With the Blind Well suitably non-alliance corvette-looking, getting to Mercury wasn't an issue this time. Rigel parked the ship and got to work.

Tim had done a wonderful job with the glimmer forge while Rigel had been away. Not only had the frame constructed a second glimmer forge from the schematics Nova had programmed into him, but he had also fed both forges plenty of rock and sand to create enough glimmer to fully repair and outfit the Blind Well if necessary. When Rigel had left, he'd ordered Tim to continue glimmer production because it would speed up the construction of any future gear he'd require. Rigel didn't want the forges to devour everything in the hideout, but having the glimmer premanufactured would cut the time needed to make his gear in half.

After waking Tim up from the depowered slumber he entered once his task was complete, Rigel replaced the Empty Vessel, Lunulata 4-B, and his helmet within three days, letting him make some more weapons before the week was over. While he'd grown to love using bows, he hadn't used Lunulata enough to justify going without an alternate mid-ranged option. So, he made a Vouchsafe scout rifle. It was a simple, reliable design the Awoken had been using for centuries now. It would serve him well.

To bring about more rapid rampant destruction, he also made a second grenade launcher. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with his Empty Vessel, but reloading between each shot was growing irritating. Rigel made a Wicked Sister. It wasn't the best grenade launcher he'd ever used, but it would put more shells down range faster than his Empty Vessel.

Through the end of the week and for a good portion of the second week, Rigel crafted a sparrow. Once completed, it was a near-identical copy of his Vanishing Point. What could he say? He liked to go fast.

Rigel spent the rest of the second week fixing up his and Nova's haven – forging a proper floor, expanding the light network and even making a small cut out in the rocks that he turned into a sleeping area, complete with a bed and large TV that Nova had forced him to watch an asari courting documentary on.

It was awkward, but it was also incredibly interesting. Asari biology was equal parts weird and fascinating. Nova was right that they were able to link their nervous systems with those of other asari or even other species. In their reproduction rituals, asari would 'meld', the process of joining nervous systems with their partner, and map their partner's biology – even if that partner was of a different species. The genetic data would then be used to impregnate the asari who would give birth to an asari with genetic data from both their mother and their father despite still, fundamentally, being an asari.

In the end, Nova's movie selection could have been worse. Rigel figured she'd taken pity on him, stoking the fire of his eager mind while still making him uncomfortable.

After movie night, Rigel decided to make Tim some company. The frame wasn't sentient, and Nova laughed at him for his sentimentality, but Rigel didn't feel right leaving Tim alone.

Rigel constructed two more frames – Trevor and Tyler. Both looked similar to Tim in design, but their chest plates each had a separate image on them. Trevor had an eagle etched into his chest. Tyler had a hawk. Tim had been emblazoned with a great-horned owl.

With the extra help, Rigel was able to make some more improvements to the Blind Well. The armor plating was still good, but there was something to be said for not being hit in the first place. While it wasn't up to the standards he would have liked, the Blind Well was now equipped with rudimentary cloaking and stealth capabilities. Rigel considered touching up the weapons, but it was a lot harder to hide that kind of modification from scanners and he was already pushing it with the tech he'd already installed. He'd make do until he had a reason to improve.

The last addition to the ship was a small alteration to the pilot's seat. Rigel opened up a hole in the seat and stashed a small crate under it before immediately covering it up and removing all evidence of any modifications. Rigel and Nova had agreed not to transport any large quantities of glimmer in the Blind Well, but carrying a small stash would allow them to create a necessary component or weapon without returning to the trove. Nova would be able to transmat the glimmer into and out of the sealed compartment without issue, so it was the best alternative to leaving with no glimmer to speak of.

A full month and a half had passed by the time all of Rigel's improvements had been made, and he felt it was time to move on. Rigel and Nova discussed it, but there was really no reason to stay at the hideout. Rigel had recreated everything he would need and added to his arsenal in a manner he deemed sufficient. The hideout itself was also liveable now. It still needed some finishing touches to help create a breathable atmosphere – Rigel had been forced to remain aboard the ship while constructing his helmet lest he keel over from the near-total vacuum of the non-terraformed planet's atmosphere – but that could be handled by Tim, Trevor, and Tyler while Rigel and Nova were off doing other things. Renovating the cave was well within the three frames' ability.

