Something patted on her bed... again. She woke immediately as the rattling breathing sound reached her mind. Goose stood very upright, propped himself up on the wall next to the monitor.
     "Light." The skin of his face, nearly transparent and covered with cold sweat, and the shivering limbs told her enough: This time it's going to be serious. She noticed his indrawn breath, wanted to spare him the words with a short psionic contact and felt him drawing back at the same moment. – No. 
     "...cof...fee..." 
     Niko stood up, threw a worried look back at him, and ran to the kitchen. Double scoop of coffee, not decaffeinated, normal water. He used the nearly undrinkable slop to increase circulation; caffeine also slightly expanded the bronchii when the medicines failed to take effect... She consciously pushed the thoughts aside. The medicines failed too often since he'd come back. She didn't need the fear about that now. It must have been looking bad for him to wake her. For most of his attacks she woke up only because she listened instinctively for his breaths or Poss jumped onto her bed after he'd left the room. Hell! Stop brooding! She shovelled sugar into one of the octagonal mugs, easier to hold in trembling hands than the round ones, and filled it three-quarters full. 
     "Shane?" She didn't see him in the main room or in their bedroom. He can't be upstairs. He won't have made the stairs in his condition. A cold draft touched her bare legs under the long t-shirt she wore in the night. She went into the next room, spotted him as vague silhouette outside in the dark. 
     "Shane?" The shadow didn't move, propped himself on the rock and drew in the night air, wheezing. She held out her free hand for him. "Come in. The cold is dangerous for you." He didn't stir. In the rhythm with his forced breaths, the scattered light from the windows behind her reflected on his bare upper body covered with cold sweat. She felt the cold creeping under her t-shirt, making the fine hairs on her skin stand up. He's going to catch his death of cold. Even in mid-June the nights are too cold and damp just before sunrise for this. "You know what your doctor said." As he still didn't react to her, she snapped, "Dammit to hell! Do you want to die?!" 
     "...No..." He just looked at her, still didn't move at all. "...The cold... helps..." 
     "Don't talk such bloody garbage! You're going to get pneumonia." 
     Something moved in his face. "...Brea...thing... is... ea...sier..." He reached with a trembling hand for the mug. Shaking her head, she handed it over to him. After a few short sips: "...Feels... good... to... feel... the... air... in... my... lungs..." More deep, forced breaths followed. "...Not... so... hot..." 
     She came towards him and stood behind him. "Dr. Miyar said that the next infection is preprogrammed if your lungs cool down. You must go inside–" 
     "Forget... Miyar..." She sensed the rage inside him more than she heard the growl in his wheezing voice. "...Does...n't... know... the... first... a...bout..." His eyes flashed through the darkness. "...My... lungs... seem... to burn.... then.... The... heat... chokes... me..." Again he drew in the humid night air with icy fury, expanded the bows of his ribs that stood out alarmingly clearly under the skin and muscle of his torso. "...Ease... the pain!..." 
     "You should go outside during the daylight when the air is dry and warm." 
     "It's better... in the night." 
     His breathing rhythm normalized slowly. Niko watched him as he gave up the cramped, upright position and saw him wince when his side muscles released. She laid her hands on his cool, moist skin, stroked over it. She felt him twitching again under her hands but didn't let him avoid her touch. "Let me help..." She massaged the worn-out cords of muscle as he leaned forward and propped himself on the balustrade. The trembling of strain and mainly of pain made her think. She abandoned the massage, just stroked slowly along the lines of movement and felt the reactions of his cooled-down muscles to the warmth of her hands. Slowly, very slowly. Don't apply pressure... Finally she leaned against him, carefully avoided touching his chest or even his sides. Niko laid her head against his shoulder blades and listened for the breathing sound in his lungs... She wished she could hug him, hold him close to make him forget this sheer, torturous hell just for a single moment – but already she felt the vibrating tension in the body below her cheek, the instinctive repelling of another breather, of warmth, of something that could embrace him... 

2093-06-18 Local Time 0836 
BetaMountain – GRS5 Office 
Day 352 

"I'm sorry I'm late, Zach. – Good morning, everybody." 
     "Nobody noticed, Niko," grinned Doc from behind a gigantic assembly instruction sheet for a computer system for spaceships. Finally he folded it furiously. "Illiterates! – My god! You look horrible, Niko." 
     Fox also looked up from the reports on his desk. "What happened?" 
     "Goose had another attack. Pretty bad this time." She took a seat at the common table. "I took him to MedoStat. Can one of you pick him up in an hour? I'm scheduled for a cadet excursion." 
     "I'll do it." Zach switched off the datapad. "But the way you're looking, you're going to frighten your cadets to death." 
     "Then at least they'll get an impression of what this job can really mean!" she answered bitterly. 
     "I don't get it." Doc came to her at the table. "He was looking pretty well yesterday evening, Niko." 
     "The attacks come mostly at night, Doc." She propped her head tiredly on her hands. "Between three and five o'clock in the morning, when the blood circulation slows down." 
     "Are there any additional factors?" 
     "I've started to note time and duration. Maybe something will show up." She sighed. "But I can't find the time to correlate the data. The factors could be almost anything, Doc. And for the last weeks he's gone through hell almost every night..." 
     "Shall I put my programs on it?" 
     "If you want. – Here." She pushed the notecard over to him. "The data starts with the day he returned; that means they cover about three weeks." 
     "And it can be almost anything?" 
     "Except for market rates, yes." 
     Doc only grimaced at her cynical joke. 
     "Niko." Zach joined in, put the unit's scheduler on the table in front of them. "Nobody can take over the cadet excursion for you, but Doc and I will split up the rest of the day's work between us. Go home and sleep." With a worried look at the dark shadows under her eyes: "You need the rest urgently." 

