Log entry #538839
The previous solution for the recall unit is a failure. Not only did it once again remove the humans from their proper places, it also brought me in its error. I was forced to supervise them an entire night in the middle of the woods. It is as though this entire series of events was designed for utmost absurdity, from the moment I appeared in this world. Has something in this life of mine angered a troublesome god of mischief?
Three of the four were little trouble this night. Despite John's mistrust, he said and did little. When angered by circumstances that forced me to leave behind Cheonha and Bethany to face our pursuers, I reminded him that he was the one who had given me little reason to trust him, that I might have left him behind in their stead. He thus could not speak against my actions. He did not agree, but he also failed to argue.
Likewise, Toby was happy merely to be in my presence. I know not what sort of world this must be if I, or any other extrinsic being, can bring such comfort to a disenfranchised child. Unless his languor requires such extremes. His objection to my actions was with greater restraint, and I was able to assure him that the two women were not outside of my ability to watch over them.
In truth, there was little I could do without my recall ability, and unless their lives were in true danger, I would not have used it had it been an option. There was no need to speak of this. Neither did I fear for the human females. Those pursuers were dangerous to me alone, and that unintentionally, for they did not truly know that I, nor any Protoss, was present. However, while the humans are backwards, they are not blind. I fear I must must take greater precautions in my dealings here.
The circumstances to which I refer are the result of my own foolishness and negligence. For though these humans are of lesser status than those we have yet known, they detected the unintentional recollection. Its cause I have easily guessed, now that I have had the time to concern myself with the computer's system recordings. Recollections cannot be traced, but the Juniadros had passed too closely by one of Earth's satellites when the accidental recall took place. If Earth may understand the nature of the recall, they might also learn to notice when the recall takes place upon their planet, even if a recall's source or destination is unknown to them. Apparently they were capable of the calculations to discover where the five of us remained. Though they arrived late, that they arrived at all may yet be my undoing.
This foolish night is a reminder that I have to this point neglected my duty to stealth. When I am aware of the recall, I can arrange it safely and the eyes of Earth are blind. I must not now allow the recall unit to malfunction again, and so give the humans another chance to understand it. In my greed for the sun and the skies of the Earth, I have too often risked detection. No longer may I remain so careless. Though I pray for ultimate escape from this realm, I must make stronger, more terrible plans if the worst should become necessary. To that end, I shall research what is the most sensible path, unfortunate though it is.
Cheonha, least of the four and now greatest of my concerns, with great desperation plead her cause to me before our hasty departure from the planet's surface. She wished for her mother, who remained behind in North Korea. Is this the past the Morian Koreans try so desperately to remember? Or is it that this Earth is a 'Starcraft' to us, with some things entirely alike and others disparate to our familiar reality?
Bethany's help, stultiloquy though it was, elucidated the matter better than Cheonha's poor english and weary viscera. Of the four, Bethany is the greatest fool. She is a repository of information, and though nothing she says has any obvious application against humanity at this time, she willingly offers their history, fearing neither its use against her kind nor shame at its censurable nature. Should I persuade her to shut her mouth? Certainly not. It is welcome in my study of these creatures. I also, for my own amusement, wish to see the extent of time it takes for the child to learn the wisdom of silence. Nothing indicates that this event shall come quickly.
Would that these foolish creatures had a Conclave of their own. They cannot live beyond childhood, these humans. A Conclave is out of their reach, as they cannot attain true wisdom in so short a time. It is cruelty that their gods make such fragile beings, to die out before their flower. If they cannot live longer, is it not preferable that they lack the knowledge of their mortality, as animals? Yet I am mortal, and cannot question the immortal in what they deem right.
Bethany states that North Korea is a nation led by a common tyrant. The sting of communism has passed, leaving only the poison of greed. It is apparently a land rife with starvation and a "personality cult" where a citizen is not allowed to think of their tyrant in anything but worshipful terms. Indeed, this Kim Jong Un is claimed to be divine, though Bethany claims his father has more fanciful myths to his name. I have heard such myths before, and it would seem that the North Korea spoken of in the K Sector is rather alike to the North Korea of this. Little have I studied such things before, but what I know is the same in nature, if not in exact detail.
Cheonha cannot help but wish for her mother's freedom. Yet how irresponsible it would be to involve myself in such a task! Cheonha insisted that she only wished for her mother, that she should not die alone in that place. Is this where it begins? Because I have helped Bethany, my aid is required for Cheonha's problems? Enough of that. I shall ponder these circumstances in due time.
