NationStates Jolt Archive

Is it possible for you to reproduce?"

Not the same way you do. We have to be built.

"So", Lauralin said to Spark, "once you are built you are then made sentient?"

Alexial looked longingly at the king before answering, "It ... is not our place to interfere in the polotics of other worlds ... more then we have to, to ensure there is a government to have political standings with, but ... we can no more aid you in combat then we could raise the dead."

"But should times ever go for the worse, we can intervean should otherwise mean the distruction, of a sencied speices. Anther tale left from the war ... one inacted to prevent any further unnecisary destruction."

Turquine smiled. "I'll remember that should it become necessary to save my people. I wish only that I knew how to defeat Shadowspawn. I've fought demons, undead and the living. But somehow he survives. We have strong ties to the elves and dwarves, however. The rock trolls is a recent treaty, I hope they hold to it."

"Yes, perhaps it will, but ... you should always have ... 'reasurrances'." Alexial then looked off for a while, "I only hope that we don't have to intervene."

"For the sake of those who would fall in the process, I hope that won't be necessary either", he replied, "I wouldn't want that to happen to them. I wouldn't want to fail them like that."

Lauralin sat back,

"However lowly the trails I have trod,
However unclean I may be.
There's a little dog who thinks I'm a god,
There's a child who places it's faith in me.
"Oh, lord keep me worthy,
oh, lord keep me clean,
fearless and unbeguiled.
Lest I lose cast in the mind of the dog,
and the wide clear eyes of a child.
Lest there should come in the time to be,
the blight of a withering grief.
And a little dog mourns for his fallen god,
and a child for it's lost belief."

As Alexial listened to the peom, she couldn't helpe but feel it's effects, she had thought that Gaia, might have been a simple figure, but now hearing the poem made her think who that was no true, and how a real person named Gaia, had created them for some unknown reason, but what was it. WHAT?

"Sorry", Lauralin said, "I don't know what made me say that."

"So", Lauralin said to Spark, "once you are built you are then made sentient?"
"Sort of, when we come on-line, there is no personality, it is formd much the same way that a human does, by experinceing the world around it.

"I wonder then", Lauralin replied to Spark, "what it is that makes you different from our golems. Do you have any idea?"

The most technical would be a few pounds of silicon and a dozen or so other meterials that make up my mind, but the answer that is relavent to the question you asked, is we don't realy know, the man who designd the first, was at least a few centurys ahead of his time. We can re-produce his work, we just don't know how it does what it does.

"Curious. The golems that we create can be given directives but the can't think for themselves. Even those that have been around for centuries don't seem to learn. Of course you use technologies we don't have."

[[Whirrr....clickclick....whirrr....mind machinery casually ticking by.
Just a small note for Central Worlds/Dragonsreach: the disk is emanating a powerful psychic field (one that would probably be hard to notice at first under the general statis, but once found is obvious - kinda like a cut, until you notice it you do not even realise its existence, but you have found it, it gets on your nerves like a pack of Chavs trying to sing in tune (except less amusingly)). The field is not generated by an organic mind, if that helps.
(And the Disk is working on the medical wossname, but I'm waiting until after the current thing going on - as the last few pages would only take a couple of minutes time if it was in continuous flow).]]

Ariel raised her head and looked at Marcus who, after a moment, nodded. "There's a strong psychic emination coming from that object", she stated as she carefully extended her senses, seeking the source of the eminations.

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Alex rubbed his temples feeling more and more irritated. "I wish this thing would finish." Tia was feeling a bit more irritable herself and something seemed to be buzzing in her mind which was slowly giving her a headache. She let some pain killers into her nutrient flow, "I know what you mean, I feel like there's bees buzzing around in my head."

"You too? I thought it was just me", he said, somewhat worried. Shell people with thier nutrients provided weren't suseptable to the same weaknesses as soft shells.

"You're getting the same thing? I wonder if anyone else is then." She opened a broadband com channel. "This is Hypatia, is anyone else having any difficulties with a sort of buzzing in the head?"

Moira, Pol and Carrialle all acknowledged, though it wasn't overly a problem. Foster, Keff and most of the crew of the Victorious were reporting similar things, though again not all that much of a problem.

Tia reported this to Alex, "Perhaps it has something to do with the disc and our proximity is making us more susceptable."

"Should we leave?", he asked.

"Not yet, besides, were still being held. I want this cure if we can hang in long enough."

"I'm with you, as always, love", he said rubbing his temples again.

(OOC - Yes we're not intentionaly ignoring anyone. Thank you for the update.)

[[I know you aren't ignoring intentionally, I was just letting you know that I haven't disappeared and that I'm still around.]]

(OOC - Thank you :) )

"The eminations are not normal. That is not exactly that of an organic. At least none that I've ever sensed, and I've sensed the minds of many species."

Turquine just looked at his old friend, waiting for her word on a course of action, while Laura extended her own more limited senses and Marcus stood ready to support Ariel through through thier mental link.

(Bump for Draconis)

(Im back sorry for the inconvienenve)

Both Alexial and Dur'uc felt the 'song', if it could be called a 'song'. As it pulsed in their minds they could not help but become overwhelmed with a since of insecurity, and with a race evolved as such as the Dracon, that was an issue not easily overlooked.

Spark is standing there trying to understand why every stoped what they were saying. this is due to the fact he can't feel the efect the disk is haveing on them.

Alexial spoke up before Dur'uc, "Does anyone else feel that ... that vibration, and hum?"

Alexial seemed to be swaying back and forth but was unable to sense her own movement, but saw the movement of the table, and reconed that she was moving, so she tried to steady herself.

As Dur'uc spoke up he seemed slightly aggrivated, "Yes, what's going on here ... Admiral?"

"My people are trying, they're not picking up anything on sensors but most of my crew have reported a similar sensation to medical." She glanced at the borgs who still stood at attention, making sure they were unaffected.

"It's coming from the disk", Ariel said. "It's strength seems proportional to distance."

Admiral Quester-Benn made another subvocal call ordering Moira to back away. She looked up at Ariel, "Hypatia and Alex are still attached to that thing."

"Yes", Ariel replied, her face, as usual, unreadable.

"Yes? Yes what? Yes they're in danger, yes they're safe, yes they're still FRAGGIN attached which I already KNOW?!"

"HEY!" General Quester-Benn yelled stepping in front of her sister. "Calm down."

"It doesn't appear to be an attack", Ariel said, "perhaps some normal thought process or communication."

Rubing her tempals Alexial laid her head down, "The song is beatiful, but ... it is perhaps to loud, and sadily we do not know what is happening to Tia and Alex, so it further worsens the situation by creating worry." Alexial eyes began to water at the though of Tia and Alex in trouble, she then whispered to herself, "I hpoe they are OK."

Dur'uc took a more agressive manner in his reactions, he began ruffling his main as he spoke, "Perhaps we should contact the disk and ask them what's going on, ask them if this is normal." He then let his head fall to his chest and sighed deaply, "I truly hope no harm comes of them."

"Poll is already trying to contact Hypatia through the shell's channel. My own people are contacting the disk inquiring what's happening. If you'll excuse me I need to be on the bridge." Anastice saluted then left room.

Messages were sent to the disk telling them of the situation and requesting an explanation.

"Tia? It's Poll, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you."

"Are you alright? We're getting some strange brain activities."

"I'm alright and so is Alex, it's just getting us irratible and was giving me a headache."

"Do you want us to get you out?"

"No, I want that cure."

"Just give the word, Tia, we're ready."

"I understand."

Micaya looked up at the others in the room, "Hypatia and Alex are okay, Pol spoke with her. She still waiting to get the cure."

Alexial kept her face in her hands while Duruc nodded and spoke with the dignitaries. "Well my king, my ladies, should we continue without our gracious guest? The choice is yours."

:mp5: :gundge: :sniper:
is there a way to make war

"Gracious? You obviously don't know my sister", Micaya said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"I think", Laura said, "that we should continue, if for no other reason than to give us something to occupy our minds."

Turquine nodded, "I agree."

"Perhaps we can make arrangements as to when we could visit our respective worlds", Lauralin suggested.

"True, true, ture enough."

Dur'uc then looked at Lauralin and answered, "That would be an excellent idea, I might dare say that you'd be welcomed on Draco anytime, but do tell us when you plan to visit our planet. After all we need time to ready for the arrival of foreign dignitaries, and represinitives."

Dur'uc then looked to Mici, "But don't expect your government to except our dignitaries Micaya, not after today."

He then turned back to the king and his daughters, "But I would be honored to be welcomed to your home, as you would to mine." Dur'uc bowed his head in respect.

Turquine bowed in return, "I would be honored to have you, though I'm not sure you would like my kingdom, at last if your one outburst is any indication. I fear the struggle to modernize needs to be slowed, but with the Skullkingdom advancing so quickly I need to keep up. My daughter's queendom", he said nodding toward Lauralin, "is far fairer to all the senses."

She looked at Dur'uc, "Father and I need to attend a conference once we're finished in Central worlds then we need tend to our dead. Of course, there is father's wedding, if you wish to attend you would be welcome. We will be holding it in Kern, my capital. Afterward I should like to visit your world, to be sure."

If you don't mind having to wear the better part of a ton of lead, your welcome to visit my home.

"Think I'll pass", Brook mumbled.

Baghtru looked down at his full plate armor and shrugged.

Lauralin grinned at the two, "I think we shall have to, regrettably, not accept your offer, though it is greatly appreciated in the heartfelt way it was meant."

"Damn", Micaya said, "she even makes a rejection sound good."

Dur'uc held his tounge until his time came, "Let me be the judge whether I would like your kingdom or not."

"Ofcourse, and I would be honored to be a guest at your father's wedding. May I ask who you are marrying?" Dur'uc then lifted his fine eyebrows and nodded, "I will escort you myself, the forrests of Draco are magnificent and the cities are as beautiful as any flower. You will most likely enjoy your stay, that is if you except our hospiality and stay for a week, a month, as long as you desire."

