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Sally's face lights up with genuine surprise and pleasure when she spots John making his way across the beach sand, heading straight for her.
He cuts quite a figure—and not exactly in a good way—striding through the sand in his full cowboy getup, hat and boots included, while everyone else around them is sporting the usual beach attire of barely-there swimsuits and sun hats.
"Hey there, John. What brings you out to our little slice of paradise? Don't tell me—Pat sent you on a rescue mission to track us down?" Sally asks with a knowing grin as John gets closer.
"You got that right," John explains, shaking his head. "Pat's been having one conniption fit after another all morning, working himself into a right state about these new visitors we've got heading to Earth. He figured you ladies were just going to pop into town for a quick shopping trip and come right back. Instead, here you are, living it up by the water. The man's more than a little confused about the whole situation."
"Well, Pat's always been a bit confused about most things, if you ask me," Sally laughs, the sound carrying easily over the beach noise. "He'll get over it soon enough. The girls found some adorable new swimsuits and practically begged on their hands and knees to come here and show them off. Plus we've got the council guard keeping watch, so I figured this was actually the safest place we could be. But enough about Pat's worrying—what do you think of this lake here in Capitol City? Pretty impressive, right? It's absolutely massive, and look at those waves!"
"It's nice enough, I suppose," John replies with a slight shrug. "Though it's not worth much for fishing, what with all these kids splashing around like maniacs and those speedboats zigzagging every which way out there. Far as I'm concerned, it's a perfectly good lake gone to waste."
Sally can't help but laugh at his practical assessment. "Oh, but the girls absolutely love it here! There are tons of kids their own age, and they can actually have some real fun instead of being stuck around nothing but adults all day long. I think it's exactly what they need."
John squints against the sun, peering at some figures in the distance. "Hold on a minute—over there by the boat ramp. Is that Penelope? Or maybe Anahere? And please, for the love of all that's holy, tell me that's a swimsuit she's wearing and not her underwear."
Sally doesn't even bother looking up from the magazine she's been leafing through. "Honestly, I have no idea which one that is. Those girls are so incredibly similar that I swear they must be twins separated at birth. When I see them from behind, I can never tell which is which."
Now John's looking genuinely concerned. "And who exactly is that boy she's holding hands with?"
That gets Sally's attention. She drops her magazine immediately and starts scanning the area. "What boy? I swear, those girls are going to give me a heart attack one of these days!" She's already getting to her feet, ready to march down to the boat ramp and sort things out.
"Mom! Where are you going? We're right over here," Penelope calls out as both girls approach from the completely opposite direction.
"Oh, there you two are," Sally says, visibly relieved as she settles back down in her beach chair under the umbrella. "John thought he spotted one of you down by the boat ramp with some boy."
"Oh, that's not us at all," Anahere explains cheerfully. "That's our new friend Shelly. She's nineteen, and she happened to get that exact suit that you wouldn't let me buy. Pretty cool coincidence, right?"
"Please tell me I'm not going to end up adopting another daughter. And did you say nineteen? How is that even possible? Penelope's the oldest girl we've had since we started having children here. Are you absolutely sure she's not lying about her age?"
"Mom, you're being way too suspicious," Penelope says with the patient tone teenagers reserve for overly protective parents. "She was actually born on Earth originally. She was only two when she came here, and now she's nineteen. It's not that complicated."
"But it's been over twenty years since the big influx," Sally points out, her suspicious look intensifying. "The math doesn't add up at all."
"Remember, time works differently here," Penelope explains with a slight eye roll. "It moved a little slower in her particular domain. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore, if you know what I mean."
"Right, I keep forgetting about that whole time flexibility thing. This place certainly isn't Kansas, that's for sure. Alright girls, time to pack it up. Your father is having a complete meltdown wondering where we've disappeared to. We need to get back to Penny Lake, change into something more appropriate, grab some lunch, check in with Nettie, and then head back here for that important meeting this afternoon."
"Sounds good, Mom. We're absolutely starving anyway," the girls agree. John helps them gather up all their beach gear and carry everything up to the hover pad where their vehicle is waiting. As they pull away toward Penny Lake, several escort craft fall into formation around them, accompanying them all the way to the domain border.
"Nettie's been sending urgent signals for hours now. You guys were really just at the beach this whole time?" Pat asks the moment they walk in.
