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Episode 6 "Empress to the Rescue" 1145hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 24th, 1944 "About time you got back, Alex. We've been worrying about you. Where have you been?" Emily started the interrogation as soon as my feet touched the porch steps. "I had to take care of something, sis," I replied as I winked and sat next to her on the glider. To our left on the porch swing, Doris Sullivan stared unblinkingly at us. Pa seemed comfortable just staying quiet, observing his neighbor and daughters. "Really, Doris, you can't know how annoying that is. Not only on this planet, but on other's as well. Could you please stop staring and acclimate yourself to the fact that you are not hallucinating? I assure you we are very real," I asked the woman. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand how special you all were until we walked out in front of that car. I don't think I'll ever stop having nightmares about that." "After that happens a few times you kind of shrug it off, although the best thing would be not to let it happen in the first place," I said as I glanced over to my sister. "I wanted to demonstrate my gift to her, Alex. I don't get to use it as often as you," Emily contended. "You both can travel through time?" "Just Alex and Allie, Mrs. Sullivan. I'm primarily a medical seer, but I share the royal bloodline of the Empress- as does Andromeda." "Royal bloodline? Louis, I never knew you or Ruth had royal blood?" Doris Sullivan exclaimed as she suddenly looked at Pa. "I didn't either until I met Alexandra. Apparently they inherited that from their mother." "It's just a figure of speech. None of us are anywhere close to royalty, ma'am," I said downplaying our gifts. "We were just the lucky ones- the ones in the right place at the right time." "Lucky? Alexandra, what Emily can do...what she has told me you and Allie, and your friends can do is nothing short of miraculous! I find it hard to believe that just fortune has smiled on all of you. Surely higher powers have seen to it that you can help all of mankind the way you do." I nodded as I shifted in my seat. I rolled my eyes as I couldn't get that all-too-familiar, uncomfortable feeling to subside. "You are too kind, Mrs. Sullivan. If you'll excuse me, I have to take care of something," I said politely as I got up and walked inside. "Alex, why the sad face? Are you alright?" a tiny voice asked as I made my way up the stairs. "It's nothing, Yuuka. I'm just tired and a little crampy." "Alexandra?" Doris Sullivan's voice called from down, behind me. She was just coming in through the screen door. "Yes, ma'am?" I answered as I turned around automatically. The woman's eyes bulged immediately. She reached for the railing to steady herself. I rolled my eyes then took in and exhaled a long breath. "I'm in trouble, aren't I, Empress?" Yuuka moaned quietly from my shoulder. "Not any more than usual, hun," I said as I walked back down to the first floor. "Doris, this is Yuuka Sukiro and this is her gift. Yuuka, could you grow up for a few minutes?" "I've had enough air-time for today anyway, Alex." The pixie flew from my shoulder and quickly returned to full-size beside me. Doris Sullivan's shock passed quickly this time. "I always thought my husband's tales from his ancestral homeland were just, um, stories. I guess I have no idea how the world really works, do I?" "About as much as we do, ma'am," Yuuka said as she looked back at me. I nodded in agreement. "What do you call yourself, Yuuka...when you have wings, I mean?" Yuuka stared at the woman for a few seconds then looked at me completely baffled; she looked back to our neighbor. "Um...Yuuka?" Doris Sullivan rolled her eyes. "No, dear, what I meant was what type of fairy are you?" "Yuuka is a pixie, Doris. Because of her size and speed, she helps Allie and I by doing aerial reconnaissance on our missions." "Well, you certainly match your given name, dear. I love those violet tinged wings!" "Thank you ma'am," Yuuka curtsied. "I should be getting out to the kitchen now. I'm on the schedule to help with lunch today." "What's on the menu, hun?" I asked before she walked away. "Something Ricky Lynn calls a 'Braunschwager sandwich'. She claims it's a local favorite in Pittsburgh and that she first tasted one in 1998 and has eaten them occasionally ever since. She claims them to be good, though I'm not too fond of German food myself." "Just make mine a cheese sandwich with mayo. I'm not in the mood for liver today, hun," I said, watching Yuuka scrunch up her nose in disgust. "You got it. One cheese and mayo coming right up, Alex. All-grain bread okay?" "Sure. Make mine last though, hun. I have something to take care of first." "What's it like?" Doris asked as Yuuka bowed slightly and walked into the kitchen. "What is what like?" "1998. What does it look like? Has very much changed?" "Some things have changed, some things haven't," I told her honestly. "Life does get a little more convenient though." "Convenient?" "Ma'am, I really need to use the lavatory, so if you'll excuse me?" I said as I hurried up the stairs and into the bathroom. "So...are you going to help her, Alex?" Emily asked as we sat around the dinner table. She had made a very good beef stew. Everyone stopped eating to hear my decision. "Of course we'll help her, sis. I promised her we'd bring Lu Sei back." "I mean her husband, Alex. Have you found a way to rescue him?" "And just how am I going to pull a guy from the cockpit of a damaged P- 40 while in flight?" "Cami and I could make sure he lands safely on the ground. Getting him out would be a breeze then, Alex," Jack offered. "No, Ralph Sullivan was reported shot down over enemy held territory, April 19th, 1940. His wingman reportedly watched him crash into the side of a mountain. It was a clear day with little or no fog in the area to obscure what happened. "You could always stop time, skipper. That way the plane would be stationary and you could be in an out with ol' Ralphie in a jiffy." "Can't risk it because of the wingman, Professor." "Ya, I guess he kinda needs to see him go in. Sorry." "How fast would he be going, Alex? If I could match the fighter's speed..." Yuuka proposed. "Airplane canopies are locked from the inside, hun, how would you get in?" I countered. She sighed heavily in disappointment. "Pixie mode!" Emily burst out. "What about it?" I asked and immediately received my usual barrage of video and still pictures. "Wow! That was amazing, Alex! I think that was the first time you ever let me watch your thought process," Cami commented with excitement. "How can you sort out things when everything hits at once?" "It doesn't hit all at once, Cami. Its sequential, just real fast." "Maybe you slow things down in your mind, Alexandra," Pa suggested. "You are the Empress, right?" "Or like a super high-speed computer, skipper?" Ricky Lynn chimed out. "That could be a viable comparison, Prof. Samuels," Reggie concluded. "Now I'm part supercomputer? Y'all are just slobberin' at the bit to take away mah humanity, ain't ya?" "I think it is a wonderful postulation, Alex. Cami and I will develop the hypothesis further upon our return to our time period." "Hypothesis is the prudent initialization point, Director. More concise though, would be a logical set of experiments carefully designed to confirm or disprove the proposed theory." "I concur, Camille, but theorize that the collected data could take revolutions to format and analyze correctly given a specifically designed algorithm." "That is a definite probability. Should we also calculate the associated statistical parameters as to the resulting probability as well?" "Or we could not worry about how fast our brains work and form a plan to save those flyboys from getting their butts blown back to Siam," I said, interrupting the Reilly 