"Well, consider yourself and Alexial invited. As for my visit I think I can manage a few weeks", Lauralin said.

"Not if your leaving me there", Brook stated, "I'm not going to listen to Ferranifer and Arleena bitch."

Lauralin grinned, "We'll see. I'll check the damage reports from your ahh, arrests."

Brook grumble somethig under her breath but said nothing else.

"I'll be marrying a Lady by the name of Galdriel. She was the navigator for the President of Gawdly's vessel. She's got a quick intellect and is a good fighter."

"We are both honored to be welcomed, I am glad to hear you will be starying a while on Draco, I will try my best to see that you have a memorial visit."

"She sounds beatuiful." Alexial added, "It is only a shame her skills are needed on your planet."

Dur'uc nodded and added, "Yes, she does sound amazing, my your god bless you with many children."

A look of pain and sorrow crossed Turquine's face as Dur'uc made his wish, "Thank you", he replied in a barely audible whisper. He stood up and turned to Micaya, "Have you a wash room?" he asked, his voice still pained. Micaya motioned to one of the borgs, "Head four", she said, and the borg led the king out of the room.

(OOC - So ummm, did the disc kill everyone and I just don't know I'm dead yet or what?)

[[TAO here...
...I have absolutely no idea...DF and you just stopped posting, I was going to wait until the "scene" was over before having the disc do anything]]

(The disc exploding wasn't meant to point you out, it was just meant to try and find out what happened. I was waiting on Draconis reply. Sorry Tao, didn't mean to single you out. Reploid has been quiet too. Though I don't know if it's because he just has nothing to say at the moment or if it's for some other reason.)

(I didn't know how to respond, I was hoping some one else would so we could continue.)

Once Turquine left the room Laura looked up from the table. "I am sorry", she said, "it was what you said, though it was not your fault. Father has had six children. I am the only survivor. I know you meant well, I am sure he does as well. It is just painful for him is all."

Dur'uc nodded in response, "I have not experienced such loss as your father, but I can tell that he accepted my blessing, but was still hurt all the same. So I still appologize for the pain I caused him, in memory ... of such loss."

When Dur'uc stopped speaking, Alexial took up where he left off, "Perhaps there may be a way to bring peace to your world, that does not require force to be used, we can only hope."

Brook snorted and Laura turned to look at her reproachfully.

"I can solve the problem."

"Without force is the point Alexial is trying to make", Lauralin replied.

Brook snorted again, the barbarian woman crossing her arms.

"I am not sure if it can be done. Father and I have been working on it. Our main problem now is Shadowspawn, he is a long time nemisis of fathers. So far any attempts at a dialogue have met with silence. If an arrangement can be made we would be willing to do all we could reasonbly do to see to it that it is kept."

Alexial added, "If we can get them to agree to a dalougue, can you get them to agree to a reasonable peace? This is hypathetically speaking, but if we could, could you get them to agree to terms."

Dur'uc looked over at her and knew what she spoke about, the loop hole. "Yes, if we can, can you? A lasting peace not just one to stop this war temporarily, but one to stop it for all time. Can you? Can you do that, if you were given the chance?"

Lauralin sighed and sat back. "I do not know. We are not AT war, but he is building his forces and he hates father. As long as Shadowspawn rules we can get nothing accomplished. His hatred is deep. There are many who wish peace in his lands but most have been raised since birth to hate others and fear and distrust others. It is a sad thing."

"Then discouragingly, there is little we can do to aid you. Other then in your defence. I would like to see your planet at peace with it's self, but as long as both sides on your planet are either afraid to make peace or don't want to, there is no immediate end to the hostilities, I fear." Alexial spoke the candor and heart of a true soilder.

"So you'd be willing to speak if given the chance, is that what you say? Lauralin?" Dur'uc asked with confound confidence in his motives and in the cause he had alligned himself with. "So would you, be willing to, if given the opportunity?"

but as long as both sides on your planet are either afraid to make peace or don't want to

Lauralin's eyes flashed in fury, flames dancing along her hands and fingertips as Alexial said these words. She slammed her memories and those she had gotten from her father into Alexial's mind.

Turquines second son carried home on his shield, multiple stab wounds from short swords evident.

News Turquines first wife, her mother, and his first son. How they had gone to speak of peace with the southern confederacy, how they had been mercilessly cut down though they were under a flag of truce requested by the confedercy itself.

Turquines fourth son battling the hordes of demons, buying enough time with his life and those of the men who volunteered to follow him for Teth to close the forbidding and seal the demons back into the pits.

Turquines most recent son, only six, dangling from a noose from the parapet of the old fortress. Hung by the neck until dead by Shadowspawn himself.

Lauralin hold the body of Maria, the gentle paladin who had traveled so far with her.

Lauralin watching as Kor and Tun fall, unable to do more than defend herself and escape the onslaught.

Lauralin dropping to her knees as poor Douglas, the good natured bard, bled out from wounds she could do nothing about. The last words on his lips being about how he had been so lucky to have served her. Her, who had failed to save him.

Lauralin standing in the midst of the city under seige. The words of the living no comfort with the screams of the dying. But worse than that was the silence of the dead.

The exscrutiating pain of her own transformation into vampirism and her daily desire to feed that she needs to suppress. This transformation and constant inner struggle done to end a war that they couldn't otherwise have won.

Most recently, the attack on the mansion, Nall and Aveius felled, not by the hand of the enemy, but by the fear and prejudice of her own people as they found out that she was a vampiress.

All these images flashed in second. At Dur'uc's question Lauralin turned to face him, blood tears falling down her cheeks. "If I could get Skullkingdom to agree to peace I would. I would speak, I would urge. They are the strongest. The confederacy to the south strikes only when Skullkingdom occupies us in the north. The gnomes in the east are all but defeated as it is, by the struggle with the undead forces several years ago. If I could end this bloodshed then I would but CAN'T get past Shadowspawn's personal hatred of my Father."

Finally, spent by the memories, mental push, tears and the unnecissary sacrifices of so many she had cared about, she rested her face in her hands and tried to overcome the mental fatigue that threatened her.

As the images flashed through Alexial's synthetic mind she refrained from crying out in pain, and weeping into her hands. She reacted as if she had not seen those images and stated, "Still, if one is afraid to try and make peace, all those who you have lost already will have died in vain, even if you do find a way to win, it shall be hallow ..."

Dur'uc cut her off with a sideways glance, and spoke bluntly, "Are laws are strict and well defined, but there is a way to aid you in bringing peace that our laws will allow. But you will have to be willing to consider it." Dur'uc looked over at Alexial to see if she was thinking anything and turned back to Lauralin. "We can aid you if you agree to the terms."

"You misunderstood my intent. I WANT peace. We have lost to many already. THAT is what I was trying to get across. Why do you think there are so many different people in my mansion who follow me?"

She stopped as she realized what she was saying.

"I am sorry. Of course you do not know all my people. Three of them are vampires. Two are paladins. People who are normally at odds. Three are drow. An anti-paladin, a barbarian." She turned quickly, "No offense Brook."

Brook just shrugged.

Lauralin turned back again, "A half orc who had been a slave, a bounty hunter, a white dragon who preferred human form. All these diverse people PROVE that peace can be accomplished and maintained. Yes, there are difficulties from time to time, but they are worked out. I WANT peace. I have sacrifice my soul for it. I have dedicated my life to finding a way to fulfill it."

"Then it is understood that you do desire peace, but before terms can agreed upon, your father must be present, as he is also the leader of your world." Dur'uc paused to drink, "If we sign an Alliance with you, then we will be obligated to protect you, and that requires that we have troops and ships within range. If we can deliver a force large enough, perhaps we can intimidate the Skullkingdom into submission. Then perhaps the people of Skullkingdom, will come around to your beleifs, and decide to dethrone their despot, and proclaim themselves free." Dur'uc stoped to listen to her responce.

But Alexial spoke first, "Yes, we can, but ... should we? If the people of Skullkingdom desire freedom and peace they would have tried to dethrone their despot before now. But still, if we do create an alliance between our peoples, then we may be able to intimidate Skullkingdom, into a peace agreement." Alexial looked over to Dur'uc and held her silence.

"I think this would be wonderful. I am sure father would agree. Our only problem is Shadowspawn. There have been attempts by his people to dethrone him. You do not have demons and such in your world, you do not know thier power. My father is among the most powerful on our world and he is at best a match. If he sees equal or greater power to his own then he will seek peace, but he will not keep it. He will only bide his time until he can counter the threat. Though your offer is appreciated I think it would be no more than a break for a time, though a welcome one." She sighed and sat back, "I shall await father, though, whatever his decision, I thank you for your offer."

After a few more minutes Turquine returned, "My apologies", he said to Dur'uc in his deep, rumbling baratone. He bowed to Dur'uc and then Alexial, "Old memories", he said, offering no more explanation. He sat down and then listened as Lauralin explained Dur'uc's offer, not mentioning anything she had said. He sat back thinking, before responding.

"Understand that I'll try to speak with as little prejudice as possible, but I'm likely to show some anyway and my daughter is far more forgiving than I. Shadowspawn is no mere mortal. He doesn't think or act or react the same way we do. I have fought him in the past but I've never done more than match him. He, also, doesn't age the same way we do and I fear that I have far more years behind me than I have ahead. I don't think he would agree to peace, at least not a lasting one. Only long enough to find a way to take what he wants under the new circumstances you would present. We would be appreciative of whatever respite you might bring, but you would be more a guarding force than a peacekeeping force and I couldn't ask that of you or your people. It's enough that I ask that sacrifice of my own, I could never ask that of you. You do, however, have my sincere gratitude for your offer."

Dur'uc smiled and brought his hands together with their fingers together, "I don't mean to be rude your lord, but we are not some pathetic brood stock that was given existence. We evolved just as your people, not exactly as your's but reasonably the same. What I am saying is, do you think we would be so ignorant as to offer our aid without the ability to accomplish our goal?" Dur'uc looked over to Alexial who held out a small hologram.