It wasn't long before the Blind Well was flying through space once more, though this time, it wasn't on track for the mass relay system.

"Blind Well, this is Alliance Control, state your intent."

"Alliance control, I intend to land on Earth. My intent is to sight see. I'm a tourist."

"Stand by while we run your ship's codes."

You set those up correctly, right? Rigel said to Nova, making sure they weren't about to be shot at.

Of course I did. For all that they're traveling between star systems, the Citadel races are shockingly behind us on the tech tree in certain areas.

Well, a lot of our tech was made either during the Golden Age or reverse-engineered from Eliksni or Vex tech. It makes sense when you look at it that way.

Sure, but the people here are way too lax with their innovation. They seem to all follow one line of thinking rather than spreading out over different fields and methods. It's all mass effect technology or nothing. It just seems stupid to me.

It kind of is, but at the same time, they don't have to worry about the Vex randomly compromising one of their tech lines and rendering everything of that line either useless or hostile. They can afford to specialize.

I guess that makes sense.

"Blind Well, this is Alliance Control. Everything came back green. Is there a particular port you would like to land in?"

"What would you say the best location for a human setting foot on Earth for the first time would be?"

"Colony rat, eh? If you want a pot of everything, I'd recommend New York City. If you don't like it, you can take a shuttle from there to anywhere else you want to go."

"Then I guess I'm going to New York City."

"Confirmed. I've got you down for Manhattan Space Port Bay C2. Enjoy your stay, Blind Well."

"Thanks, Alliance Control. I'm sure I will."

Rigel steered the ship into the atmosphere, following the coordinates to a landmass across an ocean from Old Russia.

This is so surreal. Rigel said in his head as he flew to the space port. Buildings taller than even the Tower rose throughout a bustling city of clean roads. He was able to see men and women walking down sidewalks with children and even some aliens pointing to large structures.

It…I can't even describe it. Nova replied, similarly awed.

Rigel stood as the Blind Well landed. He walked to the loading ramp and walked down it.

Let's go see the result of a Golden Age that never Collapsed.

X

The Alliance, as Rigel was discovering, was relatively young on the galactic scale. It was less than fifty years ago that humans still hadn't left Sol. Now, they were a recognized galactic power with a respectable fleet and a seat on the Citadel council. This world was younger than Rigel's Earth, but it was thriving where his home wasn't.

When he'd docked, he'd left his helmet and weapons, with the notable exception of Ace, on the ship. The Alliance didn't have a strict weapons ban, but Rigel hadn't wanted to be seen as a mercenary walking down the street. Nova was monitoring the ship remotely and would be able to react at a moment's notice if anyone tried to breach its interior or steal it.

For the first three hours Rigel was on the surface, he simply walked. It was a practice he'd picked up from Shaxx. What better way to remember what you were fighting for then to intermingle with those you risked so much to defend?

Rigel walked, and he observed. He saw vendors meticulously arranged to fit as many of them as possible into a single plaza, selling everything from food to entertainment in the form of carnival games. He saw humans and aliens alike walking in and out of stores lining well-kept streets, emerging with bags of clothes or other amenities. He saw laughter. He saw smiles. He saw a young couple skip across a park, uncaring of the attention they drew with their openly displayed jubilance.

Rigel had walked wherever his whims took him. He had no end destination in mind. He just wanted to experience what a thriving humanity would be. And experience it he did.

Many strangers stopped to respectfully ask him about his strange attire and his reason for visiting. Rigel was happy to make conversation with anyone who approached him, patiently explaining he was from the stars and that he wore the clothes he wore because he couldn't picture himself wearing anything else. A kind elderly woman even sat with him on a bench. The two traded stories of their life as they consumed ice cream cones that Rigel had purchased for them.

