Estrid couldn't sleep. She was far too paranoid now. No matter what Acario said, the ship was safer. But he wasn't going to be going anywhere, she knew that already. He thought he was right and there wasn't something likely to change that. In spite of how calm he tried to pretend he was, though, she could tell that he was still awake, too. (Can you not sleep?) she asked.

(Don't want to,) he lied.

(Then what do you want to do?) Estrid responded.

(You sure you want to know the answer to that?)

She sighed. (I believe I already know. )

(Why don't you guess anyway? Guessing games are fun.)

(There is no chance of that.)

(Huh...too bad. If you don't want to guess, maybe I should just tell you.)

(Why must you always go to this subject?)

(Like Alludra said, my heart and brain don't exist. I have to think with something, now don't I?)

(Can you not be serious for just a moment?)

(You have exactly one moment.)

Estrid wasn't proud of what she did next. But she wanted, just this once, to stop him in his tracks. And how she had something that she thought could make him be serious for once. (Aloth.)

There was a pause. Then, (What about him?)

(Do...do you know what happened to him? What really happened to him?)

(Yeah, I know. Heard about it from a friend of mine on the Homeworld who still keeps in touch with me. He was on a ship called the Ralek River. It crashed and...well...) Acario trailed off.

Estrid slowly shook her head. (Acario...that isn't what happened.)

(What are you talking about?)

(This...it is complicated.)

(So is Ssstram economics, but that doesn't stop me from trying to turn a profit there.)

Estrid nodded. (Very well. I am a scientific genius. When I was young, I was sent to the university, to study and research. There I met Arbat-Elivat-Estoni.)

(Uncle Arbat...he never did like me,) Acario muttered.

(Approximately five kilorotes ago, he...)

Acario raised one stalk eye. (Got a little free with his hands, did he?)

(NO! Wha – why would you even suggest that?)

(Well, between you and me, Uncle Arbat always seemed a little off to me. No telling what he might do next, you know? Don't tell Uncle Ally I said that, though, he gets pretty protective of his younger brother. Poking fun at Arbat was a good way to lose your head.)

(He never did any such thing! But...I suppose that would not have been as bad as what he did do...)

Acario leaned forward, interested now. (Okay, now this is something I want to hear.)

(I stumbled across something...a virus of sorts. It could be designed, programmed, to attack and kill Yeerks. But there was a problem with it. It could mutate and attack their hosts, too.)

(Sounds like you might run into a problem there.)

(Yes, though I admit I did not realize it at first. The mission we went on was one that Arbat planned. He wanted to release the virus in the Yeerk Pool. It would kill many Yeerks, probably all of the Yeerks on Earth. But it might also have killed all of the humans. I did not realize it at the time. I thought Arbat would give me enough time to perfect it, to make it 'safe'…)

(Hard to see the W.C. authorizing that,) Acario pointed out. (How'd Arbat manage to get them to agree to it?)

(He lied,) Estrid answered simply. (Or maybe he did not even tell them. I know that Arbat lied to the other two members of the crew, though. He told them that we had been sent on an assassination mission, to kill Visser Three. He gathered two Andalites. A pilot named Gonrod…and your brother.)

Acario bobbed his stalk eyes slowly. (Yeah, that makes sense. No one's a better shot than Aloth. You mean he never went to prison after all?)

(From what I understand, Arbat recruited him out of prison,) she explained. (During the mission, Arbat…I did not see it, but Aximili was there. Arbat killed Aloth.)

Acario said some words that Estrid could not repeat, partially because it would be unbecoming of her and mostly because she did not know the language from whence most of them came. (What happened to Arbat?) he demanded.

(We are not sure, but we presume he was eaten by Taxxons while in a human morph.)

Acario nodded slowly. (Good. Good. That sounds like something he deserved.) They waited in silence for several minutes, neither sure what to say. At last, something came to Acario's mind. (What...what did you think of Aloth?)

