Tasha is awoken by a mechanical sounding chime. She finds herself still in the pilot's chair, but with the interface disconnected. She isn't certain at what point she fell asleep during Gabriel's reading of a story from Old Terra, but at least she didn't have any dreams or nightmares, and the chair adjusted itself to keep her comfortable.

Tasha squints, bleary, then pulls herself up to a more dignified seated position. Her look around is interrupted by a cavernous yawn and a stretch, arms pulled high above her. "Oi," she breathes. What was I … Oh! Her ears perk, then splay. Oh. That's right. That dream, then … Gabriel. She exhales as she drops back in her chair, head shaking. A dream. All that for a dream? Was it really a dream? Even if it wasn't, when am I going to stop running to Gabriel – or really anyone – like a scared child when I get pushed too far? I have the power to … to destroy the … He internal point is broken off by the realization of just what those words mean. While it does strike her ridiculous that the person who now wields the single greatest military strength on Abaddon just ran to her boyfriend like a scared child, the greater concern of being able to destroy the world overshadows the lesser realization like an eclipse. "I … Oh." Tasha twists her muzzle, eyes darting here and there.

"Did you sleep well?" the voice of Harmonia asks. "Do you require a toilet?"

Tasha's ears perk all over again. She realizes, yes, she did actually sleep well. The dream still seems to be there, but much of the shock has worn down in the passing of time, and sound sleep.

"I certainly did, Harmonia," she replies, taking a moment to adjust her uniform and trying to at least look respectable. "How are we proceeding?"

"We are now at maximum flight range for Melchior, if you still wish to fly ahead," the ship reports. "I would recommend delaying longer, however, to ensure a reserve power supply. I do not know if you have recharging facilities at Tartarus."

"We do not. Thank you, Harmonia." The young woman works her muzzle a bit more. She's in no hurry to rush home now; while talking to Gabriel was a comfort, she's uncomfortable with the respect he must have lost for her when she sought him out. She now has more power than she could have ever dreamed of – power to destroy, power to conquer, technology beyond imagining. Her responsibility to the world and her allies has grown so large as to be difficult to comprehend, but she knows she must comprehend it. She must master it, before it masters her. I can't keep running away from my fears. While she admits to herself she stood up to those fears eventually, these moments of growth always seem to be preceded by embarrassing and dangerous moments of weakness. Movements like a tide, making her life and the respect she gains from others unstable, inconstant. I need to be more like Gabriel. More like … her. I just can't become her.

Empress Tasha. As Tasha thinks back on her dreamworld other, she finds the unsettling feelings return along with her revulsion towards what she could become. But even for all the Empress's faults, Tasha must admit she admired her strength. She was a version of herself who had overcome self-doubt; who had gained the will to command others. She did not balk before the death she knew was coming; she did not fear when she realized she would lose. The Empress kept fighting until the end, even if, deep in her heart, she knew she had nothing left to fight for.

"She fought to die … " Tasha murmurs under her breath as the gears turn. What would she have been like, if she still had something to believe in? To fight for? Tasha doesn't know, but she can at least accept the dream was informative. There is much that she could learn from it, if she has the strength to study it and not run away. "Empress … could I really … ?"

"I do not understand the context of your query," Harmonia reports, obviously eavesdropping on Tasha's muttering.

Tasha's ears flick and she is silent for a moment as her thoughts race. Then, "Connect with me, Harmonia. I want you to see something."

The interface arm extends and makes contact with the studs on the back of Tasha's skull. There's a slight blurring of her vision for a moment to indicate the connection.

"I had a dream, as you know, Harmonia. I am uncertain if it was a message, or simply a nightmare – but I believe it may have been Abaddon trying to connect with me. In this dream, I saw what could be, and the end Abaddon wishes from us. I would like to share it with you, so that you may see what may happen if we accept his use of us," Tasha offers, laying her head back and closing her eyes.

"You will need to focus and relive the memories for me to access them," the AI responds.

"I will do what I can. It will not be pleasant for me; please do not interpret the memories as commands, not accept them as the true nature and outcome of the people involved. Many of the people you will see are very close to me, so keep that in mind." Settling her hands upon the armrests, Tasha lets her mind settle as she had been taught to for meditation. After taking one last inhale, she begins the process, starting from her earliest memory of the dream and moving in sequence.