The sheer breadth of life was nearly overwhelming to Rigel. These people weren't hiding in shadowy caves. They did not carry their weapons with them to the market. Their eyes did not dart suspiciously around, ready to flee at a moment's notice. These people were free to live as they will, basking in the thrills of life with no need for constant vigilance.

The sun had passed its centerpoint in the sky when Rigel happened upon a large building of archaic architecture, out of place amidst the thriving, futuristic metropolis. Intrigued, Rigel entered the building and found a public library larger than the collection housed in the Tower that many a warlock had shed blood to accumulate.

Rigel lost himself in the never-ending rows of bookcases. He pulled books from shelves and read through them in five to fifteen minutes depending on their length, replacing the book and seeking another out the moment he was finished. While Nova could pull information from the Extranet, not all knowledge was available on the galaxy-wide net. It was also true that there was something to be said for physical paper. Humanity had amassed this collection of knowledge so it would be available to those who sought it. Who was Rigel to let such an opportunity pass him by?

For nearly two hours Rigel navigated the several-storied library. It was here he found humanity's perspective on their rise to the stars. Small, careful steps that led them out beyond Pluto without assistance from the Traveler. They had earned their place in Citadel space, but they were simultaneously so young and inexperienced. Rigel found himself amused at the brute-like methods they employed to force themselves onto the council. Effective, but there would be consequences for such tactics in the future.

As he was turning from page to page in yet another book, this a fantasy story about a young child's encounter with a caring giant, Rigel heard sniffling, as if someone nearby was crying.

Closing the book and returning it to the shelf, Rigel walked towards the crying and found a young girl with hair like coal. She was clothed in a simple shirt the color of healthy grass and blue, elastic leggings. A well-loved stuffed rabbit was held tight to her chest as she looked back and forth, frantically searching for something.

"Is something wrong, young miss?" Rigel said, approaching the girl and kneeling down before her.

The girl shuffled away from him as he knelt, her arms quivering for a moment. Something changed in her eyes as she took in his robes and gentle smile. "Are you a wizard?" the girl asked, her tears abated for the moment.

She is the cutest thing.

Rigel couldn't help but agree with the voice in his head. Rigel leaned in and looked around conspiratorially. "Can you keep a secret?"

The girl bobbed her head up and down, her eyes wide.

Rigel unfurled his hand before her. A small orb of light appeared above his palm. It shifted through colors – violet, blue, a yellow-orange.

I looped the cameras. You're welcome. Nova said, exasperated yet fondly.

The girl gasped, raising her hands to her mouth, her bunny rising with the motion.

The orb faded from sight. "I am a wizard." Rigel said in a hushed voice. "Now why don't you tell me why you're crying."

The girl's expression of wonder faded, replaced with the fear and worry of before. "My daddy…He's not here."

"I'm sure he's around somewhere. What do you say you and I go look for him?"

The girl seemed to hesitate, but nodded.

Rigel stood and held a hand down to the girl. She tentatively took it, and Rigel led her between the shelves.

They searched for close to ten minutes, the girl's grip on Rigel's hand tightening with each passing minute.

"Where did you last see him?" Rigel asked, realizing he probably should have asked this question at the start instead of doing magic tricks.

In your defense, it was a pretty neat magic trick. She loved it.

"I…He went to get lunch. Daddy said we'd go to the library this morning, so I came here to wait for him."

"And where did you leave from?"

"I was on a bench in the park."

I think we've determined why her father isn't here. Rigel thought.

Her father has probably organized a search team by now.

"Well, let's get you back to that bench. If nothing else, it will let us figure out where your father went."

The girl nodded her head, her eyebrows scrunching together as she focused on the task at hand.

Rigel noticed a few suspicious glances as he and the girl exited the library, but he didn't think much of it.

Out in the street, Rigel turned to the girl and said, "Where was this bench your father left you at?"

"Um…" the girl trailed off, looking up and down the street, no recognition shining in her eyes.

Well that's an issue. Nova said, sounding perplexed about how to solve the conundrum.

Time to improvise, I guess.

