Disclaimer: Daria and associated characters are owned by MTV. This is fan fiction written for entertainment only. No money or other negotiable currency or goods have been exchanged.
Original characters and plot copyright Richard J. Lobinske. 2005.

This is a sequel to the story, Alien Pond.

Richard Lobinske



Alien Home



APRIL 2012


Thirty one-year old Daria Morgendorffer sat in the quiet of her Lawndale house. She turned the page of the book she was reading and looked around her comfortable living room. At times, she still found it odd that Lawndale was the place she considered home. She'd spent most of the last fourteen and a half years in the town, except for the years she lived in Boston while she attended college at Raft, and the year she lived in her Montana cabin.

That memory of that cabin brought a warm smile to her face. She would be leaving in two days for her annual mid-April pilgrimage there. To her readers, editors, friends and family, it was her "After Taxes" vacation. Only her best friend, Jane Lane, knew it was a journey of remembrance for the three daughters Daria had raised in that remote cabin.

A very faint buzzing stirred Daria from her memories. Listening carefully, she realized that the sound seemed to come from the metallic belt, box, and two pistols on display in her living room. She told visitors they were props from a long forgotten science fiction TV pilot she had tried to sell.

Daria touched the belt and felt a vibration from a small metal disk set within it. She remembered what she was told when given the belt:

"Will alarm if enemy in range."


A very cold chill ran down Daria's spine. She quietly put the belt on and pressed a button on the buckle. A faint shimmer briefly passed over her vision as a transparent shield activated. Daria first pulled the matching pistol, but set it aside and picked up the second pistol. She removed a small, flat metal square from a pocket on the belt, slid it into the pistol grip, rotated a small control and briefly checked a display. Holding the pistol before her, she began to carefully scan the windows of her living room.

A faint click of something hard on the floor drew her attention toward the kitchen. A flash of purple spread around her as she saw a dark green insect-like figure in the door, pointing a pistol at her. Daria leveled hers at the alien and touched the trigger. A whine filled the air and a mirage-like shimmer formed around the alien's thorax. It staggered back and collapsed in a heap.

Daria moved closer and saw blood pooling within the confines of a shield around the body. Closer inspection revealed a second harness around the abdomen with a box-like attachment along the back. The alien's coverall was black, with an odd symbol attached to just below the neckline. The weapon still held in its five-fingered hand was similar to the one that came with her belt. When Daria tried to pick it up, the shield prevented her from gripping the pistol. The alien appeared dead and that was her primary concern.

"Dammit." Daria forced herself to breath again. She ran to the telephone and hit a speedial button. After an impatient wait, she finally got an answer. "Jane…Big trouble…I just killed a Folk assassin…Yes!...In my house!...Less than five minutes ago…I don't know how it got here, I haven't looked…Get packed, now…We're going to the cabin…We have to drive…harder to follow us…We need to find out what is going on…I'm on my way in a few minutes…Be very careful, I don't know if there are more…See you in a few."

Daria put the small box into a fitted belt pocket and the matching pistol in its holster before tucking the second into the belt. She rushed to her writing desk. An ergonomic keyboard was fitted into the surface and a wide-screen, flat panel display rose behind it. She started the computer, opened her email program, and began to type:


To: Helen Morgendorffer
From: Daria Morgendorffer

Mom,
I'm sorry, but I'm about to disappear again. This time, I'm not certain if or when I will be back. The attached file has the real story of what happened to me that year I stayed at the cabin. The news will break very soon about this anyway, but I want you to have the full truth. I had made a deal with a Sick, Sad World reporter for an exclusive on the story. I will contact her with directions and permission to enter my house. You will understand when you read the file and see the news. Do not go to my house. I'm very serious; it could be dangerous. I am leaving right after I send this. I will send a few items to you via Package Air. Use the Power of Attorney I left with you as needed. I must go now.

Love,
Daria


Daria attached a file she'd kept under the deepest encryption money could buy and sent the email.




Seven years before, Daria had purchased a cabin in the Montana wilderness to spend a year in solitude and comparative simplicity, as Henry David Thoreau had described in Walden. At the time, she was at the emotionally lowest point of her life.

After college, her short marriage to Tom Sloane had ended in divorce after a failed pregnancy. She'd learned that she would never have children because of heavy metal poisoning from years of living in Highland, and the Sloane family soundly rejected her for it. In the divorce, she had accepted a settlement that was comparatively small for the Sloanes, but one that would keep her secure for life.

In the aftermath, she'd started a failed relationship with Jane's older brother, Trent. Regrettably, it faded as she realized her old high school crush couldn't sustain it. Heartbroken, she quietly purchased the cabin.

The night she had moved in, a spacecraft crashed into the nearby pond and four survivors had emerged. Three were children, Autumnblossom, Eveningsky and Truemind. Princesses of a stellar empire, they were stranded when rebels had destroyed their ship. The fourth was their mortally wounded Guardian, Swiftsong. The shield belt and matching pistol had been hers, along with the box, which was a compact database computer. After learning as much as she could from the dying Guardian, Daria had adopted the children and spent the next year raising them. They grew food in a garden, and Daria used her books, her internet connection, and the Folk computer to teach them as much as she could.

They had survived the regular appearance of a sheriff's deputy, O'Neal; pesky reporters from the tabloid television show, Sick, Sad World; and rebel aliens.

After a year with Daria, a rescue ship picked up the three up as young adults, while she was forced to hide in the cabin to avoid being seen by the rescuers, who expected no witnesses to the event.

Daria returned to the cabin every year on the anniversary of that first night. If there was any news, her daughters had promised to send word. A year ago, it came. The eldest, Truemind, was Queen. With the help of her sisters, she had instituted a new constitutional monarchy to replace the former despotism. Daria had waited in anticipation of more news.




Daria pulled up a previously unused email address that she had regularly checked to make sure it was current. She started typing again.


To: Ms. Lydia Phelps, Reporter: Sick, Sad World
From: Daria Morgendorffer

Ms. Phelps,
This is not quite our original agreement, but a situation arose that requires my disappearance for an indeterminate amount of time. A Folk assassin tried to kill me tonight. The body is still in my kitchen. The key to the front door is hidden under the skull replica in the garden. I know this isn't the promised interview with Queen Truemind (yes, she is Queen now, or was a year ago), but I don't know when, or if, I'll be back. I will always be grateful you kept your word not to say anything about my children when you discovered us. For now, this is the best I can do to keep up my end of the bargain. Please be very careful, it may be dangerous. Aliens may not be the only ones around.



Daria closed the program and shut down her computer. She went to her bedroom and stopped at her closet. "I can buy clothes on the road." She moved next her bed and pulled a ventilation intake grate from the wall. Inside the duct, she moved a false panel aside and opened a safe. From within, she removed two photo albums, a crystalline-framed document, and a flat wooden box from the heavily concealed safe.

She looked toward a painting that hid a second safe. "Crap, I don't have time. They're about to become public domain, or completely classified. Depending on who gets here first."

Moving carefully, Daria went out to her light four-wheel drive truck. Funny how I keep getting these after living in the cabin. She started the hybrid-powered vehicle and raced to Jane's house. On the way, she stopped by a bank and made maximum withdrawals from all of her accounts. "Cash only from here on."

Soon, she was pulling up to the house at 111 Howard Drive. Daria carefully looked around before she went to the door and rang the bell. She had her hand on the pistol when Jane opened it and said, "Daria, you look scared witless."

"That's because I am. You packed?"

Jane held up a suitcase. "I left instructions for my accountant and the manager of the gallery. Mack has power of attorney for my legal affairs, if needed."

"I'm sorry you have to leave him like this."

"We don't need to get anyone else involved."

"I agree, but…"

"Daria, this is hard enough."

"I still feel responsible."

"Don't. I sent him a message explaining what happened. I hope he understands."

"We better get going. Are you up to driving?"

"Sure. Keys?"

Daria handed Jane the keys and they went to the truck. Moments after the truck was rolling down Howard Drive, Daria shrunk down in the seat in hard shakes. "It…it shot me. If it hadn't been quiet in the house." Daria swallowed hard. "I wouldn't have noticed the disk in the belt giving a warning. I got the shield up just in time."

"Damn, Daria. Look. Take it easy. I'm driving, let it go."

"Thanks." Daria nodded and closed her eyes. It took more than ten minutes for the trembling to subside.




As Jane drove, Daria thought of the reason her best friend had become involved. The greatest challenge proved to be the children's metamorphosis into adults, a process that normally required a living host to complete.

Unfortunately already under the influence of pheromones that would trigger a host response in her, she found information on a non-host diet in the database computer. Daria had recruited Jane to help, in anticipation of the coma the pheromones would cause. While watching over Daria and providing the artificial diet to the changing youngsters, a rebel Folk had attempted to break in. Jane had wrested the second, shield-piercing pistol from the rebel and was forced to use it to kill her.




Helen Morgendorffer nursed her morning coffee and ate breakfast as she checked email on her wireless networked laptop. As a full partner at her law firm, she had been able to reduce her hours, but some habits never went away. Reading the email, Helen said, "Daria, what the hell? You did get into some kind of trouble when you stayed in that damn cabin of yours."

She opened the large text document and began to read, a small smile developing as she did. "Good one, Daria. But, isn't this a little late for an April Fool's Day prank?" Partway in, she stared at one of the embedded images of the children. "Those certainly look real. I never knew Jane got into digital art."

In the living room, Jake yelled, "GAAAAAAHHHHHHH! Helen, come here!"

She sighed and got up. "Jake, what is it?"

Jake pointed at the television. "Helen, that's Daria's house!"

Helen stopped in shock at seeing her daughter's house on their high-definition television. The Sick, Sad World reporter, Lydia Phelps, was talking into a microphone. "Federal authorities from the Air Force and NASA have cordoned off the Lawndale residence of writer Daria Morgendorffer, but with her permission, we were able to gain access before they arrived for this exclusive footage."

The scene changed to Daria's kitchen. A dark green, insect-like body was on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood that had been released when the battery pack of the shield belt ran down. It was clearly the same species as those in Daria's photos. The alien was about four feet long, with four thin legs and two arms, each ending in a hand with five digits, two opposable. Behind the legs, the abdomen extended back horizontally, while the front thorax angled up slightly to a conical head with two faceted, purple eyes. Low on the thorax, the exoskeleton looked like shattered glass around an ugly hole that oozed blood. A black coverall covered much of the body and an obvious weapon was on the floor next to the body.

Ms. Phelps narration continued. "Over six years ago, Ms. Morgendorffer had a prior encounter with these aliens, whom she referred to as 'Folk of the Nest,' a literal translation from their language. During the stay she partially chronicled in her book, Twenty-First Century Walden, Ms. Morgendorffer actually raised three of their children. The three bottles containing an unusual residue I reported at the time were the only physical evidence I was able to produce from that incident. The children were refugees from a rebellion and heirs to their throne. According to the last message I received from Ms. Morgendorffer, one of them is now Queen. It appears the rebellion is not over and Ms. Morgendorffer's role has been discovered. She has since disappeared for her own protection."

Jake stared at the television in a stupor. Helen went over to him and carefully grasped his arm. "Follow me." She led him over to her laptop. "Daria sent me this overnight."




Michael J. MacKenzie, commonly known as Mack, watched the morning news with fascination as he went through his morning email. He altered his attention to a message from Jane that had, 'Important---READ NOW!' as the subject. He clicked on the message and read.

Mack,

I'm sorry, but I'll be gone for I don't know how long. By now, the news probably is out that something strange happened at Daria's house. Someone tried to kill her a few minutes ago. She's on her way over to pick me up, and we'll be going away.

Please believe what I'm about to tell you. This is a secret that has stayed between Daria and me, plus a SSW news crew, ever since her stay in Montana. Up until now, she hadn't even told her mother, and I hadn't told anyone.

That someone was not from our planet.


He looked back up at his television. "No kidding."

It all started the night Daria arrived in Montana…


Mack finished off the message and deleted it. He sat still for a couple minutes in deep thought.

He looked at the calendar on his wall. "About the time for her annual trip. They're heading for Daria's cabin. If the friendly aliens show up every year, it's the place she needs to go."

He picked up the phone and dialed his travel agent. "Harvey, Mack M. I need the next flight to Billings…Yes, Montana…Only one-way for now…I don't give a damn how much it costs…Okay, that flight will do…Put it on my personal account and bill to the on-file credit card…Oh, I'll also need a rental car at that end…Any model…Thanks."