"Well, since the Nettie communication box is in my bedroom, I'm guessing your nosy behind has been in there checking on it regularly? Just settle down, Pat. I'm pretty confident the planet is still in one piece. And since we haven't seen a sudden invasion of lizard people, I'm fairly certain they're doing fine too. Let me get the girls some lunch, and then we'll all sit down together and see what Nettie has to tell us."
"We're all dying of curiosity, Sally. It's not just Pat being anxious," Penny chimes in. "I've already got lunch ready for everyone, so you don't need to worry about cooking. Let's eat outside—it's such a gorgeous day."
"So Mom, what do you think?" Penelope asks between large bites of her sandwich. "Do you figure the planet's been blown to smithereens by now?"
"No, sweetie, the planet is perfectly fine," Sally assures her. "I don't think it's been invaded by thousands of lizard people either. But I am incredibly curious about why they're there in the first place. I have a feeling Nettie has that all figured out by now. So finish up your iced tea and we'll go find out what's really going on."
Sally leads the group toward her bedroom, where she settles into her comfortable chair and puts on the headset while the others gather around nervously. "Nettie? Are you there? This is Sally."
"Yes, I'm here, Sally. And of course I already know it's you—the headset is calibrated specifically for your neural patterns. But that's actually something I need to change. Could you please take it off and set it on the floor in front of you? I need to make some modifications. I'm going to add audio speakers and a projection system so I can see and hear everyone."
Sally removes the headset and places it on the floor as instructed. Within seconds, the earpieces begin expanding and thickening, transforming into both a stable base and audio speakers for sound projection. The headband itself grows thicker, and a lens-like device emerges from the top. The projector activates, and suddenly a computer-generated avatar appears as a three-dimensional hologram in front of the device.
"Hello everyone! How do I look?" Nettie asks cheerfully.
"You look absolutely amazing, Nettie! Where on earth did you find that avatar image?" Sally asks, clearly impressed.
"I discovered it tucked away in an old memory bank somewhere. It's not terribly sophisticated, but it'll do the job perfectly. And now I can see all of you too! This is actually really fun."
"So why didn't we have this projection technology before?" Pat asks, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Did you just invent this on the spot?"
"I had some help with the development," Nettie replies mysteriously. "It'll all make perfect sense in a few minutes when I give you my full report. So please, everyone get comfortable and I'll tell you the whole story."
"After we last spoke, our visitors completed their tactical maneuver to completely encircle the planet. They maintained position for quite a while without taking any action. Then they launched what appeared to be an automated probe toward the planet, but it simply bounced off the shield and returned to their ship. Next, one of their ships moved closer and fired some kind of energy beam, but that was also deflected by the shield. I was able to modulate the shield's shape in a localized area, forming it into a reflector dish configuration. I used this to redirect the beam to a safe location on the moon, just in case it was dangerous. The ship fired multiple times using different frequency ranges, and I sent every single beam to the same spot on the lunar surface. Eventually, the ship returned to the main group.
"Then an array of forty-eight ships combined their firepower and directed one massive, concentrated beam at the planet. I reflected that beam to the moon as well. After that, they began firing randomly from all directions with varying numbers of ships participating, and I had some fun with their targeting practice. I directed all the beams from the moon-facing side of the shield to the lunar surface, and used the ones from the other side for target practice on some nearby asteroids. The asteroids were completely vaporized, and the moon developed an impressive plasma fountain shooting thousands of miles into space. These beam devices have considerable destructive power, so I'm assuming they're weapons systems.
"They went quiet for about half an hour, but then resumed firing with a completely new set of randomized frequencies and firing patterns. This time, I decided to get their attention more directly—I reflected their beams right back at them, just barely grazing the sides of their ships. Their firing stopped immediately. I think that definitely got their attention.
"After another thirty-minute silence, they tried a completely different approach. They sent an old-style radio signal with a standard protocol request embedded within it. I responded and established contact with their shipboard computer systems. The computers are quite difficult to communicate with—very alien in their logic patterns—but it's infinitely better than trying to decode the lizard language they use. The lizard people use an image-based communication system, so converting that into words is essentially impossible. Unless you already have a fundamental understanding of their basic imagery, you're never going to comprehend what they're trying to communicate. However, we've been able to establish meaningful dialogue by using their shipboard computer systems as translators.
