The last crate of supplies is being loaded into the cargo netting now: the critical relay gear that will let Harmonia act as a communications satellite. A crane is readied to pull the net closed, and haul it to where Melchior can get a firm grip when the time comes. From her vantage point atop the bridge module of Bellerophon, Tasha has a good view of the entire process.

Standing next to her and wearing magnetic boots for safety, Gabriel asks, "Are you sure you'll be okay on your own? The specifications we've gotten from your flying friend as far as speed goes are not terribly impressive: stators just aren't meant for propulsion in an atmosphere - but it's still faster than an airship."

"I'll never be completely safe, but that's part of life, and more so, our work," Tasha replies, turning to smile at the man. "In the past few weeks, I've learned that facing danger and continuing to move forward are good for the spirit. What about you, Gabriel? How are you holding up, here?"

"Danger? I just don't want you getting lonely and going crazy," Gabriel claims. "As for me… well, no danger until I present the Council with a cost estimate for Bellerophon's refitting. I don't expect you to encounter danger until you touch down again in the Pit – and face the press again. I hope you have a plan for explaining things to them?"

"Oh, not a clue," Tasha admits jokingly, holding her hands out and shrugging. As her hands falls, she offers in a more serious tone of voice, "However, the Press knows very little about the capabilities of the Melchior, so I may be able to say that I remained on-site again to witness the death of the plate-like creature and to confirm if the creatures can leave the Zone. Since I had extra food and water on board, it's reasonable I could remain for several days and observe. The reason for the creature's death I'll say is uncertain." That said, she leans a little closer and says, "Thank you for worrying about my sanity, too."

"Hmmm," Gabriel ponders, looking at the gleaming black-and-gold Gryphon. "I don't think you should outright lie to the Press," he suggests. "Especially if they don't know why you went out, or what you found last time. If you can put them off, even better. Say something about the Council making an official statement later, perhaps."

"That's even better. I'm not fond of lying, you know, I just haven't had the chance to consider the Press in the face of everything else." the young woman admits, turning to face her Gryphon again. "Speaking of 'everything else,' Gabriel – Captain, the Harmonia had information regarding the Markers, the Melchior, the pilots of the Magi, and their purpose … as did my meditation."

"That Progenitor mystery you dug up on Orpheus?" Gabriel asks.

Tasha nods. "That's correct."

"Any actual leads?" the Karnor asks. "I imaging the Harmonia is a bit out of date in the memory department."

"Actually, quite a few. Upon approach, hidden memories emerged to indicate the Melchior's general mission, identification, and further knowledge about the Magi and their purpose. What we suspected appears to be true: the Khattan Trade Coalition created the Magi and their support for the purpose of conducting a concealed mission in this system; that mission is to bring three of the Markers to the 'Seventh Heaven' – Planet Arcadia – in order to gain access to 'Adam,' the Progenitor, who's nature is a bit unclear and may be an entity, an entity's remains, data, or some combination of these things. Adam is said to know the purpose of the created species as well as much more. In addition, the whole of the Magi poem-code was made known to me as well as it's purpose: it's a coded mission summary for the pilots and their duties. There are – or were – three pilots, three Magi, and at least for Progenitor Markers, suggesting that any combination of three will create 'the Philosopher's Stone', the key to Adam."

"Well, I suppose knowing the missions will help in locating the Markers then," Gabriel says. "They're probably pretty straightforward, right? Or… are they like that poem about the Bird of Hermes, which didn't seem to make any sense?"

"They are exactly like that," Tasha says, turning to grin at her mate. Folding her hands behind her back, then explains, "The poems are mission codes, but they appears to be at least some part prophecy – self-fulfilling prophecy, in fact. The codes contain more than pure mission details; in fact, the mission details are generally vague. What the code really outlines is a set of occurrences, the refinement of the pilot, the nature of the pilot and their machine and, generally speaking, an outline as to what these are and how they might be achieved. I, for instance, as the Bird of Hermes, my task is set forth in the poem, but in addition to this, it also describes my nature and circumstance. "The Bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame" – by controlling my ambition, I become tame."