He pulled up an old email. "Daria offered to let Jane and I use the cabin for vacation last year. I should still have the map."




Daria parked in front of a package delivery store and grabbed the photo albums and framed document. "I'm shipping my photo albums of the kids and their new constitution to Mom for safekeeping. I'll be back in a bit."

Jane stopped her. "Let me go in. Your name is already being splattered all over the news. If you get recognized…"

"Dammit, you're right. Hold on." Daria scribbled a note on some scrap paper. "Put this in with them."

"Sure thing, kid. Why not the wood box?"

Daria opened the box to show a photo of her children, framed in dried, woven vines. The one Christmas present she had from them. "This is too personal. It stays with me."

"Gotcha." Jane went inside and purchased a box and wrapping supplies. She carefully wrapped each item in bubble wrap and placed the note on top.

Mom,

These are personal photos of my daughters. The alien on the news in my house was there to kill me. Something must still be going on, and they know who I am. I have to go away until this can be cleared up. I can't explain more now. The last item is a copy of the new constitution my children worked to put in place. Please keep these safe until my return, or if you receive word that I won't return.

Say goodbye to Dad, Quinn and Bill for me. I was hoping to be around when their child was born. Please spoil the little one on my behalf.

Love,
Daria


Soon Jane was back in the car. "On its way."

"Jane, we need to find a hotel to stop at for a little while. I can stay inside while you go out and get a wig and some makeup to disguise me."

"I saw one not too far back that way."

"Fine, we'll go there."




Daria kept a grip on the shield-piercing pistol while waiting for Jane to return to the hotel. "Never thought I would stay in a place that rented by the hour." She checked the spyglass in response to a knock, allowing Jane in after.

Jane pulled out a long, black wig and makeup. "Hi Honey, I'm home."

"Hilarious, Lane." Daria picked up the base color makeup. "I hate this stuff."

"You don't have to like it, just wear it for the next day or so."

Half an hour later, they were back on the road, with Daria sporting black hair and a dark tan.




Alternating driving, Daria and Jane were able to make excellent progress. Jane was reading a map while Daria drove. Jane looked over and asked, "Okay, I understand you wanting to bug out, but why am I with you?"

"I needed an extra driver to make the best time."

"You could have flown."

"Too risky and traceable."

Jane shook her head. "I'm not buying it. I can't believe the Folk can hack in and find your flight that easily."

"It's not them I was concerned about avoiding on the way to the cabin."

Jane narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Daria released a deep sigh. "Jane…I'm not certain of how closely, but I know I've been watched ever since I came back from Montana."

"Why do you think that?"

"I've noticed too many black cars with heavily tinted windows."

"It's your imagination."

"I thought that for a while…until a conversation I had with Deputy O'Neal at the cabin last year."

"Oh?"

"Just as he pulled away, he winked and told me I raised three fine daughters."

Jane bolted upright. "He knew!"

"I checked the county records when I got back. He was hired less than a week after I moved into the cabin, into a newly created position."

"Coincidence?"

"It was never advertised. A week after I left, he resigned from active duty. However, he remained a reserve deputy."

"This is getting a little creepy."

"Who has been activated for two weeks in the middle of April every year since."

"When you're at the cabin."

"But the only time he stopped by was last year. The first time anything had been left for me. Strangely, he made it a point to tell me he knows about them."

"I'm getting confused."

"I think he was trying to warn me. Somebody, human, knew my kids were there, and knew from early on that the ship had landed. Their stealth wasn't as effective as they thought. I'm guessing O'Neal was there to observe, but not intervene."

"Hmm. That might explain his odd delay in getting to the cabin when we reported Streamrider's abandoned car. He gave us time to clean up before the other officers arrived."

"Because he warned me, I decided to leave as fast as I could. I don't know if that assassin was tracked approaching my house, and I didn't really want to meet this secret group that knew."

"Okay, you needed an extra driver to help, but wouldn't they figure out the cabin, also?"

"I'm hoping they do, and send O'Neal."

"The one who has the best chance to be trustable."

"Correct."

"So why call in Sick, Sad World?"

"I owed Ms. Phelps an exclusive in exchange for her keeping quiet. Plus, I'm hoping the confusion of putting out that fire will give us a little more time. I'm glad she was able to get there first."

Jane turned to stare at Daria. "You're planning on going with the ship this year."

Quieter, Daria said, "Yes. I also wanted you with, to see that I got on board, and then go back to tell Mom and Dad I was safely away."

"Oh."

"As long as I'm on Earth, they're also at risk. With Quinn expecting in three months, I can't allow anything to happen. They're also going to be safer if this is public. Swamped with publicity, it will be hard to intimidate or assassinate them. Same for you."

"Damn. I'm going to miss you."

"The…feeling's mutual."




Mack brought his late model rental car to a stop outside the log cabin. Though rustic, it did show distinct signs of the modern era, like the mirror-tinted widows and solar power panels on the roof. The area was clearly maintained some throughout the year. He remembered Daria mentioning she'd hired a landscape service to keep the place in reasonable order. A pond was visible about forty yards behind the house. There was still a chill in the air as he opened the door. "I guess I wait."

Mack removed a bag from the front seat and sat down on the trunk of the car, pulling out a small sub sandwich and a drink. As he ate, he looked around. "This is a pretty place. Even with the weirdness Jane said happened, Daria must have loved this. I wish we'd taken her up on the offer, last vacation."

A sheriff's department SUV slowly came down the driveway. It stopped about ten yards away and an officer stepped out. He looked around fifty, gray hair with a few stray streaks of brown remaining. He gazed at Mack through dark sunglasses. Mack also noticed him pop the safety strap on his sidearm and rest his hand on it.

The officer approached to within five yards. "Good afternoon. What can I do for you?"

Mack slowly slid off the trunk and kept both hands in view. "Good afternoon. I'm waiting for some friends of mine to arrive here. We came separately."

"Oh, really? And who are these friends?"

"The…owner, Daria Morgendorffer and my girlfriend, Jane Lane."

"Your name?"

"Michael MacKenzie. Daria's a good friend I've known since high school. I've known Jane since we were little, and I've dated her for three years."

"Have you been listening to the news?"

"Yes."

"So why do you think they're going to be here?"

"I know them."

O'Neal minutely shifted his weight backward. "You got here awfully fast after the news broke, if you're from Lawndale."

"I got the first flight I could."

"And what do you have in mind?" O'Neal's hand firmly held the grip of his sidearm.

"You must be O'Neal. They're in trouble and I'm worried about them."

"How much do you know beyond the news?"

"Jane told me about Daria's three…girls."

"Do you realize what kind of danger you put yourself in coming here?"

"No, I don't. But it's irrelevant. I'm here for them."

O'Neal approached closer. Mack noticed the faint outlines of body armor under O'Neal's uniform, and a small earphone in his left ear. While distracted with that, he suddenly realized O'Neal had reached for and pulled his pistol from its holster. The greater surprise was his presenting the grip to Mack. "Just in case. I have something more in the truck. You checked out."




Driving through the night, Jane noticed Daria's face illuminated by the faint glow of the alien database computer. "Find anything interesting?"

"Well…my would-be assassin…he was rather unusual in one aspect…"

Jane raised an eyebrow. "You said that they were mostly females and only occasionally produced males."

"That's why he's unusual. I thought something looked different about the abdomen, but I was more concerned with getting away at the time."

"Hmmm. Do you think that means something?"

"I don't know."

"Do you mind the radio? To help keep me awake."

After Daria's affirmative grunt, Jane scanned around for a clear station.

A newsreader was saying, "…Demands are coming in from the worldwide scientific community to examine the alleged alien corpse. NASA and the Air Force have continued to keep the residence of Ms. Morgendorffer sealed off. Reports have surfaced that investigators from the FBI have arrived and are treating the home as a crime scene."

Jane shook her head. "Well, you certainly lit a fire."

"The question of whether this is final proof of life on other planets has dominated all other news today. If so, is the claimed story true that Ms. Morgendorffer raised three of them for a year? President Eichler has issued a statement that they are awaiting confirmation from their scientific advisors before determining any further possible action. The Montana State police have sealed off all roads leading to Ms. Morgendorffer's cabin to prevent the curious from entering."

Jane looked at Daria. "Crap. What do we do now?"

"Keep going. If we're lucky, they sealed off the roads close to my cabin so not to disturb the locals. Several of my old neighbors were heavily armed and paranoid about the authorities."

"How does that make us lucky?"

"Since the state police officers probably don't know the area, they won't be aware of the old horse trail that goes by the backside of my property. This four-wheel drive truck can travel on it."

Light static crackled over the news. "The family of Ms. Morgendorffer remains inside their Lawndale home and have issued the following statement: 'We are certain the story presented by Sick, Sad World is accurate, and the alien is real. We do not know of Daria's whereabouts, but we extend every hope for her safety.'"

Daria looked at the radio. "Mom is in full lawyer mode. Good."

Jane looked back over at Daria. "What are you going to want me to tell them when I get back?"

"That I've gone to see my children. And demand that the authorities return my diaries."

"You left them?"

"I didn't have time to get them from the other safe; you saw that I didn't even pack clothes."

"Yeah, and that was quite a collection of garments for you I picked up at that thrift store. But, you've always been so protective of your diary."

"Jane, I was rattled and wanted to get away. Give me a break."

"Sorry. Just surprised."

"So was I!" Daria barked back.

"Whoa. I can see you're upset. I'll get with your mother to do everything we can to get them back."

Daria sighed. "Thanks. Yes, I'm upset I had to leave them." Daria developed a slightly evil smile. "Though you could probably get some help from the Sloanes to keep it quiet. There's some stuff in there they don't want going public."




Later, as Jane was exiting the interstate, Daria slumped back in her seat. "Dammit."

"What's wrong?"

"I found that symbol from his coverall."

"And?"

Daria gave Jane a worried look. "It's a symbol of their clergy."

Jane spun her head toward Daria, swerving the car. Jane yelled, "Crap!" as she regained control.

Daria seemed not to notice the car motions. "The only reason I can think that a cleric would try to kill me is the artificial diet I gave my girls for their metamorphosis."

"You said it was…a heresy."

"Jane, if they know about that…"

"They probably know about me."

"Was anybody else home at Casa Lane?"

Jane stopped the truck at an intersection. "Thank God, no. Mom and Dad went to observe the penguins and Trent's still stuck in Kalamazoo."

"If I'm right…"

Jane stared straight ahead. "We both have to leave."




Daria drove the truck through the Montana countryside. From the radio came, "Route Twenty-Three will be closed by the state police at Old Baker's Road and Bluetooth Road until further notice. Residents are requested to use Route Twenty-Two-A."

Daria smiled at Jane. "Good, the horse trail is about a quarter mile before Bluetooth, with enough curve to block sight from the roadblock."

Jane rubbed her chin. "Daria, we're going to get to the cabin a day early. What are we going to do until our…um…rescue shows up?"

"Lay low and try to be inconspicuous. And hope nobody is already waiting for us."

"Except O'Neal."

"Right."

"One more thing, what are we going to eat?"

"I keep a stash of MRE's in the cabin, just in case of late snowstorms."

"I mean, if…or when we leave on the ship. No offense, but a strictly liquid diet would drive me nuts. I doubt if you have a couple years' supply on hand."

"I'm sure they planned for that."

"Speaking of planning, I hope they have some modified accommodations for us on that ship. We stand a lot taller than they do. I'm not looking forward to several months of ducking and crawling."

"They have interstellar travel; I think that they would be intelligent enough take some things into account." She slowed and began to turn off the pavement. "Here we go, hang on. Under no circumstances would you call this a road."

Lurching and twisting, the truck slowly progressed down the rough path. After about fifteen minutes, Daria stopped the truck near the edge of the trees. "I want to take a look." After a couple minutes, she returned. "Crap. I see a deputy sheriff's truck at the cabin, and a brown sedan."

"Daria, grab one of the pistols and stay here. I'm going to drive up and check."

"Jane, I can't let you risk that."

"We're stuck otherwise. We can't really go back, and we don't know who's there."

"Then we both go." Daria retrieved the assassin's pistol and handed Swiftsong's to Jane. "Forward."

Daria slowly drove the truck across the clearing toward the house.




O'Neal noticed the approaching truck and reached for his automatic rifle. "Mack, is that hers?"

Mack nodded and said, "Sure looks like it. How the hell did she get there?"

"Horse trail."