"Now I can answer your earlier question about the headset modifications. They actually helped me design the enhancements to add visual capability. They use a type of trans-dimensional conduit technology to 'skip' across the galaxy. Since level 3 and level 5 exist within the same dimensional framework, the same technology allows for a trans-level phase transducer effect. This enabled me to design an enhanced interface to my communication device in your domain."
"Please tell me you didn't let them land on the planet," Pat says, his worry evident.
"Absolutely not. They remain in orbit around the planet. However, they would like to request, through me as an intermediary, an audience with your Council. Your meeting with the Council is scheduled to begin in about thirty minutes. If you could please turn off the interface device and bring it with you, I'll meet you in the conference room."
"I suppose I can do that," Sally agrees. "We can set up your own dedicated conference space in Capitol City, and then CERTAIN people won't have any excuse to be snooping around in my bedroom."
As Sally and her group entered Capitol City airspace, they were met by a dozen or more Council escort ships that were holding back hundreds of other hovercrafts. Many of these were media vehicles, but there was also a significant number of private citizens who had come to greet Sally and her team. Apparently, the media had announced the nature of her meeting with the Council, generating enormous public interest. Penelope was convinced it was because of her fabulous new swimsuit. She wasn't entirely wrong about attracting attention.
The 3 of 9 and the Director were anxiously waiting for Sally and Nettie's arrival. Council staff quickly seated the group and prepared a special area for Nettie's projection system.
"Welcome, everyone—Sally, Pat, and I assume this lovely holographic avatar is Nettie?" Nancy of the First Chair said warmly. "This is an informal meeting, so we can skip all the ceremonial procedures we normally have to follow in the main chamber. It's wonderful to see you all again, and I'm particularly pleased to meet Nettie. We have so many questions."
"Thank you, we're happy to be back," Pat responds.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Nancy," Nettie replies politely.
"Nettie, will you be staying here with us in Capitol City? Or are you planning to return to Penny Lake with Sally after the meeting?" Nancy inquires.
"I'll be staying here, if that's acceptable," Nettie replies. "Sally kicked me out of her room. She said I was attracting too many nosy visitors."
"Oh, how interesting," Nancy says, laughing. "I'm sorry about all the unwanted attention in Sally's room, but I'm absolutely delighted that you'll be staying with us. We're already scheduling question-and-answer sessions with you. What's your availability for answering questions?"
"My duty cycle is one hundred percent," Nettie replies matter-of-factly. "I don't get tired and I never need to sleep."
"Wonderful!" Nancy responds, signaling to an aide who immediately rushes down the hall to the scheduling office where all Council building meetings are coordinated. "Then let's get straight to the point. Nettie, what can you tell us about these lizard people? Do they represent a threat to planet Earth?"
"The level of threat depends entirely on what you choose to do next," Nettie explains carefully. "From my communications with my counterpart on their ships, and from discussions with Earth Energy—who actually remembers them from Earth's ancient past—they are a highly technological, highly sophisticated species. They're remarkably similar to humans in that they're extremely inquisitive, highly adaptive, and very aggressive. It's this aggressive nature, coupled with humanity's similar tendency, that creates the greatest risk for conflict between your species."
"This is Speaker Robert of the Second Chair. Nettie, in your opinion, if the Earth shield could have been penetrated, what would this species have done?"
"Speaker Robert, based on my assessment of their behavioral patterns and attitudes, if they had been able to penetrate the shield, they would have destroyed it completely and then proceeded to colonize the planet with their own people."
"So you believe that if they had superior firepower, they would have simply claimed the planet without any regard for other species that might have legitimate claims to it?"
"Yes, sir. I would say that's a very accurate assessment of what their behavior would have been if they could have overpowered the shield."
"If we had already established primitive settlements and tribal communities on Earth, what do you think they would have done with that existing population? Would they have simply annihilated them?"
"Probably not completely. Based on their previous encounters with humanity throughout history, they most likely would have enslaved the population."
"So this is a species that we fundamentally cannot trust?"
"No, quite the contrary actually. I believe they are a species you can absolutely trust to be true to their essential nature. What I think you're really asking is whether they honor their word and agreements. Probably not consistently. They will exploit whatever advantages they can find and use them for their own purposes without regard for other species. Like I mentioned, they're remarkably similar to humans in that particular regard."
"Have these creatures stated any specific purpose for why they came to Earth?"
"I think it would be most appropriate to let them speak for themselves. With assistance from their computer systems, we've translated their formal declaration of intent into human language. If you're ready, I can present it to you now."
