Faerie IV: Love Is Where You Find It, Part 3 free porn video

Hard choices The cameras came back on right on schedule but McCallum wasn't satisfied. Butler was on watch, and McCallum put on a headset, switching to the encrypted channel. "Trav, any explanation as to what Lampier wanted?" The man was an excellent poker player, but was that a twinge? "We're still discussing it, control." "Discussing what?" "Lampier seems to be suffering from delusions. He claimed he'd seen something alive up here. Something that isn't human." "What?" "He even claimed he had pictures of it. But his camera's blank." He held up a cell phone. "We looked, but nothing. Then he offered us millions if we'd help him publish first." Butler laughed. "Man's a menace." "Where is he?" "Doc's got him sedated. He was starting to get violent." McCallum shook his head grinning. "Well keep him quiet until you return." "Can do." Butler flipped the switch, then began to study the controls. It made sense. People even had a name for that, 'cabin fever'. The name came from men trapped in log cabins in the dead of winter going insane. NASA had worried about it since the Geminii missions. The longer the missions went, the more likely that an astronaut would become deranged. The worry had ebbed with Apollo and the space stations. While they might be alone in cramped quarters, they had communications. They could speak with someone with a touch of a button, someone not trapped in that cramped capsule. McCallum didn't believe it. The answer was too pat. He picked up the phone, dialing. ***** The General swooped into the medical bay, slowing as he saw the puppy pile of faerie behind one of the camera supports. Still he felt the wonder of those diminutive forms. His ancient grandmother Milla had told him about Fee-yah, how they would sing to the girl she had been all of those years ago. How they had hidden her from the Okhrana when the Czarist secret police had arrested her family. Her father mother two brothers and three sisters had disappeared into Siberia. She had reappeared days later two hundred miles to the west, wandering nude. She had been taken in by a family named Yakov, and borne their name until she had married Pyotr Roshvenkovski. She had never told Vlad's father or his parents how she had escaped. Pyotr had flown for the Soviets against the Germans during the Great Patriotic War, then against the Americans in Korea. His son had joined the Air Force as well. He had done so because he had dreamed of the stars. A figure in the pile moved, and a head with bright lemon yellow hair watched him. "Hello General," the fairy said. "Which one are you?" he asked. "Magnolia." "Ah, the southern American flower." She moved up, stretching and intentionally giving him a look at her svelte form. She motioned languidly with a hand, and he slid closer. Once his head was out of the camera's view, she caught at his ear, pulling him close, breathing in his scent. "A flower known for it's gentle fragrance," she whispered. "You smell of sweat, General. Did you know that my kind can find one man in a crowd of a thousand by that scent alone?" She licked the ear delicately, her tongue running along the edge. "To us that smell is like a fine wine, it stirs our blood." She sculled backward, stopping before his eyes. "Would that we had met without this choice for your people. That I could have taken you to my bed, borne your child, yet left you a man." "Yet to save you we must disappear," he sighed. She reached out, touching his face. "We did not wish this upon your people." "We know that." Vlad leaned back. "What of those who won't go willingly?" He thought of the four he was worried about most. Butler was a scientist first. The man understood that the Faerie deserved to be left alone, but at the same time, he itched to do research on them. Fan was a true son of communism. Hiding this was fine, as long as the 'proper' people knew. Once Vlad had been the same way, but he had discovered a little democratic person in his soul back in the 90s. The system was still struggling to work, it needed time for that. If they were revealed, the Faerie would be hunted to extinction, kept in cages. Fan would try to tell his people. Sarah Levi was a scientist and her soul would cry out for the research as Butler's would. The problem was, she wouldn't realize that turning them over to the scientific community would kill them as surely as revealing them would. Walker? He was too worried about his family. He was the most dangerous. Magnolia crossed her arms, thinking. "Then we will have to convince them without violence." ***** Monica flinched at a scream. "We've got it!" Erika shouted. Monica yawned, scratching her side. She walked through the mansion to the computer room. Erika was seated in an office chair, hugging a teddy bear Henry had gotten her. She was looking at the screen with a grin. "Lisette came up with one question, Henry came up with another and Midori came up with another," she said triumphantly. "Oh good." Monica yawned again. "Was it necessary to tell me this at-" she looked at the computer screen. "-Two in the morning?" "Two in the..." Erika looked at the screen. "Oh shit, Monica, I'm sorry." The professor waved a hand. "You've worked so hard, Erika. Take a break." Erika turned, and stopped. A cup was before her eyes, the sweet chocolate smell made her eyes close in pleasure. She looked up at Madison, taking the offered cup. Monica started to say something, but another cup appeared. "I felt you should celebrate," Madison said calmly. "But both of you do need some sleep." He set down the tray. "Chocolate for you, Miss Erika, and chamomile tea for you, Madam." "But you need sleep too, Madison," Monica admonished. "Tomorrow, or rather later today is my day off, Madam." His eye twinkled. "I will get some sleep then." The women chuckled at that. Once a week, Madison would disappear, and had for almost eighteen months by now. No one who knew of the Faerie in this house was surprised that over forty of the Faerie children here in Chicago were his, with almost the same amount on the way. Only Rob and Martin had more. "Well do try to get some rest tomorrow at least." "I shall arrange it provided Miss Erika will not stay up to such ungodly hours tomorrow." 'Not me!" Erika set the cup down, waving her hands frantically. "Madison you need those days off!" "I am sure," Madison replied blandly. "Is there anything else I can do for you ladies?" Both immediately denied any other needs. ***** Butler started. Magnolia was brushing his face with her hands. "Come with me please," she whispered. The other faerie were busy awakening the others they worried about. ***** "Five of them are moving," the man on telemetry reported. McCallum leaned forward, flipping through the cameras. Butler, Walker, Fan Shi Mai and Pierre Le Croix were moving from the compartment assigned as the men's quarters, Sarah Levi was coming from the other end, all heading toward the medical section. McCallum switched cameras, then frowned. "Who's on watch?" "Morgan is in the control center," telemetry reported. "Doc Ranji is in the med center." "Give me Morgan on the encrypted channel," McCallum said, sliding on his headset. "On channel." "Jacko, we're having a problem down here," McCallum said in a jocular voice. "The cameras in the med center are down." "I'll check them control." Morgan slid up out of the chair, picked up a hand held camera and flung himself down the hall. ***** Butler motioned for the others to line up. Levi was nervous. "What do you want?" She accused. "They asked us to come for a reason., Butler said. "We're the ones most likely to cause problems." "You?" Levi sneered. "The rich dilettante is a problem?" His look would have stopped a hardened criminal. "There has been a Butler in our house since the Revolution. I have no brothers or sisters. No extended family. I disappear, and my family name dies." He looked at