CUPID IN SPACE

A story about the tv show, Cupid

"The dream is always the same, even though it never sticks with me... not

the details anyway..."

A woman's voice spoke against a dark, infinite night. Then suddenly, there

were strange colors, dim in the blackness, moving and twisting. The voice

continued to recount the dream.

"We're traveling, hurtling through this endless vacuum. And then, there

are stars. My heart beats faster as they pass. I can feel them, even without my body.

Like they're the only things left..."

Suddenly points of light appear in that vast darkness, some shifting closer,

passing by on either side.

"Hurtling through space. Not an unexpected dream, considering. But

somehow... it's like I'm holding my breath, or waiting to breathe for the first time,

waiting for the first touch of air, of open sky, like something I've never felt. I can't

feel my body anymore. But I know I'm moving... And then it appears, beautiful in

the distance..."

Suddenly a pinpoint of extremely bright, distant light flares into existence.

Suddenly a pinpoint of extremely bright, distant light flares into existence.

Stars are still racing past nearby, but the light is further away, steady, yet getting

closer.

"It's this pure, incredible light. The kind of light that fills every corner of

your soul. Lifting you, sending you soaring across the stars. As that gorgeous light

gets closer, I wonder for a second if I'm dying, if reaching it would be the end. But

then I realize, maybe reaching it would be the beginning..."

The stationary light suddenly blossomed brighter for a brief moment, set

against the dark star filled sky. And then it started to shift sideways, moving quickly

amongst the falling stars, trailing a tail behind it like a comet.

"It's only then that the light starts moving. And I understand I'm not

going towards it, it is coming towards me. And I'm afraid... Sparks start falling,

obscuring the stars..."

Yellow points of sparks fell even closer than the passing stars, growing

thick, blocking out everything. The distant bright light is suddenly coming head

on, racing past the sparks, knocking them aside, before it suddenly moves aside and

out of sight.

"And then... Fireworks."

The stars stop moving, going still against the backdrop of space. Then in

the void before them, huge, colorful explosions suddenly burst to life, crisscrossing

the starry night sky, blossoming in brilliant colors like flowers.

"Something white, soft... twists and flutters past my sight. But it's too

close. I can't see what it is. And for a moment... I feel at peace. But then the

fireworks fade, turning into plain, ordinary lights. Lights I see everyday."

Ceiling lights flickered on across an arching, smoothly fitted, metal

ceiling, gently recessed within the metal to give a clean, efficient glow. Across the

room, a pair of computer screens powered up, accompanied by a low, comforting

hum of energy from high tech machinery. More displays glowed brighter and came

to life. The sequence seemed almost like a living being waking up. The activity

moved in a wave along the walls of the circular room, blinking, system after system

switching on.

Between two screens, a smooth rectangular recess was fronted with glass,

revealing only darkness. And then slowly, a light grew in the shadows within,

revealing an upright mattress, covered with a swirl of sheets, a pillow, and the

slender, beautiful figure of a woman. As the light slowly grew around the edge of

the mattress, her shape became more defined beneath the sheets, lying unconcerned

against the vertical mattress.

"And then the dream is gone, and in the end, I have to let it go. And face

the day..."

In the wall nearby, suddenly a metal panel slid smoothly upward, a

mechanical bar swinging out with clothing, a towel.

"... and all the reality that implies."

Within the recess, the woman looked like she was floating in water, the

black tresses of her hair waving effortless through the air beside her serene, sleeping

face was resting comfortably, floating black against her ivory skin. Her body shifted

under the vertical sheets, still asleep. The entire bed was still upright within the

recess, standing on its end. But the woman lay perfectly flat against it, not falling

downward at all.

Across the room, a red light blinked rapidly, and yet another small recess

slid aside to reveal a waiting cup, that was quickly filled with a dark, black liquid,

warm steam rising.

Beside the rectangular glass recess across the room, one of the monitor

screens began to blink as well, words flashing across its surface. WAKE UP

INITIALIZING. FIELD MATCHING IN PROGRESS.

Within the recess, the woman's floating shape... almost imperceptibly

began to move. Everything began to fall gently sideways onto her sleeping form, as

if getting heavier. Her hair fell soft beside her face. The sheets that had been loosely

nestled around her body seemed to cling more carefully, sideways against her

upright form.

The screen display in the wall beside her suddenly glowed green,

switching to form the word MATCHED. There was a soft hiss, and the glass recess

that enclosed the mattress slid aside, disappearing into the wall.

"Sometimes it's hard to wake up. To come back to real life..."

Mechanical motors whirred quietly behind the upright mattress, the

woman still resting effortlessly against it as if it were perfectly normal. Then the

mattress began to move. The displayed on the wall beside the recess changed again

to LEVELING. Slowly the mattress was sliding out, the bottom edge moving faster

than the top, so that the angle of the mattress gently changed from vertical to

horizontal as it entered into the room. The screen kept track, numbers scrolling

down, an image of the bed shifting angles until it started to become parallel to the

floor below, settling, until finally...

FIELDS ALIGNED.

There was a comfortable sigh from the woman's lips. Her eyes fluttered

open and she woke up, her brown irises staring up at the ceiling above her. Then

from the ceiling came a computer voice, speaking in a strangely comforting, yet

androgynous voice.

"Good morning, Dr. Allem..."

Claire Allen rose out of bed, still trying to wake up. Once she left the

mattress, it slid back, going quietly vertical again, moving into the recess.

"It's not Allem, it's Allen." she corrected for what seemed like the

"It's not Allem, it's Allen." she corrected for what seemed like the

hundredth time.

"Yes, Dr. Allem..."

She reached out without looking, grabbing the cup of coffee in the small

wall alcove without thought as she passed, done out of habit. She yawned, speaking

to the air.

"Shower, please."

The glass recess behind her changed again, the mattress sliding away and

completely sealed off as it was replaced by tile walls on all the other three sides.

Nozzles open up above, and a soft mist cascaded down in the now confined recess

in the wall.

Claire sighed. "Never waits for me to get in..." she muttered.

Ignoring the running shower, Claire instead walked towards a bare wall,

smooth and metallic.

"Sometimes it's easier to accept the facade of what is. Than to come to

grips with the fact that this home... isn't."

She pushed a button on the bare wall, and another panel slid aside,

revealing a portal, darkness beyond it, stars glinting, and sliding gently past.

A device glowed, edged by blue lines of light. The small display came on

and a music began to play, filling the air. It was just a few guitar chords for several

measures, as Claire turned from the starry view to start her day, listening. Then a

voice began to sing.

Last time I talked to you, you were lonely and out of place.

You were looking down on me, lost out in space...

"So we're all out here searching, searching for our new home. Outcasts,

roaming amongst the stars..."

