Poor Pallis

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In my previous blog post, Wendy was sent into the AR Simulator as part of Grean's effort to study the origins of human telepathy. Wendy learned that the Demon Prince Attel Malagate has a special interest in telepathy. Now Wendy must try to learn how Special Agent Pallis Atwrode died on the Planet of the Dryads.

Note: the following story is fan-fiction. You should read Star King by Jack Vance before trying to read about Wendy's adventures in the Asimov Reality.

Power of the Dryads
After having her arm blasted twice by Hildemar Dasce, Wendy was returned to Grean's workshop and she regaining her ability to control her nanoscopic body components. Repairing her arm suddenly became easy. Wendy flexed her now healthy arm and asked Grean, "During the next phase of my mission, do you want me to continue playing the role of Agent Atwrode?"

"No, not unless you want to finally experience death when poor Pallis dies on the Planet of the Dryads."

"You solved the mystery of her death?" Wendy looked at Grean with surprise. "You are now certain that Pallis died there?"

"Yes, I had learned the fate of Pallis even before your previous trip into the AR Simulator."

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"So, you lied to me."

"A small fib, my dear." Grean put her arm around Wendy's waist. "Your doubt about the fate of Pallis Atwrode added spice to your adventure on Dasce's planet and enhanced your vacation."

With resentment in her voice, Wendy said, "My time with Dasce was no vacation. It was no fun wondering if I would die there, trapped in his horrific prison."

"Years from now that experience will linger as a prized memory. Tell me: have you ever felt more human than when you were battling against the evil Dasce? You did not enjoy, just for a few hours, experiencing the drama of human existence?"

"If feeling human requires a life-and-death struggle against a mad man the I guess I'm not all that interested in feeling human, thank you."

"No? Oh, well, time may change your views on this matter."

Wendy chastised Grean, "At the very least you could have allowed me to retain the ability to make use of my nanites while I was fighting against the evil Dasce."

"Please, my dear girl don't blame me for that." Grean put both of her arms around Wendy and held her close. "I'm doing my best to deal with the restrictions imposed by the AR Simulator, but there are limits to my powers."

For a moment Wendy relaxed against Grean's body and let her resentments slip away. Now calmer and with her mind now clearing, Wendy asked, "Why could I deploy nanite probes while on both Alphanor and Smade's Planet, but not while I was in Dasce's prison?"

Grean used the Omniviewer to bring up images of four planets: Alphanor, Dasce's prison world, Earth and Smade's Planet. "I don't know for sure, but I have a theory. Alphanor and Smade's Planet are both artificial worlds, created by the Phari. As such, they are part of the Phari Network."

"Phari Network?"

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"I hypothesize that it was the goal of the Phari to link together all life in the galaxy. The Phari were at work on that great project long before the bumpha and the pek arrived in our galaxy. Of course, the plans of the Phari were derailed when the pek arrived in our galaxy. However, in the Asimov Reality, someone went back in time and prevented the pek from kicking the Phari out of the galaxy. This led to two competing systems, two sets of worlds with distinct ground rules for life. Well, three actually."

"What are you talking about? What do the Phari have to do with the fact that you left me defenseless against Dasce?"

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"Please, my dear, this is not about you. It is not even about me. The struggle between the pek and the Phari took place billions of years ago. They came to some type of agreement on how to divide up the galaxy between them. That is what made the Asimov Reality so special." Grean pointed to the image of Earth. "The pek retained control of most worlds, such as Earth, but the Phari were allowed to construct their own planets." Grean now pointed to the image of Dasce's prison world. "And there are a few scattered planets that were of interest to neither side; those that could not develop life and which also lacked significant amounts of sedronic matter."

Wendy complained, "Don't change the subject, Grean. The fact remains, you deprived me of my probe nanites right when I needed them most, when struggling against Dasce."

"Wendy, I'm trying to explain to you... that it was not my doing. Look, don't you understand that Alphanor and Smade's Planet are special? And there is one more such Phari-constructed world that you must visit, Moudervelt."

"Are you telling me that it is because Alphanor and Smade's Planet are Phari worlds..." Wendy fell silent, thinking. "I can use my nanite probes on those planets only because the Phari allow me to do so?"

Kirth Gersen, a mission Beyond

"That is the best hypothesis I have found. Look, it fits the data. Think about it!" Grean now used the Omniviewer to display images of Kirth Gersen, Lugo Teehalt and Nova Prekus. "How do you think innocent by-standers like Gersen, Teehalt and Nova all got caught up in Malagate's scheme?"

Wendy thought about Lugo, Nova and Kirth. "I might suggest it was due to their special telepathic abilities, but Gersen does not seem to have significant telepathic power."

Grean laughed. "Oh, be honest with yourself, Wendy. Don't try to deny that you felt a special connection with him and that you are attracted to Kirth."

"He is an interesting man."

"Interesting? Don't kid yourself. Within five minutes of meeting you the first time, he told you that he felt the telepathic connection that you two share."

Wendy reminded Grean, "You had artificially boosted my telepathic ability for that first mission in the Simulator."

Grean explained, "Listen, my dear girl, for that mission, I turned off your natural ability to shield your thought processes from others because I wanted Úna to have open access to your thoughts. That allowed her to trust you and she revealed her secret: that she used a cloaking device to hide Teehalt's spaceship and prevent Malagate from learning the location of the Planet of the Dryads. As a consequence of your mind being open, Gersen could also link into your mind and he instantly became fascinated by you."

"Beauty" Dasce

"Grean, you keep changing the subject. I admit that I felt a special bond with Gersen. But what does Gersen have to do with the horrors that you put me though while I was trapped inside Dasce's prison?"

Grean added an image of 'Beauty' Dasce to those of Lugo, Nova and Kirth that were already being displayed by the Omniviewer. "Think about it. Even just now, at the end of your second visit to Smade's Tavern, you admitted to Gersen that you wanted to be with him. I knew how you two feel about each other and so I allowed you the opportunity to linger at the Tavern and chat again with Kirth. Within minutes, there you were, holding hands like two love-struck kids."

Wendy asked Grean, "Are you making fun of me?"

