Allison still hadn’t cleaned up from her encounter with Lucifer, nor had she changed out of her armor.  This hadn’t exactly been her plan, but she was exhausted, and time had gotten away from her.  In truth she was so used to dried blood being in her hair and on her skin, she barely noticed it anymore.  Zuri was laying on the couch in the living room of her old home in Kenya.  Allison pressed an infuser against Zuri’s skin and released the contents into the girl’s blood stream.  A few minutes later Zuri started to wake up.  Allison was sitting on the couch beside her curled up form.  Her fourteen year old aunt looked around in confusion.  She spoke in Swahili, she was apparently talking to herself because she hadn’t noticed Allison yet, the girl’s eyes were focused out the open front door.


    “Was it all a dream?”


    She called out.


    “Mother, Apiyo?”


    Zuri jumped when she saw Allison sitting at the other end of the couch watching her.  Allison was truly still a mess.  Her armor was covered in her blood, her enemy’s blood, spray from the wolf-born’s kills, werewolves were messy fighters.  Her hair was matted with blood.  Zuri spoke rapidly in English.  Her eyes were focused on Allison’s pistols and knife.


    “Who are you?  What has happened? Is my family alright?”


    Allison spoke in fluent Swahili, it was after-all her first language.


    “I’m sorry, I meant to be… better dressed for this meeting.  It’s been a busy day.  I will answer your questions, but I need to… explain some things first.  My name is Allison Wanjala, I am the daughter of Apiyo Wanjala.  Your twin sister.”


    Zuri shook her head.


    “That is impossible we are fourteen.”


    Allison stood up and crossed her arms.  She looked out over the African savanna her mother had called home.


    “You are fourteen, Aunt Zuri, mom is forty-eight.  You have been asleep for a long time.”


    Zuri stood up and noticed the steaming bowls of chicken curry on the table.


    “Is this real?  Am I dreaming?”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No, this is a simulation of your home.  The curry is real.  Go ahead, you are probably starving.”


    Zuri decided to eat.  Allison was quite correct the teenager was starving.  Zuri took a spoonful.


    “This is just like mothers!”


    Allison sat down across from her aunt and started eating the second bowl.


    “Mom taught me the recipe.”


    Zuri looked around.


    “Is Apiyo here?”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No, umm, this… is wow this is hard to say.  What is the last thing you remember?”


    Zuri took another spoonful and after she swallowed, she answered.


    “The sky was dark for days; It was so cold.  People were freezing to death.  It was snowing in Kenya.”


    Allison nodded.


    “Yes, that was the Gray.  I really don’t know how to explain this to you in a way it will make sense, so I’m just going to tell you the truth and hope for the best.  You were taken into space on a colony ship.  It got lost a thousand years ago and we just woke you from cryosleep.”


    Zuri gave Allison a skeptical look.


    “You are making no sense.  Why do I not remember any of this?”


    Allison had finished her curry and pushed the bowl aside.


    “Cryosleep sickness? I don’t know.  I’m not a doctor.  All I know is that you are alive and well and that you are family.  That is all that matters.”


    Zuri finished her curry and looked like she wasn’t sure how to say something, finally she just blurted it out.


    “But you are white.”


    Allison nodded.


    “I’m adopted but trust me, I was born an African citizen, there are no countries anymore though… there is more.  We’re… a very long way from Earth, do you know what a light year is?”


    Zuri nodded.


    “Yes, the distance light can travel in a year.”


    Allison tapped her fingers on the table.


    “We’re fifteen billion light years from Earth.  Do you understand what that means?”


    Zuri nodded.


    “Oh yes!  That means we’re… wait the universe is only thirteen billion years old.”


    “That was a… guesstimate, we know better now.  Look, I haven’t told mom you are alive yet.  We weren’t sure you’d survive being thawed out.  I couldn’t give her hope then break her heart, it would destroy her.  She has missed you so much.  So umm, when we finish here, I’m going to take you to a place you can talk to her.  I need you to understand you’re not on a planet; You’re on a spaceship.”


    Zuri looked at their surroundings.


    “But we’re in Kenya.”


    Allison shook her head.


    “Like I said this is a simulation.  I created it from something mom had.  When I turn the program off, the room is just a big gray room.  You’re on the Ark Royal.  My escort carrier.  When we finish here, we’ll be going to my flagship, the Phoenix, I’ve had quarters prepared for you.  Once there, we’ll get you on comms with mom and then I’ll have to go to bed, I have school in the morning.  My friend Widow and my cousins Plutonia and Rose are there, the twins are about your age.  They’ll help you get caught up.”


