Class Thirteen

Class Thirteen

A Novella

(English Translation)

Craig Willms

Key

Ra (male) - an Overseer for the Class Thirteen Group, assigned to Earth

Mylonias (female) - a liaison between the CT Group and the Galactic Union

Class Thirteen Group - a minor agency in charge of all Class Thirteen planets and their containment

Galactic Union - an vast and ancient union of planets in the Milky Way galaxy

T'tali (female) - an agent for the ICA

Kudj (male) - a rookie agent for the ICA

ICA - Information Collective Administration, a rumored agency that deals in 'information'

da Rueu (male) - a Grand agent for the ICA

Brinait - a planet, the prime planet of the Galactic Union

Creegt - a planet that is mostly islands and seas, home of Mylonias

Kolac - a minor planet, home of Ra

Yawnor - a frozen world with one temperate zone at the equator, home of Kudj

Mecedi - an ancient planet, one of the original Union planets, home of T'tali

Donolon - Brinait's largest city and space hub

Cirillo (male) - Galactic Union executive, terraforming unit

Kalynias (male) - terraforming industry director, father of Mylonias

Mnominom (female) - an Overseer assigned to Earth prior to Ra

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

This is beginning to seem real. It's almost over. I can hardly believe it... The first two hundred years flew by, but this last century has been interminable. The end is in sight, and it can't get here soon enough. I've started to plan for a life far away from this place.

What a beautiful thought. Far away from this place...

Earth is the jewel of all known Class Thirteen planets. To be assigned the Overseer of Earth was the highest honor. Everyone knows the name of the Overseer of Earth. To be given this post was a ticket to paradise.

Earth, I will admit, is a stunning planet. None equal it in sheer beauty. However, beauty is not what makes Earth so special, so amazing, abundance is. Life abounds. From deepest crevices of the oceans to top of the exosphere, life abounds. To say nothing of all the species that have come and gone disappeared forever, it boggles the mind.

When it was discovered 33,000 local cycles ago, or years as the locals call it, Earth was registered and marked for further study. When the survey team arrived 10,000 years later it didn't take long to deem it a Class Thirteen planet. This designation marked Earth as a planet to be avoided, off limits to all.

Earth, to use the local vernacular is a petri dish. The pathogens, the biotoxins, the infectious diseases, in short, the bio-filth coming off planet Earth has no rivals. One didn't just stumble around on Earth and then drag its detritus throughout the galaxy. History is replete with stories of cross-contamination events long before the Class Thirteen designation was adopted. There would be no such repeat when it came to Earth. It was the most infectious planet ever discovered.

And so it was, that I, Ra, the seventy-seventh Overseer of Earth, having done my stint, am more than ready to depart. I've been told a mate awaits me back on Kolac, my home. Ah home, I wonder if much has changed.

Change is a relative term after spending nearly three centuries on Earth where nothing stays the same for long. When I got here, the dominant species, as it is on most worlds, were the big-brained bipedal sentients. These bipeds were organized primitives prone to extreme violence. Human beings, as they refer to themselves, had advanced to sea faring explorers laying claim to any newly discovered land they stumbled onto. Being the aggressive warriors they were they'd been slaughtering or subjugating the more primitive among them. It was nothing that hadn't happened on a thousand other worlds, but these bipeds were particularly savage. Still, it was nothing I couldn't handle. My job was to ensure Galactic interlopers didn't plum the planet for treasure and inadvertently make off with a whole host of deadly pathogens.

So, you might ask, have I succeeded? The better question is, do I care? I did once, deeply. It was true until the day I realized I had been set up to fail. How many Class Thirteen planets have been contained in perpetuity? All of them, until now.

Most Class Thirteen planets are simply ghastly places. No one wants what they have. Classifying them was a way to put them out of our minds. Many aren't even assigned an Overseer. Earth is different. Most places in the galaxy are slow to change. Earth churns. Lifeforms appear and disappear with alacrity. Lifespans are unbelievably short; nothing lasts and change is the only constant.

Earth is beautiful, alluring, spectacular on a grand visual scale and Earth is altogether unique. There are uncountable terraforming operations throughout the galaxy trying to approximate Earth's abundance. Is it any wonder everyone knows of the most famous Class Thirteen planet there has ever been.

Before I even arrived on Earth station rumors proliferated about the unauthorized trespassers taking all manner of flora and fauna off the planet. I vowed to put a stop to it. I had ordered the most sensitive and up-to-date surveillance systems available. My predecessor warned me about these incursions and was the one to recommend the upgrade. Obvious question: why didn't you do it? Ah, I see, you don't care.

This should have been my first clue.

As I settled in, I found the locals, the humans didn't bother me. I stayed out of their way and had the run of the place otherwise. Previous Overseers had spent most of their terms riding it out on the station, only going down to the surface if circumstances required it. Not me. Since Kolac and Earth have similar mass, it wasn't hard for me to adapt. Not all Overseers were so lucky.

Early on I spent much of my time in the tropics. I stayed on the coast of what became Brazil, but I also stayed on the many tropical islands where humans didn't exist. I avoided Europe and Asia or anywhere that was cold much of the time. I don't like cold.

As an Overseer you have one job, stopping anything from leaving the planet. Therefore, all your attention was outward from the Earth, looking for treasure seekers and the curious trying to enter the Sol system. Like all my predecessors I paid almost no attention to the locals. Short of their viciousness and their adventurous spirit, they were not interesting to me. They had mastered forging iron and other metals and had developed projectile weapons which they used to destroy each other. It wasn't a concern for the Galactic Union, and I admit I treated it as a curiosity. The fact they developed and applied their discoveries so rapidly was a bit of an anomaly.

This should have been my second clue.

My job was to detect any ships or probes and threaten them. Basically - stay away or else. Only a few times were the warnings unheeded, and I had to make good on the threats. The Union had supplied the means to annihilate physical ships. I took no pleasure in using them, but you do what must be done. Did any get passed me? The possibility is there, how would I know? If I hadn't been so incurious about humans, I may have deduced what was about to happen.

I spent most of the first century of my three down on the planet. The station ran itself. When the remote sensors alerted, my job was to assess the finding and take the necessary action. It's not a difficult job, but one must take it seriously. You trust the remote sensors to work, and you relax and enjoy the most beautiful place in the galaxy. Life is good.

The first-time humans caught my attention, beyond the curiosity of those thundering locomotives in the north, was the deployment of a communication system they called the telegraph. It was the first time the possibility existed of near instant communication anywhere on the planet. I found it interesting enough to include in the regular reports to the CT Group, my overseers. It didn't elicit a response, and I gave it the concern it was due, which was none.

Oddly, I found myself growing more interested in what was happening down on Earth. An Overseer is just that, overseeing the space around the Class Thirteen planet. We weren't supposed to concern ourselves with sentients. Considering most Overseers saw little change during their terms, there was almost nothing to report. On Earth things change rapidly, and it was hard to ignore.

Despite my isolation humans seemed to show up everywhere. The local bubble that surrounded me at all times was transparent to the denizens of Earth; I wasn't worried about detection or infection. It was such an annoyance to have to move before I wanted to. So, I stayed on Jaco Island often, or on any number of the uninhabited islands around Indonesia and the Pacific. The humans seemed to interrupt me the least when I was there.

There was constant commotion among these humans, and the planet was dotted with numerous local wars, which I would routinely tune out. Late in the second century a war broke out in Europe that was impossible to ignore. Their weapons had elevated significantly. They had developed flying machines which should have raised concerns among the Union's Class Thirteen executives. Again, I received no response. Still no response when I reported humans were using poison gas to slaughter each other. Apparently, it was not a concern, and I resigned myself to my primary task.

I didn't even bother reporting the curious wireless telegraphy emanating in different places on the planet. These humans have developed technology that had taken other sentients thousands of years to develop. From iron smelting to broadcasting radio waves just since I arrived. Humans were full of surprises.

What finally got a reaction from the Class Thirteen Group was my report of a nuclear explosion in some place called New Mexico. Shortly after I received the guidance from the CT Group to re-align several remote sensors toward Earth two more nuclear blasts occurred on an island called Japan. Japan had been embroiled in a massive war which coincided with another massive war in Europe. Following the nuclear explosions the war was over.

Clearly this development has got the attention of the CT Group.

Excerpts from the Journal of Mylonias (English version)

You have to admire Ra, he takes the job so seriously. Face it, most of them take the job to hide out from one thing or another, not some deep desire to become an Overseer. There are no prestige jobs, save one, that planet is called Earth. It happens to be assigned to me, and with it comes Ra.

At first, I didn't hear from Ra directly. The anchorship's control unit sends all activities in the regularly scheduled routine reports. Occasionally an Overseer would amend a report with an observation, but it's rare. I currently handle sixteen Overseers and Ra is the only one who ever amends them with his personal reports. Earth is an anomaly in more ways than one.

Class Thirteen planets change so little during an Overseer’s term it becomes an exercise in boredom aversion. Their only amusement is getting to swat a few flies from the sky. Their reward comes afterward. Overseers get a Union retirement after one tour. Ra is on his third Overseer assignment. Such dedication to a thankless job is unheard of, who could handle such boredom more than once, who would even want to?

Admittedly Earth is different, it is a treasure, and it was an honor to have the only truly famous Class Thirteen planet assigned to me. Perhaps getting Earth was Ra's aim all along. I don't know Ra personally, but I'm the one who handles all his reports and correspondences with the Class Thirteen Group and the Union.

Being a liaison is an easy job, though the tedium is hard to handle. Outsiders have no interest in it. It’s not much of a conversation starter. So, we talk to each other endlessly, speculating about what really goes on among the Class Thirteen executives. There are nearly as many of them as there are liaisons. What could they possibly be doing up there?

The Class Thirteen Group treats Ra like the nuisance he is. They don't want to be bothered with inane reports about what the local sentients are doing to each other. As it is, every personal report sent by an Overseer must be addressed and reported to the Galactic Union; that is the rule. Ra is a pest. He had already issued three or four personal reports, where most Overseers never issue even one. The CT Group does not acknowledge receiving his reports and obviously they give him no guidance. Overseers are supposed to be self-reliant; they are to deal with any issues themselves.

Class Thirteen planets are blemishes, best not talked about at all. Again, of course, Earth is different, but it is still, after all, a lowly Class Thirteen. Ultimately, it's treated with same regard as the nasty ones.

All things being equal, even I knew this latest personal report was different.

Of the 8221 planets with a sentient species in the Galactic Union only 1203 ever developed nuclear weapons and only a tiny percentage of those ever used them in a conflict. To be clear there are much nastier weapons, but few are as physically destructive as uncontrolled nuclear fusion. When Ra reported the humans had developed and used their nuclear fission bombs in such short order it did get the attention of the CT Group. While it was still no threat to the Union the conversations were fast and furious. The consensus was Ra had to be acknowledged, which, of course, would only encourage him to keep sending personal reports. No one wanted that.

The Class Thirteen Group is an insignificant offshoot of an imperceptible nub low down on the Galactic Union's hierarchy. In other words, the anus. Galactic credits were poured into it at one end, but no one wanted to know about what came out of the other end. Overseers were guaranteed Union retirement after only one assignment, so, you can see why our friend Ra is such an aberration. Not only was he doing an unthinkable third stretch he was on the reports all the time. It was rare for the CT Group to issue anything other than a 'nothing to report' to the Union. Ra was starting to get unwelcome attention. No one wanted that.

The CT Group operates on the principle that no one needs to know the family business. Any scrutiny over the large number of credits dumped down the CT hole is their greatest fear. You might think it would be serious cross-contamination event, but no, protecting the credit dump was paramount. Ra's reports were threatening to turn the lights on. No one wanted that.

The executives at the CT Group decided replacing Ra when he had such a short time left on this tour would only focus more attention on him and on Earth. No one wanted that.

I was directed to acknowledge Ra's findings and give him future guidance. To the Union I was to wrap all Ra's previous personal reports into one "reported observation" as a mere curiosity and hope the Union would ignore it. The guidance: Ra was to save his observations and concerns and combine them into one report to be issued as his final. The reasoning was, it gave him permission to chronicle what he observed but would stop him from fouling the routine reports issued from the ship's control.

With that the CT executives thought the Ra problem had been addressed.

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

By the time I received the correspondence from Mylonias dozens and dozens of nuclear explosions had occurred. I have moved back to the station for good. The humans seemed to be targeting uninhabited tropical islands with these explosions. It made me consider they knew of my presence. While it is obviously absurd, it’s still intriguing, nonetheless. Perhaps the 'uninhabited' part was the key.

I was confused by the guidance the Class Thirteen Group issued. It seemed as if they wanted nothing added to the control reports at all, ever. They must think I'm an idiot. I'm not an idiot. There is something so wrong here for the first time I question if there’s any wisdom in the CT Group at all.

This should have been my third clue.

By now I had almost given up on watching the sky, the activity on the planet was becoming far more interesting. As I tapped into their increasingly capable communication systems, I became aware of the subject of Unidentified Flying Objects. According to news reports these UFOs, as they're called, were just about everywhere. Were they real? Were they a natural phenomenon born of the thousands of flights every day by these atmosphere ships they called airplanes? I didn't know anything for certain. Out of the constant gibberish pumped out by human activity I found the topic of UFOs interesting, for obvious reasons. I had to consider the possibility we were not detecting extraterrestrial incursions as well as we thought.

I repositioned even more sensors toward the planet. I had to get a better read on what was happening down there.

The cacophony coming from planet Earth on the electromagnetic bands had been going on for years. I used to listen to the translations and the watch visuals, but it was all nonsense to me. I didn't care enough to sort it, it wasn't my job. What was most interesting to me was the coordination and organization that so many human societies exhibit. They were not the animals I thought they were. They were building immensely complicated infrastructures and were developing technology faster than any sentient beings ever have so soon after the first iron forges. I assumed for sentients with such short lifespans everything about their progression would be sped up, but this seemed extreme.

At this point I could have ceased caring. I was counting down the decades to when this assignment would be over and despite it all, to the best of my knowledge, containment was still in place. They put us out here in these positions rather than just using an automated anchorship because they want the judgement only a living being can apply. I can't just give up; it's not in my nature. Clearly based on the instructions Mylonias sent they don't want that. They want me to go away quietly. I’ll go, but not quietly.

What happened next was concerning but I held back on reporting it, torn between my instructions and my duty. A country in Asia called the Soviet Union launched a craft from the surface into near Earth orbit. It was non-threatening, but it was an advance I didn't see coming. I should have. Soon another nation, one of the more sophisticated nations called the United States was launching their own. Their satellites, as they called them, were soon dotting the space around the planet. I gleaned from the news visuals both nations had launched humans inside their rocket ships. More importantly they brought them back. It seemed as if it was a competition of sorts between the two nations. While it did not break containment it clearly was an escalation that could lead to failure, my failure.

When the United States was orbiting the Earth's moon I became perplexed. I was following my instructions, not making any personal reports, but this seemed to be worthy of reporting. I didn't know what to do. The decision was made for me shortly thereafter. They had landed on the moon. Two humans disembarked their craft and walked on the moon. Humans had left their planet and walked on another. Surely this had to be reported. I couldn't keep this to myself any longer. I resisted amending the control report and reached out to Mylonias directly for advice. This would be an unofficial communique, not requiring a report to the Galactic Union.

I never heard from her again.

Excerpts from the Journal of Agent Kudj (English version)

It’s not quite the adventure I was expecting. Considering the training and all the exciting scenarios we explored, my first assignment is a letdown. Maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be, I couldn’t say. It’s bound to get better… It couldn’t be more underwhelming.

I was told this assignment, my first assignment, was extremely important. The subject was Earth, the most infamous Class Thirteen planet there has ever been. I was paired with a Senior Agent and dispatched to Brinait to interview a young liaison working for the Class Thirteen Group. It seems to me it was more of a harassment than an interview.

I went in blind. I was told nothing and was relegated to standing by the door. The liaison was visibly frightened and had little to tell. It was clear she was shy and awkward. She claimed not to know anything about Ra, the Overseer of Earth. She could not explain why Ra was doing a third tour, something no Overseer had ever done.

Everyone learned about Class Thirteen planets as youngsters - it was one of those subjects that once explored was completely forgotten. I had not had a single thought about Earth since then. I was appropriately intrigued at first, as we all knew about Earth’s distinction among Class Thirteen planets. It turned out to be less about Earth and more about its bizarre Overseer.

Little was known about Ra. Originally from the planet Kolac he was like most Overseers, no real accomplishments and little traceable history. The only thing at all remarkable about Ra was that he’d done two previous stretches as an Overseer. That made him an anomaly, and it made him an inexplicable misfit. Why didn’t he take the retirement that was offered?

I wasn’t asked to offer any opinions of Ra. I wasn’t asked anything. I wasn’t sure why I was even there. Any excitement I had when I was assigned to this task force was quickly wrung out. I had to tell myself this was all quite normal, new agents didn’t get the best assignments.

Still, I knew this situation was important despite the early letdown. I’ve been told that a Grand Agent is involved, though I’ve not met him yet. Grand Agents didn’t take unexceptional cases. Something big was happening and Ra was at the center of it. I’ve tried to keep my expectations in check, and thus far it has served me well.

My partner, if you could call her that, never offers me anything. She rarely says anything to me at all. Agent T’tali did not engage in small talk and took zero interest in me. Clearly, she was not interested in being my mentor.

I’m not sure what they expect to get from Mylonias, the liaison. She’s young, innocent and frightened. Other than being the only one who’s allowed to communicate with Ra she has nothing to do with any of it.

The appalling treatment of Mylonias by T’tali’s shocked me. I could visibly see the liaison shrink under the relentless assault. It was not my place nor my duty to protect her, but my sensibilities could not be indifferent to her suffering. In direct opposition to my training, it was creating turmoil in my core. Training never exposed me to the presence of genuine torment. I could not let it get to me. I had to maintain operational detachment if I was to succeed as an agent.

I know that someday I may be called upon to do unpleasant things as an agent, things that would make me feared. I assumed these actions would be taken against those who deserved it. Steeped in a sense of duty to the safety of the Galactic Union, we were told they’d be necessary acts that would prevent future tragedy. I did not see that here. Mylonias did not deserve the assault she was under. She posed no possible threat to the Union.

I must push any sense of personal justice aside. She’s not my concern. My job is to do what I’m told, not to make judgements. An agent is unrattled and unshaken by events that transpire during operations, as it says in Section 42 Article 16 of the manual. Decorum in the face of challenge is the sign of a good agent. Being the best agent I can possibly be is all that matters.

Excerpts from the Journal of Mylonias (English version)

There are no unofficial communiques!

What is Ra doing? Has he lost his mind? Not only am I obligated to report this to the Union, I can't share it with CT even if I want to. If Ra was thinking I would confide in the CT Group and not the Union, he just guaranteed the opposite.

Why couldn't he just do what the CT Group wanted? He was almost there, almost done, it could have been so easy, why did he have to be so...so... Ra!

I'm ok. It'll be all right. Just breathe. This was supposed to be an easy job. Seriously Ra! No one in all the Union cares about Class Thirteen planets! They make most of us cringe just thinking about them. Once everyone gets their fill of what an anomaly Earth is, they soon forget about it too. Now this?