As for the humans I cannot help but deal with, it appears that my threats were incorrectly aimed. Bethany, illusioned by her childish notions and my own actions for her sake, does not understand the extent to which I will defend this vessel and the secrets it holds. She did not, however, mention her rescue to John (she is a timid, fragile creature, reluctant to speak of such things). Thus, John failed to learn that I am reasonable. I am certain that he finally knows that his best course of action is to remain silent. Of the four, he is perhaps the most intelligent.
My longing for home has only grown in strength. I fight against this longing, knowing that returning to where I belong will not be the end of my work. I will say this of my exile, that it has allowed me the time to put my memories to paper. I shall not forget Aiur, and by the gods' grace, the descendents of our people shall retain the memory of its former glory. I have outlined the Five Towers of Antioch, as well as the temple of Udens and its sanctuary. My memories of Aiur are not yet darkened, and to this day I see it when I close my eyes. On such things I meditate, to preserve all that I have.
As to my hopes of returning home, I am no closer than I was thirty days ago. The anomaly that delivered me has grown dark. Fortunately, the data collected earlier is somewhat intelligible, and the computer still holds a vast array of astronomic research. I remain confident that I will find a way to return to those I left behind.
The greatest comfort is energy. Despite the lapses in the recall unit, main power storage is unaffected. The solar energy collectors are fully operational, and by waiting for it to recharge, I avoid tapping into main power. I must reserve as much as possible of this fuel for the return home, assuming I can discover the means. My patience is tried to the last, but it cannot be helped. Would that I were not alone in exile. I must pray for deliverance, that the gods might rescue me by the same mysterious means that brought me to this world.
Aldaris closed the log entry program. He always did try to turn it off once self-pity started to rise up in him. If he let himself, the Protoss would spend all day recording various little things about Aiur and home, and how much he missed them. Such thoughts were useless; though he usually tried to excuse himself by writing various memories of Aiur and letting that be his cover, he knew in his heart when he was near to sulking. That he simply could not abide, even in his current state.
My state is none so desperate as it may yet be... Aldaris' eyes flitted a quick red. I must prepare for that possibility, little as I desire it.
Aldaris inputted other commands into the console. It was more proper to contact the human first, but Aldaris wasn't in the mood. If Toby thought that it was an accident of the teleporter, so much the better. It would save him from having to bother with an explanation. And he most certainly did not want to explain his plans. Aldaris watched for what he felt would be the right moment. After a few seconds of waiting, his hand moved once above the console panel, and a swirl of colors accepted the silent command.
The recall unit went through its little motions. A warbling blue line flowed through a side monitor. Three little red lights lit each in turn, one after the other. A green one blinked on and off, finally settling into a calming blue. Aldaris shut off the recall unit entirely and left the bridge. He did not rush on his way to the lounge. Now that he knew that all recollections, random or otherwise, would focus there, he generally kept it locked. There was no need to concern himself with Toby wandering about.
He opened the lounge door to find a dressed but barefoot Toby standing near the window. Dressed in what Aldaris assumed to be pajamas. Not even in the K Sector did humans wear matching plaid pants and shirts in public. Toby instant brightened when he saw Aldaris, and he approached quite happily.
"Good morning, Charlie," Toby said. "Well, if you even have a morning on a space ship."
"Greetings." Aldaris passively sat in one of his chairs at the table. "The recall unit, I fear, does not yet function correctly."
"I'm just glad it malfunctions in my favor, for once." Toby handed something small to the Protoss. "Here it is, my item of significance."
Aldaris puzzled over the little item. It was a book, and a very small one at that. It fit easily in the palm of his hand, and it was thinner than one of his fingers. The english words upon it were mystery enough, and the image on the front cover was another: A human male riding a spotted horse through what seemed to be a forest of swirling, vertical clouds on sticks. In the night sky, an image of a beast, like a bengalaas with greater fur about its neck, stared at an upward angle.
"What is this?"
"It's my childhood, that's what it is!" Toby merrily answered. "CS Lewis, The Horse and His Boy. I liked that one the best out of all of the Chronicles of Narnia, because I always used to hope as a child that I had been adopted and had a secret family somewhere. I don't know why I wanted that so much, because I actually quite like the family I have, but it's still a fun little adventure story."
