Part 1 -It's all about the glutes

Well, hello there. I trust your world hasn't spun off its axis since we last spoke? Look, about last time... let's just call it out, things got a little heavy for a bit, didn't they? A genuine low point for me; I went through a bit of a 'rough patch.' But fear not, I haven't lost my sparkle. I'm still here and I'm still smiling.

Just to level set, so you know what you're getting into, this next one isn't going to be a walk in the park either. Things are about to go sideways in a big way. Just not immediately.

What am I doing now?

Well, I'm stuck doing something I never, ever thought I'd do, and I'm absolutely despising it. So, pour yourself a coffee, and let's pick up where the trouble truly begins.

"Logan," Selene hissed, her voice a low, fierce whisper, "You're embarrassing me. Get down!"

"I'm trying!" I snapped back as my thighs screamed at me.

"And hold for three… two… one… Now, extend your legs straight, coming tall. Take a breath, and then back down again. Holding for three… two… one… Come on, Logan, you can do better than that. Get lower. You can do it, bend those knees and tighten those glutes," Lina instructed from the front of the room, her voice bright and cheerful, a perfect, blinding smile fixed on her face.

"I am tightening my glutes!" I grunted back, trying to sound as politely agonized as possible.

"No, you're not," Selene angrily whispered, leaning closer. "I can see your glutes, and they're not tight."

"Your glutes aren't tight!" I shot back defensively, though I had no idea what her glutes looked like, nor what 'tight' even meant in this context.

She just tossed me some side-eye.

"I don't even know what glutes are!" I whisper-shouted, feeling the intense burn spreading through my thighs.

"Come on, Uncle Logan, you've got this," Bee said encouragingly, her sweet voice a beacon of undeserved faith.

"Is there something wrong back there?" Lina called out, her voice laced with feigned concern.

"I'll say," Chantel replied, without missing a beat or a perfect squat. "There's a lot of whining happening back there," she teased, smiling back at me.

In return, I gave her my fakest smile. That would show her!

"Logan, are you doing alright?" Lina asked, her concern sounding more genuine this time as I visibly struggled to hold my position.

"I'm… I'm… fine," I strained, each word a monumental effort against the incredible burn in my legs. They felt like they were about to give out at any moment. How were these women doing this?

Lina just looked me over, concern evident on her face, before turning back to the front of the room.

"And back up, standing tall," she announced to the class. "Let's take a minute to stretch out now and relax those muscles."

"Oh, thank god!" I gasped, nearly collapsing to the mat.

"Dude," Dutch leaned over, whispering, "It's not that bad, man up."

"How are you doing this?" I asked under my breath, genuinely baffled.

"I run and bike all the time. I'm a machine," he replied, squatting down effortlessly, a smug grin plastered on his face.

"Creepy dude," I replied, rolling my eyes at him.

"And that's enough rest. On to our next routine," Lina chirped, just as I was about to faceplant.

"There was no way that was a minute!" I shouted, disbelief heavy in my voice.

***

"You doing alright?" Selene asked, watching me from the bench outside Lina's new Pilates studio.

"Tell me again why we did that," I groaned, rubbing every muscle in my legs, including some I hadn't known existed.

"We're supporting Lina. Getting her new business off the ground. Having you there draws a lot of attention," Selene explained, a slight smirk playing on her lips.

"Yeah, I'm sure my attending a class is really going to drum up the clients," I replied with all the sarcasm I could muster.

"Well, once word got out about you attending, her classes sold out for the next few weeks."

"Really?" I said, genuinely surprised. "Well, they're all in for a surprise. Lina was brutal in there."

Selene laughed out loud. "No, she wasn't. I asked her to take it easy for your sake."

"That was taking it easy?!"

"Have you not been to a Pilates class before?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," I admitted.

"Well, I have, and that was taking it easy. So, are you going to come back with me next week?"

"Oh, no! Not even a consideration," I retorted immediately.

"Looking good, Logan," Chantel chirped, walking by us after exiting the studio. "Way to be a beacon for a new humanity. Really inspiring," she said, dripping with sarcasm.

"Why did we let her on this planet?" I asked Selene as Chantel moved out of sight.