There are quite a few Class Thirteen planets with sentient beings on them. Never has there been any worry that they'd pose a threat to the Union. I have no idea what to expect now. There's no doubt word will get back to the CT Group, but it won't be from me. I will disavow any knowledge if asked - but they'll know. My reputation will be ruined.

Once I submitted the communique to the proper agency it was over for me, I had done my job. Ra was on his own. I wondered if I'd ever hear from him again.

Soon thereafter I was visited by representatives from an agency I'd never heard of. They were asking questions about Ra. This was not going the way I expected. It was frightening, Agent T’tali was frightening. I feared my simple life was gone. What have you done to me, Ra?

For one, I didn't know Ra and I certainly knew nothing of any reputation he might have earned from prior assignments. Agent T’tali seemed fixated on the fact he was on a third tour. No Overseer ever did that before. I was not of the CT Group; I was a liaison and worked indirectly for the Union itself. I don't know why I should be their focus, but I was. Before they left, I was told in no uncertain terms; speak of this to no one.

There was talk after that, but no one ever cornered me into saying anything incriminating. The agents visited again. They wanted to know if Overseer's are trained to ignore the local sentients and focus solely on extraterrestrial incursions. The honest answer is no, but no other Overseer had ever even mentioned the sentients. Technically containment meant stopping anything or anyone from leaving the Class Thirteen planet. Anything that was, or carried infectious matter, pathogens, toxins or excess radiation and such could not be allowed off the planet. No one ever imagined this. Class Thirteen sentients embarking into the broader galaxy on their own, simply unthinkable.

The next time the agents visited T’tali encouraged me to contact Ra to assess his motives. I cannot, I will not, I told her. I can only contact an Overseer with instructions from the CT Group. I convey instructions, nothing further. My position was a simple liaison, forwarding instructions and collecting reports, nothing more. Agent T’tali accepted what I told her but left me with new instructions: If Ra issued any more unofficial personal reports, I was to tell her and only her. When I resisted, I was warned only trouble would come my way if I didn't do what I'd been told.

How did I get here? My quiet, uncomplicated life is over. Out of the thousands of possible Overseers, I got the one who cared about the job. Ra!!!

Maybe, just maybe Ra would take my silence as a hint. I let that thought comfort me. This term would soon be over; my life would go back to normal.

Not a chance...

When the next unofficial communique arrived, I was thrown into a full panic. According to Ra the humans were launching probes destined for other planets within the local system. Some of the probes were on a trajectory that would leave the system and carry on indefinitely. He concluded this was a containment breach by any standard. I couldn't argue the point; he was technically correct.

On most inhabited Class Thirteen planets the sentients were stunted by the very elements that made them Class Thirteen planets. There was never any reason to expect they'd progress beyond a certain point, and they certainly would never develop into a space faring species. Earth was, apparently, the exception. Everything about Earth was exceptional.

Since nothing like this had ever happened there was no real guidance for Ra or for me. It should be a simple matter of destroying the Earth probes as you would any incoming ship or probe. Why wouldn't this be done here? Why had I heard nothing from the CT Group?

Earth's sensors would have detected the human probes and presumably this information would be included in the routine reports. When I looked at the latest data dump from Earth it was all there, plain to see. I felt faint. My mind immediately asked the question, why hasn't the CT Group issued a clarification to the instruction set and to have Ra deal with this? Of course they would, right? Still, I dreaded releasing this report.

When next the agents visited me there was now a third one, someone who arrived with the air of complete authority. It scared me. My once serene life was now spiraling out of control. Could this get any worse? They told me to scrub this data from the reports before they went to CT. I told them it was technically possible, but I wouldn't do it. What they said next was enough to send me into convulsions. Essentially if I didn't do what they wanted there was a possibility I'd have a rather unfortunate accident.

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

What is going on? Why hasn't Mylonias responded? Clearly containment had been breached. This was an unprecedented event and it should have caused a full-scale panic within the CT Group. Unfortunately, I had no recourse, I could only communicate with Mylonias, the process was the process, the system was the system. Overseers have one point of contact and only one. I had to accept it. I was powerless in this situation. I will do my job, follow my instructions. I had to consider Mylonias was trapped inside the same riddle as I.

Obviously, the routine reports issued from the station would record the journey the human probes were on. Even if Mylonias never conveyed my concerns, the CT Group would find this potential breach. They would react; they were obligated to.

Then why has nothing happened?

Considering the deafening silence from Mylonias, I must factor this abandonment into what comes next. If the CT Group does not respond or give any further guidance, I need to recognize I am alone in this. I am authorized to destroy ships and probes entering the system. Am I also authorized to eliminate ships launched from the CT planet? Yes, of course, if containment is the mission.

The anchorship has been tracking all the deep space probes the humans have sent out. I decided to do nothing until they reached the heliopause. Once they were technically out of the Sol system I would consider destroying them. It is well within my prerogative and is exactly why I'm here, to make a judgement. So, a judgement I have made.

When the time came the probes named Pioneer 10 and 11 were destroyed. There was no detectable reaction from the planet, and they continued to launch deep space probes. My actions were recorded by the ship, and the events were wrapped up in the routine reports, so I would expect the CT Group to be aware of what I had done.

If anyone was aware they were not talking, not talking to me anyway.

My plan was set. I would destroy any human probe at the point it left the Sol system. Without guidance this would become policy, my policy. No one is going to say I failed to maintain containment. The question of what to do about the hundreds of satellites and other spacecraft in orbit was unsettled. At one point a large permanent orbital station was a concern... Or maybe it wasn't. Since these extraplanetary excursions were always set in low Earth orbit with no means to leave, I decided I wouldn’t do anything about them. There was no point in alarming the humans.

I also had to entertain the possibility I had been permanently abandoned. I had no means to get home. An interstellar ship may not be coming for me at the end of my term. If this was true, I could not live the rest of my life on this ship. I was certain I could find an isolated spot on the surface. It seemed the nuclear explosions had all but stopped, the uninhabited islands might be safe for me again. If I had to stay here, I would need to learn more about humanity and its civilization. There is no training or guidance to be had. Neither planet had sentient beings on my two previous terms as Overseer. One of the planets was so massive the gravity precluded me from even visiting the surface. Now this? Such an extraordinary situation.

For the first time I tried to understand, really understand these humans. I conclude it is impossible. They were all clearly insane. There were no modern corollaries to any society within the Galactic Union. Humans had advanced so rapidly that their carnal instincts had not been tempered by the passing of time. So, as their sophistication grew, their aggression kept a pace. It is completely shocking to see their kindness and benevolence alongside their brutality and bloodlust.

I’m still completely astonished by their organization and cooperation, the constant and rapid development of their technical abilities and robust infrastructure was impressive. From basic metal smelting to sending spacecraft out into the stars within just one Overseer’s term. Nothing short of extraordinary.

Extraordinary?

Wait. Were they getting help? How had this thought not occurred to me before? I had assumed the short lifespans and the constant churn was the source of their incredibly rapid development. Now it was all unclear. What if they had been getting help all along?

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Agents Kudj and T'tali and Grand Agent da Rueu (English version)

"Can I ask," said Kudj, "what is this all about, again?"

"You better ask da Rueu, I don't know what he wants you to know," said T'tali with her usual non-answer answer.

Kudj didn't know why he bothered asking T'tali anything. Ever since he was put on this task force, he'd been in the dark about the real reason they'd been frightening Mylonias so. The poor thing visible shook at the very sight of them. She was the official link between CT Overseers and the Union. Her job fulfills the statute that called for an independent liaison between the CT Group and the Galactic Union - paid for by the Union - to ensure both parties had true information about Class Thirteen planets. What they had made her do was a clear violation. If he had feelings, he'd feel bad for her.

CT liaisons weren't even an afterthought. If no one cared about The Class Thirteen Group, they cared even less about the go between. In normal times that would suit them just fine. These jobs were for those who wanted to be invisible. It was well known that if someone wanted to disappear for a while they'd take an available Overseer job. To be quickly forgotten with no chance of tripping up was just the thing that sort would want.

Kudj and T'tali were agents of the Information Collective Administration if such a thing existed, officially. The ICA was a rumor that everyone knew to be true. No one knew exactly what information they were after or what they might do with it, but everyone knew that you'd rather not know.

"da Rueu will be here soon," T'tali said, looking to the sky. "Then we'll pay Mylonias a visit. That's always good fun," She laughed heartily.

"Are you going to go easy on her? She just about collapsed last time," Kudj pointed out.

T'tali raised an eyebrow. "I guess that depends..."

Kudj knew Ra was the real problem here, Mylonias just took the brunt of it. The collective ire for Ra was directed toward her. He wasn't sure what Ra had done to end up on the ICA's list. It seemed to Kudj that Ra was just doing the job. Kudj wasn't a fool, he knew Earth was an abnormality, he knew something was happening there that was disturbing the ICA and its masters. Earth, a Class Thirteen planet, was launching spaceships and deep space probes. This is something no other CT planet has ever done. What did it mean, really? The ships are so slow they'll never even reach the nearest star system. Not much of a threat. Kudj didn't really understand what the fuss was all about.

T'tali was from the planet Mecedi, one of the oldest planets in the Union. Mecedians, the most gracious of hosts, are born to please. It is said there are two flavors of Mecedians, the type who live to please, and the type you beg, please let me live. T'tali is the latter. She keeps that facet of her personality hidden in the presence of da Rueu. As for Kudj, she simply ignores him. It's just what one does to a glob of newly expressed raw agent material on their first assignment.

They had not told Mylonias they were coming, but she knew. The ICA through some magic, always knew when there were anomalies in the routine reports. T'tali seemed to enjoy seeing Mylonias squirm. Kudj chided himself for showing her concern, now afraid he was having feelings. Agents can't have feelings.

da Rueu's shuttle landed and the two junior agents met him on the platform. After a short walk they were at the liaison's station. Mylonias greeted them, her face showing a stoicism they had not seen before, a face they were not expecting. She motioned for them to sit. da Rueu and T'tali sat while Kudj stood at the door staring straight ahead.

"So, have there been any activities out the ordinary?" da Rueu asked, knowing full well there were.

"I think you know the answer," Mylonias chirped. "Ra has destroyed two of the deep space probes the United States launched long ago. He was clever about it. He waited until each was beyond Sol's heliopause and long after they had each stopped transmitting back to Earth."

"Interesting," T'tali said. "Why do you suppose he did it that way? Did you tell him to do it that way?"

Mylonias didn't flinch. She seemed ready for T'tali's insinuation. "Of course not, I know you know I am not in contact with him. The CT Group directs all correspondence to all Overseers, I do not take it on my own to ask or tell them anything."

Something had changed in her. Kudj liked this new Mylonias. Perhaps she knew their earlier threats were a bluff, at least he thought they were bluffs. The whispers you hear about things the ICA does were legend, but no one really knew. The ICA didn't exist after all.

"We're going to want you to take it out of the report before you post it with CT." T'tali said quietly, watching closely for a reaction out of Mylonias. None came. "Any problem with that?"

Mylonias eyes never left T'tali. "You know they're going to eventually figure this out? As careful as I am, cleaving data always leaves a trace. If one cared to look."

da Rueu stepped in to break the stare down. "Leave it to us. Don't let it worry you. The CT Group won't question any of your reports. We appreciate your assistance in this matter, but it's best you don't otherwise act out of the ordinary in any way." It was the most he had ever said to Mylonias directly. Her new attitude had clearly been noticed.

Always listening, trying to piece it all together, Kudj now suspected the ICA and probably the CT Group itself were hoping to ride out Ra's term with minimal damage. Each party had their own motives for wanting to see Ra gone. The CT Group didn't want any scrutiny of their operation or more importantly the amount of Union credits it took to run. Everyone liked things the way they were. The way they were before Ra that is. As for the ICA's motives, who knew?

When the meeting was over they all went to the platform where da Rueu's shuttle waited. da Rueu turned to them. "What do you think that was all about? She seemed very different, not such a frightened waif anymore."

T'tali didn't hesitate, "I don't trust her. She's been talking to someone. Someone gave her advice."

"Do you have any evidence of that?" da Rueu asked, seemingly interested and disinterested at the same time. "Do we need to be concerned?"

Neither T'tali nor Kudj answered. da Rueu said nothing more and climbed aboard the shuttle leaving them standing there in silence. T'tali began walking away and said, "I'm going to get something to eat, are you coming?"

"No," Kudj answered with a wave, "you go ahead."

* * *

On a whim Kudj decided to go back to Mylonias. When he looked in, she wasn't there. As he spun around to leave, he heard sobbing. He took a few steps in, looked under the desk and found her curled up, wiping tears from her face.

Originally from the seaworld of Creegt she had all the features that made Creegtans some of the loveliest beings in the galaxy. Despite the tears and the red eyes he was attracted to her. Oh no, he thought, it's those feelings again!

He frowned, "What's wrong?" he asked, knowing exactly what was wrong. That brave face she had put on a few moments ago was just that, a brave face. He took her hand and pulled her up. "I'm here as a friend, not an agent right now."

"You. You, a friend?" she scoffed in her timid voice. Continuing, "I find that hard to believe." She sat heavily and looked around, "is she here?"

"Believe what you will. I was worried about you, and no, she's not here."

Mylonias sat up straight and tried to compose herself. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. You were acting so strange earlier."

"What do you mean!" Mylonias shot back. "I was not strange, I was assertive." She bristled as Kudj smiled at her. Her face flushed. "What?" she spat.

"Never mind. Yes, I can see you're fine, I'm sure you spend a lot of time under the desk."

Her face went slack as she slouched. "Why are you doing this to me? What did I do? I'm just a liaison; I have no control whatsoever. I just want to be left alone."

"Of course it's not you, but you have access to what we need," Kudj offered. "You have the unfortunate luck of having Ra as one of your Overseers."

"Are you going to have me killed?" she asked without preamble.

He wanted to laugh and reassure her, but the truth was he didn't know the truth. Instead, he said, "would you believe me if I told you I'm just as confused as you are?" She looked at him sideways. "No, I suppose you don't. Look, I'm new, it’s my first assignment. They're not telling me anything." He stopped as her eyes went blank and unblinking. "Who have you been talking to?"

She stared at him, her face no longer blank. "I took an assertiveness training course... I had to do something. I was losing my mind. I don't know why this is happening, I don't know what... What do you want from me?" She began to cry again.

Kudj said nothing for a while. Those wretched feelings crawled back up into his face. He wanted to grab her, he wanted to hold her, reassure her. He shook his head, pushing it back down. "Listen, I'm sorry this is happening to you. I'm being honest, I know little more than you do. I will tell you this, I will look out for you, I will not let her treat you like this anymore." He had no idea what he was promising, but it sounded good and he wanted her to stop crying. "I suggest you keep the assertiveness thing as you call it. I'll make sure Agent T'tali backs down."

"Thank you," she said. "Don't kill me. I'll do what you want, but I wasn't lying when I said CT will find out I've tampered with the control reports from Earth. I'll probably get killed for that too."

"No one's going to kill you."

Kudj had just learned his first lesson as an agent. Agents da Rueu and T'tali didn't care about Mylonias, they didn't care what would happen to her. If the CT Group discovered what was being kept from them, she would lose everything. This is what being an agent of the ICA did to them. Never having to say you're sorry.

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

The more time I spend studying these humans the more overwhelmed I am. Overseers are not prepared for anything like this. We're security blankets, not analysts. Understanding humans is beyond my capability. There are so many competing factions here. Factions within factions within factions. No single faction dominates the rest. It's a study in controlled chaos. There is a coalition of nation states that seems to dominate technical advances led by the United States, but it's a shaky coalition and the globe is constantly dotted by conflict, small wars, shifting alliances and self-sabotage. No single faction rules this world. The other major power alliance that had recently dissolved was never any more than a vast prison colony with a stockpile of nuclear weapons.

Most planets in the Union are essentially unified. Any real factions result from different planets entering into alliances and those alliances forming larger alliances and so forth. Each planet more or less had cohered into one stable culture. The Galactic Union is old old, truly ancient by Earth's timescale. There is no history in anyone's memory of such chaotic beginnings as I'm seeing here. Earth is truly unfathomable.

I need to know whether humans are doing this, advancing this fast, on their own, or are they are being helped. If so, how have so many Overseers been eluded?

Or is it just me?

It made me think back to the hand off from Mnominom, my predecessor. She was a depressive presence from the moment I stepped aboard the station. She wasn't even in a hurry to leave. I thought it was odd but thought of it no further. Her advice about the total refit of the security package was a good one, technology does advance. I took the advice and thought nothing more about it. Things cleaned up quickly after that.

But did they? I didn't like where my mind went...

I asked control to do a complete diagnostic sweep of the entire system and a review of all the raw logs going back to the refit. I wasn't sure what I expected to find, maybe nothing? All the routine diagnostic reports had always been clean.

When the review completed and control reported all systems were currently functioning properly, I was satisfied. The log review was another story. Sensors had inexplicably gone offline for long periods of time since the refit. No cause found. It was widespread and included the sensors that had been re-aimed toward the planet. I asked control to run a pattern match against all the offline events. The results were unexpected but perfectly clear. There are thousands of sensors forming a bubble around the solar system, each sensor's range overlapping its neighbor to form a detection shield around Sol. When I watched simulations of the sensor outages for a long enough a clear pattern formed. They winked out in succession in a straight line toward Earth. Over and over the pattern repeated. The outages were always a direct line to the planet. How had I missed this. Why hadn't control ever reported this to me. Now, it wasn't just the behavior of the CT Group or Mylonias, I was being deceived, by everyone, about everything, since the very beginning.

This had to be reported, the system I relied on to do this job was malfunctioning. Actually, it wasn't, it had been sabotaged, it was working as designed. This was bad. Who could I even trust anymore?

My options were limited. I had only Mylonias, my one contact. She would have no reason to deceive me. Her silence might be beyond her control, probably was. She is all I have. I wouldn't be amending the control report, I will not violate my instructions. I must tell someone; this has to be known.

Forgive me Mylonias.

Excerpts from the Journal of Mylonias (English version)

This is never going to be over, is it? Ra's latest unofficial communique is shocking, scandalous. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. Yet, I can't fault him. He's been betrayed, abandoned and deceived. Clearly there is a conspiracy against him, and I am being crushed in between. With this information I am now a part of something big, something colossal and someone will want my silence. Steps will be taken to ensure it. They're going to kill me.

I have nowhere to turn. The ICA will be visiting soon. They seem to know these things before I do. I can't go to the CT Group. I’ve been deceiving them. I've been deceiving the Union too.

How did this happen? Why did this happen? I remember when Earth was given to me shortly after this new term began. I was a little excited and more than a little curious, it was Earth after all, the most famous Class Thirteen planet there's ever been. The excitement ended quickly when nothing really happened, the ship's routine reports showed nothing interesting. Well, that's all changed now.

I just want to go home. I want to run and hide, never show my face in this place again. I came to Brinait, the very heart of the Galactic Union and far, far away from Creegt to get lost. I stumbled across the CT Group and learned it was a great way to disappear. Nobody wants any part of, or anything to do with Class Thirteen operations, certainly not my family who always had better plans for my life than I did. I miss them so much now.

I guess I need to go to work and do my job, there's no hiding from the ICA anyway. They will be coming soon.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Agent Kudj (English version)

Agent Kudj was waiting for Mylonias when she walked into her station. She stopped in her tracks. She tried to hide the panic that must have shown on her face. Kudj just smiled and stood up to greet her.

