Resort

A fragment from the Chapter 1

The Platform

In the dimness of the steam room, the ceiling seemed even more fascinating. The elaborate lighting created an illusion of a cloudy sky. Now and again, it seemed obscured by fog, so that one could not see further than an arm's length, but then occasionally it would appear in all the splendor of the clouds illuminated from different sides. Soft, relaxing music was playing. A soft murmur of water was at times drowned out by a hiss coming out of the crevices under the benches along the walls, then the steam followed.

There were two stone stands in the middle of the room, both occupied now. Two females, glistening with oil and moisture, were kneaded by two masseuses each while two other attendants were anointing and cleansing the skin on their faces. The attendants sometimes moistened their heads with cool water in order to keep them from overheating.

One of the lying women was blond, or at least fair-haired, the other was a striking brunette. Both women were perfectly shaped, in fact, they looked like two incarnations of the ripe female beauty itself, like its day and night versions. Both ladies were shrouded in fog. The music was playing quietly, the water was gurgling, the steam hissing…

A while later, the two beauties were resting in sun loungers, wrapped in light robes. The blonde one was holding an elegantly shaped misty glass from which she was sipping an icy drink through a straw, the brunette was drinking herbal tea from a small carved stone bowl. The attendants, ready to appear at the first sign and grant any wish of their mistresses, hid behind columns. The lounge of the luxury spa was quiet.

The young women were childhood friends. They liked to come here early in the morning when men would have already left for their demanding work that made them fabulously rich, while the wives of "fits" - the highest financial class of the Galaxy - were still lingering in bed. Those clucking chickens were coming later, by noon. Whereas now was their time, the time of the she-wolves.

Actually, both women looked more like large felines from the jungle of planet Resort, a female snow leopard and a black panther. Such were the graduates from the Cassiopeia school for girls well-known throughout the Galaxy. Those girls rarely got married, unless in exceptional circumstances, but each and every one of them knew how to wrap men around her finger. Their bodies were not for sale. No money could buy them. Even the big money of the "fits."

The paths of the girls had parted after school. Blond Afra had lucked out right away: she was a decent singer and one of the elderly "fits" on Ayder became her patron. Afra got popular, but the show business seemed meaningless to her. She tried her talents in different domains, including fashion and beauty industries, she was ardent and amorous, but always made a clear distinction between her sponsors and her lovers. Afra had an agreeable and cheerful nature, she was easygoing and full of life. She was indeed the beauty of the day, reaching for the sun, and yet standing with her feet firmly on the ground.

Ishta's path had been more thorny and dark. She never spoke about her first years after school, and whenever Afra in her carelessness pestered her with questions, Ishta's eyes lit with a grim fire making her look even more like a panther. Afra usually retreated, understanding that her friend's past concealed a few dark secrets, just as a night hid many things that were not meant for prying eyes under its invisible cloak. One way or another, Ishta had become the owner of a network of pleasure salons where, within the legal boundaries, both men and women could enjoy amazing experiences, unavailable to them in their everyday lives. Simultaneously she ran a school that trained staff for those salons.

Evidently, both Afra's undertakings and Ishta's business brought considerable income. Otherwise, they would have never been able to afford annual passes at the most expensive spa in the financial capital of the Galaxy. It was here that they had bumped into each other one morning, rejoiced at the coincidence and talked all day and all night, just as they did at school. Since then they met regularly in the morning, making plans and "sharpening their claws," as Ishta liked calling it.

The morning wind played cheerfully with the flag that was flapping frantically at the top of the flagpole. From here, one could not see the whole island, only its southern tip, but it was the highest vantage point, the one with the farthest view. Swimming in the ocean was unthinkable that day because of the high waves that loudly crashed in the coastal rocks in the southeast. The noise of the waves reached the summit from time to time, even though it was almost drowned out by the sound of the wind.

A group led by a tour guide climbed up to the narrow flight of stairs connecting a flat spot three stadia below; here, people stopped to catch their breath. They left before dawn to make sure they would not turn up here in the worst heat. To visit the Mo Continent and not to reach its top was considered unworthy of the brave and curious - the one and only kind selected for the Youth Camp on planet Resort.

Making it into the Camp was a big privilege in itself; at the very least, it meant an opportunity to swim in a pool every day! Those who could not swim – and that was the majority among them – could take swimming lessons, as well as enjoy jacuzzi, water slides and other similar pleasures. And then there was this cleanest air, saturated with ocean salt, and the gentle sun softened by invisible filters.

But more importantly, the networking opportunities were invaluable in a place like that. The selection process for the Camp consisted of many phases. Money, connections, patronage or social quotas accounted to nothing. But basically, any young boy or girl who showed talents, tenacity, along with a low level of aggression, had a shot at being selected. A couple of dozen years later, those people usually became very successful in the society, so it was always beneficial to have friends among them.

Last but not least, a part of the training, as well as all the excursions, were provided by the representatives of the Koatls House. Not all of them were particularly famous, of course. Those were people who lived and worked permanently on the Platform or on the Mo Continent: at weather stations, farms, and other infrastructure facilities. It was they who chose their future successors and the working force among the Youth Camp participants.

Surely, graduates of the elite institutions could also end up working here, provided there was a demand for specialists in the particular domain of their studies. Yet the majority of the future employees of the Koatls House were recruited from the pool of young people already familiar with the planet. What did the job at Resort imply? Ever clean air, healthy lifestyle, healthy food, comfortable and secure old age, even if one did not spend the retirement years on the Isle of Sages, but fly instead to some other place.

With regard to one's children, it would mean their preferential admission to the Camp and exposure to the water and water sports since a very young age. And, of course, there was always an opportunity to marry into the Koatls Family. Such cases were rare, but it happened. Who would not want to be part of one of the richest families in the Galaxy? Resort gave its visitors a quality rest, and its inhabitants got titan health among other things. People seldom got sick over here, they lived long, and their lives from childhood to old age had been connected to the ocean.

"So, has everyone caught their breath?" The guide, a young tanned woman, smiled. "Now, take a look. Over there, in the southeast, where the sprays are the highest, is the main tidal power generator. As I told you before, the whole Mo Continent is a huge artificial island. We use all available means to generate power: both the wind and the sun serve us well. But a significant share comes from the tidal energy. As you know, waves in the ocean rarely subside!"

"What side does the wind mostly come from?" the red-haired freckled skinny boy, who was in awe of the guide, blushed as she looked at him cheerfully.

"The winds blow mostly from the east, or rather, from the south-east. That's also where the waves come from, as well as the ocean current. The Mo Continent has fixed coordinates, so the tide always comes over its southern shores, in particular on its south-eastern tip. Beyond the horizon, about a gross stadia away, is the Koatls' Platform; that's where the whole project began some thirty-two dozen years ago. So many of you will surely live to see its anniversary, thirty-six cycles!"

"What's in there now?"

"It’s the residence of the Family itself. For about six cycles already the rich guests have been accommodated on the new island. It's called the Isle of Joy. Now, let's go on. To the south, you see our Camp, and closer to the horizon on the southern coast there are fields of solar and wind power plants. On the northern coast there are spas. If you look at the western slope of the mountain, you can see the technical spaceport. The one for the passengers, as you surely remember, is on the northern plateau."

"How many tourists are there on Resort?" asked a plump brunette with dimples.

"Such information is commercially sensitive," the guide smiled politely, "but I'll tell you. Confidentially. Depending on the season, there are between one and a half and two and a half dozen masses simultaneously. This is a huge turnover, which requires quite extensive operations for delivery and services. We are proud of the fact that for many cycles we have not had a single accident!"

"None whatsoever?" a young man spread his hands in surprise.

"Not at all. It is obviously thanks to the thoroughly elaborated Contract, which has to be signed by each guest, but also due to a scrupulous organization and coordination of all tiny bits in the system. And there are plenty of those. There is always work for a talented person on Resort. Now, look closely," the guide checked with the infosphere and raised her hand to the zenith.

The sky was blue, the sun was festive, only a few feathery clouds at high altitude emphasized the vastness of the space around them. Suddenly, a black dot appeared on it which gradually grew into a huge (by local standards) spaceship. It was slowing down, landing while making no noise. From the top of the mountain, they could see a part of the slope of the northern plateau shifting to allow access to the landing pad, then the ship slid in. The hatches closed behind it. All the group could see now was the serene landscape of the eastern part of the Mo Continent.

The gathering in the Forum was heated that day. The Pleiades Representative was addressing the Ethics Committee: he was called on a suspicion of a conflict of interests. The Forum was rumbling as the hearing took place in a wealthy sector, the status of the Representative was high, and the issue was sensitive. If the Auga Representative could prove that his accusations had grounds, there would be more than just a big uproar. It could mean potential resignation, followed by a redistribution of power. All that stirred up excitement and curiosity in those present.

The Commission gathered behind closed doors, but there was a one-way broadcast from the room. Thus, the Representatives, who did not participate in the meeting, as well as journalists accredited to the Forum, could see and hear everything from the next room.

"So, the Pleiades Representative," the Chairman's voice was solemn. "You are summoned with the view of investigating the case of a potential conflict of interests. I ask you to answer my questions and not to indulge in any extraneous reasoning. Are you ready to answer?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are you a member of the Joint Governing Council of planet Resort?"

"Yes."

"In which capacity?"

"As the Pleiades Representative."

"Have you been to the planet itself?"

"Yes."

"In which capacity?"

"As a private person."

"Have you stayed at the common resort?"

"No."

"Do you have an idea of how much does a ticket to the Isle of Joy on planet Resort cost?"

"No."

"Did you pay for your stay on planet Resort?"

"No."

"I would like to draw the attention of the Auga Representative and of all those present to the fact that the Pleiades Representative has confirmed the facts stated in the analytical note. I request this to be duly noted in the minutes of the meeting."

The request was nothing but a formality: since the entire meeting was being recorded by around a dozen spatial cameras, there was simply no point in taking minutes. However, the Secretary of the Commission leaned emphatically towards his notebook.

"Pleiades Representative," the Chairman continued, "do you accept the charges against you?"

"I have not heard any charges yet, Mr. Chairman."

"You are charged with a conflict of interest as a member of the Joint Governing Council of planet Resort who did not pay for his stay as a private person."

"Mr. Chairman, please specify what exactly do you qualify as a conflict of interests?"

"Pleiades Representative, you are being confrontational, which is not conducive to a favorable decision of the Commission."

"Mr. Chairman, I have great respect for the Commission. However, I insist that there is no conflict of interest."

"Representative of the Pleiades, you've just confirmed the facts set forth by the Auga Representative!"

"Mr. Chairman. Let me set forth some additional facts that will explain my position."

"Very well, Pleiades Representative, you have thirty-six seconds."

"It is true that I paid a private visit to planet Resort last month. But I haven’t visited neither the Mo Continent nor the Isle of Joy. I was on the Koatls' Platform for a wedding which I attended as a guest."

"That only makes your situation worse, Pleiades Representative. Everyone knows that accommodation conditions on the Platform are even better than those on the Isle of Joy. We presume that you were invited with a view of gaining loyalty in deciding the future of the Koalts' project on planet Resort which is due to be considered next year."

"Mr. Chairman, there is an important detail missing in the Auga Representative's report. Allow me to point it out."

"Go ahead."

"I was on the Koatls' Platform as a guest at the wedding of my own daughter. Last month, she married VirakKoatl the Fifth, with whom she studied at the same University. As for the conflict of interest, I notified the Joint Governing Council of planet Resort about the wedding and obtained special permission for attending it, provided I would document my entire stay on the Platform. Such a record has been made and is in the possession of the Joint Governing Council. They have no complaints concerning my stay on the Platform. The record can be made available to the Commission upon a separate request."

"Pleiades Representative, why didn't you mention these circumstances right at the beginning and wasted our time instead?" The Chairman knew that he had lost and the matter was settled, but he just sought to annoy the Pleiades Representative who had escaped the trap.

"You asked me to answer your direct questions, Mr. Chairman, and not to deviate. I told you all the facts as soon as you allowed me to." The audience erupted with laughter. "I'd like to take this opportunity and say how much I appreciate your patience and your unequivocal position toward monitoring for potential conflicts of interests by Representatives."

"He must have been furious."

"Oh yes, I heard he was livid."

"Do you know if the girl’s pretty?"

"I haven't seen her. I believe she's more smart than good-looking."

"You're jealous."

"Afra, Mard is neither my lover nor my patron. We're just friends. Why should I be jealous of his daughter?"

"She's younger, Ishta."

"That's ridiculous."

"All right. So he invited you to Resort?"

"Us, dear, invited us."

"Please, don't tell me he's my secret admirer!"

"He knows you're my closest friend. And that I won't fly alone. Or with a man for that matter."

"But I don't have that much money right now!"

"The Koatls will agree to installments. We'll pay it back spread over three years."

"Ishta, do you really want me to believe he's impartial?"

"No, but he's part of the Family now. Of course, de jure he can't influence their decisions. But the Koatls listen to him. And besides-" Ishta hesitated.

"Is there something shady?"

"No, quite the opposite. Something's too much in the spotlight. I mean, someone, not something. I mean us."

"Why? We're not some fashion models, aren’t we?"

"No. But the very fact that we've been on vacation on the Isle of Joy will serve as a great advertisement for the Koatls."

"Even with our reputation?"

"My dear, those wives of "fits" and the big shots don't like us because their husbands can't keep their eyes off us. They’re jealous. And that's exactly why they will do all they can to make their husbands take them to Resort afterward. A little bit of a scandal would only raise its popularity, the Koatls are very right about that."

"Did MardDuk tell you that?"

"Not exactly."

"Then who?"

"Kochimet the Sixth."

"Did he speak with you?"

"There were three of us. Him, me, and Mard."

"Unbelievable."

"The Koatls are ready to move the queue up a bit. It wasn't possible before. But now they have so-called reserve apartments. Few people know about it, because everyone gets to the Isle of Joy separately. So the exact number of apartments is not disclosed."

"Ishta, you sound very convincing. But I still have doubts."

"What is it you doubt? The decency of their intentions? They will be bound by the Contract that we will sign. The Koatls always follow all the clauses to the letter."

"No. I doubt they will not take advantage of our stay there beyond the Contact’s clauses. Do you have an idea of how much a record of your skinny-dipping in their pool could be paid for?"

"That is out of the question."

"Why not? Would you take this Koatl's word for it?"

"No, I wouldn’t. And that’s why I added a clause about it to the Contract. So if something like that happens, we can sue the Koalts for half of their island."

"Are you serious?"

"No, just kidding about the island. But I do mean all the rest. Although, I'm sure the Koatls would never do anything like this. For them, reputation is everything. This is the foundation of their business. Of course, now they have the Mo Continent and two dozen masses of vacationers. But the Isle of Joy is more than just income to them. It gives them power. Otherwise, their project would have been shut down already."

"All right. Consider me convinced. When do we go?"

"In a dozen and a half days."

"In less than a month? You're out of your mind!"

"Afra, you have just agreed to it."

"Yes, but it's too soon... I won't have time to pack!"

"You don't need to pack anything. We will swim, sunbathe and relax."

"I just can't believe my ears."

"Get ready, love. You’ve got a dozen and a half days!"

"And you invited them to come along?" the Kochimet's wife was outraged. "While you know it will damage our reputation!"

"Not at all, darling. On the contrary, it will attract more guests here."

"What charm did that Ishta Rae use to make you agree to this?"

"Arta, darling, there is only one woman in the world for me, and that woman is you." Kochimet stepped up to his wife and hugged her. He inhaled the smell of her hair, felt the warmth of her body. Eventually, Arta relaxed in his arms.