them. "I'm supposed to retire in a year, go home and run the farm. Get married, have or adopt a boy to carry on the name. Instead of keeping ten generations of history alive, they want me to vanish." He looked from face to face. "So yeah they would consider me a danger." "Why am I a danger?" Walker asked. "All I want to do is go home." "As do they." They looked back. Sarai floated in. "Take seats, quickly." The people sat, and Sarai pulled out a deck of cards. ***** Morgan was gone for seven minutes. He flew down the center of the next compartment, flipping to catch a handle. He was grinning as he picked up the headset. "The cameras were disconnected." "Why?" McCallum snapped. "Colonel Butler is running a poker game." "He's what?" "Yes sir." Morgan was grinning so wide McCallum was sure the top of his head would separate. "The Chinese guy wanted to learn how to play, Walker Sarah and Butler play, and the Doc would rather play Bridge, but she's the only one who plays it. "So Butler is teaching him how to play. He disconnected the cameras so there wouldn't be a video record." He shrugged. "After dealing with Lampier we'd rather not give the media any ammo." McCallum wiped his face. It used to be astronauts were either out of control or straitlaced. Glenn lambasted some of his peers because they would drink themselves into a stupor or lift every skirt that passed by. Having a Georgia colonel teach someone from Shanghai how to play poker was middle of the road. Morgan fed the disc into the reader, and McCallum spent several minutes watching five people play poker. ***** Sarai waved as Morgan finished taping, then stood. Behind her the faerie with the exception of Dogwood floated, watching the humans. Dogwood had finished converting Lampier, and was busy keeping the new Pixie satisfied. "We wished to speak with you because all of you have a reason to destroy us." "What kind of paranoid crap is this?" Levi snapped. "We want to go home, that's all!" "As do we," Jasmine said softly. "But we cannot all go home." She looked at Sarah sadly. "You would see us in cages, Sarah." "I'd never-" "Remember Conway?" Lilac asked. Sarah stared at her. "Lampier had those discs he brought. Records of every one of you. Colonel Butler was good enough to help. "You designed a pump. It was a unique design. Worth millions. Conway stole your design, Sarah. He patented it, and now is making money from it. But he is also a scientist is he not? "Tell me, Sarah. How many scientists like him would it take to drive us to extinction? Because Miho was right. We can cure or ameliorate so many diseases that plague people your size. You saw what happened to Dogwood's arm during the change. Think of the men returning from Iraq with amputated limbs, or crippled in a chair. Think of them finding out that one night with one of us will give them back their limbs, their ability to walk." She pointed down toward the planet below. "How many of us would they catch and imprison? How many would die? Because the traps they use would be just as brutal as the one that almost killed Dogwood. You would condemn us all to extinction so you can go home?" Sarah blinked, then suddenly spun, wailing. Sarai pushed across, taking the woman into her arms. "You are almost as bad, Pierre," Cornflower said. "You always wanted to impress your father. The great biologist. How long would it be before you told him of us? Would he merely nod his head and hide us? Or would he also look for us? "Or you, Fan." Cornflower turned her sad gaze on the man. "Your nation has a long history, yet those who are in power have ruled less than 60 years. They boast of their enlightened society where female children are murdered rather than allowed to grow. Extra children are eliminated by doctors with needles. "Will your people treat us any better when you tell them? We are not even good citizens of their nation. We espouse no politics they will accept. We would become tools for them or die, and I tell you now death would be a blessing." Magnolia looked at each in turn. Walker was still staring at them adamant. "We know how you feel, Loman," she said gently. "So I will make it simple. Doctor?" Sarai moved away from the sniffling American woman. She opened a drawer and pulled out a flat sealed package. She opened it, laying a gleaming scalpel on the counter. Magnolia flew over beside it, her foot resting on the handle. "Please, Loman, come here." He walked over, staring at her then at the blade with fascination. "We have spoken among ourselves, Loman. We have decided that you would be the hardest to convince. We understand the pull of family, there are so few of us that all we know are family. "So do this for you family." She lifted her foot. "Picture me as one of the subjects of those scientists you will consign our fates to. They will use things like this on us." She laid back, arms laying beside her, limp. "If your family is more important than the thousands of us, than those of Houston such as Dogwood Dandelion and Cornflower. More important than those of us in Florida, such as Lilac Jasmine and myself, then use this blade. Kill me here and now. If you do, the rest will go quietly to our deaths." She closed her eyes. Walker moved to the table, looking at the woman. Her face was serene, as if she would let him... He pictured the blade cutting, seeing her eyes widen in shock and betrayal, he'd go home, hug his daughter... Then see her eyes filled with pain when he told her he'd killed something beautiful to be with her again. See his wife's accusing look, his son looking even more betrayed. All of his words about treating everyone as you would wish to be treated exposed as a lie. He keened in pain, seeing those adored faces looking at him in denial. He felt arms enclose him. He didn't know, didn't care who it was. He clung to the woman, burying his head in her neck, crying for what he would have to give up to save these people. ***** "Can we avoid this?" Butler asked. "We have too much going on to waste time on 20 questions." Vlad shook his head. "For their plan to work, we must keep up appearances as much as possible." The crew gathered in the command center. All of the cameras were operating. Ground Control called, and the questions began. The heads of JAXA NASA the ESA China National Space Administration and the Federal Space agency of Russia had opened their doors, asking people from around the world to submit questions. A lot of them were removed immediately. Too many people hated the expense of space exploration, and were willing to dump it all if their welfare checks had a few bucks more. Others denigrated it because the poor countries could not get into it. But some, especially from children were so hopeful. Announcers had been brought in, and the questioning began. "We have this from Lisette Fouchet of Paris France. 'I have heard of the spacecraft that rises from Russia to deliver the new crew. Is it sealed so the crew can breath'?" General Roshvenkovski touched his ear then leaned forward. "The Progress is usually left with a vacuum when it returns to Earth. However when small animals are transported as they will be on his return this time, they do fill his cabin with air." Several minutes passed before, "This is from Henry of Chicago. 'Where does the Russian ship land? At Baikonur or at Turyatam'?" Ludmilla waved to her superior. "It is a misconception that they are two different places. The launch center of Baikonur is near the city of Turyatam." A long time passed before, "This from Midori, who lives in Tokyo. 