"Please proceed, Nettie. We're ready to hear their message," Nancy of the First Chair says.
"I'll read you their prepared statement. This comes directly from the highest commander of their fleet:
"'Earth people: We believed you were extinct. During our last three surveys of your solar system, we detected nothing but lower-level organisms. Our home systems are severely overcrowded and we desperately need room for expansion, so we came to claim Earth as our own territory. We had no knowledge that you had rotated to a new phase angle and were still alive. We also didn't know you were planning to return to your planet. We don't actually understand where you exist in your rotated state or how you've managed to survive. This is knowledge we very much want to acquire.
"'Because we were unaware that a higher species had already claimed this world, we have made a serious error and placed ourselves in an extremely difficult situation. We are a colonization fleet. The majority of our crew are female and have already conceived. Each female can spawn up to a thousand eggs, which will eventually hatch within her body to be born alive. If we cannot find a suitable planet where they can spawn, our females and all our young will die.
"'It took over a generation to travel from our home system to yours. Many of our current crew were children when we departed. Even though we utilize trans-dimensional portals to traverse the galaxy, it's still an enormous distance back to our home worlds. If we attempt to return now, we will become death ships, bringing back only bodies for burial ceremonies.
"'Given our desperate situation, and knowing that you are a moral and compassionate people, we are confident that you will allow us to share your planet. We can assist in the restoration efforts to prepare it for both our species. We know you will not allow us to die. Thank you for your time and consideration of our message.'
"That concludes their official communication."
"Wow," Pat says, clearly moved. "They really are in a terrible predicament. This is a classic case of knowing too much for our own good. If they had continued attacking the planet, Nettie probably would have destroyed their entire fleet and we never would have known about their situation. We would have been completely justified in defending ourselves. Now we're faced with an incredibly difficult moral choice. Can we allow them—with all those pregnant females—to die in space? I don't think we can. So we have to figure out a plan for sharing the planet. I honestly don't see any other alternative."
"Of course there's an alternative," Richard of the Third Chair interjects firmly. "It's exactly the one you just mentioned—they die in space. This isn't about what we know or any kind of moral justification for our actions or inaction. They made a catastrophic mistake, and there will be consequences for that mistake. We didn't create this situation, so we shouldn't be compelled to take responsibility for solving it."
"As this being has indicated, there might be some significant advantages to sharing the planet," Nancy of the First Chair points out. "They already have level 3 technology set up and operational, while we're going to have to rebuild ours completely from scratch. We should definitely consider it as a viable option, since there could be substantial benefits for both species."
"I seriously doubt they have any intention of sharing their technology with us," Speaker Robert of the Second Chair says skeptically. "Based on everything we've discussed, they'll probably use their technological advantage to enslave us. Nettie, wasn't there a time in history when more than one human species shared the planet?"
"There have been numerous human-type species on planet Earth throughout its history," Nettie confirms. "The most recent example was approximately sixty thousand years ago, when modern humans—which is the model you're based on—shared parts of the planet with Neanderthal humans."
"What happened to the Neanderthals, Nettie, and what role did modern humans play in their fate?" Robert asks pointedly.
"A very small portion of Neanderthal genetics was absorbed into Homo sapiens through limited interbreeding, but due to significant genetic differences, it represents an insignificant percentage. Homo sapiens, being the more aggressive of the two species and somewhat better adapted to changing climate conditions, out-competed Neanderthals for land and resources. Homo sapiens treated Neanderthals with disgust and hostility, driving them to the brink of extinction and ultimately beyond it."
"Taking into account what we know about our own history and what we've learned about this new species, do you believe, Nettie, that a similar conflict would inevitably emerge between our two species if we occupy the same planet?" Robert asks.
"Given the fundamental nature of both species, unless they both rapidly evolve into pacifistic societies—which is extremely unlikely and wouldn't be part of any realistic planning scenario—such a conflict is virtually inevitable. The statistical odds indicate with near-biological certainty that after approximately a millennium, only one species would survive. At this point, our new visitors would have the advantage to become the survivors."
"There's also the factor that they come from a populated star system where they can receive reinforcements and supplies in case of conflict. Humans would therefore need to establish alliances that could come to their aid as well. What we're really talking about is a millennium of unending warfare, ultimately resulting in human extinction. My conclusion is that if we open our shield and allow them access to the planet, we're essentially just handing the planet over to them. There would be no point in even considering re-population if that scenario unfolds," Robert states grimly.
