Portal Magazine
Volume 3 Issue 6
July 29th 2010
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Portal Magazine
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Vol. 3 Iss. 6
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The Cop, the
Clerk, and the Small Yellow Cat- The
Conclusion
Author's Note: If you are new to The Cop, the Clerk, and the Small Yellow Cat, you can start by reading Chapter One here. After Chapter One, Chapters two, three and four can be found here on a drop down list or click link "Portal's Vault" on menu.
Chapter Twenty Seven None of the digitalized memories in my brain could prepare me for this. I knew almost everything about Ullinarian society; their history, physiology, entertainment… But that was nothing close to seeing them for real. Even the frozen corpses I had seen just after awakening on their ship were but a lame prelude to the real thing. The Ullinarians were the ugliest race in the galaxy. Their arms, legs and torso were all of the exact same diameter, giving them the look of telephone poles, which Tony had correctly identified them as. Even their heads seemed like an extension of their chest, except for the short furrow just above the shoulder. The texture of their skin was irregular like dried mud in varying shades of gray, brown and orange. With all the colors and lumps on their faces, they reminded me of hardened wax drips on a candle. They were very strong, I knew that from my implanted knowledge, and difficult to harm. This was not the product of evolution; it was the result of many generations of deliberate modification at the cellular level by the same technology that had made me young and healthy. "Take cover!" I shouted and ran for the meager protection of my previously wrecked loader. Poor Telag was still pinned in between the forks, but otherwise unharmed. He might have been in the safest place. Tony and Camelus joined me behind the loader. I was surprised to see the well-armed Cyanets also scurry behind whatever they could find. Gorlacks were still absorbed in their personal insurrection, shredding every last K’Nostron in the bay, so they took no notice of our situation. I could not see Leo and Fido anywhere. "Why the hell are they still here?" Tony demanded in a loud whisper. "You said they would run once their nanites had been deactivated!" I shrugged. Indeed, that had been the gist of my plan; get the Ullinarians here to fight the K’Nostrons and hope that the two forces would destroy each other. I expected the K’Nostrons, who were tactically inferior, to withdraw after sustaining enough losses. And then, I would use my program, created with the help of Palprig’s research, to shut down the nanites, thus disabling the entire Ullinarian Empire. It should have worked. The slaves, according to Oola, had been shut-down. Whether that meant disabled or killed was as yet unknown, but there had certainly been success at that end. So why were their masters still active? From the knowledge the Ullinarians had provided me with, I knew they had been dependant on this technology themselves for centuries. They had used nanites to extend and enhance their bodies well beyond the result of natural evolution. Removing this technology should render them seriously impaired. But the three creatures that had lumbered into the bay did not look fragile. They stood just inside the compartment in front of their ship’s port. Each of them carried a massive, powerful weapon. They were making no aggressive gestures, however, making it impossible for me to form any expectations. As we crouched behind the loader, I noticed Tony’s shoulder. Nearly the entire sleeve had been torn from his shirt, exposing the many cuts on his bulging biceps. I looked carefully and noticed the wounds were in the process of being healed. "Shit," I muttered, dawn breaking. "I am so stupid…" "What are you talking about?" "Look at your arm. It’s healing." "Good," Tony said with a snort. "I’d hate to be killed with a bloody arm." I shook my head. "You don’t get it. Our nanites are still working. When I went through Palprig’s research, I knew they would continue working because they no longer answer to Ullinarian control. Instead, they answer directly to our will." "So?" "Don’t you see? The Ullinarians don’t use nanites to control themselves, only their components. We’ve shut down their slaves, and probably their ships, but not them." Camelus had been listening to our discussion and join-in. "What are they doing now? Why are they just standing there?" "They’re waiting for something…Give me your radio." She took the clumsy device from her belt and handed it over. As soon as it was in hand, I interfaced and called for Oola. Almost immediately, our mind’s met through transmissions in the ether. Before she could start asking questions, I asked my own. "What’s going on outside the station?" "See for yourself," said Oola, interfacing with the station, and using