ELIZABETH WEIR quickly stopped counting how many times she stepped onto the bridge of the Atlantis. But with each new visit, she grew to love it more. The look of it, the sound of it, the smell of it. The soft murmur of the crew behind him, the occasional voices from the computers; she could sense the well-being of the entire vessel through those sounds alone.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSBxOmGVjp
Right now, they were satisfied sounds.
The huge Galaxy-class starship was a far cry from Weir's first command, the Fleet exploration and research vessel Javelin. Atlantis was even farther from the legendary Constitution-class starship that had borne the designation NCC-6771 and the name Esmeralda.
Weir's practiced eyes glanced quickly over the bridge, noting the efficiency and smooth interaction of the duty complement. Lieutenant Samantha Carter was frowning at something on her console. The Weapons Control and Tactical Station was built into the raised horseshoe behind the captain's chair.
Samantha was the most physically perfect young women Weir had ever seen. She was not especially beautiful-----not beautiful in the way James had been a beautiful man, but then no woman could ever be beautiful in the way that Charlie had been beautiful. Nevertheless, Samantha was a striking woman, with piercing blue eyes and a short mop of honey-blond hair.
The big Psychlo lieutenant, Wrrf, was seated at the ship's operations station at the front of the bridge. His Psychlo heritage was a source of great pride to him, and Weir had already noticed that the young officer still had some difficulty learning how to temper his natural aggression. Apparently, Wrrf still tended to consider himself a soldier first.
Weir smiled at the thought. Wrrf had a lot to learn. Yet there was a Fleet adage: "Any military operation is automatically a failure." It meant that the captain of the ship had failed in his duty as a peacekeeper. There was a counter-adage as well: "The most expensive army in the world is the one that's second-best." Even in the 24th and 1/2 century, the debate of military readiness was still a troubling one.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zYXY2wb8s
The Atlantis had a larger crew complement than any of the other starships in the fleet---but the eight hundred included scientists and technicians of many types. The actual ship's operation crew was probably no larger than that aboard the old Constitution-class starships. There were also some two hundred non-crew aboard---spouses and children. That fact made Weir uncomfortable. The longer voyages of ten to fifteen years that Fleet had decreed for the Galaxy-class ships made it inherent that starship crews bring families with them. Weir had never had to deal with such a situation before, and the idea of civilians, especially children, on board frankly bothered her.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczfW1rCOZp
It was something she would have discussed with her first officer---except that she did not have a first officer in place yet. They would be taking on the last of the ship's compliment at Jutterdon Station, including the chief medical officer and the new Number One.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcYw7P5ceQ
Weir had read over the record of her first officer several times, trying to get a sense of the man. Commander John T. Sheppard, thirty-two years old, most recently first officer of the USS Infinity from which he would be transferring to the Atlantis. His service record was nearly impeccable, and he had advanced to the position of first officer relatively early in his career, which implied ambition as well as ability. If anything, Sheppard's record was a little too perfect. The man had never had to deal with the consequences of a mistake. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwo9azTr4G
Failure was relatively unknown to him. Weir wondered if Sheppard would be able to handle a disastrous circumstance---or would his self-confidence be irretrievably shattered? Despite all the simulations and tests and interviews, you never knew until it was too late whether a man was ready for responsibility or not.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEihv6RtmL
Well, she would find out soon enough---when they reached Jutterdon Station. Weir prided herself on her ability to manage people. She felt it came from his willingness to listen to, to emphasize with, the other person's perceptions. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLHQp6Pwpy
She wanted to like this fellow Sheppard.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rEIASbdDB
Jutterdon Station---that was another puzzle. The planet was on the farthest edge of explored space. The first contact team that had beamed down to the harsh surface of the world had found the Velonans, an ancient and much diminished race, living in the one city that still remained to them. Although not a spacefaring people, the Velonans appeared to have a sophisticated technology that allowed them to live in luxury while they pursued knowledge, arts and crafts. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUEoZmTUg5
The contact team had not reported much about how the Velonan city ran, except that they had an abunance of geothermal energy. The Velonans had been otherwise evasive about their technology. Their senior official, Zektinoler Bucca, had been fascinated by the concept of Starfleet and the mighty starships that plied the vast depths of space. He had questioned the contact team extensively and finally made a startling promise. The Velonans would build a modern port and staging station on their planet if Fleet would establish regular trade.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNMrt0hS66
That had been sixteen months ago. Jutterdon Station, an incredibly complex and advanced facility was now reported to be finished and waiting to serve interstellar vessels. Fleet's best analysis teams did not know how the Velonans had managed it.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXBuVtTg0S
Weir's sealed orders were simple. Find out.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxC8CsY5Dpm
How did they do it? How could an apparently nonindustrial, pastoral society design, construct and activate the most advanced base in known space in such a short time? There was no question that Fleet wanted to use the station, but first Fleet needed answers.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7chClvtfy
That could mean an extensive stay at Jutterdon. The most recent surveillance team had come back knowing only as much as they had begun with. The official contact teams had produced equally fruitless results, even after months of intensive surveys. Weir would have to do better.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvQ8ri2gFn
