This is the last lab that needs to be secured for launch, and one glance tells Tasha that it has a long way to go. Two versions of Dr. Eli Zerachiel are at work, one looking a bit younger than the other, but for all their scientific know-how it doesn't look like packing or space management is part of their skill set.

It's only been an hour since Tasha spoke with Dr. Caravelli's PersoCom and her mate about her identity crisis. In the time after, she managed to get something to eat, and even stop by the kitchen to prepare an extra meal. It was there, talking with Mariel and Fred, that she realized she's nearly completely forgotten about another member of her new extended family: Dr. Zerachiel! Feeling rather guilty about this, she made a quick lunch and excused herself, deciding the good doctor should get some attention. When the hatch slides open, Tasha, in her usual lack of decorum, walks right in and declares, "Ahoy Doc! Docs! I brought you a sandwich!"

The real Zerachiel jumps a bit at the surprise entry, then smiles at the mention of a sandwich. It's the first time Tasha's seen both the real doc and his PersoCom projection-clone side by side, and the real Karnor looks quite a bit older than the other.

This observation causes Tasha to pause, then look between the two, giving them a tilt-headed eyeballing that belongs more on a true raptor than one with the head of a canine. "You didn't update your PersoCom often did you, Doctor?" She says with a hint of a tease in her voice. Stepping forward, she offers the older man the sandwich. "Or is that a side-effect of centuries of entubation?"

"Oh, that… " Zerachiel notes, and self-consciously rubs his hand over his hair. "I was pretty far gone when you pulled me out, Tasha, yeah."

"Oh." Tasha steps forward, putting the sandwich on crate when the doctor doesn't take it. She tilts her head again, and says, "Well, I think you look pretty good!" She wags, smiling.

"You must think I look amazing then!" PC Zerachiel says, eyeing the sandwich with a bit of longing. Soon enough, the real one begins eating. "So, have you come to help us… organize this stuff?" the PC asks, gesturing the cluttered lab.

Tasha grins wider at the PC's response, reaching over to swat his arm playfully. "Maybe I do," she agrees. Then, turning back to the real thing, she nods. "Well, I wasn't here for that, but why not? Aye! It's what we Vartans are for!" She turns again, sweeping her gaze over the assorted supplies. "I think I helped bring these here. Gods know what they do. Where should we start?"

"Oh, well… " Eli says, sandwich in one hand while he gestures and sprays crumbs, "most of this is for the cloning system, once it's all put back together. It's just that I'm used to working in a lab where everything has a drawer or clip or so on already there. We've got this magnetic bungee stuff… but I don't know how to organize it all."

"Magnetic … bungee?" Tasha steps forward and peers at a nearby create, looking it over curiously. "I guess we'll figure it out as we go? Isn't that the JFF way?" She begins sorting out hot to open it, and asks, "How's your research going?"

"Oh… I haven't been doing too much with it beyond a few observations, as things have been a bit hectic," the old wolf notes, waving his sandwich. " … what with the making meat and getting ready to launch. I do know that the more time a person spends with a… well, I don't like calling them PersoComs anymore, it really isn't fitting. ProjectiComs… maybe. Anyway… the more time you spend with your own, the more it will remember about things that have happened since you woke us up. Really weird. You may have noticed that Captain Akkers tends to avoid his double, so that provides a good control – and PC Akkers doesn't remember details from Amazonia or Rephidim or anything really since the original Fenris mission."

"Really?" Tasha pauses, holding the now-released create-side in a hand. "I've actually had some theories about them, too. Last night I experienced what PC Caravelli suggested was 'feedback' effect between the Terran mind-computer interface and the Khattan Melchior cybernetic interface, producing, among other things, reactions from internal coding, and … dreams of memories that I didn't think belonged to me, but to Nora. I theorized that the thing we Sinaiers used to call 'spirits,' are actually drawn to their corporeal likeness. Turns out I was probably wrong, but maybe not. Maybe there's a synchronicity effect with close contact, or a reinforcement effect, from proximity." She lets the create hatch fall all the way open, and peeks inside.