herself and the radio as a bridge, I expanded into what was left of the network. The fighting outside had ceased. Most of the K’Nostron ships had been destroyed, or heavily damaged. Those that remained were in retreat, being pursued by many of the landing craft that had so recently besieged the station. I hoped those were full of liberated Gorlacks, taking their rebellion to the next level. I wished them luck, but that was all I could do for them. Meanwhile, the Ullinarian ships were all moving into formation around TBNL. Their intentions were clear; they were poised for our destruction. "We don’t have enough power left for the shields," Oola reported, directly from mind to mind. "I have run your program twice now and…wait a minute…there’s a message coming from the lead dreadnaught." Through the network, I heard the massage, spoken in the native tongue of the Ullinarian Empire. Like most of their society, it was simple and to the point. "Return our technology or be destroyed." What they lacked in poetry, they made up for in dramatic flair. The station was shaken by a full round of weapons fire. This was not meant to do any real damage, but rather to underscore their threat. "Oola, disconnect from everything and stand-by. I have a plan." Without waiting for her reply, I closed off all outside connections. Tony and Camelus were staring at me. One of them looked concerned and the other was just pissed. "Another plan?" Tony asked, far beyond skeptical. "Your score-card isn’t too favorable." "I know, but you’ll have to trust me." Now, both of them looked pissed and concerned. I did not have time to explain. But new information was surfacing. I was beginning to understand where I had gone wrong, and what could be done about it. However, from my current position, there was no way to correct my latest, colossal error. "Put your gun down," I said to Tony. "We’re going to surrender." Camelus was appalled. "What? Do you think they’ll let the rest of us go? They destroyed my planet fifty years ago; they can’t be trusted!" I turned to face the female bird and said with a wink, "Neither can I!" Tony did not look at all convinced that I knew what I was talking about. I certainly couldn’t blame his skepticism. He was correct about the number of mistakes I had earned to my credit. But I think he also understood that for each one of them, I was always trying to do the right thing. He nodded his acceptance and placed his weapon on the floor. We rose carefully. The Ullinarians watched us as we moved closer. Their weapons were not aimed; they wanted us alive. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Aeshna watch from behind a crate. His face was apprehensive, but I waved a hand to the floor. A curt bow of his head signified his comprehension. This game was now between me and Ullinarians. As we neared the three grotesque soldiers, Leo ran up to me and leapt into my arms. Maybe he understood what I was going to do; he seemed to have a knack for predicting my actions. Fido was trotting up to us as well, willing to defend his new friends to the end. "Fido, stay!" I commanded, hoping he would have the same confidence in my questionable strategy as did Tony and Leo. My Gorlack stood his ground, but did not continue forward. We came to stand before the Ullinarians. I tried to muster the same dignity I had shown the K’Nostron general. They had won--or so I wanted them to believe--but that did not mean I had to debase myself by showing either fear or regret. "I am the one you want," I said proudly, speaking in perfect Ullinarian dialect. "It was my efforts that shut down your army of slaves. It was me that turned your rivalry with the K’Nostrons into a bloody war that is bound to cost you untold lives and resources. Me--a simple, primitive human, has fucked over the great Ullinarian Empire in less than one hour. What a bunch of losers! What a bunch of pathetic, ugly-ass, useless, stupid, techno-spoiled loser freaks!" "What the hell are you doing?" Tony demanded under his breath. Without looking at him, I could see the dismay on his face. He was a cop after all, didn’t he know this routine? The lead Ullinarian understood my words in sparkling clarity. He was well aware of the damage I had caused and my prideful boasting cut into his psyche like a knife. With a thick, powerful arm, he swung and struck the side of my face. I dropped poor Leo as I was flung backwards, landing gracefully on my ass. It was worse than I had expected; the burning sensation in my cheek and the taste of blood in my mouth. Pain lingered in my neck and the back of my head, and I think maybe my jaw had been dislocated. Nanites were already rushing to repair the injury. Although I was in quite a lot of pain, I would survive and I had accomplished my goal. While I massaged my broken lip, a subordinate came up to me and grabbed me by my collar. His fingers were short, but thick and strong like the jaws on a pair