The passengers and crew of the CCS Katabasis stared in subdued silence as the ship entered Earth space. Arriving in the Sol system had been cause for celebration, each of them gawking at the Jovians, as majestic as they had remembered. Saturn’s rings were a wonder to behold, and mighty Jupiter’s Great Red Spot still swirled south of its equator.

Mars, however, was a different story.

Over a hundred million humans had called the Red Planet home before the Great War. Terraforming had still been in the early stages when the Yīqún attacked, but there was no sign of it now. Its thin atmosphere had been stripped away, the cultivated arable land now lifeless.

Luna was much the same, though there had been no attempt to make the moon more habitable, its small size and low gravity making that all but impossible. The magnificent domes of Copernicus, and Tycho, and Clavius were shattered and wrecked, the moonscape littered with the alien remnants of that war.

But Earth...Holy Mother Terra, the birthplace of Man...was the worst.

The ancient photos showed her to be a blue water world, with clouds of white filling her skies, the land a mosaic of greens and browns. Now, her seas were long gone, boiled off into space, the land poisoned into grotesque black and gray. Nothing lived in that hellish landscape...oh, perhaps a few hardy strains of bacteria, the odd virus or two, some mutated forms of algae. Perhaps in a billion years life might start again.

Not that it would matter to her exiled children. They would be long dead, nothing but dust circling some distant star.

Maggie turned away from the sight, weeping bitter tears. She’d known what to expect,, her Master had been counseling her and trying to prepare her for what was to come. But no one could understand how thorough the devastation was, not without seeing it for themselves, and the young apprentice Tinker was hardly alone in hoping beyond hope the old reports might be wrong.

No one on that bridge was left unmoved, but Captain Ngô squared his shoulders and looked to his pilot.

“Put us in the Graveyard orbit, just past the geosynchronous boundary, Mister Medeiros,” he ordered. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and a great deal of debris to sift through, if we’re ever going to find that scout ship.”

“Aye Sir,” the pilot answered, making the necessary corrections.

The Corsair looked over those still gathered on the bridge, his jaw clenched in a hard line. “I know how difficult this is, so just stay focused on why we’re here. If we learn the location of this mystery world...maybe we give humanity a second chance.” There were a few scattered nods, the huddled groups starting to break apart as they drifted off to their individual tasks.

A gentle hand on her shoulder made Maggie look up. Master Schnoebelen somehow managed a melancholy smile, before returning his gaze to the monitor. “I’m sorry I brought you here, Maggie,” he told her. “Maybe you could have held onto your dreams, just a little while longer.”

Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath. “I made my choice. I have to own that.”

Her Master sighed. “...don’t we all.”

Maggie opened her eyes and tried to sit up, forgetting once again she was still restrained. “God damn it,” she snarled, “someone wanna take this leash off?”

“Morning,” Rúna nodded from the chair across from her. “Sleep well?”

“Get these things off me,” she snapped. “Ain’t I proved I’m right in the head?”

“Not my call, Maggie,” the corporal shrugged, “you know that.” She paused for a moment, weighing her options, before deciding. “Diggs came by to see you, while you were sleeping.”

The Tinker froze. “...did he say anythin’?” she asked, before wincing as her brain caught up to her mouth. “Stupid old woman, of course he didn’t say nothin’,” Maggie grimaced, while Rúna grinned at her verbal faux pas. “What I meant was...did he seem okay?”

“He’s still mad, but seeing you like that, all trussed up...it got to him,” the redhead told her. “Give him some time, I think he’s starting to come around.”

“I sure hope so,” she whispered.

“In the meantime, I’ll go find Blye and tell her you’re awake. I think she’s checking in on Genvass.” Rúna rose and exited the compartment, leaving Maggie alone with her thoughts. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow, trying not to think how being kept restrained was making her feel claustrophobic as all get out.

“I thought she’d never leave.”

Her eyes snapped back open to see Alphad peering out from the monitor on the opposite wall. “Any reason you couldn’t chat with her in the room?” Maggie demanded.

“The fewer people who hear what I have to tell you, the better,” he said. “If you decide to share the information, that’s your choice.”

“Most days, I’d need to work up to whatever gloom and doom you got in store, but now?” She waved her bound wrists in the limited range they allowed her. “I reckon I’m gettin’ numb to it.”

The Avatar grinned. “So many jokes in excruciatingly poor taste just waiting to be uttered,” he smirked, “but alas...business comes first.” The wisecracking demeanor disappeared as he became all business. “After your visit with the Tu’udh’hizh’ak and the discovery of their ‘talents’, I started searching through the limited databases we have for any mention of them.”

“And? What did you find?”