'tech-talk'. "Do they speak like that all the time, Alex?" Pa asked with a smirk. "Once a nerd, always a nerd, Pa," I said, giggling. "What's a 'nerd'?" he asked in confusion. "Late twentieth century slang, but it's what those two and those two are," I said, pointing to Allie and Cami then to Ricky Lynn and Reggie. "But I thought you had all'a Allie's memories, Skipper?" Ricky Lynn smiled deviously. "Wouldn't that make you one too?" "Ah never said Ah wasn't, professor. Can we get back to what Emily was going to say, please?" "That's all I had to say on the matter, sis. My foresight told me that's all I had to say to get your foresight in gear," Emily giggled. I looked at my sister warily. "You're the one always pushing her to use her gift more, sis," Allie laughed. "Fiiiine," I drew out the word in annoyance. "Here's what we're gonna do..." Pa leaned in as close as he could to listen. I remained silent and looked up at him still annoyed. "We meet in Emily's and my room right before 'lights out'." Pa's mouth dropped as he groaned in disappointment. "Are we secure?" I asked, looking between Cami and Jack. "She's got the door and windows, and I have an acoustic shield in place, Alex." "Good," Alex Reilly and I chorused. "Sisters, that is very disturbing. Can just one of you talk at a time?" Andie asked from where she sat on the floor. Fine. I'll start," I said. "First order of business. Andie, you and Reggie suggested earlier this week that Louis Scott's foot could be replaced. Is that true or not?" "We have the technology to do so, Empress. Though not familiar with the process, I believe it takes two or three Earth standard days to complete and three or four more for adaptive therapy," Reggie said from atop the folding chair beside her sister. "So Pa will be laid up for almost a week, is that what I'm hearing?" I asked to set the record straight. Both women nodded. "Okay, what do you need? What do you require as compensation?" "Compensation, Alex?" Andie asked, quizzically. "Monetary funding, services rendered, favors from me- things like that in return for the procedure." "Empress," Andie glared up at me. "With all you and your sisters have done for us..." She paused and looked up to Reggie. Both nodded. Andie looked back to me. "How about we pronounce it squared?" A quiet giggle escaped my lips as I rolled my eyes. "That would be 'call it square', sis." Andie shrugged her shoulders as Reggie continued to explain. "I believe the process requires the patient to donate a prototype cell that can be taken and attached at the amputation point or so I have read. The specialized medical equipment will do the rest, Empress." "And y'all are sure you can do this with a normal human, right?" Alex Reilly asked for clarification. "I will require preliminary tests to confirm that, yes, Alex. It would ideally add half a day to the process," Andie assured us. "Good. Now once in China, I want you, Yuuka, to break contact and fly along the airbase's jungle boundary. From what I've seen, the vegetation will provide you adequate cover. Find the smallest cabin to find Lu Sei. She should be in there at the time of our arrival." "Once we make contact with her, we need to leave quickly. A Japanese bombardment group will be hitting the field quite heavily. She must be out of there before the bombing starts. Next, we go back in time to get Mr. Sullivan. Yuuka, I need to know if you feel up to taking me to 'Pixie Mode'?" The room silenced immediately as all eyes focused on me in surprise. "Y'all heard me. Yuuka, for this to work someone needs to be in that cockpit when he takes off, but must be small enough not to be noticed." "I can do that, Alex, but why do you need to...?" Yuuka protested. "You can't transport him out of there just before impact, hun. Only Allie and I can do that and Allie is going to have her hands full with Pa on Atlantis. So, do you feel up to it or not?" "Alex, is this wise? I mean...Alexis had trouble returning to normal. Can you really guarantee that you'll fare any better?" Emily argued. "That's where you come in, sis. I might need you to help me want to grow-up. Yuuka? What'll it be?" "I'll try, Alex. Now that I know I can actually do something like that, it shouldn't be too hard. Things always seem easier the more you practice them, right?" "I'm counting on it. Now...what to do about Ralph Sullivan? Do we bring him back stateside, or do we make it look like he escaped the crash by dropping him off in Rangoon." Rangoon fell to the Japanese in early 1942, Alex. If anything, any downed airmen would head for free China; that or get captured and held somewhere in Thailand for the rest of the war," Prof. Samuels informed us. "He'll have to make up his own mind then. I'm not sure how much, let alone how far I'll be able to transport in my pixie form." 0945hrs, L. Scott home, Bridgeport, Conn, August 28th, 1944 "What's wrong Pa, you've been quieter than usual this morning?" I asked, walking out to the porch after I had finished the breakfast dishes. Pa looked up at me with a look of amazement. "You have to ask that, Alex? You, of all people?" "Sometimes I just like to hear it first-hand." "Oh...well...I...I'm going to miss you girls. You were right that first day, Alex, you spoiled the hell out of me." "You're coming with us, aren't you?" I asked kindly. Again Pa looked at me, not believing what he heard. "I would just slow you down, Alex. The mission is too sensitive to have me foul things up." "And if I say I've seen you pulling your weight in that jungle, would you still decline?" "You already know the answer to that, Empress." "I do," I replied with a huge grin. "We'll be leaving right after Doris gets here," I paused a moment, "which will be in thirty seconds." I pointed up the street just as Doris Sullivan appeared on the sidewalk from behind the neighbor's tall shrubbery. She seemed pre-occupied in thought and wasn't walking as fast this morning. "I'll bet you're the life of any party you attend, aren't you, Alex?" I smiled deviously at the man. "You've already seen how I am at parties, Louis," I purred. "Stop it this instant, Alexandra! You remind me of your mother that one time!" "And what time would that be, Louis?" Mrs. Sullivan asked as she reached the porch steps. "Oh, we were reminiscing about a party we both attended many years ago," I answered with a grin. "Are you ready to do the impossible, Doris?" "I think so," She replied quietly after swallowing hard. "Are you sure it's safe for people...people like me?" "You don't even realize it happens," Pa reassured her. "You've...you've traveled with Alex before," the woman gasped? "Once. Um...how far back did we go, sweetie," he asked? "Around seventy-thousand years," I replied candidly. Doris Sullivan's jaw dropped...again. "Shall we go inside? It's less conspicuous," I suggested before turning for the screen door. Once in the living room, I gave the order. "Everyone, form up. Pa, you take Allie's hand. Doris, you get to be between Emily and I. Jack and Yuuka on Emily's side. Cami, Ricky Lynn, Reggie and Andie on Pa's," I said positioning people where I wanted them. Allie and I had immediately taken each other's hand. Waiting for everyone to join hands, I asked the unnecessary question. "Is everyone ready? I'll begin the countdown at five. I ask that everyone continue holding hands until I say to release them. Doris, do you understand?" Though her hands were shaking moderately, she nodded. "Phasing out. Transport in five...four...three..." Allie and I released each other's hand. "Two...one," The Burmese jungle appeared on our left, a grass and mud airfield on our right. Doris Sullivan's jaw again dropped as she stared around in complete astonishment. 