"We can definitely use some more publicity now. Wealthy people do not like to spend their vacations in places unless it's something extraordinary. We knew that, and we took the risk of putting the Mo Continent into operation. Our business needs to grow. The sales for the Isle of Joy diminished, it became harder to promote it nowadays. A little bit of a scandal will draw the attention of the wives of "fits." And we will be ready with an exclusive offer for them. Not for the wives. For the husbands."

"It this something you thought about all by yourself?"

"Not just me. In fact, it was young Virak and his wife's suggestion. They came up with it and asked for my opinion. It certainly seemed like a good idea to me."

"Of course they did - she is MardDuk’s daughter. It's all very clear. Still, I don't like the idea of having those two ... female predators on the Isle of Joy."

"Darling, most of the vacationers there are predators. There are very few people like Elg and Chima among our guests. The Family thrives on the money of those people. Besides, they usually behave themselves here. The Contract keeps them in check."

"We'll see. I don't like it anyway."

"To give our ladies peace of mind, we agreed that the two of them would be met, attended to and escorted only by women. No man from the Family will come in contact with them on Resort."

"Who’s ‘we’?"

"Virak and myself. Your peace of mind means much more to us, especially since we’ve got the most beautiful women in the world for wives!"

"Kochimet, do you know who you are?" Arta laughed. "You are a smoothie! You've always been and will remain a sweet talker. All right then. If they are attended to by our female staff, I have no worries."

"That's wonderful."

"And when will it take place?"

"In a dozen days."

"Where do you plan to accommodate them?"

"On the northern coast. In general, the apartments on the Isle of Joy are quite separated from one another; but in this case, we’re talking about an autonomous property with a private bay and a landing spot. And all the entrance points are under surveillance. No one will disturb them. As they won't be able to disturb any of our other guests. Anyway, I believe they are just going to rest out there."

"All right. Now, what about the expansion plans to the Mo Continent?"

"Ah, take a look." Kochimet projected a 3D image of the Mo Continent above the table. "We want to attach a piece like this to it from the west."

"But it's bigger than the one you have there now!"

"Three times bigger, Arta."

"How are we going to get so many guests?"

"There are already more guests than we can accept, darling. We urgently need to start training people - that's what I was speaking to Virak about. And to the Ketz Sr. We are going to need about six times more staff than we have now."

"And you're going to take a loan to build it?"

"No. For all these years we’ve been following the precepts of Rold and Elg. No borrowing money. Of course, "fits" are extremely interested in our business. But it's them who leave their money here, not the other way around. It's the only way it has always been and it will ever be."

"Excellent."

"We've already made all the calculations. Even if they raise our rent a dozen times more – and they've raised it a gross times since Rold, no kidding – we'll still have enough money. So the most crucial part is the staff."

"How are we going to attend to the guests during construction?"

"The extension of the mainland will be built in many dozen stadia to the west so that its mountain will not be visible."

"Will there be a mountain?"

"Yes, an imitation of a volcano. Can you believe there'll even be light earthquakes sometimes, and smoke from the vent? It'll be six times higher than the mountain we have there now."

"This is just marvelous, Kochimet!"

"Yes, Arta. You know, it's our duty to leave a growing business to our children, just as it had been left to us."

"I love you very much, darling." Arta leaned to Kochimet. "Let's just hope it'll work out well ..."

The sun came in through the windows of the bungalow which meant the heat was over, and it was about an hour before sunset. Afra was awake and lay staring at the ceiling where sunbeams reflected from the ripples on the water were cheerfully playing. It was quiet – Ishta was probably still asleep. They both waited out the hottest hours inside, going out in the early morning and evening, and sometimes at night, to gaze at the stars. The sky here was quite different from that of the Pleiades: on the one hand, there were much fewer stars here, on the other hand, they contrasted much more against the background of the black outer-space-like sky.

During her first week on the Isle of Joy, Afra came to love those light shows that played over her bed. It was a dance that had joy and recklessness and lightness to it, and it resonated with Afra. The young woman herself was like a sunbeam when the circumstances were favorable and she did not need to turn into a predator out of self-defense.

Both Afra and Ishta, who stayed next door, would wake up early at dawn every morning and swim in a netted lagoon. After that, they would get a light breakfast served for them and then they would swim again or sunbathe in the mild sun under an ultraviolet filter. When the sun came closer to the zenith, they would have their lunch. Then they would nap, go for an evening swim, have dinner and a night swim. At night, they liked sitting outside for a long time watching the stars. The Isle of Joy was not very far from the equator, so the nights fell fast. And in the morning they would get up with renewed vigor, rejoicing in the fresh ocean air, sun, and water.

Two silent but friendly and helpful maids were attending to them. They also had masseuses who came according to an agreed schedule. Besides that, they were disturbed by nobody. Right behind their bungalow, there was a jungle, where neither of them felt compelled to walk in, even though there were no dangerous insects or animals of prey. They felt good, they rested and relaxed. Resort was a truly wonderful place.

They had no sight of the Koatls, the two girls from the accommodation services were the only people at their disposal. Once they were welcomed and accommodated, Afra and Ishtawere offered some excursions and spearfishing trips, but both preferred lying on the shallow white sand, swim in the clear gentle water and enjoy their rest. The food was also excellent, healthy and light. Nothing was imported – everything was cultivated on auxiliary platforms or caught in the ocean that surrounded the Isle of Joy on all sides for many great grosses of stadia.

The nearest land was not that far away, there was a range of islands to the east. One could fly over for a tour and a swim in the coastal water with little fish and corals. Going ashore was forbidden, though: that was one of the terms of the lease for the ocean, which the Koatls strictly observed, making sure every guest signed it in the Contract.

The islands were surrounded by a vast ocean, more than two dozen stadia deep in this part. Afra tried not to fixate on the fact that there was nothing but water about half a stade below her feet. The island was firmly anchored in its position, no disturbance, even a storm could not sway it too hard or dislodge it. And yet ... She preferred imagining a solid rock down to the center of the planet rather than a deep ocean underneath.

Afra heard footsteps outside - Ishta must be awake. She heard the other bungalow door open, then something fell in Ishta's room. Weird. Was she all right? Afra got up slightly worried, put on a light robe, and fastened the golden belt with a tag she wore at all times since she got on the planet. Ishta even teased her about that: how can you possibly get lost on an island where every move outside your bungalow is tracked? ButAfra would rather be safe than rational. That way she was sure she would not go astray.

The young woman was about opening the door when her friend barged in on her. Unsteady, she stared at Afra for a moment, then slumped into a cane chair. Ishta was obviously very drunk. Afra rarely saw her friend drunk, and she herself wouldn't usually drink more than a couple of glasses of light wine. But in this case, apparently, a solid portion of liquor was involved. It was so unlike Ishta that Afra got seriously worried.

"What's the matter with you? Did you get sun-struck?"

"All ... is well ..." Ishta spoke slowly, carefully articulating every word. "I just drank ... a little ..." She smiled and waved her hand in the air. She leaned her other hand on the table, but it gave way and Ishta nearly fell off the chair. "A little ... drunk."

"Has something happened?"

"It happened ... it didn't happen ... Who ca ... res," Ishta speech was slurred. "I've got ... an idea ..."

"Look, hon, you need to go to bed now."

"Hold on. I wanna watch the sunset!" Ishta looked defiantly at Afra, swaying slightly as she did so.

"Sunset? Okay ... Let's go out on the terrace then."

"Nah ... we'll watch ... sunset ... from the mountain."

"What mountain?" Afra wondered if she should give her friend a sleeping pill: the latter was clearly in an adventurous mood.

"From the mountain ... on the Mo Continent ... The view over there ... must be amazing!"

"But we haven't asked in advance, besides, they don't fly at night! And how do we get back? Let's talk to them tomorrow," said Afra, trying to remember where in her luggage could the first-aid kit be.

"C'mon, we won't tell anyone." Ishta giggled loudly.

"Ishta, what are you talking about?" Afra remembered in which bag she put the sleeping pills and crossed the room.

"Now, we're going to try one ... thingie."

"What thingie?"

"This one."

Afra turned around and saw a peculiar object in Ishta's hands. It looked like a ball with a diameter of half a palm, with a sort of thick bagel around it. The ball was deep blue and had some purplish tint to it. Afra had a bad feeling.

"What is it?"

"A little ve ... hicle. It's gonna get us there now."

"Ishta, you're out of your mind! Where did you get it?"

"Mar ..." Ishta hiccupped. "It’s a present from Mardie."

"But you can't use it here! Haven't you read the Contract?"

"No one ... will ... notice ..." Ishta smiled, tried to support her head with her hand, and again, her hand gave way. "He said it is ... shielded and ... it's low ... low-power."

"Ishta, how about laying you down!" Afra watched in horror as Ishta turned something and three red lights flashed on the ball.

"Don't worry, love, we'll fly in no time, just lemme find the mountain." A green light went on at the top of the ball and the red one went off. "Gotcha! Now we just press this ..."

"Ishta!!!"Afra lunged for her friend, but Ishta had already pressed the ball pointing it at Afra. Afra disappeared.

"There," Ishta said out loud in satisfaction. "And now I'm coming to you," she said, pressing the contact.

At that moment the ball slipped off her fingers, Ishta disappeared, and the device fell to the floor. The lights went out. The empty room was lightened by the near dusk sun, there was only a faint breeze and the sound of the small waves gently touching the sand on the beach ...

"Alert! Subspace travel system triggered. Coordinates: Northern Bay of the Isle of Joy." The officer on duty cocked his head in surprise, peering at the information on the augmented reality interface.

"What the heck?" Nothing of the kind has happened on the planet in more than three dozen cycles.

"The system re-triggered, same coordinates." The voice giving information was impassive. It was a robot speaking.

"What is going on over there?" Dumbfounded, the duty officer looked for more information. "Any details?

"The signal is at the limit of reach. Two transfers of a small weight over a distance of about the diameter of the planet. Presumably one person without additional cargo. Executed by a single device. The device is deactivated."

At that moment the duty officer received a call from the planet. He saw the agitated face of Kochimet the Sixth.

"Officer, we have an emergency. Two female guests breached the Contract. They just got teleported from the Isle of Joy by a smuggled miniature device."

"Where to?"

"We haven't reached their bungalow yet, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up. I don't know where they went to or what kind of device it is. But it is still in the bungalow. It would be better if some of your people came down here."

"Very well. I'm sending a duty ship down to you."

"Please, one more time, confirm receiving the following statement: the teleportation has not been authorized by us, the device was smuggled. They passed the security upon entering the planet; the device must be miniature and shielded, otherwise, it would not have been missed."

"Acknowledged. Please, stand by."

Twelve minutes later the bungalow was full of people. They were brought by a helicopter that flew over from the Koatls' Platform and a fighter of the Duty Forces that arrived from space. Inside one of the bedrooms in the bungalow, they found an almost empty bottle of liquor and a messed up suitcase on the bed, the other room was neat except for an uncovered bed and something lying on the floor ...

"This is the newest model for micro jumps," one of the officers carefully picked up a ball about a half of a palm with a kind of bagel around it. "It has a rather short range. Not more than two diameters of the planet. They jumped without it which means they can't go back."

"Will you be able to locate them?"

"Only if their coordinates are recorded in the memory of the device. And if they are at sea and alive."

"What about the land?"

"You know the procedure. The Joint Governing Council should be notified in any case. You need to get permission to search. If they have something on them, like tags or access keys, there's a chance. Provided, of course, they survive three or four days on their own. Who are these guests?"

"AfraDita and Ishta Rae."

"Those ones?"

"Yes."

"How unfortunate," the officer chuckled. "At least one of them got seriously drunk. I guess she felt like having an adventure. Never launch a device with shaking hands ... And yet, here we are. If they are found, they’ll live, either way, they’re in serious trouble."

"And so are we. This is a breach of the Contract." Kochimet was clearly very upset and preoccupied. "But regardless, I'd rather find them alive. Losing two women at Resort, even if it's their own fault, is too bad a blow for our reputation."

"Absolutely, we'll do what we can. Should you get any information – contact us immediately."

"We certainly will."

Afra ran toward Ishta, realizing it was too late to stop her friend. The next moment she felt she was falling. The water was near, she barely had time to inhale and hold her breath. She felt the impact, the water closing above her, then she reemerged on the surface... At first, she saw nothing but waves around her. They were blue, not green like those near the Isle of Joy. Or could it be the lighting? The young woman looked around - nothing, not even remotely, looked anything like their bay or the Mo Continent for that matter. Where had drunken Ishta's hand casted her?

At that moment she spotted a land not too far off. There was a mountain overgrown with forest, quite close actually. Three or four stadia. Afra was wondering: the sun was almost above the horizon, and the water was noticeably colder, though still warm enough. Where was she? It did not matter, really. She was in the open ocean, so ...

I need to swim to the shore and fast, concluded Afra decisively rejecting a glimpse of panic at the thought of marine predators.

She was a good swimmer - that was an advantage of the wealthy people of the Galaxy as they had access to swimming pools at all times. Saving her strength, but fast enough, she swam toward the land. Her clothes didn't hold her down as she wore just a light robe and a belt. She decided to keep it on: there was no way of knowing when she would be picked up. Also, being exposed to the sun did not seem like a good idea. Speaking of the sun. It was not going down. It was clearly rising. Afra had an uneasy feeling ... Anyway, there was nothing she could do about it. She had to swim to shore.

So she was swimming, resting on her back, with the blue sky and the birds above her, and the sun rising higher and higher. Finally, the shore was within reach. The sea line was uneven, with rocks jutting into the sea and forest towering over the cliffs. Not far away, though, between two headlands, Afra saw a wide stretch of beach with lazy waves rolling in.

Exhausted, she came out of the water. The waves foamed at her feet and ran back. The sun shone at her back ... Afra stopped. In front of her, not far away, stood two men. A small boat lied on the shore a little way off – it looked like the two of them had just returned from a fishing trip. The boat was rather crude: hollowed out of the trunk of a tree and rudimentarily processed. The men were no taller than Afra, stocky and muscular.

Afra felt very tired, and the men ... well, men are only men. The woman went to the boat, sat on its side and gestured that she was thirsty. Coming out of his stupor, one of the men said something to the other. Undoubtedly, Afra's body wrapped tightly in a wet robe and outlined in the sunlight shining from behind impressed them greatly. The other man snatched a furry garment from his belt and stepped toward Afra handing it to her.

She took what looked like a bag of fur with some liquid inside. With a sigh, Afra examined the neck tangled with a rope, loosened it and took a sip. It was water, lukewarm but not musty. The young woman drank with pleasure and handed over the bag with some water left, nodding her thanks.

"Well, thank you," she said.

The two men exchanged glances. The older man put his hand to his chest:

"Kittim."

The other man seconded his gesture:

"Eliza."

Introductions, figured Afra. She too raised her hand to her chest and said:

"Afra. AfraDita. Look, guys. I really want to get home. Would you please help me?"

They were like children, these two strong men. And she was so tired ... Afra had little memory of the road to their village as they walked through the forest on an obscure trail. She felt exhausted and sick with worries, so when they led her into the tent and pointed to a place where she could sleep, she collapsed at once. Her robe got dry, so she did not undress. A strangely dressed woman approached, wanting something from her ... Afra said nothing and fell into a deep sleep.

Ishta woke up with a severe headache. She rose abruptly and hit her head on a rock. A rock??? Yes. She was in a cave. She felt sick and dizzy. How could I get so drunk ... Everything looks green, and my head is killing me ... Where am I anyway? She was lying on the sand, the sun shining through the opening of the cave, the sea roaring in the distance ... Where was she?

She felt terribly thirsty. Where had she gone? And how? Ishta tried to stand, reeling. Everything turned even greener, her heartbeat raised like a frightened bird, then everything went dark. She had to lie down ... Ishta lay down, saw a clump of dried seaweed beside her, tucked it under her head, and fell asleep again ...