It takes time, and is hard to focus on the main narrative without spinning off into extraneous flashbacks. But eventually Tasha gets through it all, partly thanks to the PersoCom training that lets her focus on traumatic memories.

By the time she's done, Tasha feels like she's aged ten years. So many dead, so much lost … Could that really be her, in another life? "Upload complete." She announces, feeling tired from the emotional drain. "Please share your thoughts about the memories when you are ready."

"It seems very impractical," Harmonia explains. "The energy expenditures would exceed my reserves."

Tasha's brows raise. "Anything else?"

"The end goal was not strategically sound," the AI criticizes. "But dreams are not known to be rational, according to my knowledge-base."

"That is a very … rational review of the dream. Thank you for your input." Inside, Tasha realizes this is the same behavior the dream suggested and corresponds with what she already knows: Harmonia, like Melchior, lack sufficient understanding of emotion to interpret what she observes beyond raw, emotionless logic. Given all that just happened, Tasha isn't sure she envies or pities such a state at the moment. But there is more, and so she leaves reflection for later. "We can test the nature of the dream: do you have a Super-Gryphon kit?"

"It may be possible, with experimentation, to convert some of my own stators into smaller versions that can be integrated with the Gryphon," Harmonia claims. "However, it would be difficult to retain the overall shape of the mecha as it exists now. A nuclear reactor would need to be attached to supply sufficient power. While my own antimatter reactors are much smaller than a standard thermonuclear power source, they would not be suitable for integration into something as fragile as a Gryphon."

"So, possible." Now that's surprising. Tasha didn't expect a result of 'maybe,' simply "no." There's no way to determine if the 'Incursion Stator Crystals' work as the dream predicted, not yet anyway. Even if they did, Tasha remembers considering them for such a use prior to sleeping. Most likely, just a dream then. It's still instructional, though. I think, it must reflect my fears of power, and of ambition. But if this is what Abaddon wishes of me, then maybe it's useful as an outline what may happen in the future. If not with me, then others. And the confidence … That I need to learn. Head shaking, Tasha thinks to the Harmonia, "Yes, an antimatter breach would be problematic, wouldn't it? It's all something to consider, if ever it must be done. What about the weaponry?"

"Projectile weapons are almost infinitely variable," Harmonia claims. "Directed energy has power use and rate-of-fire trade offs. The opposing 'Themis-Skoll' Gryphon is clearly based on unknown advanced technology which the Expedition would not have brought with them, but which is theoretically possible or may have existed at the time of the Expedition, but simply been considered too unreliable or complex to bring."

"Planet-Buster kinetic weapons are ancient technology," the machine adds.

"Thank you, Harmonia. I think we can safely dismi-" Tasha pauses at the mention of 'planet-busters,' briefly wondering just what sort of universe Gabriel came from, then nods. "Um, yes. Just a dream. Let's put it aside, now, and focus on less fanciful concerns. Harmonia, do you know what, exactly, you were here to observe? Given your location, would it be the non-Khattan Expedition species?"

"I was tasked with observing the course of the Expedition," Harmonia replies, "And to report back if the endeavor failed. I cannot determine yet if the Expedition has been a failure, however. I do not have access to enough information – it was not expected that the fleet would settle the worlds of the Primus system, or that so many would be habitable."

Tasha nods slowly. Interesting. "We can infer you were to report back to the Khattans, but several Khattan ships also made planetfall, so these ships were not part of a 'wait and see' plan, were sacrificed, or ran in to unexpected problems. And this all begs a question: are you still in contact with the Khattan Trade Emirate fleet, or any land-based operation? With the weaponry you possess, it seems clear that your overseers felt there was a end result that would require it; do you know what that was?"

"My weaponry is incidental, and part of my interstellar drive system," Harmonia explains. "I am not in contact with any Expedition races or intelligences. You are the first. I was designed to operate without a crew, since the estimated transit time back to Khattan space would be 13,000 years at near-light speed."