"That you failed to mention to the state police?"

"They really should learn to read maps."




Jane shook her head. "How the stinkin' hell did Mack get out here?"

Daria relaxed. "Mack I can deal with. He probably flew out."

"Dammit, I didn't want him in this."

"Jane, I never wanted you involved."

"Oh, yeah."

Still cautious, Daria slowly drove up to the back of the cabin while Mack and O'Neal walked around. O'Neal set his rifle against the wall of the cabin. "Good to see you."

"Thanks. I was hoping you would be here."

Jane jumped out of the truck and stormed over to Mack. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

Mack raised both eyebrows and said, "Isn't it obvious? I still can't leave things alone and came out to see if I can help."

Jane lightly punched him in the chest. "You big oaf. I didn't want to risk getting you involved."

"Jane, we are involved. I'd have thought you'd noticed."

Jane hugged him tight. "That is not what I meant."

"Jane, once I saw your message, I knew I had to help. You know it too: that's why you didn't call me. You wanted the lead time."

Daria looked over. "Let me guess, Mister Organized still had the map I gave him last year."

Mack nodded. "And some people complain I'm a pack-rat."

O'Neal went back to his rifle. "All this is touching, but we better get inside now. Ms. Morgendorffer, do you still have your motion sensor hooked up along the driveway?"

"It should still be there."

"Good. Now everybody, we need to get out of sight."




The one-room cabin was still mostly the way it was when Daria had lived there. A comfortable easy chair and coffee table dominated the center of the room. The corners were occupied by a work desk (with computer), the kitchen, the bathroom (with privacy curtain), and a single bed. A rug was on the bare wooden floor near the easy chair. Daria said, "Welcome to my humble abode. Please don't mind the dust. I haven't cleaned in almost a year."

Jane looked around. "Guys…did anybody bring some sleeping bags or something? There aren't exactly a lot of sleeping accommodations here."

O'Neal said, "I don't see a problem. All of us shouldn't be asleep at the same time. Two can sleep and the other two stay up to guard."

Daria looked at Jane. "I'm sure you and Mack will want to be together."

"Since he's here…"

O'Neal said, "Fine. You two get some shut-eye. I'd like to talk with Ms. Morgendorffer for a spell."

"You can call me Daria."

"Very well." He grinned a little and said in a John Cleese imitation, "Some call me…Tim?"

Daria smiled, bowed her head forward to rest it on her hand, and said, "How the hell did I miss that?"

Mack and Jane broke out into loud laughter. O'Neal looked at them in confusion and said, "The old joke's not that funny."

Jane inhaled and sputtered out, "Tim O'Neal…" She laughed again before finishing. "…You're kidding, right?"

He asked in utter surprise, "What?"

Daria explained, "All three of us endured a teacher named Timothy O'Neill, spelled O, N, E, I, L L. To say you have a distinctly different personality is an understatement."

Mack snickered. "At least you were spared being married to Ms. Barch…"




The hours driving and attempting to sleep in a truck had caught up with Jane and she quickly fell asleep on the bed. The night spent guarding the cabin with O'Neal had left Mack weary; he was soon asleep beside her.

Daria and Tim sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee. Tim was saying, "I still can't believe how quickly Phelps responded."

"I was hoping she worked late and would get it that night, and then she just had a three or four hour drive from New York."

"Congratulations; in one stroke you doomed my section into being cancelled. From now on, aliens will be handled by Customs and INS."

"I guessed you worked for some agency dealing with things like that. Have there been previous contacts with the Folk? This, by the way, is the closest name I can translate for them."

"Yes. But, it wasn't good. We tried to contact one of them fourteen years ago. There was a firefight and the alien escaped."

"You were hoping to make friendlier contact here?"

"I was sent in to investigate. When we realized what you were doing, the decision was made to only observe. There was no way we could generate the amount of good will you did by raising those girls."

"And your section has kept tabs on me since?"

"Correct. We were expecting them to contact you again. Confession time: I opened your package last year. I was serious about what I said about your daughters. What they did was damn impressive."

"You told me that you knew last year as a warning. Why?"

"The administration was applying pressure on us to take a harder line. They want surreptitious technology transfers. I suspected you kept…" He motioned to the belt and equipment. "Plus, some may have tried to use you to force contact with your children's people."

"So you didn't have a clue that one of the Folk would try to kill me?"

"No. I was worried about my own agency. Do you have any idea of why one of them tried?"

She bowed her head sadly. "I'm afraid so. In the long run, what I did may make them hate us even more."

"Then you better get me up to speed on the problem."




Tim entered the cabin just as Daria set the box of MRE's on the table in front of Jane and Mack. "Help yourself. Tim, what's up? You look worried."

He sighed. "Damn, things are getting complicated. I just checked in with the home office and told them I haven't seen you here. NASA has agreed to allow outside observers to your assailant's autopsy. Churches around the world are up in arms over this. Some are claiming it's a hoax, others evidence of God being everywhere. The president has ordered DEFCON Three. A lot of people are scared and nervous. Your family is almost under siege. The governor called in national guard troops to protect the house."

Daria nodded. "With that much publicity, they'll be safer."

He was surprised. "Is that all you can say? You've created a world uproar."

Daria looked at Tim. "Perhaps, but I only started it a bit early."

"What do you mean?"

"As I understood, the craft small enough to land undetected…or mostly undetected, weren't faster-than-light capable. Therefore, there has to be a larger ship up there somewhere that my attacker was transported on. Another ship will arrive tomorrow night to check on me, and take me with, if I ask. With the failure of the assassin, there's a good chance that the first ship will try to stop the second. Somehow, I think that fight will be noticed by far too many to be covered up. If any wreckage reaches Earth, again the same. They must have some seriously potent reactors, or other power supply, for FTL travel. If something like that explodes, it will be big." Daria looked around. "If I'm not here when the second ship arrives. I bet they have orders to find me. Particularly, if my children know about the assassination plot."

Tim's eyes widened and he said, "I'll be right back," as he ran back out of the cabin.

Jane and Mack were looking at her. Jane said, "Daria, you didn't mention any shooting war in space. What if they decide to start shooting after we get onboard?"

Daria leaned against a chair. "We'll have a better chance than if they decide to level this cabin from orbit. Who knows what kind of weaponry they have available? But then, dropping a rock from orbit is sufficient. I suspect they'll try to prevent me, or us, from being picked up. Logically, their first chance is to stop the second ship. If that doesn't work, then they will try to intercept us or make a big splash and try to hit us from space. Planning on leaving with the friendly ship is still our best hope."

Mack looked grim. "This is not looking good. How'll we know if the right ones show up?"

Daria showed Mack that she was still wearing the shield belt from Swiftsong. "This basically has an Identify-Friend or Foe system built into it. These shields seem to be fairly common issue, and the system appears to be tied in with them. It will warn of any enemies approaching. I'm just afraid that because of the time that's passed since it was set, it may not recognize some friendlies."

Tim reentered the cabin looking a little more relieved. "I hinted to the home office that it might be a good idea to evacuate the space station." He sat and blindly grabbed an MRE and tore it open. "This is really going downhill."

Mack opened one and started the chemical heating packet. "Looks like you were right; I had no idea of what kind of danger was involved. But, I'm still glad I'm here."

Tim looked at him. "That's the last shoe that I didn't get to drop. The word is out that you and Jane are missing and presumed with Daria. The fringe conspiracy people are having a field day. Thomas Sloane's ex-wife, Congresswoman Landon's ex-fiancé, and an artist known to have very close ties to both. Some of the suggestions…"

Daria started warming her dinner. "Wonderful. But if it creates just another day of distraction, I'll take it."




The evening passed in restful silence. Under Tim's watchful eye, Daria spent much of her night watch sitting near the pond, staring out over its waters. "I hope I get to see you three miscreants soon. I miss you." She tossed a bit of wood into the water and watched the ripples spread. "I'm still alone. Jane has been a dear friend…but there are some voids she can't help me with."

Daria turned to look back at the dark cabin. "Mack is going to try to come with. As much as I wish he could, I've got to stop him. Someone has to stay here to look after Jane's interests." She looked up at the stars in the direction she watched the ship leave with her children years before. "But, they aren't going to be happy about it. One more day."




The day passed with increasing tension. Daria, Jane and Mack made what little preparations were needed to leave. Tim kept an eye on everyone and monitored events in the world outside from the radios in his truck. The independent scientists were confirming the corpse was of extraterrestrial origin. Unknown to the public, DEFCON Two was declared overnight. Instead of the long-suspected widespread panic at word of life on other worlds, the world reaction had turned more into a marathon of watching television talk shows discussing what it all meant.

In the early afternoon, Tim rushed into the house. "My cover's blown. A spy satellite recorded three vehicles here. It hit the news and nothing was said by my agency…now they don't answer at all."

Daria asked, "How much time before they respond?"

"It would take a couple hours to assemble a team and move them out here. But, I don't know when they found out. Protocol would have them wait until dark unless there was an overriding need. I'm guessing we have until then."

Mack said, "We have the road and the horse trail. Any other ways to get a vehicle close?"

Daria shook her head.

Tim leaned his head toward the alarm bell in the cabin. "The motion sensor will tell us about the road, but we need something for the trail."

Mack asked, "Why no motion sensor on the trail?"

Daria said, "Only the locals used it, so I didn't bother. They wouldn't tell an outsider it was there. Since most of them would respond with gunfire to anybody approaching that way on their property…they assumed I would, too."

"Oh."

Daria picked up one of the pistols. "Swiftsong said this uses an electrical pulse to disrupt nerves. I wonder if the high setting would disrupt a car's electronics?"

Mack pulled out his car keys. "I have the only vehicle that's not four-wheel drive and is the least usable. How about a test?"

"It's your security deposit."

They all went outside and Mack started the car. After he got out, Daria pointed the pistol at the hood area and touched the trigger. After the purple flash, the internal combustion engine stuttered and backfired before shutting off. Mack got back in the car and tried the electric drive and several electronic devices. "Nothing."

"Good. We have a way to stop a vehicle approaching. I wish I could have grabbed the assassin's pistol, that way we would have two."

Jane raised a hand, "You said the assassin used a weapon like Swiftsong's, I wonder why he didn't have one like Streamrider's?"

"He probably didn't expect me to have a shield. One like Swiftsong's is more versatile, and on high power, would have adequately killed me without a shield. The shield-piercing weapons are probably special issue."

Mack looked toward the tree line. "I'll go guard the trail."

Jane and Daria both said, "Mack?"

"I'm the logical choice. We can't risk you or Jane. Don't argue. O'Neal has professional training and should stay with you. That leaves me."

Daria frowned. "Damn logic."

"Can I use your truck? Running back here after disabling a truck full of assault troops doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Um…sure."




As darkness fell, Mack was prone in dense underbrush and positioned to look down the trail. The spring air was silent except for a few insect and bird calls. Soon, a slight rumble could be heard down the trail, along with the snap of broken branches. Mack tensed and watched.

A black, unlit vehicle came into dim view. It stopped and Mack heard metallic clicks of doors opening. Crap. The soft scuffle of boots lightly treading on metal followed. O'Neal was right; they're stopping early and deploying on foot. He switched the weapon from high to low power. Time to get out of here if that thing isn't getting any closer.

Mack crawled back and started to move to Daria's truck. The sound of his crawling seemed almost thunderous against the surrounding silence. Keeping low, he got up and sprinted toward the truck. He reached the passenger door and crawled in, sliding over to start the truck. As he began moving, gunfire erupted from the trees and loud metallic thuds came from the back of the truck. "Oh, hell!" Mack floored the accelerator.

The gunfire attracted the attention of everyone in the dark cabin. Tim and Jane watched the approaching truck while Daria kept an eye the front. Jane was red with anger. "Why the hell are they shooting at him?"

The alarm for the motion sensor on the front road sounded. Daria yelled, "Dammit!" The front clearing was empty. "I'm not seeing anything!"

Tim said back, "They probably stopped in the trees and are awaiting orders. Crap. They shouldn't be shooting."

The shots abruptly stopped as the truck continued on. In a minute, it was at the cabin and Mack staggered in the back door. "Bastards!" Jane yelled as she saw the blood on him. Mack held his hand against his upper thigh and slid down on the floor. "Ouch."

Daria yelled, "The first aid kit is in the kitchen!"

Jane ran to grab it as Tim continued to watch the back. He shook his head. "What idiot is in charge out there?"