She woke up in the evening. The air was chilly, or even cold. She felt almost no headache, but she was terribly thirsty. Where am I? Where is Afra, where are those stupid maids? Shivering, Ishta got up and walked out of the cave ... With a groan, she sank down on the sand in front of the entrance. She did not recognize the place.

The cave rose above the water approximately to her height. The area in front of her was covered with sand, probably blown in by the storm, as were the seaweed on which she slept. Ishta ran her hand through her thick black hair, of which she was so proud, and some dried bits fell from it. Awesome. How did I get here? Ishta had no idea. There was no such cave in their lagoon. And the trees were different. It wasn't that cold ... Meanwhile, the night was falling. What was she to do?

Freezing, Ishta suddenly recalled how one of her ex-lovers contacted her ... How he bubbled some nonsense. How upset she was that his words still got to her, and how she poured herself a full glass of something strong ... That was utterly stupid, of course ... How she went for a walk ... How she decided to find a better view of the sunset ... How she took out a teleport device and went to Afra ... Her memories stopped after that. What had she done?!..

Ishta examined herself. She wore nothing but the light smock in which she lunched with Afra. That was it. She panicked. Where was she? She must have sent Afra to a mountain on the Mo Continent, but what happened to herself? What was she to do now? Where to go? She had dropped the device, it had slipped from her fingers - she remembered it clearly now.

Probably, for the first time in years, Ishta felt so helpless. She was alone, out of touch, unable to return, somewhere on a wild planet, it was cold and the night was falling. She was not on the Koatls' Platform nor on the Isle of Joy nor on the Mo Continent. The vegetation was very different. Soon their absence would be discovered, the breach would come to light – she would lose almost all her money. All right, the money comes and goes, but how was she supposed to get back? Ishta was shivering.

Still, the businesslike nature of the young woman couldn't remain inactive for long. Ishta began to consider what she could do in her situation. She could get into a cave, burrow into algae and wait until morning. That would be wise. But it was almost dark. What if someone was around?Ishta looked behind her. The rock above the cave rose about a plethron, one-sixth of a stade. Should I climb up there? If there are sentient humans around here, there will be fire. Worth trying. After all, Ishta was capable of defending herself, unless, of course, she would face a predator.

She climbed up before it went completely dark, having managed to get up there without breaking a single fingernail. She stood up and looked around. Nothing. In front of her there was nothing but the sea and the sunset fading over it. Behind her was a wooded slope. That one was for tomorrow. To the left and to the right there were only dark trees. She considered climbing back down. Although she felt extremely thirsty, it was too dangerous to look for water at night. It would be better to wait …

At that momentIshta heard a rustle behind her. She turned abruptly ... And saw a man looking at her from the bushes.

He was almost her height, maybe only a hand shorter. His curly hair was matted, his chest was heavily muscled, the muscles of his arms and legs were developed. He held a weird stick with a rope in his hands and some tiny twigs with bird feathers were sticking out from behind his right shoulder ... He was carrying what looked like a pouch on his belt. It was quite dark already, she could hardly see.

"Do you have water?" Ishta did not get easily scared by men. She knew that her beauty softened them, and she was used to exploiting it.

The man looked at her calmly.

"Wa-ter." Ishta gestured as if she was drinking.

The man shook his head, then beckoned. Ishta recoiled at first but then reckoned that she had nothing to lose. He would give her water, feed her, it would probably be warm wherever he was heading to. Ishta sighed and followed the stranger into the darkening forest.

"Have you found them?" The Duty Forces Commander stood behind the duty officer looking at the augmented reality readings.

"We were able to decipher the destination coordinates of both teleportation instances. Although both destinations are in the opposite hemisphere and on the other side of the equator with respect to the Isle of Joy, they aren't the same."

"What were they looking for there?"

"Commander, I believe they got there by accident."

"By accident?"

"Yes." It appears that the woman operating the device ... Ishta Rae ... was drunk. Her hands were shaking. That's why the second destination point is different from the first one. It must have shifted as the device slipped out of her hand."

"I see. So, where is it?"

"The first woman ended up in the sea. Somewhere near one of the islands at the eastern shore of the inland sea five of the continent number two. No further than several stadia, according to the map."

"Well, if she can swim, she's there already. So she is the other woman, right?"

"Yes. AfraDita. Whereas Ishta Rae reappeared more to the south-east. It’s a different coast of the same sea."

"Have you tried to spot them from the air?"

"The data came in not that long ago. I sent two drones down there, but it was already getting too dark ... It will start to dawn soon, and we hope to get some more information. We can't go ashore, though. Only scan the surface from the air."

"Is it night over there now?"

"Yes. We've wasted a lot of time deciphering this teleporter's data."

"Have you called MardDuk?"

"Yes. He's terrified, of course. He says he never thought Ishta Rae would take it to Resort. It was he who gave us the access code to the device."

"Well. Go on collecting information. The Joint Governing Council awaits our report. So far we understand that both women are likely alive and that both are in forbidden territory where we cannot land, right?"

"Yes. And while we're looking for them, I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"Before it got dark, the drones scoured the area. Here are the photos. Have a closer look."

The first picture showed a hillside. Something was growing there in neat rows. Creeping plants rose (or were tied) to poles about a meter high sticking out of the ground. Another picture showed a hunter stringing a bow. The third showed a woman drawing water from a stream. There was a jug made from clay beside her. On the fourth photo, there was a hut with a mud chimney protruding from the roof and black smoke billowed from it.

"What about them?" The commander stared blankly at his subordinate.

"I'm not much of a historian. But on these pictures, I see a vineyard, an archer, a piece of pottery and a kiln. If it's not a forge, of course. Three dozen or so cycles ago, when the planet was discovered, the natives in those areas did not have that kind of technology."

"What does it have to do with us?"

"Commander, the photos were taken in four different locations. They are considerably distant from each other. In just under three dozen cycles the natives had experienced an explosion of unprecedented technological development. I believe that this is due to the influence of highly intelligent beings who came to the planet."

"This is serious. Where would such beings come from?"

"Commander, two such beings just teleported there today. I propose to investigate this issue systematically."

"Very well. Keep collecting information. I won't notify the Joint Governing Council just yet. Do you think any of the previous fugitives survived?"

"I am certain of it. I'll keep you posted."

"Good." The Duty Forced commander pondered. That was no good news. If the fuss started, spending the off duty time in the private sector on the Koatls' Platform would be over. It would be a shame, vacations over there were quite pleasant …

A fragment from the Chapter 3

Runaway girls

In the dimness of the steam room, the ceiling seemed even more fascinating. The elaborate lighting created an illusion of a cloudy sky. Now and again, it seemed obscured by fog, so that one could not see further than an arm's length, but then occasionally it would appear in all the splendor of the clouds illuminated from different sides. Soft, relaxing music was playing. A soft murmur of water was at times drowned out by a hiss coming out of the crevices under the benches along the walls, then the steam followed.

There were two stone stands in the middle of the room, both occupied now. Two females, glistening with oil and moisture, were kneaded by two masseuses each while two other attendants were anointing and cleansing the skin on their faces. The attendants sometimes moistened their heads with cool water in order to keep them from overheating.

One of the lying women was blond, or at least fair-haired, the other was a striking brunette. Both women were perfectly shaped, in fact, they looked like two incarnations of the ripe female beauty itself, like its day and night versions. Both ladies were shrouded in fog. The music was playing quietly, the water was gurgling, the steam hissing…

A while later, the two beauties were resting in sun loungers, wrapped in light robes. The blonde one was holding an elegantly shaped misty glass from which she was sipping an icy drink through a straw, the brunette was drinking herbal tea from a small carved stone bowl. The attendants, ready to appear at the first sign and grant any wish of their mistresses, hid behind columns. The lounge of the luxury spa was quiet.

The young women were childhood friends. They liked to come here early in the morning when men would have already left for their demanding work that made them fabulously rich, while the wives of "fits" - the highest financial class of the Galaxy - were still lingering in bed. Those clucking chickens were coming later, by noon. Whereas now was their time, the time of the she-wolves.

Actually, both women looked more like large felines from the jungle of planet Resort, a female snow leopard and a black panther. Such were the graduates from the Cassiopeia school for girls well-known throughout the Galaxy. Those girls rarely got married, unless in exceptional circumstances, but each and every one of them knew how to wrap men around her finger. Their bodies were not for sale. No money could buy them. Even the big money of the "fits."

The paths of the girls had parted after school. Blond Afra had lucked out right away: she was a decent singer and one of the elderly "fits" on Ayder became her patron. Afra got popular, but the show business seemed meaningless to her. She tried her talents in different domains, including fashion and beauty industries, she was ardent and amorous, but always made a clear distinction between her sponsors and her lovers. Afra had an agreeable and cheerful nature, she was easygoing and full of life. She was indeed the beauty of the day, reaching for the sun, and yet standing with her feet firmly on the ground.

Ishta's path had been more thorny and dark. She never spoke about her first years after school, and whenever Afra in her carelessness pestered her with questions, Ishta's eyes lit with a grim fire making her look even more like a panther. Afra usually retreated, understanding that her friend's past concealed a few dark secrets, just as a night hid many things that were not meant for prying eyes under its invisible cloak. One way or another, Ishta had become the owner of a network of pleasure salons where, within the legal boundaries, both men and women could enjoy amazing experiences, unavailable to them in their everyday lives. Simultaneously she ran a school that trained staff for those salons.

Evidently, both Afra's undertakings and Ishta's business brought considerable income. Otherwise, they would have never been able to afford annual passes at the most expensive spa in the financial capital of the Galaxy. It was here that they had bumped into each other one morning, rejoiced at the coincidence and talked all day and all night, just as they did at school. Since then they met regularly in the morning, making plans and "sharpening their claws," as Ishta liked calling it.

The morning wind played cheerfully with the flag that was flapping frantically at the top of the flagpole. From here, one could not see the whole island, only its southern tip, but it was the highest vantage point, the one with the farthest view. Swimming in the ocean was unthinkable that day because of the high waves that loudly crashed in the coastal rocks in the southeast. The noise of the waves reached the summit from time to time, even though it was almost drowned out by the sound of the wind.

A group led by a tour guide climbed up to the narrow flight of stairs connecting a flat spot three stadia below; here, people stopped to catch their breath. They left before dawn to make sure they would not turn up here in the worst heat. To visit the Mo Continent and not to reach its top was considered unworthy of the brave and curious - the one and only kind selected for the Youth Camp on planet Resort.

Making it into the Camp was a big privilege in itself; at the very least, it meant an opportunity to swim in a pool every day! Those who could not swim – and that was the majority among them – could take swimming lessons, as well as enjoy jacuzzi, water slides and other similar pleasures. And then there was this cleanest air, saturated with ocean salt, and the gentle sun softened by invisible filters.

But more importantly, the networking opportunities were invaluable in a place like that. The selection process for the Camp consisted of many phases. Money, connections, patronage or social quotas accounted to nothing. But basically, any young boy or girl who showed talents, tenacity, along with a low level of aggression, had a shot at being selected. A couple of dozen years later, those people usually became very successful in the society, so it was always beneficial to have friends among them.

Last but not least, a part of the training, as well as all the excursions, were provided by the representatives of the Koatls House. Not all of them were particularly famous, of course. Those were people who lived and worked permanently on the Platform or on the Mo Continent: at weather stations, farms, and other infrastructure facilities. It was they who chose their future successors and the working force among the Youth Camp participants.

Surely, graduates of the elite institutions could also end up working here, provided there was a demand for specialists in the particular domain of their studies. Yet the majority of the future employees of the Koatls House were recruited from the pool of young people already familiar with the planet. What did the job at Resort imply? Ever clean air, healthy lifestyle, healthy food, comfortable and secure old age, even if one did not spend the retirement years on the Isle of Sages, but fly instead to some other place.

With regard to one's children, it would mean their preferential admission to the Camp and exposure to the water and water sports since a very young age. And, of course, there was always an opportunity to marry into the Koatls Family. Such cases were rare, but it happened. Who would not want to be part of one of the richest families in the Galaxy? Resort gave its visitors a quality rest, and its inhabitants got titan health among other things. People seldom got sick over here, they lived long, and their lives from childhood to old age had been connected to the ocean.

"So, has everyone caught their breath?" The guide, a young tanned woman, smiled. "Now, take a look. Over there, in the southeast, where the sprays are the highest, is the main tidal power generator. As I told you before, the whole Mo Continent is a huge artificial island. We use all available means to generate power: both the wind and the sun serve us well. But a significant share comes from the tidal energy. As you know, waves in the ocean rarely subside!"

"What side does the wind mostly come from?" the red-haired freckled skinny boy, who was in awe of the guide, blushed as she looked at him cheerfully.

"The winds blow mostly from the east, or rather, from the south-east. That's also where the waves come from, as well as the ocean current. The Mo Continent has fixed coordinates, so the tide always comes over its southern shores, in particular on its south-eastern tip. Beyond the horizon, about a gross stadia away, is the Koatls' Platform; that's where the whole project began some thirty-two dozen years ago. So many of you will surely live to see its anniversary, thirty-six cycles!"

"What's in there now?"

"It’s the residence of the Family itself. For about six cycles already the rich guests have been accommodated on the new island. It's called the Isle of Joy. Now, let's go on. To the south, you see our Camp, and closer to the horizon on the southern coast there are fields of solar and wind power plants. On the northern coast there are spas. If you look at the western slope of the mountain, you can see the technical spaceport. The one for the passengers, as you surely remember, is on the northern plateau."

"How many tourists are there on Resort?" asked a plump brunette with dimples.

"Such information is commercially sensitive," the guide smiled politely, "but I'll tell you. Confidentially. Depending on the season, there are between one and a half and two and a half dozen masses simultaneously. This is a huge turnover, which requires quite extensive operations for delivery and services. We are proud of the fact that for many cycles we have not had a single accident!"

"None whatsoever?" a young man spread his hands in surprise.

"Not at all. It is obviously thanks to the thoroughly elaborated Contract, which has to be signed by each guest, but also due to a scrupulous organization and coordination of all tiny bits in the system. And there are plenty of those. There is always work for a talented person on Resort. Now, look closely," the guide checked with the infosphere and raised her hand to the zenith.

The sky was blue, the sun was festive, only a few feathery clouds at high altitude emphasized the vastness of the space around them. Suddenly, a black dot appeared on it which gradually grew into a huge (by local standards) spaceship. It was slowing down, landing while making no noise. From the top of the mountain, they could see a part of the slope of the northern plateau shifting to allow access to the landing pad, then the ship slid in. The hatches closed behind it. All the group could see now was the serene landscape of the eastern part of the Mo Continent.

The gathering in the Forum was heated that day. The Pleiades Representative was addressing the Ethics Committee: he was called on a suspicion of a conflict of interests. The Forum was rumbling as the hearing took place in a wealthy sector, the status of the Representative was high, and the issue was sensitive. If the Auga Representative could prove that his accusations had grounds, there would be more than just a big uproar. It could mean potential resignation, followed by a redistribution of power. All that stirred up excitement and curiosity in those present.

The Commission gathered behind closed doors, but there was a one-way broadcast from the room. Thus, the Representatives, who did not participate in the meeting, as well as journalists accredited to the Forum, could see and hear everything from the next room.

"So, the Pleiades Representative," the Chairman's voice was solemn. "You are summoned with the view of investigating the case of a potential conflict of interests. I ask you to answer my questions and not to indulge in any extraneous reasoning. Are you ready to answer?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are you a member of the Joint Governing Council of planet Resort?"

"Yes."

"In which capacity?"

"As the Pleiades Representative."

"Have you been to the planet itself?"

"Yes."

"In which capacity?"

"As a private person."

"Have you stayed at the common resort?"