"How about this: What if I pick you up and let you ride on my shoulders so you can see everything better? You could spot the bench that way or maybe even find your father."

The girl nodded. "Okay."

Smiling warmly, Rigel hefted the girl up by her arms and set her legs over his shoulders. This was something Rigel had learned from another Titan, the newly returned Saint-14. One day while walking through the city, Rigel had noticed Saint with a small army of children swarming around him, all demanding to be carried. The Titan would give each a turn, his only request that they sing him a song of their people.

A stuffed bunny hung awkwardly in front of Rigel's right eye as he began walking down the street, bouncing between his nose and ear in time with each step.

If I could materialize without causing a mass panic, I would totally take a picture of you right now.

I guess it's a good thing you can't materialize without causing a mass panic then, isn't it?

Rigel walked around the block the library was set on, hoping the girl would spot something familiar. He had almost completed his circuit when the girl suddenly cried out in a cheery voice. "Daddy!"

"Annabeth?" A male voice called back.

Rigel couldn't see the speaker. The streets were filled and his vision was limited to an ocean of heads.

"Annabeth!" Men and women were jostled aside as a man burrowed through the crowd. A mountain of a man in jeans and a button-up shirt, nearly the tallest and most well-built Rigel had ever seen, stormed across the sidewalk towards him.

Rigel reached up and lifted the now named Annabeth by her armpits and set her on the ground in front of him.

The girl ran forward and hugged her father, a glowing smile on her face. "I found you!"

The man picked her up, laughing in a mixture of relief and joy. "Yes. Yes you did." He looked over Annabeth's shoulder at Rigel.

"I found her in the library. Apparently she thought you were going to meet her there. I walked her around the block hoping she'd recognise someone and here we are." Rigel explained.

Holding his daughter up with his left arm, he extended his right hand out to Rigel, staring down at him with serious eyes. "Thank you. She has a bad habit of running off. I was afraid she…Thank you."

Rigel easily shook the big man's hand. "You're welcome. I was happy to help."

"Sir!" a new voice called. People were pushed aside once more as a young man in an Alliance uniform rushed over. "Sir, someone in the library saw a strange man…take…her…" the man trailed off as he took in the scene in front of him.

Huh. I guess I was right about that search team. How'd he manage to pull an Alliance officer into this? And…he called him 'sir'.

Rigel followed Nova's line of thinking, reevaluating Annabeth's father. His clothes were well maintained and ironed. His hair was cut short. This man was at least a Commander in the Alliance, because a Lt. Commander had just addressed him as 'sir'.

"As you can see, Brax, that strange man helped her back to me. Thank you for your help. I'm sorry to have pulled you away from your work."

The man snapped to attention. "It was no trouble, sir. I'm glad she's safe." He saluted, which Annabeth's father returned, then spun around and was lost to the crowd.

Annabeth pouted at her father as the Alliance officer walked away. "He's not a strange man, daddy. He's a wizard!"

So much for being able to keep a secret. Nova said in an amused voice.

The man raised an eyebrow at Rigel.

Rigel shrugged. "It's the robes, I think. I've been getting strange looks and questions all day."

"Not that I'm one to judge, but they are a little out of place."

"They're comfortable, and I can't picture myself wearing anything else." Rigel produced the same answer he'd given out over a dozen times today.

The man laughed, setting his daughter down next to him. "Fair enough. Now where are my manners? Davon Fyster." The man held his hand out again.

Once more, Rigel shook it. "Rigel. No last name."

"Well, Rigel, you've helped my daughter back to me, the least I can do is buy you a meal."

"Hey, that's right!" Annabeth said, turning to pout at her father. "You don't have lunch with you."

Davon smiled down at her. "That's because I dropped it on the sidewalk in front of the bench I told you to wait by."

Annabeth curled in on herself guiltily, mumbling something about libraries and promises while scuffing her shoe on the ground.

"Come on." Davon said, turning back to Rigel as he took his daughter's hand. "I know an excellent fish stand that's just around the corner."