Mack coached Jane through getting a pressure bandage on the wound and stopping most of the bleeding. "Guess that Boy Scout first aid helped."

Jane was still breathing hard from adrenaline. "Good thing you remembered, because I didn't remember any from Girl Scouts. That was too damn close."

"I didn't expect them to shoot like that." He turned toward Tim. "The truck stopped early like you said it might and they started to deploy. I realized I was making too much noise crawling, so I ran to the truck. They started shooting when I got it moving."

"You did what you were supposed to. Some jerk must have panicked."




A megaphone-enhanced voice called from the darkness, "Agent Nine. We don't want anyone harmed. Please come out of the house."

Daria raised an eyebrow. "Agent Nine?"

Tim shrugged and looked outside. "To whom am I speaking?"

"Assistant Director Chambers."

"You authorized first use of deadly force?"

"No, that was an accident."

"Then would you care to send in a medic for the man you shot?"

"Damn." Faintly, he could be heard saying, "Johnson, your ass is mine when this is over with. Tyler, drop your weapon and get inside." He called out loud. "I'm sending her in. No tricks. Let her leave when she's done."

"Deal."

A woman in her thirties approached the cabin with her hands raised. She wore a dark grey camouflage uniform with integral body armor and carried a single case marked with a red cross. Tim let her in and patted her down for hidden weapons. "Clear."

Kneeling next to Mack, she said, "You must be the patient."

He grunted, "Yeah."

"Hold still." She expertly checked the bandage and connected a small monitor to him to check his vital signs.

Outside, the Chambers said, "Come out, you won't be harmed. The cabin is surrounded and you cannot get away."

"No. We're waiting for guests to arrive."

"Dammit all, Nine! I don't know what kind of games you were playing, not reporting Ms. Morgendorffer earlier. This has become a matter of national security. A large spaceship was detected approaching Earth eight hours ago. A smaller ship was detected approaching Earth from the far side of the moon seven hours ago. The two are converging and appear to going into formation. My orders are to have Ms. Morgendorffer and her associates in protective custody."

Daria went to the window. "I'm only interested in leaving. Those two ships aren't going into formation; they're probably going into battle."

"What did you say?"

"They're probably going into battle. The body in my house was an assassin, which I was lucky to kill. The ship approaching from the Moon is very likely from the faction supporting the assassin. They will want to kill me, and probably anyone nearby. The other ship is one I've been expecting to take me away. I want to go and it's a good bet that they won't be happy with anyone who tries to stop me. The fact that they are approaching openly means that things are not going well."

Tyler said to Mack, "You've lost a good deal of blood. With that bullet still in you, we need to get you to a hospital soon." She looked at Jane nearby. "Please get me something to put under his legs and a blanket. He's at a high risk for shock."

Jane grabbed pillows and blanket from the bed and returned. While Jane and Tyler worked on Mack, Daria got a knife from the rack and knelt next to Tyler. "I want you to see something." Daria thrust the knife against her foot. It bounced off the shield and the tip embedded a quarter inch into the floor. "I want to get out of here to see my children. As you see, I'm well protected. You already know we have weapons. Any aliens that show up will have these. You can't deal with this kind of technology. Please let us leave in peace."

"It's not my call, but I'll relay the message." Tyler finished up preparing Mack for shock and future transport. "That's all I can do. We need to move him as soon as possible."

Mack set his jaw. "I'm not moving until Jane and Daria are safe."

Jane grabbed his face in her hands. "Listen to me, you overgrown Lancelot. You're going to a hospital as soon as those bozos out there can get you to one. Do I make myself clear?"

"But…"

Jane put a hand over his mouth. "You're going."

Daria asked Tyler, "Can you do that?"

"We have medivac choppers on standby."

"Please get one." Daria went to the window. "Your medic is coming out. We need a medical evacuation."

Daria noticed two small, bright flashes of light in the sky. A few moments later, more small bright flashes. "Damn. I didn't want to be right about that." She called out, "Look to the east."

As Tyler walked back out, the Assistant Director looked up to see more small flashes. He pulled out his radio and began to talk.

Jane stayed close to Mack while Daria watched the flashes, which continued for several minutes. The sound of a helicopter diverted everyone's attention as it approached and landed near the back of the cabin.

Tyler grabbed one of the crew and a stretcher and approached the cabin. Daria kept Swiftsong's pistol trained on them as they secured Mack to it. Jane gave him a last kiss and they exchanged a few words before he was lifted off the ground.

Daria went to him. "Mack, thanks for everything. It's best you stay here to take care of Jane's interests. We can't let you go in your condition."

Mack groaned, "I can't argue with that. Damn."

"I promise, we'll watch out for each other and she'll return to you."

"Goodbye, Daria, Tim. Jane, I love you, stay out of trouble," Mack said as they took him to the waiting helicopter.

Jane whispered, "I love you, you Boy Scout," as she watched the helicopter fly away to the south.

As it faded from view, a large, bright light exploded in the eastern sky. Daria sat down at the table with an ashen face and her hand over her mouth. Jane noticed Daria and sat beside her. "Are you okay?"

In shock, Daria rubbed her eyes and buried her face in her hand. "How many Folk up there just died because of me?"




The Assistant Director was a shaken man in his late fifties with graying black hair and small, round glasses, who approached the cabin with his hands open. Tim motioned for him to enter. Chambers said, "President Eichler has ordered DEFCON One. A lot of small objects, most likely debris, are approaching North America and will be entering the atmosphere in the next hour. Regrettably, most of our missile interceptors were placed to protect us from an attack from the west, so they can't help much. Two objects appear to be under control. They are slowing and moving into a reentry path for this area. Of the two original ships, the smaller appears to have been destroyed. It looks like some kind of escape vessel from it is heading here, pursued by the larger."

Daria looked up with red eyes. "Please, tell them not to shoot. No more."

He looked at Daria. "Rules of Engagement are not to take hostile action unless fired upon. Are you certain that they're coming here?"

"As certain as I can be. About how long?"

"The first about ninety minutes, the second ten minutes later."

"Please tell your people to leave before they get here. You can't do anything against them."

Tim looked at the Assistant Director. "You have a chance to make up for the section's mistakes with this species, both now and fourteen years ago. We had the chance for good relations with my recommendation to leave Ms. Morgendorffer and her children alone. If we take a stand to protect her, we may be forgiven for you being sent to capture her."

Almost pleading, Chambers said, "We didn't know the situation; she was to be under our protection."

"Then you could've sent one car. You were here to capture by force."

Daria shook her head in frustration. "Just leave."

Tim said, "Stay, you only need to buy a few minutes."

Daria put a hand on Tim's arm. "No. Please don't let anyone else…"

Tim moved her hand away. "I know why you're saying that. This isn't just about you personally; it's what you represent. You're now a symbol to your children and their supporters, of a new, and hopefully better, government. To those that want you dead, you're a symbol of their loss of control and power. Your death will help them and hurt your kids and everything they worked for."

He turned to Chambers. "Deploy your force to defend the cabin."

Chambers stood, unmoving.

Tim picked up Swiftsong's weapon. "May I test something?"

Daria nodded.

He pointed the pistol at the table and tried to shoot through. The flash filled the room, but left no mark on the table. "It has little or no penetration through an insulator. Tell them to keep behind cover. Something non-metallic." Chambers grimly nodded and walked outside, issuing orders as he did.

"Daria, may I have your pistols? They can be effective; I'll need them for any that gets close. I want you two to stay low near the center of the cabin. You may not like it, but your lives are more important than anyone else around here."

Jane grabbed Daria's arm. "You heard the man." As she led Daria to the middle of the room, she looked over her shoulder. "Use the guns."




For the next hour and a half, Daria sat on the edge of the easy chair, silent and staring at the coffee table. Occasional streaks crossed the sky as fragments of ship became meteors. Jane sat on a cushion next to the chair. Finally, Daria looked over at Jane. "That was Eveningsky's cushion."

Jane held Daria's hand. "With a little luck, you'll see them soon."

"If we live through the next fifteen minutes."

Outside, a staccato whine could be heard. Daria looked up. "Here they come. It doesn't sound good." The pulse was erratic and uneven, the pitch varying also. A familiar vibration was felt from the belt. Daria said to Tim, "They're registering as enemies, but I can't be certain."

He yelled out to Chambers, "Possible hostiles."

A crunching thud came from outside as the whine abruptly stopped. For a minute, there was quiet, and then a commotion outside and Chamber's voice yelling, "Pull back!"

Tyler's voice came back in response, "Sir?"

"Pull back. Those are your orders."

"Sir, they haven't taken any hostile…"

Tim was about to yell when he saw Chambers collapse in a purple flash. Tyler dropped to the ground and yelled, "Neville, you're in charge, the AD's down!" A more distant voice responded, "Return fire!"

Gunfire erupted from many points around the house. Tim braced at the window with Streamrider's pistol. "What the hell was up with him?" He took careful aim and slowly fired.

As minutes passed, the amount of gunfire outside decreased. Tim looked over at Daria. "This is the last battery pack. My shots and the noise and flash from the team have kept them back. But that won't last for much longer I fear."

Daria said to Jane, "Grab a couple blankets from under the bed. If any get in, we can try to tie them up like you did before."

"Gotcha." Jane crawled to the bed and returned with blankets. Tim crawled back and handed Daria the two spent pistols. "It looks like only some of them have shields; gunfire has brought several of them down. I think I got most of the ones with shields."

A louder, even-tempo version of the ship propulsion whine reverberated though the cabin.

Daria tilted her head. "No warning. They're friendly."

Tim looked up. "The cavalry has excellent timing."

Daria huddled in the chair. "Excellent timing would have been before the fighting started."

Tim quickly crawled to the window and yelled out. "Incoming friendlies!" He realized that the remaining troops outside were behind cover and staring up. The hovering disk covered much of the 40 acre clearing and emitted a faint, pearlescent glow from the smooth surface. A rapid series of loud cracks emanated from small apertures on the ship and the advancing aliens from the first ship dropped in succession.

Moments later, a group of aliens in gray uniforms swarmed around the cabin from somewhere out of his sight. The sound of weapon fire of all types slowed and stopped. Tim looked around the different windows, a ring of uniformed aliens stood at attention around the cabin, facing away. He went to Daria. "It looks clear. I'm going to check."

Opening the front door, he saw a pillar lowered from the underside of the massive ship and a hatch open at the base.

A figure approached him, holding one of the familiar database computers. "Greetings to you from Princess Autumnblossom. She urgently requests news of her mother, Daria."

"Unharmed."

Untranslated clicking and scraping could be heard from the crewmember as she talked into another device.

An operative walked around the corner of the cabin. "I'm Neville. We lost almost half the force. No wounded. If they were hit, they were killed. I hate losing good people."

"We did the right thing."

"I know. I never pictured the AD as a coward; he's one of the dead."

"I can't figure out what he was trying to do."

"I don't know, either. I know our orders were to secure and protect Ms. Morgendorffer, and his attempt to pull back would have left her exposed."

Tim sighed. "I'm really stumped. Look, Ms. Morgendorffer has been my case for years; I want to make sure she's on her way safely."

"How is she?"

"She's fine. Rattled, but unhurt."

"You seem to be particularly protective of her. Look, I know your reputation, and technically, you are the ranking agent on site. I assume you want to stay in here. I'll get on the radio and start dealing with the home office." Neville gave a slight nod, headed off toward his remaining operatives, and yelled, "Get me the radio!"

Crew from the ship began to exit and form into two lines from the hatch to the cabin. When complete, three figures approached down the way. As they got close, Tim saw that two had braided collars and cuffs, what he surmised must be officer uniforms. The third wore a simple blue coverall, with a gold braid around the collar. The other two stopped and she approached, speaking through a translator. "O'Neal. I am surprised, but relieved to find you here. You said my mother is unharmed?"

Tim recognized the princess from his many months observing the family. He nodded. "Autumnblossom, she's inside with Ms. Lane."

"May we have privacy?"

"She's going to be thrilled."

Daria wearily looked up to see who opened the door. Her mouth dropped open in surprise before she scrambled from the chair as her daughter closed the door. Daria grabbed her in a hug and cried, "Autumnblossom. I'm so happy to see you."

"[Mother, I am so relieved you are safe. I was dispatched in pursuit of the priest's ship as soon as we learned of the plot to kill you.]"

Daria softly cried as she held on. "Please take me with. I want to see your sisters."




