After receiving a full explanation of the situation from V, Wander and Sylvia began looking over Jackie's medical data. The two nomads were whispering between one another, debating on how to best help. V, Mama, and Viktor stood off to the side, silently waiting for the two of them to finish.

"Try not to look so glum," Dominator stated. She was lying down on Vik's weight bench, extremely relaxed compared to the rest of the room.

"Kinda hard at the moment," V said in her head so only the phantom could hear. "It's not like we have any experience with losing loved ones."

"We kinda do," Dominator suggested, "if you count Jackie getting shot during the Maelstrom fight. Or maybe when mother died?"

"I guess." V continued to watch Wander and Sylvia, but her face scrunched up when a thought occurred to her. "Why are helping me all of a sudden?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Dominator raised an eyebrow at V. "I don't want us ending up like that." She pointed over at the comatose Jackie.

"Oh," V frowned, looking away from her dying friend.

"And it's not like you wouldn't have thought to ask Wander eventually. I am a part of you after all."

"I have good news and bad news," Wander announced, snapping V out of her thoughts.

"What's the bad news?" Mama asked, barely hiding the panic in her voice.

"We have no idea what's wrong with Jackie or how to help him," Wander frowned, his hat slumping forward.

"The hell's the good news, then?" V asked angrily.

"We know someone who might." Wander perked back up as he spoke, his optimism returning. "The Mooplexians are the most advanced psychics in the galaxy. If anyone knows how to help Jackie, it's them."

"The who?" V raised her eyebrow at the Star Nomad, not recognizing the species name.

"The Mooplexians."

"That sounds made up," Vik chimed in.

"Most things in this galaxy sound made up," V joked. "You get used to it."

"Where can we find the… uh… Mooplexians?" Mama was cautiously optimistic about the plan. If there was a chance to save her son, she would go along with it.

"Last we saw them; they were hiding out on Bonkarth-5. It's about a day's trip from Earth."

"By Zbornak in an orbble, I presume?" V asked.

"Yep," Wander smiled.

V let out a deep breath through her nose. While she understood that this was probably her best shot at fixing Jackie, she really hated Wander's plan. Traveling long distance by orbble was terrifying enough. Traveling back into outer space with an injury was terrifying enough. Trying to track down an advance psychic race that was probably holding a grudge against her was terrifying enough. Putting all three of those together into one plan was the kind of thing that would give most low level edgerunners a panic attack. Tack on the fact that it wasn't a guarantee and that they were on a time limit pushed the idea into nightmare territory.

"You don't think this will work," Mama spoke, reading the doubt on V's face.

"It's a dangerous plan. I don't want it to end up being a waste of time." V thought for a second longer before turning to the Zbornak patiently waiting off to the side.

"Sylvia," V called in Galactic Common. "These Mooplexian guys. You think they can fix Jackie?"

"It's a long shot, but they are our best bet," Sylvia responded. V thought about it for a moment longer before nodding.

"Alright, I'm in."

"Ahem."

"What?" V hissed at Dominator, causing everyone else to give her worried looks.

"Nice one, idiot," Dominator sighed. "Just wanted to remind you about a certain corpo that's been following us around all morning. What are you gonna do about him? Ask him to help, too?"

"Maybe."

"No," Vinny deadpanned.

"Whatever," V scoffed. "I'll plan without you."

"No, I'm not letting you leave Earth," Vinny clarified.

"And how do you plan to stop me?" V laughed.

"We could kneecap you." Vinny pulled out his pistol and pointed it at V.

"Drop it, pendejo!" Isabel yelled, pulling out her own pistol and pointing it at Vinny.

"Lower you weapon, Isabel," Marcus commanded as he raised his rifle at Isabel. Iwata followed suit, raising his rifle to V.

"That's enough!" Misty screamed. She stepped next to V, her hands out to guard the alien. "This alley is my private property. All of you will lower your guns right now, before I kick you all to the curb." The air was thick with tension for a moment, Vinny staring down Misty as if testing her will.

"You heard the hippy," V griped. "Drop 'em before she kicks your ass."

"Not until I get an explanation, and a damn good one," Vinny said.

"You want the short version or the long version?"

"I want the whole story."

"For crop sakes, I don't have time for this," V whispered as she rubbed her eye. "Fine, just put the gun down."