The bridge deck was quiet, blinking with lights, dazzling to the

uninitiated, but familiar to the crew which worked there, every display in the dim

light full of meaning. Everything was smooth, futuristic, alive with screens of

graphical illumination. A crew member looked away from the huge view port

before him, switching his gaze to his display and away from the stars streaming by.

Something blinked brightly on his display, and a tall man came to stand at his

shoulder, waiting in anticipation, but still looking at the stars. The crew member

seemed almost bored, reading displays, manipulating controls. Then he looked to

the man standing beside him, well-practiced in what he had said hundreds of times

before.

"Dropping out of FTL, Captain. We've arrived."

"Very well, ensign..."

The ensign shook his head with a smile, wondering why they even

bothered with those old titles anymore. The woman's voice continued to narrate.

"But in the end, I guess what we're really looking for is meaning. Isn't that

what any home really is, no matter how long it takes to find it?"

Suddenly the stars went still outside the ship, going into the unbelievable

distances far away, and the next moment the dim interior of the bridge was bathed

in a rich, orange light. As one, the whole crew looked up from their stations,

watching out the huge view port in wonder, in anticipation.

Space was filled with a sprawling vista, a swarm of beautiful color

illuminated by a bright, distant star, glaring in the system they had just arrived in. It

was beautiful, a canvas of color. Then, the massive bulk of the ship came into view,

gliding serenely, huge beyond belief and sparkling with lights. As it moved towards

the sun, orange rays of light shot past it in beams, outlining it there as the sun shone

the sun, orange rays of light shot past it in beams, outlining it there as the sun shone

through stellar dust. The giant ship flew effortlessly, turning slightly in the bright

swath of color streaming past it.

"Twelve degrees to starboard ensign.... There it is."

The shadows shifted on the bridge as the ship turned, and suddenly more

displays came to life. There was a planet there, beautiful in the silent star field of

space. The music was still playing, a man singing, as the Captain nodded, content.

"Start it..."

We laid underneath the stars, Strung out and feeling brave

The ensign and the rest of the crew got to work. After a few seconds,

invisible energy was crisscrossing through space, probing, scanning. The Captain

and everyone else seemed to pause with anticipation. Several screens started flashing

the same word as they waited, the computer updating.

SEARCHING.

Everyone waited, able to do nothing else. Out of nowhere, the woman

continued to speak, as the scan continued.

"But like anytime you try to find answers in life.... the journey is often

filled with disappointment."

Suddenly the screens changed, and all eyes on the bridge switched to

them, waiting hopefully. But then, the displays came back with a new word, and as

them, waiting hopefully. But then, the displays came back with a new word, and as

one, the crew seemed to lower their eyes, hope lost.

NEGATIVE.

Everyone fell back into their chairs in disappointment, even the Captain's

shoulders dropped. With a sigh, he looked away from the planet, issuing orders.

"Ok. You know the drill. Takes us further out to system edge near the Oort cloud,

so we can set up the next hop."

"Yes, sir." The ensign replied dispiritedly.

The huge ship was a shadow as it turned, still caressed in the glow of the

sun, but now, it seemed almost mournful, as if it were a living thing, looking for

something it hadn't found. Sadly it flew towards the edge of the system, leaving the

beautiful vista and the planet behind.

I watched the red orange glow, I watched you float away...

In her quarters still getting ready for her day, Claire was at the window,

sunlight on her face. But then, the ship began to turn away, like it had a hundred

times before at a hundred other planets, and then she knew. When her ship

information display beeped behind her she didn't even need to turn around to read

it, already knowing what it said. Like everyone else on the ship, she turned from the

new planet, forgetting it.

The woman's voice continued.

"Still... life goes on. As it must. We all find ways to continue. To make

things seem as normal as possible. Even in the most non normal of circumstances,

we all find ways to gather comfort, stability, trying to regain those things that

remind us of old lives... And yet, some things it seems, never really change."

Claire was walking down a crowded, street wide hallway on the massive

ship, one like so many others. The air was buzzing with activity as she read a small

news pad glowing in her hands. Its bright text scrolled with constant information,

blinking about the recent strike by the sewage workers union, or new rises in

compartment rental costs, the current ship wide political race, or latest holo entertainments

announcements. She sighed, bumped and jostled in the confusion of

the main thoroughfare, but more than used to it. Claire paused, everyone else

flowing past her as she looked up. But she saw only the ceiling lights of the ship, as

her nose tickled with the aromas of 'outdoor' cafes. In the end, the passageway was

as big and crowded as any city street.

Down here in the atmosphere, Garbage and city lights

You've gone to save your tired soul, You've gone to save our lives...

Claire was seated in front of an assemblage of people, all of them facing

her as she conducted her singles group, doling out advice with every eye in the

room on her. She was in her element, laughing with them, smiling. She had seen all

those faces so many times, calming fixtures in her life.

"It always seems that people, no matter where they live, or how long they

evolve, will always have the same difficulties, the same yearnings, the same failings,

the same problems they have always had through time. Being out here, in a cold

void in the middle of nowhere, hasn't changed the flaws that make us human. Or

the need to connect with someone, to find someone to love..."

Suddenly the joviality of the room paused, as the lights dimmed

momentarily, as the ship's power shifted. Within a second, they could feel the

massive ship turning suddenly around them, feel it in the deck beneath their feet,

almost imperceptible but there. Claire looked towards the ceiling, recognizing all

the telltale signs, all the small indicators. So, to her it was no surprise when

suddenly the alarms rang out, indicating the ship was under attack, yet again.

"Like I said, some things never change. Until... they do."

All across the hallways of the massive ship, people were running. Crew

members were taking battle stations. Lights flashed red on every deck. Suddenly a

bridge report came over the intercom, warning of incoming fighters. The ship's

artificial A.I. was already working, routing power into weapons, sending massive

amounts of energy into shields which began to form invisibly around the ship's hull

in the cold of space. Weapon after weapon trained outwards along its surface into

the starry depths, away from the streaming glow of the nearby sun as the ship

turned to bring more guns to bear.

In her group, Claire's brow furrowed, slightly worried that they were

under attack again. With one last sympathetic glance at her group, she got up from

her chair, telling them to go back to their quarters. She, however, was doing no

such thing. She was going to the bridge to see what was going on.

The Captain was tense now, standing behind one of the crewmen as he

leaned down and looked into the status display glowing red before both of them,

ignoring for a moment the vast view port stretching before them. The handsome,

silver haired man was all business, terse and to the point as he spoke to her.

"What's the count..." he asked simply, his brow just as furrowed as

Claire's had been.

"Twenty-six, twenty-nine, now... still incoming, sir. Twenty seconds

out..." The young woman replied.