"I didn't realize you had an interstellar drive unit," Tasha admits. She had heard of these machines from Fred and others, but she had expected them to be long gone – decayed relics of another age too sophisticated to survive. "And, clearly, the Khattans prepared for a very long-term situation. Given my own findings, I know life can be prolonged for vast expanses of time, so it seems possible the originators of this experiment may still exist somewhere in the universe, waiting to see if their plan reaches completion." Tasha shakes her head; 13,000 years! "And I am your first meeting? I'm sorry you had to wait so long; I'm sorry I don't have more answers for you. Perhaps, we can find them together. But, let's keep thinking: Does your drive unit still work? Let'ssee … Oh: The Magi. You recognized the Melchior, making you the first electronic database to do so outside the Melchior. Does that mean you know the details of the Magi units and their markers?"

"My stardrive system is still operational, however it is purely relativistic. This is due to then unpredictability of faster-than-light systems within Sifran Space," the ship notes. "I do possess encrypted information about the Magi mission, however it only became available upon recognition of your Gryphon."

"Well, a relativistic drive is better than no drive at all. That is, of course, if you chose to use it on behalf of yourself, or others." Tasha tilts her head, thinking. "What data was revealed to you about the Magi's mission?"

"The mission is encoded in poem, which each of the Magi having their own verses," Harmonia says. "It is unclear if each of these poems relates directly to the mission of that particular Magi, as it seems they all have the same ultimate goal: to find the Hall of Souls, in the Seventh Heaven, and seek out the will of Adam in whose image the Marker Races were created."

Tasha nods slowly, tapping her muzzle. "I'm aware of the the poetry; it was detected written to my mind during a Terra-Khattan feedback problem I experienced after intensive Terran-based knowledge encoding. The Bird of Hermes. That's how you, and for that matter my dreams, seem to acknowledge me and/or my Titan." Lifting her head, Tasha wills the display to show the surrounding waste. The gears, with their perfect harmony, tends to put her at ease – right now she wants to be alert. "The Hall of Souls was guessed at by another member of the current JEF, as well. The Seventh Heaven is Arcadia, the planet of life. A planet of life would make sense as the origin of the Marked species. It may be that Adam is the controller of the planet Arcadia, just as Abaddon appears to be the controller, or defense mechanism, of this planet. Do you know where the other Magi were based, what their marker was, and who the pilots were for all three machines?"

"I know their designations, but it is not as clear from context who their pilots would be," Harmonia says. "I suspect Caspar to be piloted by an Imperial, although it is also possible that it may be a Khatta, as the pilot designation from verse is Serpent of Arabia, which may be taken literally or culturally. Balthasar's pilot is Homogenie, which may refer to a human or to a Silent-One."

Tasha picks her datapad out of its case and activates it, scrolling through menus until she finds what she wants. As she records this new information, she asks, "Do you know the poems for the other two Magi?"

"Yes, as well as the final verse which appears to denote their purpose," Harmonia says. "Which would you like to hear first?"

"Let's hear the poems for the two first," Tasha thinks in reply, datapad at the ready.

The AI announces, "The poem of Caspar is as follows:"

"Balthasar's verses are:"

Tasha listens intently, and while not necessary, even her ears are perked. Seconds in to the verses she begins typing them in to her datapad under the section for their respective Magi. When the verses complete, she stares down at them even as they echo in her mind. "Mysterious," she admits. Pointing a finger to the first set of verses, she remarks, "By the wording of the first, I suspect a Khattan. The Khattans 'lead this game,' the Expedition. Wood and wild could refer to the degeneracy of technology and society, or to the difficulty their plan imposed. Meek and mild could refer to the downfall of their ships, society, and technology; they no longer guide, nor does their technology place them superior. The Sun and Moon could refer to these planets, destroying technology, and the final lines elaborates on their downfall."

"Now, the second set of verses … It could be either. The Silent-Ones interpret their society as laid down by the Star, their god. Come to think of it, the 'Star' suggests a centralized creator deity, as well. They call their leaders 'Archons,' which meshes with the name used to describe Adan's mates. They are certainly homogenous … all looking the same, under the same law. I'm uncertain about the final lines, however: does this mean their Star beliefs are the answer? Or is it humanity's teaching and leading?" Her head shakes. "Time will tell, I suppose. What is the final set of verses?"