"It was a package deal. She came when Cosmo News relocated to Planet No Name as its base of operations. Not to mention, she did put her credibility on the line to help out our cause."

"How you holding up, Uncle Logan?" Bee asked, coming out of the studio, her sweet voice holding genuine concern for my well-being... not like these other monsters.

"I'm okay, Bee, thank you for asking," I said, noticing my tone of voice soften in her presence.

"He'll be alright, sweetie," Selene replied. "Auntie Selene will take care of him," Selene said, smiling.

"That sounds ominous," I replied, getting a smack on the arm for the comment.

"I hear you're going to be instructing soon?" I said, looking at Bee.

"Yup. Lina is teaching me everything I need to learn. It's been a lot of fun so far," she replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good for you," I said proudly.

"Not meaning to be rude," Selene interrupted, "Does Pilates do much for you? I'm really just curious."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. Even androids can use some stretching to help keep things working right. I'm trying to get Dad to join me, but he always says that he 'doesn't have time'," she said, putting her hands up in air quotes. "I think he's just scared, though."

"Ha! Steve, exercising. He would sooner print himself a new body than do a squat," I said, laughing.

"Are we still on for camping this weekend?" Bee asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"You bet we are," I replied, loving the fact that she enjoyed camping as much as I.

"Now I just need to get Dad back here from Stellium. He has been working so hard lately."

"Yeah," I said longingly. “He’ll be back this afternoon for the town hall.”

Steve had been away a lot lately, helping with the Stellium-Umbris negotiations. Things had been progressing fairly well, both sides wanting to heal old wounds. The challenge was that the two species had spent the past two thousand years apart, and the descendants of that time had no experience co-existing. All they knew of each other were the stories.

Changing the subject, Bee asked if I was going to come to her first class she would be teaching next week. I only looked at Selene for help replying, not wanting to let Bee down myself.

"Come on, it's good for you," Selene said, smiling. "Besides, you could use the workout." She leaned down and playfully poked my belly.

I looked down and realized she wasn't entirely joking. I'd been in pretty good shape just a year ago, right after escaping captivity at the hands of the Umbris. Back then, I'd had the time and the grim determination to really push my body. I suppose I'd taken it a little too easy since then.

I guess now would be a good time to give you the download on what's been happening over the past year. To get to the heart of what I imagine would be your first question regarding New Earth and the Quantum Malleum (QM): not a lot has changed. In fact, nothing has changed. It's sort of eerie, but we've heard absolutely nothing about it, and the New Earth Top Five families have been strangely absent.

If you recall, at the end of our last adventure, things got a little out of hand. The Umbris, who are a new, emerging ally now, had invaded our universe and were desperately hunting for the Quantum Malleum ship called the Devastator.

Well, yours truly found it, just as all hell broke loose. First, there was that whole thing about the Tree of Death stuck inside an asteroid in the Alpha Centauri system. The tree itself seemed to stretch out, spanning other universes, all hidden impossibly inside the large rock.

Then, if that wasn't strange enough, my good buddy Patrick, now stuffed full of the QM, along with Echo riding shotgun in his brain, started talking funny. And when I say funny, I mean thousands of voices coming out of him all at once. It turned out that the QM was actually made of two ancient alien races that were essentially 'unmade' and turned into QM as a form of eternal punishment… or something. Either way, some ancient, deeply unpleasant individual enacted their revenge on, not only their enemies but also their own people, somehow turning them into the obsidian black ooze that is now the most powerful substance known across both the human and Stellium universes. He who owns the QM, can essentially own the universe. That is, if you know what you're doing with it.

Anyhow… At the end of our crazy adventure, things reached a climax with a battle between the Umbris, Pirates, Stellium, and my very own PNN. The Pirates ended up defecting to the PNN and are now a fully functioning colony, and frankly, a heavily contributing member too. Who would have thought? But Mandy has really been coming through on her promise to turn things around. She has even started making amends with the people on the Serenova moons.

Then there was my good friend SAGE. This was a sad part, but he ended up making the ultimate sacrifice, rescuing me and my crew even though he knew it would be his death.

What made things worse was that he was just starting to come into his own, developing a unique personality… becoming an individual. It was a sad time for me and my friends as we lost not only SAGE but also Santiago and my grandfather in a matter of months.

