The Dragons Return

by viningc

Harry had a war with Earth but he had been given the gift of a lifetime, a place where his dragons and riders would be unconditionally safe. This story continues the trilogy by Bobmin356 and Alyx started at: /s/7591040/18/The-Queen-who-fell-to-Earth

29. Chapter 29: An End to Thread

Chapter 29: An End to Thread
Disko Island Hatching Grounds, Nov 22, 2061...
Harry looked at Ryan Harper and again pondered how a 45-year-old man could have become bonded to a dragon so late in life. Perhaps he was looking at it from the wrong point of view. He considered Danianth, what did he know about him?

Danianth: Brown, Earth-standard dragon, 85 feet long, hatched: 2031 … wait, where was Ryan in 2031.

Ryan Harper: Born May 2016, so in 2031 he would be … 15! But Ryan had been injured, specifically, his brain had been damaged, so he would never have been identified as being a candidate. Now, go back to Danianth.

Danianth's mother was … Golonth … a bonded dragon! Danianth was supposed to impress a rider, but Harry remembered there had been a big outcry when Danianth's rider could not be found. So, that was it. Danianth's rider had finally been found, just a few years later than he should have been. He would have to tell all this to May so she could add it to all the data she was compiling on dragons. He was relieved though, now that he knew Ryan should have been a Dragonrider all along, he was more comfortable with what was happening. Ryan actually was one of them. He belonged. This was also further ammunition he could use to keep dragon hatchlings from trying to go between if they couldn't impress right away.

Now that the mystery of Ryan was cleared up, he looked over at the four visitors Ryan had brought to the hatching with him. His sister, his niece, and their husbands. Harry had no problem with the non-magicals in Ryan's family, he did feel a little uneasy about the one big mystery, his magical brother-in-law. The man the dragons called "Hidden Man" because his occlumency shields were so strong and so constant that dragons could not even garner any surface thoughts from him at all. He was essentially "hidden" to them unless they could physically see him or his heat source when looking in the infrared.

Harry looked closely at the broad-shouldered, neatly groomed, wizard and felt he should know him, but no one he recalled fit the description of this physically powerful, yet magically competent wizard and he had thought he was fairly knowledgeable about at least the major wizards of Earth. Oh, well, he would just try to consciously forget him. Let his subconscious work on the problem for a bit. Maybe it would have better luck.

He walked over to Ryan who was almost bouncing up and down as the hatching progressed.

"Are you enjoying the hatching, Ryan?" asked Harry, knowing already the basic answer he would get back.

"It's so amazing! I can almost feel the bond take place when the dragon and rider gaze into each other's eyes! It's almost like when Danianth and I look into each other's eyes."

"Actually, it isn't almost, it's exactly like," said Harry. "I finally figured out the connection. I'm pretty sure, if you hadn't been injured, you would have been picked up on search in 2031 when Danianth was hatched. He was left on the hatching grounds without a rider because you had been injured and had never been identified as a possible rider. You and Danianth are truly bonded, it was just delayed by a few years.

"I think that the reason Danianth recognized 'His Rider' is that your accident caused you to have a younger 'mental age' than normal, so you still fit the criteria for a potential rider. That 'your' dragon had already hatched just ensured the bond."

'I could have told you all that,' said Danianth. 'Why didn't you ask?'

'Because I'm just a human and not as smart as a dragon,' responded Harry.

'But you're really smart for a human, Harry,' interjected Chekiath. 'Almost as smart as Hermione!'

'It figures, even my own dragon quickly cuts me down to size,' thought Harry, chuckling to himself. He then moved over behind Ryan's guests. "Are you four enjoying yourselves?"

"This is all just so amazing! I had no idea this all existed!" exclaimed Paige. "Thank you so much for all you've done for my Uncle. Dave and Brad may have found him for us, but you have made his life so much better than it was. Thank you!"

"No thanks accrue to me, it's all due to his dragon, Danianth, being drawn to his rightful rider after all these years. Ryan is already a productive member of the Dragon Nation. He seems quite happy here and we are happy to have him."

"Still," said Dave, "What you did took much more resources than we could have collected to help Ryan. Regardless of who gets the credit, it is still appreciated by his family."

"I agree," said Nylah, gratefully. "After all those years of thinking him dead, I have my brother back and I have the man I love. Life couldn't be better!"

Harry could sense the gratitude from three of the four in front of him through Cheki. The fourth was still hidden, almost as if he didn't have a mind.

"And what do you think, Mr. Harper?"

"I think all this is both amazing and terrifying in equal measures," said Brad, wondering if Harry recognized him after all these years. "Terrifying because I have always thought of dragons as being aggressive animals, yet here we are, watching such terrifying creatures with no protection between us.

"Amazing because you obviously take a personal interest in each of your dragons and their riders and from what I've heard and read, there are literally thousands of dragons who answer to you."

"Not to put too much of a stress on it, but we are in your debt for bringing our newest rider, Ryan, to us. It is my understanding that Dave here did the initial research, but you were the one who actually was able to find him after the police record lost track of him. To both of you, I personally vow to give you one boon, at the time and place of your choosing."

Dave looked pleased, he knew from official notices in the MET how useful the Dragonriders could be when tracking criminals. If he ran into a really impossible investigation, he might be able to solve it if he got the dragons to help. Brad, though, had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Is there any chance of meeting with you in private, sometime this week?" asked Brad, tentatively and quietly enough that no one but Harry could hear him.

"How about tomorrow, say around lunchtime?"

"That would be agreeable," stated Snape/Brad, relieved that at least the easier part of his 'confession' was now accomplished.

The Weyrleader's Office, Disko Isle, Nov 23, 2061...
Brad/Snape had said goodbye to his wife about thirty minutes ago. Now he was sitting in a comfortable chair on the edge of his seat, much like a student awaiting punishment for some past misdeed. Only in his case, it was much more intense than that. Waiting for detention was infinitely more pleasurable than waiting for a meeting that could very well lead to his death.

Just then Harry's Administrative Assistant looked at the only other occupant of the room, gestured at Harry's office door, and said, "He will see you now." Snape could hear respect and awe in her voice.

Snape walked into the room and sat in the comfortable chair Harry indicated. Where he was now seated, he could see that this was obviously a casual meeting area. Harry moved from his desk chair to another comfortable chair facing Snape. "Now, what can I do for you, Mr. Harper?"

Nervously, Snape began, "You truly don't recognize me?"

"No, and I would have thought I knew all the important wizards in our world. Do you know what the dragons all call you?"

"I have heard dragons referring to me as the 'Hidden Man'. I can only presume that they are referring to my strong occlumency shields. I have very strong shields for a reason."

"Interesting, but what brought you to see me today?"

"I have something to tell you that may cause you some distress. My boon, which you granted yesterday, is that you don't kill me immediately after hearing what I'm about to tell you."

"Now I'm ever more interested in the knowledge you wish to impart."

"How much do you remember from your education at Hogwarts?"

Looking curiously at Brad for a moment, Harry started going through everything he remembered.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Harper, but nothing stands out except for the yearly attack by Voldemort."

"Do you remember any of your instructors?"

"I remember Professor/current Headmistress McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Professor Burbage, Professor/Ex-Headmaster Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, Professor Lupin, Professor Quirrell, Professor Snape, Professor Sprout, Professor Trelawney, and Dolores Umbridge."

"Do I look anything like any of them?"

"Not that I can say. Wait, you aren't Pomona Sprout after a sex change operation, are you!" joked Harry.

Snape just looked at Harry as if to say, "Is this idiot for real?"

"Sorry, Mr. Harper, sometimes my sense of humor tends to be a bit odd. Please continue."

"In that case, I will have to reveal myself in a more candid manner," said Snape. Here he paused momentarily as if gathering his thoughts. Then he said, "I am the person you knew as Severus Snape." Then he sat quietly as if resigned to his fate.

At Snape's pronouncement, Chekiath jerked his massive head around, 'Who is this to cause so much shock to my rider?' He looked furious as if he would momentarily bite someone. Fortunately for Snape, Cheki waited for his rider to say something before doing anything so overt as attacking someone for talking to his rider. He did bring his head, with all his teeth bared, close enough so he could get an excellent perspective of Harry's new guest.

Snape moved back in his chair as far as he could and winced at the sharp teeth bearing down on him.