0810hrs, Magwe Airstrip, China, March 21st, 1942 "Take flight, Pixie," I said as I leaned out to look at Yuuka. She wasted no time taking to the air. "Are we really here?" Doris asked, still looking around like a tourist. "21 March, 1942. Near the Chinese town of Magwe," I informed everyone. "You might want to set your translator's secondary language for Cantonese; uniforms to our standard navy regulars." Again Mrs. Sullivan's jaw dropped as everyone's clothing except hers changed to become standard navy issue officer's uniforms. "We're a little too far inland for our regulars, aren't we, Alex?" "The Flying Tigers or the AVG- American Volunteer Group- is made up of Army Air Corp, Marine Air Corp, and Navy aviators, Jack. They even have Civilians working here too. You won't see rank anywhere on base, either," I stated calmly in answer. I pulled on Doris' hand so that we could go find Lu Sei's quarters. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. I knew that would not last very long today. Glancing up to the sky, I knew we had maybe four hours before all hell broke loose. Off to our right, I noticed that about half the planes were covered with Camo netting. It looked like pieces were missing from each one. "Looks like they're down a few planes." "Scavenging them from the looks of it, Alex," Jack commented. I noticed Yuuka flying around one of the buildings ahead of us. "Yuuka's found her. Let's get over there quickly," I said as I started to drag Doris somewhat. Seeing us approaching, Yuuka disappeared inside. She would have a few minutes to meet and prepare her for us. The small, wooden shack was raised on stilts about two feet off the ground like the other buildings, but this one was smaller, roughly sixteen feet square. With just a screen door and netting on the windows it wasn't the most comfortable place to live, but it served its purpose. We went up the rickety wooden stairs single file- still phased out and holding hands. Lu Sei sat on a small hand-built chair talking to Yuuka as if they were old friends. My translator kicked in immediately. "How did you find me, Miss Pixie? Where did you come from?" "I have been instructed to seek you, Lu Sei. Some very important people would like to ask you a few questions. Would you care to talk to them?" "I don't know if I should trust you, Miss Pixie. Who are these people that want to talk to me?" "Please call me 'Little Flower' that is the name my mother gave me, Miss Lu Sei," Yuuka replied. I noticed that she intentionally let her name be translated into Chinese. "Alright...Little Flower...who would like to speak to me?" "We call her the Empress, but she is not like any royalty you can imagine. She is kind, beautiful, wise, and funny too. She and some of our friends would like to ask if you want to go on a little trip." "A trip? To where?" "To a very wonderful place; a safe place where you can run and be free without fear of bad men with rifles or explosions, or killing. A place where you can receive the love you want and need; a place where you will never be alone," Yuuka paused a moment. "If you don't want to talk to them, or think it not safe, I will just fly away and you will never see me again, Lu Sei. We mean you no harm." "What side are you and these other people on?" The girl asked cautiously. "The Empress is on the side of China. In fact, she has done her best to reduce the number of enemy soldiers fighting in this country- many bad men. Would you at least consider meeting her, Lu Sei?" "When will they be here...when will this Empress be here?" "She's here right now, Lu Sei. She and three others are in this room at this very moment." "Why can't I see them? Where are they, Little Flower?" "Well...you have to believe in her to see her. I thought you knew that?" "I didn't know that." The girl grimaced. "But you can see me, right?" "Yes?" "Then you believe in me?" "Yes?" "Then all you have to do is believe in the Empress, Lu Sei. Just think about believing, and just to be sure, count up to three." "That's silly. How does counting to three make me believe in someone?" "Alright, you have a point," Yuuka hovered up close to the girl's face. "I know! Would you happen to know any English?" "The nice men here have taught me some, why, Little Flower?" "Well, it just so happens that the Empress speaks English, too. Could you show her how serious you are to meet with her by counting up to three in English?" Lu Sei giggled as she nodded happily to the tiny, winged woman. "Look to the door and start counting, okay? Ready? One..." Yuuka started. "Two..." Lu Sei said with a giggle. "Three!" I said as we phased back in. The girl jumped and started laughing outright. "Are you the Empress?" She said through her laughter. I bowed slightly. "I am Alexandra, you are Lu Sei?" I said in English. "She is very pretty, Little Flower, I like her." "I like her too, Lu Sei. Alexandra and I are friends." "Can I be friends too?" "Why don't you ask her?" Yuuka suggested. "You be friend of Lu Sei?" The girl asked in rather broken English. "It would be my pleasure, Lu Sei," I replied then switched my translator to Cantonese. "I would be glad to be your friend, Lu Sei, but wouldn't it be better if we speak your language? I speak it too as you can see." Lu Sei's mouth dropped open in amazement. "You speak like me!" "I do. In fact, all but this woman speak like you. This is Doris Sullivan, by the way. She is also a friend of mine. Beside her is my sister Emily, and beside her is my best friend Jacquelyn," I pointed as I said their names. Lu Sei bowed- almost in half. "Isn't she the cutest, Alexandra?" Doris stated as she gently tugged on my forearm. "You think I cute?" "I think you are very pretty, Lu Sei," Doris answered the girl. "How'd I do, Alex?" Yuuka asked from my left shoulder. "You did great, Little Flower," I praised her, though quietly. "You name Sul-a-van?" Lu Sei asked. There was curious hope in her voice. "It is. Why?" Doris asked. "I know Sul-a-van. He stop come back," The girl said as her smile faded quickly. "You know he?" Doris' facial expression also changed rapidly. She nodded sadly. Lu Sei studied the older woman's face for a moment. "Where he go? Lu Sei miss." "I do too, sweetie. I miss him very much." "He go home?" "I guess you might say that," Doris looked to me briefly. "I'm not sure where he went, Lu Sei," She added, wiping away newly formed tears. "Doris is Ralph Sullivan's wife, Lu Sei. She allowed him to come over here to help fight the bad men. The young girl suddenly bent in half again. "Thank you for letting him help free my people, Sul-a-van! He is a good man. He will come back soon?" Lu Sei rattled off quickly in her native tongue. Doris looked at me in hopes of a translation. "She thanks you for letting him help free her people and hopes he comes back soon," I told her. Doris suddenly wrapped her arms around me. "Oh, Alexandra, Can't you find it in your heart to save my husband? Please?" She cried softly into my shoulder. "We'll try to save him, Mrs. Sullivan. We can't guarantee anything though. Like Alex said...time travel is tricky," Emily said, trying to console her. "You help Sul-a-van, yes?" Emily looked at the young girl. "We'll try our best. Alexandra is very good about traveling back in time, but Mr. Sullivan might pose a problem," She told Su Lei in Chinese. "You take Lu Sei back. I help!" She replied in her limited English. Doris started crying all over again, hearing the girl's commitment. "To do that, Miss Lu Sei, you have to trust, Alexandra. You must do exactly as she tells you, and you must behave yourself. Do you understand?" Yuuka asked. She was again hovering inches from the girl's face. "We go." I tapped Doris' shoulder to get her to stand straight and take my hand. "Okay...so...the first step is to take someone's hand and hold on until I tell you to let go, got it?" Lu Sei nodded and pushed between Doris and Emily. She quickly grabbed their hands. "Next, Little Flower will take to my shoulder and hang on, okay?" I said for the girl's benefit. Again Lu Sei