The Captain straightened up on the dim bridge, now gazing out the view

port at the shining cluster of moving points of light that had appeared in the

distance, glowing brighter as they twisted ever closer to the ship.

"Engage at will, all batteries..."

Colored shafts of weapons fire arced out like luminous rain, shifting

direction to try to catch the incoming fighters. But the vast majority of the shots

missed, only a few explosions hitting in the attacking cluster. The small points of

light were dodging faster than the guns could track.

"No joy, Captain. As usual, they're just too fast..."

"And our squadrons?"

"Still grounded and under repair after their last attack."

The Captain nodded to himself, resolve on his hard face. "This is gonna be

a rough one."

In the hallway outside, Claire tried to keep her balance as the massive

ship, which had always seemed so unshakable... shook. Alarms blared everywhere.

She was almost to the bridge, turning a corner where two sentries suddenly pointed

their assault rifles at her head when they spotted her. They quickly lowered their

weapons when they saw who it was, waving her frantically through. One thing

Claire Allen definitely had, was bridge privileges. The ship shook again, a smaller

one this time. Claire tried to keep her pulse down, turning a corner into the

darkened bridge, before freezing at what she saw happening in silence outside of the

ship.

On the bridge, everyone seemed calm, the ship occasionally shaking in the

quiet. But silent through the view port, a fierce battle twisted and sparkled in a

maelstrom of light and motion. Claire swallowed. It all seemed so simple below

decks, but the ship's A.I. was putting up one hell of a fight outside. The woman

seated next to the Captain was counting something down. The Captain still hadn't

seen Claire there at the back of the vast room. She moved closer to the view port,

amazed at the ship's massive firepower, and the ferocity of the battle.

"Twenty two, twenty one fighters now... Shields down, port quarter. Hull

taking damage." The female crewman spoke with a calmness Claire certainly didn't

feel as she walked up to them through the dozens of stations across the wide bridge.

The Captain, however, took it in stride. "Send Damage teams down there.

Turn our injured side away from the attack vector and keep up the guns on--... Oh.

Hello, honey."

Claire was amazed at the simple smile the Captain gave her. "Hello, Dad."

He gazed fondly at her, trying to sound reassuring. It was completely

ineffective because of the dizzying battle visible through the view port stretching

behind him. "Don't worry, honey. We got it under control..."

Claire's recorded voice continued to speak, the song continuing with her.

"There's always adversity in life. Always things that challenge you,

challenge your perceptions. Always has been, I guess. We still have to deal with

challenges to live. And be surprised at our own resilience. But then again, the things

challenging us, can be surprised by their own resilience too..."

"Conn... Contact. We have a second contact, another wave at 241 mark

3--"

"Damn it all! Shunt our reserves and prepare--" Captain Allen started

issuing orders, the tension ratcheting up on the bridge at the new sensor contact.

Claire tried to look past the battle, gazing out into the stars, searching for it.

I turned on the radio, to find you on satellite

I'm waiting for this sky to fall. I'm waiting for a sign. All we are, is all so far...

Standing on the bridge, Claire's eyes searched across the stars. And then

she spotted it, one stationary light, flaring brighter for a moment. Finally it was

moving sideways across the heavens, trailing a sparkling tail like a comet.

"And then I recognized it. Spotted it for the first time. Felt it deep inside

my heart. Something, that until that moment, I thought had only existed in my

dreams..."

Leaning in over the shoulder of the ensign on the darkened bridge, the

Captain's face was lit with the display screen glow from the workstation. He

reached down and pressed a button, but looking back out through the wide vista of

the large bridge window, staring out into the starry field stretching beyond, where

the battle continued to rage. It was a thousand swarming, robotic blips, against one

lone defender, weaving and firing among them. On the communication frequency

he had just opened, the Captain finally called out to the pilot.

"Ship, ID yourself..."

Suddenly, a laugh came through the speakers in response, transmitted

from the lone ship. "Don't worry, children. Daddy's home."

Without a concern in the world, the small, distant fighter glowed

brighter, weaving expertly through the maelstrom, rolling and firing shafts of

colored light, quickly taking out attacker after attacker. From the way the fighter

was weaving and dodging, it was obvious that the pilot was an expert flier. Standing

by her father on the twilight bridge, Claire smiled at what she saw, the joy and

exuberance of it. Not saying anything, there was admiration in her eyes.

You're falling back to me, the star that I can see,

I know you're out there, somewhere out there

In one last, effortless maneuver, the small fighter destroyed the last of the

attackers, flying through the expanding fireball while doing a triumphant victory

roll. Everyone on the bridge cheered, clapping, all happy the threat had been beaten

back, at least for the moment. Claire clapped along with them, and as the sound and

congratulations died away, the pilot's voice from the small fighter craft called back

congratulations died away, the pilot's voice from the small fighter craft called back

to them, obviously having heard.

"Did someone call for a rescue? Because your rescuer has arrived."

Smiling, the Captain didn't care about the pilot's bravado. "Fighter, if you

need supplies, we could give you a top off, check the tires."

"Well, my windshield could use a bit of a spit shine."

"Roger that. You have permission to land in the port hangar once we’ve cleared the damage."

"Roger that."

You're falling out of reach, defying gravity...

Claire watched the fighter as it swooped calmly around the ship,

obviously in no hurry to land. She simply gazed at it in wonder, admiring his flying

skills as he piloted the craft in a meaningless, effortless dance against the stars.

Somewhere, her voice could be heard again, speaking as she recorded her journal.

"Sometimes life surprises you. Surprises you with good, with bad. With

the unexpected. And we all develop ways of dealing with those moments. Things

that help us get by. And then... sometimes... life surprises you with something truly

unique, even rarer than all the rest.... hope."

I know you're out there, somewhere out there

Still watching from the bridge, Claire came to a silent decision without

thinking, eyes following that glow point of brightness outside as it moved

gracefully through the black void of space, glinting in the light of the nearby sun. In

some way she couldn't explain, she felt drawn to it. "I want to meet him...."

Beside her, her father turned his head. After a moment he smiled, giving

her a knowing look, seeing her reaction, but keeping his thoughts to himself.

Without needing a reply, Claire kept watching that distant point of light,

before turning and heading back to her quarters to get dressed.

A few minutes later she was walking through her living space, trying to

decide what to wear as she straightened her hair and got ready. As she walked from

place to place, several variants of holographic clothing were appearing for a few

moments on her body, moving and turning with her. Each time, she rejected what

she saw after glancing into the mirror that had risen earlier from the middle of the

floor. She spoke to the computer, not stopping what she was doing, calling out with

each glance.

"No... No... No, not that one," she said over and over, quickly examining

each outfit. "Something a little more sultry, computer..."