"That artifact in there frightens me a little," Eli admits, finishing his sandwich. "Not when it started projecting the PersoComs, but when it… conjured up a ghost of Fallen-Star. That's a bit disturbing, but seems to back up your notion: some physical element is all you need. Although the PersoComs are from mental imprints, yet… seem more real than the real Silent-Ones girl… "

"I think mental might be more of a true impression than physical. If you think about it, all the Melchior needs from me is my mind. My arm, my wings, my heart and legs … Those aren't as much me as my mind," says Tasha, waxing uncharacteristically insightful. She settles down on the floor and begins removing items from the crate, lining them up beside her. "And as for the artifact, I've been meaning to tell you that I was able to interface with it during a meditative session. What 'it' told me might help you understand this better."

"How did you interface with it?" both Zerachiels ask at the same time… and don't even look at each other afterward. It must be semi-common for them.

The 'Zerachiel stereo' does cause Tasha to look, though. The young woman blinks at them a moment, then replies, "I meditated besides the artifact. I don't think I told you how I located the Fenris, but as it happened, I was guided by visions while in Amazonia. I learned to meditate and reach out, and having a question, I tried again in the presence of the artifact. The artifact being nearby was just coincidental; I needed peace and quiet and Fallen-Star did too, so we both went about our business there." She returns her gaze to the create, and as she talks, she lines up items, arranging them like her memories. "What I saw was the exile woman, Envoy. But it wasn't Envoy. It was a copy, or, a projection, in my mind, to relate to me and to offer what I wanted. 'She' said that 'she' – the artifact – has memories of everyone who ever made contact with it. It remembers their memories – maybe what we call a 'spirit.' I think that's how it empowers the PersoComs. It's drawing off a spirit-library."

"Hmmm, then why didn't it use your own image?" Zerachiel Prime ponders. "Maybe it can only record you if you touch it after it's all assembled, and not just the pieces," Zerachiel Beta suggests. "Possibly. But we took it apart after the encounter with the alien, and it remembered her after being put back together… " Prime contends.

Tasha scrunches her muzzle as she thinks. The crate has been emptied, so now she's just sitting surrounded by stuff. "It chose Envoy's imagine because she knew what I needed to know, I think. Maybe also because I knew her, and those two facts gave that image weight." She stands up, then hefts a complex-looking device fitted to a tube on to her shoulder. "I think it said it knew many, many others. If it can be spoken with, you might be able to ask it questions and get answers from the people who have touched it. Oh," she looks over, "where does this go, anyway?"

The doctors come out of there thoughts, and both look at Tasha. "Oh… we were going to leave those packed inside the crate… " they say.

Tasha pauses, staring at the two men a moment, then sighs and nods. "Back in to crate you go," she says, and then flops back down on her behind and begins repacking the items. "Anyway, it may be worth looking in to. Maybe someone else can get it to answer, or maybe just me. I don't know. But they're ancient, aren't they? There could be First One contacts it remembers! Maybe even Sifrans!"

"But will it conjure up a particular spirit on demand?" Eli asks, while his twin follows with, "Or just the spirit it decides is appropriate to a specific need?" Now they're starting to finish each other's sentences.

As Tasha returns item after item, she gives the two Zerachiels another bemused look. "I was actually hoping to see Tisiphone, the divinity I resembled and the Herald I was of, back when I found the Fenris. It was my duty as the Herald to carry out Tisiphone's duties of avenging murder, in this case the murder of the Fenris crew, and especially Nora, by MOTHER. I was told with that duty complete, Tisiphone wasn't coming. Instead, Envoy was there to answer my question. So, I think it calls whowever it thinks is most relevant to your need." The last of the odd tube-machines goes back in the crate, and Tasha stands. "Hokay, which ones should I move?"

The men look around at the mess. "Well… uh… should they be stacked?" "Or kept on the floor?" "We never had to pack a spaceship before… "

Now it's Tasha's turn to run her hand through her hair. "Oi," she breathes, and then she just has a seat on the crate. "Well you let me know!" She shakes her head, grinning, then says, "You know, Gabr- … The Captain's given me the green for starting my own research project?"

"Oh, what will you be researching?" the real Eli asks, while looking about the room as if mentally stacking and placing things.