"Back, please, Cheki," Harry finally ordered, Then he looked closely at Snape. He said, "Now that you mention it, I do see some resemblance, though the Snape I knew had long hair that didn't appear to have been washed in years. His robes covered most of the rest, but I have a feeling that if he had your physique, his robes wouldn't have fit nearly as well as they did. Why are you telling me this, when I have it in my power to murder you and hide the body where no one would ever find it."

"I'm telling you now, so you won't be surprised if, or more likely when, someone else brings my identity to your attention."

"Yes, that would be a valid worry," said Harry, pondering what to do. "Why are you telling me, though, instead of just staying away. Were you interested in emigrating to Pern?"

"I have no idea, at this time. If Nylah wants to go, then I would like to accompany my wife. If she expresses no desire to go, then neither would I. I spent the last 65 years in prison, most of that time I lived on my wits and had to initially fight to maintain a peaceful coexistence with my fellow prisoners. I have no desire to go back or, even worse, go to Azkaban."

'What do you think, Cheki?'

"I still cannot read this man. If I can't read, I can't trust.'

"So, what to do? What to do? You have a negative balance of goodwill, yet you have returned Ryan to us. What are your desires in this?"

"I simply wish to live out my remaining years in partnership with my wife. I think I've changed from the Snape you knew. I would ask that you not pre-judge my actions or inactions, but to get to know the new me and my family before passing judgment."

Harry pondered and, while he was thinking, he requested Hermione and May join him in his office with his guest.

A few minutes later, both wives walked in and sat near Harry, on either side.

"What's all this about?" asked May.

"I think this is more what all this is to Hermione, May. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the information that has just been revealed to me."

"And that would be?" asked Hermione as she carefully and overtly studied the only other man in the room.

"And who is he that we are dragged away from our important jobs?" asked May.

"Please remain calm, so as not to get a reaction from your dragons," said Harry. "This gentleman says he is actually Severus Snape after spending 65 years in a mundane prison."

Hermione just gawked at Snape for a long time, her mouth opening and closing, like a fish out of water.

May didn't know what all the fuss was about. In front of her sat a very wealthy man. He was well-groomed, his hair short and neatly trimmed, his nails cleaned and shiny, his suit impeccably cut to show off his physical attributes. He looked like he could give as well as he got in a fight, even against her Harry.

Finally, Hermione got over her shock and blurted out, "This can't be the Snape we knew!"

Harry looked at Snape and said, "Would you show us your Dark Mark, please."

Snape got up, took off, and folded his jacket neatly, setting it on a table next to his chair. He then sat back down and rolled up his left sleeve. There, though much faded, was a definite Dark Mark.

While Hermione felt vindicated, May just looked on, still puzzled by what was happening, and Harry didn't know what to think.

"Are there any more out there that have the Dark Mark?" asked Harry.

"I have no idea," said Snape after thinking a bit. "There might be, but all the ones I knew are either dead or in Azkaban.

Seeing May's growing confusion, Harry tried to explain. "Azkaban used to be guarded by dementors. A dementor is considered a Class Three Demon under the control of the Ministry of Magic. Exposure to one of these creatures drains you of any happy thoughts. They claim the dementor feeds on such thoughts, but I don't believe that to be true. I think the beasts feed on negative emotions and use a form of magic to prevent you from feeling anything but negative emotions.

"The Ministry used dementors to guard Azkaban prison and to execute prisoners. A dementor's kiss will suck the soul from the victim, leaving the body a mindless, catatonic husk. Imagine spending twenty-four hours a day reliving the absolute worst moments of your life. Imagine seeing the dead bodies of your friends over and over again in an unending cycle that you can't stop."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed May.

"Excuse me," said Snape, "it sounded to me that there are no longer any dementors at Azkaban."

"No," said Harry, "on September 1, 1995, all the remaining dementors were sealed inside Azkaban, leaving only 13 still at large. We found eleven of them, but could not find the remaining two. On September 10th we finally admitted that the remaining two dementors were no longer in the UK. At the time, we felt it was time to continue with our lives and stop actively searching, but we are keeping a casual lookout for the last two. Even after all these years, we have found nothing. As far as the Dragon Nation is concerned, those two remaining dementors are no longer in the U.K."

"That's a relief. I would rather die by my own hand than take the risk of being guarded by dementors."

"If you die, it will be as quick and painless as possible, but I'm willing to explore less final solutions than executing you."

"How about the 'live-and-let-live' philosophy?" asked Snape. "You leave me alone unless you catch me in a crime and I leave you and yours alone."

"If we let you live, what could possibly be an incentive that would be beneficial to both parties?"

"I could be the Weyr's Master Potioneer?"

"We will have to think on this, Snape," said Harry. "We will not allow the discussion to last too long, so you should know sometime this evening or tomorrow at the latest."

"Thank you, Harry. That is more than I probably deserve. I will go be with my wife, as this may be our last chance to be together."

Snape left the office and Harry turned to Hermione first. "How do you feel about all this?" Harry asked compassionately.

"My first, knee-jerk reaction is to kill him, outright. I don't trust him, not in the past, not now, not even onto the future. I don't want him anywhere near my children or anyone else's!"

May was a bit nonplussed by her sister wife's obvious hatred of the man. "Perhaps we could make him take a binding magical oath? Something along the lines of 'I will never, personally harm the extended Potter family, nor will I allow any harm to come to them if I become aware of any plot to do so.'"

"That might work, said Harry, but I feel it needs to be just as all-encompassing as the original Equality Oath. Perhaps I can use that as a template to create something we could all live with."

For the next couple of hours, May proved to be the voice of reason that allowed Hermione to finally overcome her unreasonable hatred, at least partially, and for Harry to come up with a reasonable solution.

The Weyrleader's Office on Disko Island, Nov 24, 2061...
As Harry, his wives, and Snape settled in his Office Conversation Nook again, Harry explained to Snape, "We require a binding magical oath from all those who travel to Pern. We added some additional text to the bottom that specifically affects you only if you decide to go back into teaching. This includes any kind of teaching, such as Apprenticeships, or even casual teaching. You need to read this carefully so you understand what it requires of you. All Oaths we give are a magically binding blood oath. If you decline, you will be allowed to go back to the UK, but will probably have a much harder time returning here in the future if you try. That means that, if your wife wanted to live on Pern, you wouldn't be able to go with her."

Harry handed Snape the oath on a piece of paper and Snape read the oath to himself:

"I do swear and affirm that I will refrain from any and all actions which may cause physical harm to any other intelligent species. The only exception to this allowed is if my life or the life of another intelligent being is involved. Under such circumstances, I will take the least amount of action to stop said harm and do my best to incapacitate such attacker until properly sanctioned authorities arrive to take said attacker into custody.

"Further, if I ever teach again, I will do my utmost to impart the knowledge I am trying to teach with no snide remarks or verbal or physical abuse of any kind."

"I have no problem with the first, but fear I would lose control over my students if I agreed to the second paragraph."

"You either accept it or you may leave … immediately," responded Harry.

"Would you at least make the second paragraph give, say, five warnings per calendar year? I know for a fact that I will find it hard to change this particular personality trait overnight. Five warnings a year should be sufficient to help teach me how to control my temper with those who refuse to learn.

Harry looked at Hermione first as she pondered the requested change. Finally, she responded, "That approximate change in the oath would be acceptable, but I would like the following line added:

'Further, if I ever teach again, I will do my utmost to impart the knowledge I am trying to teach with no snide remarks or verbal or physical abuse of any kind. This particular portion of the oath will degrade from 5 the first year to 4 the next year. This progression will eventually drop to zero warnings by the sixth year.'

"I think I could live with that."

Harry looked at May next.

"I have no vested interest in the oath, so don't feel I have anything positive to add."

"How about negative?"

"Instead of the second part taking his magic and life, I would have him forced to go to a police station and turn himself in as a child abuser. If he cannot learn different ways over six years, I don't think he deserves to die, but he should be kept away from children.

"I would also reinforce that by adding 'or mental' to the first paragraph. As in:

"I do swear and affirm that I will refrain from any and all actions which may cause physical or mental harm to any other intelligent species."

When Harry was sure May had finished her suggestion, Harry turned to Snape and asked, "Will that be enough of a change for you?"

"Adding 'or mental' to the first paragraph could very well cause me to lose my life almost immediately. I do not suffer fools easily and part of my teaching methods is to force my students to see what fools they actually are."