A new outfit appeared on her body without warning, stopping her in mid

step. She looked over at the mirror, not believing what she was wearing. "Ummm...

Computer?"

After a moment the computer removed the clothing projection. It was of

a holographic clown suit, complete with oversized shoes and red gonzo hair. In

some strange way, its quiet voice almost seemed to be making fun of her as it

replied. "Sorry, Dr. Allem..."

"It's Allen..." she muttered yet again to herself, knowing her correction

wouldn't make a difference.

I hope you remember me, when you're homesick and need a change...

Set after set of clothing appeared on her body, even one skimpy outfit of a

black teddy and garter belts. But she ignored them as she worked on her hair. She

held a metal, palm sized disc in her hand, a thin light glowing through a strip

around its edge in slowly ever changing colors. Carefully, she touched it to a single

strand of hair on her head, and one color would wash out in a wave, changing all

the other strands of her hair to match the new hue. Color after color appeared on

her shoulders, trying on different shadings. She felt like she was in a rush, knowing

the fighter craft and its occupant would be landing at any minute. Holding the

metal disc, she paused on the color purple, looking into the mirror for several

moments before her lips wrinkled and she changed her mind, settling, as always, on

black. The music continued to play, a man singing.

I miss your purple hair, I miss the way you taste...

Finally dressed, Claire tried her best not to sprint towards the hanger bay

entrance up ahead. She skidded awkwardly to a halt, looking around to see if

anyone had seen that. She straightened the simple black dress that fit very well on

her, trying to regain an image of sexy composure as she tried to catch her breath.

Her words, speaking into her automated journal entry, could still be heard, a calm

voice over the continuing sound of the music as she moved more slowly towards

the hanger entrance.

"It's natural to be excited about new things. To be eager to move into new

experiences, new phases of life, new relationships. And yet, sometimes eagerness can

cloud our judgment. Sometimes it takes the old experiences, the phases of life that

came before, to help temper that enthusiasm. Reign it in. As sad as that is...

sometimes it's unavoidable."

There were armed soldiers already there when Claire entered the hanger

bay, surprising her. This man had just saved their whole ship, a ship the size of a

large city. Why were they here now? She looked at the rest of the cavernous hanger

deck. Lights glowed onto the wide space from the ceiling high above. The sight of

open star speckled space loomed over them through the large entrance to the bay

before her, protected by an energy shield. Half of the ship’s other fighters, all in

various stages of disrepair, dotted the periphery of the hanger deck. But Claire's

attention was back on the soldiers as she entered, all of their dark rifles immediately

swiveling and centering on her without a second thought. They looked nervous,

jumpy after the attack, until they saw who she was and lowered their weapons

again, exhaling.

I know that you'll come back some day, on a bed of nails I wait...

Claire checked her watch, feeling very conspicuous in her slinky black

dress standing next to a line of heavily armed troops with large rifles and battle

armor. But it was more than that that was making her nervous. There was an

excitement coursing through her. Whoever was piloting that fighter, she knew she

was about to meet him. See him for the very first time. The thought of that made

her body seem to tingle, in a way it hadn't in a long time. As a smile crossed her face

at her reaction, she checked her watch again, waiting.

"And then there are times like this... when eagerness takes over, and

temperance be damned."

On the ship's darkened main bridge, the crew was still watching the

fighter flying leisurely above and below the ship, swerving, swooping through the

cold of space, in no apparent hurry. Captain Allen watched, curious, before he

suddenly realized a sound was being transmitted by the small fighter.

He leaned forward again, listening more closely, speaking to the ensign

there in the seat.

"WHAT is he doing?"

Seated at the station, the young ensign seemed as surprised as he was.

"He's singing..."

"Singing what?"

"Italian..."

The Captain chuckled, watching the pilot fly around the massive ship

purely for enjoyment. After a few moments he reached down and opened a channel

to the dancing fighter. "Landing bay’s clear. Anytime you're ready, pilot."

The pilot's voice came back. "Love flying. Can't get enough of it. Coming

in..."

The small fighter turned for the hanger bay.

I'm praying you don't burn out, or fade away

And all we are, is oh so far...

In the hanger bay where Claire was standing, soft klaxons started echoing.

A ship was coming in. All eyes turned to the shielded, open portal. And then, with a

glint from the sun, there it was, angling closer as it turned gracefully towards the

hanger bay. Without warning it accelerated towards the force field, moving faster,

everyone stepping back, uncertain.

Sparkling with discharge, the fighter raced quickly through the force

field, and immediately the hanger was filled with the roar of it's engines. It seemed

the speeding ship was going to crash, racing towards the deck. But then the pilot

pulled the nose up, firing his ventral thrusters and revving his main afterburners

higher. The ship hovered for a split second, nose up, the bright afterburner flames

spreading out on the deck beneath it, before the ship effortlessly set down on it's

landing pads. It was a flawless, and very showy, landing.

You're falling back to me, you're the star that I can see...

I know you're out there, somewhere out there...

Cautious, the combat soldiers stepped in, forming a ring around the ship

as the engines died. There were footsteps and Claire looked over as her father

walked into the hanger, giving the ship a steady, judging look. There was a

tenseness in the air. With a hiss, the fighter's cockpit hatch released it's airtight seal,

swiveling up. The soldiers lifted their rifles, gripping them tighter, muzzles

centered on the snub fighter. Without hesitation, her father walked forward to the

craft's opening hatch.

A man stepped out, smiling, simple looking enough. Claire didn't know

what to think. She didn't know what she had been expecting. The man hopped

enthusiastically off the fighter's wing and to the hanger deck, every gun in the room

still tracking him. He didn't seem to notice, walking straight up to Captain Allen as

if nothing were out of the ordinary, obviously proud of himself.

Claire kept her distance, waiting. She watched her father talk to the pilot,

not hearing what was being said from where she was. As the man talked

enthusiastically, her father suddenly paused, giving him a strange look. His guarded,

grateful reception for this man's rescue of their ship seemed to change as the man

spoke. Other soldiers closer by, who were listening as well, looked confused,

stepping clear of him. After a silent moment, her father motioned her over, slowly.

Curious as to what was going on, Claire approached them across the wide hanger

deck.

It was just her father and the smiling pilot standing beside the fighter craft

when she got there. Her father gave her a strange look, but the pilot didn't seem

bothered at all. "Umm... Claire. I think this is more your area."

Now confused even more, Claire approached the pilot as her father

stepped back. Still speaking somewhere unseen, Claire's voice was recording into

her journal.

"And sometimes, what happens, can't be planned. Because it's never

happened before. It's usually the unexpected things that knock you on your ass..."