Aldaris didn't know why he bothered flipping through the pages of the book. It wasn't as if he could read more than a few of the words, and he didn't look at the pages long enough even for that. He put it aside on the table without another thought.
"While you remain here," Aldaris said. "I have a few questions about your...universe, as you have put it."
"Oh, I see how it is," Toby grinned and pointed a finger at Aldaris. "You'll ask me anything you want, but you won't say anything at all about the Protoss."
"Did you not say that you were jealous of Bethany? I can as easily speak to her about my concerns. While it is true that you are not entitled to know of the Protoss, I can see little harm in speaking of the Terrans I have known. Would that at all interest you?"
"Yes, now we're talking!"
Toby took the liberty of seating himself on Aldaris' other chair. The Protoss found himself grateful that he had cleared away his drawings beforehand. Somehow he only felt comfortable allowing Cheonha to see them. He guessed that Toby was that sort that would try to touch his drawings.
"Now then," Toby grinned. "I have a feeling that you are going to have me answer your questions first."
Aldaris shrugged. "It is of little consequence either way. There is not much to fill the tedium of my solitude here, and I can see the conversation going no faster regardless of who is first to speak. What do you desire to know? I am not an expert on humanity of any place, but I may be able to answer certain things, as it may happen to the Protoss to know."
"This is so sudden!" Toby hurried to think of a question, tapping his fingers annoyingly against the arm of the chair. "There's so much I want to know that I don't know what to ask first. I suppose I'll just ask this: those factions in Starcraft, um, the Dominion, Umoja, and Moria, those all exist, right?"
Aldaris nodded. "They do. The Kel-Morian Combine is the most peaceful of the three, for they seek profit rather than conquest of lands. The Umojan Protectorate is the smallest of the three, and of them I know the least. They owe their allegiance to those that pay them, and more than this they love only their own. It is often said that to trust an Umojan is a terrible risk, and that is not a Protoss saying. Of the Dominion, the base facts of Starcraft are all correct, that it was built upon the ruins of the Confederacy of Man, it was at first the rebellious organization the Sons of Korhal, and it is presently ruled by Arcturus Mengsk, or so it was when I departed."
"Maybe you don't know this," Toby said slowly. "But Kerrigan being left behind on Tarsonis, was that real?"
"It was indeed. You reasonably assume that we Protoss would not know the truth of this, though Tassadar did note the human Kerrigan's disappearance in his records of the time. However, when Raynor came to us, he was forthright concerning this, perhaps more than was wise on his part. Let us say that this did color Protoss relations with the Dominion."
"Wait, you spoke with the Dominion? I thought Protoss and humans were at war."
Aldaris paused a moment here. Speaking of Raynor was always a risk, because Raynor had been so close to the Protoss that there was always the inherent risk of saying something he preferred not to. He already knew that the four humans spoke to each other of what they learned from him, so he had to be careful.
"Mengsk is an intelligent ruler," Aldaris said. "He is none so foolish as the second Starcraft would make him appear. Though he gave his belligerent speech, as you yourself witnessed in Starcraft, he was none so interested in outright war, or perhaps circumstances were as such to prevent it. His people had no love for the Protoss, but he himself was not so bloodthirsty that he wished to pursue avoidable violence. Being occupied with matters of our own, we likewise did not intend to give him provocation. For though there are many reasons to object to Mengsk as self-made emperor, it is humanity's business to rule itself. I know not how aware Mengsk is of our knowledge of him, but it is not unknown that Raynor has associated with us."
"Oh, I get it," Toby nodded. "That means that Mengsk can't be too hard on you, or else you could reveal his past."
"That is not quite so convenient an option for us. For whom would the humans believe? Their own emperor, or those that have been their enemy? No, this serves more to protect Raynor himself. Mengsk cannot seek to arrest him the way that that Starcraft 2 displays. Raynor, a former 'Son of Korhal', would no doubt be far easier to find believable."
"Did you ever speak directly to Mengsk?"
Aldaris paused. This was a question he really shouldn't answer, as it had to do more with Protoss than humans. At the same time, the answer to it was convenient, and would prevent future ones. So long as he made sure to steer the conversation into other directions afterwards.
"No, I have never spoken directly to Mengsk," Aldaris said. "I was never involved in negotiations with humans. As for the question of further human factions, the United Earth Directorate was the primary human faction to before my departure. They too did not seek war with us, and though I cannot speak of any particular aims they had over the Swarm, they did indeed seek support among Mengsk's opposition. The true DuGalle, rather than the one portrayed in your game, would not have so easily called such opposition 'traitors', and indeed they must not be, for if they despised the Dominion, then siding with those that seek to replace them is mere logic."