Still, things seemed to be looking up. The PNN was growing at an alarming rate. More and more immigrants were coming over to start new lives on new worlds all the time. Some of the ancient human organizations were even making the move, agreeing to strict oversight and operational rules. Apparently, the writing was on the wall, and the future was the PNN.

Yes, things were looking better for humanity every day. You would think with all these changes I'd be too busy for Pilates… unfortunately, you'd be wrong.

You see, I'm really just a figurehead at this point, ready to retire from leading the PNN. Most of the heavy lifting was being done by Caelum and Dutch as well for that matter. Dutch was turning into a real leader around here, almost a full-time partner with Caelum as they started sharing duties.

Right… I almost forgot. The last you heard, Dutch was in the hospital. Well, I'm happy to say he has made a full recovery, thanks to some borrowed medicine from our Stellium partners. With George leading the Stellium now, things have really been loosening up. It wasn't odd nowadays to see a strange Stellium and even the odd Umbris walking around Planet No Name or even Eden. There wasn't much of that happening on the rest of the PNN worlds yet, but it was starting.

I guess now would be a good time to introduce myself. My name is Logan Pierce, and I am officially desperate for action soon. You see, Selene and I are planning to ditch human space and travel deep into the unknown as soon as we possibly can. Unfortunately, a few promises are holding us back.

First, we need to recover the Quantum Malleum currently in the hands of the New Earth leadership and find a way to put those beings trapped in that state to rest.

Second, and probably more pressing, we need to find a way to get Selene's parents off of New Earth and into a place of safety.

Strangely, it seems that her parents are doing well, all things considered. About a year ago, we were infiltrated by none other than the head leader of the Top Five families in charge of New Earth. Mansour and one of his colleagues, Amy, pretended to be migrants from Farm World and ended up learning many of the PNN's secrets, including who Selene was. Since then, she has been worried sick about her parents. At this point, we aren't sure her worrying was necessary, as they seem to be doing well and communicating freely with her. The two catches that have been bothering us, though, are the fact that her parents have been denied travel to any other world, and they had recently been reassigned to work in the capital of New Earth. I figured there was a hidden message in there from Mansour; he was keeping them close, just so I knew he could do something if he wanted.

I wasn't naïve enough to think that all Selene's communications with her parents weren't being monitored. We assumed they were watching her parents like a hawk, and for that reason, we wanted to get them off the planet as soon as possible.

Strangely, with no movement from New Earth leadership since they acquired ninety-nine percent of all the QM, we were in a bit of a holding pattern, waiting for the other shoe to drop. At this point, I'd almost take anything just to get the ball rolling.

Did I tell you about the part where New Earth leadership stole the ancient crashed ship that was on Eden for what… maybe a million years? Anyway, they took the ship and consumed the entirety of the Devastator with it?

No? I didn't mention that?

Oh, that part is important. That is how they came into possession of the QM. They literally flew an un-flyable ship, cut the Devastator in two like a hot knife through butter, and then literally ate the two halves. It was an incredible show of power and, frankly, extremely frightening to see. Why they didn't also take the Sierra I still don't know. It's been a question looming over me for some time.

What is strange about that is the fact that I knew Mansour wanted me dead. Me and Patrick both. You see, we have a connection to the Top Five families, as our grandfathers used to be a part of them. There also seems to be some connection through our DNA with them as well, leading Ringo and George, our Stellium buddies, to believe that there is more going on here than meets the eye.

What was bothering me even more with Mansour and Amy was the way they so easily were able to control the QM. When they first stole the Silica—that was the crashed ship—they only had to put their hand on its surface before it came to life. They had somehow known just how to control the QM it was made from, with little to no effort.

Finding out recently that I also had some sort of DNA connection with the QM that was shared with Mansour and Amy, I occasionally found myself putting my hand on the Sierra, trying to control it with my mind… needless to say, I was getting nowhere.

"Logan," Dutch said, coming from the studio, his yoga mat under his arm. "Are you going to be alright to make the town hall meeting today, or are your legs going to fall off?" he teased.

"I'll be there," I replied reluctantly.

"Come on, Uncle, you will be great. Auntie Selene has been telling me all about your speeches you give," Bee said proudly.