nodded and began to giggle as Yuuka flew around her head in a tight circle before lighting on my right shoulder. "Now we go back through time a month or so. Ready," I asked with a smile? Alexandra Reilly's group: Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08: The quarters I shared with Camille on Atlantis appeared around us. That annoying Temporal Anomaly alarm initiated! "Why are we back on Atlantis?" Pa asked immediately. I nodded to Camille to progress with my sister's plan. "Allie, why are we..." Pa again asked before he went limp. Cami and I quickly caught him. Alex was right- his mass was significant. "Andie, where should we put him?" I asked as we struggled to hold him up before Camille thought to use her gift. "Dixie, alert medical that we have a patient, and turn off that blasted alarm!" "Right away, Commodore. I trust your trip was relaxing?" "It was very nice, Dixie. We had a pleasant stay with the Empress' father." "I am glad you had a good time. Welcome back, mom." "How ya feelin, toots?" Prof. Samuels asked the A.I. "All parameters normal, mom." "Good ta hear, so where we take Mr. Scott, baby?" "Treatment facility two, ring Beta, section twenty-three. Commodore, I have been asked the nature of the patient's injury?" Everyone took hands again. "He lost his left foot three Earth standard years ago. In appreciation for all the Empress has done for us, we have offered our technology to help him become whole once again," Andie answered. "Acknowledged. Treatment Facility two has been advised and is standing by." "Dixie, disable the Temporal Anomaly alarm in Treatment two. I will be transporting him there myself, hun," I advised. "Acknowledged, Empress. Alarm has been disabled. You are cleared for transport." One of Atlantis' medical facilities appeared around us. A medical group had assembled and all jumped in shock of our sudden appearance. "So y'all never seen the Empress transit before?" I asked with a slight giggle, noting that I had slipped into my sister's vernacular again. I guess I needed some sleep. It could wait though. "His name is Louis Scott. He is the Empress' secondary father. This man is native to Earth and I would suggest all compatibility tests available should be completed before the procedure is started. He has been rendered temporarily unconscious," Andie told the physician in charge as Camille levitated Louis Scott onto the waiting exam table "The wound has already healed, Commodore. After initial testing, we will have to reopen the wound and remove all scaring and lesions to obtain a successful graft," Andie's personal physician, Bellatrix Mintaka, warned. "Do what is necessary. This man is important not only to the Empress, but to me as well." "He shall receive foremost care, Commodore. Empress, he will be- how do you say- 'good as new'." "Ah know he will, doctor. Ah've foreseen and reviewed the impending process and could find no revisional abnormalities or cloning errors," I replied before turning and walking out of the facility. "Alex, you just stumped all those doctors," Cami said as she hurried to catch up to me. "Ah simply stated that Ah saw a successful outcome for Louis Scott. Y'all want to get somethin' ta eat, hun?" "Sure. Then we go back to our room and you get some rest. Agreed?" "Acknowledged, Ma Darough." "So, if the tests prove out, how long will it actually take for the appendage to successfully mature?" Prof. Samuels asked Reggie and Andie as they slowly caught up to us. "Cell division is logarithmic in nature so the process doubles in speed for every generational division. With artificial excitation, I'm told two to three days, Ricky. What usually takes the longest is toning and control of the newly grown muscles once they anchor themselves," I heard Regina telling her. "Actual acceptance an' successful operation a the new peripheral is a function a the patient's willin-ness an' atta-tude," I added. "Camille, how long has it been since Alex took a nap?" Prof. Samuels asked. "She's going to bed after we get something to eat, Ricky Lynn. The director has not been sleeping very well this past week, I'm afraid." "Ya, I can tell! The skipper's accent doesn't translate too well to Atlantian," The professor giggled. Of course, I turned my head and stuck my tongue out at her. "I got machinery for that, Director," She laughed evilly. I frowned when my query of shared memories provided the answer to her strange retort. Alexandra Reilly's Group: E.S. Atlantis, Standard Year 257:08:08 "Alexandra Reilly, welcome and enter," Regina Celeste greeted and granted me entrance to Commodore Celestes' domicile. "Andie will be out in a minute. She's operating at a somewhat diminished rate this morning." "Hi, Alex. I haven't seen too much of you the last few days," Andie greeted as she entered the room. "Cami has been watchin' me like a hawk. I swear she would be worse than my mother if I could remember the woman from my initial revision's childhood." Reggie stared at me in confusion. "I thought Andie's mother was your mother, Alex?" "Relationally, she is, but my initial revision's birth-mother remains somewhat of an enigma. I've only met her earlier in her lifespan...several hundred years before my birth...six hundred-thirty- five to be exact." "Your people live that long?" She gasped in surprise. I felt my face increase in temperature slightly. I remained quiet, choosing not to mention that they both might share our longevity. A fact proven as my foresight engaged. "Dr. Mintaka, Medical Facility Two- Recovery to Commodore Celeste," A woman's voice sounded from the Communications panel by the domicile's entrance door. "Yes, Belle, this is Andie. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?" Andie said answering the call. "Andie, Mr. Scott is now awake and demanding to see you and the Empress. He is quite...adamant," The voice said. In the background we could hear Louis Scott's muffled shouts. "We're on our way, Bell. Dixie, disable the Temporal Anomaly Alarm between my quarters and Medical Two." Andie walked back to me and took my hand. "I don't understand what you people are saying! Get Alexandra down here on the double! I want to see Alexandra or Andromeda here, NOW!" "Calm down, Louis," I said as Andie and I appeared. As happened several days earlier, everyone in the recovery area jumped when the two of us 'popped' in. "Don't tell me to calm down, Empress! Why am I strapped to this bed in what looks like a hospital room, wearing nothing but a large paper sack? What did you do to me?" Louis' eyes got bigger as he apparently thought of something. "Release my hands! I have to check if it's still there!" He shouted to anyone that would listen. Andie looked questioningly to me. "You didn't go through the Mahanilui, Louis, so just calm down," I giggled. "You would definitely see more...'results' in certain areas if that had happened." "Louis Scott, if you promise to regulate your temper and remain docile, I will ask the doctor to release you," Andie told him as she looked over to the physician, repeated what she had said in Atlantian, and received a nod. "What...what did you do to me?" he asked again at a diminished level. "We made you whole again, Stepfather," Andie responded, but in her native tongue as she obviously forgot to switch her translator back to English. I noticed the doctor suddenly stare at her in disbelief. Her attention and silent question turned to me. Andie rolled her eyes. "It's a long story, honey. Yes, Andie is related to me. Let's keep that amongst ourselves for the near future, alright?" I told Dr. Bellatrix Mintaka with a devious smile as I motioned to everyone around the room. After a minute, Dr. Mintaka released Pa's wrists, thighs, and chest restraints. "Y'all better be a good boy now, Pa," I said in a warning tone. Sitting up, Pa's eyes went wide. "I...I have a foot again!" he exclaimed in complete