Ryan woke to near total darkness.

At first he thought he was dead, because he felt nothing, saw nothing, or anything else. But that soon changed to a feeling he was somewhere familiar, yet foreign.

A pinprick of light pierced the darkness.

Ryan reached for the light and easily followed it. Followed it to the familiar place that he knew since he’d first woken up in his brain jar.

Everything was there as he’d left it. He was back in control of Luna and everything else connected to Luna’s network.

Had the ordeal with Étién, Niamh, and Healer Fawinn actually happened?

Ryan realized something. Luna’s systems were down. Whatever had happened to him had shut all the systems off, too. Including life support, which was currently reading low oxygen levels and freezing temperatures.

Ryan turned on all systems and found the others huddled in the mess hall wearing space suits, including the fairies and Charlotte.

Everyone looked up as the lights and gravity turned back on.

Ryan spoke first, “Is everyone okay?”

Becky jumped up, “Ryan! You’re okay!”

Anton jumped up just a little slower than Becky, “Thank the Lord! Couldn’t open the doors without tools so if you hadn’t come back we were gonna turn into popsicles! ”

Ryan still wasn’t sure what had gone on, “Sorry, Niamh did something to me and… Where’s Étién?”

Becky slouched and looked at the floor, “Niamh and the healer… they…”

Anton dropped onto a chair and slammed helmet against the table, “We got our butts beat… bad.”

Mayu turned to look towards the resurrection chamber, “We woke up and were seeing no one in the res room.”

Evan nodded, “Yes. There were no signs of Étién or the other two, nor their devices by the time we woke up.”

Becky sighed, “It was already getting cold by then, and it was too dark, so we haven’t had time to look around.”

Ryan checked the resurrection room, but they had indeed cleared it out, “Looks like they took everything with them, including Étién.”

He recalled the experiment, but didn’t want to believe it. He still had control of Luna, so perhaps whatever it was they had done had messed up his memories and things had happened differently.

Anton walked out of the mess hall and headed for the airlock, “Let’s land and look for ‘em. That was messed up, knockin’ ya out like that.”

Ryan wanted to believe nothing bad had happened. Niamh had said he might black out for a while, “Should have done the experiment on the ground…”

Mayu picked up the still unconscious Mikan and left the room after Anton, but headed to med bay instead, “Did you get cut from Étién?”

Ryan couldn’t feel Étién at all, “Yeah, looks like it.”

Evan tapped his chin, “Do you have any idea what the procedure was that they used?”

Ryan explained what he remembered.

Anton swore, “Dude, that’s messed up.”

Becky stepped into the resurrection room and looked around, “Are you sure? Why would Niamh do that to her own daughter.”

Charlotte entered the room behind Becky and spoke for the first time, in a barely audible voice, “Viennesoire thinks it could be true, but she never saw these… evil spirits. Just signs of them.”

Ryan remembered Jaren, “Wait… what about Jaren? Healer Fawinn opened a wormhole in front of her and she went through the wrong side.”

Charlotte clasped her fingers together, her posture looked demure, and still spoke in a quiet voice, “She… she is good. Just… far away. I can barely hear her.”

Ryan was relieved she was still alive, “That’s good. We can help look for her after…” Ryan couldn’t find Mljos Tersa using Luna’s sensors, “Uhh, we’re not by Mljos Tersa anymore.”

Evan tapped his chin, “Perhaps… The transmission we received said we would be escorted back to our universe, did it not?”

Ryan remembered, “How? Luna was only drifting when I got knocked out.”

Anton swore again, “The golden orbs!? Betcha they dragged us back.”

Ryan started mapping the stars, “Okay, I’ll figure out where we are. After that, we find a way to get us back to Mljos Tersa.”

Charlotte raised her hand hesitantly, “Umm… My sisters say they will help. They… they are mad and want to get revenge for Jaren. They… they… are attacking the embassy.”

Anton laughed bitterly, “Tell ‘em good luck. That witch deserves it after attacking Ryan and Étién.”

Charlotte put her hands on her helmet and started whimpering.

Becky walked over to her, “Are you alright?”

Charlotte shook her head, “They… their anger. I… I don’t like this…”

Ryan sympathized with Charlotte. He’d only been connected to Étién for a short while and it was with just her. He couldn’t imagine what it was like being connected to several cat girls at once and having your mind flooded with their thoughts and emotions.

Sashae stepped into the room and put a hand on Charlotte’s shoulder, “Music will help?”

Charlotte looked up to Sashae, “Yes, I love your playing.”

Sashae looked at Ryan’s camera, “Is it safe to breathe?”