2093-06-18 Local Time 1304 
BetaMountain – MPQ 219 
Day 352 

"I'm back, Shane. Zach believes I need some rest." No answer. She looked down for him from the stairs. Some letters and datacubies lay on the table. One of the transparencies was heavily crumpled. "Shane?" She heard the faint rushing of the shower. "Oh, okay." Niko hung her uniform jacket over the back of a chair and stretched. Her shoulder cartilage cracked. Hmpff. Zachary is right. I need rest. She walked into the kitchen, put some used mugs and a dish in the sink, and put some water on to boil for tea. Then she searched in the cupboard for the leaves – peppermint. Must have been lying here for ages. What is it for again? Headaches and something else... Doesn't matter. I've got a headache. She crumbled the dried leaves, hung them in a tea strainer in the mug, and scalded them with boiling water. Let stand for five minutes. She returned to the main room. The noise of pattering water was still there. "Shane?" He couldn't still be taking a shower after more than twenty minutes. Energetically she slid open the door... 
     Cold, damp haze came out to meet her. Gooseman sat comfortably leaned back on the toilet lid, his legs stretched out in front of him, engrossed in his readpad. The shower ran beside him – cold water. He looked up. "Back already?" He got up, laid the readpad on the tank behind him, and turned off the water. "Sorry, I didn't hear you." He pointed with his head at the readpad. "It's very interesting." 
     "Just for protocol, have you got a screw loose? It's ice cold in here!" 
     "Are you back to 'Hot and dry is good for you' again? You get internally burned out there!" He pointed with an outraged motion at the glaring midday sun and snapped, "Coughing is bad enough. But coughing and spitting ash? No, thank you!" With a visible effort he calmed down and followed her into the kitchen, took a seat at the table with her. "Happy now?" 
     "Yes." She took the tea strainer out off the mug, ignored his aggressive voice, and took a deep sip. 
     He sniffed cautiously. "What's that?" 
     "Peppermint tea." She held the mug towards him. "Do you want to taste it?" 
     He sniffed again at the dark green tea, wavered, the shrugged his shoulders and took a sip. "It isn't on the list, after all." He took another sip, rinsed it through his mouth. "Good." He pushed the mug back to her. "If I haven't keeled over within the next twenty minutes I want a pot of it, too," he grinned. 
     "Stop laughing about it!" She slammed the tea mug onto the table and jumped up. "I can't take any more of this!" He simply looked at her, let the emotions in his eyes die – and left. Damnation! She couldn't let him go that way... 

Gooseman stood half turned away at the window front, stared with narrowed eyes out into the blinding sunlight. She went towards him. "Shane... I didn't mean it that way. Not, not like I said it... Please understand, you... you make jokes about your death! I can't stand that any longer!" 
     He slowly turned round toward her, looked at her with a strange light in his eyes. His voice was very cold, very controlled. "And I can't stand to be imprisoned here. All day long caught between these walls, buried inside this mountain!" His fist crashed against the window frame. "You can't stand me laughing about my death?" He made a step towards her, hesitated, trembling. "You don't know what it's like to be caught in this carcass, waiting for some screwup to give this roach its final victory!" Another step. They stood in the middle of the room. Nearly colorless eyes. "I'd welcome death!" 
     "No! Shane, please. You shouldn't say–" She came over to him, put her hand on his arm... 
     "Don't touch me!!!" 
     Niko didn't even see the blow coming. She felt only the impact of the back of his hand on her cheek and the dull bang when her head hit the wall. Dazed, she struggled to her feet, just stared at him with eyes wide from shock, met the colorless, burning eyes and shrank back up the stairs for the door, locked it behind her. He made no attempt to follow her. If he'd said something she hadn't heard him. She looked around the corridor. Her head and face were aching. Tears burned in her eyes. She couldn't go to MedoStat, nor to the others... too many questions would arise that she didn't want to answer – not yet. She went round the people in the corridors, hid the throbbing side of her face with her hair if she had to pass between them, and found herself a lonely place in the hangars... 