"Think, Wendy, think! I know your mind is clouded by emotions right now, but part of being human is being able to retain your rational thought processes even while you are caught up in an emotional experience. I've made use of the AR Simulator to awaken your capacity to experience human emotions, but try to think clearly. Gersen told you that he was compelled by some mysterious outside force to travel through interstellar space to Smade's Tavern. He arrived within hours of the arrival of Malagate the Woe. How do you explain that unlikely coincidence? What was the mysterious force pushing Kirth towards confrontation with Malagate?"

"I don't know." Wendy looked suspiciously at Grean. "I suppose you are going to say that I must go to the Planet of the Dryads in order to discover the answer to that question."

"You should be able to figure out the answer now, but you are too upset with me. You can't think straight."

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"So tell me." Wendy pointed to the image of Gersen. "Was Kirth able to telepathically interact with Malagate on Smade's Planet, to sense that the Star King was hunting Lugo Teehalt?"

Grean laughed. "Don't be silly. Gersen can use his telepathic ability to sense the minds of other people, to judge if they are an immanent source of danger, but they must be right in front of him and thinking about doing harm to Gersen. In your case, he could sense that you were attracted to him. However, his telepathic abilities are quite limited... he is not part of the Phari network."

Wendy asked, "What do you mean by this 'Phari Network'? Are you suggesting that the Phari can use telepathy across interstellar distances to link distant worlds like Alphanor and Smade's Planet?"

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"My theory is that two widely-separated Phari worlds... say, Smade's Planet and the Planet of the Dryads, can exchange information. They are in communication with each other, possibly using some special hierion-based technology. The Dryads were threatened by Malagate, who was close to taking control of their world for his personal use. The Dryads reached out for help, from Teehalt, from Gersen, from poor Pallis. The Dryads were saved; Malagate was defeated. Teehalt and Atwrode paid with their lives. Gersen's defeat of Malagate was bitter-sweet. While hunting down Malagate, Gersen had met his soul-mate, Pallis, and then she was snatched away. What I have not been able to figure out is..." Grean fell silent, lost in thought.

Wendy waited, watching Grean. A minute passed. Then another. Finally, Grean re-focused her eyes, looked at Wendy and said brightly, "Yes, you are correct. It is time for you to visit the Planet of the Dryads. So far, the Dryads have protected themselves from my investigation. You, Wendy, are my sharpest tool. I'm counting on you to discover the secrets of the Dryads."

"If you really want my mission to be a success then you should tell me everything you already know about this Phari Network."

"No, I think not. I don't want to confine your thinking to my current hypothesis. You need to be free to observe and think for yourself."

"But a moment ago you were ready to tell me something important. Then you changed your mind. I hate it when you keep secrets from me!"

"I have your best interests in mind, my dear." Grean used the Omniviewer to show Wendy an image of a Dryad. "I just looked into the future and saw that it is not safe for me to tell you, in advance, about someone who you will meet during your next mission, during your time inside the AR Simulator."

"Can you give me a hint?"

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"Hmm... I can say this much: don't forget that during the Trysta Truce, R. Gohrlay was the one who was actively trying to create humans with advanced telepathic powers."

"I'm going to meet Gohrlay inside the Simulator?"

"No, you will not. It was Gohrlay who made use of these Reality Simulations. Oh, sure there must be traces of her inside the AR Simulator and that is probably why she put a lock on this Simulation, blocking easy access to the information it contains." Again Grean fell silent, gazing at the image of the alien Dryad, a strange plant-like creature. "But I can say no more. We are dealing with an odd temporal paradox here and you cannot have any more knowledge of your future. It is time for you to begin the next phase of your mission." Grean made an adjustment to the Omniviewer, and now Wendy could see an image of Nova Prekus, holding a sharp little knife next to Dasce's back. The image was blurry, apparently generated by means of amplified infrared light signals. Grean said, "This is imagery from a nanite probe showing how Nova killed Dasce."

Wendy watched with sickly fascination as the still image came alive. The knife plunged into Dasce's back and Nova gave it a savage twist. Dasce cried out, rose to his knees and slapped Nova's face with a mighty blow of his hand. He tumbled off the bed, reaching for his blaster, but then collapsed before he could pull the blaster from its holster. Nova picked up the blaster, pointed it at Dasce and fired a shot, blasting the back of his head into ruin. Nova then looked at the blaster, adjusted it to full power and fired again, completely vaporizing most of Dasce's body, but she saved his thumb for later use.

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Grean shifted the Omniviewr controls, and now Nova could be seen at a future time, sleeping peacefully in a small bed. Grean said, "For your visit to the Planet of the Dryads, it may be best if you now play the role of Nova. I believe that I am now ready to provide you with a good approximation of her remarkable telepathic abilities. However, it will be up to the Dryads to determine the full magnitude of your abilities while you visit their world. They may not trust you to make use of your nanite prosthetics."

"Those infrared images that I just showed you showed how Nova got her revenge on Dasce." Grean pointed towards the image now being displayed by the Omniviewer, again the peaceful image of a sleeping Nova. "Here is Nova, shortly before reaching the Planet of the Dryads. This is the ideal point in time to insert you into the AR Simulator for your next mission."

Wendy said, "Back inside Dasce's prison, somehow Nova knew that I had interfered with the normal course of events. Simply by my presence inside Dasce's Prison, I changed everything."

Grean shrugged. "Well, not everything. Are you curious? If you like, I'll tell you about how Nova was rescued by Gersen and Pallis. In the actual course of events, without your interference, when arriving at Dasce's prison, Gersen punctured the airdome in order to lure Dasce out into the open. That you already know. However, without you being there to distract Dasce, he immediately responded to Gersen's sabotage of the airdome by sending out a flying drone. Using the automated drone, Dasce was able to quickly locate Gersen and incapacitate him with a shock-blast grenade."

Wendy said, "Ah, he used a drone! So that is how Dasce captured Gersen."