"Difficult," Weir murmured half aloud.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4br8aDXXZ1
"Pardon, ma'am?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXHgBmP7aa
Weir looked up.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZnJAODUGc
Her second officer, Jay One, was peering at her; his luminous blue eyes alight with curiosity.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2T4Ik7FOh
"Fleet's instructions. I was thinking aloud. I was thinking that will also be difficult to implement. Don't you agree, Jay?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eC9b0JQAP
"How so, ma'am? Simply solve the riddle of Jutterdon Station."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnkbGbynlh
From Weir's left, Lieutenant Commander Teyla Emmagan leaned forward and smiled gently at Jay One. "As simple as that." The ship's counselor's voice was softly musical and her skin was a delicate café-au-lait color. As a half-Betazoid, she had inherited the ability to communicate telepathically with Betazoids, but her telepathic communications with other species were limited to being able to feel their projected emotions. Some she could not "feel" at all. She had learned to speak from her human mother, and the gentle cadences of her speech patterns were soothing. She discerned early that people wanted to share themselves with her, and they listened to what she had to say. That fact had been one of the reasons she had chosen her profession. As personal advisor to the captain, she served in a liaison capacity as a translator, a buffer, a counselor between him, his crew, the ship's complement, and the life forms at their many ports of call.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQKWNLlL1MO
Weir smiled at her comment. "Yes, Jay. Perhaps you see it as just a puzzle to be solved. But I see it as a problem in logistics, strategy, and diplomacy as well. The problem, Jay, is that another life form built that base. How do I negotiate a friendly agreement for Fleet to use it as a staging station and at the same time snoop around trying to find out how and why they built it? How do we do that without offending them?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfWiOyg3MQ
Jay One frowned slightly. "Define 'snoop.'"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3Tjwy082I
Weir blinked in surprise. "Jay, how can you be programmed as a virtual encyclopedia of human information without knowing what a simple word like snoop means?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD1vtL3FkB
The android paused briefly, and Weir could imagine him instantaneously scanning his prodigious memory banks. "Possibilities. A kind of human behavior I was not designed to emulate. Or a term of English vernacular I have not yet encountered. I believe it to be an archaic form..." Jay trailed off, frowning to himself.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmkoyPyEMN
"It means 'to spy---to sneak,'" Weir began lightly.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wXeRPqWXi
"Ah-ha!" Jay One interrupted in delight. "To seek covertly, to go stealthily, to slink, to slither..."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLO9Acog2u6
"Close enough..." said Weir, holding up a hand to halt the rest of Jay One's recitation.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7sikVghtf
Emmagan began to smile and she tried to suppress it.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO69AvmcrB9
"To glide, creep, skulk," Jay One continued enthusiastically. "Pussyfoot, gumshoe---" He trailed off, suddenly aware of the annoyance on the captain's face. "I understand now, ma'am. Thank you."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTWjrl6WcB
Weir opened her mouth to explain to Jay One that Fleet expected him to function as something more than just a walking thesaurus, but before she could speak, Emmagan gasped behind her.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK765YdUrdd
She clutched at herself and nearly toppled to the floor. "Captain..."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDK1h7tHlns
Weir turned quickly to look at her. Emmagan was convulsed as if by an intense physical pain. She looked as if her mind were being seared. "Captain!" she gasped. "I'm picking up on an---omnipotent presence...."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdjAu9cDY4
"From where?" Weir snapped.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGtbujJDKi
Emmagan blindly shook her head, unable to answer. The mental hold was loosed abruptly as a bridge alarm went off. Emmagan weakly slumped in her chair as the bridge complement scanned their consoles, puzzled and concerned by their readings. Jay One moved quickly to the console at the science position and studied the panel.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiJYeHTMDz
Wrrf frowned over his console. "Something strange on the detector circuits, ma'am." 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp3qIV8ZgX
His voice was drowned out by a second bridge alarm that honked loudly, demandingly. At the same time, the huge main screen in front of the bridge flickered. The view of space ahead suddenly altered. Weir involuntarily caught her breath as a shining, sparkling grid appeared, stretching across the whole of space ahead of them. It seemed impossibly huge, but also as delicate as a spiderweb, composed of interlocking geometric shapes.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyo99IlpTs
Jay One looked up from his console, his face only slightly perturbed---as much alarm as the android ever displayed. "The object registers as solid, Captain. Or as an incredibly powerful force field. But if we collide with either..."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OUYY5wGlI
Weir nodded and turned to Lieutenant Brezetta, the officer at the conn position beside Wrrf. "Go to Condition Yellow. And shut off that goddamn noise while you're at it!"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCj7mDnRKF
Brezetta's hands danced on the console, and the irritating honking alarm cut off. "Condition yellow, ma'am."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCue5OWNdR
"Shields and deflectors up, ma'am," Wrrf snapped. Samantha Carter had reached the comm tab on her console and tapped in a signal. She looked expectantly toward the forward turbolift.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8E9hE1nKG
Weir glanced quickly at the screen where the glittering grid loomed larger and clearer as the Atlantis approached. Then she shifted in her chair and said almost conversationally, "All stop."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5E2Tdld5iX
"All stop, aye," Brezetta responded.