The ship recites:

After jotting the final verses down, Tasha smiles. "This, at least, I understand: the Trinity are the three Markers, which appear to be necessary to create the 'Philosopher's Stone' – which must be the key to Adam. The Melchior confirmed this, stating 'all three are needed.' It looks like, if I intend to complete their ancient mission, I have my work cut out for me. I don't even know where the other pieces are, except for a single lead on the Marker of Vartans."

"It may depend on which races you interpret the verses to represent," Harmonia suggests. "Are there central populations of Khatta, Silent-Ones, Imperials and Terrans beyond Abaddon's civilizations? Do you already suspect where the Vartan Marker is located?"

"There is a central population of Khattans in the Himaarian desert of Sinai; it is the only population of Khattans I am aware of, but there may exist other populations on planets beyond Sinai and Abaddon. Likewise, there is a heavy population of Imperials in Nagai on Sinai, while the Silent-One population was enslaved long ago, and dispersed; I do not know where their ship made planetfall. Humans … ," Tasha squints. Where has she seen significant groups of humans outside Abaddon? "Humans … Ah! Near the Ark ruins, and, of course, here with the Expedition. I think I remember seeing a few in Chronotopia on Sinai, as well. As for the Vartan Marker … ," Tasha flips through menus, to the Melchior's page. "The Harbinger Clan, who, as you can see in this image, appear to have had the Marker, was transferred to the Ark. The Ark is where I intend to start my search."

"That is a strong lead, I suspect," Harmonia says. "An entire clan would leave records."

"Yes, and their departure, if it happened at all, would have caused enough of a stir to be recorded. But, even with all of this, there's something that doesn't quite fit:" Tasha slips through menus again, and brings up a lone picture – a picture of Titanians inscribed upon an Origin Marker. "What does this mean? Further, the AI of the Orpheus suggested the Khattan feared a Vartan-Titanian alliance, because they feared the Titanians may discover a connection between our two species in the technology developed for us."

"All of the Expedition civilizations fear interaction with the Titanians," Harmonia explains. "They possess technologies that the Khattans do not understand. The Vartans also served as mercenaries to the Khattans, but that might change if they suddenly felt loyalty or affinity towards Titanians. Should the two races partner, they would be a formidable military force. In the context of the mission, it is clear that the Khattans hoped to benefit most from its accomplishment. If three Markers are required, it may mean that any three Markers would suffice, including the Titanian one. It is unclear what the reward of combining the markers at the Hall of Souls would be."

"Then there may well be four or more Markers here, and the Fleet had or knew the whereabouts of at least four of them … " Tasha purses her muzzle. This makes things easier, but injects an uncertainty as to what difference different Markers would make. "For now, I suppose I'll focus on locating the first one. The Melchior has a number of black box systems that may begin to function with procurement of the Vartan Marker, and perhaps these will lead me to further discoveries and leads. Since we've done about all we can with the Magi and Markers for now, that leads us to what we should do about you. You said your mission is to observe, and you wish to see what people are really like, so how about this: as the only pilot able to pilot you, as a JEF officer in training, and as a member of the Vartan species and Khattan fleet element, I offer to become your Captain. You will become my ship; together we will seek mysteries and interact with people, fulfilling our desires while bettering the world. What do you say?"

"So long as it does not interfere with my primary mission or expose me unnecessarily, I will accept," Harmonia answers.

"Good, I'm glad. If ever that should happen, please inform me, and I will see what can be done about it. If we cannot come to an accord, then I ask you do no harm in departing." Tasha leans back, head angling so that she gazes up in to the projected sky. It looks like I became a captain after all. My one great dream, and here it has come to pass, and I almost didn't realize the significance. How I've changed. "I will note that as an ally to the JEF, exposure may not be a problem, so long as the powers that be believe there is no danger. If you feel comfortable, it will allow you to reduce power consumption, at least."

"The sensory technology of this era is passive, and is ineffectual above a certain altitude," Harmonia explains. "I can simply remain at a higher altitude to avoid detection. Only a Gryphon or other Expedition aircraft could reach me."