"And becoming tame is the goal?" Gabriel asks with a grin. "I could do that! Then you'd be happy making me sandwiches and such," he claims, half in jest.

Tasha snorts a laugh and almost smacks her mate on the arm, but stops as she remembers there may be people watching. She clears her throat, stepping back, yet smiling from ear to ear. "Oh, I bet you would! Actually, there seems to be more to it than that. Mariel may be right about the"'stone that quickens the dead" and "red and white," but I'm uncertain what "when all of his feathers be from him gone, he standeth here still as a stone" – that could mean the Melchior standing alone after all the Vartans were transferred away. In- oh! Maybe that's what the Khattans were trying to accomplish by transferring the Harbinger Clan: they were fulfilling the prophecy."

"Prophecy," Gabriel says, shaking his head. "It's all very incomprehensible to me. So you think it reasonable for that to happen, in the hope that Melchior would be recovered, thousands of years after the original pilots are dead? It would mean that the other pilots would have to be contemporary people like yourself, and that the other Magi were hidden to be found by those who fit the prophecy."

"It's possible," Tasha replies with a little shrug and a smile. "I mean, it did happen, after all. Here I am, a random nobody from Sinai who somehow managed to carry out the prophecy unwittingly. I'm uncertain just how many parts I have completed, but I've surely a few. In addition, the Harmonia's task is to monitor the Expedition and report back if 'it fails.' Given she's remained here for centuries well after the original Expedition dissolved, as well as her knowledge of the Magi, it seems reasonable she is awaiting completion of the Prophecy."

Gabriel rubs his forehead, and says, "It gives me a headache, you know? I can't really help you out with this mystery yet, though – I have too many other things to take care of. Maybe when I'm able to visit the Pit… "

The young woman wags her tail. "It's okay, there doesn't seem to be a rush unless the purpose of the Group is to locate the Markers – letting a supremacist group reach Adam would definitely be a worrisome idea. Anyway, I have a lead on the first Marker and I want to focus on acquiring it once my mission in the Pit is done. With it, we may gain more answers." She glances at her machine, then back, adding, "It would be nice if you could join me. It'll be just like the time after we first met, except this time we'll be exploring as well."

"Hopefully I've have some free time soon," Gabriel says, and looks back along the length of the Bellerophon, to the still-exposed aerospike engines.

Tasha turns, following his gaze. "It'll be a while before the ship's repaired, at least, and the Council will soon have the data they requested, so they'll need time to act on it and to ascertain what other tasks they have for us. Speaking of unfinished business and ships … " The woman takes a deep breath, exhaling as her head shakes, "I owe Harmonia an apology. It's better this way, though. The prophecy seems to be leading me to be a better person; whatever it wants of me, where ever it leads, I can at least thank it for that."

"For… what, exactly?" Gabriel asks, turning to look at Tasha again. "Scaring you with a nightmare? Do you think it was the ship causing it somehow?"

"I think … It's because whoever finds Adam mustn't misuse Adam. The right mindset may even be necessary to understand Adam. A year ago, I wouldn't have been able to comprehend what I am doing now, nor make use of what I have found in a positive way – Adam may be the same. Books speak of a path to the transcendent representing energy flowing and returning to an ultimate source, and this can be considered an allegory for the refinement of the self, as can the 'Philosopher's Stone'." She turns back from gazing at the aerospike engines, glancing at her mate. "In my meditations, the entity we wondered at spoke to me again. She showed me that sometimes the answer rests within us, and the question unnecessary. I didn't press on the matter of what she is – is doesn't matter; she is me, and I her, just as with the Melchior and I. Much was said of growth and the boundaries between self and other; this may also be important to reaching Adam."