(He was….) Estrid thought. (I did not like him,) she admitted. (He was unfriendly, insulting, snide, and aloof. But…he acted that way towards me. He acted that way towards Gonrod and Arbat and Aximili, too. He treated me just like he treated a half-trained aristh, a famous pilot, and an old Intelligence Adviser. I did not like him at the time but now…I have to respect him. He showed me at least that much courtesy.)

(That's Aloth for you. He was always very…fair. He was too good for our family. With his Shredder skill, he could have made a fortune in the private sector. But Aloth…he wanted something more, something that was bigger to him than profits. He wanted to do something with his life, something that would last for generations. That's how he ended up in the military.)

(I had no idea there was any sort of nobility in him. From what I understand, he was arrested for stealing and selling organs from dead comrades.)

Acario looked away. (That wasn't his fault. That was…that was mine.)

Estrid raised one stalk eye. (How so?)

(When I was younger…I wasn't always the handsome, healthy Andalite I am today. I used to be very sick. A few kilorotes ago, I was on death's door. And no one on the Homeworld knew how to help me, not for all the money my family could muster. The Noblisk had a cure for what I was going through, but they weren't too keen on sharing. They wanted something special…)

(The organs Aloth was selling.)

(Yeah, that's right. I don't know why they wanted them, and I don't care. Aloth got them their payment and they fixed me up better than ever. But someone found out and TCS bagged Aloth and stuck him in a cell. The last I saw of him…Well, it looked a lot like when TCS grabbed our father. I always figured it was a vision of my own future.)

(I am sorry, Acario.)

(Don't be. It isn't like you're the one who ratted him out. Or put a bolt in his brain. I'm sure I would have heard about that virus getting out and killing off the humans, so I can only assume you got some good sense and got out of that deal. That's pretty much all I can ask of you. He wouldn't have wanted things to end that way. Aloth...he wanted to be the good guy. Sometimes, it makes me think I might like to try that, for a change.)

Alloran was brooding. It wasn't a usual hobby of his, but he was compelled to give it a chance after seeing the reenactment of the slaughter of the Def. As well as he hid it from his soldiers, it had shaken him to the core. The old War-Prince had been expecting a simple mission to find Aximili. Dangerous, perhaps, but something he could handle. Suddenly, things were a whole lot more complicated. Animorphs tended to have that effect on things. (Are those children going to haunt me forever?)

Someone knocked on the door to his quarters. He didn't need to ask who it was. (Come in, Alludra.) His daughter entered and focused all four eyes on him. Alloran sighed. (Trying to hide it from you was bound to fail, wasn't it?)

(I know you too well, father. What we saw scared you. Very badly, it seems. What was so terrifying about that?) she asked. (Calnen thinks he was using some sort of weapon, or that someone else nearby was. What we saw was not what actually happened, it was how Rah Jaget remembered things. I was disturbed at first, too, but it seems likely that Calnen is correct.)

Alloran shook his head. (I wish I believed that, Alludra. But... Things have a way of...elevating...with Animorphs around. I'm scared, daughter. I'm worried that what we saw...maybe that's what really happened.)

(What...how do you mean?)

(E. particles... Calnen says those are probably what caused the destruction. What if Tobias can control them, manipulate them?)

(That's impossible, father. It would be like controlling air or trees or anything else. One can't just exert one's will on the universe.)

(I know many who have tried. Impossible as it may be...that is routine for the Animorphs.)

Alludra put a hand on his shoulder. (You are just worried, father. Seeing one of the Animorphs brings back bad memories for you. It is clouding your judgment. They were great warriors, but they could not bend the universe to their will. They were only human - mostly, at least.)

(I know that. And yet...) Alloran's gaze drifted past his daughter. He stared at his door without really seeing it. (There are...things...in this universe, Alludra. Beings of power so vast that we refuse to believe they exist... I have...seen them. Some benevolent...some far, far worse than the Yeerks...)

(Father...) Alludra began, a note of concern clear in her voice.