'Progress arrives in three days. How much room is there in the ship'?" Vlad suddenly realized what was happening as he explained the ship's dimensions. Someone below was sending a message, but it wasn't for him. ***** It was three days of hell. Each of them spoke with ground control, trying to maintain the fiction that they were going home. That all would be well. Finally they heard that Progress had been launched. The crew moved carefully into the storage area. The last to go, twenty minutes before Progress arrived was the General. "Korolev, this is ISS. I will be going down to the docking ring. We'll be in contact again in a few minutes." "Understood Vlada." Vlad moved through the compartments, looking at the station he had grown to love. He would miss this, he would miss his family. The storage room looked empty. Vlad looked around in confusion. Then, not half a dozen but more than a dozen Faerie appeared. Vlad spread his arms, and accepted his fate. Marie Celeste "Approaching the station," Major Mikail Mulenshenko reported. He looked at his crew, and sighed. Ten years ago, there had been enough men willing to travel into space. Today, the Federal Space Agency was not as strong. In America, a Colonel such as Colonel Butler even now in space made a living wage. But the General who commanded that station could not guarantee feeding his family. His 'crew' this time was an English and German pilot. Not the great Soviet dream that had been alive even as this year had begun, but men sent into orbit because the Russians could not support their own space program. Mulenshenko sighed. It would get better. It had to. But he had procured a bottle of paper vodka to share with his old CO. He flipped the communications switch. "ISS, this is Progress. Docking in ten minutes." He waited. "ISS, this is Progress, reply please." Still no answer. ***** McCallum was standing with his back to the screen as he spoke to the Press. "The Progress capsule is the outgrowth of the old Soyuz of the 60s and 70s. The Russians have been working on an upgrade with our help, but it won't be fielded until next year. The Russians have helped with the experiments under way by rigging this capsule to carry down the animals that have been used for zero G experiments by the present IGY mission. "The mission commander and soon to be station commander is Mikail Mulenshenko, a major in the Russian air force. His second command is Lieutenant Lionel Campbell of the RAF, and Lieutenant Gustaf Schraeder of the Luftwaffe. The information about these men is in the briefing packets you have received." A communications technician walked up, whispering to McCallum. He listened, then turned to his Assistant Control chief. "Richard Ponsonby, my assistant will answer any questions you have. I am supposed to be monitoring the arrival of Progress. Members of the Press..." he nodded walking straight and tall out of the room. As soon as the door closed he spun to glare at the man. "What do you mean everyone's gone?" ***** Lieutenant Conroy listened, holding the earphones to his head, then his hands dropped. Mulenshenko: Korolev this is ISS. The crew is missing. Makenkova: What do you mean, Micha? Mulenshenko: I mean there is no one here, Korolev. We came aboard, and there was no one to greet us. Pause: 30 seconds. Makenkova: You have searched? Mulenshenko: There is barely the room you would find in a kulak's hovel, Director. That took us only a few minutes. Lionel and Gustaf are going to suit up and head across to Endeavour to see if anyone is there. Wait a moment Director. ***** Mulenshenko looked at the clothes littering the storage room. Coveralls were scattered as if they had once held someone who had lay upon the deck, then disappeared. "Like Star Trek," Lionel said. "Like what?" "The old TV show from the Colonies," the British officer said. "An episode called Omega Glory. Everyone on a ship was reduced to powder. Nothing remained but their clothes." "What caused it in the television show?" "Some kind of virus. But what caused this?" He waved toward the clothes. "I have no bloody idea." "Check out Endeavour. I will report." ***** McCallum had just finished reading he transcript when Conroy's fingers began to flash across the keyboard. Mulenshenko: Korolev control Major Campbell found clothing scattered around the storage room. Makenkova: What does this mean? Mulenshenko: He said it reminded him of an episode of a television show named Star Trek. Makenkova: Wait, the episode with the Yangs and Coms? (Reference to Star Trek Episode Omega Glory.) Mulenshenko: That is correct. Everyone dies and there is nothing left but their clothes. Makenkova: Report back as soon as possible. McCallum plugged in his headset. "Ground communications, get me Korolev Center." Back in the day, Ground communications used landlines. These days it was satellite messages, but the name had stuck. "Korolev," a voice answered in crisp English. "This is director McCallum, get me your director." "Please wait." A few moments later, he heard Vitali Makenkova on the line. "We have a situation here, Stepan." "Yes, I know. We've been listening in." "Of course you have." Makenkova chuckled. "You know it was irritating back when the Party was in charge, but I have come to enjoy your, what is that word? Your kibbitzing. You understand what has occurred?" "Only that the crew of Endeavour and your station crew are missing Vitali." "Yes. Tell me, Stepan Davidovich, does NASA have a procedure for this?" "No, Vitali Eduardovich. We have gamed it out, but no procedure has ever been accepted." The Russian chuckled again. "Is that departmental or political?" "Pure politics," McCallum answered. "Any ideas?" "Your country is better known for, how you say, winging it? I will contact Moscow, but I think we will be following your lead." "Understood. I'll see what I can do to speed up the launch of Intrepid." McCallum unplugged, then picked up the phone. "Get me the President." ***** "So it begins." Vlad sighed, watching the men move into the station. They had spent the last few days making concealed places where the Faerie and their new converts could hide. He turned to face them. The males were still male. After all, they had only this size for an hour or so. The recently human females were huddled primarily because they felt as naked as they were. Loman Walker was sitting, hands over his crotch, blushing. Vlad was doing what he could, which meant pretending to ignore the situation Morgan was sitting with his arms crossed, daring anyone to complain, though he was blushing as deeply as the American. Butler had sat, legs crossed as if he were on the verandah of his estates chatting with Dogwood. Pierre was sitting just as nonchalantly beside Lampier. Only the oriental men seemed to really ignore it. "Are all of you satisfied? Lampier sneered. Coming from someone who looked like Judy Garland, it came out whiny." Instead of being rich you all had to be so fucking sanctimonious. Now what do we do?" "We could not allow you to return to your business," Dandelion told him. "I can still scream." "Of course you can." Dogwood leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the pixie. "You can scream and they find us. Instead of writing the story how do you feel about being the story?" She leaned closer, lips inches from her mouth. "You can never go back, my dear Lily." "I am Phillip-" her eyes grew confused. "Lam, Lam..." "Were, love. Were. You are Lily, the father of my child. If we survive we shall see her grow to adult hood." She kissed the pixie gently, and Lily moaned. "You feel the urge again, don't you? The need to be filled. Tongue, fingers, anything. You will feel it for a day or more yet. "Yet it can be worse. You threaten to expose us, and if that happens we may be separated. Think of days of weeks with no one to do this." Her hands brushed Lily's nipples. The pixie stiffened as if she had been hit with an electrical charge. "You can do it yourself, but can you stay awake to satisfy your every need? You will go mad, my pet. You will want to grasp Travis or Vlad, to stuff him inside you." She grinned at the look in the pixie's eyes. "Ah, you like men better than women? That explains it." She leaned forward. "Perhaps you can learn about motherhood this soon as well?" Lily's eyes were slitted. Dogwood