"No."

"Do you have an idea of how much does a ticket to the Isle of Joy on planet Resort cost?"

"No."

"Did you pay for your stay on planet Resort?"

"No."

"I would like to draw the attention of the Auga Representative and of all those present to the fact that the Pleiades Representative has confirmed the facts stated in the analytical note. I request this to be duly noted in the minutes of the meeting."

The request was nothing but a formality: since the entire meeting was being recorded by around a dozen spatial cameras, there was simply no point in taking minutes. However, the Secretary of the Commission leaned emphatically towards his notebook.

"Pleiades Representative," the Chairman continued, "do you accept the charges against you?"

"I have not heard any charges yet, Mr. Chairman."

"You are charged with a conflict of interest as a member of the Joint Governing Council of planet Resort who did not pay for his stay as a private person."

"Mr. Chairman, please specify what exactly do you qualify as a conflict of interests?"

"Pleiades Representative, you are being confrontational, which is not conducive to a favorable decision of the Commission."

"Mr. Chairman, I have great respect for the Commission. However, I insist that there is no conflict of interest."

"Representative of the Pleiades, you've just confirmed the facts set forth by the Auga Representative!"

"Mr. Chairman. Let me set forth some additional facts that will explain my position."

"Very well, Pleiades Representative, you have thirty-six seconds."

"It is true that I paid a private visit to planet Resort last month. But I haven’t visited neither the Mo Continent nor the Isle of Joy. I was on the Koatls' Platform for a wedding which I attended as a guest."

"That only makes your situation worse, Pleiades Representative. Everyone knows that accommodation conditions on the Platform are even better than those on the Isle of Joy. We presume that you were invited with a view of gaining loyalty in deciding the future of the Koalts' project on planet Resort which is due to be considered next year."

"Mr. Chairman, there is an important detail missing in the Auga Representative's report. Allow me to point it out."

"Go ahead."

"I was on the Koatls' Platform as a guest at the wedding of my own daughter. Last month, she married VirakKoatl the Fifth, with whom she studied at the same University. As for the conflict of interest, I notified the Joint Governing Council of planet Resort about the wedding and obtained special permission for attending it, provided I would document my entire stay on the Platform. Such a record has been made and is in the possession of the Joint Governing Council. They have no complaints concerning my stay on the Platform. The record can be made available to the Commission upon a separate request."

"Pleiades Representative, why didn't you mention these circumstances right at the beginning and wasted our time instead?" The Chairman knew that he had lost and the matter was settled, but he just sought to annoy the Pleiades Representative who had escaped the trap.

"You asked me to answer your direct questions, Mr. Chairman, and not to deviate. I told you all the facts as soon as you allowed me to." The audience erupted with laughter. "I'd like to take this opportunity and say how much I appreciate your patience and your unequivocal position toward monitoring for potential conflicts of interests by Representatives."

"He must have been furious."

"Oh yes, I heard he was livid."

"Do you know if the girl’s pretty?"

"I haven't seen her. I believe she's more smart than good-looking."

"You're jealous."

"Afra, Mard is neither my lover nor my patron. We're just friends. Why should I be jealous of his daughter?"

"She's younger, Ishta."

"That's ridiculous."

"All right. So he invited you to Resort?"

"Us, dear, invited us."

"Please, don't tell me he's my secret admirer!"

"He knows you're my closest friend. And that I won't fly alone. Or with a man for that matter."

"But I don't have that much money right now!"

"The Koatls will agree to installments. We'll pay it back spread over three years."

"Ishta, do you really want me to believe he's impartial?"

"No, but he's part of the Family now. Of course, de jure he can't influence their decisions. But the Koatls listen to him. And besides-" Ishta hesitated.

"Is there something shady?"

"No, quite the opposite. Something's too much in the spotlight. I mean, someone, not something. I mean us."

"Why? We're not some fashion models, aren’t we?"

"No. But the very fact that we've been on vacation on the Isle of Joy will serve as a great advertisement for the Koatls."

"Even with our reputation?"

"My dear, those wives of "fits" and the big shots don't like us because their husbands can't keep their eyes off us. They’re jealous. And that's exactly why they will do all they can to make their husbands take them to Resort afterward. A little bit of a scandal would only raise its popularity, the Koatls are very right about that."

"Did MardDuk tell you that?"

"Not exactly."

"Then who?"

"Kochimet the Sixth."

"Did he speak with you?"

"There were three of us. Him, me, and Mard."

"Unbelievable."

"The Koatls are ready to move the queue up a bit. It wasn't possible before. But now they have so-called reserve apartments. Few people know about it, because everyone gets to the Isle of Joy separately. So the exact number of apartments is not disclosed."

"Ishta, you sound very convincing. But I still have doubts."

"What is it you doubt? The decency of their intentions? They will be bound by the Contract that we will sign. The Koatls always follow all the clauses to the letter."

"No. I doubt they will not take advantage of our stay there beyond the Contact’s clauses. Do you have an idea of how much a record of your skinny-dipping in their pool could be paid for?"

"That is out of the question."

"Why not? Would you take this Koatl's word for it?"

"No, I wouldn’t. And that’s why I added a clause about it to the Contract. So if something like that happens, we can sue the Koalts for half of their island."

"Are you serious?"

"No, just kidding about the island. But I do mean all the rest. Although, I'm sure the Koatls would never do anything like this. For them, reputation is everything. This is the foundation of their business. Of course, now they have the Mo Continent and two dozen masses of vacationers. But the Isle of Joy is more than just income to them. It gives them power. Otherwise, their project would have been shut down already."

"All right. Consider me convinced. When do we go?"

"In a dozen and a half days."

"In less than a month? You're out of your mind!"

"Afra, you have just agreed to it."

"Yes, but it's too soon... I won't have time to pack!"

"You don't need to pack anything. We will swim, sunbathe and relax."

"I just can't believe my ears."

"Get ready, love. You’ve got a dozen and a half days!"

"And you invited them to come along?" the Kochimet's wife was outraged. "While you know it will damage our reputation!"

"Not at all, darling. On the contrary, it will attract more guests here."

"What charm did that Ishta Rae use to make you agree to this?"

"Arta, darling, there is only one woman in the world for me, and that woman is you." Kochimet stepped up to his wife and hugged her. He inhaled the smell of her hair, felt the warmth of her body. Eventually, Arta relaxed in his arms.

"We can definitely use some more publicity now. Wealthy people do not like to spend their vacations in places unless it's something extraordinary. We knew that, and we took the risk of putting the Mo Continent into operation. Our business needs to grow. The sales for the Isle of Joy diminished, it became harder to promote it nowadays. A little bit of a scandal will draw the attention of the wives of "fits." And we will be ready with an exclusive offer for them. Not for the wives. For the husbands."

"It this something you thought about all by yourself?"

"Not just me. In fact, it was young Virak and his wife's suggestion. They came up with it and asked for my opinion. It certainly seemed like a good idea to me."

"Of course they did - she is MardDuk’s daughter. It's all very clear. Still, I don't like the idea of having those two ... female predators on the Isle of Joy."

"Darling, most of the vacationers there are predators. There are very few people like Elg and Chima among our guests. The Family thrives on the money of those people. Besides, they usually behave themselves here. The Contract keeps them in check."

"We'll see. I don't like it anyway."

"To give our ladies peace of mind, we agreed that the two of them would be met, attended to and escorted only by women. No man from the Family will come in contact with them on Resort."

"Who’s ‘we’?"

"Virak and myself. Your peace of mind means much more to us, especially since we’ve got the most beautiful women in the world for wives!"

"Kochimet, do you know who you are?" Arta laughed. "You are a smoothie! You've always been and will remain a sweet talker. All right then. If they are attended to by our female staff, I have no worries."

"That's wonderful."

"And when will it take place?"

"In a dozen days."

"Where do you plan to accommodate them?"

"On the northern coast. In general, the apartments on the Isle of Joy are quite separated from one another; but in this case, we’re talking about an autonomous property with a private bay and a landing spot. And all the entrance points are under surveillance. No one will disturb them. As they won't be able to disturb any of our other guests. Anyway, I believe they are just going to rest out there."

"All right. Now, what about the expansion plans to the Mo Continent?"

"Ah, take a look." Kochimet projected a 3D image of the Mo Continent above the table. "We want to attach a piece like this to it from the west."

"But it's bigger than the one you have there now!"

"Three times bigger, Arta."

"How are we going to get so many guests?"

"There are already more guests than we can accept, darling. We urgently need to start training people - that's what I was speaking to Virak about. And to the Ketz Sr. We are going to need about six times more staff than we have now."

"And you're going to take a loan to build it?"

"No. For all these years we’ve been following the precepts of Rold and Elg. No borrowing money. Of course, "fits" are extremely interested in our business. But it's them who leave their money here, not the other way around. It's the only way it has always been and it will ever be."

"Excellent."

"We've already made all the calculations. Even if they raise our rent a dozen times more – and they've raised it a gross times since Rold, no kidding – we'll still have enough money. So the most crucial part is the staff."

"How are we going to attend to the guests during construction?"

"The extension of the mainland will be built in many dozen stadia to the west so that its mountain will not be visible."

"Will there be a mountain?"

"Yes, an imitation of a volcano. Can you believe there'll even be light earthquakes sometimes, and smoke from the vent? It'll be six times higher than the mountain we have there now."

"This is just marvelous, Kochimet!"

"Yes, Arta. You know, it's our duty to leave a growing business to our children, just as it had been left to us."

"I love you very much, darling." Arta leaned to Kochimet. "Let's just hope it'll work out well ..."

The sun came in through the windows of the bungalow which meant the heat was over, and it was about an hour before sunset. Afra was awake and lay staring at the ceiling where sunbeams reflected from the ripples on the water were cheerfully playing. It was quiet – Ishta was probably still asleep. They both waited out the hottest hours inside, going out in the early morning and evening, and sometimes at night, to gaze at the stars. The sky here was quite different from that of the Pleiades: on the one hand, there were much fewer stars here, on the other hand, they contrasted much more against the background of the black outer-space-like sky.

During her first week on the Isle of Joy, Afra came to love those light shows that played over her bed. It was a dance that had joy and recklessness and lightness to it, and it resonated with Afra. The young woman herself was like a sunbeam when the circumstances were favorable and she did not need to turn into a predator out of self-defense.

Both Afra and Ishta, who stayed next door, would wake up early at dawn every morning and swim in a netted lagoon. After that, they would get a light breakfast served for them and then they would swim again or sunbathe in the mild sun under an ultraviolet filter. When the sun came closer to the zenith, they would have their lunch. Then they would nap, go for an evening swim, have dinner and a night swim. At night, they liked sitting outside for a long time watching the stars. The Isle of Joy was not very far from the equator, so the nights fell fast. And in the morning they would get up with renewed vigor, rejoicing in the fresh ocean air, sun, and water.

Two silent but friendly and helpful maids were attending to them. They also had masseuses who came according to an agreed schedule. Besides that, they were disturbed by nobody. Right behind their bungalow, there was a jungle, where neither of them felt compelled to walk in, even though there were no dangerous insects or animals of prey. They felt good, they rested and relaxed. Resort was a truly wonderful place.

They had no sight of the Koatls, the two girls from the accommodation services were the only people at their disposal. Once they were welcomed and accommodated, Afra and Ishtawere offered some excursions and spearfishing trips, but both preferred lying on the shallow white sand, swim in the clear gentle water and enjoy their rest. The food was also excellent, healthy and light. Nothing was imported – everything was cultivated on auxiliary platforms or caught in the ocean that surrounded the Isle of Joy on all sides for many great grosses of stadia.

The nearest land was not that far away, there was a range of islands to the east. One could fly over for a tour and a swim in the coastal water with little fish and corals. Going ashore was forbidden, though: that was one of the terms of the lease for the ocean, which the Koatls strictly observed, making sure every guest signed it in the Contract.

The islands were surrounded by a vast ocean, more than two dozen stadia deep in this part. Afra tried not to fixate on the fact that there was nothing but water about half a stade below her feet. The island was firmly anchored in its position, no disturbance, even a storm could not sway it too hard or dislodge it. And yet ... She preferred imagining a solid rock down to the center of the planet rather than a deep ocean underneath.

Afra heard footsteps outside - Ishta must be awake. She heard the other bungalow door open, then something fell in Ishta's room. Weird. Was she all right? Afra got up slightly worried, put on a light robe, and fastened the golden belt with a tag she wore at all times since she got on the planet. Ishta even teased her about that: how can you possibly get lost on an island where every move outside your bungalow is tracked? ButAfra would rather be safe than rational. That way she was sure she would not go astray.

The young woman was about opening the door when her friend barged in on her. Unsteady, she stared at Afra for a moment, then slumped into a cane chair. Ishta was obviously very drunk. Afra rarely saw her friend drunk, and she herself wouldn't usually drink more than a couple of glasses of light wine. But in this case, apparently, a solid portion of liquor was involved. It was so unlike Ishta that Afra got seriously worried.

"What's the matter with you? Did you get sun-struck?"

"All ... is well ..." Ishta spoke slowly, carefully articulating every word. "I just drank ... a little ..." She smiled and waved her hand in the air. She leaned her other hand on the table, but it gave way and Ishta nearly fell off the chair. "A little ... drunk."

"Has something happened?"

"It happened ... it didn't happen ... Who ca ... res," Ishta speech was slurred. "I've got ... an idea ..."

"Look, hon, you need to go to bed now."

"Hold on. I wanna watch the sunset!" Ishta looked defiantly at Afra, swaying slightly as she did so.

"Sunset? Okay ... Let's go out on the terrace then."

"Nah ... we'll watch ... sunset ... from the mountain."

"What mountain?" Afra wondered if she should give her friend a sleeping pill: the latter was clearly in an adventurous mood.

"From the mountain ... on the Mo Continent ... The view over there ... must be amazing!"

"But we haven't asked in advance, besides, they don't fly at night! And how do we get back? Let's talk to them tomorrow," said Afra, trying to remember where in her luggage could the first-aid kit be.

"C'mon, we won't tell anyone." Ishta giggled loudly.

"Ishta, what are you talking about?" Afra remembered in which bag she put the sleeping pills and crossed the room.

"Now, we're going to try one ... thingie."

"What thingie?"

"This one."

Afra turned around and saw a peculiar object in Ishta's hands. It looked like a ball with a diameter of half a palm, with a sort of thick bagel around it. The ball was deep blue and had some purplish tint to it. Afra had a bad feeling.

"What is it?"

"A little ve ... hicle. It's gonna get us there now."

"Ishta, you're out of your mind! Where did you get it?"

"Mar ..." Ishta hiccupped. "It’s a present from Mardie."

"But you can't use it here! Haven't you read the Contract?"

"No one ... will ... notice ..." Ishta smiled, tried to support her head with her hand, and again, her hand gave way. "He said it is ... shielded and ... it's low ... low-power."

"Ishta, how about laying you down!" Afra watched in horror as Ishta turned something and three red lights flashed on the ball.

"Don't worry, love, we'll fly in no time, just lemme find the mountain." A green light went on at the top of the ball and the red one went off. "Gotcha! Now we just press this ..."

"Ishta!!!"Afra lunged for her friend, but Ishta had already pressed the ball pointing it at Afra. Afra disappeared.

"There," Ishta said out loud in satisfaction. "And now I'm coming to you," she said, pressing the contact.

At that moment the ball slipped off her fingers, Ishta disappeared, and the device fell to the floor. The lights went out. The empty room was lightened by the near dusk sun, there was only a faint breeze and the sound of the small waves gently touching the sand on the beach ...

"Alert! Subspace travel system triggered. Coordinates: Northern Bay of the Isle of Joy." The officer on duty cocked his head in surprise, peering at the information on the augmented reality interface.