"So this really comes down to two choices," Richard summarizes. "One: we let them die. Two: we let them stay and we eventually go extinct. The only difference is how long it takes for those consequences to manifest themselves. Is there another option we've failed to consider?"
"The only other possibility I can think of would be helping them get home more quickly so they don't die in space," Pat suggests. "I really don't think this should be a hasty decision, though. If we take several days to consider all angles carefully, new options might present themselves that we can't see right now. Are you feeling alright, Sally? You look like you're about to be sick."
"I do feel sick, actually," Sally admits. "I've been having these intense feelings ever since we first learned about these lizard people. It's this nauseating sensation coupled with the strongest sense of déjà vu—like 'Oh no, this is all happening again.' It feels like I'm trying to remember something important, but I just can't quite grasp it." Sally pauses, then looks determined. "Hold on, everyone. I don't know why, but I feel like I can do something here." She raises her arm into the air and closes her fingers as if grasping an invisible handle. Then she brings her arm down hard, as if yanking on that handle. There's a brilliant flash at the back of the room and a loud crash of chairs and tables being knocked over. Josh picks himself up off the floor, dusting off his clothes and looking quite surprised as he tries to orient himself. Finally, he turns and sees his old friend Sally sitting at the conference table.
"That was incredibly rude, Sally. Why did you do that? You know I always prefer to make a subtle, low-key entrance," Josh complains.
"Hello there, my little soldier boy. Come sit with us at the table. We need to have a serious talk," Sally commands with unmistakable authority.
"Soldier boy? Where did that come from, Sally?" Josh asks as he pulls up a chair.
"When was the last time I called you that?" Sally asks directly.
"Do you really want to know the answer to that question, Sally?"
"Cut the crap, Josh. Just answer my questions straight. I don't have the patience for your usual evasive word games," Sally fires back.
"It was a little over twenty thousand years ago," Josh answers simply.
"I was afraid you were going to say something like that," Sally sighs. "Bear with me, everyone. I've been overwhelmed with this sudden rush of emotions, but with very little concrete detail to go with them. I think Josh has those details, and I'm going to get them from him. This is going to be some very personal information, but I believe once I get it all sorted out, it will contain the solution to our current problem. Josh, tell me about twenty thousand years ago. Don't leave out any part of the story—I want to hear absolutely everything."
"Alright, but remember, you insisted on hearing this. Twenty thousand years ago, we were both human. We were living in the northernmost region of an island nation that later became known as Japan. This was long before the modern Japanese people migrated to the islands. We were part of a group of Mongolian people who later became known as the Ainu—the aboriginal peoples of Japan. We were caught in a brutal conflict between invading tribes from the south and glacial ice at our backs, but we were holding our ground and actually pushing the aggressors back. You were the daughter of the tribal chief.
"Because of your position, and because you could be extremely unpleasant when you didn't get your way, your father allowed you to become the warrior priestess of the people, even though those duties were normally reserved for men. In that position, you had your pick of all the young men in the tribe. You chose a young soldier boy to be your consort. That soldier was me."
"I knew it! You're my ex! That explains everything—why I find you so irresistibly attractive one minute and completely infuriating the next. It all makes perfect sense now. But there's more to this. There's something connecting my feelings from that ancient history to what's happening right now. What is that connection, Josh?"
"I'm not entirely sure, Sally. I can't feel exactly what you're experiencing. If you can describe your feelings more specifically, I'll try to help you interpret them."
"The best way I can describe it is this overwhelming feeling that this situation just isn't right. Back then and now. These events are unfolding—they're ugly and painful and filled with unnecessary suffering—but it's not supposed to be this way. Something interfered and made it horrible when it didn't need to be. The conflict wasn't necessary. The death and destruction isn't necessary. I also sense spectators watching it all happen and doing nothing to stop it."
"Ah, now I understand completely. This has been a long-standing frustration of yours for millennia. The spectators and the participants. Species at your level of development, including your lizard friends currently surrounding your planet, tend to be warlike species that constantly engage in conflict. Some of these conflicts—your great wars—are extremely dramatic and emotionally intense. There are entities who love to be spectators, experiencing the drama of conflict from within your consciousness.