"The Progenitor Cult," Tasha replies as she watches the original think. "Specifically, it's purpose within the Joint Expedition Fleet, and related artifacts. So far, I've discovered that two Origin Markers were discovered in the time of the Fleet, and that the Melchior was created for Cult use, to carry one of the Markers. Given its class, we assume two other Magi existed, for a total of three machines and three Markers." She then blinks, "Oh, you know what an Origin Marker is, don't you? And a Magi?"

"We know about Origin Markers," PC Zerachiel notes. "There was a big deal about fake ones trying to be sold to museums back when we were a kid. Aren't Magi… the people who fixed up Eli after you woke him?"

Tasha chuckles at that, shaking her head. "No, those are mages. I thought they were the same thing, too, but it turns out 'magi' meant something different back when. Magi means 'wise man' according to Fred, and there were three in several similar ancient legends. From what I skimmed over, their names were generally known as: Melchior – that's my Titan, – Caspar, and Balthazar."

"Those names sound old-timey, certainly," PC Zerachiel admits. "So… was there a Marker here on Orpheus then, or is it stashed inside the Titan?"

"The Melchior doesn't report having it – and let me tell you, they hid the fact it's meant to carry one well! I had to dig through simulations and launch a non-listed program to even figure this much out. It asked for the Marker, told me all three were needed to reach the 'Vault of Creation,' and then it was back to business as usual." Tasha's head shakes. "As for the Marker, Mariel was able to find records of two. The first record showed Vartans in uniform around a stone object, showing a Vartan man and woman. These people are probably the Harbinger clan – the same clan that was supposed to be here, on Orpheus, but was moved to the Ark. So, we believe the Marker is on Sinai somewhere, either in the Ark, or with the Vartan clans. The second we have little on, except that it's clearly linked to Titanians."

"You could ask Fred to inspect Melchior for hidden compartments," PC Zerachiel suggests. "It's far enough away that we PCs should be able to phase through it. Although… I suppose it would be a bit dark inside… "

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend," Eli mutters. "Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Then he blinks, and says, "We should try to stack things so there's room to move around, right? How is cargo normally stowed on your airship when the main hold is full, or the cargo needs to be handled delicately, Tasha?"

"It's worth a shot. I know he thinks it's 'a really sexy bird'. Me too, really," Tasha says, laughing a little. She then touches her collar and sends, "Oi, Fred! The Zerachiels just gave me an idea, for you – you want to take a literal peak inside the Melchior? Maybe phase through it, see if you can find anything hidden?"

Refocusing after her communicator send, Tasha suggests, "Well, if we're overloaded we had to consider weight distribution, avoidance of blocking vital air and walkways, and stability. Here, since the ship is so large, weight probably isn't an issue, and there's no wind. But there is a need to move and not be crushed, so I'd try and arrange things for safety and movement, with what you might need most closest to where you can get it. Maybe secure everything individually, if you'll need it all. If not, only secure individually what you may use."

"Well, we won't be using any of it during the flight," Eli notes. Over the comm, Fred says, "Wouldn't it be really dark in there?"

"You're creative, you can figure out how to light it! What about x-rays?" Tasha sends back, grinning. "Then I'd just secure it all. Or better yet, just put it in the cargo hold if there's room. If not, stack it strongest to weakest, and strap it all to a wall!"

"A lot of it is loose… Maybe we could use that spray foam-resin to stick it all together in a blob, then melt it out later?" Eli suggests.

"That might work," Tasha agrees. "Just be careful, or … Wait, no, it's bad to use loose-but-solidifying particles inside a closed atmosphere with forced recirculation, isn't it? Wouldn't we risk clogging the filters? You could pass out from carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Oh, right… maybe we should use packing crates?" Eli suggests next.

"I think that's safest. And that magnetic bungee system." Tasha hops off her crate, then picks it right up. "Well, better get started. This brings back memories. It seems like no matter what ship you have, there's always cargo to move manually."

The real Eli finds a crate to use, with some aerogel 'peanuts' to put in so things don't jostle too much. The bungee cords are not in any way rabbit related – they're just stretchy with an anchor on each end that sticks firmly to the wall, so things can be secured against them.