On the hologram was the information on an armored figure, and several highlights on his most dangerous of missions. Alexial told them who they were watching, "His name is Ru'rt Rac'r, he is the finest warrior on Draco and the colonies. There are none who can best him in any form of combat. If you cannot defeat him, then I believe that he may be the tool we can use to counter Shadowspawn." Alexial then pushed the hologram toward the king and became quiet.

Turquine looked at the two of them. "So your saying that I should let someone else do the job that I should do. That I should surrender my honor."

"You say that I sacrificed more than you ever did when I sacrificed my soul to defeat Orcus. What would you sacrifice now to end this blood feud that has cost the lives of so many of your people? People you swore to protect", Lauralin uttered.

Turquine turned to her, his ice blue eyes turning grey. They met the deep emerald green of her own and each looked into the eyes of the other for a long moment. Turquine's shifted slowly to ice blue and finally he looked away.

"Pride", he said.

"That is all you would sacrifice here, father. NO one questions your honor. Even your enemies respect you."

Without saying another word Turquine picked up the holo and examined it. "Very well", he said in a low voice after a few more minutes, "I accept."

Dur'uc was worried for a while but was relieved to see the king holding the holo. "Good, now all that is left is the alliance and your visit. That is when you will have the opportunity to test him for yourself." Dur'uc turned to Alexial for a breef moment and turned back. "I understand what you feel, but it is the right thing to do. I know that you are making a hard sacrifice, but one that is neccesary for the future of your united peoples. And if nothing else, what would your people do without you?" Dur'uc asked hypathetically.

"If our gracious hosts are finished, I would like to know how Tia is doing?" Alexial asked with a worried look on her face.

Turquine looked up at Alexial looking a bit embarrassed. He had almost forgotten what was going on. He didn't pretend to understand who or what Hypatia was but one thing he knew for certain was that Hypatia was a Lady. A Lady who was in trouble. He turned to Micaya, "Can you find out her situation?", he asked her.

Mic nodded and turned to no one in particular, "You have any information on her?", she asked.

"I'll check with her now", came a male voice from the nearest audio unit.

Hypatia would have jumped if she could at the incoming transmission on the shell persons private scrambled code, "How are you holding up Tia? What's going on over there with the disc?"

(bump)

The disk spun slowly through space, Hypatia still sealed to the access-route. Thus far, no antidote had been given out and there had been no movement within the disk save for the slow rippling of Living Metal within its alcoves. Long metal corridors were empty, ancient statues watching over like a strange distortion of guardian angels, artificial intelligences analysing informaton given off from the various ships and a timer counting down. A time-sequence hastened by the activation of the disk in this uninhabited, backwater system that had not been colonised, despite its relative closeness to Sol - the lifeless planets holding no interest for colonists.

The power build-up within the disk was immense, having been building up for the duration of the conversation, liquid metal stirring ever more frantically, systems working at peak and weaponry ready to activate if those vessels identified as hostile by the Mechanised Intellects that controlled the ancient object.

A brief pause, a flicker and a power surge. Suddenly the communications systems that had focussed upon a single direction send out a broad-range frequency from all directions, screaming particles of data in languages long-forgotten by any race same their own. Information meaingless to those not belonging to the ancient Mechanised Technocracy. Billions of tiny sections of data, attached in a bewildering lattive of information. The time-count had reached zero, and the disk had fulfilled one of its many purposes.

After the energy-information pulse movement could be sensed down the long corridors of the disk, approaching the access-port where Hypatia was docked. It stopped outside the door, and viewing ports would reveal a vaguely humanoid form - similar in shape to a human, but slightly thinner and with a head design similar to those on the statues, as though it was built be a cross between a far lesser version of the figures depicted upon the statues and the humans outside the ship. The figure was formed of living metal, without colour of any sort save its normal silvery shade.

It waited.

"We have a visitor", Tia said, both to the brain of the warship and to Alex. Both brain and brawn jolted.

"What is it?" both asked at the same time as Tia put up a visiual for Alex and sent a data stream to Pol.

"Well", Alex said, rubbing the back of his neck where the metal probe had been inserted before, "I guess I should answer the door."

Pol put up the information on the monitor in the mess along with the picture of the creature. "It seems", Pol said in his best no nonsense Military style voice, "they are receiving company. Alex is going to great the individual as we speak."

Alex reached the hatchway, checked the atmosphere, and opened the inner lock, watching the figure on the otherside. He let the locks cycle, the outer door opening only after the inner door had closed and the internal air of the ship was bled off to allow the external air in. He stepped forward, extending a hand. "I'm sure you know who I am, you've already been in my head. Who might you be?"

A faintly disturbing sound could be heard as the liquid metal re-arranged itself, turning the single-form of the head into a more complex entity with the creation of mouth, tongue and teeth all formed of liquid metal, hollowing out space down the throat to form an air passage and following that the creation of metal lungs in a mechanical mockery of the human respiratory-communicatory bioogical system. Another series of faint sounds as air passages opened in the newly formed lungs to optimise air intake and expression, in addition to the formation of an abdomen.

The voice that emerged was an exact replica of Alex's own - it being one of the only three human bio-communicative voices that the disk had access to records of. The liquid metal entity ran through several words - seemingly at random and adapted slightly each time, lips altering in shape, torso changing in diameter and capacity as well as tongue size, shape and formation shifting to improve efficiency and capability. The living metal stopped for a moment as more changes took place, before turning to look at Alex face-on.

A strange series of words emerged from the entity's mouth, words that Alex would recognise as locational information from his brief psychological intereaction with the disk, and as being the location where they presently were - the Mechanised Intellects taking their location as part of their name in order to further optimise long-distance communication.

"-observatory-defence-disk-MI-725531."

Ended the naming sequence, with that section translated into the language of Central Worlds. The Mechanised Intellect inhabiting the Living Metal form ignored the hand altogether - presumably not understanding the purpose of its extension.

"I have not been inside your head, such matters are dealt with by Mechanised Intellects of different design, purpose, intention and informational capabilities. The Master designed us for different purposes in order to achieve optimal results, a Living-Metal control-interface Mechanised Intellect would not endeavour to enter through an improvised Mechalogical-Biological interface system at the risk of severe brain damage, as opposed to the minor cell injury and stimulation of nerve receptors that you received through interaction with the Mechalogical-Biological-Control-Interface Mechanised Intellects with whom you were permitted to/required to interact with within the Shrine.
"Regardless, minor issues such as the analysis of your mental possessions and capabilities are not important. We were requested to perform an analysis of one of the Masters' Vitality-Enhancement Serums due to its adverse afects upon your species, in order to prevent such an event as occurred to the Mecha-Biological Hybrid Entity Hypatia from affecting others of your species in the future.
"Naturally such a request was considered and deemed pointlessly mundane, despite the interest caused through the study of a Master-Inferior viral transmission through such methods as latent viral-presence."

"So your not going to provide an antidote?" Alex asked.

'No', Tia said into his mastoid implant, 'that's unacceptable.'

'Unacceptable?' he subvocalized into the molar implant, 'I'm not exactly in a position to argue. If you have any suggestions I'm open to listen.'

'I've come to far not to get an answer.' she replied. From her airlock audio unit she said out load, "I understand if this is to complex for your people to solve. If you could provide a break down of the viral agent involved then I'm sure could come up with the antidote."

'By suggestions I didn't mean insulting them.' he subvocalized, 'I can't fight this thing and I doubt I'm even fast enough to avoid it.'

'I've come to far, Alex. I can't have this happening to other children', she said, switching back to the mastoid implant.

'You were exceptional, Tia, a child of exceptional intellect. How many children would be on digs with thier parents?'

'I was exceptional, but not unique. Would you have this happen to other exceptional children?'

They both knew the answer and so Alex stood awaiting the liquid metal creatures reply.

The metallic features of the entity shifted into what could be reliably interpreted as a somewhat mechanically formed surprise, one that Alex would certainly recognise - it having been plucked from one of his surface thoughts during the interface whilst trying to bring across the image of Hypatia.

"Entity speaking: Mecha-Bio Hybrid-Entity 'Hypatia', identified.
"I fail to see how my commication referred to a simple refusal to consider such aspects, I merely stated the mundane nature of such a task and its unsuitability for our resources, a counter-acting virus for such methods would be considered to be beneath even the basest Mechanised Intellects in complexity.
"Furthermore I doubt that you would be able to begin to decode the genetic formulae of the virus, let alone produce an antivirus...the virus originated upon Tanreall and was adapted into a suitable vitality-expansion system by the Masters using a DNA interface and so, like Them, it has ninety-six base pairs to its DNA, as opposed to the four that species such as yourself maintain. It is infinitely more complex than the DNA of your own species and therefore producing a high probability of catastrophic failure should you attempt to apply or mutate the viral entity to suit your own needs, most likely resulting in strengthening its volatility toward your species."

The Mechanised Intellect pauses for a moment, metal eyelids blinking over metal eyes.

"Naturally the viral entity itself cannot be expected to bear particularly powerful benefits toward Inferiors like yourselves, or even ourselves - if we had a frail biological form such as yourselves.
"The task suggested was far too mundane to persue and has therefore been altered into something that is to be considered significantly more interesting than a simple anti-virus for your species. However, it is unfortunate that you would not consider us able to adapt viral codes to be appropriate anti-virus for your biological systems, and if you deem our roles reverse, and us as Inferiors, then we shall be content to allow you to endeavour to solve such problems yourself, rather than share the products of our considerations and research."

"Wait", Alex said quickly, "you have to realize that Hypatia is desperate. She's looking for anything that will help. She was lucky, she was a good candidate for the shell program. For the bio-mechanical program. Not everyone is. If what happens to her happens to someone else then they might spend the rest of thier lives as quadropalegics or they could even die. When you said that such a request was considered and deemed pointlessly mundane she thought you meant that you wouldn't work on the problem at all. If you have a better solution then, of course, we would be willing to take whatever you can give us. Please", he said, "please, she really didn't mean to offend you. She just doesn't want what happened to her to happen to anyone else."