On the viewscreen, the shimmering net of energy seemed impossibly close. The Atlantis was still nearly a light-minute distant.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8thQebosMv
"All stop, ma'am..."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlb1quZoWe0
Suddenly, the crackling, roaring power of a lightning strike flashed across the bridge. A searing, blinding flash of light poured out of a hole in space next to Weir. Instinctively, the bridge personnel backed away form it, shielding their eyes.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRjwW39r7O
The column of light shook and then resolved itself into the semblance of a human figure directly in front of Weir's command chair. There was a brief moment when the outline shimmered uncertainly---and then it stabilized into a figure.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0yIOHrT4s
A human figure.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mrJNK7Ksp
Weir blinked, scarcely able to believe that what she saw before her was what appeared to be a man dressed in an outfit done in light purple and gold. His outfit included a medium-length dress with a flared skirt, a low gathered waist, and short flared sleeves, as well as a pair of slipper shoes and a medium-length cloak. His accessories included a pair of bracelets and a simple circlet. The man's skin was light brown in color. Mid-length, straight, graying light brown hair accented, in a surreal way, his dark brown, somewhat small eyes. In height he was short, a bit pudgy, yet he had a somewhat handsome, broad build. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQsbuNokki
As soon as he realized he had coalesced into an identifiable form, the being offered an elaborate gentlemanly bow toward Weir. The forward turbolift doors snapped open, and the security team that Samantha had signaled began to lunge forward onto the bridge. The alien just nodded toward them, and a miniature version of the grid spanned the turbolift door and thrust the security team back. The lift doors snapped shut on their shocked faces.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCoX0GOYUV
The Greco-Romanesque alien turned mockingly toward Weir and extended another bow in her direction. The voice of the creature, however, was anything but courteous. "You are notified that your kind have infiltrated the galaxy too far already. You are directed to return to your own solar system now!"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0h2oy8RvG
Weir tilted her head almost quizzically. She considered her words carefully, decided to stall for time, while she figured out who or what she was dealing with. "Well, now, my friend," she said calmly. "Just who do you think you are giving me orders on my own ship?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7VBcz3CpU
"In words you can understand, we call ourselves the Eye. Or you may call me that. It's all much the same thing." He fluttered his hand to indicate his elaborate costume. "I'm presenting myself to you as a god in order that you will respect my powers and obey me." His voice flattened harshly. "Now, go back where you came from."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8mPsIdNnJ
"Why? Just because you say so, Mr. Eye?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMmIlTFpxm
Eye appeared mildly annoyed. "Because we are greater than you. Because we have achieved much superiority over the millennia. You are but mere cavemen compared to what we are. And you pollute every planet you set your filthy feet upon."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZdHsv2uS3
Samantha Carter flicked a glance at Lieutenant Brezetta, who had eased around in his chair. His hand crept toward the small phaser on his belt. Before she could snap an order to stop him, he had already drawn the phaser and started to aim it at Eye. The alien barely bothered to look; he just nodded at Brezetta. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqoTFGwXRp
A fluttering electric blue wave enveloped the young man, cutting off the sharp scream he had started to utter. He crashed to the deck with the sound of a hard, almost brittle object as Weir leapt to her feet.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCm6LH6XVB
"Stay where you are!" Eye shouted.