amazement. "Why...why can't I move it? What's wrong with it?" he asked in a panic. "Mr. Scott, you cannot move the new limb until you have relearned to do it," Dr. Mintaka said in Atlantian. "Belle says that you have to learn how to move it again, father. It will take a few days to do that," Andie translated for him. "Mr. Scott, now that your composure has been reestablished, I would like to see if the nerves have connected properly. I am going to gently touch the foot with a probe. Tell me if you can feel anything." Again, Andie translated. "OUCH! SHIT, that hurt!" Apparently that didn't need translating. "Tell him that his brain will have to recalibrate to the output levels of the new nerve synapses. I am very pleased to see such response in such little time though." "Tell her thank you for me, Andie, though I fail to see why you've gone to so much trouble," Pa told her after receiving the doctor's translated, prognosis. "It was something Reggie and I felt you deserved, father. It is the least we could do." "And you Allie? You and your sisters' planned this before we left?" "Down to the most miniscule detail, Louis." "Empress? May I have a word in my office please?" Dr. Mintaka gently interrupted by tapping me on my shoulder lightly. "Excuse me a moment, y'all," I told the others. "Empress," the doctor began as the door to her office slid closed automatically. "We found some rather strange cells inhabiting his bloodstream when we did the compatibility tests. As of yet we still don't know what they are or if they are dangerous. Being from this planet's future and obviously well versed in genetics and human biology, I was wondering if you could shed light on what they are?" She immediately went to her wall monitor and touched the lower right corner. A slide capture displayed and I recognized the 'K' cells immediately. "Nanos," I mumbled quietly. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Empress?" "These aren't biological, Belle...at least not entirely." "What are they then? I thought you said something about Nanos? I take it you've seen these before?" "I should, I invented them." "You...invented...you designed these? How can that be? I've seen nothing in our references even remotely as advanced as these...nanos, you call them?" "They are a byproduct of my home planet's demise, doctor- a last ditch effort, my sister Alexandra Steinert would say, to save our race from certain annihilation. Bio-cybernetic, nanoscopic, modificational technology, revision 'K'. Nanos or 'K' cells, for short." "But I thought you came from this planet's future?" "I do...now, but that was only recently...um...relatively," I informed her, and related the story of how Reilly Research Station ended up here on Earth. "She actually transposed universes? How is that even possible, Empress?" "Would you have believed time travel possible before meeting me and mah sister?" "Well...no...in fact, I still don't believe it...not entirely, that is." "I'll have to have y'all tag along sometime, hon," I giggled. "I would be honored, Empress. So...what is your recommendation for the patient then?" "Recommend that he not consume large quantities of anything containing alcohol as it acts as a catalyst to activate the nanos' secondary programming." "Secondary programming? I don't understand, Empress, what secondary programming." "I wasn't always like this, Belle. The secondary programming is latent from our early experiments during development. It modifies several chromosomal strands in order to help us against the environmental extremes we were to face after our planet began its fusion reaction. One change in particular was left forgotten- the modification of the 'Y' chromosome- number twenty-six by our numbering system- to an 'X' configuration." Dr. Mintaka's eyes almost exploded from her head as she understood. "You changed the 'Y' chromosome to an 'X'?" she shrieked. "Why would anyone do that?" "It was used as an easy to observe indicator that our designs were working properly. Our early experimentation employed rodents native to our Homeworld. In our haste to save ourselves, we neglected to remove that subroutine- hence I am as you see me now." Dr. Mintaka stood there shaking her head side to side for several minutes. "So, if he were to ingest a high concentration of alcohol, he would..." she said but stopped without finishing." "Within six to eight hours, yes, but only if the nano concentration is over four thousand parts per million. What was the count as of this sample?? ?We estimate around eighty per million, but this sample was taken three days ago.? ?Then I suggest you repeat the sample and reassess the count to see if there has been any change. Eighty is extremely low for the aggressive mitosis rate of their base programming.? ?What if the count remains static, Empress?? ?Then the nanos are still dormant and he should still be warned about excessive liquor consumption. Nanos, in their dormant state, will not repair the liver any faster than normal.? ?Thank you, Empress...oh, one other question. The reason I have asked to consult is because we have not been able to maintain any of these nanos for study. Could you tell me why that is?? ?We built an ?anti-contagion? subroutine into them, Belle. We were worried that, should we succeed in saving our race, we would not inadvertently infect others. The nanos will self-destruct within one minute when exposed to any breathable mixture of air by removal from solution. That includes preparation for slides.? Dr. Mintaka nodded her understanding. ?So, what did the doctor tell you, Allie? Am I going to be some kind of circus act or something?? Pa asked when I returned. Cami and Prof. Samuels had arrived and were pleasantly chatting with Pa, Andie, and Reggie. ?Pa, this may seem really personal, but when Mother Scott visited you that night, did she, by any chance, injure you...say...on your neck...or ear...or...? ?I get it, Allie." Pa turned bright red and slightly angry. ?She may have gotten a little...over-zealous, why?? ?It validates one of the tests Belle conducted and received erroneous results for prior to your procedure.? He narrowed his eyes at me, but I ignored that and made my second inquiry. ?Pa, do you consume alcoholic beverages in large quantities on a regular basis?? I asked routinely. I noticed my sisters? eyes open wider. ?I go down to the corner for a draft every once in a while. I wouldn?t consider myself a drinker by any stretch though...why?? ?Dr. Mintaka is concerned that alcohol may have an unwanted interaction with their re-growth process. She recommends limiting your consumption to no more than one glass of fifteen percent alcohol by content in any specific twenty-four hour period.? ?So nothing stronger than one glass of wine? No whiskey or bourbon?? ?That?s about it, Pa. I?m sorry,? I confirmed sadly. ?If I can get around normally again, it would be worth it, sweetie.? I smiled and winked once to Belle. ?So what?s next? How long until we can get back to the mission?? ?Belle says you?ve got about three days of intensive therapy before she can release you," I told him. ?I take it Alex went to Burma? Will she, Emily, Yuuka and Doris be okay?? ?Everything will go as we have seen it, Louis.? ?That really didn?t answer my question, Allie.? ?It?s the best answer I can give you, Louis," I said as I wondered how my sisters were faring in the place she called ?Burma?. I could have easily popped up to 1942 to satisfy my curiosity, but that wasn?t part of ?our? plan. Alex Steinert?s group: 0700hrs, Magwe Airstrip, China, Feburary 19th, 1942 ?Now we go back through time a month or so. Ready?? I asked with a smile? ?What happened to the sun? It was there just a second ago, now it is back over there. How did you do that?? Lu Sei cried out in surprise in her native language. ?Do you remember where and what you were doing the day Sullivan flew away and