to be clones of this girl (source - Manda).

2506 - The year the Unification Wars began. Blue Sun issues a burn notice on Ardra before what would have been Audrey's 16 birthday (source - Colonel M). That places Audrey's birthday within the year 2490. She was born here on Avalon.

In addition, a neural interface between Audrey and the AI was created when the girl was 11 or 12 (source - Qui). This places the interface at 2501-2502. The original purpose of the interface was so Audrey could play with the AI.

-----

After refueling at the local Alliance monitoring station, I eased my ship into the field of asteroids. Proximity alerts began to flash and buzz as my navigation computer triangulated obstacles, anticipated trajectory and plotted the safest course through the rocks.

-----

2507, a year after the burn notice, the name 'Ardra Aurotharius' begins to show up in shipping manifests of the Angels of Mercy Medical Research Facility. Her name continues on a regular basis until the decommissioning of the clinic itself a couple of years ago. Medical records from that centre leading up to a year before the beginning of the Unification War only list Audrey.

There is no evidence of contact between Ardra and Blue Sun following the burn notice until one of Ardra's drone programs was downloaded over a year ago by Blue Sun Special Project Single Source 041295 Genetic Construct aka Lilybell Snoodle.

While there are notable gaps in the record, we have some information on some of the other clientele of Ardra Aurotharius.

Her relationship with Iskellian Technology Solutions ended with the end of the war.

Her relationship with Weyland Yutani ended with her latest set of upgrades.

Her relationship with Umbrella was a bit more complex to say the least.

1) Umbrella Executive, Mercedes Celestalis was Audrey's childhood friend.

2) Ardra referred to Mercedes as "the Harvester".

3) Ms. Celestalis delivered the cloned brain of Aurora Littleboots to me at Ardra's request. But then she tried to get the item back with the condition that Ardra was not informed.

4) The bones of St. Zenobius were found inside an Umbrella shipping crate itself inside Ardra's ship. This may be circumstantial.

-----

Fatigue had begun to set in. I guided my craft towards an orbital refinery located within the asteroid field, with hopes of a short break for rest and refreshment. However, as I approached the landing platform what appeared to be a force field came to life covering the docking portal.

Not knowing if it was a part of larger defenses I adjusted my heading to fly past the structure. I make it a practice never to argue with an automatic defense system unless I have brought the appropriate hardware and am prepared to inflict a little property damage. This was not such an occasion, so I moved on.

-----

Some other things are coming into focus as the investigation continues:

The Ardra AI was possibly based on Audrey's mind but was certainly linked to the girl for a number of years.

Ardra herself is running drones. Some have been dressed like Audrey. Some even looked like Audrey complete with skin grafts from her days under treatment.

Ardra has been activating aspects of Project Aurotharius. Harvested people parts are part of the recipe. Neuro microtubules. Blastomeres.

-----

At the edge of the cluster of asteroids, or perhaps slightly beyond it, I passed one of the mining prisons. A shimmering bubble clutched the precious atmosphere to the cold rock. There were no prison ships or support craft nearby so it was unlikely work crews were present.

These facilities are reserved for the worst of the worst. Vicious men. Men who can never be trusted to return to society. Toiling away on this cold rock among the stars, they can still serve the greater good.

-----

And then there is the question of exactly who or what is Ardra?

The answer will determine our course of action within the boundaries of the law.

I have spoken with Ardra Aurotharius a number of times prior to retrieving the stolen relics of St. Zenobius from her ship. There was enough in those conversations for me to conclude that she is some sort of composite being of human and machine.

She spoke of Audrey's father as her own, retelling stories of when she was a girl. She spoke of transcending her humanity, of a mother who died in childbirth. Whatever she is, she claims continuance from Audrey.

She makes several references to a body or parts thereof. There was her comment last January about requiring mechanical assistance - Ardra: "My project is extremely ambitious. At this point, I cannot even stand in normal gravity without mechanical assistance. I shall overcome."

But Audrey had died. Even Ardra's mechanical servants on board her ship declared as much.

So is the biological component a clone or the reanimated remains of Audrey Aurotharius?

As a cyborg, the human part would have rights and obligations under the law.

If however she is primarily an Artificial Intelligence with drones and a few organically derived components, whether cloned or reanimated, then she will have no more legal protection than a runaway train.

-----

I passed a Trade Association frigate slowly cruising between worlds. Decorated with the image of the coin of Queen Zenobia. Trade and tradition. Medici family values.

And then there it was.

I came upon it almost suddenly.

A magnificent furnace of light. Suspended in the blackness.

The second engine of Aurotharius. Matching the one in Mu Draconis.

During all the time I have been hunting her, Ardra has been lurking beyond the rim. A desert outpost here... a distant space station there.

But now that has all changed....

...because Ardra has come home to Avalon.

-----