"May, do you still want to keep 'or mental' in the first paragraph?" asked Harry.

"I guess not. Sarcasm can be a wonderful teaching tool, as long as it isn't allowed to cross over into mental abuse."

"Perhaps we should then remove the phrase 'snide remarks,' from the second paragraph?" Harry asked them both. When he got reluctant nods from both wives, he reached out to take the note from Snape, made the changes, and handed it back to Snape. He promptly read the note again:

"On my life and magic, I do swear and affirm that, while on Pern, I will refrain from any and all actions which may cause physical harm to any other intelligent species. The only exception to this allowed is if my life or the life of another intelligent being is involved. Under such circumstances, I will take the least amount of action to stop said harm and do my best to incapacitate such attacker until properly sanctioned authorities arrive to take said attacker into custody.

"Further, if I ever teach again, I will do my utmost to impart the knowledge I am trying to teach with no verbal or physical abuse of any kind. This particular paragraph of the oath will degrade from 5 warnings the first year to 4 warnings the next year. This progression will eventually drop to zero warnings by the sixth year. If at any time I exceed the number of allowed warnings, I will turn myself in to the authorities as a child abuser."

"That looks acceptable, said Snape. "Shall we begin?"

Harry took a small ritual knife from a hidden area of his desk, cut his palm and then Snape's, and had Snape read the oath.

After the oath had been taken, Harry said, "None of this meets the boon I granted you, therefore, you still have your boon available."

"Thank you very much, Potter, for not ruining my life. I hope there will never come a time when these oath penalties activate, but if they do, I will be sure it will help me to learn. Is that all?"

"Yes, you may go back to your family. The first part of the oath is word-for-word from our required Equality Oath that we require from those who wish to emigrate to Pern. Therefore, there would be no reason to take the Equality oath a second time. If you do, it will just have no effect on you, as this one is longer."

"Thank you, Potter, and goodbye."

As Snape/Brad walked out the door, Harry turned to Hermione and asked, "How do you feel about what just happened?"

"I still don't trust him, but, since he's 'paid' his debt to society, I guess I'm willing to give him another chance. He's definitely changed since we knew him."

Harry looked at May. She said, "Again, I don't know the man, but he looks honest enough now. Perhaps his stay in prison actually did some good for him."

11 Lindley St, Stepney, Dec 3, 2061...
"Brad, remember that little girl who tried to steal my purse?" asked Nylah.

"Yes," Brad responded cautiously.

"I want to find out first hand how they really take care of their orphans."

"If I remember correctly, Dear, all the orphans they encounter are shipped off to Pern. From what I've been able to learn about visiting Pern, everyone has to take a month-long course on just how to stay alive there and has to take a binding magical oath, before they are even considered for a visa to be allowed to visit."

"I don't care, this is something I really want to do. Every time I remember that poor girl, I keep wondering what would have happened to Paige if you hadn't helped me all those years ago. I have to know."

"Alright, I will gather information on what is required and the earliest time when we can start taking the training if we are allowed to go."

After a short Internet search, Brad found what Nylah wanted to know. The next 'Immigration Class' started on January 2, 2062, and even tourists were required to take the same class. After a family discussion. Dave and Paige said they weren't really interested in going to another planet right now, so it would only be Brad and Nylah.

Roja, Dec 18, 2061...
"Master Brusk!" yelled one of the humans, Gareng, helping them monitor the shaft down to the last chamber. He was from Sudan and relatively new to technology. Probes had been installed on the inside and outside of every airlock except the last one. There was no sensor on the inside, but it had a sensor on the outside.

Brusk walked over to where the human was working and looked over his shoulder. "Have one of the cameras look at the airlock at their level," commanded Brusk.

When the new view stabilized in the monitor, there were gasps of surprise. The huge quartz door was lying on its face and all the metal fittings were gone!

"Have that camera move up the shaft until it can give us a view of the next airlock."

"Yes, sir," responded Gareng. Soon the camera was looking at the next airlock. It was still intact, but they could see some of the tiny blue lights dancing about on its surface.

"This is not good," said Brusk. He turned to one of his assistants and said, "Get two new cameras in each part of the remaining shaft between each airlock, NOW!"

Soon the cameras were in place. The outer side of the next airlock from the chamber showed everything was normal … so far. Now, at least, they had cameras that could monitor the progress of the blue lights. Fortunately, there were several more airlocks between the inner chamber and their command post on the surface.

The D3 was at Pern right now, so was not hooked up to the D36, so Brusk ordered the D36 to disconnect from the airlock below them and then had it moved about 100 yards away from the entrance to the chamber. He had no idea what was happening but didn't want to be caught out trying to move at the last minute.

"Keep me informed, Rider Gareng. I want to know when the second airlock fails and how long the infestation will take to reach the next airlock in the shaft about 50 yards higher."

"Yes, Sir," said Gareng, almost saluting in his haste.

Brusk just shook his head … kids!

Dragon Isle, Immigration Class, Jan 2, 2062...
Brad and Nylah walked into the lecture hall where the first Immigration Class was to be held. There were 30 other people in the lecture hall with them, some single individuals, but quite a few other couples as well. As the last of the 'students' arrived and sat down, the first lecturer stepped up to the podium at the front of the room, off to one side of what appeared to be a blank wall.

"Good morning, potential immigrants and visitors," said the young woman. "My name is Sally Atiyeh and I'm a Dragonrider. I have been given the dubious honor of being the first to present you with information on Pern designed to scare you off. We don't mind if people want to come live with us on Pern or even just visit, but we had so many fatalities when we first went there that we want to make sure you know just exactly what you will be getting into if you go.

"Before we get started, would you please raise your hand if you've never met a dragon up close and personal."

She watched as about half of the students raised their hands before she continued, "At the end of today's lectures, I will be waiting outside in the main cavern with my dragon, Horanth. I highly recommend you join us there to meet her. Dragons are a very big part of life on Pern and you don't really want to go somewhere if you are constantly afraid of those people most responsible for your well-being."

Sally went on to give a ninety-minute lecture on the dangerous plants of Pern. She used the blank wall to display images of the plants she was talking about as well as showing images of some of those unfortunate enough to tangle with them. After her lecture, they were allowed a thirty-minute break, after which a different lecturer gave another ninety-minute lecture on the different unique animals found on Pern as well as some very graphic images showing lots of teeth and comparison charts showing the relative sizes between normal humans and juvenile and adult versions of the animals.

After a light lunch, they were all taken to the Gringotts branch located on the island. Brad and Nylah didn't need to go, because Brad already had an account and had arranged for 1,000,000 Galleons to be transferred to Pern on the day they finally left to go there. They went with the rest of the class to 'blend in' and because they both wanted to see what this branch looked like.

When they got back to the lecture hall, they found out that they had already lost three prospective immigrants. Evidently, the idea of all the inimical life forms on a distant planet had scared them off. Sally returned for their last lecture of the day covering a brief history of Pern after its discovery by Dragonrider Ronan and Doctor Mildred Lupin during their initial voyage of exploration in the first Interstellar Dragon Egg transport.

After the last class of the day finished, all the remaining students followed Sally out to the main cavern to meet her dragon. Only one person fainted after he realized that the huge 'statue' he was looking at was in fact looking back at him.

After spending time with the dragon, Brad and Nylah had an early dinner and went back to the tiny room they would be sharing for the rest of the month. It had a queen-sized bed, a toilet and sink in one corner of the room, and a place they could temporarily store their clothing. If they wanted to have a shower, they would have to go to a shared shower room with fifty showerheads along one wall. It looked like something you would go to use before going into a public pool. There were hours posted specifically for women and different hours posted for men. Brad explained to Nylah that this was yet another way the Dragon Nation was trying to discourage people from leaving Earth for Pern.

"The facilities here are so primitive, Brad, I'm not sure I will be able to last out the entire course!"

"It's not really that bad. Any time you want to take a shower, I will escort you to the shower room, wait outside the door to ensure only other women enter and escort you back here when you are finished. It's a big open room, so no one can hide and the instructors who explained the facilities to us stressed that they were safe, just 'not what we were used to'. I'm sure it will be fine.

"I will get some extra blankets tomorrow and hang them to give us a little privacy when we need to use the toilet. We can survive this, Nylah. If you really want to go to Pern, you can't let them scare you away."

That night as he held Nylah and comforted her, he wondered why the Dragon Nation was making this so hard on those wishing to live on Pern.