Vinny lowered his pistol and directed Marcus and Iwata to do the same. Isabel followed their lead, holstering her own pistol.

"Thank you," V said. "Now if you would all follow me."

"Let me make sure everyone is following you correctly." Vinny rubbed his temples in confusion. "Narjians can form telepathic bonds with each other, and you somehow managed to form one with Jackie Welles."

"Yes," V nodded.

"But because Earthlings are not designed to handle psychic bonds, it slowly warped his personality and is about to kill him."

"Yes."

"And now you're hoping that these… Moo… plock… whatever guys will be able to help you."

"Uhhh, yes," V confirmed. "That just about sums it up."

"Wow," Misty whispered, staring wide eyed at Jackie's comatose form.

"Por Dios. That's hell of a story, V," Isabel said. "It does explain why he went full cyberpsycho on you yesterday."

"Question," Iwata spoke up, raising his hand. "Why do you have to go?"

"Excuse me?" V said.

"He's right, V," Vik said, speaking up for the first time since the crowd invaded his clinic. "You are injured and you're hallucinating. You are in no condition to travel anywhere."

"See? Even the ripperdoc agrees," V smirked. "You stay here, and we let you're two friends go talk to these Mooplexers."

"Mooplexians," Wander corrected.

"Yea, them."

"Because while Wander and Sylvia are good at surviving, they suck at getting shit done," V deadpanned. "I don't trust them."

"Now that's just not fair," Wander frowned. "We help people all the time. We can help you with this."

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"Pardon?"

"When I was demolishing your galaxy, why didn't you stop me? You came up with this Mooplexian plan pretty quick. Surely you had some way to end my mayhem."

"Uh… Well, you see… we had lots of ideas…" Wander stuttered, struggling to come up with a good answer. "It was just that… when you put a plan into action… we would ask for help… but sometimes… thing don't… work out." He tapered off at the end, realizing his honest nature wouldn't be enough to come up with a satisfying answer.

"Yea. That's what I thought."

"Send Isabel," Vinny suggested. "She looks capable."

"No can do, amigos," Isabel shrugged. "Fractured ribs. I can't risk it."

"I'll go," Marcus volunteered, raising his hand.

"What? No," V squinted at the guard. "Who even are you?"

"I'm Marcus. This is my buddy, Iwata."

"I really don't care," V shook her head.

"V, that's enough," Mama Welles sighed. "I'll go with them."

"Mama, no. It's too dangerous. There are a lot of unsavory characters out there. It needs to be someone who can put up a solid fight."

"Then I'll go," Vinny said.

"For the love of crop!" V groaned. "Why are you so against-" V paused when a thought struck her. "Holy shit, you're afraid of me," she grinned.

"What? No."

"Admit it. You're scared of what I'll do if I leave the planet."

"No, you gonk!" Vinny yelled into his palms. He lowered his hands and glared at the green woman. "You're harmless without your ship. I'm scared of what my fucking boss will do. It would be one thing if you died or joined a different megacorp. But if I let you leave the planet, then I'm not gonna lose just my job. I'll probably lose my fucking head!"

"Oh, please," V scoffed. "No need to be dramatic."

"He's telling the truth," Iwata said. "Arasaka Intelligence is brutal. He'd go missing and would never be found. They'd probably tie a cement block to his feet and dump his body in the bay."

The room went silent as the guard's words sunk in. The only sound came from Jackie's heart rate monitor. V couldn't take her eyes off of Vinny. You could see the gears in her head turn as she tried to fit the words into her understanding of reality.

"You… can't possibly be serious," she nervously chuckled. "You work for a corporation, not a bunch of super villains. None of you are buying this, right?" V looked around to get conformation from everyone else. Her friends were awkwardly avoiding eye contact and shuffling their feet. "Right?"

"There is a reason I left Trauma Team a long time ago," Vik said slowly. "The longer a corporation has their grip on you, the less likely they will be willing to let go. For someone who knows as much as Vinny here, Arasaka will never let him walk away. Better to dispose of the problem quickly and quietly."

"Good thing we don't care what happens to the corpo," Dominator smiled. But the gears in V's head kept cranking away. "I said, 'GOOD THING WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CORPO'."

"Sylvia, can you carry three people?" V asked, not taking her eyes off Vinny.

"Depends. Who did you have in mind?" Sylvia replied.

"Me, Wander, and Corpo Vinny here."