Grean nodded and continued, "Yes. Gersen, now unconscious, was brought into the prison by Dasce and locked up inside the cage with Rampold. Soon, Pallis arrived at the prison, having followed Gersen down from orbit and having approached the crater in her own flitter. She used a device available to IPX agents to open the airlock. Using Dasce's thumbprint, which had been obtained by the Avente police from inside the home of 'Mr. Spock', Pallis was able to sneak into Dasce's prison through the airlock. Dasce was busy inside his hut 'entertaining' Nova, but Pallis discovered the still unconscious Gersen in the cage. When she then tried to blast open the cage in order to release Gersen, Dasce heard the sound of the blaster. Emerging from the hut, he saw Pallis at work, melting the bars of the cage with her blaster. Dasce released the contents of a canister of knockout gas which was mounted on top of the cage for use anytime that Dasce needed to incapacitate Rampold. Dasce carried the unconscious Pallis into the hut and locked Nova in the cage with Gersen and Rampold. While Dasce was busy "introducing" himself to Pallis, Nova got Gersen's hidden knife which she later used to kill Dasce, as you just saw."

Wendy gazed into the Omniviewer and looked upon the sleeping figure of Nova Prekus. Suddenly, Nova disappeared. Grean pointed to the teleportation chamber where a replicoid copy of Nova had been materialized. "You can now take her place." Grean opened the door of the teleportation chamber and took hold of Nova's hand.

Nova blinked in surprise and asked quietly, "Am I dreaming?"

Grean giggled and replied, "If you prefer, you can pretend that this is all a dream, but I have need of your help. My name is Grean." She led Nova out of the chamber, turned and pointed at Wendy. Grean told Nova, "Meet the new you."

Grean waved her hand and Wendy took on the body form of Nova Prekus.

Wendy felt her body morph and take on the form of Nova. Suddenly Grean's workshop looked different from the perspective of Nova's far greater height. Wendy had never previously used a body form that was so tall.

Nova looked at Wendy and then approached and touched her. "This is no dream." She said to Wendy, "This is not me. You look like me, but you do not have my mind pattern."

Wendy said, "My name is Wendy Larsen."

Grean told Nova, "I want you to spend some time with Wendy; you must teach her how to talk with your unique accent."

Wendy smiled at Nova, and now she tried to speak like Nova: "I'm a fast learner."

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Nova chuckled and told Wendy, "Not bad, but on my homeworld, I was taught to never use contractions. Say, 'I am a fast learner', or better, as it would be said in Maunish: 'I learn quickly'." Nova turned to Grean and said, "You are not really human, are you?"

"I am a human variant, crafted for a special purpose."

Nova looked around the workshop. "Where are we?"

Grean explained, "This is my workshop. My current project is an attempt to learn how human telepathic ability was developed in your Reality. I am particularly interested in you, Nova, because you are one of the best human telepaths of your era."

Nova looked at the image being displayed by the Omniviewer: the now empty bed in Gersen's room. Nova said to Grean, "You are going to let Wendy take my place."

Grean nodded. "Very good."

Nova looked at Wendy and asked, "Are you human?"

Wendy shrugged, "I'm an artificial life form. I can rearrange my nanoscopic components so as to take on any physical form."

Nova and Wendy were both wearing a shirt that had been borrowed from Gale Warpweave. It was too broad for Nova's narrow chest and too short to cover her abdomen. Nova lifted up Wendy's shirt and looked at her small breasts. "You seem to be a perfect replica, right down to the ugly bite marks that Dasce inflicted on me." She let go of Wendy's shirt and turned back to Grean. "Why replace me with Wendy?"

Grean explained, "I have a problem. It is almost as if the Planet of the Dryads is shielded from me. I've previously tried sending automated probes to that world, but they we detected and inactivated. My next logical step is to send Wendy to investigate. You and I will remain here, but we should be able to watch Wendy's adventure by using the Omniviewer."

Nova pointed to the image being displayed. She asked, "How long do we have? Gersen might walk into his room at any time and find me gone."

"No, I have frozen the Simulation. We have all the time that we need to prepare Wendy for her mission." Grean shifted the Omniviewer to show Gersen. He was in the cargo hold of the lower deck, exercising, but his motions were frozen. Beads of sweat were motionless on his face.

Nova said, "What do you mean... this is a simulation of what?"

Grean put an arm around Nova's waist. "What we see in the Omniviewer display is a simulation of a past Reality. I've pulled a copy of your mind out of that simulation and instantiated you here as a replicoid. You are now an artificial life form, not all that different from Wendy."

"I see. So I am composed of nanites, just like Wendy?"

Grean nodded. "Yes."

"Interesting. If what you say is true, and now that I look inside myself I see it must be true, then why must I teach Wendy how to speak like me? Why not transfer all of my skills and memories over to Wendy... pull them right out of the structure of my brain."

"That would be a delicate operation. I want to keep Wendy as she is, not replace her mind with a copy of yours."

Nova asked, "You can't be selective? Only transfer over my neural circuitry for the control of my speech muscles?"

Grean explained, "It would be difficult. First I would have to map your mind and find those specific brain circuits, then figure out how to use their information content to re-shape the equivalent parts of Wendy's mind. Then I'd have to reverse the whole process after Wendy completes her mission... I don't want her talking with your odd accent for the rest of time. No, given that fast rate at which Wendy can learn, it is easier for you to teach her."

Nova asked, "Have you ever tried this kind of partial mind transfer with a telepath? I have a special ability to see what is inside people, including myself."

Grean said, "Interesting. Can you map out your own neural circuits?"

"I've never tried. Show me an example of such a circuit."

Grean thought for a moment and then re-programmed the Omniviewer. On the display appeared a brain map. "This is an archived map of a human test subject's neural circuity for creating language behavior. Shown in red are the key motor output circuits for spoken language." She adjusted the display. "There. Those are the key brain regions for this person's unconscious speech patterning, including accent."

Nova looked at the complex neural networks. "How can I zoom in on this network structure?"

Grean made another adjustment to the Omniviewer and a light beam activated close to where she was standing. She put a hand into the beam and now she could zoom the displayed images and move around through the displayed neural nets. Grean told Nova, "Here, try this hand motion sensor."

Nova put her hand into the light beam and began tracing through the displayed neural network model. Quickly getting familiar with the system, Nova worked at fast and faster speeds. After five minutes she removed her hand from the sensor. "My brain is slightly different, but basically the same. I believe I now have mapped out my language centers." She walked over the Wendy and asked, "Can you just talk to me, Wendy? Use your normal voice."