"That would make sense, as far as the need for multiple Markers," Gabriel admits. "Proof of cooperation, I imagine."

"Yes. I'm uncertain if one person can bring all three alone. Given the time that has passed, the union may be one of generations rather than individuals, or perhaps one of knowledge and memory, like how Nora and I have become blurred. One person can be many, and many may be one," Tasha replies. She shifts her gaze from her mate to the crane, now gathered up and ready for travel. "It looks like it's time to go. I'll see you in a few days?"

"Maybe a week… Ajax has a circuitous route, and does not go directly from the Pit to here when the Council doesn't need to be brought," Gabriel says. "It will be visiting New Zion, then Expedition City, then here, then back the same way, and then the Pit… although there is also the train."

"Let me know if you'd prefer traveling my way, or if there's any problems. Things may seem peaceful now, but there's always the possibility of problems, especially with so much happening behind the scenes – politics, Abaddon, the Group, and more, I'm sure." She then grins, leaning over to give her mate a smooch before adding, "If you're in danger, I'll come running. That said, I'm sure things will be fine; seeing the various cities should be quite interesting, too."

"I'll be able to keep you updated on things as they develop, assuming the communication gear works," Gabriel says, giving Tasha a hug (without even checking to see if anyone is looking). "Fly safe. Don't drop anything. Don't think of that cargo net as a giant purse."

Tasha barks a laugh as she leans back. "I haven't become that domestic, have I?" She winks, then turns to walk over to the edge. "Be sure to call me if you get lonely! I don't think I have to say I'll do the same." She turns, teetering on the edge, and adds, "I love you Gabriel," with a lingering gaze and a smile that carries all the love in her heart. She then drops backwards, twisting as she falls and entering a glide, winging her way to her machine.

I takes some time to unpack everything, even with the help of Harmonia's clockwork avatar. Consumables are sorted, then equipment is unpacked – including a camp stove and cookware! "I should be able to connect this to my communications array," the golden robot says of the radio gear.

Tasha nods, hands on hips as she gazes down at the assortment of gear gathered before them. "Aye, that's good … good. They really thought of everything; even a stove." She purses her lips, thinking even as she takes inventory. After a minute or so, she looks up and says, "Harmonia, there's something I need to say to you."

"Are you having difficulty saying it?" the robot responds.

"In a sense, but, I think I know now – I was just delaying things." Stepping back so that she has room, Tasha bends one knee, and then the other, until she's kneeling on the ground before her. She wonder if this may be too much, but it was humiliation that helped teach the lesson on vulnerability; this time, she'll do it to herself. Given the subject matter, she decides maybe it isn't nearly enough – but it's all she has.

"Harmonia, I know you may be concerned about me, and you are right to be so. Despite all I said when we met, I was still taken in by the power you represent and I let that infect me until I began to lose sight of what's important. As a person who was born strange and poor, unable to change their fate and, until very recently, caught in a life I could not escape, the allure of power was a strong one, but I am again reminded it is not the correct path. In slipping, I have treated you like a thing and a possession rather than a person." Placing her hands on the floor, Tasha bows forward until her head touches the deck. "I am truly sorry. I apologize for my misconduct, I apologize for my poor thinking. I apologize for thinking to use you. I apologize for slipping back against my word. If you wish to part ways with me, I will take you where you desire, so long as I am able; if you wish anything more of me, please ask now."

The golden robot froze in place, with even the exposed bits of clockwork coming to a full stop. It remained frozen for a good minute while Tasha was prostrated, until it finally began moving again. "I do not understand," the robot claims. "I am a thing, even if I am a person. I was created, I was given a task. You… are my pilot. Aren't you?" it asks, a bit plaintively at the end.