Fragments of spaceship continued to streak across the sky from east to west. Reports of impacts came from across the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada and several satellites were destroyed.

Cleaning up the area continued through the night. Surprisingly little structural damage was done around the cabin because of the alien weapons. The hard-landed lifeboat was a smooth, metallic gray disk about 25 feet across, partially buried in the ground and a with single hatch open. A similar sized disk dropped from a ventral hatch of Autumnblossom's ship, Nebulachaser, and hovered over the lifeboat. Dropped lines were secured, the downed craft hauled inside Nebulachaser, and the hatch seamlessly closed.

Ship crew collected the bodies and equipment and transported it up through the central pillar. Permission was quickly granted to bring in vehicles to remove the human casualties. Additional military forces arrived and rapidly cordoned off the area, but stayed well clear.

Approaching dawn, Tim sat at Daria's workdesk, conferring on a cell phone as one of the agency operatives set up a small video camera as a webcam. The operative said, "The secure channel is ready, Sir."

Tim worked the keyboard for a few minutes, and then motioned for Daria, Jane, and Autumnblossom to sit at three kitchen chairs set facing the camera. He moved the monitor to face them.

Daria looked down at the green sweatshirt and black insulated vest over jeans and the heavy red and blue plaid flannel shirt Jane had tucked into black carpenter's pants. "Quinn is going to have a fit when she sees how we're dressed."

Tim looked at them and said, "The first part will be private; even I will leave. The second half will be a live news conference. Let me introduce the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the United States."




A couple hours later, Daria sat in front of the computer with the camera focused on her chair. She finished the connection to see her family sitting in her old room, long since stripped of the grey padding, and turned into an office. She said, "Hi, Mom, Dad, Quinn. I'm fine."

Helen appeared worn, but said, "Sweetie, we've been so worried about you."

Jake grinned. "Hey, Kiddo, you're looking great."

Quinn was resting back in a chair and clearly showing her pregnancy. "Oh, thank God you're okay."

"Thanks, I've been very worried about you. I didn't know if you would be targeted."

Helen waved a hand at the window. "With the house surrounded by soldiers, I think we were pretty safe."

Quinn leaned forward a little. "Eww. I still can't believe you wore that to talk to the president."

"Quinn, I didn't exactly pack for formal occasions. Look, everyone, I'm sorry I had to disappear like that. I hope you understand."

Helen said, "I…think we do."

Daria looked relieved. "Did you get the package I sent?"

"Oh, yes dear. Those are some…interesting photographs," Helen said and looked to the side.

Jake held an album up. "Just looking at them now."

"Everybody…" Daria took a deep breath. "…I want you to meet one of my daughters, Autumnblossom."

Daria shifted over slightly as Autumnblossom moved into the camera view and said, "Hello, I am very pleased to meet each of you, even if only by electronic transmission."

Jake gulped. Quinn sank away from view with her hands over her face. Helen took a breath. "Good morning, Autumnblossom. It's an unexpected pleasure to meet you. I've only had the last couple days to learn anything about my grandchildren."

Jake regained composure and blurted out, "Wow, you really are a cute little bug."

Helen elbowed him and said out of the corner of her mouth, "She's not a bug."

Autumnblossom said, "Thank you, both. Grandmother, I know this must be difficult to learn about us on such short notice. I hope you understand why."

Helen nodded.

"Grandfather, I am happy you think I look cute. Aunt Quinn, are you okay?"

Quinn slid her hands to the side of her face, clearing tears away in the process, and held them against her cheeks. "I know how much Daria was hurt by losing her child. I'm happy to see that she managed to have…" Quinn started crying openly. "…damn hormones." She hastily exited the camera view.




Meanwhile, Jane sat outside next to Tim, looking toward the pond. Jane said, "Okay…Nine. You still haven't given us a real name, have you?"

He shook his head. "Tim O'Neal is my real name. Sometimes, keeping things in the open is the best way to stay inconspicuous. But, that name doesn't appear on any federal government records. In many ways, I officially don't exist."

"So, there's been an agency to deal with extraterrestrials?"

"Yes."

"Fine, then what did happen at Roswell?"

Tim shrugged. "It was a balloon-mounted radar target. That we made sure came down on that farmer's property…and the news release was worded the way it was."

Jane cocked her head and said, "Huh?"

"The real incident was in Alaska. That was a decoy operation."

Her eyes opened wider. "So you've encountered other species?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay, back to Roswell, have your people have been feeding all the hype there?"

"Certainly. It was very useful to keep attention on a place that was safe and away from where things were really happening."

Jane raised a finger. "Area Fifty-One?"

"That's the military. They develop and test secret planes there. No aliens, sorry. Actually, we've been able to develop very little technology from what we have recovered. That's why we've come under pressure. We're not a cheap program, and some wanted us to pay our way a little better."

"Now that your cover is gone, are you looking forward to your new assignment?"

"Yes and no. The idea that elements in our section were collaborating with the old rebels was disturbing, but the evidence that Autumblossom's Intel Officer gave us was damn good. Collaborators who thought the rebels would win, and wanted to be on their good side, does explain how Streamrider was able to move around undetected for so long. And then they shifted allegiances and kept the assassin's landing secret so Daria couldn't be warned." He pounded his knee with his fist. "That pisses me off! Too bad the Assistant Director is dead. Home office says he ordered the capture. The Intel Officer found a translator built into his radio, so he was in contact with the bad guys. That's why he tried to retreat."

Jane looked down and scratched the soil with the toe of her boot. "And they shot him first. Wonderful people."

"It could have been an accident, or to make sure he stayed quiet. The only thing I can be reasonable sure of, he wasn't working alone."




Daria was telling Helen, "The government will be returning all of my possessions to the house. Please check on them."

"Sure thing."

"Mom, please lock my diaries back up in the bedroom safe behind the painting and don't let Quinn get near them."

"I will, dear."

Daria narrowed her eyes slightly. "You need to resist the temptation to peek, also."

"Very well, I promise."

Jake, still holding the photo album, asked, "I bet you're going to bring back some great photographs for us."

"Crap. Okay, that's something else I'm going to need to have picked up. Thanks, Dad."

"Sure thing."

Quinn returned to the view. "I'm sorry. I got a little…emotional."

Daria smiled. "I understand. I went through the same things…though I didn't get as far along…" Daria looked down for a second. "You were happy for me; thanks."

Quinn patted her stomach. "I did break down and find out: it's a girl."

"I knew you couldn't wait."

"We're going to name her Daria, if you don't mind."

Daria blushed. "Um…thanks. Are you sure?"

"Daria, look at all you've done. Not only for me, but everyone around you."

"Um…"

"Yeah, your kids are cute and all, but I would've freaked out to see them without warning. No offense, Autumnblossom."

Autumnblossom said, "None taken. Considering our approximate resemblance to one of your insects, I can understand."

Continuing, Quinn said, "You took them in immediately because it was the right thing to do. Not many people could. You've lived your whole life that way. Now you're going to be the first UN Ambassador to another planet. I'm proud of you."

"Okay, okay. You can name her after me if you turn off the gushing."




Outside, Tim asked Jane, "How about your new job as Deputy Ambassador?"

Laughing, Jane said, "I would love to see our old principal's face when she hears the news. Better yet, our old gym teacher." Jane grinned, "Yeah, we're deadbeats…with style."

"A little bad blood there?"

"No…a lot." Jane looked off in the distance. "I hope Mack is awake from surgery before we leave."

"Just curious, why aren't you two married?"

"We don't want to spoil a good thing?"

Tim closed one eye. "Hmm?"

"Daria's experience made me skittish. Mack also came very close to making a bad mistake. We're happier this way."

"Ah."

"You haven't said much about your wife."

Tim pulled at his ring and spun it on his finger as he thought of a reply.

Jane looked down and smirked. "No tan line. That's a prop and you're not married."

"Guilty. But it made the cover persona more believable and Daria was able to relax more around me."

Jane smiled a little wider. "You like her."

Tim shook his head. "Please, I'm old enough to be her father."

Jane reached up and pulled a single gray hair out.

"Hey!"

After examining the root, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Really?"

"Okay, she's been one of the most interesting people I've had to work with."

"That's a start."

"It's bad policy to get involved with your cases. Just like any investigative work."

Jane poked a finger at his chest. "She's not your case, anymore."




Daria filled a glass from a juicer and placed it in front of where Autumnblossom was sitting at the table. She picked it up and said, "[Thank you.]" The narrow proboscis along the underside of her head rotated forward and was inserted into the liquid.

"I'm happy that Neville was willing to send somebody into town for things. I hope they got my size right on the clothes." Taking a drink from her coffee, Daria sat down to her sandwich for lunch. "I'm warning you, it's been a while."

Autumnblossom drank and said, "[But it still tastes wonderful.]" She looked around the room and lightly laughed. "[I remember it being larger.]"

"Then that would seem to be another universal trait for intelligent life: we always remember our childhood home as being larger."

"[I am very happy to see our old home again. To be honest, Mother, I would rather live here than the palace. I have so many good memories of this place.]"

"You and your sisters are always welcome to stay here."

"[I am sure they will be happy to stay, when they have a chance.]"

"You've grown to be quite a diplomat. I was impressed with how you talked with the President and Secretary-General."

"[As Queen, Truemind cannot travel as readily. Eveningsky has been the political architect and will probably be the first Domestic Minister. I'm the one that gets sent out for face to face negotiations.]"

"You three make a great team."

"[Thank you.]"

"Offering to leave a small ship and crew behind to clear battle debris from orbit was an excellent gesture."

"[You did teach us to pick up after ourselves.]"

Daria lightly laughed. "I hope your interview with Ms. Phelps wasn't too bad."

"[No worse than our news media, who are still experimenting with the limits of press freedom, now that they have it.]"

Daria took a bite and chewed thoughtfully before saying, "Okay, I figured out my would-be assassin was a male member of the priesthood. Am I correct that they found out about your metamorphosis?"

"[Mother, you are correct.]" Setting the glass down, she continued. "[You were admirable in the artificial diet you made up for us. However, you were not successful with some of the nutrient balances. All three of us required medical attention.]"

Daria's eyes popped open. "Please tell me everyone is okay."

Reaching out to Daria's hand, Autumnblossom reassured her. "[All of us are well. The condition was detected and treated before any permanent damage was done. However, one of the physicians determined the cause and told the clergy. That was five of your months ago.]"

"Five months? How did you get here so fast? It took a year for help to arrive last time. I assumed it was six months each way."

"[I do not understand the physics involved; you can ask Eveningsky to explain it. How fast a message or ship travels faster than light is a function of the amount of power applied. The damaged lifeboat had little power for the message Swiftsong sent and it took almost nine of your months to reach Nest. The return ship only took three. This cruiser took about the same time.]"

"Okay, I figured you were in a hurry and didn't use the stealth when you slowed below light speed, but why did the other ship move openly?"

"[Stealth only allows passive sensors, which are not effective for weapons. The clerical transport was a decoy for the lifeboat dispatched to your planet. It stayed in the sensor shadow of the transport until just before we were in weapons range. We destroyed the transport when it tried to ram us. The explosion damaged the lifeboat and we followed it here.]"

Daria chewed on a thumbnail. "How many died in that ship and outside?"

"[We do not know. The regular crew of a transport like that is thirty-five. Nineteen died here.]"

"At least fifty-four…" A quiet sob came out.

"[We had no choice.]"

Daria sat in silence for several minutes, looking out the kitchen window toward the pond. Finally, she lowered her head for a moment and inhaled. "Okay, I can see a covert assassination for the first try. But, why didn't they just destroy the cabin when they knew you were close? Messy, but it would have been effective if they only wanted me dead."

"[As one of my officers explained to O'Neal, they had collaborators with his agency. We discovered this through the Reconciliation Commission we set up to investigate wrongdoing by both sides of the civil war. When you were located, you were to be held until the transport could send another cleric. It is important to them that a cleric kills you to cleanse the stain and provide evidence of your death.]"

"I don't want to know what kind of evidence. How serious is the problem back home?"

"[We said that you figured out the need for a host and found a local cattle for us to use, but the pheromones also affected you, so you brought in Jane to help watch over us. After the truth got out, the clergy declared that both of you were agents of the darkness and had defiled the royal line. Your death would be the only way to restore our purity. When we refused to support them, we were expelled.]"

"As heretics?"

"[Yes. Our refusal to cooperate was taken as a sign the corruption was too deep. They now openly support restoring our biological mother, Truelimb, to the throne.]"