Dragon Isle, Immigration Class, Jan 16, 2062...
Today, instead of immediately attending another lecture, everyone remaining in the class had been informed their lodgings were going to be upgraded. When Brad and Nylah were shown their new room, they couldn't believe their eyes. There was a large common room where all their classmates could sit at once with four hallways leading off to multiple bedrooms, almost like a hotel. Their room was palatial compared to their old room. The room had a king-sized bed and an ensuite complete with a huge tub/shower combination, sink, and a toilet in an adjoining room. There were two wardrobes where they could place their clothing, but there was no place to sit except for the bed. If they wanted to sit in a chair, they would have to use the common lounge.

Nylah almost cried, she was so relieved. Of the 32 people in their class, ten had left, leaving only 22 of them still taking the course.

Roja, Jan 18, 2062...
Brusk was pleased to find none of the blue lights had yet been able to harm the next airlock towards the surface. They had grown 'tentacles' up as far as they were evidently able to go, but the carefully considered use of blasting spells in the tunnel caused any thread 'stairs' to collapse quickly. It was theorized that the original structure they'd seen inside chamber 3 was in fact the blue lights trying to reach any place they might find 'food' and they had unknowingly given it to them in the mobile camera and the two airlocks closest to the chamber.

The blue lights weren't affected by a vacuum, as the chamber didn't seem to have any discernible atmosphere, but they didn't seem strong enough to overcome even the light gravity of Roja. Now all they needed to do was grab a sample of the blue lights. Then they would be able to figure out a way to protect themselves as they tried to dig out one of those odd cylinders with the shiny surface.

Joddy finally hit on the plan to capture some of the odd blue lights. He conjured a solid glass globe that he flattened out the bottom so it wouldn't roll. Then he created a lid that fit so exactly, nothing, not even a bacteria or virus, could escape. He then added a small piece of scrap metal to the bottom of the container and sent it right into the largest concentration of blue lights they could see. It took a while, but eventually, the metal was discovered and hundreds of the blue lights, whatever they were, flowed over the lip of the container only to be trapped there when Jody remotely put the lid on it. They left it in place for hours, until they were sure nothing could get out accidentally.

Joddy, with the help of some of the techs present, slowly brought the glass sphere back to the surface where he waited. The tech remotely opened the airlock the globe was approaching and closed it behind the globe. Once the globe was safely on the surface, Joddy placed nine more of the globes around and, using a non-metal spoon, dished up an equal amount into all the other globes. As he was working on one, techs were carefully sealing the top to the previous globe so no one could accidentally knock it over and allow the blue lights to escape.

Harry sent for top-notch scientists in many different fields to help them try to determine what they were dealing with. Scientists specializing in chemistry, metals, and nuclear power were unable to determine exactly what it was they were seeing. It took a biologist, Doctor Ala Dhanial, to compare the blue lights to Earth-bound bacteria. She said she thought she knew of a possible solution, one that worked for the Earth metal-eating bacteria.

She took one of the 9 extra globes and asked for nine additional globes so she could divide her small sample into ten equal-sized samples.

The first solution she found was to heat the container until the heat killed the bacteria. She had to go up to almost 150° Celsius before all the blue lights went out for good. At least everyone now knew that the bacteria could be killed, though it was at a temperature of 300° Fahrenheit. No intelligent creature alive could withstand that temperature … except the dragons.

Her second experiment found that biological material was not attacked. She had been eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when she was startled and dropped a large part of her sandwich into the globe. She put the lid on the globe and sat back to watch. The sandwich was not touched, but the blue lights quickly got dimmer and dimmer until they finally went out. It appeared something in her sandwich was killing the bacteria.

Her third experiment used a strong solution of sulfuric acid, which killed the blue lights almost instantly. The only problem was, such a strong solution would have destroyed just about anything else it came into contact with as well.

Remembering what happened with her peanut butter sandwich, she turned to weak, plant-based acids and used a dilute solution of peanut oil, water, and soap to help keep the peanut oil in solution. It took longer for the blue lights to die out than with the sulfuric acid, but it was a lot safer to handle.

She used up the last of her samples to determine the exact ratio of peanut oil to water to soap that had the maximum effect on the blue lights. Once she was sure, she presented her results at the next scheduled meeting of scientists in the D36.

Now they had a safe way to neutralize the bacteria.

Dragon Isle, Immigration Class, Jan 30, 2062...
Today was the last day of their course. If they decided to go through with it, they would be visiting the hospital after lunch to get a series of immunizations. It shouldn't take long, there were only 14 of them left.

That morning the Pern justice system was explained to them. Brad thought it made a lot of sense, given that the dragons could almost always tell when someone was going to or had already caused trouble. He even approved the legal use of veritaserum to instantly verify guilt or innocence. They were told about the magically binding Oaths they would be required to take just to be allowed to set foot on the planet and the additional Oaths they would have to take if they wanted to work for the Dragon Nation or hold a government office.

The Oaths didn't bother Brad. He had already taken one more binding than the Equality Oath just so he could accompany Nylah on her trip to Pern. Some of the students had other ideas, though. After the lecture on the Oaths, they lost five more students. Those five were positively identified to bar them from ever trying to emigrate in the future.

That afternoon, the remaining class members received their inoculations and took the Equality Oath. From this point on, they were free to travel between Earth and Pern any time they liked, as many times as they liked. They were even issued with magically protected Dragon Nation Passports which identified them as having successfully completed all requirements for emigration or tourist visits as they desired. That night, they packed up everything they'd brought with them and acquired since they'd arrived so they would be ready to leave, either to return to London or go on to Pern tomorrow.

Pern, Jan 31, 2062...
All nine of the remaining class members opted to immediately go to Pern. One couple, Erol and Fateena Gadhi, didn't seem to have very much. Brad and Nylah had become friendly with them, but neither of them informed the other couple that Brad was a wizard. They had emigrated from Pakistan to the UK hoping to escape persecution and make a better life for any children they hoped to have. Now they were trying to emigrate to Pern with the same hope. In Pakistan, Erol had been an Electrical Engineer and Fateena had been a respected Medical Doctor. In the UK, they took whatever jobs they could find that kept them alive. While on Dragon Isle they lived better than they had in the UK.

When they had gone to Gringotts the day before, they had placed their entire net worth into the account and from what Brad had overheard, it was barely £100 which only converted to 13.62 Galleons! Brad didn't say anything, but he liked the shy couple and thought he would do what he could to help them.

Since there were only nine of them going to Pern, they were all directed to a D2 Transport that had been partially converted to carry a cargo of urgent medical supplies. The cargo was already in the transport, all the nine passengers needed to do was board and take a seat. The rider in charge of the transport, their 'Pilot', gave them the normal spiel that they had heard when they visited Hogsmeade, but when the outside displays came on, they could see they were already in a high Earth orbit. The other passengers were amazed at the lack of any feeling of motion, but Brad and Nylah were already seasoned travelers, so knew this was normal.

Suddenly, the external view changed again and they were looking at an entirely different planet, one that their 'pilot' informed them was Pern. He pointed out the three Dawn Sisters, the transports that had brought the original colonists to Pern. He very carefully didn't say where they came from, though, leaving it to his passengers to draw the wrong conclusion that they had come from some planet other than Earth. He also pointed out a small planetoid called Roja. He told them a little about the problems they'd had with threadfall and that Roja was responsible. He told them the planetoid had been placed in a different orbit, so they would never have to suffer from threadfall again.

As he was talking, they were getting closer and closer to the planet's surface, particularly to a high mountain range on what appeared to be the southern part of the planet. As they got closer yet, they could see one peak that towered over all the others. When they got close enough, their 'Pilot' pointed out the Observatory on top of the mountain and told them this was the first Weyr the Dragon Nation had created on the planet when they arrived, Spath's Weyr.

As they got even closer, the 'Pilot' fed them choice bits and pieces of information about where they were going but didn't have much time to go into a great deal of detail. Finally, when they were close enough to finally see people and realize just how big the mountain was, the displays showed the carving of Pern on the interior wall of the main cavern with its clock below it and hundreds of openings in the rock wall, some with dragons lounging in them. They had jumped inside the Weyr.