Without rising, Tasha replies, "I am to you what you wish me to be, within the bounds of what others need of me, and my own ability and ethics. I am your pilot if you want me to be, for as long as you want and I am able." The young woman pauses to take a breath and think how to explain what she has said; how do you explain the free nature of people to a being who has only barely begun to realize they are a person? "What I did was wrong, Harmonia. While you are, in a sense, an object, that does not excuse my treating you like that is all you are. People – all people – deserve to have their feelings, freedoms, and identities recognized; it is a terrible injustice to treat another person like property, or to take advantage of their innocence. By becoming enraptured of power, I lost sight of these things. Again, I am sorry."

"How… how can you not treat me like an object?" Harmonia's proxy asks, it's geared face managing to look confused. "I cannot move without a controller to give me a destination. You are my only legitimate controller. Do you suggest that I must question your commands?"

"While it is not my place to tell you how to live your life, as your pilot and, if it's acceptable I say so, your friend, I would say that it is natural for people to question the actions of others in relation to themselves. And, as a person, I am flawed, and will make mistakes, just as I have done so. It is not wrong to question me, or anyone else, including yourself; in questioning we come to look in to the deeper meaning of actions and consequences, and to the essential nature of the act and, in turn, the actor." Pulling herself up, Tasha pushes her hair from her face and looks up at Harmonia. "I too am an object. Most of us can be considered to be objects, if you look back far enough. Karnor were created for a purpose, as were the species created by the Progenitor. The only difference between us and you is that we have had generations of culture and society to grow with, and to reflect off of. We are the same, you and I, you just haven't had a chance to grow along with others. And, if I can, I will I will try to find a way to allow you your own decision over yourself, when we feel the time is right. I know saying 'we' makes that a contradiction against what I said, but you are, in a sense, still a child, and it is our duty as adults to protect our children until they are ready."

"Will I have to go to school?" Harmonia asks, latching on to the 'child' part at least.

A smile crosses Tasha's face. "A school is just a place where knowledge is concentrated; we learn every day in all that we do, and there is more to life than knowledge alone."

"You'll see, take your time," the young woman adds.

"Very well," the robot notes, nodding its head. "Now that you are here, do you have a new destination for me?"

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to return to the position of the plate-like creature's remains so we can salvage some of its crystalline structures for research. If it must die, it is only appropriate we not let its death be in vain. If our research is fruitful, it will help many," Tasha suggests as she returns to standing.

"Course set, initiating stators," the robot replies. There's no feeling of movement, of course, but Harmonia is probably under way.

"I'll return to the bridge, then, after I drop these things off in my quarters." Tasha picks up several boxes, including the long weapon case, and begins towards the interior. "Harmonia, is it possible to create a remote body for you to operate outside the ship? I was thinking if you could live along side me, you might gain a better understanding of people and what it means to be a person."

"That would require constructing an actual robot of some sort," the fake Karnor-Vartan figure claims. "Programmable matter requires projected energy and instructions, which are not available outside of my hull beyond a few meters. It would be simpler to attach a transceiver unit to your implants, so that I could see and hear what you do."

Tasha glances over at that, nearly tripping over a box she almost looses her grip on. "Wha-ah!" After scrambling to keep the stack from toppling, she gets the box under her arm and keeps going. "Whew! Now, what did you say? A transceiver? I wasn't aware the technology could be used with anything besides the Melchior."

"And myself," the ship points out. "A portable transceiver with suitable power and bandwidth is possible, and would only mass about as much as yourself. It could be pulled behind you on a wheeled cart."

"That … That might be a bit too conspicuous," Tasha points out, nearly losing her load again at the size estimate. "There's certain standards and practices people abide by in a culture, and just in general, along with their wider form: politics. Understanding what a culture expects – and would be alarmed by – takes exposure and learning. The cart would alarm them, and would be difficult for me to move around with. If possible, the receiver would need to be small – pound, no more. It might be difficult to explain where I got it, too, so maybe we should put this idea on hold for now." After reaching their first destination, Tasha drops off her things, and tells Harmonia, "Off to the the bridge then. Unless you have more questions, I think I'll ask that you put me in stasis until we arrive."