2093-06-18 Local Time 2117 
BetaMountain – MPQ 219 
Day 352 

Damnation, I live here! And I won't let this get us down. Niko slid open the door and stepped in. It was dark, none of the light sources was activated, the contours gleamed only in scattered light. Green eyes glowed on her bed as Poss looked up, but the cat didn't move. Silence. Where is he? She went down the stairs in the darkness after her eyes got used to the twilight. None of the other rooms was lit. No sound anywhere... Shane? Her psionic senses began on their own to feel for him as fear seized her. "Shane?" 
     There he was. Outside. The door was closed behind him. A shadow in the dark. She pushed the glass door aside, stepped out soundlessly. He stood with his back half-turned to her, his hands on the balustrade. The clouds broke up and a band of moonlight rushed like a stiletto over the mountain, flashed off the battleknife in his hands. 
     She gasped. He didn't turn. But he had heard her, started subtly and closed his eyes. His left hand cramped around the blade. "Shane, don't–" She saw the blood pouring through his fingers onto the rock. He pressed again, harder – the flow of blood increased – and laid the knife aside. His eyes rested on the bloody stone, wandered out into the darkness again... finally flickered almost anxiously over to her. 
     She needed a moment to get rid of the shock, saw the pain in his flickering eyes, the fear in them. She went towards him, reached for the injured hand. "Please, don't..." His voice was barely more than a whisper as he tried to pull his arm away. 
     She looked at him, caught his eyes. "Let me help you." Not only with the cut... She herself didn't understand her complete meaning until she'd spoken. His look darted toward her cheek, now surely darkened, and returned uncertainly to her eyes. She sensed the horror inside him, the suppressed shivering. Xanadu's Star! He hit me, not I him! Niko realized only now that it likely would have been easier for him if she had. "Come inside. We have to take care of your wound." 
     Unsteady fingertips felt for her cheek, ran trembling over it and sent a thin trail of agony through her perception when they touched the bruise. "I can't..." He inhaled deeply, convulsively. "I... never want... to hurt you... again." 
     "You damn well better not. The next time I'll hit back, you see." She immediately regretted her snotty reaction when she felt him retreat. A half sentence floated between them. 
     ...welcome death... 
Her left hand caught his right, forced her fingers between his. Her nails dug into the back of his hand, pressed his palm violently against hers. Her own strength glowed up... You won't run away from me, Shane. Neither from me nor from what has happened nor from what could happen... She had to suppress a mental sob. You will win this fight. We will win this fight. Don't you dare leave me alone in here... She felt how he started to return the pressure, how his fingers stroked over the back of her hand till they clung with almost painful intensity to her. It's such a thin bond that ties him to the world... And a furious voice in her soul shouted: Well, it must be enough! 

Niko lay awake. Her face throbbed. She'd have to think of something for tomorrow morning when she had to appear for duty. Makeup might cover the bruise, but definitely not the swelling. Bloody mess! Anyone can fall awkwardly sometime... 
     She listened for his breaths in the dark – comfortingly regular except for the wheezing. He had needed too long to fall asleep. Finally she had walked over to him and held his fingers on the quilt till he had slept. 
     It was no use. Maybe she was ready to drop, but she was still wide awake. Quietly she got up, walked out into the night. The wind had grown stronger. It was pitch dark. Her hair was blown against her sore cheek in hard strands. The thunderstorm would break at any moment. A first bolt of lightning flashed. In its light she saw the dried blood on the stone... 
     ...it wasn't only one cut. She'd found at least five in his palm when she treated them in the bathroom. Deep cuts, painful and bloody... 
     ...like the wounds in their souls. Another stroke of lightning flashed, lit up the blood in black and red. She stared at it... and understood. Tears. Blood-red tears. A kind of crying that doesn't need breath. A silent attempt to cope with a pain that's starting to destroy him... The first drops of rain fell, patted heavily on the rocks, smeared the dried blood... 
     Their beating mixed with the thunder as the thunderstorm reached its climax. Tomorrow morning only some additional dewdrops would be left... She shivered in her soaked shirt, her hair wet. Shane would love it with his desire for cold and wet. Maybe...? 
     The drops grew fewer. The blood had vanished. A last peal of thunder rolled over the mountain. An idea formed in her mind. A chance... 

2093-06-19 Local Time 0826 
BetaMountain – GRS5 Office 
Day 353 

She burst with a familiar vehemence into the room and rushed directly towards Doc. "Have you already correlated the data?" 
     "And a wonderful good morning to you, Niko. – Yes, I have. But I haven't gotten a result so f– Good Lord! What happened to you?" He stared, shocked, at her swollen and discolored face. "Who did that to you?" 
     "My shower," she snapped. "I slipped yesterday afternoon and smacked my head into the washbasin." 
     Hardford grinned wincing in sympathy. "Your bathroom, your enemy. – Be that as it may, it definitely looks like someone beat you up badly." 
     "The data, Doc," she brought him back to the subject. "I've got an idea... Can you check it right now?" 
     "Sure, why not? Fire away." 
     "I want you to relate times and intensities of these attacks to air temperature and humidity." 
     "I already did both. Didn't get me anywhere." 
     "Not separately, Doc. Together. He's absolutely fixated on cold and humid rooms. I think that says something." 
     "Yes, that he got his physician fuming again," Doc chuckled, and fell silent when he realized that he'd once again found something gigantic to put his foot in with her. "Let's have a look at it. – Holy bits! You're right." They both stared at the three-colored diagram. Doc pointed at the curves, marked the corresponding peaks. "Most of the days with attacks during the night were hot and dry." 
     "But not all." Niko pointed one after another on half a dozen weaker peaks. "Damn, these occured on days that had only moderate high temperatures." 
     "But they were dry as dust. Look, humidity under ten percent. It's coming back to me. The soup evaporated so fast that the spoon was dry before you had it in your mouth." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I can't help it." 
     "Doc – Do you know what this means?" 
     "That his physician should be prepared for the worst the next time he gives Goose his lecture about warm, dry air?" 
     "That, too. – But it also means that Arizona is killing him slowly but surely. Look at the days on which he didn't have attacks: the coldest in the whole period, and almost every one with rain or at least high humidity. Cold and humid weather almost never occurs here! Therefore he has to leave here." She jumped up. "Excuse me to Zach. I've got to go to the commander immediately!" 
     Flying at the door, she nearly knocked over a startled Fox, who jumped aside to let her pass. "What's–?" 
     She dived through under his arm, "Ask Doc," and was gone. 
     "What's going on here?" 
     "And a good morning to you, highly respectable captain," Doc smiled complacently. "Nobody's giving greetings today! And what happened here... Well, it seems she's found the primary trigger for Goose's attacks. With my help." 
     "And why–?" 
     "Why's she tearing off as if the Crown armada were chasing her? No idea. She wants to talk with Commander Walsh." 
     Fox raised his brows. "What happened to her face?" 
     "An accident in the bathroom, she said." 