Soon they had all disembarked and were met by a welcoming committee who broke them into family groups to show them around the Weyr and, finally, show them where they would be staying. The guest apartments were much nicer than their last apartment on Dragon Isle, but they were told it was only temporary until they decided whether they were just visiting or wanted to stay. The Gadhi's immediately told their escort they were going to stay and, when told that Fateena was a medical doctor, they were moved to medical staff quarters on the second level.

Brad and Nylah looked around in wonder at the tremendous city inside the mountain. Even if they were only going to visit, it would take them a long time to see everything of interest.

Roja, May 21, 2062...
Six magical riders were slowly making their way down to the last intact airlock. Their flight suits were sealed as there was still no atmosphere in the shaft or the chamber, but they also had emergency apparation points set in the D36 in case they had to leave in a hurry. If they did have to apparate back to the D36, their arrival points would dump them directly into a weak acid bath. It wasn't strong enough to harm them or their suits, but it was more than strong enough to instantly destroy the blue phosphorescent bacteria.

They were divided into three teams of two. One team member, a sprayer, carried a spray tank of the weakly acidic peanut oil solution while the other team member, the 'anchor', remained behind in a secure location so they could levitate their partner wherever needed. When they finally reached the last working airlock, the anchors stuck themselves to the wall just below the airlock and levitated their sprayers slowly down the shaft as they sprayed their peanut oil solution on the walls and any bacteria they could see.

Almost instantly they saw they had a problem. Since the shaft was in a vacuum, the spray boiled away to nothing and had no effect on the bacteria! As soon as they realized they had a problem, all six riders made their way back to the surface as quickly as they could.

-oooOOOooo-

"Well, Brusk, looks like we will have to pressurize at least the bottom of the shaft," said Harry. "I had a feeling that was going to happen, but had hoped that the spray would at least have a little effect on the bacteria."

The irritated goblin looked at Harry and replied, "I've never worked in a vacuum before. This is annoying, as most of my experience is not helping."

"Just look at it as a learning experience," responded Harry with a grin at the goblin's discomfort. "If we ever start mining asteroids here or in Earth's solar system, anything you learn now will undoubtedly help then. You will be able to train your fellow miners up to a new mastership, Master Space Miner."

"Hmpf," growled Brusk, noncommittally.

Roja, May 22, 2062...
Huge canisters full of highly compressed air had been coming to Roja since early yesterday and going back to Pern or Earth to be refilled. Brusk had just checked and the pressure below the last intact airlock was about 90% of that found on Earth at sea level. That should be enough for the oil to be effective. He would continue to fill the chamber until it was 100%, but the spray teams could now be sent in while he topped off the pressure.

As before, the anchors stuck themselves to the wall just below the airlock and then levitated their partners with the sprayers slowly down the shaft as they sprayed their peanut oil solution on the walls and any bacteria they could see. This time the oil droplets did not instantly evaporate into a vacuum, but remained liquid and coated any surface sprayed.

As the riders worked their way into the chamber, they were careful to coat every surface, especially if it had any blue glow to it. They paid especially close attention to the chamber side of the two destroyed airlocks. By the time they had finished coating the chamber walls, the only remaining blue bacteria were in a single globe where it was being fed minute particles of metal shavings to keep it alive. When metal shavings were introduced, the bacteria reproduced almost exponentially. When all the shavings had been consumed, the bacteria seemed to become dormant, almost as if it were in stasis. It's no wonder there was still some in the chamber when they opened it. The one remaining globe containing the bacteria was placed inside a larger container filled with an acid strong enough to instantly destroy any bacteria that managed to escape the inner globe. Since the globe and the container were not affected by the acid, it was deemed a safe way to maintain the small sample of metal-eating bacteria.

Brusk looked at the monitor that showed the interior side of the last airlock. It had been replaced with all quartz parts just in case. With a feeling of satisfaction for a job well done, he turned to Harry and said, "I think it's time for me to return to Pern. We have done what you required and then some, I just hope that whatever knowledge you gain from all this proves to be worth the effort to us all."

"I'm sure it will be," said Harry. "Once we get one of those cylinders out of the wall and into a more controlled environment, our scientists should be able to start giving us answers. Everything done will be broadcast on the Net, so you will be able to watch and learn just as fast as anyone else. If you decide you want to send someone to take a more direct hand in the work, they can be here within a day. We will leave the goblin quarters on this D36 as they are, just in case.

"May the knowledge we gain bring riches to your vaults."

"May our efforts help in the downfall of our enemies," growled Brusk.

It would be many days before they were able to completely remove one of the cylinders from the chamber wall. At first, anyone working near it was extremely careful, but eventually, they found that the cylinder couldn't be affected by any of the tools they used. The surface appeared to be impervious to any physical attack, almost as if it didn't completely exist in the current universe.

It would be decades before the most basic secrets of the cylinders were discovered. In the meantime, work was continued to remove all the cylinders and place them in a similar chamber carved out on Pern's larger moon, Timor. Once all the cylinders had been removed and were safely off the planetoid, Operation Red Star could go into its final phase.

The Ryan Arms, London, Apr 3, 2062...
Lee Jordan and his wife, Mariah, had decided to go all out with the publicity for the grand opening of The Ryan Arms. Reporters had been escorted into the building in groups of no more than five at a time. Press packets were created that showed exactly what was going on, both in the building as well as below it. The amenities were explained as well as the fact that the building would generate more electricity than it needed, so would be selling some back to the London Power Grid.

The central courtyard with its well-tended garden and the shallow pond was unique to London. No one seemed to want to waste any space that could be used for more living space. What was even more surprising was that the water going into the apartments was purer than that supplied to the building. Water from the mains was carefully filtered before it was passed on to the apartments for use. All wastewater was filtered again and any waste collected and purified for use elsewhere before the water exited the building, again purer than that supplied to anyone else by the city. It was stressed that, if necessary, the building's utilities could easily be rerouted so that nothing entered or left, making the entire structure completely self-sufficient.

It was stressed to everyone who listened that most of the apartments were full already because the previous tenants would be moving back in today or tomorrow, at their leisure. Even so, the Dragon Nation received literally thousands of requests for the few available apartments. The previous tenants were even approached about 'selling' their rights to live in the building. That was quickly squashed when Lee stated that anyone other than the original tenants would pay a much higher rent. Sub-letting of any apartments was not allowed with the exception of Ryan's apartment (which they neglected to mention). If someone moved out, anyone moving in would not be paying the paltry amount charged to the original tenants of the building. Needless to say, none of the original tenants wanted to live anywhere else.

Even as the last press groups were touring the ground floor, Dragonriders and house-elves were moving the old tenants back into their apartments. In every case, the tenants were clearly appreciative of the new, modern fixtures, the cleanliness and maintainability of the apartments, and the peace and quiet offered by access to the central gardens.

The Ryan Arms, London, Friday, Apr 7, 2062...
Now that the major publicity about the newly refurbished apartment building was over, Ryan flew in on his dragon to talk with the current residents. He brought with him a house-elf couple who were older than most and had finally asked The Weyrleader if there might be something a little easier they could do in their declining years. He had suggested they help maintain The Ryan Arms. They had jumped at the chance when told that they could grow what they wanted in the central gardens.

As people moved back in, they had been given a letter asking them and their entire family to attend a meeting in the basement recreation room the evening of the 7th. That would give them plenty of time to get resettled. As far as anyone knew, so far, there were only stairs to get up and down the different floors, so those who lived on the third floor would have to leave early enough to make it down to the basement to a room that hadn't existed before.

Ryan had come early and set up a buffet table along the back wall, near the stairwell entrance. The basement was actually the first sub-ground floor. There were two more below it that had specific uses. The one directly below housed the electrical and telephone distribution center. Telephone lines from outside had to enter here before they were distributed to the individual apartments. The electrical output came from the power generator and was metered before being distributed to the apartments. It was also where the excess electrical power was fed into London's Power Grid. All that took only a small portion of the floor. The rest was hidden behind illusion wards against future use.

The third sub-ground floor was taken up almost entirely with the water purification and recycling center. Everything was sealed and monitored remotely on the floor just above, but there was plenty of room for maintenance personnel to make repairs if necessary. All pipes had automatic shut-offs in case of leaks.

As the tenants in his building made their way into the room, he invited them to take what they wanted from the buffet table and find seats in the armchairs or sofas in front of the lectern he had set up. Everyone was apprehensive. They knew what a good deal they had, but were afraid that this meeting was to tell them about their rent going up. They had now had a chance to get used to their new apartments and really liked what they saw. Most of them were willing to pay more … if they could. They were just afraid that they wouldn't be able to afford to live here anymore.