"She has, has she?" I replied, looking to Selene, only to receive her beautiful smile back.

"Come on now, you better get cleaned up before the town hall," Selene said, pulling me up from the bench by my arm.

"Hold up," I replied. "You promised we would go by to check on Patrick if I did this with you. I've held up my end of the bargain."

"Fine!" Selene said, reluctantly agreeing. "But we better hurry. The meeting is in a few hours."

"It's fine…" I replied, waving off her concern.

The truth was, I hated doing these speeches. Standing up in front of a crowd, and now with the PNN growing to over a billion people, the cameras would be all over me.

Selene would always write my speeches for me, telling me what to say, but I would eventually go off script. Strangely, she had never once gotten upset with me about that, after all the time she put into her notes.

On the way home, we stopped by PNN General Hospital and went to visit Patrick, who was more alert and conscious recently. The truth was that even with the help of the Stellium medicine, there was little we could do to help him. Since the Quantum Malleum people used his body as a puppet, he has been in rough shape, gradually deteriorating. The Stellium doctors think it's the QM in his bloodstream, but they don't know how to get it out of him.

"Hey, buddy," I said, walking into his room and sitting down beside his bed.

"Don't do that," he snapped, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Come in here sounding all concerned for me like I'm helpless or something. I used to be the ruler of the largest smuggling enterprise mankind has ever seen. I was feared by all and respected across the known universe."

"Sure you were," I said, patting him on the arm in a condescending tone.

"That's better," he grumbled. "Don't give me your pity; I'd prefer you make fun of me than walk on eggshells."

"Can I have a minute?" Doctor Anderson said, sticking her head into the room.

"I've got this," Selene said, stepping out into the hallway, leaving me and Patrick alone.

"She is going to tell Selene that I'm dying," Patrick said to me with no sadness or emotion to the message.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because I am. I've known that for a while. The QM in my blood is killing me, and Echo has been confirming a breakdown of my organs."

I nodded, not surprised by his message.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I want you to get Echo out of my head. He doesn't have to die along with me. He doesn't deserve it."

I listened and found myself shocked. Patrick knew he was going to die and wasn't concerned for himself in the slightest. Instead, he was concerned for the AI living inside of him. Man, he has changed. I couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for him.

I didn't even try to pretend that what Patrick was saying wasn't true. I wouldn't disrespect him that way by coddling him, saying it would be alright when I knew it wasn't. It would just piss him off.

"You know, we don't know how to extract the QM without killing you, and most likely Echo as well. We have been over this," I said, frustrated at the lack of options.

"Yeah. Well, I've been thinking about that," he said. His cybernetic eye drifting over to focus on me. "Take me to the Tree of Death, talk to the QM people again."

I sat up straighter at the suggestion.

"The last time we went there is what got you in this state. How are they going to help?"

"They didn't do this, Logan," Patrick said dismissively. "Sure, the strain with them in my system may have accelerated things, but I was already heading down this road. I'm not scared. I'm thankful," he said to my surprise. "I was dead and gone. These past years have just been extra time for me to get things in order. Echo gave me a second chance at life. Now it looks like his selfless act is also going to be his downfall. We have to try something to save him."

I nodded my head, feeling a similar sense of responsibility to Echo. He didn't deserve the fate of his short life so far. Since being activated, he really has had no peace. His life has been a combination of confinements in some form of prison or another.

"Take me, Logan. Take me to see the QM people at the Tree of Death again. If they can extract the QM from my system, even if it kills me right there, you can take it and put it into some container until you can figure something out. At least Echo has a chance."

We hadn't been back to the Tree of Death since our first visit. Long-range reconnaissance of the asteroid showed it was being protected by a New Earth battle cruiser. With no real reason to go back until now, we didn't bother to push things with New Earth. Even if this was a calm before the storm, it was still a calm. This gave us the opportunities to get the PNN in order and focus on the more immediate expansion needs of the people migrating. I knew eventually we needed to get back to the Tree of Death; however, it wasn't something I was rushing, and not something I was necessarily looking forward to. As amazing as that space was, it somehow creeped me out, as though it was a cosmic, galactic graveyard for all living beings.