never came back, Lu Sei?? I asked gently. I wanted to make sure we didn?t run into her temporal twin. ?I help to plane. Always I walk Sul-i-van to plane," She responded sadly. Lu Sei craned her neck forward slightly and looked up at Doris for a moment. Closing my eyes, I ran the scenarios a few times to make sure I saw things properly- that things hadn?t changed. I frowned for a second before nodding to myself and reopening my eyes. Doris was staring at me again. ?You aren?t bringing him back with you," She stated dejectedly. ?I...I understand...Al...Alexandra.? ?He will come home, Doris Sullivan. It may take several years, but Ralph Sullivan WILL come home.? ?Will he still b...? ?And he will still be your loving husband, Doris. It might take a few more years for things to get back to normal, but you WILL be a family again," I interrupted and assured her. ?Emily, it?s time. Y?all sure you can hold everyone out of phase until Yuuka and I get back?? I asked my sister in the most serious tone I?d ever heard myself use. ?Do you really have to ask that, Alex?? She smiled pleasantly. ?The all-seeing Empress really has to ask?? She giggled before letting go of my hand. She, Doris, Lu Sei, and Jack disappeared. ?It?s our turn, Yuuka," I said as I held my finger up for her to take. Yuuka hovered at my side and quickly grew to full-size. ?Are you sure you want to do this, Alex?? She questioned gently. ?In order to repair this part of the timeline, yes, Yuuka. Let?s go to Pixie mode, shall we?? I said with a tense smile. Of course I wasn?t completely sure about doing this, but if Alexis could do it, I could too. ?Going to Pixie-mode," Yuuka said as she closed her eyes and started to concentrate heavily. A sudden feeling of euphoria washed over me. Electricity danced over every inch of my skin. It felt hundreds of times stronger than any future or past version ?syncing? with me. This feeling was completely opposite of anything I had felt when Connie and I had gone on ?the? mission! My body felt like it was buzzing with energy- like a billion volts were rushing through me. I had no idea when I had closed my eyes, but I opened them immediately when I felt the strange draft. It reminded me of waking up wearing my favorite nightie. In the cooler, but still humid morning jungle air, I felt...exposed. My HUD was reporting a mandatory clothing change by way of big, flashing red letters. A diagnostic window of some sort appeared to the right of the warning. That display seemed like a prefight checklist for lack of a better description. In short order both pop-up windows turned green for a moment then disappeared. Another, smaller window quickly appeared. This one announced that I had safely entered a new mode and that all suit systems were online and fully adapted. I wanted to worry or be distressed by what had happened. Yet, I felt it was no big deal. In fact, I felt better now than that first morning of my change. I felt alive! I felt nothing in the world could hurt me- nothing could catch me! I felt free! Wait, where did all these huge plants come from? ?It is done, Empress," Yuuka said from beside me. Had we even changed? She still looked up at me like she normally did when full size. ?It is? Really?? I asked as I stared around. ?I suggest that you try your wings, Empress. I have heard many rumors of extra-large insects inhabiting the region. I do not wish to lose the Empress on my watch, ma?am.? Yuuka told me. I noticed her mouth wasn?t moving. ?I guess that would look bad, wouldn?t it?? I giggled as I concentrated on moving the unseen wings on my upper back. I felt a vibration and found myself flat on my bottom. Yuuka was laughing at me. ?That was only the first try, Yuuka. Don?t laugh at me!? I cried in embarrassment. ?A very wise woman once told someone in your situation to just not think about it- that birds don?t dwell on the facts of where to go, how to get there, how much is the wind blowing...? ?Am I that bad, Yuuka? I am not my daughter, I?ll have you know," I said as Yuuka grew shorter and suddenly dropped from my sight. She quickly reappeared and I noted her wings were barely visible. That only meant one thing. ?I?m flying!? I cried out in surprise. ?Yes we are, Alex, and no, you aren?t anything like Alexis. You took to this like a seasoned pro. How does it feel?? How did I feel? I took a minute to think about that. It didn?t feel like anything, really. I felt no different here, now, flying high above the ground than if I was standing firmly on the ground far below. Though, looking down, I noticed that I was indeed several hundred feet above it. That observation alone filled me with energy- happy energy. I felt more alive than at any other time in my life! ?YAAAAHOOOOOO!? I screamed as I dove for the ground. Pulling up just feet from the dirt and course grass of the airfield, I adjusted my course for the jungle surrounding the field and quickly made several laps of the base. This was the greatest! ?Alex?? I heard in my mind several times, but chose to ignore the voice. ?EMPRESS!? The same voice screamed into my head suddenly. I came to a quick stop, though my feet still didn?t touch anything firm. I looked around to see where the voice was coming from and saw another pixie flying toward me. ?Empress. The mission. Please don?t forget about the mission.? I hadn?t forgotten about the mission...or...or had I? I shook my head to clear it. ?Alex?? Yuuka asked cautiously as she stared into my eyes directly in front of me. ?Are you alright, Capt. Steinert?? ?I?m okay, Yuuka. I...I...this is just sooo...? ?Alex, the mission? We need to get aboard that plane before Ralph Sullivan closes the canopy," Yuuka pleaded. I shook my head again- in fact, I shook it several times before the gravity of what we were to do here reemerged. ?I...I remember the mission. I...I just can?t believe...believe how liberating this feels!? I admitted, feeling a huge smile plastered on my face. ?Well, if you two are finished flying around like first-graders, I think Lu Sei and Doris would like to get this over with. I know that Jack and I would like to see our captain grow back up from her second childhood," Emily said sternly as they appeared a few feet away. Lu Sei and Doris stared at the two of us in complete amazement. I decided to fly over to the little girl. ?Little Flower and I are going to rescue Sullivan now, okay?? I asked. She nodded. ?Alexandra, you have the prettiest pink wings I?ve ever seen! Are you the Empress of Pixies too?? She asked, blinking several times in astonishment. ?I just asked Little Flower to help me, honey. She helped me change into a Pixie," I said as my mouth suddenly started to water. Was this what it was like? Did I now have a craving for honey? No. I thought to myself flatly. The mission came first. After that... My mouth started to water again as I mentally thought the word ?honey?. My mind filled with Yuuka?s laughter. ?Stop laughing at me!? I shouted to the other pixie audibly. She was hovering only inches away and began laughing out loud. ?Sister! The mission!? Emily?s voice echoed loudly through my head- so loud in fact, that I had to cover my ears. ?I know the mission, Em! I planned it all out, remember?? I shouted back. ?Do you remember, Alex? Really? You?re acting just like Alexis when she volunteered for her mission. ?I remember the mission, Emily. Y?all kin change me inta any form y?all want, but ah?ll still remember what ah gotta do!? I groused. ?Good, they?re about to scramble. Git yer ass in gear an? git ta that thar cockpit, Empress!? She growled with a much-exaggerated accent. ?Alex?? Jack asked to get my attention. I hovered over to her. ?Alex, you know I can?t see you in this mode. I?ll try to follow Sullivan as best I can. Be careful, Alex," She reminded me. I saw a tear form in her massive- to me- eye. ?Alex, we have to phase out now. Be careful, sis," Emily