Epilogue: Mars

"Wake up, Catty," he said as he gently touched her shoulder. "There's work to be done, my child."

Catty's eyes fluttered open. She looked around to examine her surroundings, then looked at the man who had activated her. "Good morning, Grandpapa Kyle," she said with a smile.

"You shouldn't be addressing me that way," Kyle explained to her. "As far as anyone knows – I'm Sandy's uncle, not her grandfather. Not even her father knew that he was my son – I was his half-brother who lived in the Canadian wilderness until learning that he had a daughter. I regret the need for such deception, but my lack of aging would have aroused suspicions. So nobody must ever know the truth about me – do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand" Catty said, sitting up on the lab table and lifting her arms – imitating the stretching motion a human being would do. "So what happened? Did you not reach the Citadel?"

"I did," Kyle answered with a sigh, "but the machine intelligence was too rigid, too – simplistic – to listen to reason. I believe that I was able to plant a seed of doubt into its thought-matrix, though... it will be your job to see if it takes root."

"But – how do I do that?" she asked. "I don't know that I'm capable of what it is you're asking me to do."

Kyle rested his hand on her shoulder, smiling softly. "I've given you all of the knowledge contained in the old Solnoid database, along with much of my own. Be observant, and you will know what to do. Seek out my granddaughter, Sandy – she is the key. But remember to never disclose your true origins – imply that you were built by following the Solnoid knowledge, but do not use the word 'Solnoid'. These people have no name for them, so use 'aliens' instead. And don't tell anyone that it was I who made you – say that you were built by a scientist, and let them draw their own conclusions. The time is not yet right for them to be made aware of our presence."

"Can't you tell them yourself?" Catty asked.

Kyle smiled sadly. "I'm dead, remember? My return would raise too many uncomfortable questions. Sandy was already beginning to have doubts about my intentions – she is extremely intelligent, and understands more than she knows."

"You sound very proud of her," Catty noted, her golden eyes gleaming at him.

"I am," he admitted, "supremely proud. Had she grown up in a proper society, she would be delving into the greater mysteries of the universe... rather than struggling for mere survival. The greater pity is that I can't take her away from this, and give her the opportunity to fully explore her potential. Sadly, she has to stay, and I have to go."

"Go?" Catty said with a gasp, "Where are you going?"

"I have to make my report to the Council," Kyle explained. "My mission here was to determine whether or not the Quarantine of this star system should be maintained, and for how long. Given the results of my talk with the MME, they need to be informed that these people must be kept in isolation for the indefinite future."

"But... it's not their fault," Catty tried to argue, "it's not like they ASKED for this to happen."

Kyle shook his head, "In a way, it is. Their fears brought about a subconscious need for self-destruction, and everything that has happened is a consequence of that. There are a few, like my granddaughter, who are close to understanding, but most of them are still caught in their own trap. It may take generations, or centuries, before we can bring them out of their isolation. That is another part of your mission, now – monitor developments in my absence and try to guide them towards a peaceful coexistence."

"And – if I can't?" she asked.

"If all else fails, there is a station being built in Jupiter orbit - it will be cloaked until you call for it. It will have an escape craft that will take whomever you select to an emergency relocation facility, located in a star system beyond the Pleiades cluster. Now, since growing a true ship would arouse suspicions, I will have to use human methods. That will make the ship vulnerable to cybernetic intrusion. If that happens, you will have to intervene."

"And do what?" she asked as she lifted herself off her bed to stand before him, looking up into his eyes.

"I've given you the ability to transfer your Personality from your body to another system," Kyle explained. "Your will is strong enough to prevent others from taking over, but it's a one-time transfer. As I said – use it only as a last resort."

"I understand," Catty said as she shifted her gaze to her feet. "I'll miss you," she whispered.

"And I you," Kyle whispered back, as he wrapped his arms around her for one final embrace. "But the Council needs to know what is happening here, and a Hyperspeed communication might be detected. Also, I have to brief them on a redesign of the Homunculus Project – if the Interface signal could be detected by such a rudimentary form of artificial life, then it will certainly be detected as they advance."

A chime sounded from a speaker embedded in the wall. "Attention, attention," a voice announced, "the United Nations of Mars will be convening in thirty minutes. All delegates and witnesses are required to attend. The meeting will be broadcast over the Mars Global Network for non-delegates to watch. Repeating..."

Kyle looked up at the speaker. "That's my cue to leave," he said. "With everyone's attention on the meeting, I can slip out an airlock unnoticed and walk to my ship. I can be off-world before anyone knows that I was even here." He smiled as he ran his fingers through Catty's hair. "Well, anyone who didn't need to know," he added.

"I'd go with you to the airlock," Catty said to him, "but I should go to the meeting. I can read their intentions more accurately if I watch all of the delegates at once, rather than what they choose to broadcast over the network." Her eyes shifted away from his again. "I'm sorry," she told him.

"Don't be," Kyle told her, "I expected you to make that choice. It's a good choice, exactly the one I would have made if I were in your place. That's why I'm as proud of you as I am of my granddaughter, and it's why I trust you to carry on in my absence." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You'll do well," he said to her, "maybe even better than I did. I'm leaving this world, and Sandy, in good hands." He took a step back, and his hands slid off her shoulders. Turning towards the door, he paused as it slid open.

"Take care of yourself, Catty," he said as he stepped through the doorway. "And take care of them – they need you."

"I will!" Catty called to him through the closed door. She stood for a moment, staring at the closed door, then whispered two more words before turning to don the uniform that went with her crafted identity...

"Goodbye... Papa."

-FIN-