Toby clasped his hands together in thought. "So...you don't actually know if the UED were trying to control the second Overmind."
"Yes, that is true. Indeed, I know not that the second Overmind exists at all. Though I suspect that the UED must have had, or believed that they had, some sort of advantage over the Zerg. They would not have arrived in the K Sector had they believed otherwise, or else they are foolish beyond comprehension. Not that their defeat by the Zerg seems out of the question."
"So you never spoke to the UED? What about Zeratul and Artanis? Did they ever fight the UED?"
"I have never met any UED representatives," Aldaris' eyes flickered a more sour yellow. "Neither can I speak of the events you mention from Starcraft. DuGalle and Stukov are themselves real people, however. Stukov in particular does not resemble the image given to him in the game. I might show you his real image, if I could be certain that I had one aboard this vessel."
"What about Zeratul? Does he look like his unit portrait? What about the Starcraft 2 version?"
"Indeed," Aldaris sighed in the manner of his own people, with a wave of psychic annoyance. "You are of more stubborn material than Bethany. How many times must I tell you that it is not necessary that you know of the Protoss? Would Zeratul himself be comfortable that I should answer such a question?"
"Now hold on a minute," Toby shook a finger at him. "I didn't think that you and Zeratul were such good friends that you would go and defend him like that."
Aldaris rolled his eyes as far back as they would go. "I avoid gossip in all of its forms, regardless of its subject. And again, I tire of reminding you that the Protoss are not your concern. Since you have thus again failed to regard my warnings, I must then cease to speak of these matters, and you shall be the one to answer questions. Or you may perhaps return to Earth, should it please you more."
"Alright, alright, I'll answer your questions," Toby grinned. "But I reserve the right to say if something is none of your concern or not."
"Be at peace. I have no wish for information with which to harm your planet. Now then," Aldaris adjusted himself to be more comfortable in his chair. "My movements in this orbit I wish to keep limited, as I am unfamiliar with this section of the stars. Thus I have questions about your Solar System. There are 27 planets within it, are there not?"
"27?" Toby exclaimed. "There are nowhere near that many! Oh - no I've forgotten. Around Pluto is the Ku- er, Kuiper Belt. I'm not quite sure how to pronounce that. Anyway, right now we only have nine planets - eight, officially. Pluto is the last one, and it has a lot of similar sized planets around it, so possibly the extra planets you mention are all in the Kuiper Belt. That's the circle of the farthest dwarf planets at the edge of our system."
"If this is a separate universe, as you believe, then the number may still be different in the Koprullu Sector."
"That's confusing," Toby scratched his head. "Let's just stick to this universe for now, then. There are eight main planets that we know about so far. The closest one to the Sun is Mercury. Next is Venus, and then there's Earth. After that is Mars, and that's the inner Solar System."
Aldaris had heard of Venus before. Raynor's men didn't exactly possess the highest decorum, and "Venus" happened to rhyme with certain unfortunate words in the english language. Aldaris figured that this wasn't something he wanted to bring up. If he was lucky, he would have to hear no more about that unfortunate place.
"Speak to me of these planets," Aldaris said. "What is their nature?
"Mercury is a big rock - hot where it faces the sun, and cold where it doesn't," Toby explained. "Venus is a big ball of acid and pressure. It's about the size of Earth and does have a surface to land on, but we don't know much more than that because every time we - the Russians, mainly - send a satellite, all the acid eats it up. Mars is a rock too, and we're just starting to explore it. Elon Musk is going to put a colony on Mars someday."
Aldaris lifted an eyebrow. Up until now he had been closer to believing that this Earth was indeed on a separate plane of existence from the one he had known. This "Musk" however, was a name known to him. He made a mental note to look into this more. He couldn't be sure about it, but lots of information had been uploaded into his computer during the flight to Shakuras. If he was fortunate, some of this would have been data on human history. Many different people had escaped Aiur on his ship; it may yet be that some of them had been observers of the humans in the Sector.
"Why are you asking about this?" Toby asked. "Are you going to go to any of these worlds?"
"I may yet prefer it. Whether you believe me or not, it is the truth that I have no desire to interfere with your kind on this world. If it is possible, I wish to leave and settle elsewhere, that I might better evade detection."