of pliers. He heaved me into the air and thrust me towards his Captain. Now that I had successfully goaded them, it was time to acquiesce. I remained crumpled at the foot of the Ullinarian Captain, my head lowered. They had an innate need to show strength; it was the whole basis of their entire society. I had to give them an opportunity to retrain me, to make them think I was beaten. I had to force them to accept victory before I could wrest it away. The Ullinarian Captain kicked my ribs. It was not a painful blow; it had not been intended to be. This was degradation, a sign of one’s superiority over another. If had any sense of style or dramatic flair, he probably would have spat on me. Oh yes, this was going to work. With my head still lowered, the Captain took hold of my shoulder and hauled me to face him. I looked into eyes that were cold and dull, featureless in their total lack of character or soul. On another day, in another place, I would have pitied this race; they were cruel, aggressive, domineering slavers, but at the same time, were just as much victims as those they had conquered. Today, there would be no pity. "You will fix it." I said nothing. I continued to stare into the empty gaze of the Captain, a person whose real identity, his better angels if you will, had perished long ago. He was now little more than the sum of all those tiny machines constantly repairing and reshaping his body. He was not controlled directly by the nanites, but he had become so used to them, depending on them to extend his life long beyond its natural span so that somewhere along the way, he had just died inside. His was a race of animated cadavers. They had yielded all the responsibility to their little miracles, and eventually, all the authority. Now, they cared only about multiplying, spreading, and continuing with the work--exactly the same as the basic program which governed the nanites themselves. "You will fix it," the Captain repeated, economically. Speaking to what he considered an inferior life form probably made his teeth hurt. "Or we kill." One of his subordinates, probably the same one that had thrown me, was now holding Leo by the scruff of his neck. I hated putting Leo through this kind of fear and abuse, but it was part of my plan. The Ullinarians would never give me the access I was counting on if they did not believe I was under duress. You’ll think duress, I said to myself as I feigned submission. Conjuring a look of horror, which was only half false, I looked pleadingly at my beloved cat. I turned my head back to the Captain, which in my present condition, dangling from a clamp on my shoulder, was a feat even Leo would have commended. "I’ll do it." Chapter Twenty Eight
The Ullinarian threatening Leo led us through the breech and into their vessel. I recognized it immediately as an assault craft, the work-horse of their armada. Small, but powerful, it carried a minimal crew and a few dozen slave troops. The vessel was more open than the scout ship I had served as part of; the airlock opened to the slave storage bays, which were nothing more than shelves with incorporated life support and from there to the only other chamber besides the engine room. This was a combination of crew quarters, flight deck, and processor. It was the processor I found most disturbing. Three beds, just like the one I had awakened in, were located just behind the Captain’s chair. A human lay reposed in each bed, motionless. They were no longer a part of the ship; my program, transmitted by Oola, had set them free. The Ullinarians had subsequently broken their necks. The Captain could tell I was struck by this image. He lumbered up to me from behind and placed a hand against the small of my back, pushing into me slightly. "We had to kill them. We will have to kill them all if you do not return control." "I understand." The Captain approached one of the beds and dragged the corpse from his cell. It was a scrawny young man with light hair and blue eyes. Had he once been old and fat, I wondered, just like I had? Would he have found a new life, with new possibilities, just as I had, or would he have been left miserable, longing for the life and loved ones of his former existence? No telling; I had cheated him of any options. Well, I had not cheated anyone. It was not my doing that had made these people slaves. My only crime was to restore their free will, a reality that their captors found unacceptable. I knew this was rationalizing; no amount of circular reasoning could by-pass my complicity in these deaths, and so many others. There was one fact that I could cling to, one truth that could reassure me in the knowledge that I had done the right thing; death is preferable to slavery. With the bed emptied, the Captain ordered me to take the place of the blonde youth. The other beast was still holding Leo, swinging him before me like a flag of warning. There had been a third