'Everyone is downstairs with you now,' said Danianth privately to Ryan.

'Thank you, Danianth. I guess that means I need to get started.'

'Some of them are afraid.'

'Hopefully, they won't be by the time we are finished.'

Ryan watched as the last to arrive finished getting something to eat and settled into their seats. As the last to arrive finally joined the rest of the group, Ryan started. "Welcome to the new and improved Ryan Arms," Ryan said, smiling at the group in front of him.

"Some of you may remember me. I used to live here just like you. A little over a year ago, my life took an abrupt turn for the better. I had always thought I was orphaned, but my younger sister found me, and I now not only have an extended family, but I have a life partner who is a little larger than me. Danianth, would you say hello to everyone, please?"

'Hello, weyrmates of Ryan. May you find peace and shelter under our wings.'

Quite a few of Ryan's audience jumped at hearing a voice in their heads. Ryan just smiled and continued. "Yes, you did hear that. Dragons have been known for many years now, but probably none of you have had any contact with them before. That will change if you decide to stay here. I am now a Dragonrider and this building now belongs to the Dragon Nation. Because we are serious about security, and protecting those who rely on us, there will always be one or more dragons on or close by this building, ready to protect its tenants from anyone wishing to do you harm. You will probably not see them unless they have to take action. If you do, please try to stay calm. They will never harm you. Even those they apprehend will not be harmed but will be held for the police to come arrest.

"My dragon can sense surface feelings and he has told me that most of you are afraid. I have a feeling that I know why. Let me put your fears to rest. Your rent will not be increasing as long as you stay here."

Ryan could actually see his audience relax at his words, at least a little. Obviously, some still had worries about what they would be required to do while living here in such luxury.

"In the past, you have had to pay rent as well as electricity, water, and telephone bills. This building is sitting on top of an advanced, dragon-powered generator. It supplies so much electricity that we will be selling some of that back to the City of London. Because of this, you will not be required to pay for any electricity and all your appliances are electric. Every apartment has a built-in clothes washer and dryer as well as electric heating and cooling. The need to swelter in a hot apartment in the summer is now a thing of the past for you as well as having to wear coats to try to save on your electric bills. Electric usage is included in your rent.

"The water supplied to the apartments goes through an intensive purification process before it comes out of your taps, so it is much purer than just about anywhere else on the planet. The wastewater coming from your sinks, showers, and toilets goes through another purification process after which, it is just as clean and pure as what was originally delivered to your apartments.

"Right now, this purified water is fed back into the city's water system but, if we need to, we could easily switch over to a closed-loop recycling system we would never have to use the city's water ever again. We even have carefully filtered reservoirs on the roof that would allow us to capture and use rainwater for our needs if required. Your water bill is a thing of the past now, as it is included in your rent.

"That leaves your telephone bill. Some of you, I'm sure are paying more than others. If you wish to retain your existing telephone service, we have no problem with that, but we have come up with a system of our own which links directly to British Telecom that will allow you to make unlimited calls to anywhere in the country as well as western Europe for a fraction of what British Telecom normally charges. Along with the telephone service comes Internet and television service at no extra charge. If you want this service, then your rent will go up slightly, but not as much as paying rent and telephone services separately. The flat-screen displays in your apartments have been specifically chosen to give the best service using our system but still allow you to connect through someone else's service if you wish.

"I'm sure most of you are asking yourselves, 'What's the catch?' I am going to be upfront with you. You are going to be a part of an experiment. We are trying to prove to the world governments that the Dragon Nation is capable of improving their infrastructure and generating a cost-saving for the local government at the same time. This building belongs to the Dragon Nation but if governments fully understand what we are doing here and ask our help, we can help to revitalize many of the poorer areas in a city for a huge savings over time. As a part of our experiment, we have to have tenants who use the utilities and live in the building. You are the 'guinea pigs'."

This got a lot of laughter from his audience, some of it nervous. Ryan continued.

"Everyone here had a specific rental agreement they had signed with the previous landlord. Every year he would force you to renegotiate and invariably the rent went up and up. At this time, the lowest rent is £2,000 per month and the highest is £2500 per month. We are going to change that. From now on, since all apartments are exactly the same, rent is hereby set at £1500 per month ..."

He didn't get to finish, as there was a loud outcry of disbelief from his entire audience. It took him a while to regain control. Once he did, he continued.

"Rent for all apartments, for our current residents, is set at £1500 per month and will remain at that rate as long as you wish to remain living here. We do have a few open apartments, but they will probably be rented at a different rate because we wish to maintain a certain commonality amongst our renters. Any new tenant will have to prove they can contribute to the building's community.

"I know that most of you have jobs throughout the city. If any of those jobs entail any kind of business that could easily be converted to an at-home business, we have set up all the apartments with extra room where you may create merchandise to sell to others. Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where you can support yourselves by selling to each other and to those in the local area. If the goods you provide are of sufficient quality and quantity, the Dragon Nation may well become your best customer.

"The room we are currently meeting in was set up to be a community recreation room. Right now, it looks a bit bare, but with a little work from you, our tenants, it could become just about anything you wish it to be. Some of the space could be set aside for market stalls to sell your goods in a more public fashion. A theatre can be built into a section where movies can be shown for the entertainment of the residents and their guests. The options are unlimited but, unfortunately, the space isn't. You will need to get together and make some decisions about how you want to use this space for the benefit of everyone in the building.

"I know I've covered a lot. Why don't I stop for a while and attempt to answer any questions you may have."

A middle-aged, care-worn man in the front row raised his hand and Ryan recognized him.

"How will we pay our rent and to whom do we make out the checks?"

"My apartment is the old landlord's apartment. The entry door has a slot about three ft above the floor in which envelopes with checks or cash may be inserted. Checks should be made out to 'The Dragon Nation'. After everything settles out, we are going to suggest each of you open an account with a specific bank we do all our business with. If you choose to do that, then you can make deposits and withdrawals as with a normal bank, but you can also ask to have your rent payment automatically deducted from your account on a monthly or weekly basis."

"What happens if our rent is due but we don't have enough to cover it or there isn't enough money in the account?"

"In that case, I will introduce you to someone who will be living here that you can talk to about what needs to be done. Believe me, we know that sometimes money doesn't exactly roll in. With your rental decrease, I would hope that you could start saving the difference against future needs but, if there aren't sufficient funds available, we can make other arrangements. We don't want to see anyone forced out against their wishes for any reason."

A middle-aged woman raised her hand and Ryan nodded to her.

"What happens if a pipe bursts or there is some other type of calamity where something needs to be fixed?"

Ryan smiled, It was time to introduce the house-elves. "As you all should know, magic actually exists in the world. Along with magic, there are also many magical creatures, many of them just as intelligent as we are, some more so. There will be one such magical married couple living in the building." Ryan specifically didn't mention where, though they could live in 'his' apartment if they chose. "Since they are magical, all you need do is call one of them and they will appear almost immediately to help.

"It pleases me to introduce you to our two resident house-elves, Tooby and Vimmey!"

At his statement, the two elves appeared next to him, holding each other's hand. Tooby had chosen to wear bright blue coveralls while Vimmey was wearing similar pink coveralls. They were very nervous but trusted in the Dragonrider to protect them. The adults in the audience gasped at seeing such foreign-looking creatures, but the children immediately loved them. Here was someone their size!

"I must state in no uncertain terms that these two people are very powerful magically and can perform almost anything needed from repairs up to and including making changes to this room's layout. They are intelligent people deserving of respect just as are all of you. We don't wish for anyone to leave if you don't want to but one of the sure ways to get evicted is to abuse, in any way, either of these two caretakers. Tooby, would you please conjure a table that you and your wife may stand on so everyone gets a clear look at you?"

No sooner said than done. Tooby and Vimmey were standing on a short, sturdy table that had not been there before. All the children laughed and applauded the two elves. They were enchanted. The adults looked thoughtful.

"Tooby and his wife Vimmey love to work with plants and one of the things we promised them was that they could take care of the central garden. I'm sure that if there are any of you who also wish to help, they can assign allotments where you may grow your own vegetables or flowers. We can also add railing planters to your balconies so your gardens can be that much more convenient to your apartments. They both love children and may be amenable to helping with babysitting if they don't have other chores to take care of." Ryan consciously neglected to mention that they could call upon any number of house-elves from Campbeltown Weyr if they needed extra help. "Just don't forget, there are only the two of them. Just because they are intelligent magical people doesn't mean they can be in two or more places at the same time."