Sylvia scratched her head before answering. "It won't be easy. But it's doable."

"I hate you so much," Dominator mumbled, but V wasn't listening.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," V laughed in English.

"What's going on?" Vinny asked, more than a little creeped out. "She's smiling at me. Why is she smiling at me?"

"New plan," V sang. "Both of us will be accompanying Wander and Sylvia on this trip."

"That's a terrible idea," Vinny protested.

"Yea, V," Misty spoke up. "What about your injury?"

"Don't bother," Vik shook his head. "Once an edgerunner has made up their mind, it's damn near impossible to persuade them otherwise."

"I'll still be letting you leave Earth," Vinny frowned. "I'll still be reprimanded when we return. IF we return."

"You do this for me," V sighed. "And we can discuss me becoming a… what's the word? When you work for someone without actually working for them?"

"Contractor?" Mama suggested.

"That's the word!" V cheered. "I'll be a contractor for Arasaka. The company with get access to my robotics expertise and we both get protections." V offered out her right hand. "We got a deal?"

"I doubt Arasaka will accept a contractor, but I suppose it's a start." He took V's hand and shook on it. "We got a deal."

"Awesome. The corpo and the alien bitch gonna save Jackie. Yay." Isabel sarcastically sang. "Now that we sorted that out, do cualquiera de ustedes idiotas even have a plan?"

"We buy supplies and then go find a way to fix Jackie," V shrugged. "We got a week, but it shouldn't take more than three days."

"I don't know. Seems a little too easy to me," Isabel frowned.

With the exception of Vik and Misty, the entire group returned Heywood and reconvened at Jackie's garage. After a brief discussion, they had put a list together. Wander and Sylvia would buy food and water. Isabel would buy weapons and ammunition. Vinny would buy first-aid and try to acquire something to help with V's shoulder. Most of it could be stored in Wander's hat, but both V and Vinny wanted to be well armed in case they ran into trouble.

"Where is the ship being hidden? Badlands?" Isabel asked as V passed her a stack of paper eddies.

"There is no ship," V responded. "We're going by orbble."

"The hell does that mean?"

"It's a giant bubble that naturally recycles the air inside."

"Excuse me?" Vinny interrupted. "Did you just say we're going to be undertaking an intergalactic mission in a fucking bubble?"

"Would you calm down?" V griped at him. "It's how I got here. And it's the only way I've seen the other two idiots travel."

"Is it safe?" Mama asked, suddenly not liking the plan.

"Yes, it's safe," V reassured them. "So long as no one shoots us and pops it while we're in open space."

"How are we supposed to traverse the galaxy without some kind of warp tech? Is Wander going to pull a wormhole out of his hat?" Vinny was losing his cool. The man looked like he was about to pull out his hair from stress, and V couldn't blame him. He was about to be the first Earthling to leave the solar system, and by some extremely unconventional means to boot.

"Dude, seriously. Calm down," the edgerunner tried to sooth the corpo. "Slip space physics are tricky. I don't have time to get into details right now, but orbbles let the user break space-time in a sense. We'll be fine."

"We better survive this," Vinny spat. He took his share of the eddies and left. Isabel shrugged and followed him out, leaving Mama and V with the guards.

Everything became quiet in the garage as awkward silence once again took hold of the air. Marcus and Iwata didn't seemed bothered, as they had taken post by the garage door, their orders to keep V safe at all cost until Vinny returned. V also wasn't fazed by the lack of noise. It had been a rough 24 hours. She needed time to sit down, close her eye, and collect her thoughts. Mama, however, was becoming restless. Her always moving nature forced her to speak up.

"Excuse me," she said, stepping over to the garage door. "Do you mind if I shut this? I would like a moment alone with V, por favor."

"Go ahead," Iwata nodded. "But leave it cracked. We don't want to risk it jamming shut."

"Sí, sí. Gracias." Mama moved one of the spare cinder blocks Jackie used when working on his bike and moved it to the door. With a strong tug the garage door slid shut, stopping when it struck the block.

"Alright," V sighed, not bothering to open her eye. "Let me have it."

"And what would I be giving you?" Mama asked somewhat smugly. She leaned against Jackie's work bench, right next to the chair V was in.

"We both know you want to chew me out. You have every reason to. Now's your chance."