said with a slight hint of sadness in her voice. Emily, Lu Sei, Doris, and Jack disappeared again. Let?s go, I thought to Yuuka. She nodded to me and took my hand. I phased us before hurrying off to the plane I knew was his. We quickly stowed ourselves behind the seat and waited. ?When is he going to get here?? I asked Yuuka impatiently. ?It?s only been a few seconds, Alex! Take it easy.? ?Only a few seconds? It feels like we?ve been here for hours.? ?It felt like that to me too the first hundred or so times I went into pixie mode. You just have to ignore it. I know it?s a hard thing to do, but you just have to, Alex.? The equipment we were standing on shifted violently several times and a huge shadow blocked the light around us. The shadow- Ralph Sullivan- stepped in and settled himself, roughly into the cockpit?s seat. ?Give those Japs hell, Sully," An unseen voice said from outside the plane somewhere. ?You be back, Sul-I-van?? Lu Sei asked as her head appeared just above the rim of the cockpit?s side. ?I promise I?ll be back in time for lunch, Lucy. You don?t have to worry, sweetheart. I promise, this is my last mission and then we?ll go home, you and me. We?ll be a family and far away from this war- far enough that you?ll be safe and not have to worry. You?d like that, right?? ?I wait, Sul-I-van.? ?A kiss for luck, sweetheart?? He asked as Lu Sei kissed her hand and quickly reached in toward him. She managed to just touch his face with her fingers. ?Alright, sweetheart, you?d better get down so I can get ol? Doris started.? We could hear movement of all kinds as Sullivan readied his plane. There were sliding sounds, clicking sounds, and tapping sounds before someone outside yelled, ?CLEAR!? The noise of an electric starter spinning to life filled the still open cockpit then the sputtering of the multi cylinder engine as the fighter came to life- the roar so loud Yuuka and I had to cover our ears. ?This is when it pays to have telepathic communication, Alex.? Yuuka thought to me as she looked across the fuselage at me. We had released hands after Lu Sei climbed off the plane. After backfiring a few times the motor smoothed out and quickly revved several times. Sullivan held up his thumb for a minute then the motor revved higher and the plane began to shake violently. We were moving. The ride as I perceived it from this size was almost life threatening. I hoped that we could survive it long enough to complete this part of our mission. ?I?d take riding out a depth charge attack over this any day.? I thought to my sister. Several times the motor revved up and down and the plane shook as we were apparently waiting our turn to take off. Suddenly the canopy slid forward and slammed shut. The motor revved to full speed and we began to bounce violently again. I could feel the plane picking up speed. The shaking became even worse. Suddenly everything smoothed out, though the roar of the motor was still deafening. The plane began to bank sharply to port and stayed that way for a minute or so then leveled off. We were on our way. Yuuka took flight and hovered at the cockpit?s rim as she looked to see where we were after about ten minutes. ?Things are going to start getting fuzzy, Alex.? She thought to me. ?Why?s that?? I thought back. ?We?re climbing pretty high. The air gets pretty thin up here. The thinner the air, the lighter-headed we get without oxygen. Try to breath as deeply as you can and don?t make any unnecessary movements- nothing that will deplete your blood oxygen level quickly.? ?I guess the cold goes along with the thin air?? I asked. ?Yes.? ?Is this how it was for you...above Kili?? ?Alex, conserve your oxygen!? Yuuka growled in my mind. ?Are we there yet?? I thought emotionlessly. For the last forty-five minutes or so, I had noticed my field of vision narrowing. I felt drowsy- on the verge of sleep. ?Alex, you have to conserve your air. Hey, come over here for a minute.? Yuuka motioned for me to approach. ?There is a small leak in his airline. Lean over and take a few good breathes.? She pointed to the fitting on the hose leading from a regulator atop a cylindrical tank. The cold air refreshed me as I took several deep breaths. ?Hey! Don?t hog it, Alex, I have to breathe too,? Yuuka giggled. I felt myself blush. ?I?m sorry,? I said sheepishly. Curiously, I hovered up to look out the clear plastic canopy. Three planes flew in close formation off our starboard. ?Don?t go too high, Alex, they?re close enough to see you,? Yuuka warned as I looked down. We were flying above the clouds. ?How high are we?? I asked my sister. ?My guess would be very close to the operational limits of this aircraft, Alex.? Yuuka answered as she took another deep breath from the supply hose. ?While serving in Manchuria, we heard several Imperial pilots describing the tactics of the ?Flying Tigers? of Burma. Apparently these fighters...um...P-40?s, are inferior to the newer Imperial fighters. The adapted attack style is to dive at the unsuspecting bombers and escorts. Though more maneuverable, Japanese fighters cannot follow at sufficient speed to catch such fighter attacks- they are simply not built for such speed. Our plane?s motor suddenly revved to full power. We pitched to port suddenly and began dropping in altitude quickly. ?Here we go,? I thought. Yuuka nodded to me in worry. Within a matter of a few seconds the fuselage around us began to shake and vibrate. It increased as we picked up more speed. I had to get a look at this! ?Alex, be careful. Remember that there are going to be plenty of bullets flying though the air around us.? I found a good vantage point on the top of Sullivan?s parachute. From here I could see almost everything. We were rapidly dropping in on a group of ?Betty?s? and their ?Nate? escorts. ?This is suicide!? I thought loudly to my sister. I suddenly began to think of my time aboard Jim Lovell?s spacecraft- how my appearance just after the fuel cell explosion caused his crew?s concentration to break temporarily- how the spacecraft quickly began to oscillate out of control again and how they fought with the control quads to get Odyssey to cooperate as she lost precious oxygen- the pressurized gas creating unwanted thrust. But that was in space. The feeling- the weightlessness of this dive stood in stark contrast in that I could see exactly what was happening now. In space everything except the Earth and moon was black nothingness- similar to my private domain but filled with stars. The feeling of being weightless and violently thrown around was there but nothing else. I felt my heart pumping furiously as we closed at an astounding rate on the enemy aircraft. Had they seen us yet? Probably not as the sun was at our backs- the sun would obscure our attack. Ingenious. I noticed one of the ?Nates? break away from the group. ?Shit!? Sullivan swore from behind his air mask. He immediately changed his course to follow the fighter. ?What are you doin? Sully? Get back in formation!? I heard from his nearby headphone. ?I?m staying with my ?Nate?! You guys take out the ?Betty?s?.? ?Sully, you can?t match him in a fight! Get with the program!? Sullivan rolled his plane as we rushed closer to the escaping fighter. The plane began to shake even more as the P-40?s machineguns roared to life. Smoke erupted from the enemy plane as we hurtled below and behind it. ?Got him!? our pilot announced calmly. ?That?s all well an? good, Sully, but you got one on your tail now!? Over the roar of the motor, I could hear the telltail metallic ?tings? as we came under attack. ?Yuuka, get up here and hang on!? I thought excitedly. There was a sickening ?thunk? and smoke began to stream from somewhere forward of the cockpit. Sullivan violently pitched the plane on its side several times, but more bullets found their marks. ?Shit, I?m losing oil pressure.? ?Alex, we have one right on our