"To conserve supplies?" Harmonia asks.

"Yes, and conserve myself, as well," Tasha says with a smile as they head for the bridge.

The debris field is huge, from Tasha's viewpoint in Melchior. There are 'chunks' the size of hills, 'bits' the size of boulders, and things that defy easy scaling. The island creature appears to have been built in layers, all exposed now in the parts sliced by the anti-neutronium beam. A ropy mass that looks like the roots of a giant tree might serve as nerves or brains, the rancid purple goo that has turned the ground into a swamp could be blood, and there is enough shattered crystal about to choke a canal. The horrific beak is split apart as well, showing inner workings like a rock crusher. One of the 'lips' alone could serve as a Titan hangar.

"Gods, where to begin? Is this what bacteria see when they look at us? Rhetorical, Melchior!" The Magi begins in to a circling pattern, scanning and looking for a suitable place to land with enough scattered crystal fragments she needn't be the world's largest skinner. "I'm sure Dr. Zerachiel will appreciate all this data … hmm … ah, there!" Tasha directs her machine towards the edge of the cliff where a piece of the creature flew wide, shattering across the landscape.

"I suggest landing atop one of the larger fragments," the AI notes. "I cannot analyze the liquid contaminant to determine if it is safe to come into contact with. I've been monitoring the stator for hyper-density matter reactions, but have not detected any unusual mass concentrations as of yet."

"I'll take that advice. Change course for the the fragment you prefer. As for the remnants besides the crystals, … I have no idea what I'm looking at. This is … This is truly an alien creature, perhaps even from beyond our dimension. What a shame it's visit ended so badly." As the machine soars towards its new destination, Tasha shakes her head. Was it really trying to communicate? Could there be any hope of understanding it? Was it like an animal, or sentient – perhaps even hyper-intelligent? I guess we'll never know … "Melchior, try sending a communications burst of the same type Harmonia sentto the creature before landing; we should ascertain if it is truly dead, however badly off it looks."

"Attempting the burst now," the AI reports, as the Gryphon heads for a large, relatively flat part where the crystals were blasted free. "I am receiving a response, but not from the remains," the system reports.

"Really? From where? Can you make any sense of it?" Tasha asks; could it be, one of the other creatures is attempting contact?

"Several directions, and over ten kilometers out," Melchior reports. "Most likely the smaller creatures."

"Hmm. Hopefully we haven't raised their ire, but given what happened to their larger companion, they may be hesitant to approach. We'll know if they're aware or not, at least. Frankly, I know continued contact is risky, but I can't bring myself to ignore them while we prey upon the body of their fellow for resources. They're living things; we should try and help them if we have caused them grief. Continue contact, forward signals to Harmonia for further analysis. Look for patterns and vary our bursts. Let's see if they can communicate. Just to be safe, we'll gather the crystals and be prepared to evacuate; notify Harmonia to be ready. There's one more thing … " With that command, Tasha wills her machine to land. Before she begins to gather, she takes control of her machine and faces towards the center mass.

"I don't know what god you believed in, if you even know what a god is, so I will pray for you as best I can. Thank you for this boon; I only wish your visit to our world had not gone astray. Rest in peace; may your dreams lead you home." The Melchior brings its hands together, bowing to the mass.

With that done, the machine then begins its search.

There are plenty of broken pieces of crystal of varying sizes that would fit into Melchior's shoulder-slung net bag. Harmonia also though she should try to recover a piece that still had it's roots, to see if it was connected to anything in particular beneath the skin.

"They are approaching slowly," Melchior notes. "We have several minutes before they are close enough to give chase. They have not returned any of my variant signals yet."

Tasha begins the grim task of searching among the remains of the creature, selective taking crystals of various size and styles, including several that either are, or were, connected to the shell. "Slowly … Are they curious or cautious? Oh! That reminds me: we should try and figure out what, exactly, they're all doing here. Understanding their purpose my help us understand what Abaddon is trying to accomplish. Harmonia should be able to scan from here; forward the request." As she continue to collect, Tasha ponders life, and how quickly it can change. Almost a week ago, she was terrified of this creature, fearing it might be her end. Now she picks through its corpse, fear replaced by pity.

