"Oxygen tablets? Force fields?"she asked uncertainly.
"Yes. Don't worry, I can survive on the heights just as well as any of your species on Isis. By the way, what I said was true. My adoptive mother always did say that it was important to but body lotion on. She always liked people's skin to be nice and smooth."she smiled. "I guess you don't do that here on Isis, do you?"
"I have never heard of such a thing."
"It shows."
Alondra eyed the alien's scaly, green skin.
"How could you be my sister?"she asked.
"I have already said that I am Olwen Pendeniss's sister. Olwen Pendeniss, a human, not an alien."
"I am human also."she said.
"I really don't have the time for jokes."said Alondra coldly.
"It is not a joke. It is the truth. Come, we must talk to Guardian."
"I really don't have the time to socialize."
"We must. He can clear this up. You are sure you don't need to b suited up, and carry oxygen equipment?"
"Yes."
The alien led Alondra almost to the top of a tall mountain.
"That was quite a climb."she said.
"Yes. Guardian! He shall come in just a few minutes."
A tall, golden robot entered the room.
"Yes, Olwen."
He looked at Alondra in surprise.
"Where is your breather? Your UVO suit? You are from the colony?"he asked.
"No. I am from Earth, and I don't' use a breather or suit, I use a force field and I take oxygen tablets."she said.
"My, things have changed. But Isis is a quarantined planet!"
"Guardian,"said the alien. "This woman claims to be my sister."
"I never claimed to be your sister!"said Alondra angrily. "I am here to look for the Keeper of the Isis Light!"
"I am the Keeper of the Isis Light."
"Oh, enough games! Can you help me or not?"
The alien looked up at the robot.
"But the other girl was sent to Earth before Gareth and Liz died."said the robot.
Alondra stood up.
"What girl? You mean me? Yes, I've been told. I was sent back to Earth. Originally, I was supposed to be brought back to Isis, right? But then my parents died. They told me my sister survived, the Keeper of the Isis Light. I must see her. Do you not see just how important it is? I must see her. I grew up with adoptive parents, see."
"Yes, what you are saying is all true."said the robot.
"Guardian, why have you never told me this before?"asked the alien.
"You must tell me where to find the Keeper."said Alondra.
"Oh, my."the robot seemed discerned.
"How did you know my parents?"
"I am DaCoP 43."the robot told her.
"Oh, I see, the Data Collector and Processor. Especially adapted for the exploration of new planets. Well, you must surely know where my sister is, then? Is she here?"
Alondra looked around eagerly.
"Yes, she is here."
"Where?"
"First, you must sit down, and let me explain to you."said the robot sternly.
"You do not command me."Alondra replied coldly. "You are nothing more than a robot. A servant."
"That is correct. However, you must know what has happened on Isis."
"Oh, I think I know all right. That stupid idiot they elected as president, London, or whatever his name is. He's a twisted old loony, you know. He's made the rest of them as twisted as he is."
"What do you mean?"asked the alien.
"I don't really want to talk about him. He doesn't interest me as a topic of conversation. I want to know where my sister is."
"When your parents died, and you were on Earth, your mother, Liz, gave me a solemn charge. To be the Guardian of Olwen. To keep her safe and happy. Surely you know that it is dangerous on the heights for human beings?"
Alondra sighed.
"Yes. Imagine, to be surrounded by mountains and not be able to climb them, unless you are covered from head to toe. It must be dreadful! Poor Olwen, she never really knew the true beauty of the mountains. Force fields and oxygen are very recent. Only, about twenty five years old."
"Yes. I had to consider the possibility of Olwen being imprisoned in the valley until the relief ship came to take her home to Earth, if she had wished to go. Liz asked that Olwen be happy, and I knew Olwen could not be happy growing up afraid of the ultra violet and anoxia of the mountains, so surgically and genetically, I changed her."
"What do you mean changed?"