Lying was not one of Aldaris' strong suits. Technically speaking, his cover story wasn't a lie - he very much did want to stay away from Earth. However, he had already long since heard that the other planets of the Solar System were only habitable due to human hands. If he'd had any lingering hopes that this wasn't true in this "universe", then Toby's shaking head put out those hopes like a candle.
"You're out of luck then, Charlie," Toby answered. "If there were any other habitable planets, we would know about them by now and have a satellite pointed at it. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are all gas giants. Even if one of their moons was technically habitable, it would be so far from the sun that it would be too cold to live. Those planets are all orders of magnitude farther out from Earth than Mars or Venus, so it wouldn't be a short trip."
Ah, Uranus. That was another planet Aldaris had learned from Raynor's men and their sordid puns. Thankfully Toby wasn't thinking about that sort of thing, but rather how far away such planets were. He was also remembering that he shouldn't ask about how fast the Protoss ship could go. Even without his psychic abilities, Aldaris could guess as much from Toby's uncertain face, the way he bit his lip to keep from speaking aloud. Aldaris pretended that he didn't hear the thoughts that didn't come from Toby's mouth. It was a good way of dealing with nonpsychic humans.
"Sorry, Charlie, it looks like you're stuck with us," Toby grinned only briefly. "Wait, what would happen if you were out at Mars or wherever, and then your teleporter messed up again? We wouldn't fly out there to Mars would we?"
"You fail to consider that perhaps there are distances beyond the capabilities of my recall unit. Perhaps you would, perhaps you would not, depending on how distant is this 'Mars'." Aldaris pretended that he was musing over this information. "So Earth alone, is it? The nearest worlds are a barren rock and an acidic nightmare?"
Toby nodded. "Yes, that's it."
"How unfortunate. Well then," Aldaris stood up from his chair. "That is all. I shall deliver you again to your planet."
"What? That's all?"
"Indeed. It should trouble you were I more curious. As it is, I tire quickly at this advanced age of mine. Good morning."
Aldaris left an astonished Toby behind him and shut the door, locking it as well. Toby's curiosity was proving all too much for him. Aldaris wasn't truly of the age that he would slow down, but all of a sudden he felt that way.
Venus it is then, should worst come to worst, Aldaris decided. Unsavory as it may be, it serves my purposes the best. These 'Russians' he spoke of...I may yet find the details that I seek among their stellar organizations.
He went to the bridge of the Juniadros, unable to feel at least half comfortable until he recalled Toby down to the planet again. He operated the controls, watching with relief as the meter turned green again. The Protoss glanced once more on the strange cover of The Horse and His Boy. He wondered if it was as good as Toby said.
More than likely it is not. Can they in so few years learn and demonstrate proper literary technique?
Aldaris didn't really care to read it anyway. His limited use of written english prevented him from understanding it, and the translator on his ship didn't scan text or translate english context properly. With a sigh, Aldaris opened a small drawer underneath a side console and tucked the book inside.
It was a perfectly ordinary storage space, with no contraptions or cables of any sort. The technique of keeping precious items on an arbiter didn't work because those items had any ability to affect a computer; it worked because those items were now missing, and the mind of the individual would think back to his possession, making them easier to find. Of the three objects Aldaris had gathered from the humans, he considered Cheonha's the most appropriate of the three. If she wore her shoes often, then the absence of the flower would be a constant reminder of where it was. Her mind would be easier to pinpoint, particularly in a crowd. Toby's book and Bethany's doll were less useful, but if necessary, Aldaris could send a broad signal of memories of these, and anyone who thought of his ship could only be the two of them.
The drawer didn't just contain the human items, though, and Aldaris perused the unearthly objects. His ship had brought refugees from Aiur to Shakuras, and many of the items he had he couldn't attach to a name. There were only a few things now left in the drawer, forgotten in the evacuation or left for later use - a necklace once given to a bride, a ceramic bengalaas, part of a torn note, and a number of pictures.
There was supposed to be another item, too. Aldaris remembered Acastus, a Shelak Judicator and longtime scholar. He'd survived Aiur's fall, and Aldaris could only hope he'd survived the rebellion on Shakuras - assuming Starcraft was right about there being a rebellion.
Acastus had a book here. Aldaris remembered. Yes, The Paths of Ascension, by Kallikator.