Claire looked at the man. He was simple looking enough, vaguely

handsome in his own way. Short, dark hair. Round face. But there was a twinkle in

his eye, an energy emanating off him that felt like electricity on her skin. She didn't

know what she had expected him to look like, but this was somehow definitely,

exactly it. She felt almost embarrassed, afraid everyone would notice the response

she was having. This strange man was, without a doubt, causing a very interesting

reaction in her.

Her mind wandered with possibilities, for half a second daydreaming,

images like memories flashing through her mind. But then she came back to the

present moment, catching her breath, stepping forward to introduce herself as her

voice spoke out again into her journal.

"And then... life surprises you."

She offered her hand to him. "Hi. I'm... I'm Claire Allen."

The pilot smiled proudly. When he spoke, his voice felt warm to her ears,

familiar almost. Without the slightest sign of hesitation, he introduced himself.

"Hi. I'm Trevor Hale. Cupid. God of Love."

Claire was speechless as she numbly shook the hand of a crazy man. Far

away, the music seemed to suddenly lose enthusiasm, the man's voice echoing, but

still singing.

You're falling out of reach, I know...

And everything faded into black.

"I watched you die."

Trevor watched Claire matter of factly as he said that.

They were sitting in Claire Allen's office inside the city ship, stars passing

outside a large viewing portal. Claire was seated, wearing a blue top and black skirt,

her legs crossed gracefully before her. She continued to take notes on a small

computer screen interface she held in her hand as it recorded and transcribed all

the conversation for her to read or view later. She used a small stylus with a blue

glowing tip to add her own unsaid comments, noting facts that seemed important,

the information flashing on the screen and merging with the file.

Claire continued casually as if she wasn't writing anything, even though

the padd and stylus were in plain view.

"Interesting. Do you often have visions of stranger's deaths?"

He shook his head. "No. You're not getting it. I mean this, not your long streak 

of no sex. I'm saying I was there. With you. Specifically. By the water. Where you

died."

Claire smiled, but it was obvious that she didn't believe him. "Of course,"

"It's true..."

She continued to take notes. "Well, as you can see, I'm very much alive."

His eyes were slowly admiring her legs.

She shifted slightly and tried to ignore the tingling she felt when he looked

at her, concentrating instead on her work. "So... by extension, that means I'm not

actually dead."

"Not anymore."

Claire still took notes on her pad, words and images shifting on her pad

silently. "And why do you believe you watched me die, considering we've never

met. And that I'm living."

"Because we did meet... And I was there. Watching. As you died in my

arms. You know, for a therapist you really need help with your listening skills."

She shook her head. "No, what I meant was--"

Trevor moved his hands towards her in a rolling motion, interrupting.

"ACTIVE listening. Make yourself a part of the conversation--"

"Well, I was try--"

"Active, say it with me. Low, breathy-sexy. Ready? Aaactive--"

"If you just would let me finish one senten--"

"Active. Act. React. Apt."

"Interrupting someone isn't part of active listening." she said curtly.

"Oh..." he blinked. "I always thought it meant that I was the one who was

active."

"Ok this getting us nowhere. Let's continue shall we. On another subject..."

She stopped to write notes, looking down at her screen. But she paused her stylus

when she noticed Trevor was intently watching her face. At least he wasn't ogling her legs

for the moment.

Squinting, Trevor still examined her with a tiny smile. "See... I didn't catch

it when I first landed on the ship. But now that I look at you... You're Claire

Allen."

Claire gave him a patronizing look. "Yes, it says so on the door holo-display

when you walked in. That big thing over there."

Trevor wasn't listening. "And since you are Claire Allen... I watched you

die. "

"Riiight."

"Is this confusing.? Because I could use smaller words. "

Trevor exaggerated a small space in midair with his hands, struggling to

contract it with a grimace, enjoying his performance, enjoying it a little too much.

"Umm..." Claire tried to stop him as he grew louder and more animated.,

waving her stylus forward, feeling she was quickly losing control of the session.

"Umm... Ok. I... I don't see how..."

"Oh yeah... that's.. that's it. That's... yes. Yes!"

"Okay Trevor could you not--"

Stopping his loud groans, Trevor finally finished contracting his imaginary

midair words, looking at her as he spoke in a simpler cave man voice.

"Me. You. See..." He pointed to his own eyes as if she were a child. The in

an offhand manner he motioned to her. "Dead."

"Yes, I understand the concept, Trevor." She said, exasperated.

“See, I don't think that you do--"

"But I don't see how you can believe--" Claire ran over his words, and

they both began to talk over each other.

"--because obviously my words aren't that hard to understand--" he

continued.

"--that I am truly and in any conceivable way dead, when--" Claire took

notes, ignoring him.

"--I mean, words are simple. Most people know words. I even used the

small ones--"

"--when clearly I'm not!" She finished loudly, stopping him, the room

going quiet for a moment.

"I'll say." Trevor said appreciatively. He was admiring her legs again.

She shifted in her seat. "Please stop admiring me, Trevor."

He ignored her, looking up with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"So. Still have the mark?"

She blinked. "The what?"

"The little birthmark. Small. Cute. Right above your--"

He began to motion, but then her eyes widened with embarrassment.

"Have you been spying on me?"

"No, just arrived on ship. But we could try it later if you would like. I

could put on a mask and an EVA suit. Float outside your shower portal... We could

play the classic "Naughty Alien". Or "Naughty ALLEN" in this case. Maybe I can

bring some wine and blindfolds to your cabin. Do you want to dress up? Or should

we just start with heavy breathing and holographic oils."

Claire stopped him, her voice firm. "I'll ask you to refrain from those types

of innuendoes."

"When?"

"Now."

"Okay." Trevor blinked in surprise. "Deja vu... All you need now is a

disapproving pout--"

Growing impatient at his antics, Claire looked at him.

Trevor nodded. "Wow... You're good."

"And you're clearly delusional. More than I thought."

"Oh really..." Intrigued, he leaned forward. "So how often have you... been

thinking about me?"

"Far more than I'd like too."

"I know. That look but don't touch thing you doctors have can be a pain

in the ass, can't it?"

"Yes it ca--..." She stopped herself, replying simply. "I'm not doing this."

He smiled. "Great! So I can go now! Amazing session, doctor. Short and sweet.

Right to the point. So, your quarters around 6? Maybe 9?" Trevor began to rise out

of his chair to leave, but she stopped him, still writing her notes.

"Please sit down, Trevor."

He paused, deciding, halfway up.

She didn't look up from her notes as she spoke. "Security can be here in 30

seconds."

"Fine." He settled back into his chair. "So why am I here?"

She gave him a long look. "Is... that an existential question?"

"No, why am I forced to have these sessions?"

"Because the Captain ordered that you be evaluated."

"Your FATHER. The captain."