"Well, there you go. Vartans can pray to you as Shiny Heaven." Tasha laughs, and the amusement travels through the link. "I guess that settles things for now. Let's ascend to a higher altitude and drop the cloak, then we can both accelerate and reduce any wind drag. Notify me when we cross the threshold for a round trip Gryphon flight. For now, I think I'll look around the ship and take things easy."

Several hours pass, as Tasha wanders the vast, empty ship. Despite the wonders of its construction, the fact that it was intended to operate without a crew means nearly all of the chambers are empty, save the one that was set up for her own use. The clockwork avatar ensured Tasha that any needed accommodations could be fabricated via synth technology, to a degree – there was a limited amount of the programmable matter available, but it was still significant. It did mean that Tasha had to rely on the food supplies she brought along, as the ship couldn't produce any.

Along the way, she learned that the power system was distributed, with each stator having its own fuel supply and power generator, while other smaller ones handled non-stator related ship functions. She wasn't allowed to see any of that, however – Khattan technology was still kept classified, even to the new captain.

Finally, Harmonia announced that they were within range of the base, while still having a large operational range buffer for Melchior to return or do other things. "Would you like me to take up station-keeping at this location?" Harmonia asks. "We are one hour of flight time away from Tartarus Base."

"That would be best, for now. I need to report to my own captain, and assure him I haven't lost my mind, as well as debrief him. I'll head towards the flight deck now." Gathering her things from her room, Tasha suits up and heads for the bay. After a ride upon the mysterious horse and chariot, she finds herself gazing up at the Melchior once more. The eerie verisimilitude between now and the dream hits her all over again, but she reminds herself, however disturbing, it was still just a dream. She's going home to Gabriel; he still loves her. The future is still bright. It makes her smile as she takes to the air.

Uncloaked, the Harmonia looks like a jewel set into the firmament – at this altitude, the sky above is dark, and the curve of the planet is clear. "What is our destination, Tasha?" the Gryphon requests, once the hangar doors fold back onto themselves like a flower closing up for the night.

"We're heading home to Tartarus. Once clear of the Harmonia, we will contact the Bellerophon and announce our approach so they can notify Tartarus to open the iris hatch." The smile hasn't left her as she settles in to the Melchior's cockpit. The Harmonia may be a grand jewel, it's beauty unmatched by anything Tasha has seen, but the Melchior remains her most comfortable place. Her world. Here, she is at peace, while in the Harmonia the ever present anxiety of its weapons, its mind, Abaddon's influence, and the lure of power lurk in every shadow, keeping her from ever truly being comfortable there. "I love you, Melchior," Tasha adds, grinning all the wider.

"I love you too, Tasha," the machine replies. "Tartarus beacon located, beginning descent. Did you learn anything from the Harmonia's AI?"

Tasha brows raise; she never expected Melchior would return her affection. Can it be, that he, too, is changing? "Yes. The Harmonia is a Khattan observation platform, completely automated, with a working relativistic drive. It is aware of the Magi, and outlined their poem-codes as well as the final set of verses. Further, the Harmonia appears to have gained self-awareness, and has agreed to allow me to act as captain until such time its mission and ours diverge. There is some influence from the planet from 'Abaddon,' which is very worrying, but I have locked the weapon system to myself, so there should be little concern over it being used."

"You were concerned about the aliens leaving the area of the anomaly before," Melchior notes. "Are you less concerned now that the large one has apparently been destroyed?"

"Others may intrude upon our space; for now, there is little we can do to stop them. A dream I had aboard the Harmonia gave me an idea, however, and I believe the corpse of the island-like creature may be harvestable for its crystalline structure – Incursion Stator Crystal – which, in turn, may be usable as makeshift stator units." Tasha purses her muzzle, bringing up an older image of the rift location, back when the large entity still lived. "The small ones should at least be manageable by existent technologies. The real problem is the gateway itself; until we understand how to close it, an unknowable – and possibly infinite – number of creatures and other things may lurk beyond it, ready to cross."

"In your experience with the phenomena on Sinai, does that happen often?" the Gryphon asks. Tasha feels the engines throttle down, as the craft continues to glide towards its destination until it's lost more altitude.