"I wish we had these on The Rake; I love technology," Tasha admits. She begins stacking crates that Eli filled with packing material, largest to smallest. and securing them to the wall. "Oh, and you know, if you ever feel lonely and need someone to talk to, you can always come talk to me, right?"

"Instead of… talking to myself?" Eli asks, and points to Eli Beta.

"Trust me, I've been talking to various versions of myself, thinking I was actually Nora Argentine, and spending time as a pseudo-AI – none of this is good for your sanity. This morning, I thought I was an actual AI!" Tasha shakes her head at that; it's so embarrassing!

"Oh, I remember when that was a big argument against letting Karnors be in the military," Eli says, rubbing his chin in recollection. "A lot of people felt we should be under the same restrictions as computer AIs."

Tasha pauses, holding a large crate. Given the weight, it can't be comfortable, a testament to how hard the idea has caught her. "Oh?" She blinks, then slowly lowers the crate to the floor. "Oh." Her ears flick, head cocking to the side and eyes widening. "I see. It's hard to imagine now, but back then, the Karnors were a created intelligent species – an artificial intelligence." She pauses, letting that realization settle a moment in her head, and then goes on. "So, that argument was happening when the Captain joined the military? I know you Karnor Elite are supposed to be the best, physically and mentally. Were you better than humans?"

"We complimented humans, but still… there was always a human commander for Karnor brigades," Eli notes, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's why Fenris was such a big deal, since we were in charge of ourselves. Proof to the other races that we could make life-or-death decisions."

"But, there was Lt. Omeara, wasn't there? The … what was the word? Observer? But she was Karnor, wasn't she?" Tasha inquires as she slides the crate in to place.

"Allegedly," Eli points out. "She was second in command though, so would only be in charge half the time."

"Allegedly an observer, or allegedly a Karnor?" The young woman asks, grinning. "I think I may be allegedly something, too."

"Observer of course," Eli says with a chuckle. "She and Nora would have been challenging each other all the time if they weren't on different shifts."

"I bet! Nora would have intimidated me, if I had been on the original crew. She's a real Alpha; I just pretended to it." Tasha smiles, turning to fetch another peanut-filled crate. "So, was the Captain one of the first military Karnors? Did you ever meet Vartans? I saw we used to be mercenaries."

"I don't know much about the Captain's military career, other than that he made it to Captain," Eli admits. "I'm Science Corps., so even though I'm technically an officer everyone else outranks me when it comes to military operations. I've seen Vartans, during the fleet assembly, but can't say I ever met any until I woke up on Sinai."

"I wish I could have been there, to see the Fleet assemble. That must have been magnificent," the young woman says, sighing wistfully. "All those people, the ships, the technology! All for a single purpose."

"Well… officially a single unified purpose," Eli says. "Your own research hints that there were plenty of other purposes that different groups had. And each of the allies naturally hoped to find something to give them an advantage over one another."

"Very true," the young woman admits, which a far less enthusiastic sigh. "And I've put forward we should re-found the JEF, too. It's probably only a matter of time before this sort of things crops up in our own organization. But, at least we expect it. There won't be any surprises there. I just hope we can stick together better; I want the new JEF to be a shining example of what all of you tried for." Two smaller crates get tucked under Tasha's arms, then deposited on the bigger one, before being magnetically anchored.

"Oh, you mean assume everyone is a spy?" Eli asks. Zerachiel Beta is lost in thought… or just admiring the way Tasha moves things around.

Used to having men stare at her while moving things, Tasha doesn't break a sweat while arranging crates. "I'd prefer to be less pessimistic," she admits. "The JEF should be a positive thing, the … Karnor Elite for the Sinai System. Ultimately, we're the last ones we know of to carry the original mission – or missions – or our ancestors. We know the truth, and we hold the knowledge that was lost. We should try and be good examples and positive role models. We should better our worlds."

"Well… I wonder how it will work," Eli mutters, his eyes gazing off into space once more. "There'll need to be an entrance exam. Some of the recruits will only be there because they don't want their people to be left out… And there could be saboteurs, or technology thieves. There wasn't any kind of universal screening for the Expedition Fleet. Everyone was chosen by their respective governments."