held her in place, hands flirting with the nubile form as Magnolia drew the others away. "We regret the situation," Magnolia told them. "But if we survive we can guarantee you long lives, and eventually you can tell your families what has happened. If they are the right kind of people, they can even see you again. But not as you were." She turned gently in the air, looking at each of them in turn. "Someone must mate with the males. Otherwise they will become mindless things. Then we must mate female to female to seal you in our size. We have days even weeks before we are back on Earth. If we leave you be, you would return to normal size. Perhaps be seen. So this must be done swiftly." "You know dinner and a movie is what we usually use to break the ice." Travis said sarcastically. "I don't know about the other guys, but my 'pick a girl and do her' time never happened. I always had to like her before I was willing to..." He blushed furiously. The once human women giggled. Ludmilla looked around. "So we must be seduced, driven to orgasm. Must it be woman to woman?" "Eventually yes," Magnolia replied. Ludmilla pushed off, wrapping her arms around Travis' neck. "If I must be this size, I would prefer that a man make me so. Travia, will you make me a fairy please?" Loman watched as the American colonel took the woman who had been his copilot to the deck. Then he felt a hand on his neck. He turned, looking into the eyes of Lily. "Please, Loman, please..." She kissed him, hands pulling him closer, leg catching behind his, warmth and wetness against his hip. Oh, god, please..." Miho Takagi looked, then saw Sarah Levi looking back. Wordlessly they joined hands, then bodies. Morgan looked around, snorting. "Never been to a bloody orgy. Not much on Wogs either, pardon, Sarai. Hey, Casey, wanna make history?" "What, an Aussie loudmouth seducing a Canadian with that kind of sweet talk? She laughed. "Come here, you sexy thing." Pierre merely moved to Sarai. She looked at him wordlessly, then hugged him to her. Vlad looked at Fan. "What is the American saying, Fan? 'You snooze you lose?" Fan laughed, then gasped as Dandelion and Jasmine drove him to the deck. Magnolia wrapped her arms around Vlad's neck from behind. Silently they watched the forms moving literally in midair. "I wish we could have met down below, Vladya. That you could have seen our world as our friends among humans have, free to return your home. But we will treasure the sacrifice all of your people have made forever." He turned, and they slowly rolled in space, looking into each others eyes. "Now, give me this." He kissed her. ***** Mulenshenko: Korolev this is ISS. They have returned from Endeavour. There is no one aboard. Makenkova: Contact the American Houston center. They will spear point this operation. Maintain records in case this should happen again. ***** Mulenshenko sighed, looking at the bottle. It had once held Propel fitness water, whatever that was. Now it held a liter of paper vodka. One of the rarest forms of the ubiquitous beverage, he had known how much General Roshvenkovski enjoyed it. "Houston, we are going to take some down time." "Are you sure that is wise?" someone down there said. "Houston, I had brought a bottle of vodka for Valdya. He was my old commanding officer and the best friend I had in the world. I will drink this vodka with my crew in his memory, and then we will begin in the morning." He broke the seal on the squeeze bottle, spraying a mouthful into his mouth. Then he handed it to Schraeder. "To absent friends," he gasped. The German took it, spraying his mouthful, then handed it to Lionel. The Brit sprayed a mere sip, tasting it inquisitively. "Odd taste." Then drank deeply. "It is called paper vodka. Filtered through unused newspaper." Mulenshenko said. "It is an acquired taste. Back about fifteen years ago, the General introduced me to it... ***** "NASA announced that the shuttle Intrepid, the replacement for Columbia built last year will be launched two days early due to the disappearance of the crew of the shuttle Endeavour. Along with the five men of her scheduled crew are five more who will return Endeavour to Earth and two more who will return in Progress..." ***** McCallum sat facing the Joint Space Technology sub-committee. The summons had come right after Endeavour had landed, and had been supposed to be a closed meeting. But the media feeding frenzy that began the instant his plane landed at Andrews told him the sub- committee was going to throw him to the wolves. But he wasn't going without a fight. "How do you explain the incompetence of NASA in dealing with disappearances in space?" one of the committee members demanded. "Any hick police department could do a better job than you have done!" McCallum looked at the man, then motioned to the man beside him. The assistant laid out a series of folders. "Director McCallum you will answer this committee!" "I am doing just that," McCallum replied as the last round of his counter attack was laid on the table. The assistant had set them out chronologically. McCallum picked up the first. "After the book Andromeda Strain was written a study was done concerning the possibility of an alien microbe getting aboard a space station or capsule and being accidentally returned to Earth. "The possibility was unlikely, but the study suggested safeguards aboard stations and in capsules for detecting and countering the possible threat. It was stopped by this committee on the grounds that it would be too expensive." He picked up the second. "A year later, a study was done concerning the possibility of an alien life form slipping aboard a ship and returning to Earth. The size of these life forms was assumed to be larger than a microbe, but smaller than a human being. A common mouse was used as the template. "More likely than a microbe, the threat was considered valid. Suggestions for sensing equipment, defenses, decontamination and capture were suggested. This was stopped again in this committee on the grounds that, and I quote, 'the very idea is science fiction and the government will not pay for such ridiculous safeguards'." "What does-" "When people began reporting alien abductions, another study was done concerning the possibility that an alien might decide to snap up an astronaut." McCallum went on ignoring the interruption. "There were suggestions that we include weapons to capsule payloads, again shot down." McCallum smiled. "Something about the militarization of space." "Where is this going Director?" the committee chairman demanded. One of four up for re-election, it had been his idea to have an open meeting, an idea he was suddenly regretting. "Simply put, whenever we have problems in space, this committee has seen fit to lay the blame on whatever man has been sitting in my chair." McCallum reached down the line of files. "Challenger is destroyed by a faulty 'O' ring. Yet the decision to make the Secondary Rocket Boosters in sections rather than solid units had been made in this committee for political and financial reasons. "Columbia is destroyed by a foam strike, yet the designers of that foam, the company that makes the thermal tiles and this committee blamed the director at that time. The fact that the same director had already warned of the possibility of damage had been conveniently ignored." He ignored the buzz from the gallery. He picked up the last file. "This is the transcript of the meeting this committee had last week before Intrepid went into orbit. And the orders the chairman tried to give at the behest of the President's science advisor." At that moment, it was a pity the cameras were aimed at McCallum, along with the attention of the reporters. The committee members had paled. They had discussed a lot of options, but all had been linked to assuring that whatever had caused the mass disappearance would not come down to earth. A 10 kiloton backpack nuke had