"No, V," Mama smiled sadly. "I hold no ill will against you. I want to talk, because I am worried about you."

"Don't lie to me," V glared at the older woman. "I've caused you nothing but trouble since we met. Only reason you let me hang around was because Jackie wanted me here."

"Very well. I won't lie," Mama chuckled. "That first week met? Era un infierno. I still don't know how I didn't snap at you sooner. But you changed after the Maelstrom fight. I don't know if it was seeing Jackie almost die or if it was something he said, but you started to become a better person. Every day you learned, little by little. And now you're someone I'm proud to have in my life. I might even go so far as to call you my daughter."

V tensed up at the last sentence, her gaze snapping away from Mama.

"You can't possibly mean that," the alien mumbled. She could feel the first hints of tears coming on and was trying to force them away.

"I do mean that. You're a part of the family now."

"After everything I've done?" V cried. "Everything I admitted to? I've committed atrocities on a scale you can't possibly comprehend!" She turned to Mama, desperate to understand the woman's kindness. The first hint of tears ran down her cheek.

"Your past does complicate things," Mama said as she wiped V's tears with her thumb. "But it doesn't change the fact that you are a better person now. Not everyone will be willing to forgive you, but you can still forgive yourself."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to do that."

"I forgive you, V."

"W-what?"

"I forgive you, V. For everything." Mama smiled down on the green woman.

V stared back, her watery eye wide from confusion. She didn't know how to respond. Her brain was in emotional turmoil as she struggled to wrap her mind around Mama Welles' motives. By the alien's logic, Mama shouldn't be so forgiving. You don't just forgive mass murderers.

But then V remembered her conversation with Padre. According to the Heywood religion, God teaches forgiveness and redemption. She still didn't buy into the idea herself, but it was reassuring. It meant Mama was telling the truth. Mama loved V like family and would always be there for her.

V still struggled with the idea, but her final barriers broke down. Leaning forward, the edgerunner rested her head on Mama's stomach and softly wept.

"Gracias, Mamá. I'll make this right. I promise."

"Bout time you got back," Isabel frowned at Vinny as he entered the Welles' family home.

"I wanted to change into something more travel appropriate," Vinny responded, referring to his new outfit. Gone was the black suit and dark red blazer. The corpo was now sporting common street clothes, his jeans and reinforced denim jacket almost making the man look like a Heywood native. Almost.

"Did you get what I asked for?" V asked, handing him a plate with a slice of locus pepperoni pizza.

"I had to pull a few strings, but I was able to get an experimental adrenalin hypo. It should allow you to fight though the pain in your shoulder for up to an hour. Assuming your biology doesn't react poorly to it." Vinny handed the first aid kit to Wander, who shoved it into his hat without letting go of his own vegan pizza.

"Maybe you shouldn't be using experimental drugs without a doctor's supervision," Mama pointed out.

"It's only in case we run into trouble and have to fight our way out," V reassured her. "But between Sylvia and Secret Agent Man, I doubt anything would come to that."

"Secret Agent Man?" Vinny raised his eyebrows at the green woman. "Really?"

"Yep," V smiled, drawing a snicker out of Isabel. "Now shut up, sit down, and eat. We still need to decide where to leave from."

"If you can launch from anywhere, why not just head up to the roof?" Isabel asked.

"We're too close to City Center. Too many drones and AVs flying around. I don't want to get knocked out of the sky before we even break atmosphere." V took another bite of her pizza while she contemplated the options. "We should probably head out to the Badlands, past the Sunset Motel. That way-"

"No," Vinny interrupted her. "The second we cross the I-9, Militech will be on us. We need to stay in Night City airspace as long as possible."

"Then what do you suggest, Corpo?" Isabel taunted. "Gonna head down to Pacifica and hope you don't get flatlined in the crossfire?"

"What's Pacifica?" Wander mused out loud.

"Night City's southern district," Mama answered. "It was supposed to be a resort area, but investors pulled out due to last year's war. Now the police are struggling to contain the violence."

"Oh," Wander slouched in sadness, but quickly shook it off.

"I suggest we launch from the Petrochem damn," Vinny said. "It's away from prying eyes, but still within city limits. We should be gone long before anyone realizes it."

"Will we need to worry about AVs?" V asked.

"No. It's too close to the Satwave Power Plant. No sane pilot would dare fly after us."