"What the heck?" Nothing of the kind has happened on the planet in more than three dozen cycles.

"The system re-triggered, same coordinates." The voice giving information was impassive. It was a robot speaking.

"What is going on over there?" Dumbfounded, the duty officer looked for more information. "Any details?

"The signal is at the limit of reach. Two transfers of a small weight over a distance of about the diameter of the planet. Presumably one person without additional cargo. Executed by a single device. The device is deactivated."

At that moment the duty officer received a call from the planet. He saw the agitated face of Kochimet the Sixth.

"Officer, we have an emergency. Two female guests breached the Contract. They just got teleported from the Isle of Joy by a smuggled miniature device."

"Where to?"

"We haven't reached their bungalow yet, but I thought I'd give you a heads-up. I don't know where they went to or what kind of device it is. But it is still in the bungalow. It would be better if some of your people came down here."

"Very well. I'm sending a duty ship down to you."

"Please, one more time, confirm receiving the following statement: the teleportation has not been authorized by us, the device was smuggled. They passed the security upon entering the planet; the device must be miniature and shielded, otherwise, it would not have been missed."

"Acknowledged. Please, stand by."

Twelve minutes later the bungalow was full of people. They were brought by a helicopter that flew over from the Koatls' Platform and a fighter of the Duty Forces that arrived from space. Inside one of the bedrooms in the bungalow, they found an almost empty bottle of liquor and a messed up suitcase on the bed, the other room was neat except for an uncovered bed and something lying on the floor ...

"This is the newest model for micro jumps," one of the officers carefully picked up a ball about a half of a palm with a kind of bagel around it. "It has a rather short range. Not more than two diameters of the planet. They jumped without it which means they can't go back."

"Will you be able to locate them?"

"Only if their coordinates are recorded in the memory of the device. And if they are at sea and alive."

"What about the land?"

"You know the procedure. The Joint Governing Council should be notified in any case. You need to get permission to search. If they have something on them, like tags or access keys, there's a chance. Provided, of course, they survive three or four days on their own. Who are these guests?"

"AfraDita and Ishta Rae."

"Those ones?"

"Yes."

"How unfortunate," the officer chuckled. "At least one of them got seriously drunk. I guess she felt like having an adventure. Never launch a device with shaking hands ... And yet, here we are. If they are found, they’ll live, either way, they’re in serious trouble."

"And so are we. This is a breach of the Contract." Kochimet was clearly very upset and preoccupied. "But regardless, I'd rather find them alive. Losing two women at Resort, even if it's their own fault, is too bad a blow for our reputation."

"Absolutely, we'll do what we can. Should you get any information – contact us immediately."

"We certainly will."

Afra ran toward Ishta, realizing it was too late to stop her friend. The next moment she felt she was falling. The water was near, she barely had time to inhale and hold her breath. She felt the impact, the water closing above her, then she reemerged on the surface... At first, she saw nothing but waves around her. They were blue, not green like those near the Isle of Joy. Or could it be the lighting? The young woman looked around - nothing, not even remotely, looked anything like their bay or the Mo Continent for that matter. Where had drunken Ishta's hand casted her?

At that moment she spotted a land not too far off. There was a mountain overgrown with forest, quite close actually. Three or four stadia. Afra was wondering: the sun was almost above the horizon, and the water was noticeably colder, though still warm enough. Where was she? It did not matter, really. She was in the open ocean, so ...

I need to swim to the shore and fast, concluded Afra decisively rejecting a glimpse of panic at the thought of marine predators.

She was a good swimmer - that was an advantage of the wealthy people of the Galaxy as they had access to swimming pools at all times. Saving her strength, but fast enough, she swam toward the land. Her clothes didn't hold her down as she wore just a light robe and a belt. She decided to keep it on: there was no way of knowing when she would be picked up. Also, being exposed to the sun did not seem like a good idea. Speaking of the sun. It was not going down. It was clearly rising. Afra had an uneasy feeling ... Anyway, there was nothing she could do about it. She had to swim to shore.

So she was swimming, resting on her back, with the blue sky and the birds above her, and the sun rising higher and higher. Finally, the shore was within reach. The sea line was uneven, with rocks jutting into the sea and forest towering over the cliffs. Not far away, though, between two headlands, Afra saw a wide stretch of beach with lazy waves rolling in.

Exhausted, she came out of the water. The waves foamed at her feet and ran back. The sun shone at her back ... Afra stopped. In front of her, not far away, stood two men. A small boat lied on the shore a little way off – it looked like the two of them had just returned from a fishing trip. The boat was rather crude: hollowed out of the trunk of a tree and rudimentarily processed. The men were no taller than Afra, stocky and muscular.

Afra felt very tired, and the men ... well, men are only men. The woman went to the boat, sat on its side and gestured that she was thirsty. Coming out of his stupor, one of the men said something to the other. Undoubtedly, Afra's body wrapped tightly in a wet robe and outlined in the sunlight shining from behind impressed them greatly. The other man snatched a furry garment from his belt and stepped toward Afra handing it to her.

She took what looked like a bag of fur with some liquid inside. With a sigh, Afra examined the neck tangled with a rope, loosened it and took a sip. It was water, lukewarm but not musty. The young woman drank with pleasure and handed over the bag with some water left, nodding her thanks.

"Well, thank you," she said.

The two men exchanged glances. The older man put his hand to his chest:

"Kittim."

The other man seconded his gesture:

"Eliza."

Introductions, figured Afra. She too raised her hand to her chest and said:

"Afra. AfraDita. Look, guys. I really want to get home. Would you please help me?"

They were like children, these two strong men. And she was so tired ... Afra had little memory of the road to their village as they walked through the forest on an obscure trail. She felt exhausted and sick with worries, so when they led her into the tent and pointed to a place where she could sleep, she collapsed at once. Her robe got dry, so she did not undress. A strangely dressed woman approached, wanting something from her ... Afra said nothing and fell into a deep sleep.

Ishta woke up with a severe headache. She rose abruptly and hit her head on a rock. A rock??? Yes. She was in a cave. She felt sick and dizzy. How could I get so drunk ... Everything looks green, and my head is killing me ... Where am I anyway? She was lying on the sand, the sun shining through the opening of the cave, the sea roaring in the distance ... Where was she?

She felt terribly thirsty. Where had she gone? And how? Ishta tried to stand, reeling. Everything turned even greener, her heartbeat raised like a frightened bird, then everything went dark. She had to lie down ... Ishta lay down, saw a clump of dried seaweed beside her, tucked it under her head, and fell asleep again ...

She woke up in the evening. The air was chilly, or even cold. She felt almost no headache, but she was terribly thirsty. Where am I? Where is Afra, where are those stupid maids? Shivering, Ishta got up and walked out of the cave ... With a groan, she sank down on the sand in front of the entrance. She did not recognize the place.

The cave rose above the water approximately to her height. The area in front of her was covered with sand, probably blown in by the storm, as were the seaweed on which she slept. Ishta ran her hand through her thick black hair, of which she was so proud, and some dried bits fell from it. Awesome. How did I get here? Ishta had no idea. There was no such cave in their lagoon. And the trees were different. It wasn't that cold ... Meanwhile, the night was falling. What was she to do?

Freezing, Ishta suddenly recalled how one of her ex-lovers contacted her ... How he bubbled some nonsense. How upset she was that his words still got to her, and how she poured herself a full glass of something strong ... That was utterly stupid, of course ... How she went for a walk ... How she decided to find a better view of the sunset ... How she took out a teleport device and went to Afra ... Her memories stopped after that. What had she done?!..

Ishta examined herself. She wore nothing but the light smock in which she lunched with Afra. That was it. She panicked. Where was she? She must have sent Afra to a mountain on the Mo Continent, but what happened to herself? What was she to do now? Where to go? She had dropped the device, it had slipped from her fingers - she remembered it clearly now.

Probably, for the first time in years, Ishta felt so helpless. She was alone, out of touch, unable to return, somewhere on a wild planet, it was cold and the night was falling. She was not on the Koatls' Platform nor on the Isle of Joy nor on the Mo Continent. The vegetation was very different. Soon their absence would be discovered, the breach would come to light – she would lose almost all her money. All right, the money comes and goes, but how was she supposed to get back? Ishta was shivering.

Still, the businesslike nature of the young woman couldn't remain inactive for long. Ishta began to consider what she could do in her situation. She could get into a cave, burrow into algae and wait until morning. That would be wise. But it was almost dark. What if someone was around?Ishta looked behind her. The rock above the cave rose about a plethron, one-sixth of a stade. Should I climb up there? If there are sentient humans around here, there will be fire. Worth trying. After all, Ishta was capable of defending herself, unless, of course, she would face a predator.

She climbed up before it went completely dark, having managed to get up there without breaking a single fingernail. She stood up and looked around. Nothing. In front of her there was nothing but the sea and the sunset fading over it. Behind her was a wooded slope. That one was for tomorrow. To the left and to the right there were only dark trees. She considered climbing back down. Although she felt extremely thirsty, it was too dangerous to look for water at night. It would be better to wait …

At that momentIshta heard a rustle behind her. She turned abruptly ... And saw a man looking at her from the bushes.

He was almost her height, maybe only a hand shorter. His curly hair was matted, his chest was heavily muscled, the muscles of his arms and legs were developed. He held a weird stick with a rope in his hands and some tiny twigs with bird feathers were sticking out from behind his right shoulder ... He was carrying what looked like a pouch on his belt. It was quite dark already, she could hardly see.

"Do you have water?" Ishta did not get easily scared by men. She knew that her beauty softened them, and she was used to exploiting it.

The man looked at her calmly.

"Wa-ter." Ishta gestured as if she was drinking.

The man shook his head, then beckoned. Ishta recoiled at first but then reckoned that she had nothing to lose. He would give her water, feed her, it would probably be warm wherever he was heading to. Ishta sighed and followed the stranger into the darkening forest.

"Have you found them?" The Duty Forces Commander stood behind the duty officer looking at the augmented reality readings.

"We were able to decipher the destination coordinates of both teleportation instances. Although both destinations are in the opposite hemisphere and on the other side of the equator with respect to the Isle of Joy, they aren't the same."

"What were they looking for there?"

"Commander, I believe they got there by accident."

"By accident?"

"Yes." It appears that the woman operating the device ... Ishta Rae ... was drunk. Her hands were shaking. That's why the second destination point is different from the first one. It must have shifted as the device slipped out of her hand."

"I see. So, where is it?"

"The first woman ended up in the sea. Somewhere near one of the islands at the eastern shore of the inland sea five of the continent number two. No further than several stadia, according to the map."

"Well, if she can swim, she's there already. So she is the other woman, right?"

"Yes. AfraDita. Whereas Ishta Rae reappeared more to the south-east. It’s a different coast of the same sea."

"Have you tried to spot them from the air?"

"The data came in not that long ago. I sent two drones down there, but it was already getting too dark ... It will start to dawn soon, and we hope to get some more information. We can't go ashore, though. Only scan the surface from the air."

"Is it night over there now?"

"Yes. We've wasted a lot of time deciphering this teleporter's data."

"Have you called MardDuk?"

"Yes. He's terrified, of course. He says he never thought Ishta Rae would take it to Resort. It was he who gave us the access code to the device."

"Well. Go on collecting information. The Joint Governing Council awaits our report. So far we understand that both women are likely alive and that both are in forbidden territory where we cannot land, right?"

"Yes. And while we're looking for them, I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"Before it got dark, the drones scoured the area. Here are the photos. Have a closer look."

The first picture showed a hillside. Something was growing there in neat rows. Creeping plants rose (or were tied) to poles about a meter high sticking out of the ground. Another picture showed a hunter stringing a bow. The third showed a woman drawing water from a stream. There was a jug made from clay beside her. On the fourth photo, there was a hut with a mud chimney protruding from the roof and black smoke billowed from it.

"What about them?" The commander stared blankly at his subordinate.

"I'm not much of a historian. But on these pictures, I see a vineyard, an archer, a piece of pottery and a kiln. If it's not a forge, of course. Three dozen or so cycles ago, when the planet was discovered, the natives in those areas did not have that kind of technology."

"What does it have to do with us?"

"Commander, the photos were taken in four different locations. They are considerably distant from each other. In just under three dozen cycles the natives had experienced an explosion of unprecedented technological development. I believe that this is due to the influence of highly intelligent beings who came to the planet."

"This is serious. Where would such beings come from?"

"Commander, two such beings just teleported there today. I propose to investigate this issue systematically."

"Very well. Keep collecting information. I won't notify the Joint Governing Council just yet. Do you think any of the previous fugitives survived?"

"I am certain of it. I'll keep you posted."

"Good." The Duty Forced commander pondered. That was no good news. If the fuss started, spending the off duty time in the private sector on the Koatls' Platform would be over. It would be a shame, vacations over there were quite pleasant …

A fragment from the Chapter 6

The Return of Aphrodite

"Grandma, whoisthis?" the little girl's voice rang in amazement. "It’s not me, is it?"

"No, my dear, not you. That woman lived a long time ago. She's our distant family, or, rather, we are her distant descendants."

"Why does she look so much like me then? Except for those braids, mom braids mine differently!"

"It can happen, Afra. It sometimes happens that the genes converge, and a girl is born who looks very much like one of her ancestors."

"Grandma, will I look like her when I grow up?"

"It's too early to tell yet. Do you want to see what she looked like as an adult?"

"Very much, Grandma."

"Here, take a look."

The woman was stunning.

"Wow!" The girl's eyes widened as she stared at the 3D images and videos. "Grandma, will I be as beautiful as her when I grow up?"

"You might, especially if you're going to eat all I make for you, play a lot outside, and study well."

"What was her name?"

"Afra Dita. Your parents named you after her."

"After her? Because she was so beautiful?"

"Because she created the Beauty Empire that still persists, your grandfather used to rule over it until he got too old."

"Did you work there, too?"

"No, my dear, I had a different profession."

"But what does the Beauty Empire mean? Did she make other people pretty for money?"

"It’s more like she helped people to preserve and enhance their natural beauty. And, of course, to adopt a healthy lifestyle."

"So people wouldn't get sick?"

"So people wouldn't get fat, so that they'd exercise, so that they'd dress tastefully. So they would, in general, stay healthy and good-looking."

The girl looked critically at her famous ancestor one more time, then sighed heavily.

"Why are you sighing, sweetie?"

"Grandma, I do want to be as beautiful as her, and I will even eat your soup for that. But I don’t want to rule over the Beauty Empire. It's so boring. I've been to my dad's workplace."

"You shouldn't be thinking about your future profession yet, kid. But what place do you like?"

"I love rides, you know that!" the girl's eyes lit up. "The ones that leave you breathless! And jumping from a cliff into the sea, into its clear waters. And playing with other kids..." The girl hesitated and looked at her grandmother with suspicion. "And where did you work?"

"I used to be a pilot, Afra. I flew spaceships. I mean, as long as I was in good health," grandmother chuckled.

"And how did you meet the grandpa?"

"He worked for our Beauty Empire. I flew over here on vacation once to restore my health. He treated me, and we fell in love."

"So you did not work for our company?"

"No, Afra. I was piloting."

"Grandma, is it difficult to fly a spaceship?"

"You need to study a lot for that, sweetie," grandmother patted her granddaughter on the head fixing a stray lock of hair. "Besides, you should be in impeccable health. But when someone really loves flying, they overcome any obstacle," grandmother was about to add something else but the keen look at her granddaughter's face made her halt.

"Grandma, let's go to the rides together?" As if sensing that her grandmother didn't feel like talking about flying into space any longer, little Afra changed the subject.

"Very well, dear. But only after you've had your lunch."

"You, brat! Get out!" Yul Koatl's voice was ringing with laughter despite all the effort to keep a grim expression.