"How much is this interfering with your new government?"

"[The planetary legislatures have been elected and are beginning to function. The formation of the Interstellar Legislature is on schedule, but could be interrupted.]"

Daria nodded. "Will my presence make things worse?"

"[I don't think so. You are very popular with many of the folk, as is the new democracy. The main objection is from the Traditionalist clergy, some of the old nobility and commercial oligarchs. The economic cost of cattle we use for metamorphosis hosts can be onerous on the poor. The concept of an alternative has become popular there and is supported by the Modernist clergy as an economic tool to help the poor. Many of the intelligentsia also would support the use of an artificial diet.]"

"Okay, I wanted to be sure I wouldn't create a greater problem."

"[You will not be. Keeping you safe will weaken them.]"

"Very well." Daria went to the sink. "Care to help me clean up?"

"[I will be happy to.]"




Jane came out of the cabin that afternoon and handed a cell phone back to Tim. "Thanks. Mack came out of surgery without complications and sends his best."

Standing nearby, Daria looked relieved. "Good. I was worried about him. Now I hope he survives the hero spotlight."

Jane patted Daria on the shoulder. "I think he can deal with that. He also says thanks. Now he's the boyfriend of an interstellar diplomat instead of a mere congresswoman."

"He better not let Jodie hear him say that."

"Actually, she'd sent flowers to him."

"She has gotten good at spin."

Jane nudged Tim, who responded with an odd look. She nudged him again. He stepped away from her. Jane put her fingertips to her forehead and then spread her hands apart. "Why do I try?"

Daria quizzically looked her friend. "What are you going on about, now?"

"Argh!" Jane rapidly strode toward the entrance hatch for Nebulachaser.

Daria turned back toward Tim. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she was trying to get us together."

He smiled and stiffly hugged her. "Have a safe journey, Daria. We'll make sure your house and cabin are secure, and your family safe."

She stiffly returned the gesture. "Good luck in your search and be careful. I've enjoyed your visits and would like to see you if I get back."

"I'd like that." He released her and stepped back. "Farewell."

"Goodbye." Daria turned and entered the ship.

Almost immediately, the sound of the drives started and the central pillar was retracted into Nebulachaser. With a slight increase in the brightness of the glow, the ship rose straight up, a massive, featureless disk. The vertical ascent transitioned to horizontal flight before the leading edge pitched up and the ship moved off with a frightening acceleration.

Tim followed Nebulachaser's path. "Say hi to your other two daughters for me."




Daria found the ceiling was about five feet high, so she had to duck slightly to fit inside the elevator. The outside door closed and moments later the car was ascending. A guard was waiting when the door opened. "[Lady Daria, please follow me to your accommodations.]"

The ceiling was a similar height and walking was somewhat awkward. As she walked, Daria realized something was in her back pocket. She removed a folded sheet of paper. The guard stopped at a door. "[Yours and Lady Jane's accommodations are within. Only the two of you and the Princess are allowed in without permission. Please call if you need anything.]"

"Thank you. I think rest is what we need most." No kidding. It's been over thirty hours since I slept.

Inside, Daria found a room that was about 11 feet to the ceiling. Jane was sitting on a floor cushion and said, "They're not much for chairs, just cushions. Seeing how they're built, I can see that."

"Yeah, feels warmer. Temperature must be set to their comfort level."

Jane shrugged one shoulder. "So we dress light."

Daria looked up. "They must have spanned two decks for this."

"Hey, head room. Better than the corridor outside. There are two bedrooms past that door, and a fourth room at the end of the hall. My stuff was put in the one to the right and yours on the left. The facilities are in the bedroom corners."

"Thanks. I'm going to go check it out and get some sleep."

Jane yawned. "Dammit, you're giving me ideas."

A chime sounded from the door. Jane opened it and let Autumnblossom enter. She said, "I hope everything is comfortable."

Jane said, "I can live here."

Daria said, "Thank you; it's wonderful."

Autumnblossom handed each a small device with a clip on one side. "This is a small translator. It only does translation and will be less bulky than carrying a full database computer with you."

Jane took the device and clipped it onto her pants. After turning the bulky computer off, she asked, "When do we take off?"

Autumnblossom said, "We have been underway since Mother came aboard."

Jane looked around. "Seems to work, and this is one smooth ride. I didn't feel a thing."

Autumnblossom turned to Daria. "Mother, you look very tired. Please get some rest."

Daria had only pocketed the translator. "I'm planning on it. Could I ask a small favor?"

"Mother, certainly."

"Having the crew call me Lady Daria doesn't feel right. If they need to use a title, could they say Ambassador, or just Ms?"

"Their protocol would have a more respectful honorific used if applicable. I will tell them to use Ambassador. What about you, Jane?"

"I kind of liked being called Lady Jane, but I guess Ambassador will also work."

"I will also give the directive. Now, please rest."

Daria yawned. "No problem with that."

Autumnblossom left and they went to their respective rooms. Daria found the clothes that had been purchased for her and located a comfortable nightgown to wear. As she folded her pants, she removed the paper.

Daria,

I wish could have known you under different circumstances. You will always be my favorite hermit.

Tim





From a television, an SBC reporter was saying, "To end our broadcast of today's incredible events, some comments from the hometown of our two heroes."

"Thomas Sloane."

"No comment."


"Representative Landon."

"Ms. Morgendorffer and Ms. Lane is the most intuitively cooperative team I've ever known. I have every confidence in their success."


"Mr. Kevin Thompson."

"Aw, right! You mean they really are going to Mars?"


"Angela Li."

"Those two have brought immense honor and glory to Lawndale High."


"Mr. Charles Ruttheimmer III"

"Grrrr, feisty!"


"Ms. Lane's brother, Mr. Trent Lane."

"Man…Janey's not going to be home to watch the house? I'm gonna need to get a puppy."


"Mr. Jesse Moreno."

"Cool."



The television was cut off by a remote and a male voice said, "So much effort spoiled. At least that fool getting himself killed in Montana saved me the trouble of arranging an accident."




Jane lay on her stomach, enjoying the absolute comfort of the provided bed. "I can so live with this. They could make a fortune selling these things." She opened her eyes and jerked in surprise at noticing she was floating a foot above the bed frame. "Okay, that's going to take some getting used to." She unrolled herself from the sheet and rotated her legs beyond the boundary of the frame. As they reached the edge, she felt them pulled down to the floor. She carefully stood and smiled. "This is so cool."

Jane pulled the curtain aside to the restroom. "Okay, they're shaped basically the same, but I don't think zero gravity toilets are going to be a big hit, though the fact that nothing touches the sides does eliminate the need to clean. Just make sure you don't look before flushing." Jane cleaned up in the diminutive sink that used a small amount of running water.

Refreshed, she went to the back room to find Daria already awake and sitting on a cushion, eating from a plate of fruit. Jane said, "Morning," and sat next to her.

"Jane. It looks like your concern about a liquid diet is solved. I just hope you're prepared for a vegetarian one."

Jane picked up a blue, oval fruit. "How are these?"

"No clue, haven't tried one yet."

Jane bit into the fruit carefully. Her eyes flew open in utter surprise. "Oh…My…God!"

"Jane?"

Jane was madly devouring the fruit. "This is incredible."

Daria continued to work on a smaller, violet fruit. "These are good." After another bite, she said, "Jane, what were you so frustrated about? Just before we left."

Jane licked the remaining juice from her fingers. "Nothing."

"You don't get that annoyed at nothing."

"Really, nothing you need to worry about."

"For a minute, I almost thought you were trying to play matchmaker again."

"Uh…"

"But then I thought, 'You know better than that.'"

"Uh…"

"So, what had you so upset?"

"I…damn. Okay, I was. He likes you, and I know how lonely you've been."

"Jane…"

"I know you don't like me trying to help."

"Jane…"

"And yes, the two biggest romantic screwups of your life you met because of me."

"Jane…"

"He's not exactly what he seems…"

"Jane, he left a note in my pocket. A married man old enough to be my father left a note in my pocket. That I didn't feel him put there."

"What?"

She handed her the note. "What did he tell you?"

Jane read it. "About the same thing, after trying to spoof me about his age."

"Well, he is a lot older."

Jane flipped up the edge of Daria's bangs. "And you have long black hair."

"What does that mean?"

"His gray hair has brown roots."

Daria shook her head. "And he's married."

"Nope."

Daria glared at Jane. "So you do know more."

"Okay, yes. He's really thirty-seven, single and his name is Tim O'Neal. The whole married bit was a quick cover to make you feel more comfortable when you first met."

"I remember, after what sounded like a bad pick-up line from him."

"In your book, you wrote he only said he was looking for the pretty lady living there."

"Um…well…yeah, that's what he really said."

Jane grinned. "He said putting a wedding band on his expense report caused a few problems."

Daria sadly shook her head. "Jane, why? I've got enough going on now. I don't need you trying to set me up with someone I may never see again."

"I'm kind of hoping you might."

Daria looked directly at Jane. "I'm not planning on going back, except to visit."

Jane straightened. "Dammit! When did you decide this?"

"Last year, when I returned from the cabin. I was planning on going this year until Quinn got pregnant. I'd postponed that plan to see her child. But, now that I'm on my way, I'll stay."

"Why?"

"You were right, I've been lonely. I only knew my children for a year. Seeing Truemind's note last year hit me hard. I miss them terribly and want to be with them."

Jane folded her hands in her lap. "Damn. That makes sense."

"I know you want to go back to Mack when it's safe. You better do that instead of trying to hang around to keep an eye on me."

"I…dammit all, I hate your logic at times."




Daria and Jane crouched outside a bulkhead door. Jane was rubbing her hands together and grinning with excitement. "We get to see the bridge of a starship. This is going to be so cool."

"Try to contain yourself." Daria allowed a small smile.

The door opened and a crewmember saluted as they entered the apex of a wedge-shaped room. Autumnblossom and an officer stood at a pair of consoles in front of the door. Beyond them were three more crewmembers at consoles, and two crewmembers were stationed along each side of the room. Autumnblossom turned and said, "Welcome. This is Captain Newharvest."

The Captain saluted. "Welcome aboard the Nebulachaser, Ambassadors Daria and Jane."

Daria nodded. "Thank you, Captain."

Jane said, "Um…hi."

She turned to look at the rest of the bridge. "Any questions?"

Jane looked around. "I expected a big viewscreen, or window, or something up front to see where we're going."

The captain pointed to his console. "The Princess and I can monitor all displays from here. Flight control, navigation, ship systems, tactical situation or weapons."

"Bummer, I was hoping to get a look outside since there are no windows in our rooms."

Autumnblossom said, "There are none on the ship. Ambassador Jane, I will make sure you get a trip to an orbiting observatory when we arrive at Nest."

"Thanks."

Newharvest added, "There is nothing to see. The alteration of space-time curvature around the ship prevents light from entering.

Daria looked at a navigation display. "I estimated before that your planet was about three hundred light years away; was I correct?"

"Three hundred and two of your measure. At our current speed of one thousand, two hundred times light speed, we will take ninety-two of your days to complete the trip," Newharvest replied.

Jane smirked. "I'd hate to see a…something splatter against the grill."

After taking a moment to understand, the captain said, "At this speed, something striking us would vaporize the ship instantly. However, the reshaping of space-time around the ship prevents any matter from reaching us; it effectively is moved to the side and then is returned to its previous position."

Jane frowned. "Wouldn't that get messy for what got moved?"

"From its relative viewpoint, it never moved. To an outside observer, a ship moving faster than light is undetectable. Conversely, we effectively cannot see the rest of the universe while traveling."

Blinking her eyes, Jane said, "You're starting to make little Janey's head hurt. I'll take your word for it."




MAY 2012


Tim was viewing microfilm at a reader. Crystalheart, a young male Intelligence Officer assigned to help him by Autumnblossom, asked through a portable translator, "O'Neal. I am curious. Why are your reports on this rather archaic archive system?"

"Security. To examine our records, you must physically use the microfilms. We absolutely keep all of our sensitive records off of computers, so hackers can't get to them. We're one of the few places to still use typewriters."

Tim read some more, scratched his cheek and commented, "You said there wasn't a connection between the old reb…resistance and the Traditionalist clergy."

"Correct. They supported the old monarchy and now support restoring the former Queen."

"This isn't making sense. Our collaborators worked with the resistance for a while. When the civil war ended, the agency people just kept quiet. Now the Traditionalist clergy contacts them and they cooperate. I'm not seeing the connection. With Ms. Morgendorffer's close ties to the royal family, we have excellent good will with your government. Why risk it?"