"Then it's decided," V declared. "We leave for the damn in an hour."

"We're here," Marcus called out from the driver's seat.

"Are you sure we can't take a ship?" Vinny asked apprehensively.

"Don't go getting cold feet on me now, Corpo," V frowned.

The Arasaka transport van pulled off to the side of the road on top of the Petrochem damn. Vinny hopped out the back with V, Wander, and Sylvia in tow. The sun was starting to set over the ocean horizon, bathing the city skyline in orange and red light.

"Wow," Sylvia breathed. "It's actually kind of beautiful from here."

"I know," V replied. "Almost shocking how peaceful Night City can be. It's rare, so don't get used to it." She looked over to Vinny who was chatting to the guards that drove them out there. "We all good?"

Vinny glanced at her, but didn't respond right away. He continued his conversation for another 30 seconds before walking back to the three aliens.

"Needed to make sure they were clear on everything," he said. "Let's go. If we linger, we risk running into other corporate agents."

"You ready to run, Sylvia?" V asked the Zbornak.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Hop on," V directed Vinny, gesturing to the blue alien.

"Seriously?" Vinny scrunched his eyebrows at her, but complied with a shrug. "Alright."

"Oof," Sylvia grunted. "Wish I knew Earthlings were this heavy."

"What did she said?"

"She called you fat," V translated with a smirk. She climbed on to Sylvia next, sitting in front of Vinny. Wander climbed on last, sitting on V's lap.

"And away we go!" Wander cheered. He pulled a bottle of orbble juice out of his hat and waved the bubble wand, forming an orbble around the group. Sylvia immediately took off, sprinting up at a steep angle.

Vinny began to scream in terror, his arms wrapping tight around V's midsection. Any sense of logic and understanding he had about the universe was crushed. The man's mind was struggling to comprehend the fact the he was essentially flying through the air on the back of a sapient horse-thing in a fucking bubble. He stopped screaming once they reached the edge of the atmosphere, as his lungs had run out of air. He squeezed onto the green alien tighter as his eyes slammed shut.

"Vinny," V said. "You mind loosening up before you break my ribs?"

The corpo did as he was told, loosening his grip on V just a little bit.

"Vinny, it's all good," V cooed to him. "It's safe. Take a deep breath and enjoy the view."

After much hesitation, the man listened to V. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

Vinny's jaw dropped. Before him was the Moon larger than he ever imagined he would see. As they sped closer to the lunar body, he could make out the handful of settlements and facilities that had been built there. Vinny looked over his shoulder to get one last glimpse of the Earth. It was just like all those century old photos from the Apollo missions. A little, blue marble in a deep, black void. It was an awe-inspiring view made all the more humbling by the fact that he was speeding away from the planet with three aliens of three different species. He was but a tiny spec in an uncaring universe.

The group continued forward, and the Earth was obscured by the Moon. In less than a minute, their closest celestial neighbor was also fading away into the distance.

"Whoa."

"Sweet crop, my back hurts," Sylvia moaned, stretching to ease the tension in her spine.

"You gonna be ok, pal?" Wander asked her.

"Yea, I'll be fine. But I'll need a long rest after this trip is over."

"Good to hear," V nodded to them, "because you are our only ride home."

The group had landed on an abandoned planetoid not far from their destination. The rock still had plenty of breathable air despite being completely barren of life. It had been one of the earlier planets to be drained by Lord Dominator. Now it drifted through the cosmos abandoned. While setting up camp, V kept getting an eerie feeling. Being so far from Earth was messing with her emotions, making it hard for her to focus.

"Helloooo! Earth to V!"

"Hu?" V was forced out of her head. She turned to find Vinny staring at her expectedly.

"I said the food is ready," he said, pointing over to the campfire made from dried debris.

V only nodded in response. She sat down in the half circle around the fire and silently accepted the rice mix Wander had cooked. The green woman was lost in her own mind, contemplating her past. Her phantom had been silent since she left Viktor's Clinic that morning, which she was grateful for. It gave her a chance to reflect.

Staring up at the sky, she found a strange beauty in the destroyed planets. The sight held an entropic charm that she always found appealing. But things were different now. She destroyed the galaxy before she had friends and family. Her new life was in such conflict with her old one that it created an almost numbing confusion within her.