Wendy said, "Can you really see the neural networks inside our brains?"

Nova replied, "It is easy for me to do so since we are in these artificial bodies. Both you and I have a kind of diagnostic subsystem built into our body structures. Okay, now speak using your best attempt to mimic my accent."

Wendy changed her voice and produced a fairly good but imperfect imitation of Nova's speech pattern: "I have the general idea of what you sound like, but each time you use new words there are more little linguistic tricks revealed. It might take me a few days to learn how to fully duplicate your accent."

Nova shook her head. "No, it should not take that long. I could adjust your mind now, in just a minute, if I only had the ability to modify your synapses." She turned to Grean, "Or you can do it. Just copy over the pattern from my brain into Wendy."

Wendy asked Grean, "Can you do that?"

"Maybe I can. Let me see... ah, yes. Ah, yes." Grean's eyes seemed to lose focus. "I can see the circuits. Yes, thank you for showing me that, Nova. Yes. Ah, yes. I see both of your networks that control your speech. Both of you, please remain silent for a minute. Try to not even think about talking." The three women were silent for two minutes then Grean told Wendy, "Say something, Wendy."

Wendy said, "I could feel you working inside me. A hundred things are at the tip of my tongue." She was speaking with an almost exact duplication of Nova's unusual speech pattern.

Nova said, "Excellent!"

Grean told Wendy, "Okay, Wendy, the partial mind transfer took me twice as long as planned because I took the opportunity to provide you with a copy of Nova's recent explicit memories." Grean hugged Nova, "Thank you for your help."

Wendy was searching through Nova's recent memories. "Nova had been in close contact with Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras." Wendy asked Nova, "Why do you think that Warpweave is the Star King?"

Nova giggled and replied, "It was not hard for me to tell. Warpweave looks human, but 'her' body is different from a human body in a million little ways. The biggest difference is that 'she' has two unusual rings of muscle at the opening of her vagina. Warpweave has a surgically-implanted female reproductive system and those extra rings of muscle are linked to her nervous system."

Grean asked, "Warpweave could become pregnant?"

Nova nodded, "I'm no doctor, but I don't see why not. But with those rings of muscle, no man will be able to impregnate 'her' unless she cooperates and relaxes those muscles."

Wendy commented, "Warpweave strikes me as being creepy. I think she over-estimates the attraction of her body."

Nova added, "There is another use for those muscles. Warpweave keeps an alien device hidden inside her vagina."

Wendy asked, "What kind of device?"

"I'm not familiar with Star King technology, but I suspect it is either a communications device or some kind of weapon."

Wendy looked at Grean and said, "You already knew about this, didn't you?"

Grean shrugged. "Yes, I knew. The hidden device is typical Star King technology, made from stolen human technology and crafted to be modular... it has three distinct functions. It is able to function like a human-made projac, it is a communicator and it is also a DNA sequencer."

Wendy looked at Nova and muttered, "You knew that Warpweave is the Star King, but you never told Gersen?"

"I think Gersen knows, but he is waiting for Malagate to admit to using the identity of Provost Warpweave. And I'm not sure that Gersen can be trusted. Dasce told me that Gersen is a brutal killer who can maim an opponent with quick motions of his hands."

Wendy nodded. "I learned Malagate's secret identity when I was on Alphanor." After a moment's thinking, she turned to back towards Grean and asked, "Will I be the only one on the Planet of the Dryads who knows Malagate's secret identity as Provost Warpweave?"

Grean replied, "Well, Nova is correct. Gersen is not stupid... he may have figured it out and he may be 95% certain that Warpweave is a Star King. Also, I suspect that the Dryads themselves have some level of awareness, but it is hard to say if they are conscious, in the human sense. It seems to be a matter of the entire planet being part of the Phari Network, which has a kind of super-consciousness."

Wendy had never heard that term before. "Super-consciousness?"

"Any individual Dryad almost certainly knows nothing of Malagate and his plans, but it seems that the network of Phari worlds was able to recognize the danger posed by Malagate. In a sense, the Dryads used their telepathic powers to defend their planet against Malagate. They even got help from other worlds like Smade's Planet."

Nova asked, "What does that mean?"

"The living ocean of Smade's Planet was able to help the Dryads. In fact, I suspect that the Phari mind network may be responsible for the existence of Smade's Tavern. Certainly it recruited Úna Nybröm and stationed her on Smade's Planet so that she could prevent Malagate from taking control of Teehalt's monitor. And I suspect that the Phari mind network node on Alphanor made sure that it was Teehalt who Malagate hired as a locater."

Nova said, "Wait, now. I don't know what you are talking about."

Grean waved her hand and the Nova replicoid froze like a statue. Grean told Wendy, "We don't need to explain everything to Nova."

For a moment Wendy looked at the motionless Nova, than she turned back towards Grean. "You are saying that this 'super-consciousness', the network of Phari-created planets..." Wendy fell silent and thought through the implications. "... that was the telepathic force that made Gersen travel to Smade's Tavern?"

Wendy nodded. "Gersen's involvement in the web of intrigue started even earlier. I suspect that it was the Phari mind network that arranged for the IPCC to inform Gersen that Parsifal Pankarow was living in retirement at Brinktown."

Wendy took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. "So, what you are telling me is that it is really the Dryads who defeated Malagate, using unsuspecting humans such as Gersen, Teehalt and Pallis as their tools."

Grean altered some of the recent memories of the Nova replicoid and then reactivated her. Sensing a gap in the flow of time and in her memories, Nova glanced back and forth between Grean and Wendy.

Grean continued speaking to Wendy as if nothing unusual had happened. "The Dryads are peaceful plant-like creatures, incapable of preventing someone such as Malagate from taking control of their world. However, the Phari Network was able to defend the Dryads." Grean gestured towards the Omniviewer. "This is Gersen's room on the spaceship that is traveling towards the Planet of the Dryads. Gersen is letting Nova use his room."

Wendy said, "Yes, I know. I have access to Nova's memories of Gersen."