Dur'uc looked over at Alexial and back at Micaya, "I wish we could be there. At least that way we wouldn't have to wait for them to tell us what's going on." Dur'uc said with a sigh.

It was then that Alexial remembered something, "Dur'uc, I left a small drone there, as regulations I left a small drone near the airlock, I believe that I can reactivate it from here, but I'm not positive." Darla said to Dur'uc with a look of hope in her eyes.

(OOC - Draconis - There is an audio and video feed, I mentioned that, unless you wanted some sort of sensor information that the drone is capable of. Either way I can tell you that there's nothing on Tia that would prevent you activating it, she's not a warship, only an archeological and exploratory ship. I THINK I mentioned that before, if not I apologize. I don't know if there's anything on the disk that would prevent your activiating it though.)

There was a half-second pause after Alex's coment as the MI ingested the information and sent it to other Mechanised Intellects who sorted it, classified it, identified and analysed it before feeding back to the entity controlling the Living Metal avatar.

"It is of little concen to either us or the Masters whether or not individuals of your species spend their few decades disabled, all species bear tales of sorrow whether upon the individual scale or upon the wider examanition of their species - the Masters included. The problem is not the fact that such things happen, but rather what is done within their own society to protect and defend against such occurances.
"The task set and adapted has already been completed, we are curious as to the usual method of injection through bloodstream of your species as otherwise the containers to hold the various viral agents cannot be completed."

[[The disk won't stop you activating anything within Hypatia's Shell, nor will it block any form of communication from ships docked with it (under current running mode), nor communication from inside the disk to a docked ship. With video/audio feeds, as long as they are within Hypatia and recording from her hull/interior into the disk then the broadcast would be fine (if a little bit grainy due to natural interferance from the disk's workings), if form inside the disk you'd need to use a relay (in this case, Feed --> Hypatia --> Others)]]

"Injection is achieved using a hypo spray. Just a moment."

"Tia", he subvocalized into the molar implant, "can you send out a bot with a hypo?"

"Already on it's way", came her response from his mastoid implant.

Alex waited the few minutes that seemed like hours until the lock cycled and the service bot trundled out. It extended the retractable arm and Alex took the hypo. Turning back he removed the empty cylinder and demonstrated how it went in and loaded then proffered it to the disk representative.

(OOC - Arcane Order - So all communications have to go through Tia?)

(I know, but I wanted a view of my own, and if I just responded to your posts, then I'd fall behind.)

As Alexial tried to reconnect with the small worker drone she had left on Tia's ship, she seemed to be sleeping until she opened her eyes. "Reconnection process ... success. Activating Drone ... success. Piloting Drone ... success." Alexial then went into a trance like stance as Dur'uc listened to the conversation over the coms.

"I hope you get what your after, and I also hope that Alexial will calm down now that she has a presence aboard the ship." Dur'uc siad looking from Micaya, back to Alexial.

"Damned if I know what she's after, exactly. I was just passing through on my way back to Central. I guess we'll have to make a different jump relay point now. I'd love to know how our drones missed that damned thing. As for Alexial, well, she's just a bit high strung. I take it she's young? In terms of YOUR race, that is, not mine", Micaya replied.

[[Only communications from inside the disk going out, the disk won't obstruct any messages from outside going in, but its internal systems form a one-way barrier due to the way the disk is constructed, the access port is formed as one of several focal points of the disk's internal structure, and so communication can come out through there, but that's the only external focal point - the rest are actually inside the disk, so won't help with communication. If they wanted, the MI's could re-align the systems to allow external communications (the systems that block comunications aren't vital, but the Mechanised Intellects don't realise that they would be a problem for other communication systems as their own ignore the blocking).
Communication could theoretically go through Tia to ships behind her
(e.g. Disk-Tia-----Ship, but it would not work For:
Disk-Tia]]
/
/
Ship)]]

The Mechanised Intellect observed in silence before taking the syringe from Alex's hand and examining it for a few moments. The avatar formed of Living Metal then turned calmly and slid it into the Living Metal filling an alcove - presumably for more detailed examination.

"The construction will take a few minutes. The task requested was, as previously mentioned, considered to be too mundane for consideration and so was altered to provide a greater interest and analysis for us and for the Masters if they should so desire. Consequently the item produced is not functional solely for your DNA strain but also for those of these hostile...Dracon, as well as for various other species. The viral agent should also prove able to adapt itself within a few minutes for other four-base paired genetic sequences of other species, and the same for species with two, six, eight and ten base pairs. The container is marked with the following symbols."

A slender piece of the hull material slid from the alcove, with several of the Arcanite symbols depicted upon it, along with several images that appear to depict the DNA-Double Helix but with a dazzlingly complex series of bases, sugars, phosphates and proteins when compared with the (relatively) simple human DNA. The entity handed it calmly to Alex, ignoring that what the viral agent (still not given over, as the hypodermic section of the container has yet to be applied) is supposed to be able to do should (theoretically) be nigh-on impossible

Alex took it and examined as he waited for the serum. 'Please' he thought, 'for the sake of those like Tia.' He wasn't sure what to say, he wasn't an expert in this field. Doctor Kenny would have plenty to say, he knew, and would most likely spend the rest of his life examining this.

Tia noticed the Dracon probe come to life and opened a channel to it. "Hello? Alexial is that you?"

It was perhaps two, maybe three minutes after the strange being gave Alex the sheet that the serum was delivered form the same alcove in a perfectly smooth cylinder broken only by an inscription across the side matching the one on the sheet (which has a much longer sequence of symbols beneath the larger ones that apparently denote the construction and make-up of the serum).

Also produced was another cylinder, essentially identical to the other save with a different inscription and a sheet to match, with a different symbol sequence and an alteration on the DNA-imaging design. The entity handed both to Alex, as it spoke.

"The second serum is a counter-active virus designed to repair non-Master systems of damage caused by the original viral entity if it should spread significantly prior to the counter-viral serum entering the subject's bloodstream. Naturally the substances in both containers have been designed to destroy themselves should the substance be mutated into something that could conceivably affect one of the Masters...although this would practically be impossible as the Gods could not be harmed by such as yourselves...this is merely part of our required process.
"Press here..."

The Living Metal entity gestured to one end of the cylinders, marked with a symbol that is identical on both containers.

"...and the injection system will release the viral agent into your bloodstream, varying dosage automatically based upon the blood sample detected prior to injection."

Alex smiled and nodded, "I understand."

"THANK you", came Tia's voice, "Thank you so much. Is there anything you require in exchange? I know we don't have your tech level but if there's something we could give, please let us know."

'I've got it', she sent to Pol, 'I've got the antidote and a way to repair damage if it's already progressed.' She repeated the data burst several times.

'Alright', Pol said, 'lower the output, you almost blasted me out of my shell.'

'Sorry', she replied, 'I'm just so excited, you can't believe.'

'Since theres a marked increase in power output from your internal systems and drives then I would say that I can believe it.'

Tia checked her systems and found that Pol was right, immedietly damping the power systems.

"She has the antidote", Pol said over the com in the mess hall.

Micaya closed her eyes and nodded, smiling.

"YES!" Lauralin yelled happily.

Turquine just sat and smiled, glad the Lady had accomplished what she had sought to do.

Tia noticed the Dracon probe come to life and opened a channel to it. "Hello? Alexial is that you?"

Alexial responded in kind, "Yes, it's me, I couldn't stand leaving you there alone so I left this drone behind, just in case." Alexial was releived to hear Tia's voice for herself.

The small drone made it's way out of it's hiding spot into the middle of the empty room. It swiveled its large single eye as it moved on it's larger forearms. As it began to move it, it was followed by it's two metalic tendrils, and looked like a small Naga dragging it's self on land.

When it reached the door it fliped over and used it's tendrils to open the door and moved on through the halways looking for the area where it could find Tia or Alex.

Dur'uc was overjoyed to hear that Tia had gotten the antidote that she had been looking for. And he was sure that Alexial was just as happy, even if her face didn't show it.

Alexial in the drones body began a celebration of sorts and was overjoyed to hear such news. She began to quicken the drones pace through the hallways until she found Tia's chamber and entered. "I am overjoyed to hear that you found what you wanted. And I am glad that you will be cured." Alexial recited through the drones attenia.

"I am overjoyed to hear that you found what you wanted. And I am glad that you will be cured."

For Tia time seemed to stop....

"I am overjoyed to hear that you found what you wanted. And I am glad that you will be cured."

'Cured', she thought. She had spent several decades looking for the virus that had destroyed her system. In that time she hoped to prevent it from happening to anyone else, she never thought that she might be cured and it hadn't dawned on her that she could be until those words....

"you will be cured."

Suddenly all systems on the AH-1033 shut down, the ship going completely dead.

The lights went out in the airlock and Alex turned from the living metal simulacrum, "Tia?" He moved toward the lock and ran into it face first, so used to Tia opening the doors. "TIA!?" Uselessy he pounded on the titanium airlock, "TIA!".

"SHIT!" came Pol's voice across the com in the mess hall, "SHIT, I'VE LOST COM TO TIA, NO POWER!"

Swearing Micaya raced from the room issuing orders as she went, "GET MY SISTER ONLINE, READY THE FIGHTERS, POWER UP THE BORGS!"

Turquine and Lauralin leaped to thier feet unsure of what was happening but heading toward the door to follow the General, if the Lady Hypatia was in trouble then they would do all they could to help.

Dur'uc remained seated and looked over to Alexial, he had complete faith in her ability to bring Tia back. "General, I beleive that you are over reacting, I beleive that Tia ... fainted. After all if you had been in her postion for the same amount of time, and just now learn you could be cured, wouldn't you be a little overwhelmed?"