2093-06-19 Local Time 0853 
BetaMountain – Cmdr. Walsh's Office 
Day 353 

"Ranger Niko." Walsh pressed his fingertips together with a sigh. "I really can't do anything. The Board of World Leaders has made its decision. As long as Gooseman isn't on active duty, his civil rights are annulled." 
     "He has to leave, sir. This climate is fatal to him. Can't you send him to a base in the north or at least at the shore?" 
     "No, I can't." Walsh looked sadly at her. "I wish I could. But he needs the signature of at least one active BWL member on a special permission, and I already had to call in all my favors to even arrange for him to stay here. Dammit – I nearly had to blackmail half a dozen people for it." 
     "What do you mean 'Even for him to stay'?" she asked warily, and beginning to suspect what was coming. 
     "STs are feared, Niko. The BWL wants to have him under control, and a not inconsiderable fraction among the senators is still voting for the cryocrypt. Especially now, when he isn't sufficiently occupied to call him controlled, as the opponents' main speaker put it." 
     Wheiner! "So in the end Goose has the following choices: BetaMountain military base or the cryocrypt." 
     "That's how it looks." 
     "Charming. Death or death." She snorted indignantly. "Wonderful choices indeed." 
     "I'm going to try everything I can, Niko." Walsh got up. "But I'll tell you right now, the chances are microscopically small." He looked thoughtfully at her face. "What...?" 
     "I fell, sir. Yesterday. In my bathroom." She couldn't tell from the commander's face whether he believed her or not. At least he didn't smile pityingly. It's a damn good thing for him. I'll scratch out the eyes of the next person who smiles pityingly at me! 

2093-06-19 Local Time 0917 
BetaMountain – Commando Area Entrance 
Day 353 

She sat on the broad steps, propped her head in her hands, and brooded. She had expected the worst. But that? How could they deprive him of civil rights after all those missions when he risked his neck for them? I'll have to think of something. I won't sit around here and watch him dying! If only... 
     "Hi, Niko. Haven't seen you in a long time. How's Goose doing?" Zozo's happy voice pulled her away from her thoughts. The Kiwi sat down beside her on the step. "Is everything okay?" 
     "No... nothing's okay." 
     "I see that. Does it ache very much?" 
     She stopped short, then recalled the bruise on her face. "Oh that. That's nothing." 
     "But it doesn't look like nothing, Niko." 
     "But it isn't the problem." 
     "Come. Let's get a soda pop and then you can tell me everything. That helps sometimes." He beamed at her. "And maybe together we'll come up with an idea for it." 

2093-06-19 Local Time 0952 
BetaMountain – Cafeteria 
Day 353 

"...how it looks, Zozo." She turned the half-emptied glass of lemonade in her fingers, the ice cubes in it almost melted. "I've already thought about Xanadu, but they would look for him there first, and then there isn't the climate he needs. It's true that the psionic circle could create one, but it would be an illusion in most of the details. I doubt that that's enough." 
     "And they really won't allow him to leave, even though he probably won't survive otherwise?" The Kiwi's voice was filled with distinct disbelief. 
     "They're even considering freezing him." 
     "Mildew and blight in their gardens! Seriously?" 
     "The Commander didn't say so directly, but he believed that the faction arguing for it is a strong one. If I'm correctly interpreting his thoughts during our talk this morning..." She shook her head despairingly. "Then Goose doesn't have much more time." 
     "And he needs cold, humid weather?" 
     "With the cleanest air possible. Yes." 
     "Would be windy a problem?" 
     "Probably not. – Why do you ask?" 
     "Because I've got an idea... Wait here, I'll be right back!" 

"Niko?" Zozo climbed up next to her onto the bench at the window where she'd waited. "It may work, but we have to take care of the transport." 
     "What may work?" 
     "Listen: There's a place on Kirwin, pretty far in the north – a group of islands where we grow mostly pharmaceutical plants. Almost all air- and ground-based vehicle traffic is prohibited there – you need special permission for it. Even overflights from orbit aren't often allowed because the herbs are so sensitive and important. My brother-in-law Zeezo owns an estate there with a guest house for visitors from off-planet, and he said he'd be pleased to welcome you and Goose there." 
     "They'll chase us the way the devil hunts for lost souls as soon as we leave here, Zozo." 
     "Zeezo realizes that. And we'll have to come up with a really good idea for transport to prevent them from even searching on Kirwin. But he said," the little Kiwi grinned, eyes glowing, "he's of the opinion that we mustn't start the cultural exchange with bad habits, like leaving our people in the lurch if they're not doing well for a time." 
     "That sounds fantastic." She smiled briefly. "And as for the transport..." She got up. "Can we meet sometime tomorrow?" 
     "I could drop in after your shift. Why, do you have an idea?" 
     "Yes, I have. But I have to check it out first. Maybe we can cause BETA not to search at all, or on the wrong planet altogether. But if it's going to work there mustn't be com contacts between us. That's the first thing they'll check when we disappear." 
     "I'll come by." He chuckled. "And I'm incredibly curious about your idea. You have an expression like Goose's when they said they won't ask about laws in a mission." 
     She smiled grimly. "I don't plan to care about them either, Zozo. I won't let something as stupid as the law of causality stop me!" 