“...nothing. Not a single notation anywhere.” His great wings folded back behind him. “However, I am limited to what information is available aboard Gyrfalcon. If I could link to a planetary network…”

“Forget it,” Maggie shook her head, “it’s too risky. We got ourselves enough troubles as is.”

“Then I’m not sure how much help I can be,” Alphad told her. “Without more data, my hands are tied. At least I don't have to worry about getting my brains scrambled,” he grinned. “I doubt their mind magic works on software.”

“Maybe...but you’re forgettin’ what happened to your predecessor, Mallus. Somebody got to him and derezzed his program.”

That gave him pause. “You think they turned someone...say, another Tinker...and ordered a hit?” he asked.

“Only thing I can think of that makes sense,” Maggie told him, closing her eyes and trying hard not to let the sense of dread she was feeling overwhelm her. They needed an edge, some way to turn the tables, but if Alphad with all his gifts couldn’t find anything…

“...how are you at statistical analysis?” she asked.

“Not bad,” he admitted. “Why?”

“We gotta figure the Tu’udh’hizh’ak been keepin’ this secret a long time,” she explained. “That’s why they use the Chell as their front...if no one ever sees ‘em, they’ll never figure it out.”

“And those that do are probably turned, like they tried to do with you,” he agreed. “But what is it you’re looking for?”

“Evidence of them pulling strings from the shadows,” she told him. “No one’s ever thought to look for it before, cause they didn’t know what we know. But now that we do, there’s gotta be somethin’ buried in the data that’ll stick out. Some statistical anomaly of folks behavin’ different from the way they should.”

“Hmm…” Alphad tapped his virtual chin as he considered the problem. “It’s possible in theory, but you’re talking a lot of variables. Just constructing the model will stretch the ship’s network to its limits. Plus, sentient beings go off script for many reasons, ones that have nothing to do with psychic manipulation.”

“You got anythin’ better to do during the trip?” she snorted.

“Now that you mention it, not really,” he chuckled. “All right, I’ll get to work on it...though I’m not sure what good it will do even if we find something.”

“Just how do you reckon the other races will react, when they find out the Tu’udh’hizh’ak have been fuckin’ with their heads?” she smirked. “Let ‘em deal with that mess, while we regroup.”

“You have an evil mind, Maggie Al’Hajjah,” the Avatar laughed. “Very well, I’ll get started on our little project.”

“Keep me posted,” she told him, as she heard footsteps approaching. Alphad’s image blinked out moments before Blye and the others entered the room.

“Good morning, Maggie,” the young Knight smiled as she came to a halt beside her bed, with Rúna and Samara at her back. “How are you feeling today?”

“Like somebody owes me dinner,” she snapped, holding up her restrained limbs. “How about you get me out of these things?”

“Let’s take a look first,” the Chevalier said in soothing tones, pulling up a stool and taking a seat as she began checking her vitals.

“You mind tellin’ me how my blood pressure is gonna say if I’m crazy or not?” she grumped, scowling in frustration.

“By itself it won’t, but combined with other tests it will give me a better picture of how healthy you are,” Blye explained. “Now hush and let me finish.”

Biting back a furious retort, Maggie sat in silence, glowering at both her physician and her companions, who had so far refrained from speaking. Several minutes went by before the Knight hung up her stethoscope and sighed. “I can’t find anything wrong,” she said, “but I’m not convinced you aren’t still under their compulsion.”

“For fuck’s sake!” she shouted. “Are you gonna keep me tied up the whole damn trip?”

“I hope not,” she answered, “but you have to understand our concern. If I’m wrong, if the Ketamine treatment didn’t work...with your skills you could blow up the ship.”

“Anybody could!” Maggie snarled. “It ain’t that hard! Keepin’ it from blowin’ up, that’s the tricky part.” She stared daggers at the younger woman. “Let. Me. Go.”

Blye glanced over her shoulder at the other women, before looking back at Maggie. “There’s something we can try...but I’m certain you won’t like it.”

“...does it get me out of these?” she retorted, holding up her wrists once more.

“Assuming you pass the test? Yes, it will,” she replied.

“Then do it,” she hissed at her.

Blye nodded, rising to her feet and stepping aside...as Samara took her place at her bedside. “Hello Maggie,” she smirked.

“What the fuck do you want?” she growled.

“I’ll be the one prepping you for the test,” she explained, her eyes twinkling in delight. “I promise, it won’t hurt a bit.”

“Oh hell no,” Maggie spit at her, as she looked past the Protean to Blye. “What the fuck is this?”

“I warned you you wouldn’t like it.” she sighed. “To see if you’re still you, we need to look at your subconscious...and the only way I know how to do that with the tools we have is with hypnosis. Unfortunately, my skills in that area are limited.”

“Mine, however, are not,” Samara finished. “I’ll put you under, and Blye will ask you some questions. That’s it.”