While Dur'uc diliberated to calm the general and prevent a skirmish, Alexial in the drone's shell tried her best to revive Tia. 'Tia, wake up, please wake up Tia.' The drone transmitted to Tia's sensors. "Please be ok." Was all Alexial said back in her own body.

"Shell people can't faint", Pol said over the intercom, "we have redundent systems that would keep us from doing so."

"She hasn't fainted", Ariel said, "nor has she come to harm." She looked up at no one with blind eyes. "She's there. She's frightened."

Alex was getting ready to turn on the living metal creature, regardless of the consequences but found that he couldn't move as Ariel overrode his neural system.

"I'm awake", Tia said through the cabin speakers to the drone that Alexial controlled. "Alexial .... I don't want to be a soft shell. I enjoy the abilities I have. As a child I dreamed of dancing among the stars. I don't want that taken away. I don't want to be limited to two vid and audio inputs and one audio output. I don't want my body taken away. I'm free to be among the stars, to move among the stars. I want what you offered. I've been this way to long to want to go back. Years ago when I first came to this I had dreams of walking in a meadow or on a beach. But not now. At most I want what you offered. A body like yours where I can come back to my ship body. Soft shells are weak in so many ways. Not that I don't respect them, but I could never go back."

The general stopped at the door, "Belay that Pol. What is it that frightens her", she asked Ariel.

"What might be", Ariel replied.

The metallic entity nodded calmly as the suggestion of Hypatia being healed was mentioned, confirming that the viral agent could, and would, function even after so long a time.

However, once the suggestion that she would have to cease being a "shell-person" is mentioned the Mechanised Intellect's liquid metal face twists into a perfect mimic of disgust.

"Your race cannot mix both organic functionality with mechanic fusion? It is a requirement for you to be crippled before combining biology and mechanology? Your species appears to be lacking not only in technology, morality and practicality but also in basic intellect. Logically there should be nothing preventing biological repair with maintenance of hull integration and mecha-biological combination.
"When you cease being childishly concerned with the impossibilities that are easily reformed into possibilities, the suggestion of repayment from the mecha-biological hybird entity 'Hypatia' could be met with knowledge and information concerning your civilisation and technological achievements."

Alex couldn't hear the liquid simulacrum of himself. All he could hear was the blood pulsing in his ears as he rammed his fists again and again into the solid titanium airlock door, the blood from his batters hands leaving bloody marks on the unforgiving metal.

"But why wouldn't you want to be a soft shell as you call it. All my existence I wanted to be nothing more then organic, nothing. And I find you, and you want nothing more then to be traped within the body of this synthetic beast. I will never understand your wills, but like I said, you would be both, like I am in my fighter drone." Alexial said softly with the drones audio speaker. "And no matter how much I dream, I will never be organic, but you will. So I ask you as your freind take the cure ... and when you've felt the rain on your face, and the wind in your hair, and still choose to become an avatar, I won't think any less of you ... my freind." Alexial added as an end to her speach.

"But you have to understand, I have felt the wind and the rain. The grass and the sunshine. I can understand you yearning for what you can't have, and I have to tell you, that perhaps you can. But don't think less of me for having had it and not wanting it again. Let me have what I want, knowing what I cast aside already. I don't make this decision in ignorance. I make it knowing full well what I've already left behind."

"And you would let your body wither and die ... you are worse then the Arkanith!" Alexial yelled at Tia before deactivating the small drone and letting it's light mettalic frame fall into place with a clang. Alexial then woke up back in her own body clinching both her fisted hands unitl they were white. Alexial was disgusted by Tia's attitude, she knew that Tia was a foreigner, but she hoped at least that she would share some of her veiws on the value of organic life, but Alexial was in no mood to except what she just heard. Alexial stood up and left the room quietly only giving a slight gesture to Dur'uc before leaving.

Dur'uc understood too well the gesture, he knew what had happened, but would not shame her by speaking to her before she was ready. Instead Dur'uc sat calmly taking a sip from his glass, and thinking, 'Does she not understand Alexial's passion at all? Perhaps not, but Alexial knows that as well. So it must be something more intimate, something she did to offend her.'

"What happened?" Micaya asked, "What's going on?"

Ariel sat quietly, considering her answer, though none was expected by her. She could understand Alexial's point of view, to be human, organic at least. To strive for an ideal. She also understood Hypatia's. She's afraid. Afraid of what might happen, afraid of what had happened. Her organic body had failed her and she almost died. Locked in her shell she's safe or in a different shell. Safe at least from disease and aging.

"What's going on?" Micaya asked Dur'uc.

"She's afraid", Ariel replied.

"Of what? What did they do?" Micaya continued pressing.

"Gave her hope and then the possible return of nightmare", Ariel replied.

"What hope? What nightmare?"

"Hope for what was and what could be. The nightmare of what was and what could be."

Micaya threw up her hands in disgust at the riddles and walked out of the room.

Turquine sat looking at Ariel, "Could you be more clear?"

"Yes", Ariel replied but said nothing more. Hypatia had to work this out. Either way she made a right decision, either way it was wrong and either way it was difficult.

Lauralin sat thinking about what had happened and what Ariel said. More importantly she thought about what Ariel DIDN'T say. She had spent the last ten years searching for a cure to her vampirism. What if she found it? As a vampire she was far more capable of accomplishing her goals, yet those goals were almost the exact opposite of her very existance. The preservation of life. What if she found a cure? Would she take it? Ten years ago the answer was simple, now, it was obscured in the abilities it gave her to do the very thing that was the antithesis of what she was. She sat back, her face a mask of pain at the decision that Hypatia faced, a decision that she would be hard pressed to make herself.

Dur'uc sat back pressing his fingers together and pondering the pain Alexial must be feeling and waited for her return. As Dur'uc waited for her return Alexial wandered the halls of this ship.

Alexial calmly walked through the empty halls until she found an empty room and walked in. It was dimly lit and was large, 'This must be a cargo bay.' Alexial thought to herself. As she wandered through the room she began to think abuot what it must be like to be organic, and to feel the pain Tia did. For a moment she almost envied Tia, but only for a moment. She found a case near the far left wall and sat down. "Why does she not want to live her life, the way she did before, as an organic? Why would she think that being synthetic would be better?" Alexial continued to questioned herself like this for soem time, until she found the answer she wanted, "Because ... she's afraid." Alexial felt horrobile for leaving her there all alone, and even worse for judgeing her like that.

As no one else was around Pol felt that Alexial must be talking to him.

"Your referring to Hypatia I assume", came his voice over the nearest speaker. "I'm Pol, shellperson for the AP-1035. She was seven when she was struck down by the disease that had almost killed her. As shell people we can't be infected, at least not unintentionally. Only if someone delibritely puts it into our nutrient feeds and very few have access to those. To almost die at seven and be put into a position where, essentially, you won't come to harm like that again... Well it would be most traumatic, even though, especially for her age, she handled better than most any adult. But I'm sure it still left it's psychological scar.

I assume you were talking to me since no one else was present, if not then I apologize for the intrusion. If you want privacy you simply have to request it, though I would need you to leave the hold and enter a private area where it's permissable to leave people alone. It's required to have such area's aboard any brain ship or station, so that soft shells can feel like they aren't being watched all the time."

The Mechanised Intellect in its Living Metal avatar watched Alex frantically trying to break through Hypatia's metal door for a while, analysing his strength and movement and recording it all in the disk's massive memory banks. Eventually it seemed to decide that it had seen enough of the human's struggle and moved up beside Alex.

"You do not appear to be making much progress. If you wish, we would be able to open the barrier, although we are curious about the reasons for this concern over regaining the use of the Mecha-Biological Hybrid Entity 'Hypatia', as it would seem reasonable for the entity to remain 'shelled' whilst maintaining a functioning biological form."

This comment was delivered, as before, in an unemotional monotone, a machine-mindmaking judgements based upon its analysis with no great concern for any of the organic entities involved, only knowledge.

Alex slid down the door to the floor, though he didn't remove one hand. The skin on his knuckles was split and bleeding freely.

"I don't understand your question", he said in a low voice that seemed to devoid of emotion now. He looked up at the door. "I love her if that's what you mean. I don't USE her, she's my partner. We're a team." He laid his head on the door, 'Please Tia', he said barely above a whisper.

The Mechanised Intellect looked at Alex for a moment, debating whether a scathing remark would be appropriate, but decided against it - to its mind certain entities appeared to allow far too much emotion to enter into what should be logical thought progression.

"Rephrasing due to confusion of syntax and reference.
"Why would the Mechano-Biological entity "Hypatia" be denied access to the mechanised section of her being if her biological body was repaired? According to the progression of logic the entity "Hypatia" should be able to function as a fused Mech-Bio Hybrid regardless of biological stability.
"Therefore there should not be any problems concerning the maintaining of her in the preferred state."

Alex was beginning to understand. "Nothing would stop her I suppose. The interface would have to be changed. I'm not a shell tech, I'm not really sure what's involved. But the neuro technology should be the same. Why?"

Alexial was a little more then shocked to have someone answer but she received the answer she was looking for anyway, and in her mind she didn't care how she got the answer as long as she received it. "I didn't know, sorry, I was thinking aloud to myself, but your presence is still welcomed. If you don't mind I would like to continue or discussion anyway."

The thought of being watched all the time wasn't frightfull to Alexial, for all her existence Alexial had always been watched by her sisters and her comrads alike. It was a constent comfort to her when ever she was sad or afraid. So she didn't imediately understand what he ment by it but enventually it sunk in. "So are all humans so secretive?" Alexial asked without a second thought.

It was then that the Drone reactivated and moved to the door, and postitioned itself to hack the door. Using it's tendrils, it hard lined the system and rerouted the controls to itself and opened the doors. It then moved on it's tendrils back to the spot right infront of Tia's chamber, and waited for something to happen.

Alexial was a little more then shocked to have someone answer but she received the answer she was looking for anyway, and in her mind she didn't care how she got the answer as long as she received it. "I didn't know, sorry, I was thinking aloud to myself, but your presence is still welcomed. If you don't mind I would like to continue or discussion anyway."