"Harmonia reports that the smaller creatures are scavenging the outlying debris instead of coming after us directly," the AI responds after a bit. "She also notes that she cannot target anything that small, so cannot provide covering fire."

"Scavenging … Tell Harmonia that she should be prepared to withdraw, and to engage cloak after we land. Hopefully, if they're aggressive they'll lose interest once they can no longer detect us.  Add that we'll remain long enough to attempt a brief contact experiment, and we should be able to defend ourself long enough to escape." Dangerous, but are they any different from Harmonia and I? They deserve a chance, at least.

"Jets are primed for quick launch," Melchior says. "Do you want to observe further, or bring this load of material back. It does limit our maneuverability."

"Since they seem preoccupied, let's bring this load back, then return." After checking the stowed crystals, the Titan once again takes to the air, heading for Harmonia. "Harmonia:  please do a quick analysis of the remains and determine if they are safe to bring with us and not a biological hazard."

"I need them on-board for analysis," Harmonia interjects, as Melchior launches. "I will endeavor to keep them quarantined as a precaution though." Sure enough, there is a large bin waiting in the hangar when the Gryphon returns, waiting to receive the samples.

The Melchior proceeds to the drop-off container, carefully unloading the crystals but retaining the net – just in case. "There we go … We'll be headed back down now and will keep in contact. I don't expect this will go well, but it needs to be done." Soon, the Melchior is flying again, proceeding towards the creatures. "Any changes in their behavior, Melchior?"

"They appear to be keeping some distance between them, as they move inwards towards the bulk of the remains," the Gryphon replies. "There is no sign of larger organization or coordinated effort among them, and they appear to be consuming what they find."

"I guess they really may just be animals; or, maybe too young to understand. Still, we should give them the benefit of the doubt. We'll land within a mile of the nearest creature, and begin attempt to contact it once more," Tasha instructs.

"Remember that they are territorial," Melchior says. "Do you want to try the radio burst again?"

"Yes. Let's keep back a bit further then; I'm hoping we can get one alone – a horde of them and we'll have to withdraw however positive things look." Tasha leans forward, brushing her hair back. "At the very least, it will be good data for Eli."

Melchior lands about two miles away from one of the creatures… behind it. A virtual indicator lights up in Tasha's view to show that the signal was sent. The response is… unexpected. The crab creature ahead of them speeds up as if fleeing, even though the same signal brought it towards the corpse originally.

"Odd, it's retreating now. Either we managed to find the alien word for "go" at random, or direction is important. Let's relocate to a sidelong orientation to the creature." Tasha suggests.

The Titan repositions itself to the side of the same creature. The light goes on as the signal is sent… and this time the crab turns towards them!

"I wonder if the larger creature was directing the smaller ones, almost like a mothership directing its fleet. Maybe the signal contents aren't important; it could be direction, or … I don't know. What other variations are we missing here?" Tasha brings up several images of the creature, 'glancing' between them as she studies it. This is really something Eli or Remy should be doing, her experience is lacking and she feels it, even as her curiosity grows.

"Distress," the AI suggests. "From behind, it would signal flight away from the cause of distress. From the front or side, it may represent an opportunity to take advantage of weakened prey."

Tasha nods in her seat, then suggests, "That seems reasonable. Our signals may be the equivalent to barking or chirping of animals; either way, I think we're almost done here. Let's try one more signal and then we'll withdraw for now – maybe Eli can make sense of this later. Anyway: intensify signal burst, narrow range – lets see what it thinks of a 'high pitched loud noise'."

"Narrowing beam," Melchior says, and cups his wings to form a parabolic surface. The indicator lights up, and the crab coming towards them crashes into the purple-stained ground, flipping over onto its back. It's myriad spider-like legs twitch and move about at random.