Nova said, "Gersen is an interesting case. He has telepathic sensitivity, but he is almost completely unaware of it. His telepathic powers are confined to the unconscious part of his mind. But what is this 'Phari Network'?"

Grean ignored Nova's question and told Wendy, "You may now step into the Simulation and take Nova's place. I anticipate your report, including a detailed account of any telepathic contact that you have with the Dryads."

Wendy took one last look at Nova, and then she stepped into the Simulation, feeling ready for her visit to the Planet of the Dryads.

Wendy found herself standing beside the bed in Gersen's room. She quickly made the bed and then opened the door and stepped out into the main saloon of the spaceship. The faces of Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras turned in her direction. Dr. Kelle, who had worked with Kate Prekus, said, "I trust you slept well, my dear?"

Nova/Wendy nodded and sat on a bench. "Yes, thank you."

Detteras pointed towards the main viewer. "We dropped out of the Intersplit. A bright star is in front of us."

Just then, Gersen arrived, wiping sweat from his face with a towel. He went to the command station and checked the data flow from Teehalt's monitor filament. "We have arrived." He pointed towards a faint speck of light. "The planet of the Dryads." The Intersplit drive briefly reactivated. The point of light swelled up in the screen.

Again the Intersplit clicked off. The planet of the Dryads now filled the view screen, slowly turning as the spaceship slid into orbit. Gersen activated the landing program. He warned the passengers, "Please use the restraining belts. We might hit some turbulent air on the way down."

Passing through the stratospheric jet layer the ship rocked gently then soon after that they landed, close to the spot where Teehalt had previously landed a few weeks before. They all gazed upon the verdant landscape. Everything seemed lush and green except for some black char on the ground near the landing site. Gersen looked at the data from the atmospheric gas analyzer and he said, "If we can trust Teehalt's account, he had no problems breathing this world's air. Anyone who has doubts can remain inside or put on an airsuit." He went to the airlock and all of the others followed him inside.

When the outer door opened, they went down the ladder, one after another, climbing down to the ground. Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras wandered off in three different directions, moving away from the area that had been burned by spaceship exhaust.

Gersen said to Nova/Wendy, "What do you think?"

Nova/Wendy replied, "Beautiful. Everything seems very peaceful."

Giant cumulus clouds ringed the horizon. One fluffy cloud passed in front of the sun and the terrain dimmed. A cool breeze ruffled Wendy/Nova's shirt. Wendy noticed that she had no control over her nanites; her body was behaving like a normal human body. She could not launch a nanite probe into the air. Feeling chill and unable to control her sensory systems, Wendy put her hands deep into her pants pockets. Gersen went back up the ladder and soon emerged with his jacket which he put around Nova's shoulders. She pulled closed the front of the jacket and took hold of Gersen's hand. They walked to the bank of the nearby river. The sun came out from behind the drifting cloud and the water sparkled with a million little wavelets that danced in the breeze. Wendy suggested, "Some day, people will call this Teehalt's world."

Gersen was slowly turning in circles, trying to watch Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras who were each exploring different quadrants of the meadow. Gersen pointed across the river towards a group of Dryads. He said, "This is not a place for humans. I feel like this world belongs to the Dryads."

Wendy, playing the role of Nova, glanced once more at the Dryads. Wendy felt some type of link to them. She imagined that they could telepathically communicate with her if they wanted to do so. Wendy watched Gersen as he tried to keep an eye on Warpweave, Kelle and Detteras. Wendy felt like she might have some measure of Nova's telepathic ability, but she did not know how to make use of it. With an effort, she could "see" inside of Gersen's body, but doing so was not easy and seemed to only produce a blurry reddish after-image in her field of vision. She discovered that Gersen now carried a small projac in his pocket.

Gersen was watching Warpweave. He muttered, "What is she doing now?" Wendy followed the direction of Gersen's gaze; she looked down along the river bank to where Warpweave had wondered into a low thicket of fern-like plants. Warpweave was squatting low and looking down. Gersen suggested, "It looks like she's urinating."

Wendy said, "There is another possibility."

Gersen commented, "One or two. Well, I suppose Teehalt was the first to use this world as a toilet."

Wendy told Gersen, "You are not the only one to ever think of hiding a weapon inside your body."

Gersen grinned at Nova, then looked back towards Warpweave who was now walking across the meadow towards Kelle. Gersen asked, "Nova, how did you know that I carry a knife hidden inside my body?"

Wendy said jokingly, "I suspected because of the way you walk... on the balls of your feet, like a dancer."

Gersen shook his head, dismissing her little joke. "Ever since I met you, I've felt like you can see right through me. There in the University Library, I did not ask for help, but you knew I needed help and came right over to me, immediately offering to show me the data that I was looking for. You have telepathic abilities, don't you?"

Wendy shrugged. "It is not hard to notice when someone is struggling to find a library resource."

"Even now..." He again took hold of her hand. "...particularly when I touch you... I can feel that we are connected... linked somehow."

"Mr. Gersen, please stop." She squeezed his hand. "Allow me to have some secrets. Besides, you don't really believe in telepathy do you?"

Gersen let go of her hand. "There is a thousand years of history with multiple claims that show performers sometimes use telepathy to perform tricks. For someone like me who lacks such skills, it is easier to believe that technological tricks such as sticktights are being used. If I have a hunch, does that mean I used telepathy? No, that is not going to be my first assumption."

Wendy suggested, "If you are comfortable playing hunches, then tell me something. When you arrived at Dasce's prison, what made you feel that you could rescue me?"

Gersen explained, "Dasce was confident that only he knew the location of his hideout. I assumed that he would not deploy any defenses, that I could take him by surprise. Besides, I was willing to risk my life to rescue you."

"I'm thankful that you did. But you have not mentioned the fact that you knew that an IPCC agent was soon to arrive."

Gersen shrugged. "Well, I was not expecting that I would need Agent Atworde's help to defeat Dasce."

Wendy laughed. "I'm not sure if you are clever and brave or simply lucky. Anyhow, in the end, Dasce was destroyed." Wendy glanced up at the sky. "Agent Atwrode said she was going to take Rampold back to Alphanor, but she did not say when."