been delivered to Kennedy, but McCallum had made sure it didn't make it aboard Intrepid. The station had taken a decade to build and these idiots had wanted to blow it up. It had taken an angry diatribe from Moscow to put them in their place. McCallum set down the folder, and the members knew he now had the whip hand. "We need to present to this committee several proposals that will assure that if something like this ever happens again, we will be sure of finding out exactly what happened and why." "If this committee continues to consider itself above such things, using political and monetary gain to determine what is happening, I will not simply resign, nor will I stay silent about the handling of the present case by the administration and this committee." Cross country Rob had studied Russia when he had been in Special Ops. One of the primary possible operations zones when the Green Berets had been formed; those plans had been relegated to history. But he had still learned the facts. Right now he was glad he had. He and Midori had just arrived in Taegu Korea when they had gotten the message about the shuttle incident. There had been several frantic days there as Monica and the others had tried to find a way to communicate with the displaced faerie trying to let them know to come down in Russia. They still weren't sure if they had been successful. It had taken almost a week to get tourist visas for a trip down the Trans-Siberian Railway as far as Kazakhstan. The problem was that there were not a lot of contacts in Russia yet, outside of major cities. Worse yet was the fact that none of the Faerie so far contacted spoke Russian. Not that something that mundane would have bothered the Faerie. If necessary someone, preferably male, would have 'joined them' on their travels east. They were coming down the ramp of the merchant ship when Midori pointed. "Rob, someone expects us." He looked, seeing a sign in Japanese and English. INNERWORLD. They pushed through the other sightseers to a young man. His hair was black and longer than considered proper in his society. But his green eyes dared anyone to comment. "I am Pavel Olenko." He bowed theatrically. "Miss Monica in Chicago asked me to meet you." "This is Midori. I'm Rob." "My babushka was expecting you. Please, come. I will wait for you outside of customs." Customs was precise and methodical. The Custom's agent noted the camera cases, pulling out the matching 35mm Konicas and the rolls of film. He lifted out the pads below them, then put the cameras back. He looked at the packages of dried fruit, then put them back as well. "Purpose of visit?" he asked in a bored voice and excellent English. "Tourism," Rob replied. "Where were you going?" "Baikonur. We're hoping to see Progress return." He snorted. "It is not like your American space shuttle," he commented, hands moving through Rob's bag. "It is a massive stone with parachutes attached." He slammed his hand down on the table, and Midori flinched. "Blam! Sixty kilometers an hour into the ground. Men died back in the sixties when parachutes didn't work. Men shipped home in sealed coffins. Could have used envelopes if they made them big enough." He closed the bag, marking it with chalk. "Welcome to the Commonwealth." Pavel was waiting outside the port center, and opened the back door of a Trabant. Rob put the bags in the forward trunk, then climbed in beside Midori. The young man drove like a maniac, dodging traffic like a failed kamikaze pilot. He pulled up at an old apartment building, and ushered them into one of the lower apartments. An ancient woman sat in a chair in front of a window rocking gently, a black kitten curled up on her lap. She looked up, and Rob could see the milky sheen of cataracts. "Babushka, they are here." "Finally," the old woman sighed. "Others. My sweets, why don't you say hello?" Rob was used to it, but Midori looked around in astonishment as one by one almost a dozen faerie seemed to fade out of the woodwork. They looked at the two humans coolly, and Rob noticed that all of them had bows. He raised his hands for a moment, then set down his camera case. He opened it, removing the camera and padding. The humans and faerie watched, looking at the empty box, then at him in polite confusion. He walked to the window. "May I?" he asked. The boy explained, and the old woman nodded. Rob opened the window and gave a low toned whistle. He did it again, but still no reply. On the third however there was a burring sound, and Rob's Fair arrived. First were Bluebell, who had once been a young boy named Simon, and Kaunaoa, followed by the pregnant Faerie Orchid along with those with children either newborn or still young enough not to have wings, Koki'o carrying Lilac, 'Awapuhi with her newborn Peach Blossom and Trillium with Hope. Kika came last with Saffron. It was a good cross section of the Faerie. Kaunaoa and Koki'o were from Hawaii, 'Awapuhi like Bluebell, Saffron, Kika and Orchid had once been fully human and, except for Kika, from scattered tribes across the country. But the newborn children and Hope were the most exciting. There were more pregnant and children here in this room than the locals had seen in over a year. They flew down, looking at the children, holding them, their eyes wide with delight chattering in Russian. "Do any of you speak Japanese?" Kika asked. They looked at her with incomprehension. When Rob asked one of them if they spoke English one began bouncing up and down in excitement. "I am Margaritka. I speak English good!" Midori began, explaining the situation as Margaritka translated. A map was brought out, and Rob tapped it. "They are coming down here, between Baikonur and Saryshagen in the downrange field; we're not sure exactly where or even if they understood our messages. But we have to be there before the week is out." Pavel and his great grandmother spoke, checking a schedule. They had to travel to Novosibirsk then either take a train south into Kazakhstan or go by road. They were disabused of trying to drive. The state of Montana had more and better roads than the entire nation of Kazakhstan, which has seven times the area. But there were adequate roads if they rode the train south through Pavlodar to Tselinograd then south to Saryshagen before switching transport. As Rob and the boy planned the trip, Midori spoke with the faerie. When she told them of the healing done among Faerie that had been crippled; of Erika, Runningfox, Bluebell, Myra whose eyes had been healed even Kika who had once been the transsexual brother of Midori with only the name which meant chrysanthemum to remember her old self by. The local faerie suddenly went into a huddle. Bluebell and Kika were dragooned into the group, looking like a football huddle, occasionally glancing up at the old woman near the window. Ekatrina Olenko was tired. She was old enough to remember when the Czar was still upon the throne, looking with wide eyed childish wonder in the year before he was deposed. Then the Commissars and her family bring shoved into a train from Kiev to the Gulags. Her father had died during the Great Patriotic War, her mother not long after. Now it was a Commonwealth. Her main problems now were because of a poorly done operation which had her on dialysis for the last fifteen years. The doctor had not bothered to notice that she had only one kidney when he had removed it. Health care had always been spotty in the old Soviet Union; either you had excellent doctors who had been sent to 'count trees' as the euphemism went on one end of the spectrum, or men who could quote party dialectic but didn't know a scalpel from a retractor on the other. She had seen too much, lived through too much. She was sick unto death of having to spend hours every other day cleansing her blood. Of- "Babushka?" She looked toward her shoulder-old habits die hard. "Yes Ros?" "We are going to make you well." "It cannot be done. I