"If you're here to kill me, just get it over with," she said as firmly as she could when she breezed past him. The smile fell from his face.

"Is that what you think?" He countered, the smile returning briefly. "I'm not going to kill you. No one is."

"Then what? What are you doing here?

Kudj sat in one of her guest chairs and laughed a little. "Can't a friend visit another friend?"

"You are not my friend!" Mylonias blurted out. "You're a killer, you all are!" She shocked herself with her bluntness. She sat down never taking her eyes off him. Remembering her assertiveness course and his advice, she said. "What do you want? Where are your associates?"

"Can you relax a little, I'm not your enemy... I'm here on my own. No one knows I'm here." He noted the slightest deflation in her, hoping it was a modicum of trust. "We know about Ra's latest so-called unofficial communique. Even I know this is serious."

She silently scoffed. Something in her wanted to believe him, but he was ICA, they don't tell the truth. "Why are you here, alone?"

"Mylonias, I want to help. I know they've," he stopped, "I know we've put you in this position, it's not anything you asked for. Let me guess, Ra was assigned to you after the fact?" She nodded. "I thought so. I've been trying to piece this whole thing together just from the information they let me see and what I overhear. I was not joking… I really am in the dark."

She sat forward in her chair, "What do you think is happening? What is happening on Earth? Why all this clandestine activity? All these meetings? More importantly, what does any of it have to do with me? I know, I know, it’s Ra…"

"Yes, it is because of Ra, but… I'm like everyone else, when I heard this assignment involved Earth, I was excited, who wouldn't be? I can only gather the ICA and the Union are worried about Earth, but I don't know exactly why. I don’t know what Ra is doing other than his job. Earth is perfectly contained and can't really pose a threat to the Union."

She asked, "Is Earth contained, really? These things Ra is reporting obviously have made them nervous. I mean, I'm sort of shocked by it all too." She looked at Kudj differently as his face betrayed his genuine concern for her. She said, "Why are you doing this, why would you of all people care about me and what I'm going through?"

He didn't respond at first. Where were his loyalties? The ICA? He was a new agent, treated as an afterthought and told virtually nothing. What was there to be loyal to. He took no oath, the ICA didn't exist, there was nothing to pledge his loyalty to. He looked across the desk at this beautiful creature, this Creegtian, Mylonias, and feelings struck him, again. Whatever Ra had dug up on Earth had nothing to do with her. She was stuck in the middle, being forced to deceive her controllers on both sides. She was the epitome of expendable. They would kill her if it served their ends. He would not be a party to that.

"I don't know," he said to her lamely. "I hate that this is happening to you. I hate the way T'tali treats you. I'm worried about you. This is getting out of control."

Silence filled the room. Each of them now deep in their own thoughts. Were they allies now? Could she really trust him? Could he do his job if it meant hurting her? It was obvious this was bigger than both of them. Something immense was happening and they could both be caught in the crossfire.

They looked at each other ruefully until she finally broke the silence. "What now? What can we do, what can I do?"

He hated saying it again, "I don't know. It will be hard for you to trust me, I know, but I want you to, I need you to. I will do everything I can to shield you. I think you have to go along for now. Give them the answers they want, do what they want you to do until we can figure out a way to get you free of this. Eventually Ra's term will end, and the turnover will free you, maybe you can leave this position then." He smiled at her again and was treated with her smile in return. Was that hope he saw in her face?

"Are you hungry?" He asked. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

She agreed and they went to a local eatery. As they finished the meal Kudj was telling her about growing up on Yawnor, a cold world with a single temperate zone around the equator. Its gravity was greater than Brinait so he was quite strong here and she felt it when he helped her up from the chair. He then put his finger to his ear and stood up straight.

"She's here," he said tersely.

"Who's here?" Mylonias asked.

"T'tali."

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Agents Kudj and T'tali (English version)

Kudj met T'tali at the platform just as she disembarked from the shuttle. She frowned at him and asked. "How are you here already? The alert just came in."

Kudj had no ready answer. "Ah, I... just arrived. I was back on Yawnor and caught the interstellar and it just got in, right before you chirped."

T'tali crinkled her brow. "Is that so? Alright then, shall we pay Mylonias a visit?"

"Yes, let's do it." He knew she knew he was lying. She seemed content to let it go and so was he.

Once they were at Mylonias' station T'tali wasted no time. "So, I guess you know why we're here."

Mylonias in her stoic pose merely nodded.

"Well," barked T'tali. "Talk..."

"Ra's latest communique is alleging the security system is compromised. He's not saying it's faulty, but rather tampered with, sabotaged."

"Sabotaged? To what end?" T'tali questioned her. "Is he qualified to make such a charge?"

"He's the one who's there," shot back Mylonias. "I would think he would know if his system was compromised," Kudj held back a smile. She shot him a quick glance as he stood in his usual position at the door. "He says he has evidence the sensors go offline regularly and always in a pattern that implies a ship or probe heading for Earth. He thinks he was set up."

"Set up? By whom? How?" T'tali asked incredulously. "I think Ra thinks too highly of himself to believe anyone would bother to set him up, whatever that means."

"Do you want me to answer?" asked Mylonias. T'tali flipped her hand, signaling Mylonias to continue. "When Ra arrived, his predecessor, someone named Mnominom recommended a total security refit which he then ordered. He alleges the system has been malfunctioning as described since the retrofit was completed. Sabotaged."

T'tali said nothing for a while. Mylonias offered nothing further. Kudj just stared straight ahead. Finally, T'tali said, "what does Ra think the ships or probes are doing?"

"He didn't speculate. Neither will I. You take a guess..."

"Me," T'tali scoffed. "I doubt everything Ra says. Seriously, he's an overzealous fool. Overseers are not known for their deep analytical minds. Nevertheless, we should investigate this. Do we have access to the system logs? Can we verify what he's alleging?"

"I can try to get Earth's raw shiplog," Mylonias offered. "I've never done it. I don't know if it's even possible. Normally I only get the routine reports, which are summaries. The summaries only show recorded events. If the sensors are offline there will be no recorded events in the summaries."

T'tali asked in a genuine tone, the softest Kudj had ever heard. "Mylonias, will you be able to do this without notice? We don't want anyone alerted to you poking around."

"I don't know, it's not anything I've ever done. I can only try." Mylonias said.

T'tali stared at her, "Do not get caught, am I clear!" Her tone returned to her antagonistic norm. "Things won't end well for you if you mess this up."

Kudj started moving toward T'tali, his arm raised. Mylonias abruptly stood up, stopping him in place. "Of course, I understand. I will be careful. Is there anything else?"

"I don't have to tell you Ra's lunatic suspicions are not to be reported to anyone. Is that clear!" She stood, looked at Kudj and said, "We’re done here."

"Of course," Kudj said, as he opened the door.

T'tali turned to Mylonias and said, "daRue and I will be back for your findings."

As T'tali blew past Kudj, he turned to Mylonias and winked.

Kudj walked back to the shuttle platform with T'tali. He shocked himself back there. His body just moved when he heard T'tali threaten Mylonias. What was he going to do to her, punch her? What was he thinking? It was Mylonias who had protected him. Her action stopped him from doing something stupid.

He said nothing on the walk back. T'tali rarely said anything to him anyway. They stood silently as the shuttle set down, T'tali climbed aboard without a word.

As the shuttle left, he wondered if she'd seen him move like that back there. He re-ran the whole scene over in his mind and cringed at the thought of what he might have done.

He wanted so badly to go back to Mylonias, to comfort her. He knew it was a bad idea. They really shouldn't be seen together. Today was a bad idea altogether. What was he thinking, having a meal with her in public. No one would inquire, but it would be simple enough to put the two of them together if anyone did. He thought of her lovely face and her complete ease with him when they were dining. He liked being around her.

He groaned inside, those feelings again.

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

I expected to hear nothing from Mylonias, and I haven't.

I'm all alone in this, alone but not helpless. I've fixed sensors before. I can fix these.

I thought about it long and hard. A Union interstellar ship broadcasts a signal to the anchorship as it approaches the Sol system. This shuts down the escalation protocol; the sensors stand down and the ship with the right identifier passes. I had to ask myself how would I design this deception based on this fact? I now have a working hypothesis. The given: I control the signal and sensor. Simple enough. An incoming ship sends a broadcast with a specific offline instruction. Signal reaches a sensor, sensor goes offline, the signal also disables the offline alarm, sensor goes back online once the signal stops. No alarm, no notice, no escalation and no one knows anything. Works in reverse for the way back. Any spacecraft that doesn't transmit the offline signal would get blasted into tiny bits by me. Simple.

Considering most of my fellow Overseers couldn’t care less about the actual job, letting the routine control reports speak for themselves. Most of them simply ride it out, one and done. A fine retirement awaits. A method this simple with attitudes like that, this could go unnoticed forever.

If my theory is true, my challenge is to figure a work around.

After some trial and error my program changes were ready for the first real test. I used the diagnostic protocol to run a continuous check on all sensors. If a sensor didn't respond I was alerted. The program would then predict which sensor would be next to go offline and if the pattern was established as I assumed it would, I'd have my first target. Now I wait.

On Earth things were moving even faster yet. Something humans referred to as the Internet had emerged. By tapping into this Internet, I had access to more information than ever, it was quite astonishing. It reminds me of the hub back in the Union. Since everything I needed was now all in one place my interest in these so-called UFOs was heightened once again. I learned the UFO phenomenon is a culture in and of itself. It was also dismissed by most humans as a hoax or a government conspiracy. To that end it was hard to distinguish truth from fiction. One could spend a lifetime trying to sort it.

To be clear there was no establishing truth when it came to Earth. Humans, not unlike other sentients, practice deceit and misdirection constantly. Mostly they just lie to themselves. To a disinterested third party it would make no difference, except when one was trying to get to the actual truth of the matter. Because of this I was never going to understand just how Union interlopers might be steering humanity this way or that way. Nothing I gleaned from the Internet or otherwise could be trusted as fact. Facts existed, I just couldn't trust myself or the Internet to know one if I saw one. I doubt most humans could either.

I watched visuals from this Internet and saw all sorts of UFOs, some blatant hoaxes and fabrications and others that seemed very convincing. There was a phenomenon that caught my attention as possibly being valid. There were a few of these visuals I gleaned from the Internet showed humans or ground vehicles suddenly going off course or suffering violent crashes with no apparent visible object causing it. It was as if they had struck an invisible wall. This is exactly what happens when a local bubble is struck at speed. A transparent local bubble is a field that repels anything from a virus to a rhinoceros. I used the bubble to physically protect myself when I went planetside. It makes it possible for me to safely move about on Earth. Since I never ventured anywhere near humans or their cities my local bubble merely gently pushed aside all manner of flora and fauna. These violent visuals I watched looked like something unknowingly hitting a local bubble at full force. This very well could be my first real evidence. Further study was needed.

As I continued to gather information - rather than an understanding, I was waiting for something to set off the trap I had laid. When it finally happened, I was planetside searching out a suitable place to set up a base for myself considering I may be trapped here forever. I quickly returned to the station. The next sensor to go offline had been correctly plotted by the program, and then the next. I took off in the jumper to make a rendezvous with this intruder based on the next predicted offline sensor. The jumper was well equipped with vaporizing weapons should I need them.

I placed my jumpship leeward of the incoming vessel. The jumpship's own sensor array eventually pinpointed the ship. According to the sensor analysis it was a ship hardly larger than my jumpship. It broadcast no identifier, not that I would have expected it to. My ship, however, was continuously broadcasting a standard warning in every known language of the Galactic Union. The intruder ignored the warning and made no discernable course change. I wondered if it might be pilotless. Eventually after no response whatsoever I changed the warning from a polite "please vacate this system immediately or action will be taken" to a rather simple "YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!" Again, no response, no course change, more importantly no indication of a weapons lock. It was not going to defend itself.

I cued up the weapons and fired. In the silence of space no one heard the death of one small unidentified Union craft. It was all over just like that. I expected that would get somebody's attention. I hope I hadn't started an interstellar war. I was just doing my job, exactly what I was sent here to do.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Agents Kudj and T'tali and Grand Agent da Rueu (English version)

"So, you're telling me you had full access to Earth's shiplog, and you retrieved them?" T'tali asked Mylonias who was nodding in the positive. She and da Rueu were seated and Kudj stood at the door again. "Did you analyze them?"

"I did," Mylonias said.

"And..."

Mylonias looked directly at da Rueu and said, "what Ra reported is true. The refit of the security array Ra ordered was compromised."

da Rueu sat motionless, then slowly turned toward T'tali and said, "In retrospect, do we still believe Ra is an imbecile?"

T'tali gasped inaudibly, her delay punctuated it. "I...I never said imbecile... He's... He's just out of his depth. He got lucky." By then da Rueu had already turned back toward Mylonias, dismissing her outright.

"Mylonias, you believe Ra is sane, not just making these things up, correct?" asked da Rueu.

"He didn't make this up."

"Yes, yes," du Rueu interjected. "Tell me, do any of the other Overseers you handle, what is it 16?" du Rueu acknowledged her nod. "16, so, out of the 16, do any of them ever contact you directly?"

Mylonias replied slowly, "well, no it's only been Ra. But we're talking about Earth, Earth is one of kind, it's not fair to compare it to any other." She stopped as da Rueu looked less than convinced. She said, "Sure Ra is jumpy, excitable, prone to hyperbole, whatever you want to say, but I don't think he's liar."

Everyone heard T'tali sigh. She said nothing, but her opinion of Ra was known to all.

da Rueu pressed ahead. "Have you considered why he's on his third term as an Overseer? I have. You must’ve realized by now no Overseer does that. No Overseer takes two terms let alone three. So, he finally gets Earth, the only noteworthy Class Thirteen planet, the only one that could possibly garner some attention. I'm asking whether you think he could be acting, trying to make a name for himself, hoping all of this will come out?"

Mylonias said nothing for a moment, her eyes now far away, thinking about what she really knew about Ra. Ra had been assigned to her shortly after this term began. All 16 Overseers terms were coterminous with her own. Somehow Ra was transferred onto her roster. The prospect of Earth masked any interest she might have had in the Overseer that came along with it. She knew next to nothing about Ra. Then why did she feel the need to defend him?

"I don't know," she finally said. "I've never given him much thought until all this started."

"I see," said da Rueu. "I'm not convinced either way. So, we give him the benefit of the doubt, as you are. In the meantime, as we've discussed, we keep this within this little group. Do you think there's any unusual interest in what you've been doing?"

"No. No one cares what we do," she said. "No one talks about the job. Even Earth is worn out subject. There's never anything new to talk about."

"No, I suppose not," da Rueu acknowledged. "Good, then. Let's keep it that way." He stood and invited T'tali to stand. "Shall we?"

Kudj opened the door staring at Mylonias the whole time, when their eyes finally met, he knew it, she wanted to see him again. He smiled, spun and walked out the door.

At the shuttle platform as T'tali climbed aboard her shuttle and departed da Rue asked Kudj if he could stay behind. Kudj was shocked. da Rueu had rarely spoken to him, and now a private audience. He had no idea what this could be about. The two of them slowly walked to a nearby bench where da Rueu motioned for Kudj to sit.

"How are you liking the new post, your first post?" da Rueu asked. Kudj looked around nervously, he was sure there was someone standing behind him. "Yes, I'm asking you, Kudj."

" I... I... It's good... I'm learning so much."

"That's wonderful," da Rueu continued. "I guess you're wondering what this is all about?"

"Yes, sir, I mean, well, it's none of my business really. I just do what I'm told, stand where I'm told to."

da Rueu smiled, "Indeed. Well, it's time we got you up to speed, wouldn't you say?"

Again, Kudj looked around expecting some kind of trick. "Me? Sir?"

"You are a junior agent, are you not?" da Rueu smiled at him again. "Just relax Agent Kudj. Do you know what Earth is?"

"Ah, yes, I... I think so, sir. It's a Class Thirteen planet, albeit an interesting one..."

"Earth is a threat. It threatens everyone and everything the Union holds dear." da Rueu paused as the shock of what he said struck Kudj. "Yes, it's true and you're now wondering if I'm the one who's insane. Not to worry, I'm perfectly sane. Tell me what you know about Earth."

Kudj thought for a moment. "Earth is the most biologically rich planet ever discovered. It's also the most infectious, toxic... Well, it's a genuine biohazard, hence the Class Thirteen status. That's what I understand, anyway."

"That's right, as far as it goes. As a Class Thirteen planet Earth should have been long forgotten by now. They all are, right? I'd guess you couldn't name two more besides Earth," Kudj merely nodded. "Before Ra there were other Overseers who reported things about Earth, about the humans. You know most sentients on CT's are little more than animals, right? Even the bipeds like us, like humans don't progress. Not Earth. It's been speculated that the constant churn, the short lifecycles, the constant violence and struggle that life on Earth faces have made humans strong and resilient. It also makes them clever. Maybe too clever.

Before Ra became the Overseer of Earth it was known human progress was on an exponential curve. That curve is now bending straight up. The fear is that interstellar travel will be within their grasp sooner rather than later."

da Rueu let that sink in. Kudj realized what was being implied. Far from being denizens of a contained and isolated Class Thirteen planet, humans could soon be roaming the galaxy, infecting and contaminating everything they touch, not out of any malice, just by merely being present.

"Is that why we're involved? Did we sabotage the security system?"

"No, that's not our operation. We don't do such things. No, we are only involved because of Ra. Every Earth Overseer before Ra was in it for the retirement like they all are. Ra is the odd one. There's something wrong with him. Agent Kudj, we're in the information business, and we need some information on why Earth was reassigned to Mylonias after the term started? There's something there and we need to know what it is."

Kudj flinched at the mention of her name. He quickly composed himself and asked. "Do you have a theory on that?"

"Not really, not yet, other than she's a frightened girl running away from something. Was she steered toward the liaison position? How did she get there? She seems a rather odd fit if you ask me."

At that Kudj bristled, his desire to protect her extended to her persona as well. "She's just trying to do her job, no one wants this kind of attention, our kind of attention. Of course she's scared, I mean, T'tali scares me."

da Rueu laughed. "She scares me too! If I had to guess I'd say maybe wrong place wrong time. I can't see how Mylonias is integral. But someone put Ra there with her for a reason. It's our job to find out who, and why."

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Agent Kudj (English version)

They met in an isolated park far from Brinait's largest city and primary space port Donolon. Kudj brought something to eat and drink, trying to be thoughtful, but not suggestive. He told her he just wanted to talk; there were things to discuss.

When Mylonias arrived, she found she was excited to see him, though she didn't know why. Kudj had been nothing but kind, but he was still an agent of an infamous shadowy group usually only whispered about. She didn't know whether to trust him or not, and this was not a very public place. Was this where he was going to kill her? She walked up to him anyway.

"Hello," she said as he turned around, he had been digging around in a shoulder bag and did not see her approach.

"Mylonias! I'm so glad you came." He unfurled a blanket for them to sit on. "Please sit." He handed her a beverage and sat down on the blanket holding her other hand as she sat next to him. He smiled and said, "we have much to discuss."

"Before you start, I have something to report, something big."

Kudj looked at her curiously, cautiously. "Go on..."