Not having anywhere else to be, Rigel walked with Davon and his daughter away from the library. Annabeth skipped happily across the sidewalk, her bunny swinging back and forth as she flailed her arm.

The trio stopped at the end of a sizable line leading to a fish stand that was spewing steam into the air.

"It isn't my intent to pry, but you don't strike me as Earthborn." Davon started conversationally as they waited for the line to start moving.

"That's because I'm not. I actually haven't been here before." Rigel said easily.

Nova chuckled in Rigel's mind. Technicalities are fun.

"Here to see the home of your ancestors?" Davon said, a small smile on his face.

Rigel shrugged. "I just finished some work out of system and had some time to myself. I've been wanting to come see the sights for a while and I just decided to do it."

"What kind of work do you do? It's hard to imagine a man of your…" Davon trailed off, searching for the right words as his eyes darted down to Rigel's sidearm briefly. "Armaments to be an office worker."

The conversation stalled as the woman running the stall called them forward. Davon ordered three meals of fish and chips which were delivered almost immediately. The stall was well-run.

The three walked away from the stall with disposable styrofoam boxes filled with greasy, fried food. Annabeth's bunny was tucked under her armpit so she could carry her food with both hands.

"You were asking about my work, correct?" Rigel said as they found an open table in the plaza to sit and eat at.

Davon nodded. "I've never seen a revolver like yours, and you carry yourself in a way I've only seen among life-long operators."

Rigel tilted his head curiously. "Operators as in spec ops?"

"I'm a Rear Admiral in the Alliance Navy. Lower Half. I command a cruiser and the troops it carries in the First Fleet. One of the teams under me is a group of N7s. You remind me of them."

Nova?

He's not lying. He joined the Alliance Navy almost twenty years ago and is by all accounts an excellent officer. No one under his command has issued a formal complaint against him.

Good to know.

Rigel smiled warmly. "Well thank you for the compliment." He took a bite of his fish, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. This is actually amazing."

Davon grinned. "Like I said, an excellent fish stand."

Rigel wiped his mouth with a disposable napkin and said, "Back to what I do, I'm not Alliance military. I'm…I guess you could say I freelance. I'm not with any of the major mercenary organizations, or any for that matter, but I do what I can to make the galaxy a better place than I found it."

"Anything specific you feel like sharing?" Davon said, his gaze intent as he leaned forward slightly to study Rigel.

Do you think he thinks you're a terrorist? Nova said, sounding slightly worried.

I don't know what would have given him that idea. No, I think he's just rightfully suspicious of a man dressed like a wizard with a big gun holstered on his leg walking around one of the more popular ports here. Actually, yeah. He probably thinks I'm a terrorist.

Both to answer the man's question and to hopefully assuage any fears of him being a terrorist, Rigel said, "Most recently I did some work with an asari Spectre to bring down an illegal drug operation."

Davon's eyebrows rose as he leaned back on the bench. "The Minagen X3 business?"

Rigel tilted his head in confusion. "I'm surprised you've heard about that. Thessia I understand because of that Illium disaster, but why was it reported here?"

"When a group of mercenaries goes off the deep end and starts kidnapping and experimenting on humans, the Alliance gets a call about the damage."

"In hindsight, that makes perfect sense."

"What role did you play in all that?" Davon said, sounding far more intrigued than suspicious.

Rigel shrugged. "Tela and I worked on the case together. We split the shooting and investigation about fifty-fifty depending on who was the better option to do what at a given point."

Davon smirked, seeming as if something had clicked in his mind. "You were her anonymous partner, weren't you?"

Rigel raised an eyebrow. "You're just going to believe me? I could be making this all up."

Davon shook his head. "You knew about Illium. I barely knew about Illium. It wasn't reported to have any facilities that were part of the operation except in the eyes only files. Bureaucrats protecting each other's bottom line. You know how it goes. That was where you took down the leader, right?"

"No, that was where we found the people they'd experimented on." Rigel's eyes narrowed as he noticed Davon's lip quirk. "But you already knew that, you were just seeing if I did."