V didn't speak to her companions much that night. She simply ate her meal before lying down in the dirt. She graciously accepted a blanket from Wander, but refused any further attempts to talk about her feelings with him. She just wanted to be left alone.

"Oh… I forgot about these idiots," V grimaced.

The group stood on top of a hill. Before them were the sparkly planted fields of Bonkarth-5, one of a large group of nearby planets that had begun to grow life again since Dominator's defeat. It had become home to many alien species including the Mooplexians.

Several of the Mooplexians stood in the field. They were all identical, swaying in the breeze while balancing on their single leg. It was a wonder how they didn't fall over with their bulbous bodies and freakishly large heads. It was a wonder if they even had a brain in their heads, as their over-sized mouths and droopy eyes occupied most of their face. Assuming you could even call it a face. Their entire appearance seemed like something out of a child's nightmare.

"Are you sure these guys are intelligent?" Vinny asked. "They seem a little dead behind the eyes."

Wander didn't answer him. The orange and blue nomads were already making their way down the hill.

"I'm starting to think trusting those two was a mistake," V sighed.

"Maybe not," Vinny shrugged. "This trip has already broken my brain several times over. I'm ready to believe just about anything." The Earthling started following Wander and Sylvia. With a soft groan, V went after them.

By the time she caught up, Wander was bowing down to the Mooplexians. He was talking to them, projecting his voice over the constant hum the weird creatures were making.

"Oh, great and noble Mooplexians," Wander announced. "We humble ourselves in the presence of your all-knowing wisdom. Please gift us with you knowledge so that it my assist us on our quest."

The Mooplexians did not respond. They continued to hum and sway, seemingly oblivious of the group's presence.

"You're kidding, right?" V frowned. "Are you sure these are the right guys?"

"Ultimate cosmic knowledge comes in all shapes and sizes," Wander answered her before turning back to the Mooplexians. "Forgive her! For she does not know the wrong she has done."

"Look, V," Sylvia sighed. "Just go with it. With a little luck, they will respond." The Zbornak stepped up next to Wander and bowed.

"What's happening?" Vinny asked. "Are these things royalty or something?"

"I don't know," V said. "But apparently this is how you get their attention. What's the saying? When in Dome?"

"When in Rome," Vinny corrected. "Do as the Romans do."

"Yea. That." V and Vinny stepped forward and bowed down beside Sylvia and Wander.

A couple minutes passed, but the Mooplexians continued to hum without acknowledging the group.

"So uh…" V spoke up. "How long do we have to stay like this?" She didn't get response from Wander, and she could imagine Sylvia shrugging at her all too easily. Rolling her eyes, she stood up. "Alright. Plan B."

"V, we need to show respect," Wander mumbled to her, but she wasn't listening.

"Hey there. My name is V. I'm from Earth," the green woman greeted politely, trying her damnedest not cringe at her fake peppiness. "I have a friend who is really sick. His mind is dying, and I was hoping you guys could help me."

The Mooplexians did not respond or even acknowledge her greeting. They continued to hum, gently swaying in the breeze.

"Uh, hello?" V continued. "Do you guys understand Galactic Common?" She turned to Wander and Sylvia for reassurance. "They do understand what I'm saying, right?"

"They should," Sylvia said. "I've never heard them talk."

"Of course you flarpin haven't," V groaned.

"Maybe you should just shoot them."

V closed her eye, contemplating the phantom's suggestion. Part of her wanted to say no. Part of her wanted to tell the voice to fuck off. But her anger was building too fast to suppress. She opened her eye to see that the weird, nightmare creatures before her had yet to move, or even show signs of basic intelligence. The Mooplexians were weak and useless, and it pissed her off.

"GOD DAMN IT, WANDER!" She roared.

"Calm down, V," Wander said. "We need to be patient."

"NO! In case you forgot, my friend is dying. I don't have time to be patient. We need to find a cure now! But instead, you drag out to the middle of bum-fuck nowhere to talk to… whatever the hell these things are supposed to be!"

"The Mooplexians can help us. Trust me on this one."

"No, Wander," V shook her head. "Any sentience these things possessed is long gone. It's time for you to stop living in a fantasy. Starting right now." The mercenary pulled out her pistol, causing the group to step back.

"Easy there, V," Vinny spoke. "Let's take a deep breath and figure this out."

"Today, these freaks go extinct." V turned to the closest Mooplexian, ready to open fire.