"Right before I came here Ra contacted me again, another of his unofficial communiques. He’s destroyed an unauthorized ship entering the Sol system heading for Earth.

"Isn't that what Overseers are supposed to do?" he asked rather flippantly.

"Yes, but he's claiming this ship was deliberately circumventing the security system just as he's alleged. Someone or something sent that ship expecting it to get through. Ra destroyed it, someone's going to know. This will invite scrutiny. Can't you see that?"

Kudj was thinking about what he'd learned from da Rueu. "Yes, of course, yes." he said validating her point. "Believe me, Ra has already invited unwanted scrutiny. Clearly this is an escalation, da Rueu and T'tali will probably already know about it."

"Oh great, another T'tali visit in my future."

"This thing, this concern over Earth is bigger than we can know, it's bigger than Ra." Kudj said. "I think the Union is genuinely worried, and Ra is only making things worse."

Mylonias became quiet. Her mind racing once again. What would happen now? What did any of this have to do with her? This unanswered question drowned everything else out. She looked at Kudj. Would he really protect her? Could he?

"You look worried," Kudj said softly touching her shoulder. "What can I do?" Just then she threw her arms around him and held him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her tiny body; they sat like that for a long while.

Finally letting go, she looked at him as if to say thank you. He put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed one last time. "Listen," Kudj said softly, "what I'm going to tell has to stay right here with you and me."

"Oh, so now we're keeping secrets?" She let out a little laugh. "What is it now?"

Kudj explained the concern, the potential problem Earth was posing for the Union. There are questions about Ra's appointment to Earth and the organizational change that reassigned him to her group. It was the well within purview of the CT Group but there's no way to inquire about it without raising eyebrows.

"They want me to ask about it!" said Mylonias incredulously.

"I'm not saying that. No one is saying that. It's just an open question."

"So, this does have something to do with me, is that what you’re saying?" Her voice desperate.

"I don't think so, it's probably a wrong place, at the wrong time situation."

"That's not helping!" She protested.

"I think the Union or some entity within the Union is responsible for the new security system installed in the Sol system. There are things going on there that we, that no one was ever supposed to know about. They counted on the new Overseer to act like every Overseer ever has, but they got Ra instead. Why? How did it happen that Ra was assigned to Earth, to you?"

"Why are you telling me any of this?" Mylonias now pulled away from him. She stood. "Please stop. Stop this!"

Kudj stood, afraid he'd blown it. Had he pushed her away for good? "I only want you to know what I know. I didn't mean to hurt you or scare you."

"Well, you did. Knowing is worse than not knowing, don't you get it?" Her eyes were wide and her nostrils flared, as genuine fear gripped her. "This is not what I signed up for, I have to go."

She turned and ran. Kudj just stood there. Chasing her would only make it worse.

Excerpts from the Journal of Mylonias (English version)

I can do this.

I ran out on Kudj in a moment of weakness. I am not weak. Maybe Kudj was just challenging me. If he wants to know who had Ra assigned to me, I'll find out, I can do this.

I saw the look on his face when I ran, it was hurt, not deceit. Unless he's a great actor, I think his concern for me might be real. I want to help him. Maybe it will help me too.

When I told him knowing is worse than not knowing, it wasn't true. Knowing is always better than not knowing. He knows that I'm hiding here. Everyone here is hiding from something. We don't ask questions. We do what we're told. Asking questions is not something those in hiding do.

But I don't want to hide anymore. I want to see my family; I want to see my father. I know my father loves me and only wants the best for me. He was putting too much pressure on me back then. He was always putting too much pressure on me. Maybe it was for my own good, I don't know. I don't know anything. What I do know is the only time I've felt good about myself since coming here was the day I stood up to T'tali. I liked that feeling.

So, the problem at hand... I suspect the CT Group was directed to, maybe even forced to reassign Ra to my group. I remember asking my peers at the time if they ever heard of a re-assignment after a term started, no one had. Therefore, the answer is somewhere on the Union end.

Liaisons report through a management structure that eventually reports to Galactic Security. Security mainly puts out fires all over the galaxy. Large scale war is a thing of the distant past, but skirmishes arise all the time between different planets and regions. Class Thirteen planets are such an insignificant afterthought for Galactic Security they waste little time and resources on them. Despite this fact I thought digging through systems and archives would eventually set off someone's alarm. Maybe an indirect direct approach would work.

Gossip.

Liaisons talk to each other if only because, one, no one else is interested in what they do and two, they are all hiding out or running from something in their personal realities. It was easy to get the question of Ra's origins moving through the group.

I was surprised at how quickly it worked. Whether the answer is correct or not is another story. In some cases, anonymous sources we're cited in the strings, where others, the professional gossips, gladly put their names to it. Several strings came together and pointed to the same name. It was name I'd never heard before but whoever he was, he was from Creegt, my home planet. It sent a little charge through me.

His name is Cirillo. I wonder if my father knows him.

It's past time to reach out to father, I just disappeared on him. He knew I was in Donolon, but he knew nothing of my job with the Class Thirteen Group.

I hope he's not too disappointed.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Cirillo and Kalynias (English version)

The two of them sat alone in the dark, the only light from a small crackling fire. They each enjoyed a stewed drink with ample thienhol stirred in. They met like this, far from any civilization, so they could not be overheard or, worse yet, seen together. Cirillo's charge was the civil control unit for all sanctioned terraforming activities across the Galaxy. At any one time there were nearly a thousand planets in some stage of terraforming. Kalynias ran one of the largest terraforming outfits in the galaxy. One could question the ethics of these two having private meetings. No other terraformer enjoyed such a relationship with Cirillo.

Kalynias was animated, clearly upset. "This is out of control, two of my researchers have been killed. Their safe passage to Earth was assured. What happened? How could this happen?"

"Ra happened." Cirillo replied. "The Overseer - an Overseer figured it out!"

"What? An Overseer? Aren't most of them imbeciles, lazy imbeciles at that?"

"Yes, isn't this Ra an interesting sort?" Cirillo smiled at the thought of it.

"This can't happen again. There is still so much to do." Kalynias had teams of researchers routinely dispatched to Earth to collect samples. He knew many personally, he couldn't imagine losing any more of them this way.

"Our little side project may have to be reconsidered, my friend," Cirillo said. "There is a lot of concern about Earth, more than I've ever seen before. It's remarkable what's happening. No one thought it could happen so fast. It's worrying everyone. There's even been talk of being preemptive, you can assume the worst."

Kalynias sat up, the whites of his eyes dancing madly in the firelight. "Are you joking? Total destruction, xenocide?"

"Is there an alternative? Personally, I support it. If humans, and their merciless violence scattered across the galaxy, the Union will die. Besides the chaos and mayhem, the potential for disease and pestilence is great. If their violence doesn't kill us their pathogens will."

"No, Cirillo, not you too. Preemption has never been considered before, anywhere. That's not us, the Union is better than this. Tell me this is not happening?" Kalynias slumped back in his chair.

"You are not being realistic." Cirillo said emphatically. "I was fine with this project when I thought it was an interesting concept, when I thought we had plenty of time. Time may be running out. Thanks to Ra."

"Can we stop him?" Kalynias asked. "What is wrong with him anyway?"

Cirillo laughed. "You're missing the point. Ra is a symptom, not the problem. The problem is humans are developing faster than we ever thought possible, faster than we've ever seen. They develop technology faster than their mental ethics and biology can keep up with. Ra noticed it too, he said something... And here we are."

"How did he figure out the tunneling protocol? I thought it was foolproof?"

"It is foolproof, most Overseers are fools. Who knew an Overseer could apply logic."

"Why don't they just pull him out?" Kalynias asked.

"It was considered. The CT Group thought it would generate unwanted questions with Ra being so close to the end of his term. He has already gotten attention much higher up just with his personal reports. Those reports do eventually make their way to the Donolon crowd. This whole thing is delicate. No one wants eyes on Earth. The CT Group is a steady state operation. They would prefer the rest of the galaxy forget they even exist.

We've put together a seamless operation to get your teams on and off the planet at will. Now because of Ra it's been broken. It's going to be discovered by the CT Group and possibly the Union itself at some point. There are rumors that the ICA is sniffing around. That's not good and you know it. Like I said, Ra has opened us up, we are vulnerable and time is not on our side.

If someone is working on a plan to deal with the Ra problem, it will be the ICA. What they want out of it is unknown, but you can bet it involves leverage. There's no possibility they won't find us at the center of this, so you need to realize this is not all about you and your project. There are many competing forces at play. There are those who would exploit Earth to the fullest, whatever that means, and those who would like to make it go away."

"Like you?"

"I don't see a way around this," Cirillo continued. "I don't want to be smeared with the implications of your grand plan. I looked the other way in the beginning because we are friends and I saw little harm in it. Things have changed, surely you can see that?"

Kalynias thought about what could happen to Cirillo. He understood why Cirillo was acting this way, there was a lot to lose for both of them. This project had always been a vanity play, and he knew it. He had been fascinated by Earth since first he learned of it as a child. He recognized it as the terraformers’ ultimate dream. Terraforming was about life; no one terraformed a lifeless planet. What better recipe than Earth. Several renditions of Earth had already been created. They were child's play. Kalynias wanted to recreate Earth, not copy its form.

Was he being realistic? Did Cirillo somehow know about the plans to transplant humans? Was it even a good idea? Of course it was, it was the only thing. Without humans the experiment would be for nothing.

Kalynias said finally, "Yes, yes, of course, I just need a little more time."

"I guess that's going to depend on Ra." Cirillo stated flatly. "If this gets any more out of control nothing's going to stop them from making the ultimate call."

"Someone has got to stop this Ra."

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

I've taken out two more ships and six probes. I keep expecting the next one to be an interstellar with my executioner aboard. I have to believe the CT Group will come for me, not to get me out of here, but to silence me. They wouldn't have abandoned me if they had any other plans.

I've still heard nothing from Mylonias. I probably never will. I hope I haven't caused her any trouble.

I found a new home and have been staying there off and on ever since. I've set up a base camp in the Pacific Ocean on a set of islands called the Phoenix Islands. It's lovely there, I miss it whenever I'm not there. If I have live out my life on Earth, I would not be unhappy there.

The Internet has become the center of being here on Earth. It's not unlike the hub back in the Union. However, you can trust nothing you find on the Internet. If you toss out the duplicates and count corroborations, you can reach a consensus on any given subject. It's the best you can hope for. I've continued my research on the UFOs or UAPs as they are being called now. I'm more than convinced Earth is frequented by off world visitors. It's obvious to me some still get through, although I don't yet know how.

There has been a quiet acceptance by humans, whether they individually believe in aliens or not. Several governments have disclosed that UAPs exist, but they do not speculate on what they are. Governments are the biggest liars on Earth, so it sheds no light on the veracity of all the speculation. I suspect the visitors are using cloaking and local bubbles, I can't detect them except against the backdrop of space.

Oh, and I've become a champion gamer too. I get bored. The ironic part is I use my real name with my avatar. The Mighty Ra is well known throughout the gamer world. It's the closest thing to friendship I have.

Still, I'm concerned... Lately it feels like I'm playing against machines not humans.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Agent Kudj (English version)

Kudj was thrilled when she contacted him. He'd seen her at the station, but she never once looked at him. When he and T'tali would pay her a visit, he stood by the door as usual, and it was killing him. He just wanted a sign, the slightest sign she didn't hate him. When she called, she told him to meet at the same place. Nothing more was said.

She was already there when he arrived. She looked so beautiful, and she was looking at him, she was smiling at him. Finally! It was divine.

"Mylonias, it's great to see you again!" He smiled at her and she returned it. "Can I first say I'm sorr..."

She closed the gap between them and hugged him. He didn't respond, confused. She stepped back and said, "I'm the one who's sorry. You did nothing wrong, Kudj."

"I... I, no, it's not you... I mean."

"Kudj, stop," she interrupted, "please, let's talk."

They found a place to sit. She looked him in the eye and went stoic. "I was overwhelmed last time, I break easily. I'm working on that. Do you know how hard it is to face T'tali?" She laughed a little laugh. "Yes, I guess you do... I fall apart as soon as you both leave, but I'm working on that too. I need to be brave. You are helping me to be brave. But I still falter."

She stopped talking and tilted her head. He was beaming, looking as if he was ready to burst. She smiled back and said, "What? What is wrong with you?"

He grabbed her and kissed her hard. She was stunned by it. She stammered "What... What was that for?"

"For not hating me." he said, still grinning ear to ear.

"I could never hate you Kudj."

He was silent, feeling like a weight had been lifted, the smile was still plastered on his face. Those feelings he'd been trying to deny raged through his body. All his training ignored, he'd fallen for a subject, the one thing he was not to do. Dispassion had been drilled into to them. Emotional entanglements had undone agents in the past. He'd been warned that a compromised agent was a dead agent. He didn't care. Mylonias didn't hate him!

She took both his hands in hers. She had feelings too, but unlike him she was afraid to let them take charge. Her life was so confusing right now, and he was a major part of it. As unlikely as it seemed, it could all be an act. Nothing was certain, nothing was clear, but for some reason she wanted to help him, and she wanted to be with him.

"I have some information." She said as she watched his smile fade. "I have a name for you."

"I'm listening."

"I have no verification, but I believe the name of the person who had Ra reassigned to my group was someone named Cirillo. All I could find is he's an important figure in the Union hierarchy, and he comes from Creegt, my home planet."

Kudj said nothing at first, he was clearly consulting the hub through his implant. "Cirillo is the Union's controller of all terraforming in the galaxy. There's not much more on the public hub. He does no publicity and no interviews. Those types at that level move in different circles than you or I. It will take me some time to get the full story on him."

Mylonias was silent, deep in thought and troubled.

"What is it? Do you know something?" Kudj asked.

"It's just... My father is a terraformer, he runs one of the largest consortiums in terraforming. He must know Cirillo, I mean they are both from Creegt. How could it be possible they don't know each other?"

"Oh, how interesting," Kudj added. "Why would someone like Cirillo care about Ra at all? The CT Group has no part in terraforming. This seems odd don’t you think? It doesn’t add up. Can you ask your father about him?"

"I can, or I'll try... It's just that we haven't spoken in a long time. I'm not sure he'll take my call or even want to see me."

"What happened between you, I mean, I know about families, it's the same everywhere, right?"

"Well, I disappeared on them. I left Creegt for Donolon, which they all knew about, but they don't know anything about the CT Group or my job. How could any parent be proud of a CT liaison? I'm afraid he'll be disappointed."

Kudj smiled once again, "You could never disappoint anyone. I mean look at you... You're amazing!"

She looked at him straight faced. "It's the CT Group. Hardly an aspirational goal for any parent. I'm sure they'll rush out to tell all their friends. Your runaway daughter ends up in the CT Group. You must be so proud."

"What happened between you? If I can ask."

"He was putting pressure on me - on all of us - to go into the family business." She shook her head slowly. "It's not for me. Too much time in interstellar ships, too much moving around. The reward for the work is always for someone else. When I came to Donolon he thought it was for training, to study business and so forth, but I just disappeared."

"I see," said Kudj thinking about his own choice of careers and how his family can never know what he really does. His life will be built on the lies he tells everyone he cherishes. These realities had never occurred to him when he sought out this life. He shoved it out of his mind as quickly as it appeared. He would do his job; he would be his job.

"I miss him,” she said softly. "I miss them all. And with you and T'tali always around, frightening me, I miss them even more."

Kudj said solemnly, "I don't want to frighten you anymore."

He kissed her once again. She kissed him back.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Cirillo and Grand Agent da Rueu (English version)

Cirillo had never heard of Grand Agent da Rue. He knew about the ICA, everyone did. He had a good idea of why da Rueu had requested an audience, but he would let da Rueu spell it out. He knew better than to speculate or offer unsolicited information to an ICA operative.

He knew eventually the ICA would be involved. They showed up anywhere conflict and controversy operated. His peers were warned when they moved up the timeline for Earth's final solution it would not escape the ICA's notice. No one knew what the ICA wanted, only that they would come. That time was upon them.

Earth had been in their sights long before Ra. The plans to build the tunneling protocol and other work arounds into Earth's replacement security package also preceded Ra. The steps to award the contract for the new security set to a carefully prepared firm was long in the making. It worked flawlessly.

Earth watchers and their prediction sets had always factored in the exponential progress humans were making. The predictions were off by orders of magnitude. The period between the two major wars and the moon landing shocked them. Humans had skipped ahead of all expectations, now employing electronics and computer processing at an alarming rate. Everything had been quickening, and now everything they planned had to be stepped up.

It was not without some internal controversy when phycological manipulation of humans had been employed. Inverse human engineering, as it came to be known within the group, sought to pit factions against each other to slow progress and confuse the system. It was working, just not in the way they predicted.

Then Ra happened. His personal reports, unexpected as they were, set into motion a flurry of activity in Donolon. It was inevitable that the ICA would show up. The question now, would they be a help or a hinderance?

What Cirillo and his cohorts didn't understand, help or hinderance was not in the ICA's purview. Information was their power, always has been, always will be. What is power? It depends. Pitting one against the other was one manifestation of it. Holding it over someone as a threat is another. Having it, having power, while others don't is the ultimate position, whether you use it or not.

Cirillo agreed to meet da Rueu in a neutral location, in public. He chose the walking park in central Donolon. da Rueu found him sitting on a bench, one among a thousand benches.

"I appreciate you meeting with me," da Rueu said. "Shall we walk?"

"Of course," Cirillo replied as he stood up. "Can I ask what this is about?"

"Ra, of course."

"Ra?"

"Please don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about," da Rueu scolded.

Cirillo remained silent for moment. He finally said, "what about this Ra?"

"There's a question about why Ra was reassigned to a new liaison after the term had started. It was quite unusual. I've come to learn it was done at your insistence."

Again, Cirillo didn't speak right away, his anger bubbling under the surface. "That is an internal CT Group decision, I have no control, I have nothing to do with the CT Group nor would I want to. Whoever told you that is mistaken."

"Is that so? So, a certain CT administrator was not threatened by you if it wasn't done? Don't bother lying, I've tracked her down, she told me personally. I don't like being lied to, and I'd appreciate not being lied to now."

"I assure you I know nothing about it," Cirillo barked. "Why would I? I've told you I have nothing to do with the Class Thirteen program."

"You must think I'm a fool? Do you think I wouldn't have my story straight before meeting with you? I just want to hear it from your mouth."

Cirillo now outwardly angry blurted, "I couldn’t care less what you think you know..."

"Mylonias, daughter of Kalynias, your friend Kalynias, is she some kind of insurance?"

Cirillo was astonished. How could he know this? The project that he and Kalynias had worked up was well hidden, no one could have connected it with Ra. How much did da Rueu really know? This could hardly be a lucky guess. What Cirillo said next would make or break this situation. He needed to know what da Rueu knew.

"Insurance? What does that mean?"

"Ah, yes, answer a question with a question. Classic. Mylonias, the frightened daughter of your friend runs away and miraculously finds herself working for the CT Group with Earth on her roster. How fortuitous for you an Earth watcher." da Rueu stopped, waiting for a reaction of some kind.

Earth watchers were an informal group of interested officials high up in the Union hierarchy. Informal might be too prosaic a term, it was a secret society at the highest levels of the Union. Of course, the ICA was aware of it, but what they did not know was the identity of all its members, Cirillo was in the process of confirming his membership.