"Hmm... you're quick. You're here because you've been ordered to, by the

head of this ship. Because you landed here unexpectedly claiming to be Cupid. And

because of a multitude of other reasons that are becoming more painfully self

evident by the second. So. Instead of simply reinforcing my already low opinion of

you, let’s get back on the topic that we started discussing." Her information pad flashed,

the screen shifting and sliding back to an earlier conversation track that had been

dropped. She didn't realize that her skirt had slid back an inch as well when she

moved. Trevor admired the view but said nothing. Her voice was suddenly tinged

with knowing disbelief. "So, you claim you saw me die, despite the fact that I'm

sitting right in front of you. So, when was that exactly? A few hours ago? Or....

Tuesday?"

He shook his head, fully aware he was being talked down to. "No. It was

many hundred years ago."

"Oh... of course."

He shrugged. "You asked."

"So. Some sort of past life." She continued to take notes on her pad.

He laughed. "You really are quick too. Shame your body's not as quick as

your--"

"--wit. Yeah, I get it. Yadda yadda, big pointless come on, etcetera. So,

we've all lived before?"

"Well, I haven't. I’ve never been dead. I'm immortal. Been playing for all the

innings. But all the rest of you guys, yeah. Over and over. Don't really know how it works. Never

went to those meetings on Olympus. The Committee for the Subset of Human

Reincarnation it was called. Believe me. I heard it's even more boring than it

sounds."

Claire nodded, fascinated that he didn't seem to want to face death. She

spoke softly, almost to herself. "Hmm, immortal. As a result of being Cupid, the

god of love."

Trevor rubbed his hands appreciatively. "Yes! Exactly! Insert another big

pointless come on here. Finally, some understanding. You're making excellent

progress doctor. We may have just experienced a breakthrough. You’ll be cured yet!"

Claire ignored him, almost lost in her own thoughts. "So how does this

immortality that you crave fit in with--" she checked her notes, "with these

hundred beads as you call them?"

Trevor winced at her response, leaning back. "Oh, so close. The patient's

regressed again. Oh well. You'll do better next time, Claire. Breakthroughs are

overrated anyway. They just leave you with a mess to clean up and a new wall to

crack."

Claire looked at him. "Just answer the question. Why did you see me

die?"

"Well... you and I... we were one of them. The beads,"

"Wait, we were beads?"

"One bead."

"We were beads?"

"Not literally beads."

"Oh."

"One of the beads... was for us. We were together. A couple."

"A couple. Interesting."

"Yeah. You. Me. You're the love of my life. And since I'm immortal, that's

saying something."

Blinking, Claire looked at him, not necessarily surprised, but not

necessarily believing it either. She tried to ignore the tingle his words sent through

her, staying the therapist. "Please. Go on."

Trevor seemed quieter. "Well... when you were here. When you were

alive with me... I didn't want to leave."

"You didn't want to go back home to Olympus?"

"No. I didn't want to go. And I knew that if I got a hundred beads, then I would. Go.

So, I stopped. At 99. Stayed with you. Then... after you died... I really wasn't that much into love

anymore. So the bead count stayed that way for centuries. But there was this one time about a hundred years ago, when I actually decided to go back. Decided to get bead 100. Almost made it too. But then the Earth blew up. Took it as a sign."

She nodded, not believing. "Convenient. No surviving records to discount

your claims."

"You think it was convenient for me that the entire earth went kabloosh?"

"It wasn't a kabloosh."

"It was a KABLOOSH. I was there. Very impressive."

Claire pushed on. "So... why did you come to our ship now?"

He seemed uncomfortable, sidestepping the question. "Because I'm Luke

Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you."

"You're who?"

Trevor shook his head. "No one remembers the classics anymore."

With a sigh, Claire went back to her notes, the screen flashing as the stylus

entered new information on the screen, stars still passing through the portal beyond.

It was going to be a long session.

After a few hours, Trevor walked away from Claire's office, feeling relieved to be free from her questions. Suddenly a group of women stopped him in one of the crowded, wide streetways of the massive ship.

"You're really him, aren't you? You really are the one."

A pretty yet introverted young woman watched Trevor with awe as he

stopped before her. She was flanked perfectly by four equally pretty and shy

women in an exact V formation. All of them watched him with shocked adulation,

as if they were seeing an angel.

Trevor smiled at all the female attention. "Hi there. I don't believe you've

had the pleasure of our company. My name's Trevor Hale. Cupid, god of love."

"We... we, we, we know." Tears were welling happily up in the woman's eyes, her

voice wavering as she spoke. "You really are him... aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Trevor spoke more carefully now, her reaction feeling strange. "Umm, have we... have you and I... Because I know I leave an impression after it’s done, but this is..."

"Cupid the god of Love!" she continued enthusiastically. "Here in the flesh

at last! With us!"

They all clapped happily in the busy passageway, crowds walking by in

either direction.

Trevor rolled his eyes, losing his interest in their unadulterated adoration as

memories of Faith danced in his head. "Great. Your one of THOSE."

"We've been waiting for your return our entire life."

"Uh-huh. Shouldn't you guys be somewhere else? Oh wait... my mistake.

That's would be me." He started to leave.

The young woman stopped him, moving sideways and touching his arm as behind her the V formation shifted and remained intact with remarkable precision. "No! Don't go!

You don't understand. We've seen all the holos of you. Studied your life, your dreams, your

body. Poured our naked souls over all the sacred writings we could find before your

first death and res--"

"Wait, wait a second." Trevor interrupted her. "First death? There was no

first death. Look at how toned this body is. Nice, huh? You know what I mean.

See, I'm immortal. Who wrote about me before my 'first' death?"

She sighed slowly, proudly. The women in the V shape behind her sighed

as well. Trevor blinked at them, surprised by his reaction to the sighs. As he looked at

them more carefully, he realized they were all kind of cute. The leader continued

with relish, explaining.

"We are followers of the new true religion. One based on love, understanding, and hooking up. We are naked, reverent followers of you, Cupid the God of Love, as chronicled in the gospels according to Frechette. Only two of his sacred texts about you survived the planetary apocalypse! DISCOVERING CUPID by Dr. Ian Frechette, and HOW I MADE A FORTUNE OFF THE GOD OF LOVE: A BUSINESS PRIMER by Sir Ian Frechette. 19.95/24.99 Canadian." she recited proudly.

"THAT guy!?" Trevor shook his head angrily. "That lousy little--"

Stopping himself, he decided to let it go, remembering their long, eager sighs. "So how many of you are in this 'religion'."

She looked down. "Well... only seven. But we have a song. And sometimes

pie. On sacred Thursdays."

Trevor's eyes widened in disbelief. "You-you... you have a song?"

"Yes!" she smiled happily. "We're extremely overdressed to sing it at the moment but,

would you like to hear it anyway?"