"I've never heard of a Forbidden Zone simply appearing out of the blue, let alone one filled with gigantic monsters that intrude upon the worl- … No, wait, I have heard of this: 'Bosch,' Sinai's largest Forbidden Zone, apparently has monsters that occasionally try to escape it, and it's said to drive those who enter it mad, that it is full of chaos. There seem to be similarities, but our Zone here seemed to be a gigantic vortex rather than some mind-twisting landscape. I suppose it was maddening in it's own way, so perhaps Bosch is the same, and 'mad' is simply relative here. All I really know about them is that they are very dangerous to those within, and can be to nearby areas," Tasha replies in thought. "I've never heard of anything so large exiting, however," Tasha adds. "If such a thing escaped Bosch in to Nordika, I do not know how anyone would stop it."

"Perhaps Sinai does not require as many extra elements to be brought through as Abaddon does," Melchior suggests. "It seems unlikely that the process would be entirely random. It may bear investigation into what those flying crabs are doing."

"That's a good idea. We can also infer from Harmonia's admission to being 'Enyo, Partner to Abaddon' that Abaddon, as an entity, does seem to exist, and may well be behind the rift and whatever purpose it is here for. Harmonia predicts 'Abaddon' will be victorious in 'a few thousand years,' and extended the offer to allow me to use her systems to annihilate the Expedition species here on this world. It also seems feasible my dream is a manifestation of the same sort of connection 'Abaddon' has gained with the Harmonia. If we take all this together, it seems 'Abaddon's' goals are twofold: to cleanse the planet of foreign life, and to return it to a green state. A third goal may also be to use 'our children' – which a dream suggested by be the Sheolian AI – to also assist in this process. Therefore, Abaddon can influence both people and machines through an unknown method."

"It would follow that Abaddon is some sort of ancient AI for the planet itself," Melchior suggests. "You have implants within your brain that it may be capable of accessing under the proper conditions."

"That sounds right. My guess is that 'Abaddon' is indeed an AI, perhaps the planet's defense system, or even it's primary controller and that it has become aware again after a period of dormancy. Detecting alien life, it is now attempting to remove us through the most efficient means possible, all while preparing to restore the planet to a past state. This corresponds with the opening of the rifts, which only occurred in the last few years. All in all, we must be careful – this may be only the beginning," Tasha agrees.

"Caution is proper, yes," the AI agrees. "Your dream suggests that it can influence the communal-AI growing on Sheol. You may wish to explain this to their mechanical representative within the JEF."

"From my limited and possibly imagined connection to Abaddon, I've found him to be very peculiar. He is … unlike anyone I know, as if he doesn't quite grasp personhood, nor people. It may well be because he doesn't; he is an alien AI trying to understand us even as we try to understand him. He does'nt seem to understand how best to manipulate people, at least not yet, which may be why he prefers machines and their relatively predictable logic." Tasha nods her head a little. "Yes, and to the Captain, too. It seems highly probable he may attempt to influence the growing AI nation, which, if my dream is accurate, could lead to orbital bombardment of Abaddonian cities due to the perceived threat they pose … starting with JEF facilities."

"My AI has built-in countermeasures to preclude the development of Artificial Paranoia," Melchior claims. "It is therefore possible to assume that this was an issue with earlier artificial intelligences that led to undesirable results. From what you have told me, the AI group on Orpheus is based on Imperial AI. I do not know what safeguards they would have in place, as the Imperials reserved AI for large-scale management tasks, such as starship control."

"An ominous situation, however we look at it. The Sheolian AI are also in the process of creating more of themselves, and interlinking, which may compound the problem as one paranoid AI infects others, and these more, until they turn upon us. Hopefully it won't come to that." Tasha's smile fades with the notion of just what Sheol declaring war would mean. It would force her to employ the Harmonia against them to protect the Abaddonians – it would mean genocide. She isn't sure she could kill off an entire people, but she would have no other choice. If even one shot entered the atmosphere, the JEF would be blamed, further compounding the problem. "Dark times, Melchior. Dark times."