can't afford a new kidney." She flinched as she felt something bite her. "You will have your own," the fairy whispered, biting her again. ***** "I don't understand it." The nurse looked at the test. Old lady Olenko had been coming in every other day like clockwork. A pity really, one bad doctor had ruined the old woman's life. But her blood test had come up clean. There were no traces of waste products in her blood. No trace of jaundice. It was as if she had been miraculously healed. She looked at the old woman who stood eyes closed. Her great grandson stood outside, slouching with teenaged insouciance against the wall. There had been rumors of black market organs and doctors, but the FIS had yet to prove it. Even if they did exist this poor family would not have the money. "Well I'd like you to come in tomorrow so we can test again, all right?" "Yes, my child." Pavel walked in, taking her arm, and led her out into the street. They walked down to the car, and he put the woman in. As he climbed behind the wheel, she opened her eyes. He had never known her eyes were hazel. "Tomorrow they will be off Babushka." "No, we will be." She smiled at his look. "I have always wanted to see more of my motherland. Now I will have that chance." "Babushka-" "No, Pasha." She shook her head. "If I stay home, people will wonder, how my eyes were healed as well. If I leave and never come back, I will be just a curiosity. Besides," she went on tartly, "you must consider how you are going to support your children." "Children?" He tried to look innocent. "Yes. Fifty of them among our little friends." She looked at his shocked expression. "Did you think they would hide this from me their great great grandmother? Little Nartsiss has wings now did you know that? I was there when it happened. Fifty little babies with seven tribes." She smiled. "I had wondered how we always had enough to buy what we needed. I thought you were helping smugglers or the black market." She looked at him. "Instead, you were helping the police catch them. Our friends are so good at hiding and listening, aren't they? They did as you asked, never risked themselves and the money you made kept us alive. "But it must stop." She handed him the card. "You will work for Innerworld now. No more risking their lives for us. Now we help them instead." ***** The Russian rail system is one of the largest in the world, not because of their technical skill, but from the sheer expanse of that country. Even with the the smaller nations that broke off after the collapse of communism there, the nation is the largest in the world in land mass crossing eleven time zones compared to the five of the continental United States. The Trans-Siberian railway which is the longest single rail line in the world stretches from St Petersburg to Petropavlovsk over 9000 miles apart. Built originally as a way to transport dissidents from the more heavily populated west, it now linked 35 million Siberian Russians in 87 cities and 70 settlements, spread with an average of 1 station per 107 kilometers of railway. Unlike more modern railroads where the tracks are butted tightly against each other, The Transiberian Railway was an older design with distinct gaps between them. Not large enough to cause damage, but enough that instead of clicking along the train rolled, slamming at the joins of the tracks. Part of the problem was the work force tended to be whomever they could grab at the time. The line had improved in the last decade primarily because other countries had helped. The Japanese and French had been consulted, and the government was already planning to replace the antique line with a more modern train system on the 'bullet train' model. But until they did, they had replaced the old tracks with newer lines that ran smoother, increasing the speed even of the older locomotives. Still it was three days before they transferred at Novosibirsk for the journey south, and two more to Saryshagen. ***** The Russian team including those flown over to join Intrepid's crew had been professionals. They had used every antiseptic known to man to scour the station centimeter by centimeter instead. No animals of any size except for the ones that had been brought up by Endeavour were discovered. Tulip, who had once been Colonel Butler looked to the others. She had never known how much she had been enamored of Raquel Welch until the Faerie had explained the mechanics of that final change from human to faerie. Between her and Orkhidia who had once been Vlad, they had shuttled the others around in a deadly serious game of musical compartments. Some of those antiseptics had burning fumes that might harm the Faerie. Thanks to the plans made by the once human faerie, there were hidey holes in every compartment, all where the crewmen would have to literally tear the station apart to find them. The need was more desperate than they had known. Less than an hour after the Faerie had finished converting the human crew, the Hunger had hit with a vengeance. Lily was already in it's throes, and it was as if the pheromone rich air struck all off the new made faerie at the same time. It might have been funny if it had not been so desperately serious. Fifteen faerie in more combinations than most would consider, mouths either busy or biting on hands to stop the screams of pleasure. Tulip had to admit that when she had still been a man, the idea of watching women together was arousing. But not as arousing as being one of those women. By the time it had passed, they were all sated, and ravenous. But they hadn't made enough food to last. The departure of Progress had been delayed by three days while they cleaned the station. They had run out of food right about when it should have departed. For the average human, they use what is called the rule of three; the time it takes for a human to die from deprivation. Three minutes without air, three days without water, and three weeks without food. For faerie the equation was more dangerous. They needed an average of four meals a day to stay healthy, so with the additional calories burned in almost two days of almost continuous sex for them it was like they had not eaten in six days. It is the worst stage of starvation. The body is still demanding to be fed, the mind focusing on its needs. This is linked to weakness as well, for the body's needs must still be met and there is only one source. It begins to devour itself. If they delayed a day more, it wouldn't matter. Lethargy would increase. The body would stop making demands, and would instead focus on what was at hand. By this time tomorrow they would be too weak to even attempt to escape. With no more fat to eat, the body would begin on muscle, and even the smallest amount of muscle mass lost would doom them. By this time next week, they would die. ***** Mulenshenko slid into the command seat, slipping the wireless headset on. "ISS to Korolev, decontamination complete." "Are you sure?" the technician near Moscow asked. "Our Acadamecians still believe we need to purge the atmosphere." "Then tell them we need ten thousand cubic meters of air delivered," he snapped. "If you have the Americans deliver it we will need the entire cargo bay of the next shuttle mission. I may be a simple pilot, but even I know that will be next to impossible. It took every mission since we began assembly to gather what we have now. We lose fifty cubic meters a month already! "So have those ivory tower idiots come up with something else." The technician was silent for a long moment. "Understood." "Next, we need to send Progress home. The extra hands are less important than our food air, and water supplies. Please check to see if we can send her home, today if possible." "I will pass on your request, Colonel." It didn't take that long. Three hours later the orders were passed. Lilac slid from hiding behind him, using the upper regions to stay out of camera angles. It was