"Okay," I said, nodding along, having no other real option to pursue. We've been over things with the human and Stellium doctors so many times with no real way to help Patrick.

"What does Echo have to say about this?" I asked.

I hadn't had the opportunity to speak directly with Echo for the better part of a year. After the QM people spoke through Patrick in our last visit to the Tree of Death, Echo had gone incredibly silent. It looks as though with Patrick's waning health, Echo has been relegated to the background and unable to speak through Patrick any longer.

"I'm not gonna lie to you. Echo isn't happy with any of this. In the background right now, he is telling me that I'm being stupid. Between you and me, I just don't think he wants to be responsible for my death in an effort to save him. However, he fails to see the fact that he gave me years that I should never have had. He saved me when I was long gone, and the least I can do is give him a chance at a life he's never had. So I don't really care what Echo has to say, this is what I want, it's my life, and it's mine to give."

"Okay," I said again. "When?"

"I'm ready to go right now. It's not like I have much else in terms of plans," he said, looking around the hospital room filled with little trinkets and get-well balloons. "Honestly, I can't wait to just get outta here. You try spending the better part of a year in bed with little to do."

I gave a strained, fake laugh, if only to acknowledge his comment. "Okay," I said again. "I have a speech to give to the town commemorating the milestone of the PNN growing to 1 billion people. Part of the announcement is that we're going to officially make today a national holiday. I've been asked to give the announcement."

Patrick laughed. "I know how much you hate doing that shit. I don't envy you."

"You, who are lying on your deathbed asking me to take you somewhere to die. And you envy me?"

This got a good laugh out of both of us.

We chit-chatted for a little while longer about nothing relevant, and then I said my goodbyes, promising to return later this evening after the speech and celebration. I met Selene in the hallway of the hospital, and she informed me of what the doctor had said to her. Really, it wasn't anything surprising; it was just confirmation of what we already knew. The end was coming for Patrick, and there was little to nothing they could do to stop it.

I informed Selene of what I was intending to do and what was discussed with Patrick while she was in the hallway. She nodded along in agreement, a sad expression on her face. I know she was never a big fan of his, and I understood why. Not worth getting into now, but she never complained that Patrick and I had become close friends. She was supportive of me and of what I planned to do, and agreed to come along and support.

As for now, it was on to home to get cleaned up and prepared for the afternoon's events and following festivities.

***

"Thank you everyone for coming," Dutch said, addressing the audience and camera surrounding the stage centre in the middle of the town square. There appeared to be at least two hundred thousand filling the square, the street, and the balconies of the small, three-storey buildings all around. Planet No Name had come a long way in the handful of years it's been since I first landed here with Steve. The town resembled something more like the pictures of old Europe from the Twentieth Century, only with much better technology and no ugly cable lines hanging everywhere.

"Now, I know what you're all wondering: why we've gathered here today and what is this big announcement? Well, I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to wait a little bit longer to find out. I am, however, excited to share with you that on one of his very rare appearances, we've got the founder of our great nation, hero to the Galaxy, friend to all animals and people alike, and my personal friend, Mr. 'Letting it go to his head, big shot,' Logan Pierce, who has agreed to speak to you all today. So let's give it up for Mr. Logan Pierce!"

To my utter surprise, I couldn't help but laugh, regardless of the butterflies I felt in my stomach. Dutch had done such a wonderful job with the intro, bringing humour and levity to the situation that I couldn't help but feel energized as I stepped onto the stage. The crowd cheered in a way that always surprised me. I think back to my times on Old Earth and the loneliness and desperation I felt back then, only to be cheered for and appreciated in a way that I never believed possible. People actually wanted to see me. The sensation was extremely strange.

I walked up to the microphone, the crowd still cheering as I waited for things to quiet. After a minute or so, things started to get silent enough that I could be heard on the microphone. I walked up, took the microphone off the stand, and began slowly walking back and forth across the small stage. I'm not sure if I did this because of nervousness, or if I felt it made me look more comfortable in front of the crowd; however, what it did do was allow me not to constantly be staring out at the sea of faces.

"Thank you, Dutch, for the wonderful introduction. I can always count on you to take me down a peg or two." This got a chuckle from the crowd. Opening up with a little bit of humour always made speaking on the microphone a little easier.