The thought of being watched all the time wasn't frightfull to Alexial, for all her existence Alexial had always been watched by her sisters and her comrads alike. It was a constent comfort to her when ever she was sad or afraid. So she didn't imediately understand what he ment by it but enventually it sunk in. "So are all humans so secretive?" Alexial asked without a second thought.

"Of course I can continue the discussion. Shell people are trained to multi-task, if fact we couldn't do what we do if we didn't. Human's do tend to secretive, or at least try. They're really very bad at it if you ask me. There are so many indicators in the human physiology that it's almost impossible NOT to read them. Though I guess that with thier limited recptors they can fool each other. There's also the notion that they need .... space, I believe is how they refer to it. I'm not sure why. I'm in contact with multiple people all the time, so I guess it's the fact that thier communication aparatus is limited and therefore they get used to being alone. Though they crave NOT to be alone. It's actually very confusing.

It was then that the Drone reactivated and moved to the door, and postitioned itself to hack the door. Using it's tendrils, it hard lined the system and rerouted the controls to itself and opened the doors. It then moved on it's tendrils back to the spot right infront of Tia's chamber, and waited for something to happen.

Tia opened the speakers again and a sob could be heard issuing from them. "Alexial? Is that you?" Tia asked, her voice breaking as she spoke.

[[So the probe just hacked into Tia's mechano-neurological circuitry through an airlock and opened the door? Interesting.]]

The avatar nodded slightly at Alex.

"I will rephrase again.
"The Hybrid-Entity "Hypatia" is having problems because she would fear leaving, or does not desire to leave her shell because she believes that she would not be able to remain a "shell-person".
"What difference would being paralysed or not being paralysed have? Theoretically there should be no difference, save a necessity to exercise the biological form, which could be overcome with a physical-only stasis field - if you have developed those yet.
"Therefore, the Hypatia Entity should be able to perform her functions correctly while maintaining a proper biological form."

Alex was beginning, or thought he was beginning, to understand what was being asked.

"Tia is afraid? Your in contact with her?" He stopped for a moment but figured he wouldn't get any help unless he explained.

"It's not that a person HAS to be crippled. The young are chosen for the shell program because testing has shown that older children, teen and adults develop psychosis as a result. Since once they're in the shell they can't have contact with anyone on the outside, and humans need contact, then they begin to suffer psychological trauma. The very young have never had the experiences of those older and therefore don't suffer from it. The crippled are chosen because the parents of healthy infants won't allow them to be put into the shell program. Besides which, the shell program had originally been designed to aid those who wouldn't survive. And to answer your second question, no, we don't have a physical-only stasis-field. This is the first time I've heard of one and I'm not sure I know what it is. Can you get me into Tia now?"

(No not really, it was much cruder than that, basically it broke into the controls and rewired it)

As the drone waited in the center of the room it's audio system came online, "No, I am not Alexial, but I am one of her sisters. You see we are in constant contact, so I could not help but over hear your predicimate, and I like my sister long to be organic, but I understand your side as well. You fear that just because you will have a healthy body that we would remove you from your shell. But the truth is that you can exist as all three of your options, as the biological, as the mechalogical, and as the avatar. If that is what you fear then let me put you at ease." The small drone said in a voice fimilular to Alexial's.

"I just don't want to be ravaged by disease again. I was lucky last time, what if I'm not the next? Besides", Tia said with a shrewd and somewhat cruel, at least for her, streak, "if that's possible then why are you and Alexial still not organic?"

She thought for a long while, keeping silent as she collected her thoughts, "There is no nessecity for us to be both organic and an Avatar, but that is only because we were never organic to begin with, we were not ... we were created." The drone replied in that same voice.

"You on the other hand could exist as all three, if you wanted to that is. All that is required, are a few modifications to your shell, and the use of the antidote on your organic self. Remember you are no longer a ship of the Central Worlds, you are a cannadite citizen of the Draconis Federation. And think about this, if you were all three, you would have the sensors of your ship, you would have the strength and speed of an Avatar, while still being able to create new life and to love in your organic form." The drone added.

"As for you being ravaged by disease again, would you think that we would offer you this option, if there was a slight chance that you would be harmed by the same virus, or another?"

"As for you being ravaged by disease again, would you think that we would offer you this option, if there was a slight chance that you would be harmed by the same virus, or another?"

Absolute shame was evident in her speakers as she answered the question. "No. To be honest the thought never occurred to me. I was just so terrified at the prospect of what could happen that it never crossed my mind that you wouldn't see me come to harm. I'm sorry. If could have all those things then of course I would take it. But I have to correct you on one thing. I THINK I'll be able to buy out my contract. I'm relatively certain of it but I need to reach central to check my stocks and be sure." She was quiet a moment, then, "Can ask you something? Do you have a soul?"

The drone fell eriely silent, it was a good while before she answered, "I don't know, I hope so, but I can't be sure. A soul is entangible, so it is hard to know if you have one or not, but since I am a self concious being, I believe I do. Why do you ask?" The voice almost seemed afraid to ask her.

She came back on and spoke softly, "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, I am Tyria an older sister of Alexial's. And if you are not able to buy your freedom there is no doubt the Admiral would not be willing to arrange a transaction, if you feel it is needed."

The drone fell eriely silent, it was a good while before she answered, "I don't know, I hope so, but I can't be sure. A soul is entangible, so it is hard to know if you have one or not, but since I am a self concious being, I believe I do. Why do you ask?" The voice almost seemed afraid to ask her.

She came back on and spoke softly, "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, I am Tyria an older sister of Alexial's. And if you are not able to buy your freedom there is no doubt the Admiral would not be willing to arrange a transaction, if you feel it is needed."

"Actually the General has more pull than her sister does", Tia replied, misunderstanding to which admiral Tyria referred. "As to your other question, I was serious when I said it might be possible to become organic. The Queen and her people are very knowledgable about these things. If you have a soul then I believe it can be arranged. That is if you wish to."

The avatar ignored the discussion between Tia and the drone - it being recorded by other Mechanised Intellects who were feeding the summarised information through to the one inhabiting the Living Metal entity as it spoke to Alex.

"No, I am not in contact with the Hypatia entity but it does not require a complex rationality design to interpret the purpose behind the silence, particularly in light of the psychological effects concerning conscious entities in mentality containment and mechano-biological hybrid formation. It is something well-researched by the Ancient and Venerable Masters and is of a similar nature of the trauma of isolation that you referred to.
"However, we are curious as to the reasoning behind why parents would not wish their offspring to enter a mechano-biological state, as it would have a greater advantage to the offspring.
"A phyical-only stasis field holds the physical form motionless while allowing controlled elements to affect the body to protect against the risks of prolonged stasis, and that allows the mentality to remain fully functional. The Masters maintain physical-only stasis fields around their forms in the Cathedral aboard their craft."

[[Is the disk-Hypatia door opened by the drone, or is it another one?]]

"I ... don't ... know. Ask a parent, I'm not. I'm her brawn, I have no problem with shell people. Ask someone who has a problem with them. Please, please can you open the door?"

(She was in the airlock, so she opened the inner airlock door. Your at the outer airlock door.)

"Actually the General has more pull than her sister does", Tia replied, misunderstanding to which admiral Tyria referred. "As to your other question, I was serious when I said it might be possible to become organic. The Queen and her people are very knowledgable about these things. If you have a soul then I believe it can be arranged. That is if you wish to."
Tyria responded after considering it carefully, "Thanks but I'm happy the way I am. There aren't many species that have the ability to create sythetic life let alone give that sythetic life all their functions as well. So I and my sisters are contempt to remain as we are, after all ... life is determined by thought, is it not?" Tyria asked enthusiastically.

(Another one)
(Hmm, I'm infront of Tia's tube if that's what you mean.)

Tyria had convinced her when she pointed out that they would not let her come to harm. Now that she was feeling better, she couldn't help but be mischiveous and play the devil's advocate. "Well if life is determined by thought, and I think, then why chastise me for passing up what you will not accept yourself?" She shut down her audio output as she couldn't help but giggle. It was a perfectly good argument if she were determined to stay where she was. Most shell people would abhor the thought, but none of them could ever remember being outside of them. She waited to see how Tyria would respond.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well?" Micaya asked.

"One of the Draconis probes is speaking with her now", Pol responded, "and I can't contact Alex without going through Ms. Cade, there's too much interference from the disk."

Micaya began pacing again, waiting to hear anything and frustrated almost beyond endurence at her lack of ability to act.

"Because that would be sin, sin of murder most foul, the murder of ones own blood, ones own self. The murder of generations beyound you, the death of infinite, are you willing to except that you killed millions of generations of children not yer born in your descendents womb? Can you stand the thought of bringing to an end the entire life of a planet, because that is what will happen should you let yourself die like that, the death of all those descendent that will one day populate a planet, can you yourself carry that heavy burden?" The Drone said whipping it's arms and tendrils around in strange gestures, before it fell silent again.

"Great Ghu. You remind me of that fire and brimstone priest preaching the inevitable end of the world because I uttered one curse. They can still get my DNA and ovum and use artificial insemination. It's not like we don't have basic capabilities to propagate our species. In fact we have banks that store our samples in the case of catastrophy. Sheesh."

The avatar shook his head slightly.

"I cannot open the door due to my current status in mentality-containment."

Seeing the reaction this would undoubtedly have had upon Alex the Living Metal issued what sounded very much like a sigh.

"Another linguisitic difficulty - we can open the door, but not myself. Another Mentality is presently accessing the relevant systems, despite the difficulties implicit in communicating with such primitive designs...relatively speaking, of course."

A few moments later the door hissed open, allowing access into the ship.

[[Sorry about the poor quality of the post, I'm a wee bit rushed at the moment]]

The living metal was getting better, not that Alex was in any mind to notice the difference. The sigh gave him the impression that it actually felt bad and in Alex's state it was just was he needed. As soon as the door opened he was moving through it, "Come on, Sim", he said over his shoulder toward the living metal entity. He rushed in, dodging the Draconis probe, "Hi Alexial", and literally hugged Tia's column as the he was hugging her.

"Alex!", Tia exclaimed and he stepped back in shock. "Your HANDS."

He looked down at the bleeding wounds on the knuckles and then looked embarressed. "Yeah well, I..." he gasped as out of habit he shoved his hands in his pockets, immedietly regretting the action as the cloth raked across the open wounds.

"Yes", Tia said, "I've missed you too, and I'm sorry for locking you and everyone else out. That reminded her and her power systems came back online along with the lighting in the ship and coms, which she quickly shut down as Pol, Moira and Carrialle were all trying to reach her. She opened only her transmitters. I'm alright."

"Great Ghu. You remind me of that fire and brimstone priest preaching the inevitable end of the world because I uttered one curse. They can still get my DNA and ovum and use artificial insemination. It's not like we don't have basic capabilities to propagate our species. In fact we have banks that store our samples in the case of catastrophy. Sheesh."
"You play with me I play with you," Tyria said and would have said with a smile if she was able to, "But tell me the truth, wouldn't you rather feel that little life grow inside your own womb, and give it it's first breath into this beautiful universe?" Tyria said with a hint of experience.
______________________________________________

The small drone looked up at Alex and exclaimed, "I beleive you have me and one of my sisters confused, I am Tyria, nice to meet you Alex, I have heard many interesting things about you." The drone said doing an imitation of a curtsy.

Alex looked at Tyria, "Oh. My I'm sorry. Interesting things? Good or bad?" he asked grinning.

"Alex, get to medical. We need to see to those injuries and when we're done here I'll take you to the Pride of Albion, it's the closes med facility."

"Nice to meet you", Alex said to Tyria, "I hope to speak with you again."

(If the living metal being followed him) "I won't be long", Alex says, "but this is Hypatia Cade, the ahh, bio-mech." He turned and headed deeper into Tia.

"To answer your question, Tyria, I hadn't really though about it. Not until now."

Tyria commented to Tia's statement, "Well speaking from personal experience, child birth is one of the most painful and joyous occasions that you will ever experience in your life. But the joy of seeing your child looking up at you from your arms, with those beautiful eyes is worth more then life itself, and from the sound of it, you allready have a good man to be the father of you children." Tyria said making the drone take a sly stance as it looked at Tia's tube.

Tia change the normally soft yellow light to a soft pink to show her blushing but answered, "Yes he is. He has gone through so much for me and never a complaint, never a care for himself. It was only recently that I found out about his unconditional love for me even when there was no chance of being any closer than we are at the moment."

The lighting switched back to it's psychologically mellowing soft yellow color. "Tyria. Do you think things will change when people provide me a body?" If had been replaced in her own mind at some point with when and the statement surprised her somewhat. She couldn't remember exactly when the when transmuted into the other but it felt strangely liberating. "And I'll still have full control of my body, your sure. My ship body I mean."

"Yes, the plan we have is a simple one in it's design, your biological body will remain virtually unchanged except for the cyber links. The design is that while you are in your ship body you will have control over both the ship and an avatar, and when you want use of your biological body you will merely exit your upgraded shell. To allow you the option to connect with your ship in your biological body we have planned the use of remote cyber links. That should allow you the use of all three bodies, your ship and either humanoid body at one time. That is what father has been planning ever since Alexial made arrangements with you. But he still needs a reference for your avatar, he's never seen a human before." Tyria said with a gesture refering to Tia's figure.

"I don't know what my body would look like, I've never done a genetic extrapolation."

"I have", Alex said from the doorway in a low tone. "I'm sorry Tia, I couldn't help it. I know it's against regs and I know what th..."

"I'm not upset", she said overriding him.

"Your not?"

"No. Do you have the extrapolation?"

"I slipped it to Alexial already. It's a three D rendering. It's about the best we can do."

"When did you have it done? And how didn't I know?"

"I had done at our layover on new destinies. There are those there that don't exactly work this side of the law, but they're also outside our sphere of influence."

"Your tricky", she said good naturedly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't sure what you would have thought. It's out in the open how I feel now, no point in hiding it anymore."

Tyria looked between the two and commented, "And they say that romance is dead, now only if you had a body Tia. Wasn't that what you were thinking?" Tyria said making the drone stand up on it's tendrils.

If she could have blushed, she would have. As it was the voice inflection in the speakers gave the indication. "Actually, it's why I went to great lengths to get the controlling interest in moto-prostetics. I knew the could build bodies, they just weren't much use. Not to soft shells anyway. But to Shell people with multiple channel control it would allow us to feel and taste and ... well ... everything", she replied, the last word coming out low and soft. "Everything but what you offer. A child. You weren't the only one with secrets Alex."

Alex stood, his face a comical look of shock of joy, his mouth simply hanging open as his mind tried to remember how to speak again.

The small drone seemed a little pleased, Tyria was giggling as well, "I think that the happy couple should have a little disscussion, before Alex's jaw locks." Tyria said moving the drone from sight.

Once Tyria mentioned the fact Alex's jaw snapped shut with and audible clack. After the drone retreated Alex sat down on the couch. Thier discussion took some time starting with when each had thought about the other as something more than a partner. They agreed there was nothing wrong with that, Carialle and Keff were a prime example as well as many others, but some, Simeon and Channa of Vega Base for instance. They loved each other, though never really admitted it. Channa would drift from relationship to relationship while Simeon did what he could to make sure her physical needs were met.

They even touched briefly on their hopes and aspirations for the future, a point that was a bit hazy now that Tia had accomplished her goal. Alex's aspirations for the future had been to be by her side during her quest but neither had actually thought they would accomplish it. Together they came up with an idea though.

"Tyria, Alexial, Admiral Dur'uc?" Tia sent out to all of them at the same time, "Could we have a word?"

Dur'uc came on over the intercoms and answered the call, Tyria moved the drone back into to answer. "Hello Tia, nice to hear from you again." Dur'uc said with a sure sign of relief. "Sadly Alexial still isn't in a mood to talk but I'm hear what is that you have to talk about?"

Tyria heard the Admiral's voice and commented, "So am I, so what questions do you have for us?" Tyria asked moving the drone near Tia's shell.

"Hello Admiral", Tia responded warmly, "I apologize for my silence, I've had much to speak about. Well, then Alexial will miss out on the fact that I've decided to take the antidote, under the condition that you can arrange to make the necassary adjustments for me to control my ship body and the ... avatar?

But also I'm sure that Central will offer some resistance. My contract should be bought out but even if it is then Central doesn't like parting with thier brain ships. We're rather valuable to them. That's not a statement of arrogance on my part, but they're own admission. Now I can fight it, and win, especially with your support and the support of SPRiM and MM.

But I think there might be another way. General Quester-Benn will be ceding to you. Between she and her sister leaving Central won't be happy about losing me. But if General Quester-Benn were, ohh, sayyyyy ... a diplomatic liason. Well then she would need a ship to carry her back and forth and Alex and I would be happy to serve in that capacity. It would leave us free most of the time. Allow us to return to Central from time to time and visit and still allow us to see all of you.

Sooooo .... Do you think you could arrange it for me? And maybe umm, speak to the General?"

"Yes, I admit we could win you that way but we'd prefer a peacefull methood first. If they desire the ship so much, then we will give it back to them, without you. That is if you don't have a personal connection to that particular vessel, the truth is we can build you a better ship if you so desire, but you do understand that you would owe us service time for our help, strictly non-millitary mind you and I." Dur'uc listened further to her suggestion and recommended his own solution.

"Do you think they would beleive that? If you do then we would be willing to agree, but the truth is that we would never consider making an alliance with Central Planets, from the way you described them they wouldn't accept such a proposal in the first place. But as I said, if you think it can be arranged we will try." Dur'uc said with a relaxed tone in his voice.

"But there is no way I'm breaking the news to the General, I'm likely to get my neck broke, so then were would I be?"

"Yes, I admit we could win you that way but we'd prefer a peacefull methood first. If they desire the ship so much, then we will give it back to them, without you. That is if you don't have a personal connection to that particular vessel, the truth is we can build you a better ship if you so desire, but you do understand that you would owe us service time for our help, strictly non-millitary mind you and I." Dur'uc listened further to her suggestion and recommended his own solution.

"Do you think they would beleive that? If you do then we would be willing to agree, but the truth is that we would never consider making an alliance with Central Planets, from the way you described them they wouldn't accept such a proposal in the first place. But as I said, if you think it can be arranged we will try." Dur'uc said with a relaxed tone in his voice.

"But there is no way I'm breaking the news to the General, I'm likely to get my neck broke, so then were would I be?"

Tia didn't think the General be violent, she had actually pictured her rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter. She had seen the paravenom needler the Micaya kept secreted in her cybornetic leg and noticed the incription along the barrel that read 'This is my idea of diplomacy'. She also wasn't sure that Micaya could overcome the Admiral anyway, though if anyone in Central could it would be her. The Capellan campaign had seen Central woefully outclassed in technology and the the General carried the war for almost the first year.

As for her ship, a better one sounded nice, but as she looked at the now familiar corridors and rooms and especially the glass case that contained the bright blue Theodore Edward Bear she couldn't imagine wearing any other ship.

Her mind raced trying to find a way to get the alliance and she came up with a possible solution.

"Admiral. You've heard a great deal on the bad side of Central, and like any race we have our shortcomings. But I ask you to set aside the fact that your older and more technologically advanced than we are. Central is a caring people overall, I'm living prove of that, even to the point of being somewhat weak in thier own defense. If they had focused all thier energies in military advances rather than medical they would be quite formidible, though most likely bloodthirsty. Our main governmental faux pas is the power that the high families hold and theres a reason for that. When central was settled it wasn't by choice and it's a resource low sector. If trade could be established for what we're rich in then the power of the high families might fall off and allow the government to become more independant. Please remember we're young yet in comparison to you but we do have things to offer.