Tasha returns to the unstacked pile and pauses, taking inventory and thinking. "An exam might be good, but I think we should also look out for people who show promise. We'd pick these, maybe for a special trial period? Layth and I aren't exactly first-rate picks, as it goes. We only ended up where we were by chance and hard work, but what if the JEF had already existed? Would it have taken an ex-slave? A shiphand who could barely speak Standard?" The woman inhales deeply, letting it all out with measured restraint. "I'd hate to lose someone because they just didn't have the chance to grow up educated."

"So, a 'by invitation only' policy to start with?" PC Eli asks.

Tasha's ears lay back, and she winces. "But … if we do that, the governments might think we're elitist, insular, headhunting, and lacking in equality," she admits, sounding none-too-pleased about the realization. "We'll have to use both methods. We can have governments submit people, and we'll review them. Then they can undergo our own training and we can get a better look at them. People we invite we'll go it the same way, and perhaps need approval by either a collection of officers, or by … founder consent? But then that makes us seem self-serving and dictatorial. Ugh!" She shakes her head. "I hate politics. Want to just become pirates?"

"And can you really trust anyone a government assigns to be reviewed?" Eli wonders. "I'd think volunteers are the way to go. Otherwise the best people may never get a chance to try."

Tasha bobs her head to that. "Yes, I think you're right. We may still get governments sending their agents, but at least we'll have more control. We'll just have to try and appear even about who we picked. Not too many Karnors, not too little Silent-Ones. And so on."

"We could offer application forms in public," PC Eli suggests. "After getting permission from the local authorities to do so, of course. They may not want a strange, para-military group recruiting their citizens. Fear of turning them into spies against their own people and all that."

"That makes sense; I've already turned against my own government, after all." Tasha grins, then begins stacking small crates in her arms. "And that reminds me of what you said: technology. How do we safeguard our technology? I still remember Fred's vivid movie about the discovery of splitting the atom." She turns, and moves to drop off the new stack.

"Well, I really don't know how much has been lost or not over the centuries," Eli notes. "And the weapons we have… well… they probably have equivalent ones that are easier to make and maintain."

"That's true. It's not like we've been using ion cannons," agrees the young woman. "We'll probably just have to limit who can access what, and make sure the system keeps track of access. We'll also have to consider just how we arrange our own military power. We don't want to scare anyone, but we both know the Sinai System is full of dangers. It's only a matter of time before all these defense drills become real." She drops off the crates, then eyes her dwindling pile of unpacked items.

"Oh, did you want help with those?" Eli finally asks, realizing Tasha has done all of the work.

The young woman looks up from her mental inventorying, then blinks. "Are … you teasing me?" She asks, grinning widely. "No, don't worry about it! This is what I grew up doing; moving polygons around is actually relaxing! With all that's happened, I've felt my sense of self become shakey. This helps ground me."

"Really?" Eli asks. "Well… can I get you another box then?"

The woman laughs, holding her hands out. "Oi, sure! Give me all you have left; I'll put it somewhere. You may want to save a few, just in case Fred's filled my baby with Cheronkov radiation and I need to relax quickly."

As Zerachiel goes to fetch another box, Eli Beta leans against a table and waggles his eyebrows at Tasha. "So… you really think we're handsome? Because Real Eli needs a girlfriend, if you know of anyone… "

Tasha laughs again, then pulls a crate over and leans across it, grinning back. "Oh, I know a few people," she says ears perking. "Does he have a preference? Karnor? Alive?"

"Alive certainly!" Eli Beta notes. "We PCs don't have insides, much less… ahem. Anyway, we're open. He liked the bunny priestesses, but of course prefers Karnors. She just needs to be smart and funny and have a background in chemistry or physics."

There's a long pause, then Tasha just breathes an "Oi," and starts rubbing her head. "Well, that leaves out everyone I know. Chemistry and physics, as an education, just don't exist on Sinai. The closest thing there is might be some alchemist or what-not, and physics is out, because no one has the instruments." She peers up, through her hands. "I'll look around Expedition City when we get back, there's bound to be people who have that background, and are smart … and funny." For a moment, Tasha wonders if pirates ever got these questions.