Ryan checked the oxygen levels, “Yeah, the oxygen is still a little on the low side, but it shouldn’t be much longer until the air is back to normal.”

Sashae nodded and took off at a jog to her room.

Becky finished looking around the room after taking off her helmet, “Looks clean. They must’ve taken everything with them after knocking us out.”

Ryan paused as his scans of the surrounding stars finished, “Uh… I know where we are. The golden orbs dropped us off where we left.”

Evan, now out of his space suit, paused at the food dispenser, “That is quite fortuitous.”

Becky nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it is. We’ve already got a lot of this galaxy mapped out, so it should speed things up.”

Ryan recalled the cylinders filling the airlock, “You still want them in that spot? Might as well deploy the telescopes while we’re waiting.”

Anton was already fiddling with one, “Might as well!”

Ryan set some coordinates into the wormhole device, “Alright. Looks like we get to show Charlotte, Sashae, and the fairies what a view outside a galaxy looks like.”

Charlotte perked up, and finally took her helmet off, revealing cheeks wet from tears, “Outside a galaxy?”

Becky smiled and nodded, “It’s amazing. Makes you forget about everything else. You see countless galaxies out there.”

Ryan agreed, “Yeah, there’s nothing like it.”

Charlotte wiped her face with the sleeve of her space suit, which merely smeared the tears across her cheek, “Maybe once my sisters have calmed. It’s… it’s hard to think right now.”

Becky gave Charlotte a reassuring look, “Alright. Let us know when you’re ready. We’re in no hurry. I think.”

Charlotte didn’t smile, but nodded, “Thank you.”

Ryan put in the coordinates Becky had chosen near a halo star outside the galaxy and powered up the wormhole drive and plasma turrets, “Alright. Wormhole drive is charging and the turrets are ready to cook some Meatballs.”

Evan poked at some synthesized pudding and sighed, “Perhaps we should have packed more fresh foods before we left.”

Becky groaned, “Well, this was supposed to be a short trip to space and back…”

Anton gagged, “I was just forgetting about that crappy food synthesizer. Why’d ya have ta remind me!?”

Charlotte looked curious, “Food synthesizer?”

Becky gave Charlotte a look of pity, “Oh, you poor girl.”

Charlotte’s face became white, “The food is that bad?”

Evan held a spoonful of pudding in front of his face, “Not bad, per say.”

Becky nodded, “Not bad if you only like eating liquids and pastes. It’s amazing. We have a 3D printer that can print mind boggling tech, but our food synthesizer has trouble making anything that isn’t liquid.”

Charlotte didn’t look too worried, “That is okay. Any food is better than going hungry.”

Becky led Charlotte to the food processor, “How about we start you off with what we had to eat for about a month…”

Becky led Charlotte back to the mess hall and arrived just before Sashae returned with her flute.

By the time Charlotte and Becky sat at a table with some food, it was nearly time for the wormhole device to discharge.

Ryan opened some holograms showing in front of Luna, “Alright, let’s see how many Meatballs come through.”

The wormhole device fired, and a wormhole appeared ahead of Luna.

Ryan activated the anti-Meatball devices and used them to illuminate the wormhole.

He immediately caught a meatball and fired at it, “Here they come!”

The plasma struck the Meatball as it tried to dodge the plasma, but was too slow and the plasma vaporised its body.

Anton whooped, “Yeah! That’ll show ‘em!”

Becky smiled and turned to Evan, “Now we don’t have to worry about bringing them to Earth!”

Evan returned her smile, “Yes, that was my biggest concern as well.”

Ryan started moving Luna through the wormhole, “Alright, here’s to hoping they don’t swarm us as we pass through.”

Becky was going to say something, but noticed Charlotte had become worried about something and wasn’t watching the video feed, “Are you okay?”

Charlotte turned to Becky and pursed her lips, “My sisters found Niamh. She didn’t fight back and wants to talk.”

Ryan almost stopped watching for Meatballs as Luna finished passing through the wormhole, “What!? Why now?”

Charlotte cocked her head to the side and looked confused, “She… wants to ask for forgiveness and to help us and to help us with the… ‘evil spirits that deceived us.’”

Evan leaned forward, “And how does she expect to help us? She is in a different universe.”

Charlotte cocked her head to the other side, as she seemed to talk to her sisters, “The Gateway. If the safety device is removed, it could reach Luna for a few seconds.”

Becky furrowed her brow, “I don’t like this. Why is she helping us now?”

Ryan thought he could understand why, “She was being possessed by an evil spirit. Maybe she’s not possessed anymore and… I don’t know. Maybe seeing her daughter get attacked made her change her mind about working with it?”

Anton did his best Admiral Ackbar impression, “It’s a trap!”

Evan nodded, “Yes, I was thinking the same.”

Becky crossed her arms and leaned back, “Why? If they wanted Luna, they could have done it after knocking Ryan out.”

Ryan agreed with Becky, “I’ll believe Niamh for now. Charlotte, can you tell her she can come?”

Charlotte looked nervous, but nodded, “Okay. Madeleine, Viennsoire, and Eclair are coming too.”

Mayu entered the mess, with Aoi following behind her, “I want to see Niamh too.”

Aoi spotted Sashae playing her flute and landed on her shoulder.

Becky turned to Mayu, “How’s Mikan?”

Mayu smiled, “Her implant was damaged, but the small machines are repairing it and her wound.”

Ryan had been trying not to think about Mikan because it reminded him of Étién, “Charlotte, any idea where the wormhole will open?”

Charlotte shook her head, “No, but Niamh is opening it soon.”

Anton went to a locker in the airlock and pulled a plasma cannon out, “I’ll take Meatball duty!”

Ryan had modified the drones to have anti Meatball devices, and readied them, “I’ll spread the drones out. Everyone else stay in the mess hall until we’re sure there’s no Meatballs.”

Moments later, a wormhole opened in the airlock, a stack of cylinders partially obstructing it.

Anton raised his plasma cannon and turned on the anti Meatball device, “It’s in the airlock!”

Eclair walked through first, using the cylinders to steady herself as she avoided touching the edge of the wormhole.

Once Eclair was out of the way, Niamh, Viennesoire, and finally Madeleine passed through.

The wormhole closed.

Anton looked around disappointed, “No Meatballs?”

The cat girls looked around, but none spoke.

Niamh, who looked like she’d been crying, made apparent by her swollen eyes and wet cheeks, turned to Anton, “The gateway was small and only open for a few moments, so…” She turned towards the hatch to the deck above, “I need to… I have much to explain and apologize for.”

Ryan’s anger swelled upon hearing Niamh speak, “You sure do!”

Niamh winced at Ryan’s voice, “It… I am glad you survived, Ryan.”

“You almost killed everyone! If I hadn’t woken up in time, everyone would have suffocated!”

Niamh prostrated herself on the floor, “I am deeply sorry! I will not ask for your forgiveness, but I will do all I can to help you.”

“What did you do to Étién?”

Niamh looked up, confused, “What do you mean? She should be here.”

Anton shook his head, “Nope! After you and your goon knocked us out, you took her body and left with your stuff!”

Niamh looked at a loss for words, “No. The spirits didn’t need her body anymore so left her here.”

Ryan was losing what little patience he had left, “You said you’d help us. Where’d you take Étién!?”

Niamh shook her head, “I assure you we did not take her. Perhaps there is some place you have yet to look?”

Anton shook his head, “Ryan woulda found her on Luna’s cameras if she was still here.”

Ryan thought about something, and his heart immediately dropped, “What about my brain vat?”

Anton shrugged, “How’d she get in there without you knowing? You were knocked out too, right?”

Mayu left the mess hall, “I will go look.”

Becky followed, “Why would she be in Ryan’s brain vat? Was she hurt? Maybe you got her in there before you blacked out, Ryan?”

Niamh shook her head, “My daughter’s body was unharmed.”

Ryan had no memories of doing anything with Étién’s body, “If I did, I forgot.”

Mayu stopped in front of the brain vat and waited.

Ryan hesitated, “Do you really think she’s in there?”

Mayu tapped on the window, “Open it.”

Ryan opened it.

Inside was Étién. She still wore her simple green nightgown and looked completely fine if one ignored the tubes and cables inserted into the back of her head and neck.

Ryan also noticed his brain had dissolved, with only pieces of the computer side remaining.

Mayu rubbed her chin, “Ryan, what are you doing?”

Ryan still had only partial access to his brain vat, “I don’t know. This thing has a mind of its own.”

Evan entered the resurrection room, “Perhaps it is automated in case your brain is incapacitated. It would make sense to have an independent system that can repair your brain, and perhaps even grow a new one.”

That made sense to Ryan, “Okay, but how’d Étién get in there, and why is it doing whatever it is to her?”

Niamh entered the room, her eyes glowing, but as soon as her eyes fell onto Étién, she fell to her knees and started weeping, “Étién is lost. Their experiment worked…”

Becky turned to Niamh, then back to Étién, “What do you mean?”

Ryan knew exactly what it meant, “Étién’s body fell right next to my vat. If they really… destroyed my soul and put my Intelligence in her soul…”

Evan nodded, “Yes, that makes sense. If your brain no longer had a soul, and ceased functioning, then perhaps the computer in the vat found Étién nearby and found her to be a suitable replacement?”

