Jessup could barely breathe under Bath’s constricting tendrils.

“You either are, or you aren’t,” he gasped.

“How rare are kursi? Out of a population of, say, one billion, how many kursi will there be?”

“Humans have a high MSR, so maybe one-hundred out of every billion. On other planets, the number will be marginally more or less...”

Bath’s eyes flickered. He knew that there were around one-thousand people in the mansion at present. Were they all kursi?

“How does Ritus have so many members?” he asked calmly, though his eyes caused Jessup’s stomach to quaver.

“Mind subjugation,” he choked. “Domination.”

Bath smiled. “Can all kursi do this? Nevermind, of course they can,” he murmured as he read Jessup’s expressions. “Teach Lisa how to use subjugation.” A plan was hatching in Bath’s mind that excited him like no other plan had before.

“Teach...? I can’t just teach her that!” he cried out, panic washing over his face.

“Will it be something she learns on her own over time, as she grows older?” Bath asked.

Jessup actually paused a bit before answering.

“She seems to be a strong host. I'd say—” he groaned as his ribs cracked.

Bath’s entire face radiated a cold, detached amusement, like that of a cat playing with its food. “Fine, then. Jessup, how does one actually return to Ildr from this far out a planet?”

"We’re a fringeworld,” Jessup spat. “Theoretically, there’s a way, but I don’t know it.”

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Bath said at last, his face sinister. Then, with a loud, shattering blast, Bath’s essence, which had already pervaded the entire establishment, slashed out and enveloped each Ritus member, all one-thousand and sixteen of them. Shrieking rang out from all over the mansion. After a minute, the shrieking became very faint, as though a great distance separated Bath from the wailing kursi and their subjugated mind slaves. Jessup and Angelina had also been forced out in a flash of dark, tendriling essence.

Bath led the way from the Menagerie to the gate room, picking it out as the only location without any ventilation at all. He moved to rip down the door, but the alien stepped forward and unlocked it with its retinas and fingerprint.

Bath was quite fascinated by the creature. As he evacuated the mansion, it was the only intelligent, nonhuman entity he had been able to detect. He felt an urge to devour the creature, to expand his Center, but this urge was very small. The hunger caused by one creature was hardly a match for twenty-two.

After the door opened, the trio walked into the gate room.

“What is your name?” Bath asked pointedly.

“Lepochim.”

"What does it mean?" Bath replied. He sensed that the name had a greater meaning based off of the way the creature spoke the name out loud.

The creature’s eyes constricted in surprise. “It technically means Branching Stairway.”

“Now that we have the gate, what are you planning?” Lisa inquired. She eyed the creature, Lepochim, carefully.

Bath’s chest rumbled like thunder; Lisa had the impression that he was...purring?

“Ah, Lisa, this gate...” his eyes stared intently at the unassuming, circular structure at the front of the room. “I've been searching for something like this since the beginning. A way off this planet.”

Lisa’s mouth popped open. “But...what about the environment?”

Bath finally tilted his enormous maw down to stare at Lisa in the eyes. “I cared about the environment because I thought..." Bath inhaled deeply; his yellow eyes closed. “I thought that this planet was mine, forever, and only mine. I wasn’t going to allow humans to ruin my own planet...but if I can leave, I'm no longer bound by this desire.”

Lisa’s face contorted into a frown. “But...”

“Lisa, you want to grow strong. You wish to rule...” Bath said this as statement. “You love democracy, but I know your ambition. Come with me,” he said slowly, “and we will accomplish so much more than if we each stood alone.”

Bath’s voice was filled with enough fervor to leave her reeling. He...he really planned to go into the gate? Even if he couldn’t return? And he wanted her to come with him?

Lisa thought of school, of her education, of her parents and all the expectations thrust upon her...

“Who the fuck turns down conquering the galaxy?” Lisa shouted triumphantly. She didn’t feel nearly as confident as she sounded. However, she knew that if she didn’t go with Bath...she would regret that decision for the rest of her life. How could she not accompany him? Besides, there had to be a way back, right?

“Lepochim,” Bath said. “Will you accompany us on our first galaxy-conquering campaign?”

Lepochim looked startled at the request.

“You...” A complex expression flashed through Lepochim’s eye. “Devourer," he said reverently. He was now on one knee. “I shall accompany you willingly wherever the stars guide us.”

Bath smiled, showing teeth. He didn’t believe Lepochim’s sincerity for a second.

“Lisa,” Bath sighed. “I have a feeling you won’t be strong enough to make this journey as you are now.”

“Wh-what? Wait, Bath, what do you mean?” She didn’t disagree, considering what Jessup had told them. She eyed Lepochim off to the side.

"What about him?" she asked.

Lepochim laughed. “I can take care of myself,” he replied cryptically.

Lisa frowned. “There’s something wrong with his shell.”

The alien crossed his arms. “It’s the mark of one who’s kursi has been forcefully sealed,” he stated.

Bath didn’t push the subject, choosing to ignore Lepochim completely. If the alien said he’d be fine, Bath wouldn’t fight with him. After all, Lepochim had somehow made it all the way to Earth. He clearly had some kind of power, whether it be fleshly resilience or technological enhancements.

“Lisa, I feel confident that I can modify your genetic code as we go. This way, I can keep you alive as we venture into volatile regions.”

Lisa’s eyes grew round.

“Uh...ok?” she said slowly. “To be honest..I want to see what improvements you can make to my body. I know that your human form has increased sensory perception, strength, and defenses. All of those sound like great modifications. But, with regards to staying alive on a planet submerged in ice, or a planet with an atmosphere without oxygen...I don’t see what you can accomplish.”

“Just trust me," he said.

And Lisa did.

Bath emitted a poison from an essence tendril to knock her out, then looked to Lepochim. Bath was now in his less-imposing human form.

“Lepochim is long,” he said suddenly. “Can I call you Lepo?”

Lepochim seemed taken aback. Then he laughed—or gagged, Bath couldn’t be sure of which. “Of course.”

“What are you?”

“One of the kursi of the Zder Galaxy,” he said neutrally.

“Tell me about Zder,” Bath said, his eyes gleaming.

“Zder is also called the Enlightened Galaxy,” Lepochim explained. “It’s just beyond the core worlds. This situates it very close to Ildr.”

Bath nodded.

“Zder has many intelligent species, many of which are suitable as kursi hosts. While in the beginning, billions of years past, conflict existed between the many planets of Zder over resources and gates...in the end, the wars stopped. Zder has observed relative peace for the past twelve billion years.

“I am from one of Zder’s many small planets, Tu-71. It isn’t very remarkable, though it easily casts Earth into shadow,” Lepochim sniffed.

“You mean, a small, insignificant planet of Zder, is more magnificent than Earth?” Bath felt his heart rate begin to flutter. How many creatures would just Tu-71 have? All of Zder? His Center suddenly ached with need.

“Earth is a planetary backwater, a fringeworld. That’s the only reason why you haven’t been discovered yet," Lepochim said.

Bath didn’t appear to hear him. “You know, I don’t think I told you my name,” he said. His gaze became steely and full of indomitable confidence.

“My name...is Bath!”