only a few minutes before she reached the hidey hole. It was hard, but they prepared to move. ***** "Nothing yet," Rob sighed. He put the binoculars away, pulling out the Blackberry. He logged into the web, going to his e-mail server. He addressed an e-mail message to Monica, reporting his position and that Pioneer still hadn't landed. He left the IM running as he pocketed the unit. "Will we even know when they do?" Ekatrina asked. "You've never seen a capsule land before," he said. "It's like watching a meteor come in. lots of heat and light to start, then the drogue chutes come out." He set down the binoculars picking up a headset. "New design, military issue passive IR goggles. We can thank Pasha for these." He put them on, flipping the power switch. The sky was a lambent green of heat from the sunshine. Nothing- There was a ball of flame larger than anything he had ever seen coming across the sky. "Braking orbit!" he shouted. "They're inbound." Midori immediately pulled her Blackberry out and began to type. They had spent three days finding the realms along the edge of the down range area. The locals had promised to watch for the landing, and would let the seekers know if the capsule landed in their areas. It had taken half the stock of Blackberry units to link them all, but it had been done. Rob dropped into the driver's seat, cranking the venerable Land Rover. Midori knew how to drive, but had never driven a four-wheel drive vehicle across rough terrain. The test range actually had more roads than most of the country because the ballistics of the reentry could not be precisely plotted. There were even villages that had been emptied so people wouldn't be hurt if something came in at the speed of heat. "Everyone is ready, Rob!" Midori shouted over the engine's roar. He nodded, trying to find the smoothest route across the taiga. ***** "This will be hard." Orkhidea had explained before they boarded Progress. The Russians had never spent money on a lot of the frills the Americans had. The Progress routinely entered the atmosphere with the capsule in a vacuum. They couldn't do that this time; the animals they were bringing down from the station would die. That saved the faerie from dying from decompression. But it left the landing, which would be rougher than any of the Americans had ever experienced. The strait design helped them here. Electrical panels were covered above, but there were sections where something their size could slip into them, and areas inside large enough that paired Faerie could pin each other against the outer edges and use their limbs to hold them tight. Each of the faerie that had come to the station was paired with one that had changed on the station. Primarily because the faerie knew intellectually that electricity was dangerous, but they had never understood that copper would send that force through them. There wasn't a lot of time before the crew came aboard. They slid into the panels chosen by Orkhidea and Khrisantema, who had been Ludmilla. Once all the others were hidden Orkhidea found a place where she could try to pin herself to the walls alone. She held on, listening as Lieutenant Evegny Glacanov, mission commander for Progress checked on his crew. Unlike Mulenshenko, his team was all Russian, or more in truth all Commonwealth with the Belarussian Pyotyr Shukanovich and Ukrainian Nikita Yushenkev. His men strapped the animals in, then they strapped in themselves. Separation was simple, pull a lever, and the automated system pushed them away from the station. They were busy checking all systems, including the pressure gauge for the internal system, usually ignored on reentry. The engines kicked in, pushing them down toward the planet. Dandelion clasped hands with Sunflower, who had once been Sarah Levi, and both grimaced at each other in what could charitably be called brave grins. It was repeated by other faerie and their protectors as the capsule shuddered. ***** 'Drogue chutes deploying," Glacanov said. The first chutes ripped free as they had been designed, but now they had three good chutes. They all lay on their backs, feeling the massive lump of metal sway as they came down. A parachute landing is not fun for most people. You hit the ground at thirty miles an hour, and only the natural designed shock absorbers of the human leg stops it from being a major disaster in most cases. But a capsule doesn't have legs. It hit the ground in a barely controlled crash, bouncing like a ball into the air. It hit again, flipping into the air, then came to a stop with a crash. Glacanov sighed with relief, flipping the switch that blew the hatch free. The crew sighed, grumbling at fresh bruises as they released their restraints. Yushenkev climbed out, and began catching the boxes as animals that had been tested in orbit were dropped to him. Shukanovich climbed down next, turning to look for the helicopters headed toward them. Glacanov was picking up the written logs and checking to make sure everything had been removed when he saw something slide from beneath a console. He gasped as the figure turned, looking into a pair of lambent green eyes. A pair of wings fluttered, then blurred into a rapid beat. Suddenly there was a hum, and a flurry of other things flew out of the ship. He ducked, mentally recording what he saw. A pilot survives by what is called situational awareness; knowing what is happening around him at all times. Those who learn it survive to fly another day. So he knew there were eight to ten of them, whatever they really were. After all, Faerie didn't really exist. As the last of them disappeared out of the capsule he grabbed the headset. "Korolev, whatever was on the station somehow made it down here! Emergency!" ***** Tulip led the others in a mad dash toward freedom. She dove toward the ground, motioning for the others to dive for cover in the steppes. The men had tried to follow, ripping off their helmets, looking frantically for them. Suddenly she felt a hand, and spun. She had never seen the Fairy before, her hair was the color of wheat with streaks of chartreuse. She handed Tulip a bottle, then touched her own chest. "Giatsint," she said, then motioned for Tulip to drink. She drank, then mewled with hunger at the taste of milk. It was delicious, the best she had ever tasted. She found herself holding the bottle above her mouth, eagerly licking the neck trying to get more. Instead of giving her more, the fairy pushed her down, watching the men for a long time before handing her a stick of dried meat. For several hours, the faerie dodged as helicopters and scores of men descended on the area. The humans had set a perimeter several miles from the landed capsule, but they had not considered the sheer intelligence of their opponents. Finally they were far outside the perimeter. Only five of the escapees had been on this section, and they sheltered with the faerie in an old badger's den. What surprised Tulip was the brand new looking Blackberry they had set against a cave wall. One of them spoke enough English to explain, then went online, sending a flashing message. "We cannot get together tonight." The Faerie named Lilia explained. "We must wait. But there is a man of your country who will pick you up in a few days. He said welcome home." Evasion and escape "We have a report from near Baikonur," Erika reported. "The queen there is named Tyul'pan, Tulip in Russian." Monica sighed in relief. "Thank god. Any report on the crew of the station?" "They have joined the Faerie," Erika read as the message translated into English poured across the screen. "They are in that nest hiding. The Russians have blanketed the area with dogs and are bringing in other tracking devices. "However, the Russians tested the same equipment in that area when it was first developed. Tyul'pan is sure they will be able to hide until it is safe." "Rob?' Erika brought up the map. There was a circle drawn