Weir ignored him, fighting to control her anger as she knelt beside Brezetta. The man looked as if he had been instantly frozen. Emmagan moved forward to knell opposite Weir, checking Brezetta for pulse and heartbeat. A white mist of evaporation rose gently from Brezetta's body. Emmagan was alarmed to feel the intense cold of his almost marble-like flesh.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjPpPTBQyQ
"Jay, call the medics!" Weir snapped.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbsbFDXc8S
The android reached for the left-hand arm panel in the captain's chair and tabbed a control, speaking urgently to sickbay. Emmagan finished her brief check of Brezetta's body. "I don't believe it. He's frozen. Life waves are there, but slow."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fF88QXP14
Weir snatched up the phaser, prudently reversed it, and stood up to shake it under Eye's nose. "He wouldn't have hurt you!" She displayed the phaser. "Do you understand this----it's called a stun setting?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFcCjyTBcc
"Stun?" The alien's left eyebrow arched sardonically. "Stunning some life forms, Captain, can kill them. Did your officer run a systems check on my form before he attempted to use that weapon? Besides, even if it would only 'stun' me, knowing humans as you do, would you be captured helpless by them? I was only defending myself. Now, go back, or you all will most certainly die!"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdm0kQRP9f
"This ship's not going anywhere 'til this man is taken care of."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtovouDKRh3
Eye studied the firm set of Weir's face, the tenseness of her stance, and snorted in amusement. "Typical, of course. All right, as you wish."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGgBEmaBIk
The medical team arrived at that moment in the turbolift. The barrier grid that had obstructed the security men didn't appear. Dr. Vimes, the assistant chief medical officers, shot a look at Eye, then at Weir. The captain gestured to Brezetta and he moved quickly down to the man. The medics followed, trailing emergency aids and a floating stretcher. Vimes scanned Brezetta quickly and efficiently, his low voice smoothly reading out the results. Finally, he nodded to his medical team and they lifted Brezetta's body onto the floating stretcher and began moving him toward the forward turbolift.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DWVaPll5H
"Is he still alive?" Weir asked.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5oO6jLFTl
"He's in cryo-sleep. We can handle it," Vimes said; but there was something in his eyes and his tone of voice that said, "But maybe we can't." Vimes followed the medical team into the turbolift. The doors sighed shut behind them.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PHEijVKk7
Weir turned toward Eye who had ignored the entire interlude and turned her attention to the inspection of his elaborate costume. "Is this how you demonstrate your moral superiority?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVidIgDYvXx
"On the contrary. This is how I demonstrate my physical superiority." Eye frowned slightly, looking around the bridge as if seeing it for the first time. "I see you've become too sophisticated to be intimidated by a god figure. Your little centuries pass by so rapidly, Captain. Maybe you'll better understand----this." Eye moved his hand slightly.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YVrYoClFh
Again the roar of thunder shook the bridge. The searing flash of light filled the bridge again---bright enough to be blinding even through closed eyelids. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqVvlTpYWm
Weir could see the bones of her own hand silhouetted in the glare. When her vision returned, she could see that Eye had changed. The Greco-Roman garb had been transmuted into the green uniform of the 1950's U.S. Marine Corps. Three rows of medals were precisely lined up on his left breast, and the fore and aft cap sported the silver bars of a captain.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzzqrQxPmV
"Actually," Eye said briskly, "the issue at stake is patriotism. You must get back to your world and put an end to the communist aggression. All it takes is a few good men."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKy49vlaGX
"I don't know what you're talking about, Eye."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oncNRP1pQ
"The Red Menace, Captain---the struggle for freedom. The need to make the world safe for democracy."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDifTBf3w49
Weir shook her head, as if to clear it. What was Eye talking about? "You're still in the wrong time! That nonsense is centuries behind us!"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SLO38CeUL
"But you can't deny, Captain, that you're still a savage, dangerous child-race."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgy2phhwbFx
"I certainly can deny it," Weir shot back. "I agree we still were when humans wore uniforms like that four hundred years ago."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FljxTzfzh
The Marine Eye pushed closer to Weir, interrupting harshly. "At which time you slaughtered millions in silly arguments about how to divide the resources of your insignificant little world. And four hundred years before that, you were murdering each other in quarrels over tribal god-images. And since there have been no indications that humans will ever change..."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEg4EQtPA7b