Ullinarian, but presumably he was guarding the breech. I slowly approached the bed. Of course, this is exactly what I had wanted. There had been one critical error in my planning, and now there was only one way to correct that mistake, and that was from inside the Ullinarian network. Some of them would have known this and been able to guess what I was about to attempt. But these were soldiers, not scientists. As I have already observed, they were little more than slaves themselves, blinded by the illusion of free will. And that was the lynch-pin of my dilemma. Still faking hesitation like a master card shark, I climbed into the mass of tubes and cylinders. Unlike the first time that had happened to me, I was aware of what was going on. I could now recall the name of every piece of piece of technology pointed in my direction, how they were supposed to work, and how I could make them work for me. But I hid this behind a pale face and short breaths. I even managed to force beads of sweat. Once I was in place, the Ullinarian Captain ordered the computer to merge. I had been in this position before, many times aboard TBNL, but this was so much more. Even though I had spent possibly centuries like this, from my point of view, it was the first. The Ullinarian network was vast, spanning one entire arm of the galaxy, and multiple pockets in the neighboring spokes. The network was connected by a hyperspace carrier wave, extending my mind over vast distances at many times the speed of light. Suddenly, I was everywhere. I knew everything, saw everything, felt everything. The only word I could find to describe the sensation was bliss. For several minutes I was so enraptured by this apotheosis that I almost forgot the reason for being here. It was the chattering of hundreds of thousands of minds that led me back to my own senses. I could hear their thoughts, their terror and confusion, and I was reminded of my duty. These were the thoughts of slaves, still integrated into the machinery of their various ships and factories across the Empire. My program had been intended to deactivate this technology, but had succeeded only in restoring their identities. Identity was the issue I had overlooked from the beginning. It had never occurred to me that suppression of identity was about more than just to simplify control over the slaves. It was in fact, the only means by which to obtain said control. Nanites, though highly effective, were simple none the less. They would answer to the nearest influence, as I now commanded mine. That is why my program had failed. The nanites within the Ullinarians themselves were autonomous to begin with; my instructions to deactivate were not sufficient to over ride the will of the barer. Only the soldier slaves were deactivated; their identities could never have been restored; the mechanism of suppression was grafted directly onto their bodies. They were dead; by most definitions of life, they had been dead for a long time. Now I had to try again from a new approach. I understood what had gone wrong, but finding a solution was a different matter. And I had to find it quickly; the Captain would not give me unlimited time to figure this out. Meanwhile, they were holding my cat and friend hostage and, indeed, the entire station. Proximity was clearly a factor. I had to convince all the remaining nanites that my will was the closest. In this state, occupying the entire empire, my will was definitely much closer now than it had been when Oola ran the program. But would that be enough? Would the nanites regard my collective, encompassing presence a greater authority than the organism in which they dwelled? Time was running out. The Ullinarian Captain was growing suspicious. He must have known that if I had pulled off such an effect circumvention of their technology, then it should be easy for me to reverse. He would know if I had completed my assignment; my own freedom would be retracted and I would have reverted back into my position as a mere component. "No treachery," the Captain ordered. Through the sensors of the ship, I could see the guard holding Leo increase his pressure. My cat was beginning to cry from the pain. It had to be now; whether it was going to work or not, this was my only chance. I had to send the command… But what command? Thousands of slaves were awakening. Could I kill them? And what of the Ullinarians themselves; did I have the right to exterminate an entire species, no matter how corrupt? Was I capable of committing such an atrocity? My hands were already stained with the blood of so many people, could I add to that body count and justify it as the greater good? Leo was now shrieking, struggling against the iron teeth of his captor’s grip. The Captain was holding Tony, who was torn between wanting to pull me away from this machine, and free Leo from the torture. Outside, I could feel the Ullinarians, who now directly controlled their