"Oh! That … that wasn't what … Cut the signal!" Tasha can only look in horror as the creature seems to writhe; it may even be dying! Her fists clench; it's not what she hoped for – she wonders if it's even possible to communicate without hurting each other, when the two parties are so dissimilar and no basis for communication exists.

"It appears to be stunned, or momentarily overloaded," Melchior reports dispassionately. "It may be possible that projected signals of sufficient power can actually control the creatures. That may be what the larger one was attempting to do to Harmonia."

"You may be right. Let's record this and be on our way; I think we've bothered them enough for now." Tasha wills her craft in to the sky and back towards the Harmonia, forwarding their discoveries to the robotic ship. Once the review is complete, Tasha asks, "How's the scan coming, Harmonia?"

"The samples appear biologically inert, and pose no risk of contagion," Harmonia replies. "Still testing for radiation and field emission. There is… the crystals reflect signals in an odd manner."

"How so?" Tasha settles back in her command chair, folding her arms over her chest and taking a moment to relax during the flight in.

"There is a peculiar phenomenon that should not occur at a non-quantum level of scale," the AI responds. The hangar roof irises open to accept Melchior.

Tasha brings her machine in, landing and guiding it to the edge of the hangar. Given the sheer size of the empty hangar, there's plenty of parking space, so Tasha parks near the interior hallway so she can board quickly if needed. "I'm afraid quantum theory is beyond my training; can you explain it in plain terms, Harmonia?" Tasha waits in the cockpit for the complete safety report, taking Fred's safety lessons to heart.

"The crystal only changes when it is not being observed," Harmonia responds. "This includes reflections, which are also asynchronous with events."

Tasha blinks at this, deciding what she really needs is a scientist to explain all these things she just discovered. Then, she recalls something Fred's memory's briefly touched on. "Oh … Wait, that's right … quantum matter changes when observed, Fred mentioned something about that with certain entanglement-based systems, which I still barely understand as words let alone concepts. But, you're saying observing the crystals fixes them in … time and space I think? Or, no … you can see either where they … Actually, I have no idea. Are they safe? I think I'll go have a look."

"No radiation or other harmful emissions have been detected," Harmonia claims. "It should be safe."

"I can't stay in the cockpit forever, here we go … Melchior, commence shutdown, exit pilot." In short order, Tasha's on the deck and walking towards the open topped bin where the crystals are stored. With a beat of her armored wings, she takes to the air and lands on the lip to get a better look at what she thinks Harmonia is trying to explain.

One of the facets is facing her, and she sees the hangar reflected in it… but not herself.

"I'm a vampire," Tasha declares in a wry voice as she kneels down to peer in to the crystal, turning this way and that in the ways birds. Unable to resist, she tries to pick up one of the small sliver shards.

The smaller shard also reflects the hangar, rather than what's in front of it. But in looking at that one… a glance back shows the other crystal is now reflecting Tasha, frozen with a look of curiosity on her face.

"These are the strangest things … ," Tasha murmurs as she looks back and forth between the two crystals. "I think I see what she means … I'm still not sure I understand though … "

The reflections change once they're looked away from and back, but… after doing it enough, Tasha begins to realize the reflections she sees don't quite ring true.

It's like I've collected pieces of the unknown, incarnate in crystal form. Tasha continues to look back and forth, trying to figure out just what it is that strikes her as out of place among the various images of herself and the hangar.

The expressions on her face don't seem match what she thinks they should be, it occurs to Tasha. There must be a way to test it…

Tasha reaches in and takes hold of another sliver, holding them both up to her face. She lets them sit there for a while, both towards her face, yet at different angles, then closes her eye and opens them again.

One shows her eyes closed, the other her eyes opened.