on it, one red spot just to the east of it. "Approached from Saryshagen. He and Midori are fifty kilometers east of the circle the Russians have put up." She rubbed her stomach. Monica noticed. "Erika, are you all right?" "Yes, Monica. Just a touch of... cravings." Monica sighed, touching a button. A few moments later, Madison arrived. "Madam?" "I feel the need for some coffee, Madison. I think Erika, however requires something more... exotic." "Ah." Madison had dealt with cravings that had been truly bizarre, thanks to all of the Faerie that had given birth on the estate. "And Madam Erika would like?" The young girl paused in her work on the computer. "Fried mouse and... chocolate syrup." Monica's stomach lurched. Madison merely nodded. "We have fillet of rat and shrew if you prefer." Erika looked up. "Shrew?" she asked in a little girl voice. "Please?" Monica was sure her stomach would come up, but Madison merely nodded. "Give me a few moments, Madam. I will have the coffee directly." Monica felt her stomach roil. "I think I'll pass." ***** Tao Lin checked the information from the Federal Space agency, and leaned over Myra's shoulder. "Bao Bei, we need to talk." "Oh, fun," she whispered. Tao Lin blushed. Damn it, right now was not the time! The woman completed her edit of the last of the space station footage then stood. Tao Lin knew every inch of that body from personal exploration. She knew he was remembering it as she stretched. Finally he got her into the hall. He handed her the FSA report. She looked at it, her face pensive. "They intend to keep the cordon up for another week. We had better let them know." ***** Something about the time frame bothered Rob. He leaned back in his chair, Trillium leaning into his neck, Hope sleeping peacefully against her. Unlike human toddlers, Hope had not begun the terrible twos yet. He looked down, remembering the sleeping woman, nestling in his arms at Gettysburg as he described the battle that- "Shit," he breathed. "Their magic!" "What?" Midori looked up from the laptop computer. "Less than two weeks after Rose became pregnant both Trillium and Rose lost their magical abilities. "They can't fade into the woodwork. If we have to wait another week it's going to take too long." Rob commented. He used his laptop, bringing up the topo map of Kazakhstan. They were only a hundred kilometers west of Saryshagen. They had stopped just short of the cordon then retreated thanks to the Russian Fairy Margaritka who had joined Rob's fair. Between her and the realms within the Baikonur downrange area, they had avoided the patrols. But it couldn't last. Rob had read a series of books by Alan Cole and Chris Bunch entitled the 'Sten' series, and one of the characters had commented that there were only three kinds of luck, dumb, blind and bad. After Afghanistan Rob had believed that firmly. So far their luck had been dumb and blind. He didn't want to run into the bad. "We have to plan it for tonight," he said flatly. Ekatrina looked at him quizzically. "Why is that, Rob?" He explained the faerie magic. "We have to move as soon as possible. But we're close enough that the Russian security has probably spotted us. If we sit here for a week, they are going to wonder why." Rob leaned back, thinking hard. "If we can contact the crew, they might be able to exfiltrate. Once they do we can leave. Hopefully they will just let us go. But we have to have a fall back position." He looked over the map intently. "Here, ten klicks east south east, eleven klicks from the perimeter." He took out his Blackberry, and sent a message. ***** "Message, General," the Russian fairy reported. Orkhidia looked at the meat on her plate, then at Gvozdika, who as the only English speaker in the nest, was on watch. The fairy that had once been an Air Force General sighed. She bit into the meat, murmuring her delight. She and the other refugees from the ISS had finally gotten to eat enough to be satisfied. It had taken three days, but Orkhidia didn't care. She had never known that rat could taste this good. She stood, chewing as she walked over to the massive PDA. "Talk to me, Gvozdika," she said, stuffing another fillet into her mouth. "This man Rob is getting insistent," Gvozdika commented. "He says we have to 'break in?" She looked at the pixie. "Is that the right term?" "Break out," Orkhidia corrected. "Explain to me what he means." "He suggests that you all fly out together to here." She tapped the map. Orkhidia wasn't used to being female yet. The memories of the literal orgy aboard the station were still fresh, and she wanted to blush at the same time she wanted to take the attractive fairy into her arms. Instead she leaned forward, looking at the map Rob had sent. Rob, what an odd name. She read the information about the magic disappearing as pregnancy progressed. "His plan is good, but not the best," Orkhidia commented. "He doesn't know the mentality." She leaned forward, the fairy nestling her head back between Orkhidia's breasts, rubbing her saffron hair across the nipples. "Stop that, my pet." Orkhidia admonished, but she leaned forward, purring at the sensation. Her hands flashed, typing swiftly. ***** ORKHIDA: ROB, IT WILL NOT WORK. ROB: SORRY, HAVE WE MET? ORKHIDEA: I WAS ONCE GENERAL Vladymyr Roshvenkovski. ROB: WELCOME HOME, SIR. ORKHIDA: Bolshei THANKS. ROB: EXPLAIN WHY MY PLAN WILL NOT WORK. ORKHIDA: THE SOLDIERS WILL WATCH YOU PRIMARILY BECAUSE YOU HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME THERE. IF YOU MOVE, THEIR ATTENTION WILL MOVE WITH YOU. ROB: I UNDERSTAND. YOUR SUGGESTION, SIR? ORKHIDA: PULL STRAIGHT forward TowaRd THE PERIMETER. Act like the typical boorish american reporter. AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL MAKE THE BREAKOUT YOU HAVE SUGGESTED. wE WILL MEET YOU NOT 11 KILOMETERS FROM THE PRESENT PERIMETER, BUT THIRTY ON THE SAME COURSE. Meet you there in two days. ROB: ALL RIGHT, SIR. MEET YOU THERE. ORKHIDA: Oh, and sarai; sundrop i mean, our doctor wanted to know what medical supplies you have on hand. She wants to outfit this nest as well as possible before we go. ***** Lily hugged herself, staring out into the Stygian night. She hated this life. Bad enough being female, she hated even more that every face she would see would be female. She remembered being a man named Frank Lampier. Gay and proud of it. Now... Now she was a woman, a slut, a cow. Not worthy of the men that would have enjoyed being with the Adonis she had once been. Worse yet, a pregnant cow that would spend her life giving suck to a puling baby! She turned, looking at the Russian Faerie who stood an alert watch. She knew the bitch would try to stop her from leaving. But she had to escape because she had the story of the century. An entire race of people hidden because normal humans tried not to see them! Well she was living proof. All she had to do was turn herself into the Russians, get them to notify the Americans, then have the Russians let her speak with them. She would reveal who she was, give them information only she knew, such as the hiding places of these other bitches. Once the lid had been blown off, she'd become famous all over again. She'd spend money like a libertine, but she be a man again, be herself again! Behind her, the guard hissed. Lily looked back, "Ostanovites'! Vy ne mozhete poiti tuda seychas! Eto slishkom opasno!" Waving for her to come back. She knelt for a moment, picking up a stick about a foot long. Then she turned and trudged back toward the burrow. She was a foot from the guard when she looked as if reacting to a noise. The guard looked, and Lily brought the stick up, slamming the blunt point into her stomach. The woman folded, and Lily slammed it down on her head again and again. As the woman crumpled backward, Lily screamed and smashed it into the guard's throat Then she dropped the stick, leaping into flight. ***** Tulip whistled, and the woman turned arou