The husband of an older couple raised his hand quickly and Ryan acknowledged him to ask the next question.

"We live up on the third floor and find it hard to use the stairs. Is there any chance we could get a different apartment on a lower floor?"

"Actually, that ties in with something else I needed to make you all aware of. Tooby, would you put a large chalkboard behind me, please."

As soon as it appeared, Ryan turned and wrote on the board, "There is a Turbolift on each floor at the stair landing."

At the confused looks, Ryan continued, "The Turbolift can be thought of as our magical elevator. Pressing a numbered button will instantly take you to that floor. There is an outlined area on the floor on the wall where the buttons are. Please be inside that area to ensure you don't leave something behind. After pressing the button for the floor you wish to go to, it will put you in the hallway away from the Turbolift. That's how you know you've arrived.

"For those living on the third floor, you will be interested in knowing that there has been a fourth floor added which is currently empty against possible future tenancy."

An older woman raised her hand and was recognized by Ryan.

"What do we do if our neighbors start making a lot of noise?"

"You will find that you will not hear anything outside your apartments. Part of the process we went through when we rebuilt the building was placing not only protective magic on the building but soundproofing magic on all the apartments in the building. You could be lightly dozing and the apartments all around as well as above and below you could be having rave parties and you wouldn't hear a thing. The only time you might hear someone else is if you are on your balcony and then any noise is still muffled.

"Are there any further questions?" When no one raised their hands, Ryan continued, "OK, The last thing I have planned is a demonstration of the Turbolift. As you are leaving, please make sure you take some of the remaining food with you. No sense in it going to waste. Tooby and Vimmey can provide containers and bags if you wish."

As everyone made their way to the stairs via the buffet table, Ryan could see the looks of surprise. Before, the Turbolift outline and buttons couldn't be seen. Now they were quite obviously there. As the last of the residents gathered near, Ryan said, "If I could have a volunteer who lives on the ground floor ..."

One of the older children stepped forward. His mother tried to hold him back, but she wasn't fast enough.

"What I want you to do is step inside the outline and press the 'G' button. That stands for the ground floor. When you arrive, yell down the stairwell to let everyone know you are there. Then come back down by pressing the 'B' button."

The teen did as requested and immediately his voice was heard from the open stairwell, "I'm here!" Shortly after that, he reappeared almost next to Ryan.

"Residents are the only ones who can see the turbolift controls, so if you have a visitor, you will have to escort them up if you live above the first or ground floor. Once they've been shown the turbolift, they will be able to use it after that. Also, entry into the building is allowed based on intent. If anyone tries to enter with ill will towards anyone living in the building, they won't be able to get in. Salespeople are considered having ill will."

That got a chuckle from most of the adults present, but one woman had a question, "What if we have invited a salesperson over to display their wares?"

"Then they will be able to enter and go to your apartment, but nowhere else and only the first time. If they try to enter a second time, they will not be able to without another specific invitation."

The woman nodded her head, satisfied. Soon Ryan was alone with the elderly couple who lived on the third floor. They had seen everything happen but were still hesitant to use something that they couldn't understand.

"Would it help if I went up with you?" asked Ryan. The couple perked up at that suggestion, so Ryan stepped into the turbolift outline. It took a while, but the elderly couple joined him as fast as they could shuffle forward.

"OK, one of you press the number three button," said Ryan gently. As soon as the woman pressed the button they were instantly on the third floor. They were facing away from the stairwell and looking at a wall with a large number '3' on it and arrows pointing left and right showing which way to go to get to specific apartments on that floor. They turned around and could see the turbolift for that floor.

As they shuffled towards their apartment, satisfied that they knew how to get around, Ryan returned to the ground floor and entered 'his' apartment.

"Tooby. Vimmey," Ryan called. The two elves popped into the room at his call. Ryan sat in one of the overstuffed chairs in the room and invited them to also sit down.

"I don't know much about your background," started Ryan, "but I want to make sure you know that this can be considered your home for as long as you wish. You don't have to live in this room if you don't want to, though. There is plenty of room in the sub-basements, the fourth floor, or the attic where you can create your own hidden apartment if you desire.

"Your primary jobs will be to maintain the building. If anything breaks that you cannot fix or if you need help for any reason, you are to contact the head house-elf at Campbeltown Weyr for assistance. He will know who to contact if it is something beyond your abilities. You need to realize that you are the two most important people in the entire building. You are the ones who will make sure everyone else stays safe and everything continues to work as it should.

"I don't want either of you to work yourselves to exhaustion. If you need rest, ask for some additional help. There is more than enough room here for many more elves to live if you want them here. You just need to let the Head Elf at Campbeltown know so any new resident elves aren't called to work elsewhere. Any elf working here should dress in such a way as to show they deserve respect. The coveralls you wore today were perfect, but don't feel you are restricted to only coveralls. You may wear whatever you wish, as long as it is something that gives you dignity and causes others to see you as their equal rather than as their servant. Whatever you wear, there should be a small label on your right front shoulder that reads, 'The Ryan Arms Maintenance' and another label on your left front shoulder that gives your name to help others get to know you. Any elf working here needs to meet the same requirements.

"This is not a master/slave relationship. You live here. If you want to have visitors, please invite anyone you wish. If you or your guests want to use the Recreation room in the basement, you have as much right as anyone else in the building. You might find it fun to interact with the children in the building, but you aren't required to do so.

"If at any time, anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, please, please contact the Head Elf immediately. He has been told to contact me or The Weyrleader if anything happens that risks your happiness and well-being here. Do you understand?"

The two elderly elves tearfully nodded their heads. Ever since their old master had given them clothes years ago because they were getting older, they had been working for the Dragon Nation. Unlike their previous master, their new position allowed them to work with dignity. They felt like their desires mattered and they were loved for themselves, not for what they could do. When the Head Elf had asked for volunteers, they had jumped at the chance. Now they knew for sure that they would end their years happy, content, and still useful.

Ryan got up and knelt on the floor in front of the two seated elves and, one at a time, he drew them into a gentle hug to express his appreciation for their efforts, both in the past as well as in the future. Finally, Ryan rose and walked towards the door. As he opened the door to leave, he turned and waved to the two elves.

Campbeltown Weyr Hospital, May 4, 2062...
Ryan was worried. Recently he had finally noticed his dragon's color was changing. It had happened so slowly that he didn't realize it, but now it was so pronounced it was hard to ignore. That's why he and Danianth had come to the Weyr Hospital. Danianth was lying on the ground, just outside the huge entrance, because he didn't want to be an obstruction to the busy doctors moving about inside.

Ryan walked up to the Admission Desk and asked, "Is there a Weyrhealer I can talk to, please?"

The nurse on duty looked up, saw an apparently healthy Dragonrider, and asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

"My dragon is turning a different color."

Megan Haas had been passing to check on how a new weyrhealer was managing when she overheard Ryan's statement. She walked over to Ryan's side of the desk and said to the duty nurse, "I've got this."

She turned to Ryan and said, "Where is your dragon?"

"Danianth is just outside the entrance," replied the worried rider as he led the weyrhealer to his dragon.

When they reached Danianth, Megan looked carefully at what appeared to be a healthy Brown dragon.

'Are you feeling any discomfort, Danianth?'

'No, Weyrhealer, but my rider is most distressed for some reason.'

She turned to Ryan and asked, "How long have you been a rider?"

"Since sometime in March of last year," responded Ryan, confused. "What does that have to do with Danianth's color?"

"Ah, I remember now. You are the rider who was injured, so we didn't find you on search and you just recently impressed your dragon. What you are seeing is normal for all bonded dragons such as Danianth. When a dragon bonds its coloring slowly changes to one of the five primary colors that have identified Pern dragons for centuries. It appears to me that you have a very healthy Brown, which is one of the standard colors bonded dragons switch to. Usually, it happens soon after they hatch. Since Danianth didn't find you until he was full-grown, the color change took a while to start. It looks like he is almost finished changing."

"So he is OK?"

"Yes, he looks quite healthy and he should be quite proud that his rider is taking such good care of him."

'I am. My rider is the best!'

"Thank you, Weyrhealer, I was really worried. This is all still so new to me."