Gersen tried to change the subject, and for a time he and Wendy talked about Kate Prekus and her terrible fate. Gersen described his training on the planet Sarkovy and told Nova how Sarkoy poison had been used to kill Kate. Wendy asked, "What are you, some sort of hit man? Could I hire you to kill my enemies?"

"I'd only kill for a good reason."

Wendy asked, "What is a good reason?"

Gersen told Wendy about his home and how it had been destroyed by space pirates.

After half an hour on the planet, as if coordinated by a secret telepathic signal, they all gathered back beside the spaceship. Gersen said, "Teehalt's report on this planet seems to have been accurate."

Detteras said, "I feel like the Dryads are watching me."

Kelle laughed. "They are plants! Can they really see?"

A rumbling sound came from the western sky where a large gray and white cloud floated in the sky. Wendy asked, "Thunder?"

Gersen had another idea, suspecting that Agent Atwrode had landed her spaceship nearby.

Warpweave, the only experienced space-traveler in the group besides Gersen said, "That was not thunder. That was a spaceship."

Kelle asked, "This is an inhabited planet?"

Detteras said, "We are far beyond human space. This is a part of the galaxy that is not scheduled for locater activity until two or three more centuries pass. If this world has spaceships, then they must be alien ships!"

Warpweave said, "Or this is a trap." He looked at Gersen and asked, "Did someone follow us?"

Gersen shrugged. "It is possible that the IPCC placed a tracking device on our spaceship. Or, Malagate may have done so."

Detteras said, "Malagate, the Demon Prince?"

Gersen nodded. "Exactly. When I met Teehalt, he told me that had been contracted to locate for Malagate the Woe. His little model 9b had been equipped with a tracking device."

Kelle said, "Maybe we should go investigate... the sound seemed to come from that direction. Maybe there is a small village... I saw no large cities as we landed, but I could have missed..." He fell silent, staring at Warpweave.

Warpweave held an alien device in 'her' hand. Warpweave said, "I will now enter the spaceship, alone. Do not give me trouble or I will kill you." Warpweave turned and went to the ladder and began climbing up towards the airlock, keeping the device pointed at the others.

Nova moved closer to Gersen. He pulled out his small projac and fired at Warpweave. The shot hit Warpweave's hand and 'her' projac fell to the ground. Warpweave was only half way up the ladder. Gersen took aim again, but Detteras had stepped forward to grab the alien-designed projac that Warpweave had dropped and he walked in front of Gersen. Warpweave leapt off the ladder and landed on top of Gersen, knocking him flat; Gersen's little projac jumped out of his hand and bounced away across the black, charred ground. Warweave got up and ran off, around the edge of the spaceship. Gersen reached for his projac, but he could not find it. Looking at the black ground in dismay, he saw that the projac must have disappeared into a little hole in the ground, possibly the burrow of a native creature. Gersen put his hand into the hole, but it was deep and he could not reach the projac.

Detteras had picked up Warpweave's projac. He pointed the alien device at Warpweave, but pushing the buttons on the device did nothing. Warpweave disappeared around the side of the ship. Gersen took the alien device from Detteras. "This looks like a finger print lock on the trigger."

Gersen went up the ladder and soon came back out carrying his big blaster. He ran off in pursuit of Warpweave and called over his shoulder, "Lock yourselves inside the ship."

Kelle went up the ladder, followed by Detteras, but Wendy ran off around the opposite side of the spaceship from where Gersen had run. Suddenly Wendy's vision shifted and she could see Warpweave, running into the nearby forest. Making good use of Nova's long legs, Wendy could run fast enough to begin gaining ground on Warpweave. She called to Gersen, "This way." He caught up with her in the forest. She paused to catch her breath and pointed to a broken plant stem. "He came this way."

Gersen handed his blaster to Wendy. "Take this and follow along behind me. I'll confront Warpweave, you cover me."

Wendy said, "No. I can track Warpweave by telepathy. You'll do better to follow me." She put the blaster back in his hands and ran off, moving deeper into the forest. Warpweave was moving uphill, heading in a generally westward direction. At the ridge-line, Wendy and Gersen broke out of the forrest. Ahead was a savanna landscape with scattered tall trees and patches of lower brush. Wendy pointed towards the horizon. "There."

Gersen saw a flash, a movement in the distance, then Malagate seemed to slip into a patch of shrubs. Then another flash, up in a cloud. He pointed upwards and said, "A flitter."

It was Pallis and she had seen Gersen and Wendy emerge from the forest. The flitter dropped rapidly and Pallis landed. Rampold was aboard the police flitter as a passenger. Gersen pulled Rampold off the flitter and pushed Wendy aboard while telling Pallis, "Nova can track Malagate. Go! I'll follow on foot."

Pallis took the flitter up again. Gersen pointed in the direction of the spaceship and told Rampold, "Return to the spaceship and lock yourself in. Malagate is disguised as a woman... don't open the door for anyone but Pallis." He turned and ran in the direction of the flitter as it sped away over the savanna.

On the flitter, Wendy pointed ahead. "There he is! He's almost to another forested area."

Pallis flew at top speed, but with a passenger onboard, the flitter was not quick. Malagate slipped into the forest and then thirty seconds later Pallis landed at the edge of the forest. She abandoned the Flitter and now she held her blaster in her hand. Wendy ran into the forest and now the slope was downhill. She picked up speed, trying to gain ground on Malagate. Suddenly she broke out into the meadow of another flat river valley. There were strange artificial mounds in this meadow, the ancient ruins of a lost civilization.

Wendy saw Malagate ahead, but Pallis was not behind her. Wendy could now see in her telepathic "vision" that Pallis had followed another stream bed and was somewhere down the valley.

Wendy ran after Malagate. When Pallis broke out the forest, Wendy turned, waved and shouted in her direction, then continued after Malagate who had reached a group of Dryads, not far from the river. Malagate went through the group of Dryads and dove into the river. Downstream, Pallis reached the river and also dove in, swimming towards the opposite bank.