(They are out there, Alludra. They are. I've...I have seen what happens when they take a hand in matters. That which is impossible... For them, it is as breathing. What happened on Svutan... That would be nothing to them.)

(I think you need to rest, father,) Alludra suggested. (I think Acario might have left something in his quarters...)

Alloran shook his head. (This is what I fear, Alludra. That what Rah Jaget saw...what Tobias said was true. It was a message for us. These powers...they are at play, now. And I fear we are walking right into the thick of it.)

(Father...) Alludra said again.

The old War-Prince sighed and shook his head. (But there's nothing to be done, is there? We have our orders. Find Prince Aximili. Bring him home.)

(We could leave, father. We found the crashed ships. We could say he was killed. If things are as you fear, we should run the other way as fast as we could.)

(No...no. Even if I was ordered to return home, I could not do it. It is not only my orders, Alludra. There is a debt I owe to the Animorphs, one that I can never hope to repay. Jake and Marco are dead. Rachel as well. But for the sake of those who remain... I must do all I can for Aximili, Alludra. I owe them everything. It is only fair that I should risk everything for their sake. I cannot count what they risked for mine.)

(Then stop acting like this,) she responded. (This uncertainty and hesitation...it is not who you are. Do you truly believe that there are powers out there who can do things like this? Or are you just frightened from seeing an Animorph after so long?)

(I...) He paused. Then, (I believe it, Alludra. I know it. I have seen them at play. Their power is something I have witnessed with my own four eyes. They are there. And, I fear, they are here.)

(At least you are certain, then. You have never been hesitant, father. This would not be the time to start, would it?)

(No, I suppose not,) Alloran conceded.

(Then, assuming that these powers are at work, what should you do?)

(Do I have any choices? I cannot turn back. The debt I owe...not even for the sake of my crew – for your sake – can I step back.)

(Then we must go forward,) Alludra answered simply. (But another thought, father. These powers of which you speak...do you think they would touch only the Animorphs?)

(What do you mean?)

(I mean that perhaps they mean for us to be here. For you to be here.)

Alloran thought about that. Then, (What use would they have for me?)

(The same use the War Council did. You are strong. You are brave. You have experienced hardship and tragedies that have made you nearly invincible. Could anything you endure be worse than your slavery to the Yeerks? Could any decision you make haunt you more than what you did on Hork-bajir?)

Alloran shook his head. (No.) He paused. (There is one thing. I should never have brought you, Alludra. My daughter...if something happened to you, it would be worse than anything else that has happened to me.)

(You could not protect me very well by leaving me behind,) she answered. (Much better to have me within reach, do you not think?)

(You are right, as usual.) Alloran agreed.

(Then cease this hesitation, father. Leave your uncertainty behind. You are here. Now. Whether it was the War Council who sent you or these powers who called you, it matters little. Your task is still the same. Your debt is still to be paid. And you, father, are still War-Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. Be who you are, and I know everything will be alright.)

Rah Jaget sat in the shade of one of the trees in the bubble. She sat stiffly, her eyes staring far ahead at something she could not see. Her claws clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into her flesh. A small amount of blood trickled out from the wounds she unknowingly made in her hands. A part of her told her she was hungry, but that part couldn't get through to her. She only sat there, staring.

That was how Sabion found her, staring blankly and literally into space. This was the third time Sabion had found her doing nothing but staring. At first, he assumed it was just normal Hork-bajir behavior - staring absently was probably common to such stupid creatures. But this time, he noticed the wounds Rah Jaget was making in her hands. Sabion found a place on the Hork-bajir's shoulder that wasn't bladed and shook her gently. When that met with no success, he shook her considerably harder.

Rah Jaget's arm snapped up into an attack position. Sabion's tail whipped into place just as quickly. The Hork-bajir lowered her arm slowly, some sort of grimace on her face. Had Sabion known anything about Hork-bajir facial expressions - or facial expressions in general - he would have recognized it as an embarrassed smile. After a moment, Sabion lowered his tail. "Rah Jaget sorry," Rah Jaget said slowly. "Old reflex."