There were any number of Earth enthusiasts scattered throughout the Union. The fascination with Earth was far and wide. Hardly anyone cared about the sentient beings, it was everything else about life on Earth. Sentient beings on Class Thirteen planets were usually uninteresting and easily disregarded. There was no real chance for them to advance beyond simple tool making. Earth was different, but still no one ever considered humans were really anything to be concerned about. The Earth watchers knew differently. They had been tracking humans since the first sign of smelting arose. Smelting metals was always the first indication of scientific acumen which inevitably led to other advancements. Humans showed remarkable elevation in scientific methods and discipline. By the time of Ra they had been crafting projectile weapons and tools for agriculture that should have been impossible at that stage. Humans clearly warranted the scrutiny.

"You keep assigning me to things I have no idea of, " his voice rising ever so slightly. "What are you talking about, Earth watchers? Insurance? What's next, I'm an agent for the ICA?"

da Rueu chuckled. "You're a clever one Cirillo, I'll give you that. You might want to hold your anger in check the next time we meet, it's quite revealing. I have all the answers I need for now." da Rueu paused, letting it sink in. Cirillo was good, but not good enough. Emotions can betray, and protest is the greatest confessor. "I'm not your enemy. Keep that in mind. Remember, it's friends that can make the worst of enemies, they know things that can hurt you..."

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Kalynias (English version)

"My Mylonias," Kalynias beamed, "we've been so worried." He embraced her, smothering her for far too long on the busy shuttle platform.

Mylonias, fighting tears, just kept saying, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

They walked toward an eatery just off the platform. Mylonias had suggested they get something to eat before her father's busy day of meetings here in Donolon. They were quite a sight. He, with his arm around her smiling like a fool and her, teary-eyed and slouching as they departed the platform. They soon found an open table and settled in.

"Tell me all about it. What have you been doing all this time." Kalynias asked.

"I'm sorry I disappeared. I never meant to hurt you. I just couldn't..."

"You don't need to say it; your brothers and sisters already have. It appears I've been far too overbearing with all of you. I just wish you'd have come to me. You didn't need to run like this."

Mylonias smiled for the first time, "You are not seriously asking me that are you? Would you have listened to me? No. You... You would have looked right through me and demanded your wishes be carried out. You know it's true."

"It is true," Kalynias said, uncharacteristically admitting to his imperfection. "Your brothers and sisters said the same thing. At least I'm consistent..." He reached across the table and held her hand. "Please forgive me, Mylonias. I'm trying to change. Your leaving has made me examine some things about you and your siblings and honestly, it’s made me reconsider my whole life. It might have been the best thing that's happened since you've been gone."

Mylonias said nothing as she held his hand tighter. He wasn't furious with her. He wasn't even mad. He was contrite, something she never expected. Kalynias never apologized, ever. This was different, he was different, it was going to take some getting used to. She and her two sisters, despite being just the girls, were expected to be as good as the boys at everything. He never seemed as proud of her as when the boys accomplished the same thing, nevertheless he pushed his girls just as hard. Today he was different and she liked it. It took running away for him to appreciate what she was to him. She wondered if he would stay this way when he found out about her job with the CT Group. Any job associated with the CT Group was akin to dunce work.

She said, "Glad I could help... I came here to get some things clear, to think things through. I considered going to the institute like you were expecting. I thought about training too, I thought about a lot of things."

"So, what have you been doing all this time? It's been a while."

"It's kind of embarrassing. It's not that I sought it out... It sort of just came to me, and I..." she stopped, hoping he would just drop the whole thing, but she knew it wasn't going to happen. "I took a job on a long contract, that's what I've been doing..."

"Well, what is it? What do you mean, embarrassing? How bad can it be?"

She blurted out, "I'm a CT liaison!"

"Oh, I see," he said calmly. "Long term contract, how long?"

This was not what she was expecting! Did he already know, or was he trying not to sound surprised? She replied, "Started when I got here, it'll be ending soon."

"So, what do you do exactly? A liaison..." His tone was steady and even.

"I have 16 CT Overseers that report through me to the Union, technically I'm Union not the CT, but I work with them. It's boring work, I mean, I'm not even supposed to talk about it, you understand?"

"Of course. So, how did you get involved with this?"

"Shortly after I landed in Donolon, I was approached by someone. I probably looked desperate and scared. He told me being a liaison was a good way to lay low; benefits were good. I had no other prospects. I took it."

Kalynias paused, a little puzzled. "Someone approached you, just like that?"

"It was a little odd, I guess. Like I said, I probably looked like a drifter or something, maybe a runaway."

Kalynias thought about what he knew of the CT Group. They attracted potential Overseers by dangling a great retirement package. From his recollection there was long line for those jobs as they came up. Were liaisons that much different? Frankly, neither job attracted the brightest nor the boldest. Why would someone approach her with a job that had long line of potentials waiting in queue?

"Do you remember who it was that approached you?" He asked.

"No, it's been a long time. I can't remember his name. I only met him once. I was kind of desperate really, and I signed up on the spot. That reminds me I have something I need to ask you..."

"Ask me? What is that?"

"Do you know someone named Cirillo?" she asked, watching his face for any reaction.

He smiled, "Yes I do. Me and Cirillo go way back. Why do you ask?"

"His name came up a while back and I saw that he was from Creegt and was the controller for the Union's entire terraforming unit. I thought you must know him."

"I do." He said cheerfully, then lowered his tone. "In what way did his name come up, what were you doing?"

Mylonias paused briefly, unsure how much to tell him. "He apparently had one of the Overseers transferred to my group after the term had started."

"Ra!" He shouted, reflexively. He saw Mylonias jump in her seat.

She looked at him, his eyes darting back and forth, clearly working out a puzzle. "How do you know about Ra?" She demanded.

He didn't respond. He let go of her hand and stood. He looked down at her, "I've got to go, I'm sorry." He turned and then turned back to Mylonias, "you be careful. I mean it, be careful."

He turned and walked off.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Agent Kudj and Grand Agent da Rueu (English version)

Kudj was back on Brinait, currently in a shuttle flying over Donolon. He had been summoned here by Grand Agent da Rueu. A new mission? da Rueu had been pleased when Kudj delivered him the name of Cirillo. Kudj didn't mention it was Mylonias who had provided the name, but a good agent doesn't reveal all his secrets. da Rueu is clever, he probably already knew the name, Kudj only confirming it. A trust exercise, something senior agents did all the time.

Looking over the city his mind drifted back to Mylonias. They had not spoken since the kiss. Kissing her was all he could think about. He knew she was still suspicious, and he couldn't blame her. She was stuck in the middle of something enormous and they both knew it. He would protect her, even if it meant his job. He had managed to stop T'tali's abuse several times without betraying his motives. He hoped Mylonias recognized them as acts of good faith.

While departing the shuttle platform he tried to push Mylonias out of his mind and concentrate on his job. It was proving difficult. Was this love or infatuation? How could he know, he'd never been in love before. He wondered if she had ever been in love. Again, he chided himself, for someone without feelings he was sure having a lot of them lately.

da Rueu was already there when Kudj arrived. He had chosen a libation station with low lighting and questionable clientele. Two beverages sat on an otherwise empty table. Kudj sat across the small table from da Rueu. "I trust you're well?" da Rueu said.

"Very well, thank you," Kudj replied looking at the beverage, "for me?"

"Indeed, enjoy," da Rueu said. "I'll get right to it. I need you to do something for me, and it will be difficult."

"Sure, anything..."

"Before I get into it, I need to give you context, background information. You can never disclose this information to anyone, ever. Am I clear?"

Kudj remained straight faced and said "Of course, perfectly."

da Rueu began. "We've talked about Earth in relation to Ra and his so-called unofficial communiques to Mylonias. His reports themselves are not wrong, and he might think he's doing the right thing. What he's reporting is already well known in the circles that count, this fact is lost on him. If Ra was like any other Overseer this entire dilemma would never have come about.

Earth poses a problem that goes well beyond its Class Thirteen status. They, the humans are developing capabilities at frightening rate. They will surpass the CT Group's ability to contain them before long. The estimates are within a hundred to a hundred and fifty local cycles they could be interstellar travelers. It's a blink of an eye from our standpoint. I don't need to tell you what it could mean for the Union."

"A cross-contamination event," uttered Kudj.

"The likes of which we've never been seen before." da Rueu confirmed. "We can't let that happen. Since before Ra's first reports the Union has been working quietly to thwart human progress. Psychologically humans have proven to be quite malleable. We thought we could get them to destroy themselves as many nascent worlds have done in pre-Union history. Through war and politics, we've nudged them closer and closer to the brink. Yet they continue to move forward technologically at an alarming rate.

The things we've introduced to foment discord and conflict have only accelerated their technological progress. They have the means and the capability to destroy their civilization, so far, they haven't used it. Human psychology was thought to be the answer, they are so easily steered. We have a little time left and we've made great progress pitting them against each other to the point they question their own basic biology. Still, it may not be enough for them to destroy themselves and put an end to this whole concern. It's a critical time, and Ra is ruining it all."

"What do you need me to do?"

da Rueu paused for a moment and looked Kudj in the eye. "I need you to kill Ra and take his place."

Kudj didn't react, thinking it was some kind of joke.

"Yes really..." da Rueu said, "I'm serious."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Do not worry, we've got it all planned out for you."

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

I've been spending most of my time planetside. I've not had an alert for an offline sensor in quite some time. Clearly, they figured out I know about their trick the Overseer game. I haven't figured out how they are getting around the sensors now, but there must have been some secondary method ready to go.

I'm playing online games a lot lately, just trying to break the boredom. I need something to do. In the event this silence is a mistake and I'm still in good standing in the CT Group, I have been trying to do my job. Cover...

Sadly, I've found gaming to be less and less enjoyable. The Internet has changed. Something humans refer to as artificial intelligence has completely taken over. It is reminiscent of insentience on the hub. The Union did away with active non-sentience long before my time. Decision making is the domain of sentient beings. Insentience has its place, it still gathers data and information, collates, organizes, calculates and makes predictions. It's an indispensable tool for most Union civilizations, but it's not allowed to act. Perhaps humans will discover the why of it on their own. For now, it's more of an impediment than a tool.

My term here officially ends soon, whatever that means now. I've built myself a series of workarounds and defenses should a new Overseer discover my presence, as unlikely as it is. I will be able to access the station as needed without detection for as long as I need to. A small portion of control is set aside for the personal use of Overseers. It never finds its way to the logs or reports. I've carved a small transparent section of control for myself ad infinitum.

Today I'm walking along the beach collecting seashells. It relaxes me. I love watching my footprints disappear shortly after I make them as the waves lap up and over them, it's like I was never there. I always carry my local bubble generator, but I don't use it all the time. I suspect I've acquired immunity to some of these island pathogens. I've felt sick a few times, but I always come out of it. Maybe I can adapt to Earth.

I've never been one to get lonely, I mean, what Overseer takes more than one tour? I think it's because I always had the option of going back to civilization. Here, I don't look enough like humans to walk among them like so many other Union sentients can, so loneliness might become a problem.

Oh wait, what is this? An alert... Well now isn't that interesting.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Cirillo and Kalynias (English version)

"What have you done!"

In the glow of the fire Kalynias saw a silhouette. Rage welled up inside him. He could barely contain himself, "what have you done to my daughter?"

Cirillo spun to face his old friend. He suspected this day would come. "What are you going on about?"

"Don't do that! Don't play the innocence game. You know what you’ve done," by now Kalynias was face to face with Cirillo. "What did you do? Why? My daughter..."

Cirillo waited. "Are you done? Come, let's sit." Cirillo stretched his arm over the two chairs.

Kalynias hastily sat and said, "I want to know right now what you did! Why you've involved Mylonias."

Cirillo took his time settling in. "I've protected myself from you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and your irrational passion for saving Earth. This little project of yours, terraforming your five planets into amalgams of Earth and all its creatures, is just that, a little side project. A project I’ve been looking the other way on, for you! I knew the time would come when action would need to be taken, drastic action. I knew you'd go berserk."

"You mean annihilating Earth? You’re right, I am going berserk! It's barbaric!" Kalynias shouted.

"We have to protect the Union," countered Cirillo.

"Oh, come now. We all know Earth is contained. Will be contained..."

Cirillo cut him off, "will it? You don't know that, no one does. What we're seeing on Earth is unprecedented. We've never seen a sentient species develop this fast. Especially one this violent.” He paused, seeing the fire in the eyes of his friend. “Did you think I didn't know of your plan to transplant humans."

Kalynias sat his mouth agape, caught off guard by Cirillo's accusation. Truth is, it was exactly his plan. "This is why you put Mylonias right in the middle of this, isn't it? To get me to back off, to keep my mouth shut and keep my opinions to myself. How could you? She's innocent in all this."

"She is, and she will stay that way if you don't do anything stupid. Right now, she knows nothing except what Ra has told her. She knows nothing that will get her in trouble. I'd like to keep it that way. Her term will be ending soon, I'd suggest you urge her to leave the position then."

"I thought we were friends, friends don't do this to each other," Kalynias pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I really am, Mylonias can come out of this unscathed. It’s up to you. We both have something to lose here. Don't be foolish."

They said nothing for a while, the crackling of the fire was all that could be heard. Cirillo didn't think of himself as the bad guy in all this. He and his fellow Earth watchers had only the preservation of the Union motivating them. They all knew destroying Earth or any planet with sentient beings would be scandalous, unheard of in the modern Galactic Union. The Earth watchers were the only ones with the courage to do what had to be done. They would not let one person's private passion imperil the safety of the Union.

Kalynias was like so many others, enraptured by Earth, its myriads of life, its creatures great and small. Had Earth not been populated by sentient bipeds much like themselves it would have eventually been a tourist destination. It would have been celebrated as a nirvana. The Class Thirteen designation prevented that from happening in any way, shape or form. To be a CT planet was to be a tainted planet. No one wanted anything to do with it. No one would miss it... Well almost no one.

Enough Earth fanatics existed to preclude any simple solution, such as an atmospheric toxin targeted at humans. Whatever was done to stop Earth from reaching interstellar capabilities had to appear to be natural or self-inflicted. The desire for humans to destroy themselves was still the preferred outcome, but humans just never went that far... Yet.

Ra was ruining even this. The tunneling protocol was used by more than just the researchers working on the project, it was also how the Earth watchers got their operatives to Earth. To plant the seeds of discord and wreak havoc on human social institutions took many hands. The alternate methods of getting past the Overseer were not as easily accomplished as the tunneling protocol. Ra had thoroughly messed up everything.

Kalynias spoke at last. "I hate you for what you've done. You've lost all decency. Family is off limits. My family is off limits." He stood and walked away.

Cirillo smiled. He knew he had won. If her father kept his mouth shut nothing would happen to Mylonias. The luck of having an insurance policy fall right into his lap was unforeseen, but oh so welcome.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Agent Kudj (English version)

When he told Mylonias he needed to see her, it was important, she was excited. She invited Kudj to her suite. Since Ra had stopped sending his unofficial communiques the T'tali visits had all but stopped, which was a good thing. Still, she missed seeing Kudj.

She and her father had not spoken since the day he ran off. Maybe he was embarrassed by her after all. She didn't hear from the CT Group or her Union contact either, she felt abandoned. The call from Kudj was a welcome one, he'd become the only one in her life she could count on.

The city shuttle dropped Kudj at the welcome gate to her balcony. She let him in. They hugged and stood for a moment overlooking the west end of Donolon. She led him inside. She had drinks ready for them and they each had a sip. Kudj noted the thienhol as his face puckered, it was the good stuff.

Mylonias smiled at him, "I'm so glad you came, it's been lonely around here. I hope it’s alright, you coming here?"

"I missed you too," He wrapped her up in his arms, lifted her off her feet and kissed her. He put her down, quickly, “Sorry, sorry…”

Mylonias laughed. “Don’t be sorry.” She took a step back and said, "You have something to tell me? Something important. What is it?"

"I have to go away for a while," Kudj sighed

Mylonias frowned, "how long is a while?"

"I wish I knew. Could be a long while."

"Where are you going?" She knew instantly he wouldn't tell her, "Can't tell me, can you?"

"Sorry." He lowered his head slightly, then looked her in the eyes, "will you wait for me?"

She said nothing, only smiled as she took his hand as if to say, of course I will.

"Let's not talk about it anymore," he said. He didn't know how he felt about the nature of his mission. How would Mylonias react if she knew what he had to do? Not well, obviously. Ra may not have been her friend, but he was hers. Still, it was his job, no matter his relationship with her. Duty first. His duty was to carry it out. He vowed she would never, could never find out. "So, how have you been?" He asked, changing the subject

"I met up with my father, finally," she told him. "It was all rather odd."

"How so?"

"We talked about my job. He wasn't mad or even disappointed. Can you believe it? I couldn't have conceived it going that way. He told me my brothers and sisters had given him a good talking to after I left. They told him he was to blame for my disappearance. It seemed to set him straight. He was so contrite. I've never seen him act like that. It was sweet, and so unlike him. Believe me he's someone accustomed to getting what he wants, no matter who he walks over. To see him like that was some kind of a miracle.

He wanted to know how I got involved with the CT. I think he was surprised, but he didn't want to show it. When I told him how it happened, he seemed dubious about it. He acted as if it was all so unlikely. Then when I asked him about Cirillo, well that's when he went all weird on me."

"Meaning?"

"He said he knew Cirillo, they were old friends. But when I told

him how it came to be that Cirillo had re-assigned Ra to my group, he became really, really agitated. Kudj, he knew who Ra was..."

"Right," said Kudj, sitting up in his chair. "It's generally not supposed to be public information." He relaxed again, "but it is Earth, I guess anyone could know who Ra is."

"Well, he sure did, and he got mad and walked out... He told me to be careful, twice. I haven't heard from him since."

Kudj didn't know what to make of this. First, what business was it of Cirillo to get an Overseer re-assigned? That alone made no sense. He suspected da Rueu wasn't telling him everything. There were things going on here so far above his level that he wasn't sure he even wanted to know.

Everything about this assignment seemed off to Kudj. First, he was told how critical this case was. Then he was told nothing else. He had to work out what was really going on by eaves dropping and focusing his attention on subtle details and body language. It was the only data he was getting. T'tali barely spoke to him, da Rueu, the silent and stealthy type suddenly becomes a confidant, sends him out on a mission critical assignment. It was madness. During all this he felt the overwhelming need to protect Mylonias.

He knew he'd need to let her go, let her escape his mind, stop letting her dominate his every thought. The mission came first; it had to. He didn't know what it meant to take Ra's place. He assumed it would be easy. Overseers had their reputation, for all he knew it was well deserved. Then as it always did, the mission's aim raced through his mind. The assassination of Ra. He was to kill Ra and take his place. He knew what had to be done, he understood what he was being called on to do, to be the bringer of death. It was still so surreal, so abstract, like he wouldn't be doing it. It would be this disconnected being following his instructions.

"This mission are you excited about it?" she asked as if reading his mind. "Is it dangerous?"

Everything that had just played in his mind disappeared the moment she spoke. "I'll be fine," he said, loving that she cared about his safety. He didn't want to be a person who lied to the ones he cared about the most. He didn't want to, but he would. "The only thing dangerous about it will be how much I'll miss you. I miss you already."