Wendy stood at the river's edge with the group of Dryads nearby. They waved their fronds and Wendy felt them in her mind. Above, a flash. It was Gersen in the flitter. Wendy pointed out into the river. She turned and looked for Malagate and Pallis, but saw neither. There were confusing images of Warpweave and Pallis flashing through Wendy's mind, arriving by some mysterious telepathic transmission. For a moment Wendy could hear the voice of Agent Atwrode, then a roaring filled her ears. Wendy sank to her knees, her head spinning. Flying the flitter, Gersen circled the area then returned to Wendy and landed nearby, sending the Dryads scattering. He called to her, "Where did Warpweave go?"

Wendy replied, "I don't know, both Warpweave and Pallis were swimming across the river towards the other side. Now I lost track of them both." She looked towards the retreating Dryads, certain that they were trying to tell her something. Then she felt ill: her head throbbed with an overload of telepathic data and then Wendy fell flat on the ground, unconscious.

When Wendy awoke, she was back in the little bed, in Gersen's room, onboard the spaceship. Gersen was there, sitting in a chair. Seeing Wendy's eyes open, he said, "Welcome back."

Wendy reached out with her mind, using Nova's special telepathic senses. She could weakly sense the presence of Detteras who was not far away, in the main soloon. They were in space with the Intersplit engaged. She tried to speak but her throat was dry. Gersen held a cup of water to her lips and she drank. "What happened?"

Gersen said, "After you passed out, I put you in the flitter and kept searching for Warpweave. Eventually I found both Warpweave and Pallis, downstream. Well, parts of them. Apparently there are aquatic predators in the river."

Wendy asked, "Both died?" Gersen nodded. "What happened to Rampold and Kelle?"

"Kelle is flying Agent Atwrode's spaceship back to Alphanor. He took Rampold with him."

Wendy sank back into the pillow and was silent for a minute. Finally Gersen spoke, "Are you alright?"

She put a hand to her head. "I was in contact with the Dryads."

Gersen asked, "What Dryads?"

"That big group of them there on the river bank, just before I passed out."

Gersen put his hand on her head. "There were Dryads? They talked to you?"

"They don't know our language, so it was not talk, but it reminded me of something. When I was a child growing up on Moudervelt..." She fell silent, getting confused. For a moment she had imagined that she was Nova. It seemed that somehow a particularly strong memory from Nova's far past had gotten transferred over with Nova's recent memories.

Gersen asked, "What about your childhood?"

Wendy replied. "I'm not sure. Listen, Kirth, I have to tell you something. I'm not really Nova."

Gersen laughed. "Since we got back in space, I have not felt like myself, either."

"I'm serious. I'm an outside observer. It was my job to find out how Agent Atwrode died on the Planet of the Dryads."

"Outside observer? What does that mean?"

"I knew that Pallis would die, but not how."

"How could you know? More telepathy? You see the future?"

"No, not telepathy. Technology. Like you told me... it is a technology trick."

"Time travel?"

"Like time travel. We are inside a simulation. It is no trouble for those of us from outside to explore different parts of the simulation, observe different times, in any order."

"Nova, I think you better rest some more. Nobody saw any Dryads on that planet. Kelle, Detteras... we were all disappointed." He sighed. "I certainly need rest." He leaned back in the chair. "We are almost back to Alphanor." His eyes sagged closed.

Wendy muttered, "I have to go see Ryjyl."

Gersen perked up. "Ryjyl? Inspector Wishwell?

 Wendy nodded, but she began wondering if Grean might now pull her out of the Simulator.

Gersen said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Kelle and Detteras have agreed to keep the Planet of the Dryads secret. They also agreed that you should take Warpweave's share of the money that they agreed to pay to me for revealing the location of the planet."

Wendy suggested, "Maybe that money should go to Teehalt's family."

"Good idea. You can pickup the money as soon as we reach Alphanor. After that, you can do with it as you please." Gersen's heavy eyes began to close again. He had not slept at all during the time when Nova had been unconscious. Then his eyes popped open wide. "How did I learn about Teehalt's family? I... I can't quite remember.... but is is strange. His son and daughter were married... had children..." He stood up. "I'm so tired. I could not sleep while you were unconscious, wondering if you would ever wake up. You must be hungry."

"I don't need to eat. I'm an artificial life form." She stood up and told Gersen, "Back on Alphanor, I got to speak to Teehalt's two children."

Gersen nodded. "Yes, they live near their children and grandchildren... but I don't remember how I came to know that. Did you telepathically implant that information in my mind?"

Wendy shook her head. "I don't think I have that ability. I suspect it was the Dryads. They give and they take away. They took away your memory of seeing Dryads and left you with some implanted memories. They gave me a memory from Nova's childhood. I wonder what they made me forget?" She fell silent and for a time she paced back and forth across the little room, trying to detect any alterations in her memories, any stray thoughts that might indicate a stolen memory. After a few minutes, Gersen fell asleep.

Six hours later they were back in Avente. Gersen arranged for transfer of Malagate's money into Nova's account. Wendy immediately bought a new discree (Nova's had been destroyed by Dasce when she was taken captive) and called Inspector Wishwell. "Ryjyl, we need to meet. Where are you?"

With surprise in her voice, Ryjyl asked, "Nova? You are safe? You have been returned?"

"Yes, I was rescued. I need to speak with you."

Ryjyl provided Wendy with her home address.

When Wendy arrived, Ryjyl opened her door immediately. "I contacted the IPCC. Her spaceship is back on Alphanor, but Pallis has not been heard from."

Wendy threw her arms around Ryjyl and said, "Pallis is gone. She died on the planet of the Dryads."

Ryjyl pulled herself away from Wendy and went to sat down. For a moment she sat in silence then said, "I made a mistake. I had two things to tell Pallis. I should have told her that Warpweave was Malagate, but I stupidly told her about..." She fell silent again.

Wendy sat down beside Ryjyl. "Don't blame yourself. Pallis rescued me from Dasce and then when she was chasing Malagate... they ran into a predator. They both died there, swimming across a river."

"So Malagate is dead?"

"Yes, Malagate, Dasce and Suthiro... all dead."

Dismayed by the loss of Pallis, Ryjyl nodded and said nothing.

Wendy told Ryjyl, "When Pallis was dying, she asked me to come here and talk to you." Wendy looked around the room; it was just as Pallis had remembered it; everything there in the room looked exactly as it had appeared in the telepathic transmission that Wendy had received.