“Well, forget it!” she bellowed. “I ain’t doin’ it! It’ll be a frosty damn day in hell before I ever let you…”

The words died in her throat as she spotted Diggs peering out from behind Rúna’s legs. His eyes were solemn, and while she could still see the pain of her betrayal, she saw his anguish over her condition as well.

“...damn it all to hell,” she mumbled, hanging her head in shame. With a heavy sigh that seemed to drain the anger from her body, she nodded her assent. “Do it,” she said softly.

“I promise it’s safe,” Samara told her. “Make yourself as comfortable as you can, and we’ll get started.

That was easier said than done. Maggie was almost hyper-aware of the restraints still confining her, so finding a relaxed position was no simple task. After much tossing and turning, she finally attained an arrangement of limbs that was at least not uncomfortable, as she nodded once again. “All right...I’m ready.”

“Excellent. I want you to focus on your breathing...breathe in as you count to seven in your head, then breathe out as you count to eleven. In...and out,” she said in a soft soothing voice.

Maggie tried, but as keyed up as she was, it was a struggle. The breathing helped some, but there was no way she was going under. Samara continued coaching her for several more minutes, before moving on to the next step.

“Now, I want you to close your eyes,” she murmured, “and visualize Gyrfalcon’s Engine room. Start with the hatchway, and picture in your mind every detail. The height of the control panels, the exact color of the bulkheads, the lights and readouts and switches. Begin moving counterclockwise, as you take in every element of its design.”

The Tinker almost smiled at that. She knew Engineering like the back of her hand, and as she began her mental journey Maggie ran her imaginary hands across the Drive system’s burnished metal, checking the engine output as she ran a quick diagnostic. The telltales blinked in mesmerizing patterns as she moved on to Life Support, the squat rectangular cabinet humming right at 204.7 Hz, showing it was operating at optimum efficiency. She moved from one component to the next, as the real world drifted further and further away.

“...two…three. Wake up, Maggie.”

She opened her eyes and looked around the small compartment. “What...what happened?” she said in confusion.

Blye reached over and began removing her restraints. “You passed the test,” she smiled. “You’re still you, as near as I can tell.”

Maggie sagged in relief, rubbing her wrists as she freed them. Diggs was still there, having moved in closer while she’d been traipsing around in Wonderland. He gazed at her warily, like he had those first few days back on Azhakom, ready to bolt at the slightest movement. Once her ankles were freed she swung her feet over the side of the cot and sat up, massaging her thighs and calves to get the circulation moving again, as she beckoned to the boy. He took a few cautious steps in her direction, coming to a halt just out of arm’s reach.

“I’m sorry kid,” she told him, as the weight grew heavy on her shoulders. “I know I fucked up. I was tryin’ to do the right thing, but…” Maggie froze, realizing she was justifying her actions, so she shifted gears and gave it another shot. “I messed up bad, Diggs, and I want to fix it. You and me, we’re a team, and I should have remembered that.” She somehow managed a wary smile. “Think you could see your way clear to givin’ me a second chance?”

She could see the wheels turning behind his eyes as he weighed his choices. She’d cut him deep, and the wound was only now beginning to scab over. She could see how leery he was about ever believing in her again and recognizing that mistrust almost broke her heart.

Especially given how thoroughly she’d earned it.

Finally, he took a half step forward. It was all he would risk, right here and now, but it was more than she’d feared he could. The older woman and the young boy regarded each other...and then he did something that amazed her. Diggs spit on his palm and held it out to her, the same gesture she’d taught him all those weeks ago. The tears were already making it hard to see as she did likewise, clasping together in a formal handshake that spoke volumes. He was willing to try...but they still had a long way to go.

Maggie heard snuffles, wiping her eyes as she watched Rúna do the same. Even Blye was moved, though Samara seemed as aloof as ever. It took her a few minutes to get her emotions under control, as she composed herself well enough to ask a question.

“How d'you test me when I was under?” she queried the Chevalier.

“Double checked your memories from when you were on the Tu’udh’hizh’ak ship,” she explained, “plus other baseline questions about your past, and your current emotional state.”

Despite herself, Maggie shuddered. “I’m feelin’ a little violated here,” she told her.

“I’m sorry, but it was necessary,” Blye told her. “We had to know.”

“Yeah...reckon you did at that,” she sighed. “At least you know how to treat anybody else they brain-scrambled.”

The Knight grimaced. “Maggie...the only reason the treatment worked was because we got to you so quickly, before the neural pathways the Tu’udh’hizh’ak implanted had time to ossify,” she explained. “A few days, maybe even a few hours later...it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“So...what? If we get to them too late, they’re just fucked?” Maggie said in horror. “How are we supposed to handle things then?”

“...the old-fashioned way,” Rúna told her, holding up her sidearm.