She grabbed his hand and led him to her room "I need to show you something, it's important!"

Excerpts from the Journal of Agent Kudj (English version)

I'd been aboard the interstellar for quite some time on my way to the Sol system. Nothing much to do but think. I've studied the mission plans until I could recite them backwards and forwards. I was just glad I wouldn't have to look Ra in the eyes when I killed him.

I would be entering the Sol system from far beyond the heliopause. Two jumpships coupled together would carry me toward Earth. They were the exact model of the ones assigned to the station. I would be in the trailing jumper. This would help shield my presence from Ra's sensors.

Ra would be in the jumper, this much we knew to be certain. There are no autonomous weapons, only sentient beings can fire weapons. The Union instituted a strict ban on autonomous weapons long, long ago.

When Ra was in weapons range, the trailing jumper would fall back and wait. Ra will waste no time and fire immediately, destroying the lead jumper. The probes they used on previous forays gathered data on Ra's behavior. The cloud of vapor mist will hide my presence as Ra confirms the destruction of the jumper. That's when I lock and fire. This plan was solid, or so I was told.

The rest is easy. I would go to the anchorship station and become Ra. I would ride out his term then return home. Ra would be missing when the CT Group sent his replacement. It would be a mystery never to be solved.

Once it is over, Ra dispatched, just so many particles of dust floating in the endless cosmos, the task of being an Overseer was something any dummy could do. Being Ra would be easy. As for real Ra he was essentially persona non grata, and toxic. No one is talking to him. No one will miss him.

He had caused enough trouble, even if he didn't know it.

There were just ten Earth cycles left on his term, almost nothing in real-time. I just have to go through the motions for the sake of the routine reports and the shiplog. Nothing can appear to be off and risk attracting the attention of the CT Group, or the Union.

It's been reported boredom was the worst thing about being an Overseer. Makes perfect sense. Overseers are not allowed to bring mates or anyone else for that matter. Anything that would distract them or complicate their lives wasn't allowed. Vigilance was expected. Boredom the cost. Retirement the reward. I had brought a few different holos of Mylonias in my personal belongings I would use to have conversations with her. It was the only way I would get through this with my sanity.

The fact that I'd be taking someone's life was supposed to be scrubbed and forgotten. I doubt most agents ever forget their first. I wouldn't know, my only contact with other agents was with T'tali and da Rue. T'tali barely talks to me, and I would never ask da Rueu such a thing. I had nothing against Ra. It was just a job I had to do.

The rest of my time riding the interstellar I thought about her, I thought about that last time we were together. She was my incentive to see this through. My return to Mylonias, my motivation. I think I'm in love with her, but I’ve got to put all that out of my mind. I can't let feelings cloud my judgement. It's exactly why they scrub our feelings and emotions when we sign up. Not even our mothers being murdered in front of us is supposed to elicit a response during our phycological training. I passed that, but I'm failing when it comes to Mylonias.

When the time came the shuttles were launched from the interstellar. The trip toward Sol would be quick, these shuttles are very, very fast. It will be over soon. One by one Sol's sensors went offline as I approached Earth. It was just a matter of time before Ra's jumper would light up my screen. When the alert chimed I decoupled from the lead jumper, and just as predicted Ra fired. The shuttle vaporized in front of my eyes. Then as if I had trained for this all my life, I splash through the vapor mist and lock weapons on Ra's shuttle. Without wavering I fired my own vaporizing burst and just like that it was over. Ra was gone.

I had done it, no hesitation. I felt good. Maybe it would hit me later, maybe it wouldn't. For now, I was satisfied, maybe even a little happy. I had completed the difficult part, now I get to play Overseer.

As I continued toward Earth I was struck by the shiny blue and white orb slowly emerging. It was a sight to behold. I thought to myself, this is what all the fuss is about. It looked perfectly serene, a glittering jewel against the black backdrop of space.

Once at the station my shuttle docked seamlessly and into the airlock I walked, entering my new home for the first time.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Cirillo and Grand Agent da Rueu (English version)

da Rueu entered the central Donolon eatery Cirillo had suggested for their meeting. da Rueu suspected he'd find him not in a private room as Cirillo was accustomed to, but in the main room among the public. He encountered this often when someone suspected who he was. Public, well-lit and bustling. No one wanted to meet him in a secluded area or on a private transport. It made him laugh to himself, as if he'd get his hands dirty.

He looked around and yes, there was Cirillo at a table in the center of the room. da Rueu made his way to the table as Cirillo stood to greet him.

"Any trouble finding the place?" Cirillo asked.

"Not at all." da Rueu replied. "Shall we order? Maybe a drink to start?"

"Yes, indeed." Cirillo motioned toward the empty chairs.

They sat and an order was placed. They made small talk until the drinks arrived. Cirillo seemed nervous. da Rue suspected Cirillo had asked around about him, digging a little deeper this time and the answers scared him.

"What are we discussing today?" Cirillo asked as he sipped his drink.

"Relax, I've come with good news."

"Oh, and this news would be?"

"The Ra problem has been resolved," da Rueu declared. "We will not be hearing from him again."

Cirillo looked momentarily bewildered. "Ra problem? How do you mean? Resolved?"

"Best you don't know any more. In fact, you may want to keep that bit of information to yourself for the time being. I'd rather we talk about what your little group has planned for Earth."

Cirillo, again stunned, took another pull from his drink. "Planned for Earth? I don't understand..."

da Rueu smirked sideways at Cirillo and said, "The Earth watchers, your little exclusive club, don't tell me you haven't got grand plans for Earth." When Cirillo didn't say anything da Rueu continued. "Ra was upsetting everything. Your plans had been carefully drawn up long before we ever heard the name Ra, is this accurate? I suspect we were getting close to a countdown. Ra's ill-timed observations began putting too many eyes on the famous Class Thirteen planet. Am I close?"

Cirillo, clearly backed into a corner, his eyes blinking rapidly. This was obviously striking a nerve, deduced da Rueu. He waited for Cirillo to deflect.

"I don't know what you think you know, but the Earth watchers are an informal group of Earth enthusiasts. One of many, I assure you."

"Right, you're going with that are you?" said da Rueu, unconvinced.

"It's the truth!" Cirillo said vehemently, immediately realizing he'd betrayed himself again. "The Earth watchers are extremely concerned about what's happening with Earth, true. Humans are developing at a rate never seen before. If they break out into the wider galaxy it could be devastating. They have no control over their violence and zero understanding of how extreme their biome is. At some point action will be needed."

"You're right." da Rueu said matter of factly.

"What? I don't understand... What is your angle here? What are you after?"

"I told you before I am not your enemy." da Rueu answered. "Why do you think I put a stop to Ra? Neither the CT Group nor the Union executives are privy to what's going on here. There are those out there who want you to follow through, to run your program to its logical end."

Cirillo was astonished. He was not expecting this at all. Was the ICA endorsing their plan? Or was it just da Rueu? "I'm afraid you've caught me off guard. What do you really want?"

da Rueu smiled across the table at Cirillo, "it's simple, run your program to its logical end. That's all."

"Logical end?"

"Are you not planning to destroy Earth? Everything I know tells me that's what you've been planning all along. Isn't it just a matter of timing now, correct?"

Cirillo was shaking his head back and forth. "I really shouldn't say another word. Not another word. This is dangerous talk and I'll have no part of it." He stopped as da Rueu broke out laughing.

"I know what you've been up to, you and your Earth watchers. You've been trying to get them to do it themselves, destroy themselves. Wars and political upheaval, assassinations and scandal, financial crises, existential crises and global crises designed to deviate behavior, poison food, poison drugs and enough cultural psychobabble to drown humans in such self-hatred to the point they aren't even reproducing enough to replace themselves.

Everything is in place for humans to snuff themselves out.

Only you think they'll become interstellar before they completely destroy themselves. Is that about right?"

Cirillo lowered his chin to his chest then said, "yes," then shouted, "YES!"

Eyes were on them from every corner of the room. da Rueu, his palm out, quickly met their eyes telling them it was over.

"Yes, that's what we believe," Cirillo said, his voice now calm and low. "Are we wrong? Is it wrong to want to protect ourselves from a plague? Is it? You tell me! The Union took eons to become what it is now. Earth blooming could destroy it in a lifetime.

Are we going to be looked upon as the ones who saw it coming and did nothing? This isn't an easy thing, it's not an easy decision, no one is saying it is, but what else are we to do?"

Grand Agent da Rueu said, "I say do it. Put them out of their misery. It's cruel to let them suffer any longer."

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

I knew they'd be coming.

When the alert came in, I was ready. I took two shuttles; one coupled to the other. I was in the trailing shuttle. I needed them to think I was acting in the way they would be expecting. When I got in position I waited until their ship was in range. They'd expect me to fire immediately, and that's what I did. The lead shuttle, which was under my control, took the shot. Once their ship vaporized, I decoupled the shuttles and jettisoned the trailing shuttle straight back.

There was a moment of doubt then suddenly like a magic trick the lead shuttle was vaporized into dust. I had powered down my shuttle and set it adrift. There was no reason to suspect they would do an intensive sensor sweep after watching my ship become a mist of vaporized dust.

I was right.

After giving them enough time to depart the scene, I powered up and followed. I had cloaked my ship, which was standard procedure. I could see they had as well. We can detect and track cloaked vessels in space by looking at the background and detecting the starlight bending ever so slightly as a ship passes. It was one way the sensors would detect most uninvited trespassers, that is when the sensors weren't offline. Since my killer believed I was no longer in existence, they weren't even looking.

They headed straight for Earth.

Whoever they were, whatever they wanted, they went to the anchorship and immediately docked like they were coming home. Then it struck me. They were going to pretend to be me. They would ride out the rest of my term. Nice plan...

I have a few plans of my own.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Kudj and Ra (English version)

At first, he couldn't get enough of it, staring out the viewing window at the Earth as it rotated below him. It really was beautiful. Before long Kudj found himself looking at the human cities through the optical sensors. There was such variety here. On other worlds the cities tend to look the same, variations on a theme. Earth's cities are quite unique in appearance and in substance. From the super modern, flashing lights, tall buildings and fantastic bridges to the ramshackle tenements unfit for animals let alone the humans who lived in them. The largest cities had both.

Any thoughts of going planetside were drowned out by the Class Thirteen status of Earth. It was a natural reaction. Class Thirteen meant stay away. So, he did

As time passed, he was having more and more trouble sleeping, dreams of vapor clouds reassembling into burnt-out shuttles played over and over again. He'd never seen an image of Ra, by his choice, before the mission began, and he still hadn't. It might have been the only thing saving his sanity. He thought he'd be able to shake what he'd done by calling it duty. Seeing Ra's face would have been too much.

After having his fill of Earth from a distance he accessed the hologram programs of Mylonias. He spent much of his time in conversation with this facsimile of his love. Regrettably it started to become a hollow experience after enough time had passed. Holo-Mylonias only had so many expressions or surprises for him. After a while he began to predict which emotion or facial expression the conversation would elicit. Eventually it lost the charge he needed to get from it…

He'd set about exploring every aspect of the station. He took a complete inventory out of sheer boredom. Everything in the supply cache was fairly sparse, not a surprise considering there was so little time left on Ra's term.

If interlopers were passing by the sensors Kudj didn't know nor did he care. Someone higher up the echelon had their reasons for sabotaging Earth's detection system to gain access to the planet. It was not his to question. His job was just manning this post and taking action when called for, like any Overseer.

Sleeplessness was starting to affect his waking moments. He was now hearing things and seeing flashes of movement in the periphery of his vision. Eventually the only thing that didn't spook him was sitting in the big room bouncing a ball off the wall over and over, and over.

When it happened the first time, he ignored it as a manifestation of his sheer boredom and fatigue. When he stopped bouncing the ball he thought he heard a voice saying, "Why did you do it?" Ignoring it he started bouncing the ball. But again, it happened, louder this time. "Why did you do it?"

In time the voice stopped, and he put it out of his mind, an aberration, nothing more. Still, he felt a complete sensor sweep of the station was called for. Results: Negative.

When the voice returned, he was just getting up from another period of fitful sleep. "What did it feel like to kill me?" Again, he assumed it was a remnant of a fleeting dream. The voice disappeared until he laid down to try to sleep again. The short reprieve was over. When he was on that edge between sleep and consciousness, he was jolted awake by an urgent shout... "Why did you kill me?"

* * *

Ra laughed. He couldn't help himself. He had welcomed this distraction. His assassin trying to alleviate the boredom of being trapped aboard the station seemed funny to him. Overseers learn to cope with the boredom in many ways, but someone unaccustomed or unprepared would find it nearly unbearable. Watching him spiraling down so quickly was quite entertaining. Ra couldn't find it within himself to have any real compassion for his killer. He had, after all, murdered Ra in cold blood.

Ra had carefully prepared for his life on Earth. He wouldn't, however, be without the use of the ship. He needed the eyes and ears of the ship and access to control and all the knowledge it stored. The internal sensors kept tabs on his killer at all times, Ra could spoil whatever he was doing at any time. Ra especially enjoyed messing with the agent of death's sleep patterns.

One of these times the killer would answer the voice, and he'd be quite surprised when the voice talked back. How long it took to break his murderer didn't matter to Ra. They both had time to spare.

* * *

Kudj eventually used sleep agents so he could get some uninterrupted sleep. The problem with sleep agents is they take a long time to clear the body, therefore he felt like the walking dead half the time. Counteractants worked, but then he'd be hyperactive, which wouldn't be advisable in a situation like this. At least sleep drugs kept the voices away when he needed the sleep.

Soon the whispers didn't even register, but he could not ignore the shouts. "Why did you kill me? Why? Why did you do it? Tell me why you killed me?" He tried to cover his ears. It worked to the degree. The voices were real, not just in his head. These questions, always the same, why, why, why?

It got to the point that even thoughts of Mylonias didn't help him. He could hardly worry how she was doing when he got no peace except for drug induced sleep. Then it happened, he snapped...

"Why did you do it? Why did you kill me?"

"It was my job!" Kudj shouted back. "I had orders, I follow orders!"

"Do you always blindly follow orders?" the voice asked. "Do you ever use your own brain?"

Kudj was frozen. He heard his voice respond, but it was as if he was an observer to this. "What do you want?" then he heard someone shouting, "what do you want from me?"

"I just want to talk, it's all I have left, you took everything else from me," the voice said.

Kudj shaken to his core, started pleading, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Relax, I understand. I've moved on. Are you an assassin? Or..."

"I'm a nobody, I don't exist."

"ICA," said the voice. "I should have known they'd be involved. What did they tell you about me? I had gone rogue or I was crazy."

"Yes, well, no..." Kudj couldn't believe he was talking to a ghost as if it was just another conversation. "They said you were messing everything up. You had to be stopped, that's all."

"Let me guess, you are new, first assignment, you’ve got no history with the ICA, right?" the voice asked.

Stupefied, Kudj asked, "How did you know?"

"It seems obvious. You’re new, you have no ties to anyone in the ICA, you were perfect for the job. They have you kill me, ride out the rest of this term, being very quiet of course, as not to attract any attention. Smart. It was my personal reports that got them so rattled, wasn't it? Something is happening here on Earth; it makes them all nervous. They can't have anyone calling attention to Earth. I’m guessing they have plans for this place."

"I don't know anything about plans," Kudj replied, his voice now calm, as if this was just a pleasant visit. "But yes, you made them nervous, I suppose. I just had my orders. They tell me only what I need to know."

"I see," said the voice, "do you wonder what comes next? Did they tell you that?" Only silence followed. "Why do you think they told you nothing about after? After this..."

"I don't know... A new assignment. How would I know, I'm new."

"Do you really think they'll let you live after this?"

Kudj, appalled by the very thought of it, said "What do you mean, why would they..."

"Kill you? Why would they let you live? No one knows you're here and they'll never want what happened to me to come out, ever. It will become the mystery of Ra. How do you suppose they can guarantee that?"

The voice stopped. Kudj was dazed, too many thoughts racing through his mind. The meetings with da Rueu... What had da Rueu really told him? Did da Rueu even mention what came next? No, he never did.

Would they really kill him? It was true, agents were always expendable. They were trained to be autonomous beings without feelings or obligations. All that was true, but they couldn't just kill him if it suited their purposes, could they? Then he thought about her. What would stop them from killing Mylonias too? He, himself had speculated about her death before he had any feelings for her. It was obvious! The ghost of Ra was right. They would surely kill him. Kill them.

"How will they do it?" Kudj asked quietly, finally breaking the silence.

"I assume they plan to extract you right before the term turnover, before a new Overseer is brought here. What better time?

As for the how," said the voice, "I'm afraid you'd know that better than I."

Kudj lowered his head. A long silence, the voice had stopped. What just happened here? He was either hallucinating or he'd just had a conversation with the ghost of someone he'd killed. That wasn't even the strange part, what was extraordinarily strange is everything the ghost said seemed exactly right.

He had to do something.

He went to the comms room and created a message for Mylonias. This ship, Ra, was assigned one point of contact, Mylonias. He had to send her a simple message only she would understand. He sent a single sentence... A sentence that was etched forever in his mind.

[ I need to show you something, it's important ]

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Cirillo and Kalynias (English version)

When Cirillo approached the fire, he found Kalynias was already there tossing more fuel on the flames. Unlike the last time they met, Kalynias seemed far from angry; he wanted something.

"Ah, there you are," Kalynias said. "Glad you could come."

"Of course… So what do you want?"

"Want?"

Cirillo, his smile wry, spoke in a low voice. "What do you take me for? We've known each other for a long time, I think I can tell when you're after something."

"Fair enough. What I want is time, that's all."

Kalynias needed time to finish his Earth project. Of the numerous terraforming projects that were aiming to recreate Earth-like planets, his five planets were a special case. If and when Earth blooms, humans will be searching for new homes. Kalynias intended to give them new homes.

The five planets chosen were as close to Earth as they could find. The mass of each planet was very near Earth's mass, making adaptation much easier. All were waterworlds, all had nitrogen/oxygen atmospheres. The land masses had undergone extensive reformation to replicate Earth-like features.

It had been going well; untold number of Earth plants and animals had already been introduced. After some fits and starts they were all now thriving. The final touch was to introduce humans to codify the proof of concept. This of course was going to be the hardest part.

The history of migration throughout the Galactic Union is hardly any different than what took place on Earth. The problems were the same, fear of the other being paramount. The scars of it had long since healed and the Union had learned lessons that seem to elude humans.

Kalynias' simple plan was to create facsimiles of the five main continents of Earth and populate each with their natural ethnicities. There would be an Africa, an Asia, a North and South America, and finally Europe.

The human trials were set to begin shortly, then Ra happened.

"Well," Cirillo started, "the situation on Earth has cooled and we are assessing the damage done by Ra. I assume your incursions have resumed." Kalynias waved a hand. "But it's all far from settled, you know that."

"I understand," Kalynias replied. "Tell me, what is your final solution? Assuming genocide is not acceptable. No plague or anything toxic that would target only humans. Right?"

"I can't discuss this with you," Cirillo grumbled, "you also know that."

"Yes, of course, but this is just between old friends. You already hold the ultimate leverage over me. Why would I put her in danger?"