"No!" Wander screeched, leaping at V. He landed on her upper back and wrapped his arms around her head covering her eye.

"Get off me! I can't see!" V yelled trying to shake the orange alien off.

"I can't let you hurt anymore innocent people!" Wander cried. He started kicking in a desperate attempt to wrap his legs around her.

"Ouch! Watch the shoulder, jackass!"

"Sorry."

"I swear, if you rip open my stiches, you die next!"

"Just drop the gun," Wander pleaded with her. "We can talk this out."

"No more talking! I'm taking action- Whoa, whoa, whoa!" In her blind flailing, V lost her balance and fell forward. She instinctively tensed on impact with the ground, causing a single shot to fire from her gun. "Ow."

"Are you two done?" Vinny griped. "There's nothing here for us. Let's just leave before the crippled bitch accidently shoots one of us."

"Fuck you, Vinny," V deadpanned. She holstered the gun and pushed herself up with her good hand. Wander slid off her back, rubbing his ears at the sudden bang.

"I hope you didn't hit anyone," Wander said.

"She did," Sylvia sighed. The Zbornak picked up Wander and pointed in the direction the bullet went. In the distance, a Mooplexian laid on the ground bleeding out. "Seriously? What in crops name is wrong with you?" She gave V a furious look.

"Whatever. Not like I killed anything important," V brushed off Sylvia's concern. She only glanced in the direction of the dying creature before turning back to the group. "This entire trip was a bust. So unless you two idiots know any other powerful telepaths, I would like to go home." She let out a sad sigh. "Gotta explain to Mama that we failed our-"

"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK!" Vinny screamed.

"Now what?" V snapped. Vinny pointed behind her, prompting the other three aliens to turn. "Oh…" Her eye went wide at the sight before them.

The Mooplexians had begun to levitate around their dying comrade. Their eyes were glowing an angry neon green as their humming was replaced by an almost demonic sounding chant. After a minute, the chanting stopped. Moving in sync, the Mooplexians turned to the group, all of them wearing the same enraged expression.

"OH SHIT!" V yelled. "RUN!"

The group took off in the direction they had originally come from. The four sprinted for their lives, desperate to get away from the wrathful telepaths.

"What the fuck, V?!" Vinny yelled over his shoulder.

"How the hell was I supposed to know?!" V yelled back. "They wouldn't even look at us!" They were almost to the hill when V suddenly felt a sense of lightness. "What the… Whoa!" A neon green haze had surrounded her body and picked her up, pulling back to the Mooplexians. "No! Nonononono!"

V flailed in the air, desperate to swim away or grab onto something, but it was no use. In a last ditch attempt to escape, she reached for her pistol. Her hand froze just over her holster. The telepathic haze had grabbed her arm and processed to twist it behind her back. Once she stopped moving, V was stuck in the air and forced to stare down these nightmare aliens. A single, thin tentacle protruded from the closest Mooplexian's body and stuck itself to her forehead.

"Your ego and cruelty truly know no bounds, Lord Dominator."

"W-what?" V stuttered. Her vision was engulfed by a blinding light that faded into a kaleidoscopic dreamscape. Before her was the army of angry Mooplexians, each of them represented by floating heads of various colors. She floated in the middle of them all, the sensation comparable to falling.

"Even after you destroyed our home, you still return to taunt us. One would think you would see life in a new light after receiving the Omega's blessing." The voice rumbled in her mind, seeming to surround every atom of her being.

"Wait! No! I'm not here to mess with you," V panicked. "Wander said you could help me. My friend is dying, and I don't know how to fix him."

"Why should we help you? You are little more than a minuscule spec in the cosmic consciousness. Your life and the life of your friend are inconsequential to our existence."

"Seriously?" V frowned, struggling to remain rational in the psychedelic void. "That's the best argument you have? Even with you're supposed infinite knowledge, you're still nothing but a bunch of useless meat sacks."

"You come here seeking our help, but proceed to hurl insults. Typical of a lesser life form."

"Don't dish it if you can't take it," V smirked at the sea of alien faces. Her ego was winning out, her sensibilities seemingly drowned out by sensory overload. "Let's be for real. I destroyed your planet and forced you to flee. I just killed one of your own with a single bullet. ON ACCEDINT!"

"You would be wise to choose your next words carefully."