"Since you impressed so late in life, how much training have you had to take care of your dragon?"

"Quite a lot. While I was at Dragon Isle, I spent all my free time learning how to care for Danianth."

"How much do you know about the Dragon Nation?"

"Not that much, just what I've picked up, here and there. I want to know more, but am afraid I'll look stupid if I ask," said Ryan in almost a whisper.

"There are two books you should read, then: 'The Weyrs of Earth' and 'The Weyrs of Pern'. They will give you a lot of information that will make everyday operations much clearer. In the meantime, I am going to talk to the Weyrleader of Campbeltown Weyr, Brendan Caris, about having someone take you on a 'World Tour'. Every new Dragonrider goes on such a tour as soon as their dragon is mature and strong enough to take their rider between. I'm a little upset that no one thought to do so for you already."

"Please, miss, I don't want to get anyone in trouble," mumbled a now terrified Ryan.

"Nonsense! No one is going to get into any trouble. It was an oversight due to the unique circumstances of your impression. All I'm going to do is ensure that you get the additional training you need. Relax, it will be fun. Every Dragonrider comes back from their world tour with their own jump image book full of pictures and memories. I think you are going to love it."

'She speaks truth,' said Danianth. 'I have listened to dragons returning from their tour and they all enjoyed visiting new places with their rider. I would love the chance to do the same with you.'

By the next day, Ryan was assigned to a veteran Flight who volunteered to take Ryan on his own, personal, World Tour. Ryan now had the mental capabilities of a young man in his early twenties. He had been learning all he could to gain the knowledge he should have already known and was advancing quickly. The World Tour would only help in his desire to learn as much as he could as fast as he could. He might never get an advanced degree, but he was already becoming a happy and productive member of the Dragon Nation.

Campbeltown Weyr Hospital, June 5, 2062...
Danianth dropped lightly to the sand of the inner cavern of Campbeltown Weyr, just outside the entrance. Ryan dropped down from Danianth's back and walked into the hospital, up to the admissions desk.

"Is Weyrhealer Megan Haas available?" he asked the duty nurse.

"She is with a patient right now, who can I say is asking for her?"

"I'm Dragonrider Ryan and I wanted to personally thank her for what she did for me last month."

"I will pass on the message, but have no idea when she will be able to see you. Please have a seat in the waiting area," she said, pointing to a small, out-of-the-way collection of comfortable chairs and couches interspersed with small tables.

Ryan went over and nervously sat to wait as the duty nurse passed on the message. About twenty minutes later, a rather tired Weyrhealer approached Ryan.

"Hello, Ryan," said Weyrhealer Haas. "I was told you wanted to thank me, but that isn't really necessary. I only did what was right."

"And I am only doing what is right by thanking you for what you did for me and Danianth. If there is anything within our power to provide, please let us know and it is yours. We had a wonderful time visiting all the Weyrs on two planets. I don't think I've ever had so much fun and learned about so many different places. Thank you so much!"

"It was a pleasure to help. I take it you just returned. I need to take a break and get some lunch. Would you like to join me and tell me a little bit about what you did?"

"It would be an honor and a pleasure," replied Ryan, still energized by his World Tour. They walked side-by-side out to the kitchen, Ryan talking animatedly as they went.

Spath's Weyr, Operation Roja, Phase 3 Planning, July 3, 2062...
Operation Red Star had quickly been renamed Operation Roja. Otherwise, everything was to be the same. No sooner had he stepped up to the podium to start the meeting though, than Sir Stanley Scott pressed the 'attention' button on the arm of his chair to be recognized.

"What you are planning to do here, Harry, is unprecedented. I think it imperative we put together satellites we can place in synchronous orbits above Roja that will record what you are doing. If nothing else, it will help us to determine the rate that everglow spreads. I would like to propose that, before you start, you create an everglow ring around your initial everglow pool that is a nautical mile in radius measured from the existing edge of the pool. Then, over time, we can measure the rate at which the area inside the circle shrinks before it finally overwhelms the last of the rock surface.

"For complete coverage and the best images, we need five satellites around the equator and one each above the north pole and the south pole to give us more complete coverage."

"So we are talking seven satellites here, right, Sir Stanley?"

"Yes, Harry, I think that would be more than sufficient."

Harry thought about it for a moment and then made a counter-proposal. "Why don't we place seven D2 Dragon Eggs into the same orbits outfitted with whatever is required. Then we can ask our house-elves to apparate you to anyone you wish to visit to refine any observations. The Eggs are already made, we would just have to add the necessary cameras and any other sensor you desired. We could even convert them all to have optically clear tempered glass bubbles that would allow some cameras to remain inside where you could easily refocus on different areas."

They discussed the possible problems for about fifteen minutes when Harry finally suggested Sir Stanley get with Ronan to discuss their needs while he carried on with the rest of the meeting. Sir Stanley left the meeting to talk with Ronan and get his team of scientists started on gathering what they would need while Harry then continued on with the rest of the meeting.

Before the meeting was over, Sir Stanley returned and, when he had a chance to break in, announced they had an eminently workable solution that would be ready and in place well before the proposed start of Phase 3.

Roja, Aug 31, 2062...
Operation Red Star, Phase 3 was now a 'go'. Every dragon available was gathered on Roja, ready to start turning the small planetoid into a seething mass of molten everglow. This time, the plan called for the three chambers to be converted first and that had been finished just today. Now every available dragon was either lined up perpendicular to the equator in their half chevrons or at the start of one of the deep chasms that needed to be converted.

Chekiath floated just above the surface of the planetoid, keeping himself in place with periodic, judicial applications of telekinesis. The original puddle of everglow was just in front of him, right where they'd left it, but now about twice as large as it had been as the everglow slowly but surely expanded its boundaries. The nautical mile radius circle of everglow was in place and those dragons currently inside the circle wouldn't start flaming the surface until they reached the outer everglow circle.

At a call from Chekiath, all dragons started moving forward and most began flaming the surface. They didn't move very fast, only what would have been about ten miles per hour on Earth, but fast enough that they hoped to be finished with the first loop in less than three months. Once the band around Roja's equator was finished, the line of dragons would shift north of the everglow band and start converting the northern hemisphere. Once that was done, the southern hemisphere was next. As with the original plan, those dragons working on the crevasses would work on the two poles when they finished their first task.

Sir Stanley and his team of scientists were hard at work, happily recording for posterity the destruction of a small planetoid and the creation of a near star.

Due to the half chevron formation the dragons 'flew', there was very little unmelted rock between one everglow trace and the next. Before the dragons had gone even a mile, the unmelted rock between the lines of everglow had disappeared. By the time the dragons had made it all the way around the planet once, the initial circle with its bullseye pool of everglow had shrunken considerably. By the time the southern quadrant of the planetoid had been converted, it had almost disappeared.

Roja, Dec 20, 2062...
The initial circumnavigation of the planetoid took 55 days because the dragons were able to speed up a little as they got used to the work. The lower quadrant took 30 days and the northern took 25 days. To completely finish the entire planetoid, took 110 eight-hour days to complete.

One of the Dragon Eggs was outfitted with multiple automatic cameras and left in an orbit that allowed it to view most of the surface of the new 'star' in a day as well as look ahead at what it was approaching and behind to see what might be coming up on it.

Sir Stanley Scott took his time and wrote his final scientific paper about the use of a planetoid as a way to keep a primary planet's orbit clear of dangerous debris. What he never realized was that there were a few people on Earth who viewed the conversion of Roja to an everglow 'sun' with fear. They had never really trusted the dragons and here was proof that dragons could quite easily destroy all life on Earth. Fortunately for the Dragon Nation, they were a minority, easily outshouted by the dragons' proponents. The minority quickly saw the way the world was going and went underground. "People Against Dragons" (PAD) became a secret society. It didn't gain many adherents, but neither did it go away.

It would take three years, but Pern's orbit was completely swept clean of all debris by a wide margin, making life that much safer for its inhabitants.

On Pern, Roja could be seen, even before its conversion, from all inhabited locations as a faint star just before dawn. After its conversion, it became a bright star triggering planet-wide celebrations now that threadfall had finally been stopped for good. Harry was just happy his dragons had been able to help and that they had specific 'jobs' they were uniquely qualified for going on into the future. Dragons, both bonded and unbonded were now a constant and welcome part of Pern's everyday life.

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