"It would make sense only if they thought the clergy had an unusually high chance to succeed. They very nearly did."

Tim shook his head. "Something is still not adding up. A group that opposed the resistance is suddenly getting cooperation from the same contacts on my planet. I don't get it."

"It is a confusing situation. Clearly, we are missing important data."

He squinted at the reader and set his teeth. "Here's one important piece of data. Assistant Director Chambers was the agent sent to investigate Streamrider's landing."

"So we know the primary contact."

"But, his reports say he only found a scorched crater."

"That is consistent with the report that Princess Eveningsky found on Streamrider's computer."

"But the interesting thing is. it looks like Chambers submitted no reports for the next ten months."

"So a superior was involved and allowed him to work with Streamrider off the record."

"Possibly, but if he wasn't assigned to specific activities, that wouldn't be unusual. When not assigned to a case, we pretty much have our time to ourselves. It's a tradeoff for basically being on the job twenty-four, seven when a case is active. He may have been working on his own, with lower ranked agents he recruited."

"There is something I do not understand. Why would Streamrider need to involve Leafweaver? Could not those in your agency who aided her have told where the cabin was?"

"The agency is highly compartmentalized. Unless the operatives involved were very high level, they would not be privy to that information. Trying to approach the reporter or her crew would have been too risky for exposure, so they had to use the only other potential source for the information, Leafweaver. Which gives us a good clue; we know the upper limit that those involved could have been at, seven years ago. In turn, they've had at least one person promoted to a sufficient level to divert funding for several years, which narrows our search range considerably."




Daria sat in what she and Jane referred to as the 'front' room and wrote in the spiral notebook she used as a diary.

Mother's Day

Seven years since the one I got to spend with my daughters. At least one of them is here this time, and I'll see the others in only two more months. Back then, I was worried, but grateful for the three wonderful girls that had entered my life. I've fought depression on every Mother's Day since because I missed them so much. This is the first I've had the chance to simply be happy.


Jane entered the room, followed by Autumnblossom carrying a small bouquet of paper flowers. She gave them to Daria and said, "Jane told me of your people's custom of recognizing mothers on this day and assisted me in preparing something for you."

She accepted the flowers with a quiet, "Thank you." After looking at them again, she said to Jane, "Thanks. I wasn't going to say anything."

Jane crossed her arms and chuckled. "I didn't think you would, but I knew you'd like the surprise."

After bringing a cushion over, Autumnblossom sat next to Daria. "Mother, now that we are aware, all of us will remember you on this day."

Daria rested a hand on her daughter and smiled. "Being with you will be enough."

"I am very happy to be here. My sisters will be jealous of the amount of extra time I have to spend with you."

Jane sat next and patted Autumnblossom. "That sounds like real sisters."




JUNE 2012


Daria and Jane sat under a carefully trellised tree in the hydroponics garden, the only other space in the ship where they could stand upright. Plants, bushes and trees grew in great abundance and variety in the garden, which acted as a recreation area as well as the prime food source for the ship. Jane set down the small computer she was reading from and said to Daria. "You would've made a good teacher."

Daria leaned toward Jane. "Could you really picture me at someplace like Lawndale? Without going postal?"

"No, but at an exclusive school or as a private tutor, yes I can. Daria, in two months I've learned to read a…totally…foreign language. I'm reading it better than I learned to read Spanish in high school."

"Perhaps you're a little better motivated this time?"

"Or I have a better teacher?"

"I'd say avoiding boredom was a good motivator."

"Maybe. Watching movies around here has been a never-ending foreign film festival."

Daria moved back upright. "You're still mad the CGI work on your character for that 'unauthorized history' made you look like you had a mushroom for a head."

Jane wagged a finger. "You came off sounding like Mother Theresa."

Daria made a gagging sound. "My girls would've died of diabetic shock if I'd really been like that."

"That's saying something, considering how sweet a lot of their food is."

"Not that you've complained that much."

Jane patted her stomach. "Between how good the stuff is and the lack of space to run, I've packed on more pounds then any time in my life."

"Speaking of pounds, Quinn must be massive by now."

Mocking, Jane put her hands to her cheeks, "The horror! The horror!"

Daria smirked. "Someday, I'm going to make the same comment about you."

Jane crossed her fingers in front of her face. "Oh, no you won't. That's not a job I'm looking for."




JULY 2012


Agent O'Neal whispered in the cool, still Arizona night, "I've still got it," as he picked a padlock holding a chain closed. Slowly and quietly, he pulled the chain free of a set of double door handles on the side of a battered warehouse. With weapons ready, he and Crystalheart carefully opened the doors and entered the spotless interior.

Dominating the center of the floor was a scarred, metallic gray disk, about 20 feet in diameter and five feet in thickness at the center. One side was buckled and a hatch was open. Components were spread on nearby benches, along with a bewildering array of testing equipment.

Tim turned to his companion. "Looks like the jackpot."

Tim surveyed and photographed the building with increasing distaste. "Streamrider's lifeboat. She'd turned it over to the agency in exchange for help and lied to Leafweaver about destroying it." Looking inside the lifeboat, he quietly said, "One of the problems with shadow agencies: sometimes one hand doesn't know the other is about to stab it."

Crystalheart peered inside also and said, "The interior has mostly been disassembled."

"Was an autopsy performed on Streamrider's body?"

"Not to my knowledge. Lady Jane's shot was clearly the cause of death."

Tim pointed to the buckled front of the craft pushed into the wrecked remains of a pilot's console. "I saw the lifeboat that came down at Ms. Morgendorffer's cabin, and the witnesses say it came in fast and hard. It wasn't buckled in near as much as this. This hit harder, or was structurally weaker."

"Ships normally operate with a shield to protect the hull from small particle or heat damage." Crystalheart pointed to discoloration of the buckled metal. "This vessel's shields were failing; it should not have that heat damage inside the crew compartment."

"What is the chance a pilot would be uninjured after this?"

He looked at Tim. "Almost none."

Tim backed out of the hatchway. "That explains part of the delay. Streamrider would have been injured and under the care of people with a poor understanding of her physiology."

Crystalheart also backed away. "Then they would have to locate the royal family, modify a transport and teach Streamrider how to operate it."

"I would hazard that they shadowed her and made sure the local authorities didn't get too close."

"And when she didn't return from the cabin, they walked away as if nothing had happened. They were positioned to take complete credit if the plan succeeded, and walk away with almost full deniability if it failed."

"After I learned of Streamrider's attempt, we brought in extra personnel for continuous clandestine observation to make sure nobody got close again."

He pointed at the lifeboat. "What do we do with this?"

"Leave it under surveillance for now. See if anybody shows up." Tim waved his hand toward the door and headed out with Crystalheart beside him.




Jane straightened the collar on Daria's green business suit. "You still aren't comfortable in clothes like this, are you?"

"No."

"You look good, even if the cut of the suit looks the same as those your mother always wears."

Daria grabbed the shoulders of Jane's black suit. "Thanks, I really needed that. Like cranial blunt-force trauma."

"Lighten up. We only have to be seen getting from the spaceship to the limo, or whatever it is, that takes us to the palace."

"I hope I don't embarrass them."

"Like your mother embarrassed you?"

Daria giggled softly. "I hope I don't get that bad."

"Good, laughter is better than freaky."

"Didn't know that was in your job description, did you?"

Jane raised both hands, palms up. "How should I know? I never saw one."

"Hmm. You better write one up, then."

"Yeah, I probably should justify what they're paying me."

"Good luck on going without translation."

She rested a hand on Daria's shoulder. "Thanks. You've been a good teacher."




Nebulachaser was berthed in a sprawling hanger when they exited the ship by the central pillar. An honor guard in dress uniforms escorted Daria, Jane and Autumnblossom to a small disk-shaped craft with a raised center. A modest crowd was to the side, many holding what were apparently cameras or some kind of recording device. Jane waved at them.

They entered the transport through an open hatch to find a single compartment with large, comfortable cushions of a silk-like material. After the hatch closed, Autumnblossom said, "[For safety reasons, the spaceport is a considerable distance from any inhabited areas. The trip to the palace will take a little more than one of your hours. We will make another brief appearance as we go inside. Truemind and Eveningsky have cleared their schedules for a day so that we can be with you privately.]" Touching a control, the top slid back to reveal a clear dome. "[Jane, this one does have a window.]"

The transport rose to a low hover and slowly exited the hangar, following two lines of yellow lights on the brown pavement. The hanger behind them was a dome of dark metallic ribs that radiated from the apex between smooth surfaces of pale tan. Three similar buildings could be seen to one side, and at least six on the other. More hangars were visible in the far distance, on the other side of the sprawling landing zone.

Two drab brown vehicles moved into formation with the transport, front and back. The domed turrets with paired muzzles clearly showed these to be a military escort. Autumnblossom said, "[Please do not be alarmed. The escort is protocol whenever any of us travel. I hope you understand.]"

Daria nodded. "About like our Secret Service protection of the President. I hope they're not needed."

Once clear of the safety buffer around the spaceport, the craft rose to a flight altitude of about a thousand feet and flew over a landscape of vibrant vegetation interspersed with towns and crossed by a small number of ground roads.

Jane looked up from watching the passing ground. "I haven't seen anything else flying around and you don't have many roads down there; what gives?"

"[There is a restricted flight zone for about twenty-two of your miles on either side of our flight path. Ordinarily, there would be a large amount of traffic to and from the airport. Most has been diverted to different approaches to provide our security perimeter and minimize traffic interruption.]" She noticed Daria's uncomfortable look. "[It was not easy for any of us to get used to this after staying with you. But, we are very public figures.]"

"I understand, and will take some time for me to get accustomed to it, also."

Jane's attention was back outside at the ground. "I have got to get some more art supplies than just the sketch pads, pencils and watercolors Neville's flunkies were able to scare up for me."

Autumnblossom looked over her shoulder at a gridded array of vibrant gold vegetation under cultivation. "[The crowntrees in blossom are even more spectacular up close. There is a grove in the palace gardens.]"

"Cool."




Viewed from the air, Daria estimated the Palace grounds covered somewhat over a square mile. Numerous domed buildings in greens, browns and yellows dotted the manicured landscape. The entire complex had an organic unity and beauty that was breathtaking. Every plant, tree and rock was as important to the architecture as the stone, wood and metal of the buildings.

The escorts broke formation and landed at a paved field just outside the compound. Their car glided to a stop at a small elevated landing pad just inside the compound, near a grand dome of dark green with soft, yellow ribs.

Autumnblossom opened the hatch and pointed to the large structure. "[The Public Hall. We will have the formal welcome there.]" A camera crew stood at a short distance away, recording them.

Motioning the two women to follow, Autumnblossom walked toward a cluster of smaller domes of greens and browns some distance away. "[The real welcome will be in our private residences. By tradition, only foot traffic is allowed within the grounds. For critical needs, there is an underground transport.]"

As they walked, Daria and Jane gazed around at the beauty of the palace. After three months of nine-tenths gravity on Nebulachaser, it felt normal as they walked the planet surface. The higher oxygen content of the air compensated for the lower pressure, tricking their bodies into thinking they were almost in Earth's atmosphere. A riot of new scents complemented the surroundings. The fragrances from the many plants and flowers also added to the overall effect of the palace.

Daria looked at a twitch in Jane's fingers and said, "You're going to spend a lot of time out here painting, aren't you?"

"Damn straight. This place is incredible. The designer was a genius of composition and color."

"[It is considered one of the great artistic accomplishments of the modern era. Until Truemind's coronation, this was closed off from the public. Except for the residences, the palace is now open for all to see.]"

Daria looked around. "Like the old Forbidden City in China."

Jane jogged her legs slightly. "This is also going to be a great place to run."

Daria patted Jane's shoulder. "Knock yourself out."

"I'm dragging you with me like we used to do in Boston. You've packed on a little, too."

"I hate you."

Autumnblossom continued to talk about the palace. "[We have also transferred the maintenance costs of the palace to our family fortune. This year will also be the first year that we will pay taxes on the property.]"

Jane whistled. "That must take a big bite out of your wallets."

"[Under the old monarchy, our family accumulated considerable holdings. We can easily afford it. Just as we now provide for the full maintenance of Nebulachaser. These have become important symbols that we are no longer above all others.]"