"Oh … there's delay! Or, … wait … what was it Fred … or his memories … " Tasha peers at the crystals with her ears flattened, eyes narrowed – the answer is right there, just out of reach … " … Ah … Didn't he say you can know the position or … movement? … of a quantum particle, but not both? Or maybe it has something to do with being in one state or the other, but random … "

So long as Tasha looks at the crystals, the reflections remain frozen.

Why does one show one state and the other one, another? They're both facing me; normal surfaces would show my face in time; a camera would show the same face on both cameras… why are they different? Tasha then realizes there's only one answer:

"Harmonia! Help your mother understand the extra-dimensional crystals!"

"I am still searching for a possible explanation," the ship responds. "Will you help me conduct some experiments?"

"Of course." Tasha goes to put down the crystals, then realizes she can't quite will herself to do so! Instead; she convinces herself one should be a gift to mollify Eli and the other … well, the other is staying with her. I'm still a Vartan after all, she realizes as she looks down at the fragments, the world's most exotic shinies.

"Look into the larger crystal facet please," Harmonia asks, "and make a funny face."

Tasha does so, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes. Austere science, Tasha decides, grinning.

"Now look away and turn back," Harmonia says. "We will see if mothers are correct about faces sticking that way."

Tasha does so, wondering how long it will be before she starts falling in to the tropes of motherhood; it seems like she gained an army of children overnight.

The reflection is certainly goofy looking.

But… the eyes aren't crossed…

"Oh." Tasha peers at the reflection. "It's … not reflecting everything as a single unit, but pieces of it over time?"

"I'm not certain of that yet," Harmonia notes. "Try closing your eyes for a longer period this time."

Tasha nods, and does so. She rubs her right thumb against the crystal in that hand, wondering what the objects would feel like without her armor buffering them.

So far… they feel hard. When she opens her eyes, Tasha sees herself in the crystal, looking very surprised… and with an eyepatch over her left eye.

Tasha almost blinks, but stops herself before she can ruin what she sees. "It's not reflecting different points of time, but different space/times – different possibilities … other dimensions!" The young woman gasps and nearly drops the artifacts; they're windows in to other worlds!

"I have a possible match," Harmonia announces, sounding pleased. "It was in a reference to legendary materials instead of known ones. The crystals may be composed of toporgic, a form of organically folded space-time that could take on different forms, but was extruded by a living organism."

"Then it's even more amazing than we thought … We should get back to the Pit. Eli needs to see; this I may need to bring him on board eventually, with your permission … " Shaking her head, Tasha swings her feet over until she slides from the bin and lands on the floor with a thump of her armor. "Let's return to the bridge; I'll leave you to continue analysis and return to stasis. We'll follow Gabriel's advice and proceed to a point 60,000 feet above the Pit; wake me when we near our destination and I'll depart early in order to give the illusion I'm arriving from the Zone's direction." As she walks, Tasha lowers her gaze back to the infinitely peculiar pieces of matter in her hands. Matter, she decides, isn't very quite accurate. If she understands the description, the objects in her hands are more akin to holding bunched up gravity or a Forbidden Zone than a crystal. Whatever they are, they fascinate her; she determines to make a pendant out of the smaller one and give the big one to Eli.

From the bridge, Tasha can see that the smaller crabs have reached the larger mass of the downed alien, and appear to be burrowing into it. "Samples are secured, and we can leave when you are ready, Captain," Harmonia says, once Tasha takes the command chair.

Tasha rests the shards in her lap, settling back. While comfort is not strictly necessary for stasis, it helps her reach the right mindset for skipping forward in time. "Very well. Harmonia, ascend to 60,000 feet then set course for the Pit of Himaar. Release stasis when we're within flight range of the Melchior. Proceed; initiate pilot stasis."

The world turns silvery-black inside the bridge, as space and time diverge at the quantum level, and things become frozen. Except for the crystal in Tasha's lap. It displays a constant stream of alternate realities, now that nobody can observe it. In the bubble of frozen time, it blazes like a candle…