"Uncle, it was you who told me that the simulator is one thing and a real cockpit is quite another!"

"And the catapult is switched on just so, right?" Yul spoke in a smarmy voice. The glider swung: Yul was settling into the rear cockpit. "Meche, this is no joke.”

"You can see that the weather is unique today!" Not scared in the slightest, Meche was preparing the glider for takeoff.

"And you know all too well that you haven't got permission to fly the route on your own yet."

"That is why you're in the rear."

"But you were going to leave alone!"

"Just to fly in circles, uncle, just in circles."

"And that is why you entered the checkpoints, didn’t you?"

"I was practicing, uncle."

"All right, enough talking. Cadet Koatl, confirm ready for takeoff."

Once the Platform was far behind and they had gained a good height, Meche relaxed. If Yul hadn't come, he probably wouldn't have ventured the long route despite the fine weather: the limits of his willfulness did not stretch that far. But Yul came, and for the next few hours they would be on their own, racing from cloud to cloud high above the ocean waves. Awesome!

The elder man remained silent, absorbed in his own thoughts. More than two cycles passed since the bases had been built. Outer space was quiet, no one had ever heard of the Greenlings. Obviously, inspecting the bases and communicating with the natives did not require much time. Yet, the mission that mattered a lot when he was young had somehow lost its significance for Yul Koatl over the years. He was much more concerned with the next generation now. Whom will he entrust his job to? Shame Meche has no inclination at all towards business management. He is an excellent pilot and a good strategist, but he is not interested in economics. Besides, Meche would never stay at Resort or take over the Family business.

"Cadet, where exactly are we heading to?" Yul was scrutinizing the sky.

"I thought we'd reach that cloud straight ahead," Meche rolled his head in a boonie hat with narrow brims. "Do you reckon it’s far?"

"Quite far, it'll fall apart before we get there, and then there's a hole behind it," said Yul, smiling. "And the wind will change direction soon, just think about the map and the forecast. How about that chubby guy at two o'clock instead?"

"It'll do," Meche cockily set the glider on a new course. "Are you staying for long?"

"Not sure yet. But we might fly again..."

...Alta and Yume were far from happy with their son's aspirations. Alta had been constantly complaining over the past weeks and asked Yul to talk Meche out of becoming a military pilot. Alta handled the Chiku's responsibilities just fine but considered herself a mediocre mother. Yul teased her that if she whined too much, he'd tell her husband about it.

That was a joke; with age, Yume, Meche's father, had transformed from a playboy into a laid-back and gentle Kochimet's assistant. Aware of his son's passion, he simply gave in and kept silent, sometimes sighing gravely. Meche loved his father, but Yume obviously had no say in his career choice. He would listen to Yul, but only to a certain extent — his uncle loved to fly and was good at it. The rest was not Meche's concern.

"What have you decided about your studies?" Yul tried to sound bored.

"Uncle, you are not going to talk me out of it," Meche's voice, on the contrary, rang with youthful passion.

"You mean, flying to that cloud?"

"No, I mean enrolling in the military school."

"I am not going to talk you out of it," Yul smiled. "I am just asking."

"I decided to enroll," Meche sounded calmer.

"What about your parents?"

Meche sighed and said nothing. For a while they flew in silence, with only the steady noise flowing around the transparent cockpit.

Then Meche asked, "What would you do if you were me?"

Yul chuckled, "Well, I'm not the one who opted for an exotic occupation..."

They felt a bump, and then another one.

"Convergence zone, slow down!"

Meche raised the nose of the ship, and the speed dropped. There were a few more bumps, not that strong though.

"If you've made up your mind," Yul silently asked Alta for forgiveness, "you need to go ahead with it. Just remember that your parents are very worried about you."

"I do remember, uncle. You know I'm always cautious."

"The cloud is close, start looking for a stream," Yul gave up. There’s no way to get Meche change his mind, the stubborn kid will always get things his own way.

"Hey, shall we do a backflip? You promised!"

"Meche, you haven't learned to exit the spin yet!" Yul pulled the handle and as the glider's speed dropped, he pushed his left foot forward.

The nose of the glider immediately lowered, falling into a spin, and everything began to rotate. Meche's reaction was instant: cease the rotation, increase the speed, get out of it... Not even half a turn. Yeah, the kid's going to be alright.

"Okay, if we have enough height and time upon returning, we'll backflip," Yul smiled. "In the meantime, find the stream..."

"Grandma, how did they let you go to the military school? How did your parents let you go?" Afra Dita leaned forward, her cheeks flushing. At her a dozen and five years, she was a real beauty, the fresh beauty of a blossoming flower. Widely set grey eyes, gazing straight to the world with a touch of irony, nicely shaped face with a small, neat nose and a dimple on each cheek, slightly curly light brown hair, attractively curved shape which promised to become even more attractive – the heiress to the Beauty Empire, Afra Dita, was gorgeous. Her personality, though, was nothing like her soft and calm parents. Young Afra displayed an iron will, she always got what she wanted.

Grandmother gazed affectionately and thoughtfully at her favorite. She understood her granddaughter like no one else: she could relate to that craving for the skies, which awakens sometimes in young and pure souls. She also knew how hard the girl was studying, how much time she devoted to training, and what a smart, strong, and determined personality was developing behind that somewhat coddled and languid appearance. She also felt the horror of the parents, to whom their daughter's choice was like a constant nightmare that threatened the established course of their lives, and therefore seemed even more dangerous. Grandmother was also aware of the hardships of the learning process her dear girl would have to endure by choosing that path. What could she say?

In the end, the grandmother decided to be honest. In any pilot's training, honesty is the basis of the relationship between the trainee and the instructor. The more experienced one passes the knowledge on and helps the trainee get her wings, while the novice is to report about any doubts or uncertainties. When the two of you are alone in the cockpit with no one around for light minutes, help might not come in time in case of a critical error. That's why you are equal in flight - the instructor and the trainee, and honesty is simply a matter of survival.

"They didn't, my dear. They forbade me."

"You mean, you enrolled without permission? Did you run away?" Alfa's eyes widened. "What happened then?"

"Alfa, come on, tell me what's on your mind," grandmother knew it already but wanted a confirmation.

"I’m not going to enroll in the Beauty School, Grandma. I want to join the Stellar Fleet Academy. I want to be a military pilot."

Grandmother said nothing, just turned her eyes in the direction of a glass. Afra brought her water at once. Having taken a few sips and having read the pressure jump data from the info-sphere, grandmother sighed. She couldn't make up her mind about whether to help her granddaughter or not. She understood like no one else that nothing could block the path to the sky and into the space for someone who's obsessed with them. It would mean messing up with somebody's destiny. But what about the girl's parents? What about the business?

"What about the Beauty Empire, Afra? Shouldn't somebody manage it?"

"I have a younger brother," Afra shrugged her small shoulders. "That sissy will fit the profile perfectly. By the way, unlike me, he's quite competent in economics and even in things related to beauty," Afra smirked. "To a certain extent, anyway."

"Overworking is not the best foundation for a long-lasting beauty, sweetie."

"Grandma, you know better than I that most pilots, including those in the military, experience overload only during their studies. Just like the zero gravity. All ships have been gravity-proof since forever!"

"And yet, it is not the best lifestyle for keeping you beautiful in a long run. Besides, since you're keen on becoming a military pilot, you have to realize that there are shootings at war. And that the targets do get hit."

"Are you trying to scare me off?" Afra haughtily tilted her chin up. "I get it. But I also know that a life tied to the Family business will never make me feel whole! Besides, you know I never get emotional in a fight."

Afra was referring to a fight about a year ago, when she dislocated an arm of one of her classmates and broke the jaw of another. It happened at a school party. Those guys, after having had a few strong drinks, decided to "teach the untouchable a lesson" and lured her in a dark corner. Having realized what was going on, Afra, who hardly reached the big guys' shoulders, easily put them on the floor, tied them up and handed them over to the guards.

When the incident was discussed in the class and in the presence of their parents, Afra responded to the accusations of one of the boys' father by declaring that she could've injured them both or tried a shocker on them but didn't do it solely out of love for her fellow humans. Moreover, Afra added, she was willing not to press charges of attempted rape on them. Her grandmother, who did not expect such a response from her granddaughter, praised her afterwards. The incident had been hushed up, and no classmate had ever messed with Afra again.

"I don't try to get you scared, sweetie. I just want you to think everything through. It's going to be a serious trial for your parents."

"I understand," Afra sighed, then smiled. "So let them think I'm going to the University in the Pleiades."

"Deceiving is wrong, sweetie."

"I'm not going to deceive them, Grandma. I just won't dissuade them... Yet. And later... I hope they'll understand. You'll help me keep the secret, won’t you?" Afra squeezed her delicate fingers into her grandmother's warm and plump hands.

Smiling and shaking her head, grandmother wiped away a tear and sighed.

"You've grown, little girl. You've grown so much!"

A small yacht was cutting through the ocean surface, unhurried and slightly leaned in the wind. The weather was perfect for a little sailing trip, so Yul and Atl decided to spend the day, which required both concentration and tranquility, in a secluded and relaxing atmosphere. The former Ketz was handing the business over to the new Ketz. Being relatives and soulmates, they easily understood each other, and the idea of a boat trip appealed to both of them.

The elder man recently passed five cycles. He was sturdy, tan, smiley, his eyes were lit with youthful enthusiasm. He also was in excellent shape for his age. But he had been in the office for nearly three dozen years - a non-negotiable deadline by the Koatl Family's rules. Usually, the leaders who held seven named positions did not remain on duty longer than two cycles. Recently, Yul was relieved to hear about Atl's consent to accept the decision of the Family and finally become his successor.

The younger one was smiley, too, but if Yul's smile was energetic as if charged with positive particles, Atl's smile was gentle, chuckling, and child-like. As such, Atl was a calm and seemingly gentle person, though one could envy his tenacity. For six years, Yul had been trying to persuade him to accept the Ketz position, and for all the six years Atl had been declining it, considering himself insufficiently prepared. Yul's arguments that he himself became a Ketz at two dozen and two years old, were met with the same silent smile and a little shrug - not everyone is that gifted.

They were sitting on a fuel tank under the canopy. The wind was steady, no land in sight, the automatic control unit was steering the yacht with ease. Both wore shorts that left their lean, muscular bodies exposed. Sometimes they could hear splashes from the waves cut by the yacht, the wind stirred their hair, the air was filled with the tantalizing odors of the planet Resort and its freshness.

"Here's the most important thing, Atl," Yul was squinting at the horizon. Then he turned and looked at his successor. "The main purpose of our job is the staff training management. You know it all too well and you are in the middle of it every day. Except that those day-to-day operations consist mostly of immediate responses to the ‘how’s.’ The Family values are sacred. Of course, we speak about them, they are at the heart of the curriculum. We rarely change them."

"That's right," Atl nodded. "But am I to change our values?"

"Of course not," Yul chuckled. "But you'll have to be a ‘god’ on this planet. Moreover, if ever confronted with an interstellar conflict, you will have to do so much more than just changing the curriculum. You'll have to become a direct guide and protector of the most important things for us. Obviously, the burden of the decision-making rests on the Virak, but the spiritual component is primarily your responsibility."

Atl's got serious while looking at Yul in silence.

"Now, the most important thing," Yul chuckled. "The most valuable thing for us has always been human life. We strive to provide our guests with a lot of good things like health, joy of living fully every day, purity of mind and body. But this is bigger than that. You need to preserve humanity. Both our people and the natives."

"Preserve?" Atl frowned.

"Atl, in case of a military conflict," Yul narrowed his eyes and frowned, "there will be casualties. It's inevitable. You must always remember that your greatest asset is people. It's them we need to preserve. Everything else, like stones, equipment at the bases, spaceships, territories, business, is less important."

"I understand," Atl nodded.

"One more thing," Yul sighed. "You must remember that your every word is a word of God. Your every action will be discussed by generations to come. Not only discussed, but even more importantly, imitated and repeated. We have imposed the concepts of good and evil on them. We tricked them into thinking we were Gods. But honesty has always been the biggest value of the Family. That is why it’s now up to you, Atl Koatl, to become the most honest and the kindest God on this planet. So that your actions would mean the good for people and wouldn't mean the evil.

As the yacht approached the dock that evening, a young soldier in a summer Stellar Fleet uniform stood at the railing, smiling at them. Atl peered and smiled.

"Look at that, he's here. He’s made you a present!"

When they disembarked and came up on the dock, Meche hugged one by one the old and the new Ketz.

"Uncle, tomorrow's forecast looks wonderful! Shall we fly?"

"From now on, I'll fly with you every time you visit Resort!" Yul laughed, patted Meche on the shoulder, put his arm around, and the three of them went off for dinner.

Atl, who was walking a little behind them, smiled sadly: from now on, he was going to be the busiest God on Resort...

"Cadet Afra Dita! You are summoned here for an explanation regarding the injury to a senior officer. Please give concise and precise answers to my questions. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Colonel Pont."

"Do you know the victim?"

"I do. This is Sergeant Hippo Lath."

"Do you admit having inflicted an injury on him?"

"Yes, although I didn't know it was the sergeant."

"Explain."

"I was on my way to the bathroom after lights out. As I walked down the hall, I saw an unknown man pushing another man into the storeroom. Both were barely dressed, which is a violation of the Charter. You can check it on the video records."

"We saw that. What were your actions?"

"I figured he was a criminal, and that he was trying to take a hostage. Since the barracks represent a secure facility and this could have serious implications, I stopped the stranger."

"Afra Dita, clarify your understanding of 'stopped'?"

"I immobilized him, but had to block his attempts to hit me first... and to throw me on the floor..."

"What happened next?"

"The second man rushed at me. I took it as an attempted rape, not excluding the possibility of complicity in a potential terrorist attack, though."

"What did you do to him?"

"I immobilized him. I did not know it was Sergeant Nar Cisse."

"What did you do next?"

"Following instructions, I set off the alarm by pressing the alarm button and sending a signal to the Service infosphere."

"Why haven't you done it earlier?"

"It occurred to me that there might be a thermal bomb in the storeroom, and that one of the intruders might try to set it off."

The Colonel kept silent for a moment. Then he looked straight at the girl.

"Cadet Afra Dita, do you insist on not having recognized both sergeants you've beaten?"

"Yes, Colonel. It was dark. And I wanted to sleep."

"How come you were dressed then?"

"Walking around the barracks without a uniform is a grave violation. Especially for a humble female trainee."

"But you were sleepy."

"Yes, that's why I haven't identified the sergeants."

"Cadet, do you realize that both sergeants will now be relieved from the service on charges of misconduct while on duty at a high-security facility?"

"Regretfully, I do, Colonel."

"I'm obliged to punish you. Two extra shifts in the kitchen."

"Yes, Sir!"

"At ease, Cadet. And by the way... off the record... have you ever discussed your aversion to gay people with anyone?"

"I have no aversion to gay people, Colonel. And... if I may, also off the record... do you have any preference for the menu for tomorrow's lunch?"

"Cadet Afra Dita, you're dismissed."

"Yes, Colonel." The girl straightened, saluted, and left.

When the door shut behind Afra, the First Lieutenant, who sat silently at the wall throughout the conversation, burst out laughing.

"Hell, she's smart! Can't be faulted."

"What are you talking about?" the colonel frowned, apparently suppressing a smile.

"I'm sure she was waiting for them out there!"

"No, we checked the video records. She doesn’t ever enter the hall undressed. And the way to the women's showers really lies past this storeroom."

"And do you believe all the rest as well?"

"To tell you the truth, I got pretty fed up with those two. Moreover, a week ago I warned Hippo Lath about his insufficient compliance to the Service rules. So," the colonel grinned. "I think nobody's going to... harass her anymore."