Sabion ignored the apology. (You were wounding yourself.)

Rah Jaget looked at the palms of her hands as if seeing them for the first time. "Rah Jaget think."

(About what happened?) Sabion asked. As slow as conversation with the Hork-bajir could be, there was something Sabion found enjoyable about it. It made him feel intelligent, smart. Maybe that was why Calnen spoke to Sabion?

Rah Jaget shook her head. "Think about what happen soon."

(What do you mean?)

The Hork-bajir's beak moved but no sound came out. "Rah Jaget...think about..." She looked around as if she could find the words somewhere in the bubble. Her eyes fell on the tree behind her. She put a hand on a branch. "Rah Jaget cut branch, branch fall."

(Yes. That is correct. That is called gravity.) It was nice to know things for once.

"Not gravity...Rah Jaget not think about why..." Whe trailed off. There was an intense look of concentration on her face. "Branch not fall, but Rah Jaget see it."

(That is called your imagination. It is when your mind make sup things and puts them into words and pictures. It can be fun. I spend a lot of time in my imagination land.)

"No! Not imagination!" Rah Jaget said forcefully. "Rah Jaget think...think about...branch not fall yet, but Rah Jaget see it. Rah Jaget think about that."

Calnen entered the bubble at this point. He swept his eyes over the pair and then decided to ignore them while he fed. He jogged around the bubble, enjoying the taste of the grass under his feet. The scientists had done a fantastic job with this, he had to admit.

(Your imagination,) Sabion said again.

"NO!" Rah Jaget shouted, slamming a fist against the tree in frustration. "Not imagination! Real. But...not now. Branch...Branch fall. Not now. Soon. After now. Not imagination."

Calnen jogged closer to the pair as he passed them. "She's talking about the future, Sabion. She doesn't know the words for it, but it sounds like he's thinking about the future."

"Future! Future happen not now? After now?"

(That's right. That's the future,) Calnen explained.

Rah Jaget nodded. "Future. Rah Jaget think about future. See branch fall."

(Interesting,) Calnen remarked. (I was not aware Hork-bajir had any real ability to think ahead.)

"No think. Rah Jaget see branch fall."

(Is that so?) Calnen asked. Sabion had fallen silent. So much for feeling he knew things.

"Rah Jaget see branch fall. See other things. Happen not-now. In future. Rah Jaget see them."

Privately, Calnen spoke to Sabion. (Sabion...it sounds like she's saying that she can see the future.)

(She must be imagining things.)

(I certainly hope so. Though...she was exposed to the highest concentration of E. particles ever recorded. Perhaps... But that would be absurd. Still...) Out loud, he asked, (What else do you see, Rah Jaget?)

"Rah Jaget see...see red creature fight other Andalites. Rah Jaget not know them."

(What do they look like?) Sabion ask.

"One tall. Thin. Darker than you. Other small, purple."

(That almost sounds like Estrid and Acario,) Calnen whispered, surprise clear in his voice. (What else do you see, Rah Jaget?"

"Rah Jaget see lots. Much...confusing. Strange trees. Strange creatures. So many...so much...Trees on fire, trees dead. Metal gate, red eye, small bird, dead Andalite, strange ship, smoking mountain, bloody river, red eye, the eye the eye THE EYE THE EYE!" Rah Jaget dropped to her knees and dug her claws into her head. "THE EYE! THE EYE! BLOODY EYE! FIRE EYE!"

(Watch her!) Calnen snapped at Sabion. (I am going to retrieve a sedative. Make certain she does not hurt herself while I am gone.)

Calnen dashed out of the bubble, off to the medical bay. Rah Jaget's claws dug deeper into her head. Blood seeped out between her fingers. Her ranting grew louder. Sabion shuddered at the sound. Then he tilted his tailblade to the side and struck the Hork-bajir across the face with the flat of it. Rah Jaget stopped ranting - probably due to being unconscious. (I am certain she cannot hurt herself now.)