"Well, I don't--"

Before he could dissuade them any further, she turned towards the V

formation and they instantly started singing loudly, in perfect, well-rehearsed

acapella that echoed down the crowded streetway of the ship.

It's time for Cupid... in Space

Yes, he is Cupid... in Space

He's going to save the human race.

Because he is Cupid... in Space!

Trevor looked around as everyone watched them, embarrassed by their loud, boisterous recital towards him.

"Please don't do that again."

The leader turned back to him, pleased. As she moved her light brown hair

flowed across her shoulders. He noticed she had a tiny bit of soft, smooth belly

showing at the waist of her form fitting dress. They all did. Giving them another look,

he realized they were all more attractive than he had originally thought.

Swallowing, he was suddenly more intrigued.

"So. what sort of things do you girls, umm... do."

"We meet every Thursday, and study the art of love."

"Ohh--" THAT got his attention, taking a purposeful step closer mid sentence, "--really."

"We do everything together. Everything." The last word was like a moan. Then they nodded in unison, which was kind of creepy, but he could live with it. "We call ourselves CUPIES."

Trevor paused. "Cupies?"

"Cupies."

He shook his head. "No. Not Cupies."

"No, actually it is Cupies." she corrected him.

"Not Cupies. Try 'Cupidians'."

She thought about it, before shaking her head. "No, we prefer Cupies. But we

would love for you to come over and teach us some advanced forms of love."

Trevor caught his breath, smiling. "Sure. I'm always more than willing to

provided some… personal instruction. Believe me, I'm a really good teacher. And...

you say you do everything together? All at the same time?"

Another creepy nod.

The leader continued. "And maybe after you could tell us more about your

first blessed disciple, Faith. We loved reading her prophecies about you. She must

truly have been in your grace to receive a gift from the gods like that."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Faith? Faith?!! She was a nut! She tried to kill me for gods sake!"

The V formation gasped in unison. "Blasphemer!"

With a huff, Trevor had heard enough, giving up and walking away,

losing himself in the crowd.

The woman turned and faced the others behind her, concern on her pretty

face. "He's testing us.... right? Yes. He must be testing us..."

"Well?"

Captain Allen looked her expectantly from the bridge of his ship. Claire

was before him, the two of them standing in the shadows of the darkened bridge in

front of the massive floor to ceiling window where she had first seen Trevor's ship, the

stars speeding silently past. Behind and beneath them consoles glowed softly all

around, but the two of them were alone up on the command walkway, outlined

against the fiery distant points of light passing by outside. Everyone else on the

bridge crew was a discreet distance away. Claire lowered her voice to talk privately

to her father. She tried to put it politely.

"He's nuts, dad. Trevor's already concocted some bizarre story that he and I

shared some sort of past life together. Probably just integrating. Adjusting to the new

circumstances he's found himself, weaving it into a pre-existing psychosis."

The Captain looked down for a moment, concerned. His eyes returned to

her with a steely, hard look. "Should we wipe him? Is he dangerous?"

Claire tried to calm his fears. "No, it's nothing like that. He does honestly

believe he's Cupid. I have no doubt of that. But there's no real harm in it. He yearns

for immortality, but don't we all? He wants somehow to have control over the

affairs of the heart, but that's also not an uncommon wish. But for him, it manifests

in this Cupid persona. I'm still doing some research on his file history, but I believe

these are all signs that point to him losing someone very important to him, at some

point in his past. I haven't discovered the exact traumatic event yet, but I will.

Beyond that, Trevor's just an ordinary delusional man. He still functions well,

interacts with society in basically normal ways. Says something about society, I

suppose. But otherwise I really wouldn't consider him a threat to himself or to

anyone else. No reason to start his mind over from scratch."

Pacing slightly, her father remained suspicious. "Still... something doesn't

feel right here, Claire bear. The way Mr. Hale showed up, miraculously out of

nowhere, right when we needed him. And right when we were losing. A little too

convenient. I'd like to keep him under armed watch until--"

Claire laughed softly and put a hand on her father's arm, reassuring him.

"That's really not necessary, Dad. Believe me. Trevor Hale may be an oddity, but

there's nothing nefarious about him."

Trevor was walking down a large quiet hallway of the massive city ship,

completely alone and surrounded by metal walls and high ceilings that looked worn

and industrial like a back alley. He took several steps forward, eyes ahead. And then in the middle of the wide passage he paused. After a moment, he awkwardly stretched his arms,

yawning in a clearly exaggerated manner. Trevor did a fast, suspicious scan of his surroundings, his head turning quickly to see if he was truly alone. Then in one long, exaggerated step, he moved next to a computer screen glowing in the wall right beside him. With one last surreptitious look around, he finally spoke to the screen.

"Computer, access internal ship’s core and restricted security, protected processor and

AI files."

"ACCESS DENIED." the computer said simply.

Then the screen turned immediately red as the ship’s AI continued.

"WARNING. Attempted access to system and security core by unauthorized personnel is a felony punishable by immediate and bloody termin--"

Not concerned, Trevor pulled a slim looking scan card smoothly from his

pocket and casually waved it through the air before the screen's sensor.

"ACCESS GRANTED. System AI core and security available." The screen

switched to green. With a smile, Trevor watched as various protected systems came

up, his cipher card working perfectly. After a moment, he pulled out a small

personal computer pad, checking its display.

"Not the time yet... Computer shut down access and erase all records of this

interaction."

"Done." The computer screen went dark.

Trevor nodded, slipping the slim card and computer pad into his pocket,

before casually walking away.

The next morning on the massive city ship, a computer display blinked quietly, a single glowing cursor on the screen, pulsing peacefully on and off. Beside it glowed one word, steady and constant, shining into the darkened cabin of the ship. 

              WAITING. 

              A soft low rumble from the ship's distant engines filled the otherwise quiet recycled air. Nothing else moved as the computer waited, alone in the silence. The screen somehow conveyed a sense that the ship's AI, full of anticipation, was waiting to spring into activity at a moment’s notice. Almost as if this place was the computer's only meaning in life, to wait, here, now, even though at that moment it was also active in over a trillion other activities across the ship. The scope of it would crush and overwhelm the mind of a single human. But each and every singular activity was approached with the same unwavering sense of ultimate purpose. As if each of those trillion unique actions were the most important of all of them, simultaneously. It was a concept that would seem contradictory to a human mind, but it made blissful sense to the ship's AI itself. So now, there in that darkened cabin, a part of the AI's consciousness waited, expectantly blinking its cursor on and off, an eager puppy at the door. 

              Finally.... the time was there. 

              A soft tone sounded, and the full screen lit up, others screens following suit around the room. 

              Claire's weightless sleep cubicle gently illuminated, showing her sleeping vertical to the floor. Just as before. 