own vessels, probably for the first time in living memory, charging weapons. The greater good… It was the only solace left to me. I had no choice, people were going to die; no force in the universe could prevent that now. Even in my state of near godhood, I could not prevent death, only choose the victims. On a scale of this magnitude, concepts like guilt or innocence can attain a rare level of clarity, even if it is mostly an illusion. A thought came to me, as I watched Leo howl with pain, and Tony getting forced to the floor and held by the brutish Captain. I had been prepared to sacrifice us all, and Oola, and all the other slaves who teetered between freedom and death. But maybe that would not be necessary. Although innocence was somewhat hazy, especially in regards to my own activities, at least I was sure who was guilty. I had all the necessary information in my brain. These bastards had equipped me with the tools to bring about their destruction, and giving me just the cause I needed to commit this act of what I was now going to call justice. At my request, knowledge poured from my digital memories, outlining and detailing every aspect of Ullinarian physiology. I pictured their genome, both in its natural state, and the modified versions that currently occupied this branch on the galactic tree of life. I framed this image and gilded it with fear and distrust. What had once been a roadmap of heredity was now a target to be destroyed. I sent the command. The results were spectacular, if considerably slower that I would have wanted. Ullinarians screamed; aboard this vessel and all other vessels like it. Civilians across the empire cried out in pain as their artificial systems attacked their hosts at a cellular level. In my own body there was a flurry of activity as my enhanced immune system went on a wild mission to search and destroy. It would settle down eventually, once convinced that the threat did not exist. My work was done, and I tried to withdraw from the Ullinarian network. I found myself in the same sleepy condition that had plagued my first liberation from a slave bed. My arms and legs were heavier than lead and as stiff as concrete. The bed itself was so comfy; all I wanted to do was sink back into the euphoria of cosmic expansion. Perhaps I could do more from inside--even if I did escape, it would take time to fully recover. Through the sensors I surveyed my physical surroundings. Leo had been released and taken cover under the slave beds while his former captor convulsed on the floor near-by. The Captain, however, was more motivated. His stance over Tony had weakened enough for my friend to free himself. Now they wrestled, each of them with hands clamped to their rival’s neck. From the direction of the airlock, the third member of their crew was attempting to join his Captain, though seriously impaired by his own looming death. "Fido!" I screamed through every circuit and wire aboard the vessel. "We need you!" As the minor Ullinarian crawled into the chamber, his gun in hand and aimed at Tony, my Gorlack friend stormed boldly through the airlock. Fido had started a rebellion among his own people, but denied himself the satisfaction of taking part. He made up for that loss with the quick dismemberment of the guard. As Fido and Tony finished off the remaining Ullinarians, I checked the status of the remaining fleet. A few ships had managed to get off a couple of shots before their crews succumbed. Silence was returning to the void as dead ships began to drift among the oceans of debris. * "Are you okay?" I heard Tony ask. I was groggy, confused and weak. Likewise, Tony was confused and sore. The comfort and bliss of the Ullinarian network was beginning to fade. I became aware of lying on the floor of the assault craft, Leo standing on my lap is if guarding me. Even through his thick fur I could see the bruises left around his neck. He stood a little slumped, and seemed to be holding his head funny--but we were all beginning to heal. "Yeah, I’m okay." "Is it over? Is it really over?" Before I answered, I looked around. Camelus and Aeshna, as well as a full contingent of Cyanets were carefully creeping in. Their guns were held ready, but their apprehension was more the work of bewilderment than any perceived threat. I met Aeshna’s compound eyes and nodded. "Tell the council it’s over," I said weakly, wanting nothing more than to sleep for the next few weeks. "It’s over…" Chapter Twenty Nine