"I made her skin thick and scaly, to protect it from ultraviolet, I gave her an extra eyelid, to protect her eyes…"
"Wait a minute, you mean to say that the alien is right when she says that she is my sister?"
"Yes."said the robot.
Alondra looked at her, and put her hands over her mouth.
"But…but…was that even right? Is it right to mess with nature? I have never felt it right to mess with genetics, you know."she said, looking at her sister. "Olwen! I am so sorry. I should not have been rude to you."
"That is quite all right. You are not disgusted at me?"she asked, surprised.
"Well, I won't deny that I am surprised, but disgusted why?"
"When the Pegasus landed, and the colonist saw me as I really am, they were disgusted. That is why I chose to live here, instead of in Cascade Valley."
Alondra nodded.
"I still don't understand. I can see your reasons for having changed my sister, but what you did was wrong. It is a question of ethics, and it is never right to mess with nature! No matter how 'justified' it might seem."she said to the robot.
"Guardian gave me a great gift. He gave me Isis."said Olwen.
"I just don't understand. I mean, it might have been difficult, true, but one could live without knowing the mountains."
"Guardian gave me a great gift."
"I see."said Alondra. "We still have the same hair and eyes."she smiled.
Olwen also smiled.
"I have been to the colony, that was where I first started to search for you. I didn't understand why they referred to the Keeper as That Old Woman. How could they!"
"What?"
"They are full of quirks and taboos."
"All of them? Surely not the ones that have left the valley and explored the other valleys of Isis."said Olwen.
"They have not explored beyond that one valley, I can guarantee you that. It's kind of ironic, isn't it? They leave Earth because they want more space, only to be crowded into one little valley here on Isis. Ha."
"Why wouldn't they explore."
"Oh, you wouldn't believe why. The stupidest reasons, really. You see, it is taboo to climb the mountains. And not just the mountains, but let me see, the end of the river, a cave, and especially the mesa and the god thing on top, as they refer to it. Would you believe it?"
Olwen looked bewildered.
"What has happened, Guardian?"she asked the robot.
"Would Mark London still be president of the settlement?"
"Why, yes. And let me tell you, a more disagreeable person I never met in all my life."
"He wasn't evil! A little selfish, maybe, but not evil!"
"You don't know much about people, Olwen. People are evil."said Alondra.
"How could you say that!"
Alondra sighed.
"It is the truth. Just how could they refer to you, the Keeper, my sister as an old woman? As death! Imagine that! Death! And even sillier, they fear death! Why would the colonists do something like that to the Keeper of the Light is what I want to know. Of course, I've never been for colonizing new planets, not after what's happened to Earth, see, but I always thought people respected the Keepers. Not to mention the fact that they do not believe in God anymore, or rather, let me correct myself right there, they do believe in God, but a different God, that being Mark London and someone to whom they refer to as Guardian. Don't ask me why, I just know what I heard. And then there is the way these people treat women! Really, I should raise a rebellion is what I should do! They seem to be second class people. Then they are very ignorant! They don't remember Earth, they think Isis is a flat piece of land, they speak of World's End! I could go on and on about their ignorance! And I thought I was stupid! But really, this is ridiculous! I am under the impression that Mr.London has everything to do with this."
"I think you are right."said Olwen.
"But why? What would be the point?"
Olwen smiled.
"Oh, it is quite a long story."
"I have all the time in the world."
"See…as Guardian told you, he changed me."
"Well, yes, but I still say it was wrong. I mean, look at me, I can live up on the height if I wanted to, and I have not been altered!"
"We did not have that technology then."said the robot.
"Why were you sent to Earth?"asked Olwen.
"My…epilepsy."said Alondra, blushing.
Olwen looked questioningly at her. The robot explained to her.
"Oh! I see…"
"I still take medication for it. I have it delivered through a matter transmitter. But back to what we were talking about, this Mr.London!"interrupted Alondra, anxious to get off the subject.
"Yes, you see…"