Cirillo said nothing at first. This subject was only ever discussed within the confines of the Earth watchers' group. A group he didn't control, in which he was as much a pawn as Mylonias was to him. He relished the chance to be the mastermind if only here, beside this fire, and with this audience.

"Alright, alright. Yes, just introducing something that would kill only the human population would be too obvious, it would never withstand the scrutiny that would surely follow. There are too many earth watcher communities out there. Believe me.

Before you ask… they have thought about a magnetic pulse, but we can’t for the same reasons. These watchers will see right through the veil. If they try to emulate a mass solar ejection it’s only going to affect the side of Earth facing Sol at the time. It might set them back but it won’t stop them. It’s the same if they use a nuclear device to create the pulse, which humans are capable of, but they’d have to hit every technological center. It’s possible but so unlikely it wouldn’t stand up to investigation.

There is another way that would appear completely natural. I don't have to tell you there are numerous ways to nudge a planet's trajectory, we do it all the time, you do it all the time. Usually, it's slight, just a minor change to create a more stable orbit. Correct? There's no reason we couldn't go further. Earth may find itself a victim of a rogue meteor, maybe a giant meteor. A collision like that, if aimed properly, would perhaps move its orbit closer to Sol. It wouldn't take much, just enough to make human life wither away. Problem solved. That's the preferable method if the current strategy doesn’t work. There are other, more drastic options..."

Kalynias said nothing. What was there to say? Cirillo was right, it would be as simple as that. How ironic he thought, so simple... Yet never in the history of the Galactic Union had there been a solution as drastic as this. There had been plenty of problem worlds, but this had never been the solution. Far, far back there had been genocides that pre-dated the Union, but they were treated as legend and myth, the stuff of storytellers. The Union had civilized the galaxy eons ago. The whole point of the Class Thirteen program was to assure those legends and myths stayed in the distant past.

"When?" Kalynias finally asked.

"I can't tell you. I can't tell you because I don't know. Lately there is concern over this thing humans call artificial intelligence. I don't know exactly what it is, I suppose something akin to insentience on the hub."

"What's the concern?"

"There are thoughts that it could go out of control and humans would allow it to destroy everything, hurtling them back to the stone-age."

"Well, that sounds like problem solved," remarked Kalynias.

"Yes, maybe. It could go the other way also. It could also hurtle them into interstellar space faster than we can imagine. Our worst nightmare."

Excerpts from the Journal of Mylonias (English version)

I miss him. I miss being able to talk to someone besides other depressed liaisons. Kudj, please come back...

All is quiet here. My other Overseers are all in steady state, the end of this term is close, no one wants any drama right now. I have not heard from my father. I have not heard from the CT Group. I have not heard from my Union emissary. I have not heard from T'tali, thankfully, because I have not heard from Ra.

I've decided to leave this job at the end of the term. No liaisons sign up for more than two stints, but most indeed finish two. I understand why. Liaison's get retirement after two terms. The logic is that they do not suffer the isolation of an Overseer and can carry on some semblance of a social life. But after Ra I've had enough.

I'm excited to see my family, I want to see my father again. Sounds like some things have changed back on Creegt. I don't know what I'll do, or even what I want to do, but I can't do this anymore. Maybe I will go into the family business...

Is there any future with Kudj? I don't know. He's probably dead... If he is alive, would he even come back? I know what he is, I know he's not likely to stay in one place for long. That’s the life he’s chosen.

He's been the only one in all this mess who treats me like I'm someone real, not just some irregularity, a lowly CT liaison to be thusly dismissed. I don't know if there would've been any attraction between us under different circumstances. Likely we would have never met at all. We were victims of circumstance - right place, right time.

I'm almost never at my station anymore. Of the messages, the few messages that still come in, almost none require any action from me. I keep the records flowing and clear the issue log remotely. There are no issues.

Right now, I'm sitting on a bench in the walking park in central Donolon waiting for something, I don't know what. Something. Anything.

Just now my implant chimed. It's an incoming message from an Overseer? What is this? I sat up. From Ra? It was from Ra! I grabbed my remote station sitting on the bench next to me and saw just one sentence...

[ I need to show you something, it's important ]

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Agent T'tali and Grand Agent da Rueu (English version)

"It’s time," said Grand Agent da Rueu. "Ra's term has come to an end in a manner of speaking and you have just one last visit to the liaison. Then we put this whole thing behind us."

T'tali knew this time was coming. Time to wrap up this whole affair. They'd been brought together to deal with the Ra issue. Everyone was breathing easier now that Ra was no longer sending his personal reports unofficial or otherwise. Neither the CT Group nor the Union would ever know what had really happened to Ra. They had lost Overseers in the past, mostly to madness and suicide, but some had simply disappeared, like Ra. No one would miss him.

She'd known so little of the Class Thirteen program prior to this assignment, only what she and everyone else learned growing up. What stayed with her the most was how Overseers were viewed by the rest of Galactic society. Parents would hold it over an underperforming child. 'You don't want end up an Overseer' 'That's where you're heading if you don't straighten up'. It was really all they needed to learn. Playing guard over a toxic wasteland was not anyone's greatest desire.

She remembered learning about Earth and seeing the images and the visual tours. It was like a beautiful flower. The kind of flower whose aroma was intoxicating, intoxicating and deadly. Earth was a Class Thirteen planet, that was all anyone needed to know, any lingering fascination soon faded.

This case had revealed to her there was so much more to Earth and these humans than she ever imagined. It was complicated and simple at the same time. Sentient bipeds existed on other CT planets, but no one ever gave them a second thought, and before this, in her mind humans were no different. She wondered how humans viewed the rest of the galaxy, could they even fathom anything like the Galactic Union? She chuckled inwardly. Imagine humans discovering the anchorship and the Overseer. They would surely worship the Overseer as a deity, as a god. Ra, a god... It made her laugh.

She had been excited to work with da Rueu, to be associated with him. Her own dream of someday achieving Grand Agent status notwithstanding, his reputation was sure to rub off on her in the circles that counted. What came next for her was anybody's guess, ICA agents went where they were needed. There was always information to gather.

She owed Mylonias one last visit and then it was over. She looked to da Rueu, her eyebrows raised. "So, it's been decided, the girl lives?"

"Yes," da Rueu replied. "I've grown rather fond of her. She's changed. She’s so much more composed and forceful, don't you think? I believe we had a hand in that."

"I want it on the record, I think it's a mistake. She knows too much about Ra and there's no guarantee she won't talk."

da Rueu nodded as T'tali made her case. "Believe me, that frightened little girl is still in there. I think a stern warning from you will be the only guarantee we’ll need. You tell her we'll be watching her wherever she goes, whatever she does. I don't think the name Ra will ever pass her lips again."

T'tali was unconvinced. She had looked forward to the time when she would slit the liaison's throat. The messier the better. While da Rueu, and obviously Kudj had been impressed with her transformation, Mylonias had been an irritant, an aggravation from the beginning. Still, da Rueu didn't want the liaison dead, she would respect that. T'tali silently vowed, one slip-up, one wrong conversation and Mylonias would be gone, never to be heard from again. If she retreated to Creegt once this term was over, she would not be out of reach. The ICA had a presence on all the core planets; there would be no place for her to hide. If she entered the family business it might be a little trickier to track her, but then again to whom would she tell the story of Ra? Out on some uninhabited terraformed world no one is listening. Whatever comes, T'tali would never forget her overwhelming urge to kill the precious little waif.

"What about this latest message from Earth?" T'tali asked him. "Obviously, a message for Mylonias, cryptic as it is, it's clearly Kudj trying to let her know he's alive."

da Rueu mulled this over, "She doesn't know Ra is dead at this point, why would she even suspect it? Try to divine if she has any suspicion that Ra is dead. If you can't then leave her be."

She studied da Rueu as he sat across the table sipping his drink. She never knew exactly what his angle was. He seemed to be playing everyone, including her. Such is the life of an ICA agent. Most agents worked solo, it was a rare occasion when they were teamed up. In this case they needed to present two fronts to Mylonias, one the reasonable master and the other an unnerving enforcer. She relished her role. This mission had been enjoyable, not all of them were. She gave a thought to the future and what it might bring her way, be it dangerous or not. If she made it through unscathed one day she too could be a Grand Agent like da Rueu.

da Rueu finished his drink, put the glass down and said, "I want to thank you T'tali, I hope we can work together again someday?"

"As do I sir," she replied.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Kudj and Ra (English version)

"I take it, you know Mylonias?" asked the voice of Ra.

"I do."

"What is she like? I never had a chance to meet her."

"She's wonderful." Kudj answered, his voice lifting. "She's absolutely beautiful."

Ra knew of the connection there, Kudj was without a doubt enamored with Mylonias. He'd watched Kudj talking with the holo of her. His tenderness toward her could not be mistaken. "Can I ask, maybe you know, maybe you don't, did I cause her trouble? It seems I may have caused her trouble."

Kudj laughed a small laugh. "You could say that."

"No, please tell me I haven't ruined her life..."

Presently Ra was sitting in the sunshine on the beach on Enderbury Island, his local bubble off. It was something he loved to do. He thought about poor Kudj stuck in that sterile station biding his time, bored out of his mind.

Ra had stopped his haunting of Kudj and had taken to conversation with him instead. He had learned Kudj was indeed an agent of the mysterious ICA. The agent with no stories to tell. This, his first mission, was quite a story, a story he could never tell. For Ra this conversation was a welcome distraction from the paradise of sun, wind and salt air.

"I'm afraid you've changed her life forever. Don't worry about it, I think she'll be fine, she's adjusting well... Though I doubt she'll take another term with the CT. She'll probably go home and reunite with her family."

"On Creegt?" asked Ra.

Kudj for his part no longer thought it strange to be talking to a ghost. He had rolled it over in his mind, eventually concluding Ra most likely created this mystique in control precisely to toy with subsequent Overseers. He wasn't really talking to a ghost but a facsimile of Ra himself. It didn't require any cleverness beyond the concept. It's probably something Overseers have been doing to each other for ages. Kudj had neither the skills nor the desire to root it out. Besides, he found it almost pleasant to have 'someone' to talk to.

"That's right," Kudj replied, "her family is in the terraforming business. She took the liaison position to hide away from her father who was pushing her relentlessly to join the family business. It was an easy way for her to disappear, at least she thought it would be easy..."

"Then I came along." Ra added. "Oh my, I am truly sorry; I'll never be able to tell her how sorry I am."

"I promise you I will let her know when I see her again. If I see her again." Thoughts of Ra's warning flooded his mind. He wondered how it would be done. The list was endless and it was pointless to dwell on it.

"Ra, may I ask what you thought would happen when you sent your personal reports to Mylonias?"

"Well, not this, I assure you..."

"You do realize why they, whoever they are, were so alarmed by your reports they brought in a Grand Agent to deal with you? There is genuine fear humans will become interstellar and venture out into the galaxy... You must know what this means."

"Of course I do. I just thought I was doing my job, that's all. I didn't expect to be killed for it."

Kudj remembered thinking the same thing not long ago. It wasn't that Oversees were stupid, not much is expected of them. Historically Overseers would rise to the occasion and do just what was expected and nothing more. Ra, it seemed, cared enough to do the job right, something no one in the CT Group expected or wanted.

"Would you be shocked to learn 'they' already know all about what's happening on Earth?" Kudj asked. "They've been watching Earth long before you got here."

"I didn't know that then. It was such an honor to get Earth, I guess I wanted to prove I was worthy of it. Eventually I started to question everything, I wondered if human technical advances were being pushed along, a little help from the Union. It's still an open question. Do you know anything about it?"

"I don't," Kudj said as he considered his conversations with da Rueu. "It would seem counterintuitive wouldn't you think?"

"I would indeed, except if the intention was to give them the means to destroy themselves. If so, I think it may be working. The humans keep accelerating their technical prowess, but socially it's all falling apart."

"I've heard that too, but which will come first, complete social collapse or interstellar capabilities?"

There was a long silence. Neither of them wanted to speculate what would become of this beautiful blue planet and its inhabitants. Class Thirteen planets were not supposed to be this complicated. Ra considered what would happen to him in the event the mysterious 'they' opted to annihilate humanity or destroy the Earth itself. His life would be over too. For all intents and purposes, it already was. He'd been gone from Kolac for so long no one will be surprised when the CT Group announces his disappearance. It was not unusual to lose a few Overseers each term. No one really noticed or cared. His family had already mourned his loss, maybe...

Kudj for his part couldn't see beyond his probable death, his assassination. If he did somehow manage to survive this his days as an agent for the ICA were over. He didn't want to become one of them, devoid of all compassion and willing to do anything for an agency that couldn't even acknowledge the difference between right and wrong. If they were willing to kill someone like Mylonias they would stoop to any level. Why would he want to be one of them?

The thought of Mylonias all alone and frightened, facing someone like T'tali filled him with rage. With Ra out of the picture there was no reason to hurt her. Still, he didn't trust she would be safe. The best he could do right now was to be vigilant, aware of everything around him. Be ready when they came for him. He needed to stay alive, to get back to her.

Kudj finally said, "I'm sorry I killed you. We might have become friends under different circumstances."

"Not to worry, we all have our jobs to do. I did mine and you did yours."

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Kalynias (English version)

Before Mylonias could even return to her station her implant chimed again. She immediately thought it was Ra, but it was followed by the identifier for her father. He wanted to talk. The locater pingback said he was here in Donolon.

"What are you doing right now?" he asked, his voice rushed, sounding spooked.

"I was going back to my station. I'm in the walking park here in Donolon..."

"Stay there," he said. "I'll meet you at the crossover near the bypass. You know the one?"

"I do. What's going on?"

"Can't talk on the hub. You'll understand..." he clicked off.

She was stunned. Not a word from him since he ran off on her and now this. She thought, how fast things change, from utter boredom to a mystery message from Ra to a breathless call from her father.

He was already there when she walked up the crossover path. There was no smile, no 'good to see you', just a look of desperation. He looked around suspiciously, scanning the faces of everyone around them. He pointed in the direction Mylonias had come from and said, "let's walk."

She was now very concerned. "What is going on, you look terrified!"

"Sorry for that," he said to her as he hurried her down the crossover. "Let's find a quiet place to talk."

They found an open bench in a secluded cul-de-sac. He sat facing her, his face relaxing before he spoke. "I'm afraid I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to abandon you, but I was worried that you were in danger, grave danger and I think I’m the one who put you in danger."

Mylonias, unprepared for the words coming out of his mouth, didn't say anything.

Kalynias sensed the apprehension and continued. "When you asked me about Cirillo and told me he had something to do with getting Ra re-assigned to you I knew something was seriously wrong with that. I had to ask him. I had to confirm it. You must understand I had no idea what was going on with you... Well, I just... It’s like this… Cirillo is using you for leverage against me."

"Leverage," Mylonias gasped, "leverage against what?"

"Me, my big mouth, revealing things no one wants revealed." Kalynias stopped. He was trying to see if she was grasping the theme being presented here.

She was quiet for a while and finally asked, "But… What does any of this have to do with me? Do you have something on him?"

"We both have things we know that could do damage to each other, personal and otherwise. He thinks having you right in the middle of this will stop me from doing anything. And it will, but I am doing this, I'm giving you the courtesy of knowing."

"Knowing is always better than not knowing," she said to him, "isn't that what you always said?"

He reached out and pulled her into a hug, "always the smart one, you were listening."

Mylonias reclined back into the bench to listen to her father, and said, "Tell me what you can, I'll ask if need you to explain anything."

"My part in this whole mess is a project that is really important to me. And it's relevant to you inadvertently, by happenstance. You know that there are many terraforming projects that are building different aspects of Earth? Right?" Mylonias silently affirmed. "I want to recreate Earth. Five of them to be exact. And I'm so close."

"Five? Isn't one enough? Really, the Earth we already have is all the trouble we can handle."

"That's precisely why I'm doing this. You do understand why all the concern over Earth?"

"I'm beginning to," Mylonias said. "They're afraid that humans will become interstellar, spread-out and start causing contamination events."

"It's called blooming. It happens when a sentient species starts taking their biome all over the galaxy. We've learned over eons how to minimize the damage, but Earth... It would be... Well, impossible.

So, they designate Earth a Class Thirteen planet and thought they’d dealt with it. But humans have evolved technically, intellectually at an alarming rate. They, the Union, other interested parties have been developing strategies to deal with it. There's one option left… Annihilation."

"What?" she gasped.

He could see she was wrestling with the very idea of wiping out an entire sentient species. "Yes, I'm afraid so. I'm trying to save them. I don't know how much time we have. I'm this close Mylonias, this close," he held up his thumb and forefinger, so they were nearly touching.

"How does Cirillo play into this?"

"He's covering for me. No one would ever approve of moving humans off the Earth, only he has the power to do that. He never will, officially, knowingly. He's using you to ensure I will never expose what he's been allowing to happen all this time. These five planets are unsanctioned projects, no one in the Union hierarchy knows anything. He wants to keep it that way, he needs to keep it that way."

Mylonias was overwhelmed. She couldn't get over the idea that the Union would ever destroy a race of beings. The Class Thirteen project was designed precisely to prevent the need to do something so drastic. Containment was the ethical and just course of action. It had always worked before.

She said, "When? When will they do this?"

"Uncertain," he replied. "Sooner rather than later, I think. So, now you see what this has to do with you. I'm so sorry, but I thought you deserved to know."

"Wait, how would creating five Earths be a solution? Five new CT planets? Aren't you asking for trouble? I'm serious, I fail to see any logic in what you're doing."

Kalynias smiled, that girl, always the smart one. "Solution to what? It would prevent a permanent genocide, preserve a unique sentient species and create five new wonderous worlds, the likes of which we've only seen once before."

"But what if they develop just like humans have on Earth? Now you have five problems. I see why you would want to save them, compassion, fairness, justice and all, but isn't it a huge risk?"

"Of course that's a question we ask ourselves all the time. It's easy to say we can prevent it by meddling but believe me they've been interfering with Earth for a long time, and you see where that's gotten us. We will have to deal with it when the time comes. The point is to stop us from doing something we can never take back. Annihilating the most wonderous planet we've ever seen is simply unacceptable."

Just then her implant chimed. It was T'tali. She was heading for the liaison station.

"Sorry, I have to go," she said abruptly. "Thank you for doing this, for telling me. Everything makes so much more sense now." She stood and turned to leave.

Kalynias stood, "you be careful, I need you in my life, we all do."

"I need to tell you something too. I am leaving my liaison position and coming home." She turned away and left him standing there.

"Oh Mylonias, that makes me so happy." Then he shouted, "I love you!"

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Agent T'tali (English version)

Mylonias was at her station when T'tali walked in.

"We need to talk," T'tali said as she sat in the chair across from Mylonias. "This last message from Ra, what does it mean? It means nothing to me... you?"

Mylonias didn't know how to respond. Ra's silence all this time made perfect sense, he had been abandoned, no one was talking to him, and he assumed correctly no one ever would. "I haven't a clue," she said.

"Oh, come now, you two don't have some secret code? 'I have something to show you, it's important,' isn't it some cipher script that only you two would have knowledge of?"

"No, it is not! I don't even know him. Maybe he is crazy after all, I mean it's Ra..."

"Fine. I don't need to tell you to remove it, nothing has changed in that respect."