As for if Central would go for General Quester-Benn being a diplomatic liason I think they will. It would look better in the eyes of the people if she were to move into a position of diplomat rather than simply leave service. She would get what she wants and Central would save face.

As for me, I would be happy to serve you in the contract and confident in my ability to buy out in a reasonable time. My only request would be if you could augment my existing ship body, I'm rather familiar with it and .... ", her voice took on an embarrassed inflection, "well .... I don't see Ted being anywhere else."

"I didn't say we wouldn't attempt to forge an alliance, I merely said without my advice the council wouldn't go for it. They are rather conservitive when it comes to diplomatic arrangements, but with a good word from one of their best Admirals, they would think twice. So don't count me out yet, I only ment that. But I'll send word down the ranks and get a support for such an alliance before I introduce it, that way it'll look like the will of the people, which infact it is." Dur'uc said cordially over the comms.

"Your a sweety", she said. "Now I just wonder when this disc is going to let me go."

"Well that's a question for another person, or entity, I'm not to sure on that one. But you're asking the wrong person there." Dur'uc said with a laugh.

"I know. Well I guess I'll talk to the general once I'm away. I just wonder if we should have medical standing by. She might rupture something from laughing to hard .... Dur'uc? Would you tell me again what your world is like?"

"Certainly, we have colonized many worlds but the most beautiful and the birth place of Dracon kind is Draco. Draco with it's endless seas of forests and jungles, Draco with it's rocky cragy moutains brisling with the fire of the core, Draco with her deep dark blue seas, a scene so serene that one would almost declare it a paradise.

Draco with her many breeds of beast, that live their lives without interuption, stalking the prey finding it's nest, seeing the sweet mother nurse her babes, and the lone hunter so disolved by this touching scene he stops to prey upon the predator.

Diving from the cliff head long into the surf finding a beautiful island girl waiting on the shore to take you home. Eating with her family, people you never knew existed before now, they treat you like a true son of the family, and offer you their most generous of prizes. A place in their home.

Yes, Draco, your starry skys bring light upon us all, as you lay on those warm smooth boulders and look to the horizon you see nothing but the moon light. How I do miss those stars looking down upon me." Dur'uc was lost in his own dreams by now, but knew that his vision was shared by Tia.

Tia tried desperatly to envision all the wonder he described. "It sounds beautiful", she said in a sighing voice. "Central had been stripped when we were forced to settle here. I grew up with archeologists on level one digs and usually had to use a space suit and grew up on barren worlds. Well, at least until I was seven when the disease struck me. Could walk on your world? Once everything is done of course."

"Yes, matter infact I would like to show you the place I just discribed you, it's a beautiful little island in the middle of a large freshwater ocean. You would enjoy seeing the way our people choose to live." Dur'uc said with a longing desire to return to that particular island.

"Ohh, that would be WONDEROUS. I hope our people evolve as yours has. I really think we have pretty good start. At least overall we're caring. An island", she said in a low voice filled with a childs longing, "imagine it. Water everywhere you LOOK." Then stopped for a moment before continuing, a bit embarrassed, "but you don't have to imagine it you can remember it."

"Your people will evolve as they were meant to, I only hope that you remain as beautiful as you are now, and it is both my hope and wish that you will survive long enough to see that happen." Dur'uc said with a small smile, "Yes, and it also my wish that you will be able to remember such a sight instead of just imagining it. I have a question, have you or Alex ever swam before? If not then I'd be honored to show you how." Dur'uc said enthusiastically.

Tia was quiet a moment, "Thank you, Admiral, that was very kind of you", she said, referring to his compliment.

She opened up the channel to the cabin then. "Alex?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know how to swim?"

"Sure, it's required training", he said grinning.

"Not space swimming silly", she said giggling, "water."

"Water ... well, I stepped in a puddle once, does that count?"

"No, and I never have either. Want to learn?"

"You mean like in water? ALOT of water?"

"Well I don't think you can learn to swim in a puddle", she replied, goading him.

He chuckled, "Yeah I guess your right. I don't know, it's frightning idea."

"It's an EXCITING idea!"

"I umm, but you don't either."

"Admiral Dur'uc is willing to teach us. Once everything is done with me of course."

Alex smiled. Water, frankly, frightened him, but he would go anywhere Tia went. "I can give it a shot."

Dur'uc heard over the comms and responded, "Don't mean to be intrusive, but terestial swimming is only a little different then spacial swimming. The only differences there are are gravity, bouancy, and a surface. Just remember that and you should do fine." The Admiral said trying to reassure Alex.

Tyria then cut in and added, "Yes and Tia, you'll probly want to use your biological body, Avatars are a little on the heavy side and tend to have problems swimming, so that's why most of us either use special dive equipment or don't swim at all."

"My biological body", Tia replied, "that should be interesting. So many sensations I can't know now, some remembered, some not, some never felt."

"Thank you, Admiral", came Alex's voice, though he wasn't sure where this swimming was to take place, though it didn't really matter.

"No problem Alex, just bring you swim trunks on the assigned date, and we'll teach Tia how to swim, then I think I'll leave you love birds after that, have some buisness else where, you know the type." Dur'uc said making a pun.

Tia sighed, "Yeah, we'll have to go back to work all to soon."

Alex's hand shot up to his mouth in an effort not to laugh, though he had also turned a rather startling shade of red.

Tia had noticed the change in skin temperature and coloration, "Alex? Are you all right?" Then it dawned on what the Admiral was getting at, "OH .... ohhhhhh." At that point, she wasn't quite sure what to say.

"It's ok Tia, your silence speaks volumes, and those tomes ask, am I married?Yes, I do have a mate back on Draco, the oldest daughter of the family I told you about, after I meet her I asked for her hand and her parents blessing, and received both. And it is my duty as a married man to provide certain services for my wife, it's a way the council ensures domestic tranquility. After all a happy couple is a romantic couple, no?" Dur'uc said hypothetically.

"And secondly, we do have children, a male and twin females. They're a hand full but she has her family to help and when I get the chance I return home. And do my service as a father and husband, after all one longs for that which we do not have readily avalible." Dur'uc said with a sigh.

"And lastly, yes it's been to long since I've been able to see my wife or children in person, but the council encourages regular video contact with family back home, so I did get to see them grow, but not first hand."

Now that the Admiral had opened that can Tia dove in...

"Don't you get lonely?
How do you control your desire for companionship or are extramarital affairs condoned?
Are they condoned only in certain situations like yours?
Tell me about your children.
How big were they? I notice softshell children are rather small.
I heard some softshell women say that size matters in a male and other say it doesn't, are there any factual basics for either argument?
Some say there's pleasure in pain and others say there's no place for it.
Does it hurt the first time?"

She stopped a second to think of some other things that she had heard or wondered.

In the meantime Alex got up to head into the galley, both too embarrassed to stay and not sure he wanted to answer any of her questions. To answer them, or at least some of them, would be to acknowledge that he had relationships. He had of course and Tia knew it, but he just didn't know how he could address it or if it might hurt her feelings.

Dur'uc couldn't help but laugh, "I knew you had more questions, I just couldn't name them, so I will gladly answer your questions."

"To answer you questions from the begining I will say, yes like any creature that longs to be with it's mate and offspring I do grow lonely, painfully so at times. Through the knowledge that my wife is faithful, I too gain the strength to remain faithful to her, and no extramarital affairs are not condoned in peace time. But in times of war the council tends to look the other way as long as nothing too serious happens, but it is still a risk to the male and female alike, because the second there is peace, they may be charged with failure to marital duty." Dur'uc stated catching his breath.

"And now to continue your answers, they are nerely as tall as me, my oldest is ten and my youngest two are eight. You can tell I'm a relitively new father. As for that question, you are speaking about Dracon males, right? If so, then no because, each adult Dracon male is approximately the same size as every other male, to the milimeter. And the other truth is that we Dracon have naturally sensitive reproductive regions, so it's more the skill of the lover rather the size that gives more or less pleasure. As for your own species if there is a variance then yes and no, size still matters in the fact that it contributes to the over all pleasure, but I beleive that the majority of the pleasure would still come from skill not size." Dur'uc again took a breath to recap on their disscussion.

"For Dracon, yes, even we males suffer a little pain our first time at breeding, but the pain is so short that you'd barely notice unless you were paying attention, as for females I suppose so but I must turn the question over to Tyria, after all she has endured the pleasures and the pains."

Tryia was shocked that Dur'uc would turn such a question over to her, 'What, does he think I'll answer it, oh might as well.' Tryia then readjusted her audio system, "Yes, it is painfull beyond beleif, but the moment of pain is a fraction of a second compared to the pleasure of it all." Tyria answered a little embarressed.

Dur'uc then came back on and said, "If you have any other questions don't be afraid to ask, but do remember the second I get a response from the Council, I will not be able to answer any more of your questions." Dur'uc said assured that the Council would want his advise soon.

(I may be posting under central worlds for awhile. I tried to change my e-mail addey to update it for the forums and all the sudden it tells me I can't post here.

You know I'm surprised you actually answered all her questions. I didn't actually expect you too, I was just rattling off anything that might come the mind of someone who never had an intimate relationship. I figured you would pass it off to someone else, like alex or the general. I have to say I'm very impressed.)

Tia took all this in, processing it. "I suppose that's it. Well, it's all I can think of anyway. Thank you for your kindness and your patience. Tell your wife, when you see her, that she's lucky. You're a good man, Admiral."

"She allready knows that, but thank you for the complement." Dur'uc said responding to her kindness in like.

Tia sent a message to the disc, "Are we finished? May I go?"

"I'm checking to see if they will release me now", she told the Admiral, "they've been very quiet lately."

"Understood, when you are freed please report back, everybody is worried." Dur'uc said smoothly.

(Wrapping this up soon?)

(Well actually I was chatting with you (or Tia was chatting) just to keep the thread up there. We can just stop posting here until someone tells us whats going on now.)