They soon reached the residences, where a butler opened the door for them to enter and closed it behind them. They were in a well-appointed entry foyer. Delicate tapestries adorned the walls and fresh flowers were in vases to either side of a hall leading away. Autumnblossom led Daria and Jane down the hall to a simple room with numerous cushions on the floor.

"[Mother!]" came a stereo call as Eveningsky and Trumind rushed over. Daria barely had time to face them before both had their arms wrapped around her waist.

"I'm happy to see you, too." Daria put an arm around each to return the embrace. "I'm so proud of all of you."

Jane smiled at the group and turned back toward the door. "I'll leave you some time together and make sure our luggage didn't get misdirected to Planet Zippotron or something."

Truemind looked over. "[Lady Jane. I have already been informed your possessions have been delivered to your quarters. Please stay; we have missed you also and I would hear firsthand of what happened to you.]"

"Daria's the storyteller, but I suppose I can add some color commentary."




Tim stared at a microfilm reader and rubbed his eyes in response to the post-midnight fatigue. Crystalheart was seated next to him, drinking from a mug of coffee. "This caffeine-seed extract is very good with that pollinator-processed nectar."

"What? Oh, the honey. Yeah, great stuff."

"O'Neal, we have examined these records for many days. We have seen no evidence of redirected finances to support Streamrider when she was here, or to examine her ship after."

Tim rolled his chair back and drank from his mug of coffee. "This is getting messier all the time. The only way would be for Chambers to have some outside funding. But where, and how, could he get that amount of money?"

"Perhaps we need to further investigate his personal history."

"Kid, I like the way you think."




Daria and Jane waited in an antechamber to the main room of the Public Hall. There were still in the suits they wore earlier, and each held a slender glass of fruit juice as they talked. Jane pointed to the door leading out to the main room. "One more hurdle to cross today. I really could use some coffee."

"They must have some kind of legal stimulant, we need to ask. I could really use a cup myself."

"Your kids certainly have been busy."

Daria shook her head. "They've revolutionized an empire. I can't believe it."

Jane clinked her glass against Daria's. "Guess it's all of those bad influences they had growing up."

"Come on. I only taught them a bit about my sense of right and wrong. They made all this work."

"Yeah, kid."

"Jane."

Another door opened and Eveningsky and Autumnblossom entered wearing deep blue garments with a bright gold braid collar. Truemind entered immediately behind in a similar blue garment and a platinum collar. Eveningsky approached and said, "[Whichever ones of us are in residence attend a public audience each day. The audience is chosen by lot from those that request attendance. A further fifteen are chosen to ask any question they wish of us.]"

Jane leaned over to Daria. "You have the coolest kids."

Daria smiled at Jane and then turned to Eveningsky. "I'm also here as Ambassador; I will be willing to answer questions posed to me."

Eveningsky gave a small laugh. "[Don't forget to turn your translators on so the public can understand you.]"

Jane laughed also. "Glad someone around here is thinking."

Eveningsky continued, "[We will go out and open the public audience before we introduce you. Ready?]"

Daria inhaled. "No. But if you wait for me to be ready, you'll never get started."

Eveningsky pressed a button on the wall near the door and a single, deep tone sounded in the hall. Truemind led her sisters out to a dais set before a crowd of several thousand.

Daria gulped and rested her hand on Jane's shoulder. "Push me if I need it."

"My pleasure."

"Some friend."

Truemind's amplified voice carried through the hall. "[Welcome, citizens. My sisters and I are pleased to have the opportunity to hear your questions and concerns.]" She looked toward Daria briefly. "[It is also with great happiness that I can introduce the new Ambassador from the People of the Soil, and the person who is Mother in my heart. The Lady Daria, and her Deputy Ambassador, the Protector of all three of us during our metamorphosis, the Lady Jane.]"

Jane gently tugged at Daria's arm to get her moving onto the stage. She looked out over a large auditorium that held thousands of Folk, all intently watching her approach.

Jane said out of the side of her mouth in a whisper, "No…" At the first sound of translation, Jane quickly shut the device off to finish saying, "…offense, but if I hadn't already gotten used to them, that visual would have really creeped me out."

Daria lightly shook her head and whispered back, "Don't forget to turn it back on."

"Oops," Jane muttered as she did turn the device back on.

As they got closer, Truemind was seated on a raised cushion in the center, Eveningsky to her right and Autumnblossom to the left. A pair of cushions was placed just in front of Truemind. Two ornately uniformed guards stood at floor level on either side of the dais.

After she and Jane were seated, Daria said to the audience, "Greetings from…the People of the Soil. I hope my stay here will continue to be as pleasant as the hospitality I have felt since I left my home planet. I understand that this is a forum for asking questions. Please feel free to ask of me also." Her voice in translation was amplified through the room.




Daria listened in fascination to the questions. Some were serious questions on how the new government was forming. Others looked for opinions on more local problems, while others were fairly personal.

The questioners stood on a small dais set about 20 feet in front of the main one and raised so the questioner would be at the same level as the royals. Each waited, seated on a row of cushions near the dais and approached in the order they had been seated.

A middle aged woman asked, "[Do you fully intend to allow overrides of your vetoes?]"

Truemind nodded.

Daria smiled at the human trait she'd picked up and was being adopted more by those with regular contact with the royal family.

Truemind said, "[I do. If the elected president and two-thirds of the legislature agree, my veto of a law can be overridden. I will not have absolute power.]"

The next questioner was about their age. "[What are your plans for future student financial aid?]"

Eveningsky answered, "[We are investigating new funding mechanisms. Or first concern will be for need-based, followed by aptitude based. I will be blunt; we do not yet have a solid program developed. We hope to have one to propose by the start of the first legislative session.]"

The final questioner was a male. He turned his attention to Daria. "[Ambassador Daria. I have a question for you.]"

Daria said, "Go ahead, please."

"[There have been many stories about what you did for the royal family. Please tell us directly. Is it true you provided an artificial diet for them?]"

The two guards carefully began to move forward.

"It is true."

The questioner's hand moved to a pocket of his coverall and the guards moved forward quickly. He removed a short tube as one guard broke into a run toward him and the other in front of Daria. The questioner rammed the palm of his hand against the base of the tube. A loud report echoed through the room and a flash erupted from both ends.

The guard that moved in front of Daria was spun around hard and blood slung upward across the main dais. The second guard tackled the assassin, who was staring at the shattered remains of his hand. The blackened tube of the improvised gun had dropped to the ground. More guards poured into the room and cordoned off the royal family.

Daria rushed forward to the fallen guard with surprising speed and Jane stumbled after her. Daria dragged the fallen guard closer to the dais and within the cordon. The bullet from the gun had entered the guard's lower thorax and passed horizontally through much of the abdomen.

Daria sat and pulled the guard into her lap. After she saw bright red blood from each of the breathing apertures along the guard's left side, she yelled, "Get her a medic! Now!"

The guard slightly raised her head and reached up with one hand to touch Daria's face. "[Are you unharmed?]"

"I'm fine. You rest while we get you help."

"[My duty is done.]" She relaxed and leaned against Daria's chest. The guard's abdomen very gently rose and fell with weak breathing.

Jane knelt beside the two of them and also yelled, "We need some help here!" She pulled a cushion over and ripped a strip of cloth off. Quickly folding it, she pressed it against the guard's wound.

The assassin struggled with the guards until a purple flash caused him to slump to the ground. One of the newly arrived guards kept a pistol pointed at his head. "[Give me an excuse.]"

Autumnblossom began to organize the ever-increasing number of guards to restore order. The crowd was near panic and restless with curiosity.

Truemind forced her way through the cordon and addressed the crowd. "[Everybody, please listen.]"

The milling slowed and the roar diminished. She spoke again. "[We are unharmed. Please remain calm and stay still. The perpetrator is in custody. One of the Nestheart guards is gravely wounded.]"

Eveningsky, along with one of the palace physicians and two others carrying a stretcher, rushed to Daria. The doctor carefully lifted the edge of Jane's bandage, and then looked along the bloodstained side of the guard. She removed a package from a case she carried and opened it. It was a semi-rigid bandage with a clear gel on one side. The doctor held it close to the wound and used her other hand to move Jane's hand and bandage away.

The new bandage was rotated into place and carefully smoothed down. "[We need to get her into surgery immediately.]" She gestured to the two attendants. "[Take her to the operating room on the second sublevel of the Defense Hall. Have her prepared and I will be in shortly.]"

The guard was lifted onto the litter and quickly moved away. The doctor looked at Daria's blood-soaked clothes. "[Are you injured?]"

Daria looked down at herself in shock. "No." She turned to Jane, wrapped her arms around her friend and looked at Eveningsky. "Why didn't the guards have shields?"

Eveningsky sat beside them and gently placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "The Nestheart Guards will not accept them. They claim shields lead to overconfidence and inattention."

Through quiet sobs, Daria said, "Not another one. Please don't let her die."




"Healthy and energetic." The obstetrician gently placed the newborn in Quinn's waiting arms.

The tiny girl gurgled and stopped crying. Quinn smiled down at her daughter. "Daria Jane. I'm sure your namesakes are having the times of their lives now."

A blond-haired man gazed down at his wife and daughter. "But, I bet they would still rather be here."

Quinn looked up. "Bill, I'm sure you're right."




The three sisters gathered in a secure room beneath the residences. Consoles of numerous types lined the walls of the starkly utilitarian room.

"[These Folk are insane!]" Autumnblossom yelled at her sisters. "[They tried to ram Nebulachaser. Ram! This is the third time they have almost succeeded in killing Mother. We cannot let this continue.]"

In a calmer voice that was still cracked with strain, Eveningsky said, "[We cannot allow their actions to guide our response. They want Mother harmed, but they also want us to act rashly and strike back with violence, to become abusive and paranoid. We hold the upper hand now, but will not if we allow that to happen.]"

Truemind tightly grasped her hands under her neck. "[You are both correct. We must act, but not strike out. Today was not only a strike against Mother, but against us. They want to show that they can reach wherever they choose.]"

Autumnblossom paced back and forth. "[Allow me to assign protective guards to Mother and Jane. I know Mother will not like it, but we cannot take any more chances.]"

"[I agree. We must show that they are under royal protection,]" Eveningsky said.

Truemind gazed at both. "[I want those guards hand-picked.]" She went to a console and examined the display. "[What is the condition of the wounded guard?]"

Concerned, Autumnblossom said, "[She is in critical care after surgery. We don't know if she will survive.]"

"[Damn.]"

"[Mother has gone to see her.]"

"[Make sure both are safe and guarded, but not disturbed.]"

Truemind asked Eveningsky, "[Do we know how he got a weapon in, and how he managed to be chosen to ask a question?]"

Activating a display next to Truemind, Eveningsky explained, "[The weapon was a simple improvised firearm using a stone projectile and a friction ignited primer for the explosive powder. It was completely nonmetallic. We have ordered chemical vapor detectors installed as soon as they arrive to prevent further incidents.]"

"[The cleric?]"

Autumnblossom moved over and pointed to the display. "[The improvised weapon partially exploded in his hands. One hand was too badly damaged to repair. He is under medical sedation until his condition can be stabilized.]"

"[How did he get the lot to come forward for a question?]"

"[Several questioners reported that they had been approached to sell theirs. We located the person who did sell a lot. It was a student. When the cleric offered her a year's living expenses for the lot, she accepted.]"

"[Then we need to tighten up the lottery to make sure those chosen are those that use it.]"

Autumnblossom made an entry into her console. "[I've ordered a preliminary plan to be in place before tomorrow's audience. I am not happy about doing any before we revise the security, but I will accept Eveningsky's position that allowing a disruption will strengthen them.]"

Truemind asked, "[Eveningsky, have you discovered yet how they knew to make contact with the old resistance collaborators on Mother's homeworld?]"

"[Not yet. We still only have the Reconciliation Commission confession from one old resistance specialist. Who inconveniently met an accident before she could talk in detail.]"

"[Help me prepare a statement to the press, and get back to it. I have a bad feeling about that connection.]"




July 11

Dear Mom, Dad, Quinn,

I have requested that this message be delivered to you before the regular communiqué is released to the public.
We arrived at Nest earlier today. I had a chance to be with all of my children, I'd never felt happier.

Unfortunately, there was another attempt on my life today. During a public audience, one shot was fired. I'm unharmed, but I'm watching over a young guard who took a bullet in my place. I'm positive I will be placed under protective guard. It only seems prudent, even if I don't lik