"Of course," Mylonias replied. "It will be done."

T'tali glared, her eyes narrow and Mylonias knew the threat was coming. It was the same every time. T'tali had a tell.

"I understand you are not taking a second term as a liaison." Mylonias nodded slowly, unsure of how T'tali knew this, only her Union emissary had been told. "I will only say this once: you will not ever speak of this, any of this, to anyone for the rest of your life. We will know if you do. It doesn't matter where you go or what you do, we will find you."

Mylonias felt the pang of fear, exactly as T'tali had desired. Despite the fact she knew the threat was coming it didn't remove the sting of the uncertainty of her continued existence. She vowed silently, I will never go back to that frightened girl I was that day when T'tali and Kudj first walked through my door. Kudj! What about them? What about their future? What future? There could be no future with T'tali in the picture.

As if the agent could somehow read her mind. T'tali said, "Don't you worry about Kudj. He won't be coming back."

The shock was impossible to hide. Mylonias couldn't control her face, her eyes. "I don't know what you mean. Why would he... What are you talking about?"

T'tali now smiling. "Did you two actually think you were hiding it? I saw the way you two looked at each other. I could practically smell the pheromones in the air. It didn't take a genius to see what was going on. When Kudj lunged at me, I saw that. I saw you protect him. Listen, I'm not stupid. I can read the signs."

Mylonias dropped her eyes, there was no point in denying it. "What have you done to him? Leave him alone, it was all my fault. Punish me not him."

"Protecting him again, are you? Well, he's already gone. You will not hear from him again."

Tears were visible in Mylonias' eyes. "Did you kill him?"

"No! As if would I tell you anyway?" T'tali countered. "Whatever happened to him you will never know. I'll let you live with that for the rest of your life. The fact that you ruined a perfectly good prospect in Kudj is the saddest part of this whole affair. He might have been a decent agent, but he failed. You made him fail. Are you proud of yourself?"

Mylonias didn't respond. It would have made no difference for T'tali to know it was Kudj who had pursued her. He told her he was going on a long mission, did he somehow know it would be the last time they would be together? Was their last time together a final goodbye? Her mind filled with awful visions of Kudj dying one horrific death after another. Did she do this to him? Was it her fault?

There was a hollowness in her heart. It seems she really did love Kudj, otherwise it would hurt this badly. Wiping the tear from her eye before it spilled onto her cheek, she remembered the last time she saw him. What was it she said to him before she dragged him into her bed...

She sat bolt upright in her chair, startling T'tali. She had said to Kudj, 'I have something to show you, it's important'.

Before T'tali could say anything Mylonias shouted, "get out, get out of here right now. I'm through with you. Go ruin someone else's life!"

Excerpts from the Journal of Mylonias (English version)

Ra's latest message was not from Ra, and it meant only one thing, Kudj was alive!

Was he sent there to kill Ra? I'm having a hard time believing Kudj could kill anyone, but he is ICA, and that’s what ICA agents tend to do. The reasons couldn't be any clearer, but it didn't make the reality of it any easier to take. Is the one I love is a murderer?

It won't stop me from doing what I must do. I have to warn him; I must warn Kudj, I owe him that much. Besides I have no proof beyond a suspicion that Kudj killed Ra. I only knew that he was there, on that station. I'm convinced he's in mortal danger and I’ve got to warn him. If he wasn't dead already, he soon would be.

The ICA knew what Kudj was sent to do. They had to know Ra's message was not from Ra, but from Kudj. T'tali's visit was to confirm that I didn't know Ra was dead. I didn't until now. Now I had to somehow warn Kudj that his life is in danger. Still, I can't just spell it out in so many words, I would need some semblance of deniability.

It was very clever of Kudj to send a message that only I would understand. I need to do the same. But what? I thought about everything Kudj and I have been through and all the conversations we’d had. It needs to be something he'd remember saying to me. Something innocuous enough, but would convey danger, something emotional, powerful, something burned into his soul. It came to me just now. He had been so happy when I returned to him after that awful day in the park.

On my comms screen I went to Earth's beacon and created a simple message...

[ I only want you to know what I know. I don't mean to hurt you or scare you - but you should be ]

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Kudj and Ra (English version)

Ra was fishing when the alert came in. One of the sensors had gone offline.

He had been trying to incorporate some fresh food into his diet. The food synthesizer on the shuttle would've sufficed in perpetuity provided he kept it filled with raw materials. The local flora and fauna would be prepared safely, detoxing anything that would upset his Kolac-based physiology. Still, he wanted to experience fresh food and build up his tolerance to exotic food the same way denizens of the Galactic Union learned to appreciate food from so many worlds. Slowly, a little bit at a time.

He had been sampling yellow-tailed kingfish lately. He'd eat nibbles here and there to determine if he could tolerate it. So far so good.

To call what he did fishing was not fair to anglers anywhere. He floated out on a makeshift raft and with his vaporgun set on stun he'd fire on a fish and nab it when it floated to the surface. It wasn't sporting, but the ends and the means were superfluous to his goal.

He paddled to shore and then walked into the dark of the jungle where the shuttle was nestled. At the control console he narrowed the data screen to the offline sensor. The program had already predicted which sensor would go offline next. He waited. The alert rang and he confirmed it. Then the next and the next after that.

This had been going on since Agent Kudj took over the station, interlopers no longer worried they'd be destroyed, used the tried-and-true passage. Despite it not being Ra's duty anymore, being dead and all, he always kept a close eye on them, never knowing where they were going planetside.

This time the ship was an undeclared Union shuttle, and it wasn't heading to the planet, it was instead docking at the station. This must be the danger the cryptic message from Mylonias alluded to. How interesting, he thought.

Ra closed up the shuttle and purged the Earth air. As it refilled with station air he took off for the anchorship.

* * *

Kudj had taken to marking the time he had left on the wall in the big room. Only six local cycles left. It was almost over. Since he and Ra, the ghost of Ra, had been conversing he was able to sleep again without aids. He felt crisp and alert for once.

Her unexpected message took up residence in his mind. It was her response to his. He remembered the darkness that fell on him when Mylonias ran out on him and the long silence that followed. It got his attention as intended. The 'but you should be' statement was a warning, and he knew exactly what it was. They were coming.

She had taken a big risk sending a message. Any unsanctioned communication from a liaison to an Overseer would be scrutinized. There would be some kind of retribution for her, she knew, but she sent the message anyway. He smiled, she did love him.

Just then he was alerted to the shuttle dock. He heard the clanking of something docking with the station. There were no notifications that any ship was coming. He could hear the airlock door sealing. He ran to the observation window and saw a shuttle had taken the empty slot. This was it, death would be walking through that door

He made his way to the airlock. He looked out the portal in the airlock door and couldn't believe his eyes. He fell into trance, transported backwards in time. For a fleeting moment he reverted to the raw, inexperienced recruit he had been when he first saw her face - T’tali’s face. What was she doing here? By then the message from Mylonias had dissolved and its warning faded with it.

Moments later, Kudj, still in shock, heard the airlock door pop, and in walked T'tali smiling broadly at him.

"Kudj! So, this is where you've been hiding," T'tali said cheerfully. "Good to see you, my friend."

"What... Why are..." Kudj could barely string two words together. "T'tali, I... I wasn’t expecting you, I… I wasn't expecting anyone. What are you doing here?

She stopped short of him and said, "I've come to take you home. Are you ready?"

He slowly came to his senses and said, "I don't understand. Home? This term isn't over yet."

"It is for you," T'tali said smiling at him once again. "Grab your things, let's go."

Kudj thought, why is she smiling at me? She never smiles, he couldn't remember ever seeing her smile. As his mind began to clear, he played back everything that had just been said... Did she call him 'friend'? No, something isn't right. Friend... No, they were never friends. It was then the truth slapped him.

She was the one! She was here to kill him!

Before she could see it on his face he spun and walked toward his personal quarters and said, "Right. I'm ready, let me get my shoulder bag."

When he walked back into airlock room, his hand in the bag wrapped around the handle of a vaporgun, he looked up and saw T’tali pointing one at him.

"Take your hand out of the bag, slowly," she warned him, her tone back to its usual disdain for him. "Slowly," she growled. "Toss the bag over here."

"What is this?" he said trying to sound surprised. "What are you doing?" He tossed his bag lightly.

"Sit down and shut up!" T'tali demanded. He sat.

"T'tali, what are you doing?"

"Something I've wanted to do for a long time. If there were any justice, I'd have sliced the throat of your little lover." Kudj involuntarily flinched. "You two thought you were so clever, your secret love carefully hidden away. I saw what was happening from the very start. The way you looked at each other, those quick glances and smiles. You fooled no one.

She gets to live. da Rueu wants it that way. But you... You he wants dead. Doesn't seem right somehow. Oh well..."

"You don't have to do this!" he exclaimed.

"Have to? I volunteered." She raised the vaporgun and pointed it at him.

"Don't!" Kudj shouted, reflexively shielding his face with his arm.

"Oh, relax, it's set to stun. I want you to suffer."

Kudj lowered his arm and asked warily, "what are you going to do to me?"

T'tali laughed. "I'm going to throw you out the airlock. I want to see the look on your face as you float away, pitiful and alone, never to be seen again!"

She aimed and fired, the ray sizzled and struck Kudj in the chest. His body slumped. T'tali immediately holstered the vaporgun and walked over to Kudj and kicked him to make sure he was immobilized. With barely concealed contempt she grabbed his ankles and began dragging him toward the airlock. It took some effort; he was quite heavy. The artificial gravity must have been set for Yawnor mass, making him even heavier on her Mecedian muscles. Disabling it would have been preferable, but she didn't know how. Once he was finally inside the airlock chamber she went back for his shoulder bag. Leave no evidence.

She was breathing heavily by the time the airlock door was finally closed and sealed. While the shuttle side airlock was re-pressurizing and exchanging air with the ship, she was already in her head. Would this be enough to achieve Grand Agent status. Grand Agent T'tali. She liked the sound of that.

* * *

Ra had the visuals playing as he approached the station. He watched the whole exchange unfold before his eyes. When he realized what the female agent, this T'tali, was planning to do he immediately docked to the underside of her shuttle. Shuttles could be docked in any configuration, front to back, side to side and top to bottom.

He popped the hatch into T'tali's shuttle by invoking an emergency code. Once inside he peeked through the airlock portal. T'tali was dragging Kudj's body into the airlock. She was struggling to get his bulk over the threshold.

Ra had known her type. Overly ambitious, willing to sink to any depths to get what they wanted. Her cruel intent to toss Kudj out an airlock was typical of this kind. The merciful thing to do would be to vaporize him, quick and painless. To be dumped in the vacuum of space was a terrifying way to go. While death was quick it was horrifyingly painful.

Despite being murdered by Kudj, Ra had grown rather fond of him. He did not like this T'tali at all.

When he heard the air exchange between the shuttle and the airlock chamber he ducked behind the bulkhead and waited. The inside hatch popped and T'tali again grabbed Kudj's ankles and started dragging him over the inside threshold.

Finally getting Kudj and his bag inside, she hit airlock seal and the pressure stabilized. When she turned to enter the control chamber, she was staring at the business end of a vaporgun. For him, the astonished look on her face upon seeing Ra holding it was surprisingly gratifying.

When she reached for her own weapon Ra said sharply, "Don't! This is not set to stun." T'tali went immediately slack, he had her and she knew it.

"Well, if it isn't the infamous Ra," she said with disgust. "I see Kudj couldn't even get that right."

Ra replied, "He did what he came here to do. Why didn't you?"

"Meaning?"

Never taking his eyes from hers, Ra said, "you came to kill him, eliminate him. You could have vaporized him, quick and painless, but you decided to torture him instead. You're some kind of monster."

"And you're a fool. You do realize you caused all this. None of this would have happened if you would've acted like a normal Overseer. What is wrong with you?"

Ra was taken aback by this charge. He had always taken the job seriously. Being assigned to Earth was an honor that required him to be the best, the best Overseer he could possibly be. Was he? He missed all the clues something was wrong from the very start. His abandonment by the CT, by Mylonias was some sort of proof of that. T'tali may be right, but it didn't matter, none of it mattered anymore. His fate was sealed; Earth was now his home.

He finally said, "I may be a fool, I accept that. But you, you're pathetic, worse than pathetic. He's one of you and this is how you treat him."

"He's expendable, we all are. He knew that going in. Obviously, you are too, Ra. They left you here, they abandoned you, unworthy of any regard. It's about as low as you can go, a disgraced Overseer." She sneered at him. "I didn't think it would be possible to sink lower than an Overseer."

Ra smirked, "You can, it's called being a murderer. Tell me, how many have you killed?"

"We don’t keep count... And you with that gun, if you kill me what does that make you?"

Ra said just one word. "Justice." He fired and T'tali vaporized into a cloud of dust.

Adapted from journals, reports and anecdotes of Mylonias and Agent Kudj (English version)

Kudj stirred. His mind groggy and disoriented. He was floating above the floor, the floor of a shuttle. His hazy memory showed him only disjointed glimpses. T'tali? He looked around and saw he was alone; she was nowhere in sight. Then a memory popped, the last thing he saw was T'tali holding a vaporgun on him. What happened? How did he end up here?

He pulled himself up and strapped himself in front of the control console. The shuttle was hurtling through space at top speed, that much he could tell. He pulled up the exterior visuals. From behind the ship, he could see Sol was far, far in the distance. He was leaving the system. He checked the destination coordinates and realized he was fast approaching an interstellar - T'tali's ride home.

Now what? The interstellar crew would be expecting T'tali. He'd have to make up a story. Something went wrong... But what, what went wrong? What could he tell them? When he tried to playback the shuttle's internal register, he found it had been wiped. The mystery deepened.

He thought about T'tali, and all the things she had said to him. Then another flash of memory, Mylonias was alive, she'd been spared.

He had to get back to her. It was the only thing that mattered now.

* * *

Mylonias rarely went to her station anymore. She had been doing her duties, as minimal as they were, remotely. Today will be the last time.

She never heard from T'tali again. She never heard from Ra either. Ra? Not Ra, but Kudj. Her last message went unanswered, unacknowledged. For all she knew he was dead. She continued to torture herself. Was it because of her that he was dead? Was it their love that doomed him? She felt that pain in her chest, the pain of loss and regret.

The inquiry into her final message to Ra was quickly dismissed and nothing came of it. No one wants loose ends at the end of a term. Everything was closing down, there was a palpable shift in everyone's attitude now, everything had a lightness to it. All was quiet on Earth. It would soon be someone else's problem anyway, she thought. She had pre-booked passage on the interstellar to Creegt as soon as this was all over.

There was nothing she would really miss about Donolon. Her only friends here were fellow liaisons, and they could be such a depressing bunch. Some of them were retiring and others gearing up for a second term and others still in the middle of their terms carried on as usual. None of them seemed all that surprised that she wasn't returning.

She had removed the block on her comm implant, and her brothers and sisters had been calling regularly. Talking to them was the only thing that really brought her joy anymore. They were so happy for her. They were already making plans for her and filling her future with all kinds of possibilities.

If only she could shake what had happened here.

Since it was raining and her normal routine of sitting in the park contemplating her life choices was out, she thought it might be a good time to go to her station and pick up her personal belongings.

Walking into her station for what she hoped was the last time, she looked around and realized there was nothing here she really wanted. She grabbed the bag containing a few personal belongings from one of the guest chairs and slung it over her shoulder. As she turned to leave, she heard a thumping sound. She stopped, tilted her head toward the desk and there it was again, thump, thump, thump. She walked around and looked under the desk. He was lying on his back kicking the underside of the desk.

"Kudj!" she screamed. "Kudj! You're here! You're alive!"

He scrambled to his feet and wrapped his arms around her. He began kissing her tear-soaked face, whispering, "I thought you were already gone, I thought I missed you."

She buried her face in his chest, "I thought you were dead. T'tali... She said you were..." She suddenly pulled back, pushing his arms away. "Wait, wait, wait. What about Ra? Did you kill Ra?"

His face fell. She knew, she knew about that, the one thing he never wanted her to know. "No, no, no... I didn't... Well, I thought I did. I was sent there to stop him. It was my job, my duty..."

She looked at him with scorn as she pulled away. "How could you?"

"Please Mylonias," he pleaded. "Listen to me. I thought I killed him, that's true, but I don't think I did."

"You don't think you did? What is that supposed to mean?"

Kudj reached into his pocket and pulled out a data wafer. "Look. Look at this. You tell me." He tapped the wafer and an image appeared above it, "I found this in my shoulder bag." The image was of Kudj, an unconscious Kudj and one other, a Kolacian. "Is that Ra?" He pointed to the Kolacian.

"It is," Mylonias replied, her brow furrowed. "I'm confused. You're the one who looks dead."

"Then the answer is no, I did not kill Ra!"

"Explain..."

Kudj relaxed and Mylonias let him pull her close again. He said, "I'll try. You’re not going to believe it."

He told her about the mission and what had happened to him. How he had vaporized Ra’s shuttle. He told her about the station and the unrelenting boredom. Then he told her about the voice, the ghost of Ra. How the voice warned him that the ICA would try to kill him. With that and her warning he thought he had prepared himself for the possibility of his assassination.

"But when I saw it was T'tali, I was stunned into some kind of trance," he continued. "I wasn't mentally prepared for it to be her. She was my partner and I was confused by the sight of her. She got the upper hand, and the next thing I knew she had a vaporgun pointed at my face. It's the last thing I remember."

"I'm so sorry...Kudj" she said.

"Mylonias, I think Ra saved my life. I think he put me on the shuttle, took that image of us and then sent me back. Why would he do that? I killed him, or so I thought. Seriously, why would he save me?" Kudj paused as he ran the sequence of events over in his mind once again. "I can't imagine what happened to T'tali..."

Mylonias shuddered. "If I never have to see her again..."

He squeezed her. "What about you? Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Epilogue

Excerpts from the Journal of Ra (English version)

I still think about Mylonias and Kudj from time to time. I hope they found each other. It was the least I could do for her after what I put her through. I hardly give T'tali another thought, and I don't regret what I had to do. As for Kudj killing me, well, he didn't, even if it was his intention. He was only doing his duty, and that's something I can respect. I thought I was doing mine and look what that brought. I now know an Overseer's duty is to bide his time and take the retirement.

As for retirement, I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. These islands remain uninhabited by humans although they do still appear from time to time. I guess there's no escaping that. It is their world after all.

I rarely use my local bubble anymore, it seems I can adapt to this world. I'm learning to fish the right way, and I enjoy it. I still enjoy gaming too, if I can find opponents that are real and not those incessant AI bots that are ruining everything. The Mighty Ra is still a force to be reckoned with!

I keep an eye on the skies; some habits are hard to break. The new Overseer is nothing if not lazy. In other words, he's perfect. I'm fully aware of the extraterrestrial activities all over Earth, even if he's not. I don't know what their plans are, but ultimately it doesn't matter, I'm not going to stop them.

It could go either way. Humans certainly have the capacity to destroy themselves and this wonderful one-of-a-kind planet. If they don't and somehow manage to find a way to enter the galactic neighborhood it will be with no help from me.

The Class Thirteen program works. It always has. There are bound to be outliers. I'm living on one.

The End

Search This Blog

Class Thirteen - A Novella (complete)

Comments

Post a Comment