"Time has no inherent brightness or darkness, except in cases of extreme relativistic travel where the universe appears to contract into a ring of visible matter with darkness ahead and behind," Melchior notes. "My observation on the nature of the Sheolian AI also relates to the supposed nature of Abaddon as an AI: they may be more similar to one another than to Khattan AI, which is made to interact with living beings, rather than manage the functions of planets."

Tasha blinks at the lesson in relativity, nodding a little after. "Yes … Yes, you may be right. It may well be Abaddon was never designed to interact with us, and that is why he seems uncomfortable with it, and possibly also why he is hostile. If he is as diffuse as they, it may be very difficult to oppose him should direct confrontation be necessary. It may be he does not have a central structure where his mind is housed, and even if he does, it may not be accessible. Still, Gateway Tower is human-sized, so it may be that Abaddon's central AI unit may be reachable. Failing that, it may behoove us to attempt contact with another planetary controller that has not shown hostility, to see if they have advice," Tasha replies.

"You should also consider the possible action of seduction," the AI suggests, strangely. "Increase interaction with Abaddon – and corrupt him to your way of thinking, rather than allowing him to corrupt you to his."

Tasha's mouth goes agape at the initial suggestion and she can only blink through the explanation until it becomes clear just what the Melchior is suggesting. As she works her muzzle, she replies, "That … That might be … That could be a great idea, actually. While not a strategy per se, it's what I've been doing all this time, and did with the Harmonia. It seems jaded to say I go about seducing people in to agreeing with me, but I suppose, in a sense, it's what I do. I just do it out of appreciation, empathy, and love now, where as once I did it out of selfishness and insecurity. Maybe … Maybe it will work. I would have figure out just what sort of entity he is, what he wants, and what he perceives."

"You are the Bird of Hermes," Melchior says. "Among his many roles, Hermes was the god of inspiration. The Bird of Hermes is symbolic of inspiration's ability to travel any distance, go any direction, or fly over any obstacle to reach its destination. That could also lead to ambition, unless you reigned yourself in – by eating your wings, perhaps."

"How very apt, Melchior. The poem. Harmonia did say the poems might be instructional, although I can't imagine the ancients created them just so unborn yet Tasha could some day seduce a planet and save their wayward allies." Tasha chuckles, head shaking. "I always thought you were the Bird of Hermes. I suppose we both are. As for ambition … " The woman leans back, taking a deep breath before she exhales. "The dream was instructive that way, as well. I don't think the world needs Empress Aldara Tasha Bloodwings. May she rest in peace."

"We are in range to contact Tartarus flight control," Melchior announces, rather than comment on Empress Tasha.

For her part, Tasha is glad her AI didn't ask. "Thank you. Send: "Melchior, Bellerophon, requesting opening of bay 1 and landing clearance."

"We have been granted clearance," the AI responds. "Landing in twenty-two minutes."

"Excellent. Now, why don't you take me back to that world with the canyons, where the sky is blue. I think I'd like to fly around for a while; maybe we'll see if you can catch me?" The young woman smiles, and isn't about to share some thoughts she's having. "Inform me when we are about to land."

When Tasha emerges from Melchior, she can see Gabriel through the heat distortion from the cooling jet engines as he waits on the hangar floor for her, with the Bellerophon looming behind him.

Tasha gives Gabriel a big wave before she leaps from the top of her machine and glides down to the hangar floor. Upon landing she shifts her helmet under her left arm, saluting with her right. "Captain. I'm back and I have a great deal to report."

"When did you last eat?" Gabriel asks first, then remembers to return the salute. "I want Caravelli to look you over too. How sensitive is your report? So far, nobody has asked too deeply how Melchior made it back here – it's range is unknown to most."

"I've been eating the rations I brought along in case my deep recon mission left me stranded," Tasha replies, letting her hand fall. "I don't mind an examination, but what I have to report is significant and potentially serious on a world-scale."

"Of course it is," Gabriel says, and rubs the back of his neck. "Well… let's get you cleaned up at least, then you can scare me further, okay?" he asks, with a slight grin.

Tasha returns the grin. "I missed you, too," she adds, letting that linger a moment before she adds, "Captain."