2093-06-19 Local Time 2359 
BetaMountain – MPQ 219 
Day 353 

It had gotten later than she'd thought. She'd had to wait a long time until QBall left his laboratory so that she could use the recharging station unseen. Niko cast a quick glance at Shane as he slept, listened as usual for his slightly irregular breaths. I won't let them do this to us. She took her concentration sphere from her bedside table and went into the next room. Five candles in a circle around the sphere created the complicated, flickering refraction pattern inside it. She followed its windings to Xanadu... 
     ...Ariel? Mentor? Are you there?... Her mental self touched the crystal border of the secret world, waited for admittance. Finally Her mentor's psychic image entered the chamber. 
     ...you were always impatient, child... 
     ...I'm using my implant to be here, Ariel. I have only a limited time and it's very, very important... 
     ...who has hurt you?... 
     ...not now. I need your help... 
     ...your self is hiding who wounded you. I can only help if you show me who it was... 
     ...not with that... 
     ...then show me with what if it's not the obvious... 
     She exploded in a tale of pictures and pain, showed the last eleven months in rapid succession, ended with the offer from the ambassador of Kirwin, and formulated her request. 
     Her mentor's psychic self frowned, seemed to think about it. ...yes. I'll help you. But I hope for you that the man's worth the effort, child... 
     ...he is... 
     Ariel took a revealing look at Niko's face, maltreated even in her mental image. ...I hope so – for your sake... 
     ...the smoke of the burned-down candles wavered around her as she perceived BetaMountain again. In the other room Goose coughed in his sleep. She opened the windows to prevent the candle smoke from reaching him and went back into the bedroom, put the crystal sphere next to her bed again, and looked at her chronometer: 0417. He still slept quietly in spite of the coughing. It seemed he wouldn't have an attack tonight. The cat had snuggled itself into a fur ball at the foot end of his bed. Exhausted, she crept under her quilt – she had less than two hours to sleep. 

2093-06-20 Local Time 2002 
BetaMountain – MPQ 219 
Day 354 

"And you think you can do that?" Zozo looked attentively at Niko. 
     She nodded. "Yes, of course. But it's urgent, and we need a ship that would normally be heading for Kirwin and that won't be searched." 
     "What's about mine? I'll be flying back in three days." 
     "What about the search?" Gooseman suppressed a convulsive coughing fit. 
     "Hey! I'm a special envoy! If they want a diplomatic incident they can have one." 
     "Then that's taken care of. I'll tell Ariel the time later–" 
     "We have to take the hard copies with us." Goose pointed at the Xeryon artifact. 
     "We'll just give the statue to Zozo." 
     "Won't work, Niko." He shook his head, coughed again and pressed his hands against his sides. "Any idiot would recognize it. That thing appeared in at least a dozen magazines after your prof's kamikaze expedition to Tortuna." 
     "Since when do you read reports about archaeology and art, Gooseman?" 
     "During the last year I've read almost everything I could get my hands on, Zozo. Was a good way not to go insane." 
     "Is this thing that important?" 
     "Not the statue itself, Zozo. But what's inside it. And that mustn't be scanned for any reason." Niko lowered her head, brooded. "We have to find a way to get the imprinted transparencies past the scanners." 
     "How big are these things?" Niko and Goose both showed him with their hands. "Let's say that it's seeds. They can be terribly sensitive to radiation." 
     "If even the scatter field of a scanner touches your box, you'll be in for it, Zozo." 
     "Hey!!" The Kiwi laid his pawlike hands on the tabletop. "Have you ever seen a Kiwi get agitated about seeds? – They'd shut down all of BETA in the end to get rid of me and my 'seeds.'" 

2093-06-21 Local Time 0836 
BetaMountain – GRS5 Office 
Day 355 

"Should one of us escort you to Xanadu?" 
     "No, Zach. Thank you." She filled in an application for emergency leave. "They'll send a ship for me. It's an internal affair that doesn't concern you in any way. I'm not allowed to say more." She looked with a frown at the form in front of her. "What's the maximum duration for immediate emergency leave?" 
     "Three months." He watched her suspiciously. She's cooking something up. Something's going on that it's better I don't know anything about. She wouldn't leave Goose alone for three months in his condition... 
     She looked up again. "Can you take Poss for the time I'm away? Shane isn't in the condition to care for him." 
     He nodded. "Sure. It's not the first time. I'm sure our furniture will survive another attack." Heck! It's really better I don't know the first thing about it. 