"Guilty." Davon said, taking a bite of his fish. Sparing a quick glance at his daughter happily hopping her rabbit across the table, he said, "How bad was it?"

"Bad." Rigel said simply. "They paid for it."

Davon nodded seriously. "Good." Wiping his hands on his napkin, he said, "So other than taking a break from galavanting across the stars with a Spectre, what brings you to Earth?"

Rigel shrugged. "Like I said. Sight-seeing. I don't have any business here if that's what you're asking. I just wanted to see the human homeworld thriving."

"Well if it's a tour you want, I'd be happy to show you around. I know some people who would very much like to meet you."

Rigel's eyes narrowed immediately. "What kind of people?"

Davon help up a hand. "Nothing like that. I have some friends in R&D. Something happened on that mission that fundamentally altered Vasir's biotics. Anything you could tell us will be a great help."

"Tela nearly died." Rigel said, his eyes hard. "If you're thinking of replicating that research: don't. There was a very specific set of circumstances that allowed her to survive the agonizing transformation that you are incapable of replicating. I will not be responsible for more humans meeting a torturous end because someone sought too much power too quickly. Tell your R&D friends to focus on other pursuits."

Davon's eyes hardened as well. "Rigel, I don't think you understand the disadvantage we as a species are at here. We came to the table late. The asari are naturally biotic and the turians have fleets and technology that are–"

"What we have is better." Rigel interrupted with hard eyes. "The turians are blindly obedient to whoever their superior is. The asari are too long-lived and complacent to ever actually accomplish anything. We have the capacity to unite and innovate in ways they are incapable of."

"In order to innovate, we need a starting point." Davon said pointedly.

"I agree. A starting point that does not involve destroying a volunteer's body just to prove what I've already told you. The serum is useless without what saved Tela."

"Then share what saved the Spectre and we can innovate."

Rigel shook his head. "I'm not sure I want to do that just yet, or ever actually. From what I've seen, it isn't needed here. That is a good thing. You truly do not understand the strength of what you currently have. If I give you something new, you won't have earned it. You won't know how to use it to its fullest potential because you have yet to use what you have to its fullest potential. I will not cheat you out of your greatest strength."

Davon's eyebrows furrowed together. "Our greatest strength is innovation as you already said. We cannot continue to innovate without new discoveries."

Rigel smiled a sad, heavy smile. "That's where you're wrong. Humanity's greatest strength is its ability to take a rock and a pile of dirt and band together to defeat an enemy from the stars. You are too focused on copying and duplicating everything the turians and salarians are doing. Don't. Find the new and make them copy you."

"A fine speech, but I don't think you fully understand how behind we are. The ruins of the prothean empire were looted and co-opted by the asari and salarians millenia before we even reached the moon. They have had thousands of years to improve on that technology. We've only recently discovered mass effect technology and have been behind from the outset."

"Technology is not the answer to your problems, Davon." Rigel said, holding the man's eyes. "Technology greater than what you could create in a thousand years will fail you if humanity is not united. That is a certainty."

"That is precisely why we need to learn what the asari and salarians have already discovered." Davon said, leaning into the table as his daughter played with her bunny, oblivious to the conversation happening above her. "Too many of us are focused on replicating their technology to ever create something that is wholly ours. We need to appease them before they'll agree to try something that hasn't been proven to work."

"You'll be appeasing them for the rest of time." Rigel said simply. "You will never surpass a race's ability to produce what it has been specialized in since you were still fighting with sticks. You need something different. Something not dependent on their designs. Stop using their weapons. Stop using their shields. Stop using their ships. Stop relying on them for everything."

Davon sighed, leaning back. "Now you're just spouting nonsense. Speaking in relation to the weapons alone there is not a better alternative. Thermal clips are the best thing to happen to weapons since rifles were originally invented. They allow an entire team to share one ammunition that will work for all weapons and fire more rounds than ever before. There is nothing we can do to compete with that. Say what you will about the geth, but they know their tech."

It's actually sad how focused he is on emulating others. Nova said softly.

They aren't going to improve themselves if they keep trying to catch up. They'll always be three steps behind.