    Zuri nodded along; Allison wasn’t sure if her aunt was actually just accepting everything or if the girl thought she was still dreaming.


    “Are you ready to see where you really are?”


    Zuri stood up.


    “Sure, this is such a great dream. So realistic.”


    Allison sighed.


    “Aunt Zuri, this isn’t a dream.  Computer end simulation.”


    The hologram faded leaving a them in dull gray room.  Zuri jumped, then panicked then seemed to reach some form of acceptance.  Allison gently nudged her aunt out of the holo-sim.  The teenage girl was looking around wide eyed.  She plastered herself to a view port when she saw one.  Allison pointed at the Phoenix.


    “That’s my flagship, the rest are Commonwealth starships.  Descendants of the colonists who you travelled here with along with some aliens.  Come on.  We’re going to take a shuttle.  I figure we’ll leave the teleporting for another day.”


    Zuri clutched onto her seat for dear life when they launched the shuttle.  Allison decided to try and distract her.


    “Any questions about anything yet?”


    Zuri looked at her.


    “If we’re in space… why is there gravity?”


    Allison smiled.


    “Gravity plating.  It simulates one standard g.  It fluctuates from ship to ship though.”


    Zuri looked Allison up and down.


    “Are you hurt?”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No.  We have really good medical technology.”


    “What happened to you?”


    Allison flicked her harness strap while trying to figure out how to answer that question.


    “I helped rescue some people.  The people holding them didn’t want to let them go.”


    Zuri was quite interested now and seemed to forget she was on a space shuttle.


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    “Are you a soldier?  How old are you?”


    “Yes, I’m a soldier.  I’m seventeen.  It’s actually worse than soldier, I’m actually in charge.  My official rank is Battlelord.  It is a very long story that I will happily tell you later.  Let me tell you, mom is not happy about it.”


    Zuri giggled.


    “I can’t imagine Apiyo as a mother.  Is she a good mother?”


    Allison nodded.


    “She is the best mom.  She’s a bit strict sometimes, but I need boundaries, so I get it.”


    The shuttle shook as it docked.  Zuri suddenly grabbed her seat for dear life.  Allison smiled.


    “It is fine.  We do this all the time.  It’s like riding your bike to town.”


    The shuttle door opened, and Allison helped Zuri out.  Zuri looked around at the alien ship.


    “This seems so strange, are those veins?”


    Allison laughed.


    “Yes, it is strange, it is a salvaged alien ship, and those are veins.  It is alive. Sort of, it can heal itself come on, lets get mom on comms.”


    Allison led Zuri to the SCIF and called her mother.  Apiyo appeared on the screen.


    “Allison, I thought you said you were going to bed early, what are you still doing up?”


    Allison smiled.


    “I am going to bed as soon as we finish talking mom.  Look mom, there is something I need to tell you…”


    Apiyo put her hands on her hips.


    “I knew that story about a rescue mission and minor skirmish was all lies.”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No, there was a rescue mission, Auntie Maria can verify that for you.  But uh, no, I did sort of lie to you though, I uh… so… like… umm.”


    Apiyo crossed her arms.


    “Quit stammering like a toddler and spit it out child.”


    Allison bit her lower lip.


    “So… uh, the Commonwealth was founded by humans, who were on a colony ship that left Earth in 2028.  Uh, this is all top secret for now… so like umm don’t talk about it with anyone.”


    Apiyo raised an eyebrow.


    “What does that have to do with you?”


    Allison looked at Zuri who was just out of the holo-recorder angle.


    “Well, you see mom, umm, I was uh, looking over the crew manifest the other day, and I recognized a name.  Umm… mom, Aunt Zuri’s alive and she’s here with me.”


    Apiyo’s eyes narrowed.


    “Allison Wanjala, whatever manner of joke this is, it is not funny.  You were taught better than this!”


    Zuri hopped into the display.


    “Apiyo, you sound just like mom!”


    Allison looked at her mom and shrugged.


    “I really didn’t know how to tell you mom.  I’m sorry.”


    Apiyo leaned closer to her holo-display and looked Zuri up and down.


    “Zuri? Is that really you?”


    Zuri looked at her much older twin.


    “You got old, is your hair turning gray?”


    Apiyo started crying.


    “You’re alive.  How?  Are you alright?”


    Zuri looked at Allison.