Ryjyl said, "Pallis and I lived together for a time, a couple of years ago. It was too much, both of us bringing home our work. We were better off apart, as friends and colleagues."

Wendy said, "Pallis wanted me to make sure you know... she still loved you."

"I know." Ryjyl looked at Wendy and wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you for fulfilling her last wish." Ryjyl smiled.

Wendy said, "I'm also to tell you: drink the Vega Unico."

Ryjyl went to a shelf and took down a bottle. She showed the label to Wendy. "Three hundred and thirty four years old. It might not be any good. We were saving it until I became Chief Inspector or until she was promoted into the Umbria Division." Ryjil set down the bottle and went to the kitchen for goblets. She called to Wendy, "Pop it open."

Wendy opened the bottle and Ryjyl returned with the glasses. Wendy poured the glasses full then Ryjyl said, "Let's drink to Kate and Pallis. They gave life to us... we will never forget."

Wendy said, "To Kate and Pallis."

Ryjyl said, "Please sit with me, Nova. I don't want to be alone."

Wendy sat down, wondering again when Grean would terminate this run of the Simulator. Ryjyl lit a fire in the fireplace and settled in beside Wendy. "Was it a beautiful world... where Pallis died?"

"Yes, but haunted by the Dryads. I think it was the Dryads who told me the last thoughts of Pallis."

Ryjyl nodded. "Yes. I can almost see it... as it must have happened." She drank more wine. She asked Wendy, "How can that be?"

"I think the Dryads want to pay us back. They want to thank everyone who helped destroy Malagate. The Dryads seem to be able to put ideas into our minds."

Ryjyl nodded. "I suppose scientists will now swarm all over the Dryads, studying them."

Wendy shook her head. "No, not now. Gersen, Kelle and Detteras want to keep the Dryads secret."

"Good. Still, I suppose I must report the death of Pallis to the IPCC. What should I tell them?"

"I don't know. Maybe the Dryads will take care of that... Gersen and Detteras seem to have had their memories of the Dryads erased from their minds."

"Erased?"

"And we may not be safe, even here on Alphanor." Wendy and Ryjyl grew quiet and sipped the wine. Wendy set down her glass. "It is not very good wine. I think it aged past its prime."

Ryjyl laughed. "Don't feel like you have to drink it." She drank her goblet dry and refilled it. Ryjyl looked at Wendy/Nova and said, "I feel like there is something else, something you want to tell me."

Wendy shook her head and tried to order her thoughts. "No, it is more... I need to tell myself. Maybe if I talk it through it will make sense. To one of us."

Ryjyl leaned back into the cushions and said, "Speak. Tell me what is on your mind."

Wendy said, "I only met Nova briefly, but she did something to my mind. With Grean's help."

Ryjyl blinked and tried to understand what Wendy/Nova was talking about. "Grean?"

Wendy continued, talking rapidly. "My boss. She probably knew that I would be here with you. That must be why I'm still here and have not been swapped out yet. If Nova were here she could tell you more about the Dryads. Nova is the best telepath... among you humans. At this time... in this Reality.

Ryjyl asked, "What are you talking about, Nova?"

Wendy continued, "I'm an imposter. I took Nova's place, so my boss could learn what happened to poor Pallis. Now we know. So why am I still here?"

Ryjyl was totally confused. "I asked you to stay. However, you are starting to scare me. If you are not Nova, then what happened to her?"

"She is safe... simply subtracted from the Simulator to make room for me. Nova... she is the key. Her past is the key." Wendy looked at Ryjyl. "You were right. There is something I want to say to you. I want you to take Nova home... back to Maudervelt."

Ryjyl nodded. "Yes, I saw in your biography that you were born on Maudervelt." Ryjyl took a sip of wine and set down her glass down.

"Yes, but not me. Nova. I'm an imposter." Frustrated, Wendy tried again. "This is all wrong. It should be Nova asking me to take her home. I should be you."

Ryjyl laughed. "Wow... you really can't hold your liquor, Nova."

"Sorry, this makes no sense to you, but I think I figured it out. I should be you and Nova should be here, asking you for a favor. You would agree, in exchange for your gift from the Dryads... the last words of Pallis."

Ryjyl rubbed her forehead. "What you say almost makes sense, but I'm a police officer. I-"

Wendy snapped her fingers. "That's it. You are a police officer. Did you follow up on Dasce's 'Mr. Spock' alias?"

"Of course. We found out that he owned a spaceship, but it departed from Alphanor an hour after you were kidnapped."

"I was drugged, knocked unconscious. Where was the spaceship docked?"

"Dasce, or 'Spock', kept it at a cut-rate storage yard out in South Lychester."

"I see. Can you check their records. Did Dasce possibly bring in an old model 9b, registered to Kirth Gersen?"

Ryjyl pulled out her discree. After a short data search, she said, "Yes, Gersen's ship is there. It was sold for salvage, but has not yet been torn apart."

Inspector Ryjyl Wishwell
Avente Police Department

"That's the last piece of the puzzle." Wendy expected to now be taken back to Grean's workshop, but that did not happen. Ryjyl now began talking about Pallis and past cases that they had worked on together. Wendy picked up her glass and drank, wondering if it was possible for her to get drunk inside the Simulator. Twenty minutes later, the wine was all gone. Ryjyl kicked off her shoes and laid her head on Wendy's lap. Wendy stroked Ryjyl's silky soft hair. "If I asked, would you take me home to Maudervelt?"

Ryjyl closed her eyes, hoping that would make the world stop spinning. "Of course. We can take Gersen's old model 9b. I'll say it is needed as police evidence in the case of Teehalt's death."

"Yes, that is what I'll do."

Ryjyl opened an eye and said, "You say the strangest things. I suppose I'm crazy drunk now too... I drank twice as much as you did."

"Shh. Go to sleep. Maybe that is what Grean is waiting for." Wendy patted Rygyl's head. Ryjyl closed her eyes and soon she was asleep. And, strangely, even though Wendy was an artificial life form and did not need sleep, she also slept.

Next: Ryjyl takes Nova to Mouldervelt

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