"But even as far back as the time of that uniform, we had begun to make progress. We had begun the work of ending hunger and disease, poverty and illiteracy. We stamped out plagues, we ended famines. We taught nations how to rebuild themselves from the devastations of war. We were children growing up. We may not have known how to do the best job, but we did the job and we learned from our mistakes. We made progress. Rapid progress. We're still making progress."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvHJHPSTgd
Eye twisted his mouth sardonically. "Is this your rapid progress?" He moved his hand again in that same little gesture. Weir didn't flinch when the thunder and lightning came again. Weir recognized it as a trick---a bit of stage magic to startle the audience, to frighten her and throw her off balance. Well, it simply isn't going to work.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XKRJqWWDV
This time, the Marine gear changed to the stark officer's uniform of the mid 21-century wars. Now Eye was a Fifth World Warmonger. Harsh and ugly. Every historian's nightmare: the soldiers who knew no fear, had no feelings, and were unstoppable. The healthy, clean-cut look was replaced by an ugly, unshaven robot face. You pointed him at a target and gave him the order to capture it or kill it. He wouldn't return until he did.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxSTvGJyXu
Eye spoke and his voice sounded slow, slightly drugged, as he made his point. "Rapid progress, Captain, to where nations learned to control their armies with drugs."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD07yub8AOO
"Next thing you'll be telling me your species is perfect. That you never makes mistakes--- That you never learn better...."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6datHqSQwp
A beep sounded from Wrrf's Ops console, and he reached out to tap a control. "Ops," she murmured. The low-voiced report brought a quick smile to his dark face. He turned toward Weir and nodded. "Ma'am, Dr. Vimes reports Lieutenant Brezetta is going to be all right."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqm9f6GqBhM
Eye watched as a sigh of relief rippled through the bridge compliment. "I am touched by your concern for your comrade."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhFlnVG7o7
Wrrf tensed as his eyes shifted from the contemptuous intruder to Weir. "A personal request, Ma'am. Permission to sanitize the bridge?" he meant Eye. 548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9Yony4bhB
As satisfying as it would have been to say yes, Weir shook her head. Wrrf started to protest, but Weir stared him down. They'd had one casualty already. Weir didn't want any more. She wouldn't risk any others until he knew what he was dealing with. Behind her, Samantha had come down the ramp from the horseshoe toward the command area.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbGmCILV4f
"Lieutenant Wrrf's right, ma'am. As security chief, I can't just stand here..."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQmkLe8FaK
"You can and will, Lieutenant," Weir snapped.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjr15jwljyV
Samantha wanted to protest. Weir could see that in her eyes. If she were still a security chief, she would want to protest as vigorously as Samantha did. All her instincts were to fight back, to deal with this intrusion on a physical level, even if it was clear the alien was far more than he seemed to be. But she was a captain now, and that was a different set of responsibilities.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gdZ9HFIDx
Samantha lowered her eyes. "Yes, ma'am." The captain was right, of course. Wait and see. But Samantha didn't have to pretend she liked it.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgF4OXRvy0
The 21-Century soldier form of Eye pulled out a slender tube attached to his uniform and turned it so he could sniff something from it. Then, taking a deep breath, he murmured, "Ah, yes---better." The drug seemed to take hold almost immediately, and Eye smiled sarcastically at Weir. "Later, of course, on finally reaching deep space, humans found enemies to fight there, too. And to broaden those struggles," Eye swept a hand around to indicate Wrrf and Emmagan, "you again found allies for still more murdering. The same old story all over again."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYqwFRcxXp
Despite herself, despite her training, Weir found her anger rising. Who was this pompous posing popinjay? Who was he to intrude and accuse? If his manners were any indication, Eye had no claim to moral superiority at all. Weir stepped toward the being, allowing some of her anger to show. "No. NO. You don't know what the hell you're talking about. You've got no sense of who we are at all. The most dangerous 'same old story' is the one I'm looking at right now. Self-righteous life-forms who are eager not to learn but to prosecute, to judge anything they don't understand or can't tolerate."548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywBqwGa3YO
Eye cocked his head to one side, eyeing Weir sharply. He laughed. "What an interesting idea. Prosecute and judge?" He took a step or two away from Weir, pondering the idea, then he turned back. "And if it turns out we understand you humans only too well?"548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldT8YzLPoF
"We're not afraid of what the facts about us would reveal."
"The facts about you? Oh, splendid, splendid! You, my dear, are a veritable cornucopia of damn good ideas." He flashed a pleasant smile at Weir. "Well, now---we can proceed. Of course, there are preparations to make, Captain, but I promise you, when we meet again, we will proceed exactly as you suggest." He made the short, curt salute of the 21-Century troops. The thunder roll and flare of blinding light carried him away.548Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwRPJrmeSa
