Loxy disappeared. Candace sat up. She let out a scream and laid back down. He now understood. He couldn’t track Loxy because she was subliminal. Interacting with Candace, especially carrying an empathic response to her level of pain, was going to take up too much of his focus to be able to sustain communication with Loxy.

“Try not to move. You broke it,” Shen said.

“No, no, no,” Candace said. “You can’t be here.”

“The correct response is thank you,” Shen said.

“You don’t understand. You’re just a boy…”

“You’re supposed to do this ritual alone, in private, in the dark,” Shen said. “No help.”

Candace forced herself to sit up. She turned so her back was against the tree. Her eyes communicated horrible pain, but she settled into it. Her back to the tree.

“I promise, no one will know,” Shen said.

“I will know,” Candace said.

“Lie,” Shen said.

“I can’t,” Candace said.

“Everybody lies,” Shen said.

“I don’t,” Candace said.

“And I rest my case,” Shen said. “Look, Candace. Lying is an art. It’s an act of discernment. You will not survive without help. That’s it.”

“If it’s my turn to die, that’s it,” Candace said.

chirp sounded the

me on my feet,” Candace

fire light. It hissed. Shen’s hand went into his pocket. He touched the orb. The forest went from night dark to blue

to the rope

won’t make any difference,” Candace said. “They’ll ‘Sleep’ us

“Probably,” Shen said. “But in a moment, climb as high as you

to take on Irks,”

the firelight. They were illuminated with heart light, and blue light, while simultaneously ghostly lit by campfire, which was an odd way of seeing them. The darkness beyond made this seem like a movie set- the only things in the world were the things that were right here right now. He heard Sacagawea quote inspiration: ‘today is a good day to

reached into his bag, praying to pull out a firearm. He pulled out a Torch. It baffled him, even though he recognized it. It was the golden silver torch that had been awarded to Emmitt Sheehan, prior to his acceptance into Space Force. ‘Emmitt’ was fiction, he was also truth; Emitt was Tammas Parkin Arblaster-Garcia’s reincarnation. Tammas was John. Jon was John, one layer removed. Suddenly, every past life, every tangential dream, every story of him made sense, in a universal, comprehensive way- it was the sudden understanding of a thousand past lives bringing together their strengths, their weaknesses, and their hard earned wisdom. For the briefest moment he had a flash that he knew everything, he was connected to everything, and

got you.” Loxy, his Loxy, had put a copy of her personality in the Torch. The Torch was AI. The Torch was Space-Force tech, something old, something

was projecting love. Sentient or not, the Irk understood the energy, if

itself known. It came from behind the tree. Shen closed his eyes, and saw the world from a higher perspective. Candace was frozen against the tree. The head of the Irk stretched past her, its neck was white with freckles and had patches of down and hair. Had she a sword, she could have decapitated it. Its

or you will die,” Shen said

to fall was due to death by a male Irk. He had taken the female Irk to the ground, biting its neck, and pinching it shut with one claw. The female

off his Light. The sword of gold Light receded back into the blade. The Irk chirped. It was rhythmic.

“Thank you,”

a cat. Like a diesel engine in a

It was the only word

“Loxy?” Shen asked.

Shen’s face. He didn’t care if it was Solarchariot’s downloaded personality or his inner Tulpa. Loxy was solid and he was no longer alone on the

will lay down, I can

don’t

hit the tree behind it; Candace slept. Loxy caught her and eased her to ground. She smiled

manifestation of the Torch, she was solid real and came with all the accouterments of Space Force- hidden upon her. This was not ‘TOS;’ Space Force no longer carried tech, like cell phones, or ‘tricorders’ or weapons; things that get lost or stolen- the only thing Space Force had was the Uniform. The uniform contained it all. The sensors in her uniform could ‘see’ every cell in a person’s body- her’s or others around her. She took inventory. She presented information for Shen in a holographic format so

leg into place, healed it with light, and then went straight way to hugging Shen. Once satisfied, she retreated- taking in the physical world in a new way,

said. “Not confusing

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