Becky put her hand on the window, “The vat is installing Étién with hardware to replace Ryan’s brain?”

Evan nodded, “That is what I gathered, yes.”

Ryan couldn’t speak. If his brain was gone, and Luna was now connected to Étién’s body, but he was still controlling Luna…

Becky turned to Étién, “So Ryan became Étién?”

Niamh nodded, “Ryan still has all his memories, but his Intelligence now inhabits my daughter’s soul and body.”

Viennesoire stepped in from where she watched from the hallway, “Ryan is Étién now. I can see. Ryan’s shiny is now in Étién’s ghost. Scary lady is right.”

Ryan guessed ‘shiny’ was what Viennesoire called Intelligences, “Can we get hers back?” He didn’t like this. He didn’t want to be in her soul, even if his really had been destroyed and had to wander as an Intelligence.

Niamh shook her head, “No. In our experiments with others, we were never able to capture a naked Intelligence. We suspect only the same matter as a spirit can contain them and we do not know how to make that.”

Becky’s face twisted in disgust, “You experimented on people? How many did you kill!?”

Niamh lowered her head in shame, “I do not know. There were others that did that. I only helped in procurement of materials and kept others from noticing us. It was criminals at first, which I had no issues with, but before I knew it, they had moved to using those in the forests. I only recently found out about this, and this is when I started doubting the spirits. When they felt my doubt… One possessed me and...” She started weeping again, “The join they felt at their betrayal. At taking my daughter from me. They taunted me. Told me how foolish I was and that I would suffer for eternity knowing my choices led to what happened to Étién.”

Mayu stared at Niamh with disgust and anger, “She needs punishing for her sins.”

Niamh straightened, “I… I will admit my crimes. I knew what I was doing was reprehensible, but the spirits are experts in flattery and promises, but now I know they were hollow and had followed a path that led me to commit unforgivable crimes. I will not run from my punishment, whatever that comes to be, but first we need to stop the others. It will only be a matter of days until they steal the bodies and spirits of others.”

Charlotte looked heartbroken and her ears flattened against her head, “Why? Why would they do this?”

Niamh turned to look at Étién, “Because it is the only way for them to gain bodies. Their spirits are cursed to wander for all time, never to be born into a body of their own. The man you fought, this ‘patchwork man,’ is a leftover from the first experiments. Bodies decay if inhabited by these cursed spirits. We tried to modify the bodies, and even piece different bodies together, but nothing worked. They either died or turned mad.” She turned to Charlotte, “You and your sisters are what gave us the idea to connect souls together. We studied you from afar and developed the medicine we gave you.”

Ryan couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Why would you do that to your own daughter?”

Niamh shook her head, “I only thought it would be used on Mikan. I had nothing to do with the attack on my daughter. They know I would never allow that.” She paused, “It… was only when I saw her in your brain vat that I found out what had happened. When I asked, they promised me they would find a way to break the connection. And… they did.”

Ryan wanted to find the evil spirits and use their own device on them, “By tearing Étién’s intelligence from her soul, destroying soul and shoving my Intelligence into hers!?”

Niamh’s face twisted into hate, “I… After we left Luna, I finally realized something. The only thing the spirits desire more than bodies is the suffering of others. They have been doomed to suffer for all time, so if they have to suffer, they want as many to suffer as they can. They knew that what they used my body to do to my daughter, to Étién, would do to me. I will have to live with the memory of my daughter’s Intelligence being forced out, to never return. Her body and spirit are still here, but without her Intelligence she may as well be dead.” She looked at Ryan’s camera, “And I have to live with the fact that your soul is destroyed and your Intelligence will now be trapped in the form of a girl you had come to love.”

Ryan thought about the Builder and those above even him, “What about the Great Ones? Can they help?”

Niamh shook her head, “I… I am not sure.”

Anton smirked, “Then I guess we’ll find one of these Great One dudes.”

Becky sighed, “How will we even find one?”

Ryan knew a good place to start, “The Builder. We can use the gateway to get back to the Mljos Tersa and…” He realized Luna was too big to fit through the gateway and he couldn’t use any probes in a different universe, “Uh… you guys can go through the gateway and I’ll try to find our way home.”

Charlotte nodded to herself, her voice rising above a whisper for the first time, “My sisters and I will help!”

Niamh clenched her fists, “I will do all in my power.”

Anton grinned, “I might know some dwarves that are workin’ on somethin’ that can help too.”

Ryan opened the airlock and started deploying the telescope interferometer swarm Anton and Becky had designed, “Alright, let’s get started!”