In the weeks that followed the last stand at TBNL, I tried to keep as low a profile as possible. Many of the citizens regarded me as a hero; others regarded me as a monster. Most of the population did not know what to think, and I was certainly a member of this camp as well. I had made numerous attempts to reconcile my actions, using the same tired mantras as all of histories heroes and monsters. The greater good; conflict was inevitable; slavers should be stopped at any cost… All of this was probably true, but I had lit the fuse. Ultimately, whether this war could have been avoided or not, the blood was still on my hands. Admittedly, I had turned to self-imposed exile mainly as a way of avoiding these questions of my own guilt. The solitude, however, had turned into nothing but a constant analysis of the same issues I hoped to elude. At least I would not have to discuss this with anyone else, whose point of view would definitely be biased, rightfully so, in one direction or another. One of the few consolations, a mixed blessing at best, was the discovery that the Ullinarian race had not been wiped-out completely. Some of their planets had taken measures to prevent my final attack, but considering the full scope of their previous empire, the survivors were quite a minority. Their military had been nearly completely crushed, and any plans of further expansion were now ashes. The K’Nostrons were in no better condition. They had launched the bulk of their forces against the station, and most of that had been destroyed. Long range scans, although inconclusive, suggested that the Gorlack revolution was going strong. That was how it should be, I believed, oppressed people have the right to claim freedom for themselves, and they were certainly more justified to do it alone, than with interference from someone like me. I was glad we had enabled the Gorlacks, but I was even happier to no longer be a part of it. It was better that I stay out of everyone’s way. I had taken to living aboard the Ullinarian assault craft where my last stand had been concluded. Leo and I spent long hours repairing the ship, and trying to make it more comfortable. Our work, along with Fido’s obsessive cleaning and organizing, was coming together, and soon this would make a fine home for the three of us. We had no place with the people of TBNL, and the sooner we left the better. Tony and Oola had not made a decision yet, although I expected that Tony was leaning towards accompanying me. They had been spending their free time aboard my ship, but they had been very busy. Oola, certainly the most diplomatic of our group, had been working with the few surviving slaves recovered from the wreckage around the station. Some of them had been her own species, but no humans had been recovered. Administrator General Khreshkernah had promised to take them in, and extended the same offer to me and my friends. I think she had been relieved, however, when I had declined the invitation. Meanwhile, Tony had been teaching some of the locals, mostly Cyanet, how to operate the other ships. Two Ullinarian dreadnaughts, and a number of smaller vessels, had been recovered. These would be needed desperately in the continuing exodus. I should have been helping him with this; Tony was not much of a pilot--I had learned that during our flight from the K'Nostrons. His enhancements were for fighting and defense while I was much better at the actual operations of star ships. But again, the thought of facing anyone, the Cyanets in particular, was just more than I could manage. I received occasional visitors however. Most of the time, these visitors were more than welcome, especially since they generally came from the hero side of my internal arguments. Camelus had been my most frequent caller, mainly in accompaniment with Tony as he left work. She was turning out to be, as he had reported, "an awesome pilot with good instincts." Had it not been for a serious difference in anatomy, I could easily picture those two dating. Rafuta, chipper as ever, had been by a few times to bring me supplies he had procured. I had not asked questions, just accepted the food and clothing in the spirit they had been intended. Other guests had been less appreciated; in particular, Fendro. He devoted most of his visits trying to talk me into accompanying them to their new home. I knew he meant well, but that was the one possibility I found unacceptable. I saw Fendro one last time. On the day I had chosen for my departure, he had come along with his father and a number of other council members to see me off. I suspect some of the councilors wanted to make sure I was actually leaving. When the farewell party came to call, I had been sitting in the Captain’s chair sucking on my last unlit cigarette. I had gone through the whole pack, without ever actually smoking a single one. This was, as far as I was concerned, yet another good reason to set off on my own. Earth was still out there somewhere, and to my knowledge, it was still the only place in the galaxy to find a smoke and a good cup of coffee. "The relocation is going very well," Colugo announced as he entered my new home. "We should be able to have everyone moved in a few more weeks. It will take longer to salvage everything we need from the station, but the planet has everything we need to sustain us in the meantime--though the methane and the