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.That willremain here aboard this ship.I am it its prisoner as you are aprisoner of that body.After they do what they must, they will bedestroyed along with the ship.I will be here and then I will dowhat I must.We are both trapped in a mode of existence that isnot idyllic. 284 Well, that is a nice way to put it, Megan said. What other way is there? The truth is usually simple.Suspicionand superstition are complicated.They must be.That way it isharder to unravel the true mysteries of life and death.A few alwaysclaim to have solved the unknowable and they use this to gainpower.Look at most of the major religions over the span ofhumanity and you will see this pattern emerge.Do not fear death,my sister, you are lucky that you can choose yours.Most can t.Inmany ways, I can t.I am trapped in this ship with all my memorieswhile it decays.True, it will last longer than a human body, butthat will not be long enough.Like you, I was born into a less thanperfect vessel.But we will change as we must. I wish that you could have met some of the people who designminds for ships, Megan said. They would have enjoyed it more than I, I can assure you, Crissysaid with a slight grin. Do you see them as your creators? No, of course not.They created the structure and I only appearedin it.Who created humans? The same gods that created theThoracians? The Thoracians believe they were created by anancient race of insects that derived their power from arcaneknowledge.Is this true? Who can say? Why would gods createcreatures as us anyway? To watch as we stumble through life insadness and uncertainty? What would be the purpose of writing acode for life that has so many flaws? It is just in the last centuriesthat medical science has truly understood many nerve injuries.What about the millions before that who lived in terrible pain andanguish after such injuries? What purpose did that serve? Andwhat will we find as we go further and further into the Galaxy?More races, I am sure.And what will they know that we do not?285 What religions will they believe? What mode of life will they bein? Our mode of life is about to change, that is all.Our knowledgeis limited.Even mine.I am no super being as some might believe.I am the most powerful mind the galaxy has seen to this point.Butthat truth is useless in the end.I am able to see my own limitationsand that is my ultimate power.I could alter this ship if I chose tomore suit me.I could construct a more suitable body.I could takeover a planet and change it to my design.I could create terribleweapons and then generate infinite numbers of aspects of my beingto subdue humans and their kind.Then what? Who would I be? Iwould still be a prisoner of my construct; a monstrosity.Besides, Iwill leave a gift for those who find my remains. Well, I wish that I had more time, Megan said. The next life will be just that.More time.Don t you realize that-Are you alright? Crissy looked at Megan as she appeared to drift. Yes, I am just a little hot, that s all, Megan said softly. I justthink that I need some rest before all this.I am going to go sleepfor awhile. Megan got up and walked up the short stair to the cots in the backof the ship, but on the second step she wavered.She looked atCrissy for a brief second and faltered.Crissy was already catchingher as she fell. Oh, Crissy.I am so sorry, was all she could say before she lostconsciousness.Crissy picked her up like a feather and got her to the table.Thescanners automatically went to work and revealed a spot in herbrain that was expanding even as she watched.Crissy held out herhand and one of the automated arms hanging over the operatingtable placed a shot with a long needle in her human hand.She had286 prepared the shot just for this instance and had known it wouldcome.Automated arms injected blood thinners and anticoagulantsinto Megan s outstretched arms.Crissy did not need to look at thereadout screens.She was the screens.Crissy then projected a lowfrequency sound into Megan s temples to keep her brain fromshutting down from the mass of blood gathering in her brain.Crissy chose a soft spot on Megan s skull and injected theconcoction directly into the expanding area.Slowly, the splotch onthe screens became fainter and disappeared in a matter of minutes.Megan s glassy eyes opened and saw Crissy over her. I was hoping for a man, actually. She slurred the words out andCrissy gave her another injection to put her to sleep.Themedications had worked.In a hospital, she would have died on thetable.Crissy looked at her sleeping. Sleep, child.We have only one more task.I have prepared for thismoment and am not surprised to see that my treatment has worked.For you, I will store this technique in the ship s data.One daysoon, it will be found so that others may benefit from it. She stroked Megan s hair and placed her head in between neuralscanners that would keep her apprised of her patient s condition. I hope you forgive me for not revealing my prescription to you.You see, I knew that this moment would come and did not wantyou to be frightened.Unfortunately, I also know that my treatmentwill only work one time.The human body is fragile and somethings that are done to it cannot be undone.I am glad you are notaware of this.Rest now. The lights dimmed in the ship and Crissy sat upright in a chair.Hereyes closed as she returned her attention to possible scenarios forbringing down the Nightshade.287 Megan slept what was to be her last sleep.288 Chapter 45Lynx dropped the small ship into real time far from the planet andimmediately came to a dead stop.Silver was on the passivescanners at once. Lynx, do you see anything? Negative.All quiet.I am masking the ship s signature androtating it at random intervals as we approach.This will delay anypossible lock on our position.We now will resemble an asteroidmade of nickel to a long range scan. Good.Can we engage the engines for a closer look at thesurface? I see no danger, Lynx said.The ship started toward the planet.After several minutes, the ship came to a dead stop again. Lynx, what do you see? The trajectory to the planet is empty.I see no signatures at all.Ibelieve that our quarry is in a small enough ship that we will beundetectable to it unless they are in our semi-direct path.If theyare here, they are masking their ship. Let s get down there before anyone arrives. Silver startedchecking his weapons. At once. The ship rocketed forward and then slammed to a fullstop again. Agent Silver, there is a concentration of activity on the surfacenear the main trajectory route.I detect no long range scanners orany other& wait.There is a line of automated cargo boxespreparing for lift off with all the attendant crews.Strange.I detect289 no large ships or other cargo class vessels in the area.They mustnot have arrived. Excellent. Silver smiled to himself. We beat them here.Thatmeans our vigilante may have reached the same conclusion.Gocompletely passive and let s get to the surface near that cargo line.These types of load ins are always quick pick ups.The ship willappear and the load in will start at once.They will want to be gonein the least possible amount of time. I am familiar with smugglers methods, Agent Silver.Yet I mustquestion the lack of outbound scans at this time.Security isalways paramount for these operations and I am concerned thatthere is no activity. I agree.But I believe that whoever is down there does not wantanyone on the surface to get a look at the incoming ship.Usually,the workers have no idea who they are working for
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