2093-06-21 Local Time 1529 
BetaMountain – Cmdr. Walsh's Office 
Day 355 

"Xanadu has informed us that a ship is underway to get you, Ranger Niko. I'm granting your emergency leave, though I'm a little astonished at the request and its suddenness." Walsh signed her vacation certificate and watched her thoughtfully. 
     "For Xanadu'e time is a substantially more variable quantity than it is for human beings, sir. And the affair in question is developing at a frightening speed – even for us. I regret the necessity of my immediate departure more than anyone, sir." 
     "I understand." He handed the vacation certificate over to her. "Good luck – for all of us, Ranger." 

2093-06-23 Local Time 0649 
BetaMountain – MPQ 219 
Day 357 

"Do you have everything?" He only nodded, kept concentrating on his breathing. The attack hadn't been over for long. She looked at him, worried. "Will you make it?" 
     "Yes." After a moment: "Somehow." 
     She had packed the few things they could carry themselves into a big space sac that she put next to the door. She had another short look at Goose, listened for the rattling in his breaths. Damn. That's getting too tight. "We can't afford your pride at the moment." She headed for her terminal, established a connection and sent a purposely uncoded email with an alarm call: 

This damn thing has eaten my final report, Doc. I know in your opinion it's the middle of the night, but my ship has already arrived. I've got to go right now. Please come over and help me. Niko. 

That was it; even if they should accuse him of being an accomplice in her plan, he could prove the contrary. "Doc will be here in a moment, Shane." She smiled as he made a face. "I know you'd prefer Zachary, but I couldn't think of an excuse for ordering my captain to my apartment at a quarter of seven. – And by the way: Doc is the better liar." 

Her com buzzed. She gasped when the visual connection was established. "Commander, sir. To what do I owe the honor of so early a call?" 
     "Ranger. Considering the urgency of your affairs on Xanadu, I want to avoid your being late. The south corridor from your quarters to the hangar area is closed at the moment because the security staff has a mission there. You'll have to take the northern route to reach your vessel in time. Have a good flight." 
     "Thank you, sir." The monitor darkened. "What do you think?" She walked back to Goose. "Can we trust him?" 
     He reflected on it for a moment. "Yes." 
     The door alarm was activated: Doc. "There you are at last. What took you so long?" 
     "I had to make a detour. SecStaff has closed the corridor around the corner." 
     "What did you say?!" 
     "Looks like they're trying to open Goose's door. He must really have annoyed someone. What did you do, my Goose man?" 
     She just hissed: "He's still alive. That's enough for them. InterSec must have decided to play it safe." 
     Doc raised his hands in apology. "Okay, then. What's up with this ominous final report of yours?" 
     "Doesn't exist. I need someone who can help Shane on the way to the diplomacy hangar. I can't do it myself since I need all my concentration to deceive the surveillance systems and anyone we might pass on the way." 
     "So that's what you were planning!" He grinned. "Zach's been sure all day that you were up to something." 
     "Well? Will you help us?" 
     "Naturally. Where exactly should we go?" 
     "Northern access. And I think we should hurry. Even those SecStaff idiots will notice he isn't there when they finally get that door open. And the note about his mail is a clear hint of where to search next." 
     Doc grinned. "No need to hurry, Niko. That's Goose's door they're trying to open, remember?" He grabbed Goose around the waist and helped him up. "What on Earth did you do to that innocent locking system, my Goose man?" 
     Niko glanced along the corridor outside. "The coast is clear. Let's go." 
     "Okay. And on our way, you can finally tell me what you did with that door." 
     "I... inser...ted a... second... system, Doc... – mechanical..." Silence, punctuated by deep breaths, followed for several steps. "They're... independent... from each... other,... but... the blocks... are only... released when... both are... opened at... the same... moment..." 
     "How can that work when they're independent?" 
     "Measurement of... tension change.... One pin must... be released... at every... syllable... to... decrease... the material's... tension... Otherwise the... password won't... be accepted..." 
     "Damn. I thought the tension measurement was there to recognize the input of an external program code." 
     "Was... its original... purpose. But... I liked... this side effect..." 
     "That means you have to input the door code and..." 
     "Unlock the... mechanical safety device... at the same time.... One after... another... doesn't work..." 
     "What's this dang door code, then?" Doc breathed heavily. Gooseman was no lightweight, even as emaciated as he was. 
     The ST beside him grinned. "Drive Doc to insanity!" He coughed. 
     "I should've known." 

"Doc. We'll walk on our own from here on." Niko stopped him. 
     "It doesn't matter to me–" 
     She shook her head. "The less you know, the better for you. If they detect your DNA code in the hangar they'll put you through the mill." 
     "Okay. As the lady wishes. Have a good flight, then." And with a short glance at the heavily breathing Gooseman, "And do better soon." 
     "And don't forget, Doc. It'd be best for you to go and search immediately for this final report." 
     "The nonexistent one?" He grimaced. 
     "Exactly. It's your backup. Bye, Doc." She let the bulkhead between them slide shut and concentrated again. "Now it's going to be difficult. There are at least a dozen people in the hangar." 
     Gooseman looked at his chrono. "Zozo should... be starting... his act... right now..." 
     "And I hope the rest works fine, too." 