"Most certainly. But I'll give her a disciplinary lecture on the status of sergeants and officers."

"That's good, and make sure to write it down in the log file. No doubt it’ll be checked."

"Yes, Sir. By the way, Colonel…"

"Yeah?"

"What dish should we hint her at... on behalf of the Commanding Unit?"

"A terrorist, and then an attempted rape? And the thermal bomb in the storeroom?" Itza’s giggling was getting closer to hiccups. It was dark in the trainee quarters, and the two friends were whispering from the side-by-side bunks. "And he just bought it all?"

"Of course," Afra chuckled. "What else could he do? I wish you’d see me standing there! I was so serious!"

Itza grabbed her belly - laughing was getting too painful.

"I was worried you'd get kicked out! Who would then defend the Southern Frontier with me?"

"You know who gave me the idea?"

"Who?"

"Grandma!"

"Your grandmother?"

"Pure luck. She and I have this 'communication session' every fortnight. And today, there was just one planned. I already knew I was going to get called to the colonel's carpet, and I was terribly worried. So Grandma told me that. It's an ancient trick.”

"An ancient trick?" Itza was clearly interested.

"Well, yeah. It's called 'playing a fool.' The trick is to make your story as ridiculous as possible. Consistent, but ridiculous. I mean, you sort of admit it, but with those goo-goo eyes, like 'well, you know, I'm such a simpleton.’ And whoever's talking to you knows it's going to be very difficult to prove otherwise. Besides, there are stranger things happening at the Stellar Fleet at times..."

"Afra, don't you know that all those conversations end up in the records?"

"So what? I'm sure the colonel understood it perfectly. But now he has a formal excuse to close the case. And to fire those..."

"You mean, he jumped at the opportunity?"

"I think he'll put it to use. I'm convinced he'd have them fired anyway. I just brought their negligence to light."

"You mean, the fact that they were in their underwear?" Itza giggled.

"Yeah, that one too. And the fact that they went to the storeroom after hours unaccompanied by the barracks' team on duty."

"And on a less formal note, the fact that one little trainee girl pinned down two bulls of the sergeants!"

"Itza, that wasn't hard at all. You know how they are. It was harder to refrain."

"To refrain?"

"To refrain from breaking some of their important parts!"

Itza giggled again."No, that's the last thing they’d want."

"Hey, I was referring to their limbs!"

"You mean, they weren't doing... that?"

"Well, for one, they were just on their way there. No. I'm sure it's much worse. These two are capable of loving no one but themselves. They probably had some kind of a bet. Either about their muscles size or whose skin is whiter."

"That's nuts, Afra! How do you know all that?"

"Itza, when you hang out at the Beauty Empire from the day you're born, your eyes get trained. You have no idea how many men like that visit our clinics! Women, too. They are incapable of loving anyone else but themselves. Regardless of gender."

"It's terrible, Afra."

"Let's just say they don't belong in the Stellar Fleet. But what were you saying about the Southern Frontier? Did I hear it right?"

"You heard it right. I want to apply. And I thought of asking you to come with me. Will you?"

"Grandma will worry so much," Afra sighed gravely. "But I agree, of course. I’m just wondering, how will we get in? There's no way they'd accept recent graduates! You need to have carried out a real air-strike of your own."

"I've thought it all through. We're not going to apply straight for the Southern Frontier. We will ask to be sent to a training base in the Eridan Sector."

"To Achernar?"

"Yes. It's just one jump away from the front line. We'll start flying there, they'll surely need people to do patrols. And once there's a shortage on the front line, it's easier to take pilots from Achernar than to drag them halfway across the Galaxy."

"Itza, you're a genius! This should work!"

"It will work! So, are you in?”

Afra propped herself up on one elbow, glaring at her friend. Her silhouette could be hardly distinguished against the glowing indicators of the climate unit in the otherwise dark room.

"Tell me, how did your parents let you come here?"

"They didn't, Afra, just like yours didn't let you. But female pilots sometimes occur in our Family."

"I see."

"So, do you agree?"

"Yes! I do!"

The briefing room was noisy. Yesterday, new recruits arrived from the base: close cut heads of young warrant officers and two pretty females among them. The recruits, who already had a significant strike-record but shoot only at training targets and had never gotten in any real trouble, sat down together. The more experienced pilots obviously were all focused on the girls.

One had a storm of curly black hair, the wavy light brown hair of the other was pulled into a prim knot in the back of her head. The girls' figures were concealed by their overalls, but one could see that both were curvaceous and had skinny waists. However, whenever anyone ventured to make an advance, he would be stopped right there by the icy looks of both female pilots. Rumor had it, one of them pinned down two bulls of sergeants while still at school. It was hard to believe - a lot of crap was being said just to impress the mates between flights - but the girls did look quite unapproachable.

"Attention, please," First Lieutenant Phae Thon stepped up on the podium. "There will be two tasks for us today: regular patrols and observational flights for the new crews. As you know, we received reinforcement yesterday. I’d like to ask the newcomers to come up here and briefly introduce themselves. After that, each of you will be assigned to their crew commander. After the briefing you will depart for your observational flight as a second pilot."

One by one, three young pilots came up first. All three were from different sectors of the Galaxy and came from middle-class families. Each of them had a similar story: he worked to pay his studies, started at the school, applied for Achernar to protect the Galaxy. Then it was Afra Dita's turn.

"I'm from the Pleiades. The Family wanted me to work in the Beauty Empire. But I wanted to fly. So I went to school, saying that I study at the University. The rest is the same," Afra smiled a little. "Achernar, and now I'm here. To protect the Galaxy."

"Are you the Afra Dita?" Phae Thon looked at a small fragile girl with curiosity.

"I am Warrant Officer Afra Dita, 200 hours of patrol flights, First Lieutenant," Afra looked firmly back at Phae Thon. Her blue eyes seemed to radiate a cosmic chill.

"Thank you, Afra. You will fly with Second Lieutenant Ar Es. Sit down. Itza Pala!”

Itza approached the podium, looked calmly around and said,

"I dreamed of flying ever since I was a child. And now I'm Warrant Officer Itza Pala, 200 hours of patrol flights. I want to protect the Galaxy."

"What do you like doing in your free time?" The voice of Phae Thon revealed irony.

"I plan the next flight, First Lieutenant," Itza had dark brown eyes, but the cold tone of her voice could compete with the icy words of Afra.

"Excellent," Phae Thon smiled. "You will fly with Second Lieutenant Meche Koatl." A faint murmur ran through the audience.

At the beginning, everybody was cautious about Meche. But he turned out to be an excellent pilot in combat despite his famous name and an impressive bank account. He had not received the title of First Lieutenant yet. This was partly due to his stubborn nature: with no need for money, he never fawned over his superiors, always speaking his mind. Another reason was the lack of reverence for the requirements of the Stellar Fleet Charter. Meche was solely interested in things relevant to flying. He considered cleaning his quarters to be his own personal business. Since the commander of the pilots at the base, Captain Heli Os, held a different opinion on the matter, Meche continued to carry out the combat flights as Second Lieutenant. And yet, anyone who had ever flown with him, considered themselves privileged to be part of his crew.

"Well," Phae Thon waited until everybody sat down. "We will conduct the patrol in a regular manner: in pairs, with two units interval in between. The observational flights for the new crews will launch from dock two, one by one, with three units interval between the ships. No shooting just yet, the task of the crew commanders is to check the piloting skills and to simulate emergencies including a manual landing. And should you need to pay the technicians for repairs later, everything will be paid from the salaries of the recruits–" the audience laughed in unison.

"All right. Recruits, you're welcome. Should an enemy happen to appear in your quadrant, do not shoot, do not try to be a hero, just flee in all honesty to the second deck. This applies to everyone with no exception," Phae Thon looked sternly at Ar Es and Meche Koatl. "Especially you two. Even if I am hit. Your today’s task is to save the recruits. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Meche nodded gravely. "In case of emergency, no shooting, evading the strike, and immediate landing."

"Perfect. Any questions?" Phae Thon looked around at the pilots in front of him. "Great. Off you go."

An emergency takeoff is never on time. On the contrary, it always happens at the most inconvenient moment. And the two crews that just recently returned from leave and were about to take a nap, were rushing to their dragons, cursing on their superiors, the enemy, the unlucky date, and all other worth mentioning things of a military life.

The ships were called ‘dragons’ due to a peculiar position of their weapons: two were installed at the sides, and one above the cockpit. Since the cockpit at the bow of the ship was transparent and there was a thickening in the front part of each gun, it looked like a flying three-headed monster with long necks, short wings, and a narrow body. The crew of a dragon consisted of three to four people: a gunner, an engineer and two pilots. Although, if needed, one trained pilot could fly the spaceship.

Itza, who entered the ship first and took a seat on the right, was quickly checking up and launching the basic systems. When Meche sat down in his chair, she had already gone through half of the takeoff checklist. Finally, the crew was fully operational, and the ship was ready for takeoff – half a minute before the norm. Meche confirmed to the Group Commander Phae Thon they were ready and sat there watching indifferently the technicians who gave a green light to the Ar Es' dragon in front. Here it is, life at the Southern Frontier. A couple of hours ago, the two couples were having fun together. And now we're about to launch on a mission…

As the minutes passed, locked and loaded, Meche dwelled in thinking of how peculiar life was. When Ar and himself got those two vain girls appointed as second pilots, both were outraged. They even went to their superiors, together and each on his own, and asked to reassign Itza and Afra to someone else. Heli Os promised to think about it, and that was the end of it.

And pretty soon it turned out that both girls happen to be excellent pilots. They were quick learners, had quite some experience, did not give up easily, did not whine, worked as hard as СЃommanders, and very soon, the dragons of Meche and Ar began to fly out on war missions. And not just to the battlefields, but to the most dangerous locations. Whether it was a matter of luck, or their skills, or their teamwork, but after each mission those two crews invariably returned victorious and undamaged.

Soon thereafter, Meche realized that he couldn't stop thinking about Itza. It was wrong and stupid, but he couldn't help it. The second pilot's movements, too, became somewhat smoother and slower, and sometimes she'd let a sigh while fixing her eyes into the distance with a dreamy expression. They sought for and found excuses to stay together during off duty hours as well. Naturally, it was always about new flights, studying math, or training in the gym...

One day, what was obvious to everyone at the base finally happened: they revealed their romantic feelings to each other. Nothing terrible happened. In fact, hardly anything had changed at all. They were at war, and it all seemed untimely and even stupid, but the youth took its course, and eventually, Meche and Itza applied for cohabitation with a view of getting legally married. The entire base loudly celebrated the event, and only two people felt sad at that moment: Ar Es and Afra Dita.

Their relationship developed in a similar way. However, Ar had quite an explosive temper, he was a warrior looking ahead. Afra, on the contrary, at times seemed more of an ice queen. And although they were excellent pilots who spent all the time together, a more intimate relationship had obviously not been contemplated yet. Perhaps, both felt drawn to each other and wanted to be together, but... days and weeks went by and they remained friends. Possibly, even probably, they did think about going further than that. Ar kept quiet about it, Meche didn't bother him. And Itza said right away that she was not going to interfere - she didn't want to risk losing her best friend over some idiotic advice or fights. That day the four of them went for a long walk, they had fun, fooled around, and Meche noticed that Ar reached his hand out to Afra a few times as if by accident, and she didn't move away or that her hand almost touched Ar's shoulder twice. Yet, it looked as if their bodies had a kind of thin layer around them, a kind of shell that none of them was ready to break.

Meche got so absorbed in his thoughts that it took him quite a while to realize they’ve been given the signal for takeoff. Fortunately, Itza was alert, and they were already on their way to take off. The formation followed. The combat group was led by the Heli Os' ship, its front decorated with two huge silhouettes of white thin-legged animals on both sides. Rumor had it, on primitive planets including Resort, such animals transported warriors and their projectile weapons. Very few people knew how those beasts appear in the Galaxy. And even fewer knew why Heli Os decorated his ship that way. That day Phae Thon was flying the ship: his own dragon was in repair after a recent failed attack on an enemy convoy.

Ships lined up in a three-wedge formation: one in front, another on the right and above the first, and the third lower on the left. There were but two dozen ships, eight per wedge. The dragons of Meche and Ar were leading the left and the right wedges, respectively. As it turned out, their mission consisted in preventive patrol in the area of the cloud of asteroids and smaller meteoroids that wandered around the Galaxy. Probably, once upon a time, a large celestial body was torn by the gravity of the two nearby stars, or as a result of some other cataclysm. The cloud was slowly approaching the base, and the enemy could easily use it for a concealed attack.

"I don't like it," Meche looked at Itza. "Our rearguard is vulnerable. If I'd been lurking behind those stupid rocks, I'd have let us pass and hit us from behind. There is a lot of metal in the rock, it’s very easy to hide."

"They sent scouts out there a few hours ago," Itza looked anxiously at her commanding officer.

"It's not that hard to hide from a scout. Besides, since we were alerted, it must have been for a reason."

"You think we're going to be attacked and become some kind of bait?"

"I don't know, Itza. I'm just saying I don't like it, and I'm expecting a stab in the back. Redirect all the power to the rear shields."

"All of it?"

"All right, just a half. Take it from the left and the front and leave a dozen percent at each. Two more dozen for the right shield and the rest for the one behind. And give the same orders to the following ships."

"Done."

Meche called Ar over a protected line.

"We shuffled our shields a little."

"So did we. Behind us?"

"Yep. Shouldn’t we tell Phae?"

"Be my guest. Last time I tried to give him advice during a strike he told me to go to hell. Maybe he got smarter."

Meche called Phae Thon, but at that very moment they were struck. As Meche had expected, a large group of enemy fighters went around them and opened fire from behind. At the same time, a bigger ship, most likely a frigate, appeared right in front of them and laid down a barrage of fire on the first wedge. The fun began. At Meche's command, his wedge of eight ships split in two trios and a pair, each acting independently. Ships were actively maneuvering, and for about twelve minutes Meche was simply and almost spontaneously reacting to the situation.

They were hit several times, but due to the reconfiguration of the shields before the strike and the active work with the shields in the battle, their dragon received no damage and all the eight were still intact. Finally, the enemy began to retreat to the cruiser, which covered them with fire. At that moment, Meche heard a cold voice of Afra over the general alert line:

"To the Ar Es' group: the commanding officer has problems with communication, come closer. Everybody,get around your leader, we retreat towards the base. To the Ar Es' group: quit the battle, take your places in the formation. Start the rollcall. To the Phae's group: all those who've survived, join the group of Ar Es or to the one of Meche Koatl."

Meche called up Ar but got no answer. Then, having given a similar formation order to his pilots, he called Afra.

She answered immediately as she was in a spacesuit.

"We have depressurization, but the ship is under control."

"What about Phae?"

"Haven't you seen it? His ship's been damaged at the very beginning. Looks like it was out of control. It burned down in the star's chromosphere six minutes ago. There are two or three dragons left from the first group."

"I see. Head off to the base, I'll cover you. We'll talk there. Say hi to Ar. What's up with him, anyway?"

"He's alive but wounded. Details for later."

"Roger that, over and out."

Itza and Afra sat in the lobby of the base's sports complex, sipping cocktails. Both had wet hair after training, swimming and showering, rested and relaxed. The events of the past few days have been stormy, and the girls had no time for chatting. Now they were off duty, and for the first time since long they could talk undisturbed. After the battle in which Heli Os was killed and Ar was wounded, Afra looked haggard and barely spoke despite her therapy with the base psychologist; so her friend tried to get her to talk.

"Have you heard anything about Ar?"

"No. You know it, too... He was immediately sent to the hospital on Achernar with a sanitary convoy. I haven’t heard anything from there yet, and I didn't ask. No bad news means he's not getting worse."

"Did he remain unconscious the whole time?"