"I guess I should start with why we're all gathered here today; I bet you're all wondering. Before I share that with you, I'd like to give a shout out to Caelum, who, along with Dutch, has done an amazing job getting this event all set up. In fact, it was Caelum's idea to have this event in the first place, so you can all thank him for the reason you are missing work right now." This also got a nice cheer from the crowd as Caelum stood off to the side of the stage, waving.

"Okay, no more stalling. I'm not just excited, I'm absolutely thrilled! Overjoyed, even. Because today, we officially stand united, a community of over one billion strong across our PNN worlds!"

The crowd erupted. A powerful, positive spirit, a sheer joy, vibrated through all our worlds – something truly unprecedented in human history. We haven't just built a nation; we've cultivated a culture where people are engaged, where they have true choices, and where they genuinely appreciate the life we're building together. I know this isn't a state that can last forever. We already see it in the young ones, the teenagers growing up here, who might take these opportunities for granted, unaware of the hardships their parents faced on other worlds. The culture will change over time, and there's little we can do to stop that. But for now, we have families who truly value the opportunities, the locations, and the lives they are living.

"Across our now twelve planets, the PNN is thriving. We have corporations actively engaged, giving back to the community. Our employment rates are nearly 100% – because no one here is without purpose or work. The very concept of money for goods and services is slowly fading, as we move towards a community that simply provides for one another. We have enough food. We have enough space. We have the opportunity to live in humanity's true golden age. Now, it might sound like I'm bragging, and maybe I am a little," this got a chuckle from the crowd. "But please, make no mistake: I didn't give this to you. Caelum didn't give this to you. These worlds were here, waiting. And together, through co-operation, alignment, and a shared set of principles, we have built this. We have built these PNN worlds into an idyllic state that I pray can live for generations. We have built this together. So, with this incredible milestone of a billion PNN residents, I am proud to announce that today will be the very first national holiday across all PNN worlds. From now on, this will be known as the Day of Peace – a day of gathering for all residents to spend with family, friends, and to celebrate everything we've accomplished here. We hope to continue pushing this message, inviting other civilizations to join us in this celebration. But even as we celebrate, we must remember our work isn't done. We continue to welcome new people to PNN planets at an incredible rate, and your support has been monumental. Yet, there are still eight billion people living in harsher conditions, without the opportunities we enjoy. Today isn't just a celebration; it's a day of reflection on what we've left behind. It's a day of tolerance, as we continue to open our doors to all humanity. My dream – and I truly hope you share it – is for all of humanity to eventually stand under one umbrella, working together, supporting one another. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand what we've built here is special, something I never imagined could function with this many people. But somehow, it has. Bringing more people into our community will add stress to our current model. But I need all of your support to help make it work. Can I count on all of you?" This got a loud cheer from the crowd.

"Okay, enough of me blabbering on. I'm going to hand it over to Caelum now, who's going to tell you a little bit more about the activities we have planned for you today and the celebration that will be happening on each PNN world with food and drink for everyone. I hope you all have a great day, and I hope you keep the dream of the PNN in your hearts at all times."

I walked from the stage to the crowd cheering as Caelum took to the mic.

"That was different," Selene said, handing me a glass of water I happily accepted.

"Different good or different bad?"

"Different than what I wrote, but always good when you ad-lib," she said encouragingly.

I heard a cheer come from the crowd as Caelum said something that got them going again.

"He's so good up there," I said, admiring how he handled the crowd. "It's just so natural for him. We are lucky to have him here."

"He is good," Selene agreed.

"At some point, you're going to have to let me up there; I'll put on a show for you," Steve said, appearing out of nowhere from the crowd of event organizers all around.

"Jeeze, Steve," I said, startled. "Even when you're not snooping over the Sierra systems, you still come out of nowhere and scare me."

"Maybe it's you. Ever thought of that? You're just a little skittish. You have some guilt you're hiding about something?"

I laughed. "Yeah, more than you know," I joked back.

"Selene tells me it's mission time, heading back to asteroid 'big dead tree'?" he said.

"Yeah, Patrick's request. You were right," I said, acknowledging something Steve mentioned a few weeks earlier: that Patrick would make this request soon.