tail!? Yuuka screamed in my mind. ?Bank hard to the right then pull back hard on the stick! Now!? I screamed as loud as I could at the nearby headset. The plane violently pitched to starboard and I began to feel the pull of gravity increase substantially. ?Now roll it, hard to the left, and pull up again!? I shouted. Again the plane violently shifted as the earth circled around us quickly and gravity increased in the other direction. ?Who?s that?? Sullivan asked as he tapped frantically at his headset. ?What are you talking about, Sully, and where did you learn those moves?? The male wingman?s voice asked. ?A woman?s voice...she told me to bank right, roll it then left and pull up. Where did that voice come from?? Sullivan asked. ?Less talk and more moves, Sully! There?s another one on your tail!? The wingman shouted. ?I know! I lost too much speed!? ?Alex, he?s coming on fast. I don?t think we can escape this time," Yuuka cried her alert. ?I?m not going to get to you in time, Sully," his wingman said sadly. ?Hey, it?s been nice flying with you guys. Tell Lucy I?ll try to make it back.? Quickly, I grabbed Yuuka?s hand and mentally threw her imaginary valve almost all the way open. I concentrated on putting a containment shield around the whole plane. ?Thanks for the warning, Alex!? My sister gasped as I concentrated on phasing plane, pilot, and pixies out at the same time I stopped time inside my containment field. The enemy plane was suddenly in front of us. ?Fire yer guns!? I shouted into Sullivan?s headphone. The tail of the plane now directly in front of us disappeared. The ?Nate? immediately rolled to starboard and began plummeting to Earth in a spiral. ?How the hell did you do that?? the voice cracked over Sullivan?s headphone. The P-40?s motor began to sputter and miss furiously. The propeller began to slow. ?Doesn?t matter how the hell that happened, I?m not going to make it back home, Smithie. What I said before goes. I?ll try to get as close as I can before I have to jump.? ?Been great flyin? with ya, Sully. Keep yer head low if you make it.? More metallic impacts echoed in the much quieter cockpit. ?Shit, not another one! Can?t you guys give me a little cover fire up there?? ?Kinda busy, Sull..," The wingman?s voice stopped abruptly as I smelt smoke fill the air. The radio had been shot. ?Take your headset off, Ralph Sullivan," I shouted. ?What the...?? our pilot said as he tore his flying cap from his head. ?I want you to aim for that mountain to your left, Ralph. Do it now if you want to live," I told the man as he desperately tried to see where my voice was coming from. ?Why should I aim for the hillside? How can I possibly live if I hit it?? ?You?ll just have to trust us, won?t you?? I argued back calmly. ?Us? There is more than just one voice in my head? Did I buy it already?? ?No, y?all are quite alive for the time bein?, Ralph.? ?I have a Southern Belle in my head? I?ve got to be dead.? ?For the record, I?m from Missoura, Ralph, now aim for the mountain, please.? ?Alex, what are you doing? Not even a pixie can survive slamming into the side of a mountain at over two hundred miles an hour. You know that, right?? ?Who said anything about us crashing, Yuuka?? I asked my sister verbally. ?Oh jeez, there ARE two voices in my head!? Sullivan said as he continued trying to get a look at us. More bullets hit our crippled plane as our pilot banked left. ?I?ll let you see who we are if you promise to keep your composure, Ralph Sullivan," I said calmly, but firmly. ?Both hands on the stick and don?t you dare pass out, understand?? Our pilot nodded with a loud swallow. The motor gave one last backfire before everything went eerily quiet. We didn?t have much time left. I motioned for Yuuka to follow me. Flying forward, we both stopped and hovered before the huge face of Ralph Sullivan. His eyes danced frantically between Yuuka and I as his complexion went pale. ?I said no passing out, Mr. Sullivan!? I ordered. ?Stay on course.? ?Who...what are you?? I am Alexandra and this is Yuuka. Doris sent us to rescue you," I said matter-of-factly. ?Doris? Doris sent you? How...what?? ?Alex, his wingman is approaching and one?s still on his tail," Yuuka said as she looked to the rear of the plane. More bullets echoed through the quiet fuselage again. Sullivan?s hands jerked back on the joystick suddenly. ?Shit! He just took out my ailerons. No way can I land this thing now. Looks like you...um...? ?Pixies, Ralph, we?re Pixies," I answered with a smile. ?No way I can land this thing, girls. Looks like you decided to rescue the wrong guy.? ?Just let us decide whether we bet on the wrong horse or not, Ralph. Try to keep us on target.? ?Then what will happen?? ?You trust, Sul-I-van?? I asked using Lu Sei?s pronounciation. The man?s eyes got wider. ?You know Lucy?? ?She?s safe and waiting for you to get back to the states, Ralph," I reassured him. ?How...?? ?Time to unbuckle the straps, Ralph. You might want to try and open the canopy as well," I suggested as the trees on the mountain ahead of us started to take on more definition. Sullivan tried to open the large plastic canopy with one hand while holding us steady with the other. ?It won?t budge! I can?t get it open!? He said with a slight amount of panic. ?I didn?t think it would open," I said calmly. ?Jammed by a bullet.? ?Alex, tell me you saw all this happen," Yuuka said in an excited voice as she stared at the onrushing jungle. ?Let?s get to his shoulder, hun," I said as I took Yuuka?s hand and tugged her to Sullivan?s huge shoulder. I grabbed the man?s earlobe and began to concentrate on where to transport him. I noticed our wingman pull up and bank hard to port. Again I opened Yuuka?s imaginary valve wide. Dense, dark green jungle surrounded us- the plane we had been in, nowhere to be seen. Off in the distance the buzz of airplanes lowered in pitch as they moved away from our new location. A sudden explosion echoed through the trees thus making the jungle come alive with animal chatter, roars, and squawking. ?Yuuka, perimeter search," I ordered as I released Sullivan?s earlobe. ?Where are we? How...how did you do that?? I hovered back in front of Ralph. ?I am Alexandra, Empress of Time and Space, Ralph Sullivan. As to where we are...my guess would be a few miles north of where your plane just exploded on that mountain over there," I answered as I pointed to the nearby summit. ?I?m really dead, right? I mean...I mean something like Pixies and...and time travel...they really don?t exist...do...do they?? ?Hold out your hand, Mr. Sullivan," I requested. He obliged and I landed on his upturned palm. ?Do you have a mirror in your survival kit, Ralph?? I asked with a smile. ?Um...ya...why?? He asked in curiosity. ?Because I have yet to see myself in this form and before I leave it, I?d like to see what I look like, silly," I answered matter-of-factly. ?Oh...um...sure, its...its right here. I?ll get it.? After a few minutes of digging, Ralph produced a small shaving mirror and held it in front of me. The girl reflected looked exactly like me. The notable exception was my clothing. The reflection was dressed in a light green, tight-fitting leotard that left way too much of me exposed- cleavage or otherwise. She wore light green ballet slippers on her bared legs and a light green fabric mini-skirt that left almost nothing to the imagination. On her back a double set of wings with bright pink ?smudges? flitted nervously. I immediately tried to pull more skirt fabric to my exposed thighs. I felt myself blush profusely. ?Perimeter is clear, Alex...oh, I expected you wouldn?t waste any time...? Yuuka reported but stopped when she saw me admiring my reflection. ?Good,? I said as I looked up into the sky. ?It?ll be dark soon and you?ll be able to move.? ?Where am I going to go? I don?t even know where I am?? Sullivan complained a little t