2093-06-23 Local Time 0706 
BetaMountain – Diplomacy Hangar 
Day 357 

"Thank you for carrying my luggage, Smitty." He didn't notice the short glance at his nametag. "Among my colleagues, real gentlemen are scarce." She sighed theatrically, threw her chestnut-red hair back with an elegant move of her head and took care that the surveillance camera got some really good pictures of her face. An open smile – so this inexperienced technician couldn't possibly forget her. 
     The pale blue, elegantly curved space yacht with the convoluted national emblem of Xanadu recognized her psionic signature and opened the main lock. A pale yellow beam of psionic energy took the two suitcases out of the hands of the amazed Smitty and floated them into the vessel. She turned round a second time on the gangway and sighed. "Oh yes, I'm already starting to miss BETA..." Then she vanished inside, and the lock closed soundlessly behind her. She walked onto the bridge. "Warm up the engines. Request clearance with destination unknown – when received, take off with destination Xanadu." She held her hand out. "And I'd like a cup of passion fruit juice. Thank you." She took a sip of the dark red liquid from the glass which had appeared in her hand and relaxed in one of the big, soft, upholstered bucket chairs. Rhmmpf, these physical journeys are so time-consuming – and boring. 

Zozo's furious voice thundered through the hangar, grew more and more shrill, and finally threatened political consequences if Terran ground staff should have the nerve to ruin highly valuable experimental Kirwin seed with their scanner radiation. 
     She built up a camouflage field and slid open the other lock door. She heard Goose wheezing beside her, but he kept pace with her. They had to hurry. The camouflage field ate away her strength: she had to influence so many people, cameras, and sensors. There was the rear lock, opened in the Kiwi manner for extra ventilation of the vessel. It seemed nobody had thought about the second loading platform attached to it. 
     Gooseman staggered, pressed his hands to his sides. Bloody hell, must he have an attack this night of all nights? But he made it. The first cabin on the right contained the crates of seed. They were no longer visible from the hangar. Only have to block the heat sensors. 
     Goose propped himself against the wall, sides heaving, back and neck very upright. The room was small, with just enough space for the crates; only four, maybe five cubic meters of air. Don't cough. Not now. He bit the back of his hand. The pain distracted his attention from the narrowness. She saw the regularity of his breathing rhythm decrease. Hold on. We can get out of here when the locks are shut. He fought against the claustrophobia. The control mantra started: in and out and out... in and out and out... She sensed the pain in his burning lungs and the stitch in his sides that struggled to shorten the exhalation and increased the fear of being captured, being enclosed. Hold on... 
     The thunder of fired engines told of the takeoff of the vessel from Xanadu at the other end of the hangar. 
     A few seconds later, the locks of the Kiwi ship fell shut. The hiss of sealing fields meant safety. She let the camouflage field collapse and met Goose's eyes in relief. They had made it – so far. 
     He pushed himself off the wall. "Outta here..." 
     "Okay." She saw his careful movements, the way he occasionally propped himself up on the wall, as if he feared losing his balance. The run of fifty steps between airlock and vessel had almost drained him. 
     But he walked on his own two steps in front of her, and his eyes glowed challengingly when he turned towards her in the bridge lock. "You're lucky... that I'm... suspended... Otherwise... I'd have... to arrest... you..." 
     "Pardon?" 
     He grinned maliciously despite the wheezing. "Girl... you've just... swiped... material with... a security... classification... of ultraviolet... plus..." 
     "Hey! If you're talking about these transparencies–" She joined his game as she always had in the past. 
     "No,... I'm not..." The grin in those dark-green eyes grew almost provocative. 
     "What else?" I'm going to regret this question, I know it! But she couldn't let it be like the other times. 
     "Me." 
     "Screwball!" she laughed. "UVP stuff is only stored at LongShot. Every cadet knows that!" 
     "I'm... the exception." 
     Zozo turned toward them in his pilot's seat. "Hey, the grain isn't allowed to roam around the cockpit during the flight." 
     "Who is grain... here?" Gooseman coughed and dropped himself into the second pressure chair. 
     "You are! I classified you as sweet grain. S.G. seemed to me somehow a match for Shane Gooseman!" The Kiwi twinkled roguishly. "My sister makes fantastic pancakes out of the stuff." 
     "Charming." He closed his eyes, exhausted. "If she's... nearsighted, I'll end up... in the pan." 
     "With jam?" Niko asked. 

2093-06-23 Local Time 1053 
BetaMountain – Cmdr. Walsh's Office 
Day 357 

"Captain Fox. Can you form any kind of image of what's in store for you or one of your people if you have even a trace of responsibility in this affair?" Walsh laid his fingertips together and looked suspiciously at the two Rangers in front of his desk. "Perhaps you should know, Fox, I'm fascinated by the time coincidences." Walsh was threateningly formal. It looked as if he was almost exploding – seemingly. "There's sheer pandemonium around here because of this bloody business. SecStaff practically blows up the whole mountain to get into these quarters, only to find out that what they wanted isn't in there at all. Then they storm Ranger Niko's apartment two doors down and find Ranger Hartford, of all people, who's searching for a report no computer on the whole planet can remember, while the Ranger herself has just flown home because of urgent family affairs. And last and best, I received a general alarm from MedoStat because an outpatient is two hours overdue and may be in critical condition." Walsh took a deep breath. "And you're trying to tell me that you don't have even the faintest idea where Ranger Gooseman is at the moment?" 
     "Sir, neither I nor my people are in any way involved in Ranger Gooseman's disappearance. Ranger Hartford and I are pretty worried about him." 
     "Do you at least have a guess as to his location?" 
     "No, sir." – Hartford. 
     "Maybe on Xanadu, sir." 
     "Then take Ranger-1, check it out and if he's really there, fetch him back immediately! Maybe this chaos can still be settled somehow." 