"All I'm saying is that for a supposedly inconsequential life form, I sure do seem to have a big impact on your weak, pathetic lives."

"Then perhaps we should bring justice upon you. If you see fit to compare yourself to us, then it is only fair that we judge you as your peers."

"Go ahead," V scowled at the Mooplexians. "It won't make you less of a coward, hoarding away your supposed infinite wisdom. What's the point if you don't use it?"

"You question matters far outside your understanding, Lord Dominator. We are not required to apply our wisdom outside of what we deem necessary."

"Maybe you should start. I was just looking for a way to save a life. Your friend wouldn't have been hurt if you had just talked to me while I was being polite."

"We grow tired of your insolence. It is time for your judgment."

The Mooplexians began their humming again. Except this time it felt violent and wrathful instead of the dull buzz from before. The hum grew louder in V's head, slowly growing painful. Her hands flew up to her ears in a desperate attempt to muffle the noise, but it was no use. The pain became agonizing, and she knew this was where she would die.

"Goodbye, Jackie," V whimpered. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

A deafening horn cut off the Mooplexians, and everything fell silent. The pain quickly faded, encouraging V to open her eye. The psychedelic void they all floated in was been split by a black ring. It looped around V and the Mooplexians like a haunting horizon.

"Uh… what's happening?" V hesitantly asked.

"It would appear the Omega still has use for you. It will be up to them to decide your fate."

"The who?"

"You are free to go. But heed our warning, Lord Dominator. If you return here again, we will be forced to bring justice down upon you."

The floating from falling sensation V had been experiencing up until then shifted into a hard tug. She let out a breathless scream as some invisible force pulled her down and away from the Mooplexians. The multicolor dream she had been inhabiting was swallowed up by a dark, empty void. Soon, the blackness had engulfed her entirely and the force ceased its tug. V was left suspended once again, this time feeling like she was submerged in water. It felt like she had been pulled into the deepest trenches of the darkest ocean, her senses left blind to all things.

A single, tiny light appeared before V. Then a second light. And then a third appeared. An entire star field lit up the void before the green mercenary, as if she was staring out into the depths of space. It was a tranquil sight the eased V's tensions and she started to feel like everything would be alright.

The star field started to rotate. They all moved around one another, as if someone was turning the universe in their hands. That's when V saw it. A massive eye staring down at her, as if all existence was watching. Her gaze locked with the massive eye, and for a moment she saw everything. And it was terrifying.

To have a full understanding of just how tiny the universe was in the grand scheme of things was enough to drive a person insane. For a brief moment, she saw beyond her universe and the forces that controlled it. One's first instinct might be to say she was locking eyes with a god, but this was more than that. This was a force beyond time and space. Beyond the beginning and the end. Beyond the creators and the destroyers. Beyond the moral and the sinful. Beyond the endless and the infinite. This was a force with no conceivable shape or name, and yet it resided over all things.

For a brief moment, V fully understood this force.

And it was terrifying.

V awoke into a coughing fit. Her lungs struggled to take in air as her entire body seemingly tried to purge itself of toxins. She could vaguely make out the voices of her companions trying to help her. Desperate for oxygen, she forced herself over onto her hands and knees. She continued to cough for a few more seconds before she vomited. The entire contents of her stomach were expelled out on to the ground. Even after there was nothing left, her body continued to convulse and gag just to make sure everything was out.

Once her body ceased its violent self-rejection, V took several deep breaths.

"You alright?" Vinny asked her, gently rubbing his hand along her back.

V didn't answer right away. She continued to gasp for air, trying to gather her wits. Once the green woman was ready, she sat up and let her head fall back. She shook her head no as she slowly opened her eye. V gazed up at the destroyed cosmos. The galaxy she demolished. A galaxy that seemed so big before she met the Mooplexians. Before she met the Omega. V let out a soft chuckle. Then V started to laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

"What's so funny?" Wander nervously chuckled, but quickly went silent out of fear.

"Come on V," Vinny gently shook her. "Snap out of it."

V ceased her laughter, ending with a depressed sigh. "You wouldn't get it."

"Ok?" Vinny stood up, before helping V to her feet. "Did the Mooplexians tell you anything before they left?"

V looked around the field to find it empty. She hadn't even noticed how quiet it had become before Vinny mentioned it.

"It's… complicated," V said. "Let's go. We need to head to the Nelia System."