"I usually am," he replied. "Unfortunately, now is not a good time."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, I don't think Patrick cares. He's going to go one way or another soon," I replied.

"Yup," he acknowledged. "I'm in the midst of helping Jessy and George with some key parts of the Umbris negotiations. I can't leave now, but I do have a suggestion."

"If you say 'use the standard AI,' I don't want to hear it," I replied, noticing Selene smiling awkwardly, looking almost excited. "What is it?" I asked, realizing that whatever was going to be said had already been discussed and decided before telling me.

"Bee is going to come along," Selene burst out. "She is going to be our AI for the mission."

"Ummm…," I started to say.

"It'll be fine," Selene said before I could say anything.

"I'll download all my knowledge on the controls of the systems to her. She's been begging to go on an adventure, and this just seems like the right opportunity," Steve said.

"And you're okay with this?" I asked.

"As okay as I'm ever going to be sending my daughter off into a potentially dangerous situation."

"You mean the oversized New Earth battle ship standing guard? You know we are likely going to have to fight them for access?" I asked.

"I know. But with the Sierra, you should be fine. I'm not too worried," he lied.

"Tell me why?" I asked. "I know you don't like this, so why?"

Steve's face dropped to Selene's surprise.

"She has made it very clear to me that I need to let her do these sorts of missions, and I can't keep her bottled up forever. Frankly, Logan, this whole teenage android thing is becoming a pain in my ass. She's mad at me all the time. I swear, I just walk into the room, and she is angry how I walk. It's out of control. I can't spend enough time with her, I'm around her too much… I can't do anything right. The only thing I can do is let her hang out with 'Uncle Logan'," he said in air quotes in a mocking tone, "and 'Auntie Selene.'"

I laughed at his pain, but not as loudly as Selene. She caused Caelum to come to a stop on the stage as everyone looked over at us.

Selene put her hand over her mouth as if that was going to silence the noise as we moved further away from the stage.

"What's so funny?" Steve asked.

"She is a teenager," Selene said. "Android or not, she is a teenager looking for more independence. That's it. She is just like every other teenager out there," she said, laughing more and drawing me into it.

"Yeah, laugh it up," Steve said without a smile. "At least I'm going through it now. You two have all this to look forward to," he said, storming off.

I looked to Selene, confusion on my face.

"Hey, don't look at me," Selene said, putting her hands up. Considering we had never even broached the topic of kids, I felt a momentary chill, thinking that Steve was alluding to something.

"Stop it," she said as I stared at her. "Ew, that's gross. Stop looking at me."

**

"OMG, OMG, OMG," Bee said, jumping up and down.

"Now, it's going to be dangerous, and you need to treat this seriously," Steve said, looking at Bee in a fashion I still hadn't gotten used to from him.

"Dad! I know!" she replied, causing Steve to throw his hands in the air.

"I can't talk to her," he said, staring at Selene. "Can you please explain to her what she needs to do?" he said in exasperation.

Selene did her best not to smile, but wasn't doing a very good job of it. "I'll take it from here," she eventually said, grabbing Bee's hand and walking with her to the orbital lift.

"I'm telling you, Logan, she is going to be the death of me," he said, shaking his head as I laughed at him. "I wish three girls on you!" He said before storming off.

"Coming through," Lina said, pushing Patrick on a floating bed.

"Lina?" I said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm coming along. Thought that Patrick could use a nurse."

"I don't need a nurse," he snapped. "But I'm happy to have you here," he said in a calmer voice, softening his tone. I had noticed that he had developed a soft spot for Lina over the past few months, as she would regularly check on him during her rounds at the hospital. They had become friends in that time, and I realized that Lina was here more to see Patrick off.

So, we eventually boarded the Sierra, got Patrick settled, Bee connected into the ship, and we all changed into our standard PNN uniforms. I looked around the bridge, seeing Selene, Lina, and now Bee here with us, and I smiled.

“I guess there will be no Palates next week?” I said, a smile plastered wide on my face.

Selene just rolled her eyes.

"Ready us for launch, Bee," I said, happiness evident in my tone.

"Yes, sir, Uncle Admiral," she said, giving us all a laugh.