Venessa shrinks a bit.


    Dortor sighs: I’m sorry if I’ve frightened you. I..I’ve seen what happens when someone decides that their own plan is best without proper evidence. I don’t even think they looked for evidence to support their views. They simply…assumed that because they thought of it that it was correct. Our kinds–humans, aliens, Bridge-dwellers–we don’t have that power. She destroyed my home and many universes with it. You’re lucky, Venessa. You still have a Milky Way galaxy, a Solar System, a planet that you call home. It’s natural to question things, but you must be careful to question your impulses most of all. Sometimes even they can lead us astray.


    Venessa: I’m sorry you…lost your home.


    Dortor nods: I am, too, but what has happened may have set up what is to come. Perhaps good can even arise from horrid situations.


    Cory enters.


    Cory: Thank you for watching her, Dortor.


    Dortor: It’s my pleasure.


    Cory:(to Venessa) We’d better head home. Come on.


    Venessa follows Cory to the car and they drive back to the Presley house.


    Cory: You okay?


    Venessa: I…don’t know.


    Cory: That sounds like a solid ‘no’. What’s wrong?


    Venessa: Dortor said that…he called you my father.


    Cory: And?


    Venessa sighs: I don’t have a mom and dad. I never have and I don’t think I ever will. And that’s fine with me. Why doesn’t anyone understand that?


    Cory pauses: As grown-up as you think you are, you’re still a child. It means you still have a chance to have someone fill the place in your heart that I know longs for a mother and father who love you.


    The car pulls into the driveway. Cory and Venessa get out of the car and head inside. Annelise has dinner on the table. Venessa eats her food quickly and escapes to her room. She turns on her projector watch and begins to scroll through her feed. She immediately comes upon a startling headline: Thailand Suburb Mysteriously Destroyed. Venessa clicks on the article and reads that right before a major cyberattack, the town was evacuated. Afterwards, the town’s buildings crumbled onto the ground leaving only rubble. No traces of bombs or any explosives were found.


    Annelise: May I come in?


    Venessa: Do you have to?


    Annelise nods and steps into the room. She sits on the bed beside Venessa.


    Annelise: There’s clearly something hurting you.


    Venessa: You know, it would be nice to know at least a little bit of what’s actually happening…


    Annelise: It was the Commander who destroyed the town.


    Venessa: In Thailand?


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    Annelise nods: I saw him channel his anger and cast it onto the town.


    Venessa: Did you feel it? Was that what made you sick?


    Annelise: Yes. I could see through his eyes. I can feel everything that he feels, to a certain extent.


    Venessa: Why did he do it?


    Annelise: Because he loves humans, Venessa. That’s why everyone was evacuated. Beyond wasn’t trying to hurt them. He was trying to defend them from Webmaster.


    Venessa: Then why destroy the whole town?


    Annelise: Webmaster had infected the town’s entire cable system. She’s like a living computer virus: she can be in many places at once. Everyone in that town would have been imprisoned and tortured by Webmaster. That is, if she didn’t kill them all first. That is why Beyond was so angry and that is why he did what he did.


    Venessa: But…it hurt you.


    Annelise nods: That is a cost of my gift.


    Venessa: Why would the Commander have given you powers if he knew they would hurt you?


    Annelise smiles: When he gave me my gift, he also gave me the choice to reject it. He warned me about the pain that it would bring in certain times. I still accepted it, and I have no regrets. Beyond would never hurt me intentionally. The only reason that he’s ever hurt anyone is defending someone else.


    Venessa nods in understanding. The two pause for a moment.


    Venessa: You’re the only Keeper I’ve met who calls the Commander “Beyond”.


    Annelise: He may be the Commander to others, but he’ll always be Beyond to me. I know it’s hard not knowing everything about him or the Keepers yet, but you have my word that no one here will ever hurt you.


    Annelise rests her hand on top of Venessa’s.


    Annelise: Do you remember when you ran off?


    Venessa: Yeah, it was only two days ago.


    Annelise: Do you remember the drive home?


    Venessa nods: You seemed really…I don’t know what was happening. I could feel your feelings, and I don’t have empathy powers.


    Annelise: Warm feelings?


    Venessa: Yeah, warm feelings.


    Annelise: Well, those weren’t ordinary emotions. They were the Commander’s. His feelings are more complex than human feelings. I guess what he was feeling was his version of relief. Since I can feel his emotions, I felt it, too. It was much more powerful than my own relief. It must’ve been so powerful that a bit of his emotions radiated off of me and onto the people around me. Maybe I couldn’t contain the feeling.


    Venessa sighs: So, he’s not gonna hurt me?


    Annelise shakes her head: No, he’s not.


    Venessa: Annelise?


    Annelise: Hmm?


    Venessa: Dortor said something about the Bridge and how it was destroyed by corrupt…people?


    Annelise nods: It was destroyed by Bridge-dwellers.


    Venessa: Wait…Isn’t Dortor a Bridge-dweller?


    Annelise: He is, but the members of the Cyclone Sector were not part of the group that went on a destructive rampage.


    Venessa: Oh, okay. Phew!


    Annelise laughs: Don’t worry. The only people who need to fear Dortor are the Hostilities. Now, it’s getting late. You should get ready for bed.


    Venessa nods and starts her evening routine. Annelise leaves the room. Later that night, Avonari and Venessa crawl into bed.


    Venessa: Avonari?


    Avonari: Yes?


    Venessa: Are we really gonna stay here until we become Keepers?


    Avonari: I think we are.


    Venessa yawns: Goodnight.


    Avonari: Goodnight, Venessa.


    Avonari turns off the light. Meanwhile, after Cory and Annelise finish wishing each of their twenty-five foster children goodnight, they head into the living room.


    Cory: Are you sure you’re feeling alright?


    Annelise smiles: What do you think the answer is?


    Cory: No…?


    Annelise: I feel content.


    Cory: I meant pain-wise.


    Annelise: I’m still feeling a bit heavy, but I’ll be okay.


    Cory nods: How was your conversation with Beyond? I mean, I was getting mixed messages from your facial expressions.


    Annelise: It went well, but I found out some information that startled me.


    Cory: What was it?


    Annelise sighs: Sometime soon, I’ll be able to feel Wyverna’s emotions.