=We've enormously underestimated the boy, Joseph,= Negata greeted him when Walsh returned to the back room of his office after Fox and Hartford had left. =I've had a look at the download list of this readpad you gave him. See for yourself.= 
     "...'Foundations of Biotechnology,' 'Great Textbook of Genetic Technology,' 'Applied Chemistry of Molecular Structures Considering DNA Synthesis,' 'Genetic Adaptation,' 'Nerve and War Gases of the Present Day'..." Walsh gazed aghast at the brain unit. "This is the reading list from Gooseman's readpad?" 
     =I wrote some of those, Joseph. And considering the reading times, he studied them all in detail.= 
     "Knowledge is a weapon," Walsh quoted flatly. "I'd never have believed he'd put it into action like that. Do you believe he'd understood that?" The commander pointed vaguely at the book list. 
     =He was always bright. That set him apart from the others – and with his questions in class he reminded me awfully of somebody else.= After a short pause: =Today I finally know why. And there's something else – he's designed as a bio defense carrier, not a strategist. God knows how much background information he took with him just from Wolf Den.= 
     "His training differed in no way from that of the others back then." 
     =BDCs have subliminal eidetic memory, old friend. They're supposed to survive and bring back data to evaluate later. The boy was like a sponge for information in those days. He observed everything, witnessed everything. He may not have understood it back then, but with this,= Negata turned in the direction of the monitor with the list, =it looks pretty different. I've thrown him out of the laboratories often enough because he made me nervous.= 
     "He can't remember details. That's impossible." 
     =Are you sure about that? Look...= Negata scrolled through the list, almost to the end, and highlighted one of the titles. =You need a pretty high security clearance for this book.= 
     "He works together with one of the world's best hackers. It's quite possible that–" 
     =Then have a look at who downloaded this book.= 
     Walsh entered a short key code. "I don't believe it!" He stared, stunned, at the monitor: 

WALSH, JOSEPH, BASE COMMANDER WOLF DEN, ID-7523459992-A663. 

=You likely entered it once in his presence. 'Information is survival' – and we beat it into them.= 
     "The ID is five years out of date, Owen." 
     =But not deleted because some of the escapees are still at large.= Negata let out the electronic equivalent of a sarcastic snort. =Standard military protocol.= The brain unit focused its optical sensors on Walsh's face. =He's on the hunt, Joseph, after the culprit and the answers we couldn't give him. And he may have a better chance of finding them than either one of us really wants.= 

2093-06-25 Local Time –– 
Planet Xanadu 
Day 359 

They arrived sooner than I thought. She pushed her hair back over her shoulders and stood up. Looks like her estimate about the fuss caused by this action is correct. Okay then... Let's amuse ourselves. Who has been sent to us? – Zachary and Doc. That's nice. 
     The student led them into a wide hall with crystal walls and indicated they should wait while he informed Niko of their arrival. Doc looked uncomfortably around; Fox was calm. He'd been here before. 
     "Zachary, Doc. What are you doing here?" Doc started. Niko appeared out of a corner where there definitely wasn't a door. "Is something wrong with Goose?" 
     "We're here because of him, Niko. We have to bring him back." 
     "Bring him back? Zachary, don't play games with me. It was hard enough to leave him alone." 
     "Niko – Goose disappeared on the same day you left BETA. That's why they assume that you brought him here with you." 
     "Nonsense." She looked around. "Does this look like a place for Shane? But–" She interrupted herself. "He's disappeared? Xanadu's Star, he's almost dead without medical treatment!" 
     "That's why BETA sent us after you immediately." 
     ...To hell with this order! – she deserves the truth!... She smiled inwardly at his thought. 
     "And InterSec has a confinement order against him," he looked sadly at her, "at the urging of our favorite senator. You know for yourself what that means." 
     He doesn't want to find him. "Zachary, Shane isn't here." She was totally earnest now. "I'd never risk his life by putting him into a spacecraft in his condition. And if he has gone into hiding, I can understand that very well, but you have to find him fast." Composed: "He won't survive it." She pressed her hands together. "If I only could leave here. I can always find him if necessary – even in hell!" 
     Fox looked pityingly at her. "We'll do the best we can, Niko. If he's out there somewhere we'll find him." 
     ...She's too calm. Damn, he is here!... 
     "We have to report back to BETA. Then we'll start the search..." He laid his bionic hand on her arm. "We're worried about him, too, Niko." 
     A total success. If he had doubts, they're gone now. "I know." She sniffed sadly. I hope you appreciate that, student! "Good luck. We need it all." 
     "How do we get out of here again?" 
     Pretty uncertain behind his macho mask, this Hartford. "Follow the blue sphere of light. It will lead you back to your ship. And please..." 
     "We'll inform you of everything." 
     "Thanks." 
     She watched the two men until the portals had closed behind them. This Zachary is still a charming lad after all. Light flamed up when she dropped the illusion. With an amused laugh, Ariel returned to her studies. And so captivatingly naive...