Suddenly, the Protoss felt a need to find this book. He'd read it before, some years ago, and didn't entirely remember what happened in it. It was supposed to be a semi-historical fantasy of an ancient sage, and how he'd fallen into a life of struggle and pain, to find himself slowly earning freedom from it over the years of his adventures. It was favorite of Acastus', and Aldaris longed deeply for something that would remind him of home.
He dug through the drawer, suddenly desperate to find it. He knew it was on the ship, or had been before he came to Earth. Had Acastus taken it back? Had someone else taken it? Aldaris simply couldn't remember seeing it since he had left Shakuras. He dug further into the drawer, shoving aside the pictures and Toby's book as he felt to the back of the drawer. Nothing but bare boards, unfortunately.
Out of the corner of his eye, Aldaris spotted a sudden movement; he'd pushed the other things too far, and knocked something out of the drawer. In annoyed haste, he shoved everything else back in and shut the drawer so he could see what fell. It was Desiree, the stuffed donut girl. The stupid thing - he noticed it just in time to see that he'd accidentally kicked it under the console.
Makhmenadas...
It couldn't be helped. Bethany probably wanted that back at some point, and for his part, Aldaris didn't want the useless thing on his ship. He crouched down and reached under the console, grasping blindly at whatever would meet his fingers. The plush toy was easy to feel, and...what was that behind it? It was something more solid. Obliged to reach down further, Aldaris got down on the floor and put his hand around the doll and the whatever it was. He also reminded himself that he should probably clean the floor at some point.
Aldaris hauled out both of the truant objects. The doll was as dusty as his arm, but he didn't notice it. The other item? A book. The Paths of Ascension. Wincing, Aldaris turned his attention to the doll. It was with irritation that he remembered what Bethany had said.
...she represents that God cares about my desires, even the silly, pointless ones.
Nafash ishtani. Aldaris didn't waste a moment shoving Desiree back in the drawer. If he didn't get off this ship soon, his headache was going to get worse. He didn't have time to think about Bethany's God, and any god that girl believed in wasn't someone he wanted anything to do with.
Aldaris instantly put it out of his mind and tucked Acastus' book under his arm. The ship's controls beckoned him, and he activated the recall unit. The solar power storage unit had enough power to allow him a stay in the sunshine of Earth. Before he left, Aldaris checked the reserve power storage once more - it was very nearly full. So long as he only used solar power for the recall unit, it would stay that way.
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Author's Notes:
- I'm working on this story! I swear! Don't worry, next month is NaNoWriMo, so I won't be slacking then.
- "viscera" is another word that Protoss use differently. In english it refers to one's innards, particularly the abdomen, and the word "visceral" means instinctively or from one's intuition rather than intellect. As a result of the latter word, Protoss use "viscera" to mean one's emotional center/personality and its ability to communicate without words (that is, psychically transfer emotional context). Despite most humans not being psychic, we have emotional centers, so we have a viscera in the Protoss sense. We merely lack the organs capable of sending out our visceral communications.
Aldaris is saying Cheonha has a weak viscera because she was tired, and because as a non-psychic her viscera isn't disciplined enough for complex communication. Humans with good imaginations can use good mental imagery in communication and self-disciplined humans can hide their thoughts to a degree, but generally humans have to work deliberately at effective visceral power.
Author's Notes New:
- I'm sorry that this took so long to post. I've been going through a lot of things, and I'm only just now getting over some stuff. I am going to finish this story if I can. I'm concerned about that, because Starcraft isn't as popular as it used to be. I do love Starcraft, but I'm kinda surprised by my motivations. I like reviews and views, and that's more motivating than I realized.
I did write a five-part Mega Man fanfiction long after classic Mega Man was popular, but I happened to do so just before Mega Man 9 came out, coincidentally. So I guess I underestimated how much the reviews motivated me to continue. This isn't review-begging, though, it's me realizing my failibilities. That said, I did used to be more self-motivating. I want to have the strength to do what I want, regardless of its popularity. I have to draw on my own strength. That is how people make their own way.
- I've noticed that my stories have smaller font online than seems reasonable, so let me know any formatting complaints you have.
- Aldaris was being purposefully vague about his ship's teleporting capabilities, but in fact it can't teleport at interplanetary distances. At most, it can teleport someone from the surface of a planet to orbit, and that isn't easy.
- The moons of all the gas giant planets are also of iffy habitation because of radiation. Jupiter emits tons of it, and our first satellite that made it that far, Pioneer 1, was damaged by this radiation. Probably all the other gas planets do too, but I haven't looked into those specifically.