So what are we going to do? If we fix their problems for them it'll be worse than if we'd done nothing. They need to be able to stand on their own feet.

Yes. But we might be able to push them in the right direction.

What do you…Are you sure?

It's small and seemingly insignificant enough that they'll have to figure it out themselves, but will have a large enough impact that they'll be able to leap ahead once they figure out how to use it. Whether they're able to improve on anything else with what they learn from it is entirely up to them.

Okay. I'll shape the glimmer then transmat a small sample into your breast pocket.

Rigel leaned forward, drawing Davon's attention back. "And what if you had an alternative? Something better? What if you had something that was wholly humanity's? Made by us for us?"

Davon's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, interested. "I'd have it tested. If it worked, I'd equip my N7s with it to show the higher-ups that it's viable. Then I'd do everything I could to get it sent to every soldier in the Alliance as proof we don't need alien assistance to be great."

Incoming. Nova said, and Rigel felt something small but significant appear in his pocket.

Slowly, so as not to spook the intensely focused man across from him, Rigel reached up and into the folds of his robe. He retrieved the object Nova had transmatted to him and withdrew it with two fingers, making it clear he wasn't drawing a weapon.

Davon's eyes fixed on it the moment Rigel revealed it. It was a small, cylindrical vial – no bigger than Rigel's thumb. There were three separate chambers in the vial, each containing a liquid of the same viscosity but different color. The topmost chamber's liquid was a dark purple. The middle chamber contained a bright orange liquid. The bottomost chamber's fluid was an electric blue.

Rigel set the vial down on the table halfway between himself and Davon, retracting his hand and watching to see how the Admiral reacted.

Slowly, with a strange mixture of trepidation and reverence, Davon reached out and picked up the vial. He held it up to his eyes, turning it side to side and watching as the separated liquids sloshed back and forth in tandem. "What is it?"

"Something better." Rigel said cryptically. "I can't give you all the answers. That would defeat the purpose. You need to figure out how to use that yourselves. Give it to your friends in R&D and tell them to respect its power. If they can't figure out what it is or how to use it, you're not ready for it."

Davon looked over the vial at Rigel, confusion and calculation each passing across his face. "Who are you? Really?"

Rigel smiled knowingly. "I'm a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I'm doing my best to make the most of it."

"Take a walk with me. I'll introduce you to my friends and we can–"

"Thank you for the fish." Rigel interrupted him, standing to his feet. "You were right. It was delicious." Rigel smiled down at the questioning glance Annabeth was sending him. "Stay curious, but make sure you're also cautious."

The girl pursed her lips and her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "I'll be cat-ous."

Rigel chuckled. "I'm sure you will." His smile turned to a smirk when he saw Davon standing across from him.

"Rigel, if this is what you seem to think it is then you need to come with me. For your own protection if nothing else. You don't know just how much you could help us."

"On the contrary, I do. That's why I'm only giving you that. If I fix everything for you, you'll forget how to solve problems yourself."

"Rigel, I–"

"Farewell, Rear Admiral Davon Fyster." Rigel turned around and walked away.

Now would be a good time to duck into an alley so I can transmat you to the ship. Nova said in Rigel's head.

Is he trying to impound us? That's honestly kind of amusing.

He hasn't made any calls yet, but judging by the look on his face he's thinking about it. I want to be out of the atmosphere when he comes to a decision.

You understand that they'll ask questions about how I got across the city in moments, right?

Right now all I care about is getting you out of here before someone does something stupid. I'm sorry we have to leave Earth so soon, but go to an alley now.

It's not your fault, Nova. We did just kick the hornet's nest. Though they'd have to be incredibly stupid to actually try to impound us. I can think of three less stupid plans just off the top of my head.

I don't know. Nova chimed in, mock skeptical. You can be really stupid sometimes. Maybe you should take notes.

Just transmat me already.

Rigel vanished from the alley he'd fled from Davon into, reappearing in the pilot's seat of the Blind Well. The ship was in the air three seconds after Rigel's arrival. It was free of the atmosphere shortly after.