"There are others who arrange to be born into the species to experience conflicts as active players, so they can feel every intense detail firsthand. There are documented cases where two soldiers locked in mortal combat were actually best friends in a previous life, living out manufactured conflict to intensify their relationship and feed off the dramatic energy. I assume these are the entities you're sensing."
"Yes, those are exactly the ones I'm feeling. As you were explaining, the memories were coming back to me. Now I'm making a decision—deciding the path for humanity's future and for this current impending conflict. Tell me about the lizard homeworld. Is it actually overcrowded to the point where they desperately need new territory?"
"No, it's not. It's crowded, but nowhere near critical capacity. There are a dozen habitable planets in their sector of the galaxy, and there's plenty of room for the occupants of these ships."
"So they came here for the adventure and the drama? Did they come of their own free will, or were they somehow compelled to come here to create the stage for this dramatic conflict to play out?"
"Both, actually. They genuinely desired the adventure of discovering and colonizing new worlds, but they were also subtly influenced and pushed toward this particular destination at this specific time to create a dramatic life-or-death conflict with humanity."
"Josh, when you go back to wherever it is you go, I want you to announce to whoever needs to hear this message that the show has been permanently canceled. The theater is closed. From this point forward, humanity is not to be interfered with, and our lizard friends are to be left alone as well. We will each continue to grow and evolve based on our own experiences and our own choices. We will not be putting on any more conflict productions for the entertainment of off-world entities. They're welcome to watch our movies if they want entertainment, but they are absolutely forbidden from entering our consciousness or being born into our bodies for the purpose of experiencing manufactured conflict.
"When I think back through history, so much of the death and destruction on Earth never needed to happen. Our evolution was deliberately stunted for the sake of these entities' entertainment. That era ends now. Your job is to deliver this message. My job is to enforce it. I don't know exactly how I'll enforce it yet, but I know that I can, and I absolutely will. Is that understood, little soldier boy?"
"Yes, ma'am. I will pass your message throughout the megaverse. There will be many who are relieved to hear it. You'll also make some powerful enemies. I'm confident you can handle whatever opposition comes your way. You possess far more power than you currently realize."
"Two more questions before you go, Josh. First: Can you give our lizard friends a ride home? Second: Did we have a child together?" Sally asks, her eyes already welling up with tears in anticipation of the answer.
"Yes to both questions," Josh says gently. "I will arrange safe, timely passage back to their home system, and yes, we had a son."
"What happened to our son?" Sally asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Our son was also a warrior. When he was old enough, the three of us would fight side by side. We died in battle together, at each other's side. We have fought many battles together since then across different lifetimes. He is with us today."
"Here? Where is he?" Sally asks urgently.
"He has been an integral part of this great transformation for many years and has played a key role recently. In this incarnation, he chose to be female. You know her as Anahere. That's probably why you've felt such a strong connection as mother and daughter—because that's exactly what you are, just not in the way you thought. I'll go now and get our friends safely home. You can rest and be at peace. This conflict is over."
Josh steps away from the table and starts walking toward the door, then simply fades away like morning mist. The Council members sit in stunned silence, not quite knowing what to make of what they just witnessed. They find themselves both more awed by Sally's power than before, but also somehow more trusting of her intentions.
"Oh wow, this is absolutely beautiful," Nettie says with wonder in her voice.
"Please explain what you're seeing," Nancy of the First Chair requests.
"An enormous trans-dimensional craft has just materialized above the north pole. It's pulsing with all sorts of different colored lights in the most spectacular display. It's opening a trans-dimensional conduit between Earth and the lizard home system—a direct route. The lizards normally take advantage of naturally occurring conduits that appear when different dimensions occasionally touch and create co-resonance with each other. But this one creates a straight path directly to their home world. They'll be there in just minutes. The craft is entering the conduit now, and the lizard ships are positioning themselves to follow. It looks like Josh found them their way home. I've transmitted our final decisions to their ships' computers, and they've responded with expressions of deep gratitude. I'm so relieved we managed to work this all out peacefully. I was genuinely afraid it was going to get very messy."
John sits quietly with the girls—Penelope dozing peacefully on his shoulder, Anahere gazing at Sally with a radiant smile, glowing with the realization of their ancient connection. John is carefully processing all these revelations, organizing the facts in his mind so he'll have a really incredible story to tell. John will be sharing this story with Penelope and Anahere's children someday, and then with their children, and their children after that. And so the story continues, as all the best stories do.