"I don't really know, Itza," Afra stared off into the distance with tears in her eyes. "You see, he gave an order to activate the suits. And then somehow managed to turn right. That's when we got hit. The left front side was damaged. Everything went down, we were depressurized. Luckily, the following ships covered us while I was turning on the emergency systems. We remained unprotected for about twelve seconds. Ar was not responding, all I saw was that his suit was not completely depressurized. The chair's emergency system had stabilized him, but there was no time for the autodoc. We were in the middle of the fight."

"Did he cover for everyone?"

"Not consciously anyway. But if it wasn't for that jerk to the right, we wouldn't be here. None of the four. We couldn't have had time to transfer the shield energy from the back to the front. Which was a good thing, since they were shooting at us constantly from behind. And only two shots came from the frigate. The first one was a miss."

"Ar has always been a hero."

"He wasn't. He is."

"Right. And what happened to Phae? Meche said you saw it?"

"I did. It had even been recorded, but the recordings were gone after we were hit. And the trailing ships couldn't see past us. He was hit at the very beginning; the bow was hit. If he’d only... well, it doesn't matter now," Afra shook her head. "He tried to get out of the combat, the trailing ships were covering him from right and left. But then they were hit by the cruiser. Both trailing dragons were just blown away. Then Phae sprang forward - maybe he wanted to ram them, or just decided it'd be safer there."

"And then he lost control?"

"Itza, he is First Lieutenant, after all. I think the controls were really seriously jammed. I don't know how many hits he got, a lot for sure. And I saw him... passing by the cruiser in about twelve stages. Really close. And then, a minute later it burned down. We were spinning like hell, but I could see it."

"You know," Itza looked at her friend, "I think I wouldn't be able to. I'd be in shock. But you, you got everyone together. All the dragons in your group survived, as well as in ours, and this is thanks to you! I'm glad you got the promotion."

"At a heavy price, Itza," Afra sighed. "So many of our people died."

"This wasn't your fault, nor mine. Neither Ar's nor Meche's."

"Yeah. But when they carried Ar out... I got out of the ship..."

"I know," Itza nodded. "You simply don't remember. It was I who got you out of the infirmary and brought you back to our barracks. I pulled you out of the shower... Then..."

"Really? I'm sorry, I..." Afra burst into tears. The tears, which she had restrained probably by a great effort of will, flowed like a river.

There was no one around, and Itza decided to let her friend cry out. She sat down beside her on the sofa and hugged her, and Afra buried her nose in Itza's shoulder and wept until she calmed down. After about half an hour she stopped sobbing, shook her head, sat up straight, and took out her handkerchief.

"Thank you, Itza. You've done so much for me. And I..." Afra sobbed convulsively, but the avalanche of tears had already passed. She took a deep breath. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you something for some time. Is Meche the Koatl?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You see... Now, after everything that’s happened, I thought it'd be good for me to have a distraction. And I thought of a childhood dream of mine. Once upon a time, a very long time ago, an ancestor of mine spent three months on the planet Resort."

"So it's not a fairy tale?"

"No, it is the truth, I am indeed her relative. So I thought, what if Meche could arrange for a discount for me on a voucher," Afra chuckled. "Of course, I'm a rich heiress and all that, but I don't feel like asking my family for money now, and my Second Lieutenant’s salary is quite crappy. Maybe they have some inexpensive options…"

Itza smiled slyly and looked at her friend.

"There seems to be a way to get us to Resort for free."

"For free?" Afra looked up surprised, her eyes still red from crying, widened.

"Meche proposed. And I was just about to ask you to be a bridesmaid. At our wedding. There, at Resort!"

"Itza!!!" Afra threw her arms around her friend. "I'm so happy for you! You guys are the best!" She clammed up but pulled herself together and whisked the sad thought away. "Of course, I agree! When?"

The Virak and the Kochimet stood outside on the Platform awaiting the arrival of the spacecraft of the Duty Forces Commander of the Resort system. Just like their predecessors a few cycles ago, they enjoyed the wind and the bright sun on their faces, breathing in the fresh scent of the ocean. Both knew that this meeting would be fateful. The Greenlings had been spotted approaching the system, and the smell of a new interstellar war was in the air.

Having met the Commander, they descended into the antegallery for the traditional cup of the "Koatl tea." The Commander looked calm, but there was some sluggishness to his movements. He obviously was delaying a serious conversation, as if savoring the last peaceful days, or perhaps he was simply caught in his own thoughts.

The Virak took control of the conversation informing the Commander on the state of affairs.

"So, we have foreseen two main air bases and four backup sites. The main Northern base, as you know, is in the Northern hemisphere, near the southern coast of the Continent number four. There is a plain on the coast of the island, almost above the sea level. On the side of the equator it is covered by two sites located in the southwest, on the Continent."

They were looking at a huge map hanging between them, and the Virak was marking the described objects with color, turning the map, and zooming out.

"Remind me the latitude there please, dear Virak," the Commander looked distracted.

"A dozen and eleven degrees at the main site, and about a dozen and eight at the two backup sites. After two generations the local population deeply believes in the concept of gods. Ketz became the chief deity there," the Virak chuckled, "and the replacement of the old Ketz with a new one went smoothly: they take it for granted that gods don’t age."

"What about the rest of your people?"

"As you know, we have seven positions, and those are occupied exclusively by the members of the Family. In three and a half cycles, all seven were replaced. Recently during the crisis, we have appointed doubles to manage the business outside of the planet Resort, so now we can stay here all the time."

"I didn't know that. It shows you took the threat seriously."

"That's right, Commander. Among the main staff working with the local population - there are about a dozen of them - only one person from the first team continues to carry out his duties. He's got a son who looks exactly like his father at the young age. We send them on sites in turn, and the natives see them as 'the God of duality.' I have to admit that the Serpents' idea about supernatural beings turned out to be very successful."

"What did you give to them in exchange for love?"

"Food. We taught them to grow many different crops, and they no longer starve. They also received the basics in mathematics and other practical knowledge. No knowledge of metals, though, just as initially planned."

"Well, interesting," the Commander smiled lightly. "And what about the South?"

“The main site in the south is located up in the mountains at about a dozen and one degree latitude. Two backup sites are situated slightly to the west, also in the mountains. One is a little to the north, and the other is more to the south."

"Are the mountains high? Is there enough oxygen?"

"The oxygen level is just about acceptable; however, the objects are perfectly protected both from above and from below. Certainly, one needs a little more accuracy to land on the site... But we conducted test landings in different weather conditions. Everything remained within the acceptable deviations."

"Very well. And who's the god there now?"

"Another Ketz," the Virak hesitated. "The truth is, they call him Inti and believe he’s my son.”

The Kochimet, who got his position just recently and was quite young, could not resist and giggled. The commander looked at the Virak with curiosity.

"Your son?"

"The thing is, the first time the Virak came there together with the Ketz. And the natives could clearly see that the Virak was more important. Moreover, the Virak was much older than the Ketz. So the locals concluded that the Ketz was his son. We didn't interfere."

"I see. Well, I must thank you for your excellent preparation. My guys inspected the bases and reported that those fully comply with the technical purpose. What about the food supply in the Southern base?"

"Our agricultural group is working day and night. They're subordinates to the Petz. The most difficult part was to construct water channels around terraces in the mountains. Those issues are resolved now and in case of a long siege you can grow plants there."

"There's also a nice surprise for you," the Kochimet joined the conversation after having received a nod of approval from the Virak.

"I'm listening."

"We've re-purposed the western end of the Mo Continent. If something goes wrong with the Giants, a part of the military contingent can be placed here. You are going to ask us to cease operating the platforms and inviting more guests anyway," the Kochimet smiled somewhat slyly.

"You are perceptive, Kochimet," said the Commander with a sad smile. "You're right. That is what I came to talk to you about. However, a third main base is a really nice surprise for us. It's a good thing, because we're blocking off most of ocean number one from here."

"That's exactly what we aimed at, Commander," the Virak said. "Shall we get down to business?"

Two weeks passed. There was no word from Ar, no new enemy strikes. Highly unfocused, Afra flew air patrols, studied, went to the gym, saw Itza here and there, but the girls never spent much time together: their schedules did not coincide, and Itza spent a lot of time with her fiancГ©. A new bunch of recruits came in from Achernar anyway, so Afra was very busy: flights, drills, shootings, air patrols. Yet, she hadn't forgotten about Resort.

Once, between flights Itza called her and suggested meeting up for an important talk. Afra used to read her friend's moods very well, but this time she was puzzled: the girl sounded unusually serious and sad. The upcoming conversation was clearly not about wedding dresses, and Afra was worried. Maybe something bad happened to Ar?But then, they would have told her, she was in his crew after all. It had to be about something else then.

Meche came to the meeting along with Itza. Like Itza, he looked sad and determined at the same time. As they sat around a small table in the lounge area, Meche looked Afra in the eye and began:

"Afra, we have a proposal for you," he said, glancing at Itza and turning back to Afra. "I know your story, and I know you wanted to go to Resort. Besides, we asked you to be the bridesmaid at our wedding. Weboth were looking forward to that, but something important came in between. A war is coming to Resort."

"A war?" Afra couldn't believe her ears. "But we have been at peace with the races of that part of the Galaxy since so long!"

"Yes. A new enemy emerged from the Deneb region. So far, they've been fighting with the Serpents, we have not met them yet. The Greenlings. I have no further details."

"So now Resort is off limits? Are you changing the venue for the wedding?"

"On the contrary. You see... Resort is my home. I love that planet. There is a very small military contingent of duty forces out there: just us, the Serpents, and the Giants. That's why," Meche hesitated for a moment, "they need pilots. They recruit volunteers. Itza and I have decided to report for the transfer. To Resort."

Afra had a feeling that all of it was just a dream. She looked at Itza, then at Meche, and all of a sudden, she realized what they were getting at.

"Do you mean I could go there, too?"

"If you want to. Yeah. And by the way, it seems we will not just stay on the Platform over there. We'll get to the Continents as well. It means you'll see all of Resort in its glory. Just..."

"Just what?" Afra turned her eyes from Itza to Meche, and back.

"It'll be hot over there."

"Is it cold over here?" Afra shrugged. "I'd love to fight for Resort. Especially since I have the blood of the natives of that planet."

"Blood of the natives?" Itza and Meche’s question seemed to come in unison.

"Yeah, so I heard. A distant relative of mine, Afra Dita, went for vacation to Resort and by accident stranded on a Continent. She tried to return for three months after that... Later, she gave birth to a child in the Pleiades. The child was fathered by a local man. On Resort."

"Isn't that a fairy tale, Afra?" Itza put a hand on her friend's wrist. "Are you sure?"

"I am positive. It's confirmed by genetic research. The son of Afra Dita became an outstanding intellectual of his time. When he died, a detailed genetic study was carried out. And it turned out that the genes of his father could not be found anywhere else in the Galaxy. They belong exclusively to the natives of Resort. I carry some of those genes in my blood, too," Afra Dita chuckled. "You see, I'm all in to defend my ancestral homeland."

"I guess it better remained a secret," Meche looked at Itza who narrowed her eyes and slightly nodded. "What matters is that you are an excellent pilot with combat experience, and that we know you. Write a report to Heli Os, and I'll take care of the technicalities."

"You're right," the Commander stood up, walked over to the aquarium glass, and stared at the passing ocean dwellers for a long time. He seemed to be bidding farewell. Then he turned to the Koatl.

"The Greenlings are getting closer to the system. We can't risk civilian lives. My colleagues among the Serpents and the Giants think the same. Tomorrow we are going to report our views to the Joint Governing Council of the Resort system."

"We expected this, and we are ready to stop selling tours as of tomorrow. The evacuation plan has also been developed. However, we would like to meet our contractual obligations to those with a stay of less than three months. If, of course, the situation permits."

"It's okay for now," the Commander glanced back at the glass and returned to the table. He stood there for a while. Then he sat down. "We reckon we have about half a year. A little more, perhaps. But we cannot take a risk. In four months there should be no guests left on the planet. As for the staff..."

"We've got some ideas, Commander," the Virak leaned forward, put his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his left hand, which covered his right hand clenched in a fist. After a short pause, he put his hands down on the table (his right hand never loosened) and continued: "Some staff members have expressed a desire to stay here, they wish to undergo military trainingand fight for the planet."

The Commander looked surprised at the Virak,then smiled.

"Dear Virak, I'm impressed. I never realized my boys and I had such a backup. Turns out, we're not alone. Go on."

"In addition, several members of the Koatl Family, in particular the experienced pilots First Lieutenant Meche Koatl and Second Lieutenant Itza Pala, are ready to apply for a transfer to your units. We want to fight."

"Dear Virak. I'm very pleased to hear that. There are no questions with regard to the military staff and persons who have undergone primary military training. I agree and welcome their help. As for the civilians... In case of a real trouble, there'll be casualties. Do they realize it?"

"Commander, many members of the Family, as well as many ordinary employees of the Project, call the planet Resort their home. This is their own choice,they are prepared to protect it. At least as long as there's a chance to repel the attack of the Greenlings. The rest will be sent to the Pleiades after all the guests have departed."

"Very well then. I have to admit, it's such a heavy weight off my shoulders. I got support at the exact place I expected resistance. Select your candidates, we will think of how and what we'll train them for. Most of all, we will need mechanics to repair ships and weapons. And pilots. All of them will need training."

"We have those lists already, the training can start tomorrow. Moreover, we believe that it's necessary to keep the entire provisional team here as well. We'll all need food, energy, communications, medics..."

"I can tell you're well prepared, gentlemen. We'll get down to business as soon as we receive the Joint Council's approval tomorrow. By the way, how are Serpents and Giants doing? Do you have any information?

"As for the Serpents, there's a lot of information," the Kochimet smiled. "The first base is built in the northeast of the Continent number three and can be seen from orbit. They couldn't help building three huge pyramids there, arranged in the same way as the three brightest stars in the constellation they came from. The way they can be seen from Resort, of course. They call the constellation Orion. They have only one shielded site, it is located on an island in the sea to the northwest."

"Yes, we've noticed the Pyramids," the Commander grinned. "Why are they so far up north?"

"The climate's too humid further south. And hot. The risk of diseases is high. For the Serpents, too."

"How do they present themselves to the people?"

"They wear special helmets shaped like different animals' heads. It has an advantage: the natives do not know what they really look like, so one can always substitute for another. The Serpents came up with a very complicated story of the gods' lineage, but that’s no obstruction to them, rather an advantage."

"I see. And where's the second base?"

"Right on Atl-Anti," the Virak shrugged. "Since the Greenlings have mostly been bothering the Serpens so far by moving into their sector, the platform hasn't been accepting civilians for about a year now. No way the Serpents are going to give up protecting the planet."

"Well," the Commander nodded, "that quite confirms my information. Now my biggest worry is the Giants. As far as I understand, you do not interact with them?"

"No. And neither do the Serpents. They make no contact on the pretext of the lack of a permanent contingent on the planet."

"We've spotted only one of their bases from orbit. It is on a plateau to the east of the Continent number two in the Northern hemisphere. It's a dozen and seven degrees north, and its longitude is exactly as we agreed. And another area to the south, a dozen and one degree north, and a little to the east…"

The Commander laughed. "Okay, you’ve got no solid information, but what about rumors? Any specifics? Nothing whatsoever?"

"Apparently, the planet’s environment is harming them," the Kochimet stroked his chin. "So they've been constantly changing the contractors; they inspect their facilities extremely rarely lately and when they do, they always shield themselves off with infrasonic emitters from the outside."

"And what if there’s a long-lasting siege?" the commander looked straight at the Kochimet who answered without turning his gaze away:

"In case of an enduring siege we can count on them for the first few days only. After that nothing can be predicted..."

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