"Oh, I hadn't considered a mage!" Eli Beta realizes. "Someone like that would be very interesting as a partner… "

The shaved skin on Tasha's neck is the only visible indication of her blanching, but the way her face contorts in to a look between disgust and horror says her opinion of dating mages well enough. "No!" She barks, holding her hands out. "I mean … " Her hands waver. "That is … " then, they just fall. "Oi, well, maybe mages have … some good qualities or … something. They saved you three. I can't … Well I can, but still … " There's a bit of near-inaudible muttering from the woman, then she sighs. "Hokay; look: I don't really like mages. I know we're going to need them, but old habits die hard, and even still … No. We'll have to call them something else. And, if you want to date one, you'll have to ask someone else!"

"I thought you disliked magic, not mages," Eli Beta claims, sounding apologetic. "That white deer woman… the memory isn't clear for me yet, but she seemed nice… "

"Mages and magic are almost the same thing; you can't be around them without some kind of magic. When we establish the magic – wait, no!" She puts her hand down, thumping it against the crate. "No more talk about magic. We both know it isn't even magic, it's … Sifran spacial manipulation! We'll call them … Probability Field Technicians Or … " Head shaking, she leans back and admits, "Hokay, let's just … When we establish the … Not-Magic Corps., I'll be in another room. We Vartans will go have a barbecue. Something!"

The PersoCom just stares at Tasha apparently going mad. "Umm, is this going to be a major issue? Are you the only one who can't think about magic, or is it common on Sinai? It can't be common on Abaddon, since they just got magic… "

Tasha blinks; she hadn't considered Vartans on Abaddon might be okay with magic! It opens a horrible slew of Vartan-magic possibilities! "I need a drink," she whimpers, dropping her head don t the crate and sinking to her knees, ears flattening. "Vartans and magic? What an awful thought! I put up with it because I had to!" Those golden eyes peer up, watching the man across from her. "Vartans hate magic," she declares, as if it were a law of the universe. Newton's First Law of Vartans, perhaps. "Captain Eyeshine won't even let one on the ship! I'm pretty understanding for a Vartan, magic-wise. The others … Oi, no. And Titanians too, I think. I heard they don't like it either. Something about gremlins? But to think there might be Vartans here who like magic … " She shudders.

"So, this is really more of a religious belief," Eli Beta concludes, as Eli Prime returns with a flat-pack crate. "Back!" He announces, and proceeds to unfold the crate into it's box shape.

"You … You could say that," Tasha admits, nodding a little. She stays where she is though, head on the crate and ears flat. "It's even more painful when I realize magic and technology are the same thing, and I've been working with ma … ma … mag … SPM field disturbances, personally! My life was a lot simpler a year ago." She reaches her hands up, almost desperate, for the box.

"What did I miss?" Eli asks as he hands over the box. "The memory transfer thing only works one way – I haven't 'remembered' anything that Buddy has gone off to do on his own as an experiment."

Tasha takes the box, then stands up, hugging it to her chest. "We were talking about how we're not going to involve Tasha in any research department that requires magic use."

"Oh… why not?" Eli asks. "I think we'll need to research it heavily, since we'll probably need it to keep things going – if possible – once our fuel reserves run out."

"Ahh!" Tasha goes to clutch her head, then has to scramble to not drop the box. She holds it so tight the edges begin to buckle. "That's … that's horrifying! We need to create more fuel pellets – we need to ASAP!"

Both of the Karnors jump and hide behind a crate at the outburst.

Peering over her own box, which she clutches like a stuffed animal, Tasha stares down at the two men – and looks a little wild-eyed.

"I'm sure Dr. Caravelli could help you get over your… thaumaphobia… " Eli suggests from a safe distance.

"I'm going to the cargo bay to move boxes around now." Tasha takes a step back, "I hope you enjoyed the sandwich." Another step. "It was nice seeing you." Then, she turns and hurries out the door!

"Strange girl," Eli mutters. Eli "Buddy" Beta nods, and adds, "Nice butt though."