    “I’m still not sure, sister, your daughter tried to explain but it is all very confusing.”


    Apiyo looked up and wringed her hands.


    “Praise be to God; it doesn’t matter it is a miracle.  When will you be coming home Allison?”


    “Sunday, mom, but I have to stop by Earth first.  Mom, I’m really tired.  I have the SCIF booked for a few hours, why don’t you and Aunt Zuri get caught up and I’ll get some sleep.”


    Allison looked at Zuri.


    “Zuri, when you leave here there will be an uh, dragon woman with purple scales who will be happy to show you to your quarters.  She is a very good friend of mine.  Don’t keep mom up too late, she’s a planetary governor and has a big mess that I kind of dropped on her lap.”


    Allison paused before leaving the SCIF glancing back at her mom and aunt.  She spared a smile.  Her life was chaos lately but at least some good had come from it.  With a sigh of contentment she moved towards her quarters and started to peel off her armor.  The transporter beacon fell to the floor, and she quirked her head to the side and put it on a shelf.  If her Cataclysm bombs were the bullet, that was the flask or bible that saved her life.  Sure, Seraph helped her not end up a lump of nanite infused flesh…  but Callum’s tinkering had saved her life.  She wondered if the Commonwealth would loan him to her.


    As captain of the ship, she had access to specific benefits, like what was referred to as the captain’s table.  She didn’t have to eat what the crew ate; She usually did but the captain’s chef would actually have work in the morning.  She ordered steak and over-easy eggs for two, intending to have breakfast with her Aunt Zuri.  She set an alarm and laid down in her bed, closed her eyes and then Lucifer reared his ugly head again.


    “I know you mortals are filthy little creatures but is it common for mortals to sleep without washing off the blood or is this some form of ritual specific to your culture?”


    Allison’s eyes snapped open.


    “It’s the ritual of I’m exhausted, and I’ll do it in the morning!  You want steak and eggs?  You want the blood off, let me get some sleep or you’ll get to experience what being pointed at for being a freak in high school!”


    She pounded her pillow a few times and drifted off to sleep.  Sadly, not even her dreams were safe from her very talkative passenger.  She was sitting on the wooden pier on Eden Prime in her bathing suit and breathing in the fresh air when Lucifer sat down beside her.  She glared at him.


    “Is nothing sacred to you?”


    He looked out over the lake.


    “So where is this since I’m respecting your wishes not to pry into your oh so precious memories?”


    Allison groaned.


    “Basin Lake, on Eden Prime it’s a few kilometers from my house.  Now piss off.”


    Lucifer laughed.


    “I really can’t do that.  When you gobbled up my soul you bound us together.  You dream, I dream.  I had imagined your dreams would be more… hot.  You’re not a normal mortal, are you?  Drowning in all those hormones and that desperate need to procreate.”


    Allison blushed and didn’t look at him.


    “It depends on the day if you must know.  Nearly dying has a way of making me want to stop and smell the roses, I guess.  You’re a real mood killer.”


    Lucifer leaned close.


    “But you think I’m hot.”


    Allison wrinkled her nose.


    “Eww, no you’re old and creepy.  There is more to attraction than looks.  Besides, you’re not my type.”


    Lucifer laughed again.


    “My dear Allison, I am everyone’s type.”


    Allison glared at him.


    “Not if they saw you all burned up with half a face.  That’s how I chose to envision you.  It reminds me of what you truly are.”


    Lucifer pouted.


    “Now that was just hurtful dear.”


    Allison groaned.


    “I’m not your dear anything.  I cannot wait until you’re dead and gone for good.”


    Lucifer poked her.


    “You’ll miss me.”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No, I really won’t.”


    Lucifer looked up at the sky and noticed something.  It was a creepy looking organic ship.


    “What is that?”


    Allison looked up and frowned.


    “A Sal’nash super-hive.  They’re always on my mind.  I wish I could track them.  This waiting for them to attack thing is bullshit.”


    Lucifer stood up and crossed his arms, he started to pace.


    “Ah, I see your frustration.  You’re a girl of action.  I can admire that.  Tell me about how you think you can track them.”


    Allison rolled her eyes.


    “Their FTL is unlike anything we’ve seen, they use some form of organic system.  I have found commonalities between Sal’nash DNA and Qual’sa DNA, Qual’sa after they moved away from fold drives used hyperspace manatee DNA to develop their organic ships.  Unfortunately, the Qual’sa homeworld was wiped out in a supernova and the technology they used for FTL was lost with them.  We did have one of their ships but it was… not organic.  So used more conventional FTL.  So I think the hyperspace manatee’s are the best clue we have.  I have thousands of years of tracking data but even though people have been researching them forever, no one knows much about them.  We haven’t been able to track them through FTL either.  The data is from tracking tags and sightings.  The problem is we can only see tracking tags if there is a hyper-wave node close enough and the data is always behind by light months.  So, we can tell they visit certain star systems over and over again but we don’t know why.”


    Lucifer tapped his chin.


    “I know much of the universe, but you have already damaged so much of my being my memories are fading.  And whatever was done to me before I rebelled seems to have had an impact on who I was… everything afterwards is a hazy mess.  I am, however, highly intelligent so perhaps I can help you with this, and a different perspective always helps.  You mortals are so temporal and small-minded.”


    Allison looked up at him.


    “Has anyone ever told you that you’re an arrogant jackass?”


    Lucifer looked at her.


    “My dear, it is only arrogance if it’s not true and my intellect dwarfs yours and any mortals.  Shush now.  Let me think on this like a non-mortal.”


    He continued to tap his chin.


    “You squishy little mortals need so many annoying little things to survive, sleep, sustenance, companionship... and you have so many failings lack of big picture thinking, your ruled by your hormones…”


    Allison rolled her eyes.


    “And we get PMS, grow old, get mad, get sad… what is your point besides to belittle me?”


    Lucifer waved his hand.


    “Shh, the adult is trying to think.”


    Allison muttered.


    “Adult who acts like a teenage girl…”


    Lucifer ignored her and looked out over the lake and watched a large flying fish leapt out of the water to grab a small bird that was floating on the surface.  He raised an eyebrow.


    “Do you know what these space manatee’s use for sustenance?  Surely every living thing needs to eat…”


    Allison blinked a few times in his direction.


    “Were you not listening to me, we know next to nothing about them.”


    Lucifer patted her on the head.


    “Shh, shh, you’re getting upset.”


    Allison imagined an anvil falling on his head like in the old cartoons and to her surprise one did.  He slammed into the dock with a groan.  She smiled.


    “That gave me more pleasure than it should have.”


    Lucifer pulled himself up.


    “Ah, it would seem you’re a lucid dreamer, well that must be fun when you’re in the right mood.”


    Allison let his inuendo slide.  He shook his head and the spinning cartoon rings around it vanished.  She looked him up and down.


    “I wonder what else I can do to you.”


    Lucifer held up his hands.


    “Let’s not be too hasty there, Allison.  I am working the problem here.”


    Allison shook her head and put her chin back on her knee and looked back out at the lake.  He spoke again.


    “It would seem to me you need to follow their migration path and take a look at the systems they visit.”


    Allison glanced back at him.


    “You don’t think I haven’t sent FTL probes?  I can tell you about every single chemical compound in those star systems given I had access to my holo-phone, I don’t but I could if we were awake.”


    Lucifer sat down beside Allison.


    “Let me give you a lesson.  It is about perspective.”


    Allison rolled her eyes Lucifer held up his hands in surrender.


    “Just do what doesn’t come naturally and listen to me.”


    Allison groaned.


    “I have no choice but to hear what you have to say, dumb ass.”


    Lucifer nodded.


    “Yes, but it doesn’t mean you’re trying to comprehend what I say.  Among mortals you are a gem.  A gem in the rough, but a gem.  You have an innate sense of probability, of how the universe works, your brain processes the infinite number of factors that go into every moment, and you intuitively find the best solution to whatever problem is facing you.  You’re not built to look at data models and figure something out.  You need to see it with your eyes.  You need a different perspective than analytical thinkers.  Sometimes though you let your emotions cloud your judgement, especially when it is not a life or death situation.  I can’t believe you haven’t seen that about yourself, I’ve been in your body for less than twenty-four hours.  So, do yourself a favor and go see the star systems for yourself because if the space manatees need a special type of sustenance it is likely what power’s their FTL travel, and it is likely what the Sal’nash need to power theirs, if your hypothesis is correct.”


    He shrugged.


    “When you’re dealing with crime and corruption, its always follow the money or the power, if you’re dealing with beasts, its always follow the food and water.”


    Allison hated that Lucifer was right.  She’d been too close to the problem, and she’d made the same mistake she always made, she tried to do it how other people would.


    “I hate you.  You’re right.”


    Lucifer smiled.


    “See, superior being.  So, when are we having sex with someone?”