"... all their anger, their loss and their fears will be aimed at you," finished Jason. Shalamorn paced up and down in front of the altar. Mera sat on the step right next to the throne, Neri one step down at her feet. Shersheba was a silent shadow, kneeling a few inches away from them.

The interior of the pyramid had changed. Now, that it was a temporary home to Shalamorn and her folks, it was decorated with heavy carpets and tapestries with strange patterns of emerald green and red. Lights in gold and copper made the room shine bright and comfortable.

Shalamorn finally stopped and looked at him. "There's more, isn't it?"

Jason nodded. "I'm afraid so, Your Majesty," he responded and loosened one of his hands, resting on his hips, to emphasise words with gestures. "Earth People are … greedy. Grasping for what they can. They never liked to be restricted, especially in wasting resources which made their lives comfortable. Even though, they knew, some materials are limited, they kept on living on very high standards."

"Earth People do not understand the value of nature and the ocean," Neri agreed. "They destroy it, make it sick."

"Yes, this is why our people came here in the first place," Mera added. "What are you saying, Jason?"

"You are in possession of a technology that is able to change the environment. You can control the oceans and you could give them a new beginning, a renewed planet. When Earth People find out about this," Jason said with all intensity and turned to Shalamorn. "They will come for it. Probably asking you at first in all friendship, but when you deny it to them – what you should! - their hostility will turn into an open war."

He could almost feel, not just see the reaction, his words caused. The guards exchanged dark looks and started whispering. The serving girls held each other tight, with mouths open in shock and fear. Suddenly, the pyramid was filled with voices of anger, protest and panic.

"Enough," Shalamorn demanded quietly and the voices immediately died down.

"I'm sorry," Jason said. "We should have seen this much earlier."

Shalamorn conquered the distance between them. "Oh no, my dear," she responded and touched his chest and shoulder for a second in a reassuring gesture. "Please, you have no idea how grateful I am for you and what your family has done for mine. I will accept no apologies, for you are the least to be blamed for this situation."

"Jason?" Neri stood up. "You really think, it is so bad? Should we not have faith?"

"Sister," Mera answered instead of Jason and Neri turned to face her. "I have learned about Earth's history in school back then. If people are afraid, they do all kind of cruel things. You know best, what they are capable of when they face something unknown."

Neri shot an intense look at Jason. "But I know there is also kindness. There is something good in people." She looked from Mera to her mother to Jason again. "We should believe. It is also Earth people who saved me."

Jason and Mera exchanged a quick look. "It was Jason who saved you," Mera said. "And Brett."

"Look," Jason said while approaching her. He took her hands into his. "I want to believe, Neri. I really do. Maybe, - hopefully, - mankind will prove us wrong. Sometimes extreme events bring out the best in the people." He squeezed her hands and raised a smile from her, before looking at Shalamorn. "There a many people who have been waiting for aliens their whole life. Excited and fascinated by the thought, there might be someone else out there. In some parts of the world, they're gonna celebrate your arrival." He turned back to Neri. "But we shouldn't take any risks."

"Agreed," Shalamorn nodded. "What do you suggest, Jason?"

He let go of Neri but she held onto one hand. Fingers entangled, which distracted him for a second. "We have to get more people to our side. People, who are ready to listen and understand. Meeting with the politicians is just the beginning. We need to get in contact with those Nerds I told you about. Building up a network before going public."

Neri and Mera exchanged smiles. "Re-connect with old friends," Mera assumed. "Those from back of the old days, who helped us."

"Then," Shalamorn finished. "This is what we are going to do. Right after we met with this world's leaders." She turned to him. "Thank you, my dear," she said with a warm smile.

Jason felt himself slightly blushing and nodded shortly. "I've got to head back," he said in Neri's direction. "Officially, ORCA's still a research facility, not a platform for interplanetary communication. I have to write my reports." He grimaced at the thought, then cupped her face with one hand. "I'll see you tomorrow." He hesitated, but when Shalamorn and Mera, smirking, politely looked away, he dared to and kissed her good-bye. The kiss turned out longer than he had planned, but he didn't really feel like complaining. Especially, when Neri gently grabbed him around his waist and held him close for a second.

He still felt a little embarrassed when returning to the bay. Kissing Neri was still something very intimate and special. For a while now, he had had the feeling, that Mera was watching him. And Neri, of course. That she'd known all along. Now, although officially a couple, he still felt like being under constant surveillance. Almost, as if now, they had to prove they were in fact in a romantic relationship, for before, they had to prove they weren't.

"You two are so …," a well-known voice said out of the dark. "Sweet."

Jason stopped and turned around. "Shersheba," he realised when she stepped out of the shadow of a column. She smiled like a cat in front of a big bowl of cream. "You behave so innocently and shy, as almost as if you didn't really know what to do with yourself," she came up to him, "or with her. You know, for a while I thought," she purred with her voice all velvet, coming even closer, "I could show you. And we could become really good friends."

Jason snorted. "What do you want, Shersheba?"

Her smile flickered. "I want to help."

Jason folded his arms across his chest. "First of all, we don't need your help. And secondly, why would you even bother?"

Shersheba turned serious and hurt, but Jason knew better. "Jason," she said in a pleading tone. "I am very sorry for what happened. Neri's death wasn't my fault."

"You weren't exactly sad either, were you?"

Shersheba sighed. "I am ambitious and fierce," she confessed surprisingly sincere. "I am used to always get what I want." Dark eyes met blue ones. "But I never wanted anyone to get hurt. It was Malakat. He poisoned my thoughts with cruelty, intoxicated my mind with his craving for power."

Jason hesitated. Malakat had also successfully influenced Shalamorn. "I guess, he was really good in that," he admitted slowly.

Shersheba's face lit up. "Yes, I even had to hold him back, by the time he wanted to shoot Neri."

"Yeah, she told me."

"Jason, all I wanted, was to help my people." He didn't shake her off when she touched his arm. "I really believed him back then. I was fourteen, my parents gone. Dead by the Red Virus."

"I'm sorry," Jason said honestly and she nodded.

"Malakat was very kind to me. And, when he told me, he could save us if I led an attack on Earth, how could I refuse? We already had suffered and lost so much."

"It must have been hell," Jason responded sympathetically and loosened his arms. "But, what do you want me to do?"

"I just want a friend." Shersheba pointed back in direction of the throne room. "They don't let me go home, as if the Queen wants to supervise me personally, and down here, all they see, is a traitor."

"Can you blame them?"

"No," she shook her head. "Of course not. But if I had just one person," she looked up. "Someone like you, who'd believe me …"

"Shersheba, look," Jason sighed finally. "I have a lot on my mind right now. I heard what you said and I think about it. But give it some time, will you?"

Shersheba smiled a radiant smile. "Thank you, Jason."

Jason opened the roof of the minifin. "Good night, Shersheba," he answered and climbed in.