ammonia breathers will have to remain in space until their new habitats are constructed." Fendro offered his last effort to convince me. "It is a beautiful planet. Lots of water and forests. You really should come with us." "No," I said, trying to make sure they understood this decision was deeply carved in a stone the size of Mars. But I also did not want to seem ungrateful, so I offered an excuse--which was easy because it was also true. Not the whole truth, but enough to justify my decision. "My home planet is out there somewhere. So many of the Ullinarian slaves were my own species, I have to know what has become of Earth. Remember," I raised my voice slightly, making sure this point had not been lost on anyone, "both Empires still exist. They are in terrible disarray, but they may someday go looking for revenge. Make sure you destroy all evidence here of your new home." Colugo agreed. He had learned as well as anyone that things may not be as they seem. But I felt that they were going to be okay. The citizens had spent years living together under tough conditions. Although there had been plenty of tension--and a disastrous rebellion--they had already beaten the odds. Once they had established themselves on a planet with room and plentiful resources, they were going to thrive. I was very happy that they had decided to stay together. The idea of community, however bright and promising, caused me sadness. I had not been willing to admit to myself how much I really did want to go with them. The people of TBNL were perhaps the bravest, most resilient collection of individuals I could imagine. But I knew my decision was for the best. Again, it was the greater good. I was also verging on a broken heart because it was looking as though I would be heading off alone. My ship had been ready to depart for several hours, and I had not yet heard from Tony or Oola. They knew the schedule. Even with my two best friends, Leo and Fido, I was hoping the others would want to join us. The thought of leaving them behind was almost enough to make me reconsider. I was spared having to make another decision. Just as Colugo and his fellow Deputies had finished telling me many of their future plans, Oola, Tony and Camelus arrived at last. Their intentions were still unknown; they could be coming along or just here to say good bye. I was almost afraid to ask. "Do you have room for two more?" Tony asked, smiling brightly. He had one arm around Camelus’s low shoulders, so I wasn’t sure which two he meant. But as Camelus kissed him tenderly on the check and then moved on to do the same for Oola, it became clear. "Of course I have room; I’ve been waiting for you." The bird woman came up and gave me the same treatment as the others. I couldn’t help but to remember when she once shot at me. "Actually," I continued. "I wasn’t sure you were going to come. I’m glad you are." "We’ve done all we can here," said Oola. "And I do not believe the two of you can get along without me." I nodded. That was a good point. "But what about your people? There are quite a few of them here now." Her head tipped to one side. "I’ve explained all I can. Like you, I wish to know what has become of my own planet. We can always come back and visit with them later." "You will always be welcome," Colugo asserted. "You do know the location of our new planet." "Yes we do," I said, tapping my forehead. It was one of the few locations, actually, that I was certain of. Most of the galaxy was still a mystery, cloaked in the paranoid, convoluted, militaristic language of the Ullinarians. As Tony and Oola made themselves at home, the last of our supplies, generously provided by the Colugo and the other deputies, were loaded. When the time to part had come at last, I found that I was really sad to go. At the same time I was also excited; I was about to embark on a whole new phase of my life. Now that I was no longer being pursued, or hunted, or at risk of vivisection, I could now enjoy what fate had given me. I was young and healthy. I was with my friends and together we were going to explore a frontier I would never have thought possible. With this in mind, I was able to say good bye to Colugo and others with a bright and sincere smile. Yes, I knew I would have to come back someday, after the scars of the recent war had softened. Until then, there was a whole galaxy to explore. After the good byes were said, and the last of our friends had passed through the airlock, a thought occurred to me. I stopped Colugo at the door to ask my last question. "Your new planet; what are you calling it?" Colugo paused before responding. His voice was as professional and direct as ever. "We haven’t settled on a name yet. Perhaps you have a suggestion?" "No," I said with a knowing smile while suppressing my laughter. "I think you’ve already made your choice. Somehow, it just feels right."
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