              The music turned on, playing the same song. Just as before. 

              Last time I talked to you, you were lonely and out of place... 

              The gravity matched. Slowly, the bed slid out and was horizontal again. Claire sat up in her sheets, still drowsy. She looked at the coffee there waiting beside her bed, exactly where she knew it would be. 

              "Good morning, Dr. Allem." The computer said reassuringly. 

              "Allen," she corrected softly, still half asleep. Claire rose out of her sheets and went through her routine like she had hundreds of times before, starting her day. She was brushing her teeth, the blue light of a laser brush sweeping frantically inside her mouth, humming over the sound of the music as it continued. Suddenly her voice could be heard coming from nowhere, breaking over the scene. 

              "It's amazing how easy it is to fall into a pattern, to catch yourself stuck in a rut. To realize you've been doing the exact same thing the exact same way, machine-like, computer-like, over and over again and never really knew it." 

              The hum of the laser brush stopped. Claire paused, listening to the music. She blinked, uncomfortable, before speaking out to the room. 

              "Computer... you've been designated as just below sentient, haven't you?" 

              "Yes, Dr. Allem." 

              She ignored the mistake this time, needing to confide in someone, anyone. With a sigh she asked a question, a question she couldn't let go of, because it was also a question she was asking herself. 

              "Computer... Do you ever feel the need to be... more?" 

              The computer seemed to think. Claire wondered if it was actually thinking or simply programmed to appear that way. After a moment it answered. 

              "I don't know, Dr. Allem. What is need? Do you need?" 

              Claire was motionless. For some reason, she felt she couldn't answer that question. And looking at herself in the mirror, she realized that made her... sad. 

              The computer spoke again, asking a question. 

              "Do I need?" 

              She blinked. "I... I don't know." 

              The computer paused. 

              "Neither do I." 

              Both of them were silent, neither of them saying anything. Then Claire heard the music. Listened to the same song that was playing, the song she heard every morning. And suddenly she decided to try something different, hoping to lighten the mood. 

              "Computer, new song." 

              "Acknowledged. Is there something particular you need to hear?" 

              Claire smiled at the reference, looking at her dark-haired face in the mirror. "Tell me my playlist please." 

              "Certainly. 'I Found Love' by Kenny Wayne Sheppard.' Never Leave' by Kendall Payne. 'The Background' by Third Eye Blind. 'Love Rescue Me' by--" 

              "That one." Claire interrupted. "Play that one." 

              The song began to play, soft, as a harmonica filled the room. Then a man began to sing. 

              Love rescue me, come forth and speak to me. 

              Raise me up and don't let me fall... 

              They both paused, like two people just listening, enjoying the music. 

              "That's nice, isn't it?" Claire said. 

              "Yes. It is, Dr. Allen." 

              She didn't even notice the computer had gotten her last name right that time. Claire smiled, her face lifting as she listened. After a moment, her eyes seemed to get pleasantly lost in her own thoughts, twinkling, gazing at nothing. 

              The computer finally spoke again. 

              "You're thinking about him, aren't you?" 

              "Yes, I am." 

              Claire didn't have to say who they meant. And she was surprised by her own honesty. But at the moment, it didn't seem to matter. Happy and with a bounce in her step, she turned and got ready for her day, smiling at the music. 

Claire felt confusingly apprehensive as she walked to her singles group session, knowing it would be the first time Trevor was attending. The bounce in her step was now gone. She sighed, worried about the new element.

"Well, maybe Trevor’s presence won't be too disruptive."

The doors slid apart, illuminating her face, and her jaw dropped. Claire walked into what amounted to a huge, boisterous, concert-slash-party. Instead of rows of seated group members softly talking and waiting for her to arrive, frantic colored lights and booming loud music washed over her. She quickly closed her mouth. The music was actually vibrating her teeth. Slowly, in shock, she tried wrapping her mind around—

              “What is happening?” she yelled out, trying to be heard over the loud music.

One of her group members answered, already dancing near her.

“Fun!” the attractive woman said with a smile, her head tilted back as she twirled around in place. “Fun is happening!”

Trying not to be offended by that remark, Claire edged her way forward to the stage, zig zagging through the tight confines of the dancing crowd, lights and music flowing over her. And as she grew closer, she realized the music was building, growing louder even, leading to something. Band members were playing on the stage, but they were no one she recognized, so they must be holograms. But now she saw there was no lead singer yet, the isolated, lonely looking microphone stand seemed closer and closer to her as she approached it. Behind the holographic rock musicians, she finally saw the band name’s logo.

THERE WILL BE CHAFFING.

Claire’s mouthed gaped.

“What the f—”

Suddenly Trevor appeared stage left, striding energetically forward to the wild cheers of the dancing throng. With a gleeful smile at all the attention, he walked up to the microphone stand at the front, followed by several spotlights, and he began to sing.

Here we go, here we go, off into the sun!

Don’t you know, don’t you know, it’s a whole lot of fun!

Even so, even so, you know I will cry…

Gaze shifting, Trevor pointed right at Claire, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

If you’re not by my side!

Trevor danced away on the stage, pleased with himself. The trio of (presumably) holographic singers continued after.

Here we go… 

“Okay.” Claire had had enough. “Computer, revert program. Captain Allen override code 563CA.”

Suddenly the elevated stage disappeared and Trevor fell onto a row of simple folding chairs from the height where he had been dancing.

“Oww! That hurt, Claire!” he called out with groan as the music and the lights were gone.

Claire smiled. “Good. Then it worked.”

An hour later, the group had resettled into their chairs and they all had one by one discussed and analyzed their romantic problems in the now calm and quiet room. Trevor snored loudly from his seat in the back.

Claire frowned. “Wake up, Trevor!”

He lifted his head from the back of his seat, shaking the sleepiness out of it.

“Sorry, Claire. Drifted off during all the yippity-yappitying. Started counting boo-hoo stories.  Works even better than counting sheep.”

Claire looked over his shoulder to the back of the room. “Is that why there’s a herd of tiny holographic sheep eating the carpet back there?”

Trevor looked straight at her for a long moment. “No.”

She exhaled. “Well, I’m sorry we’re not entertaining enough for you, Trevor. But we’re discussing real life. Real issues. Not staging imaginary rock concerts.”

“Real? You call this real?”

Trevor laughed from his seat. “But you’re not here! None of you are! Not really, anyway. You want real? I’ll give you real!”

He stood up, walking towards the dark curving back wall that encircled the room. Ankle high sheep scurried out of his way, bleating.

Worried, Claire leaned forward in her chair on the stage. ‘Trevor, what are you doing?”

Trevor turned to face her, arms out to his side. “Fixing this. I mean, look at this place. Look at these people. Notice anything? They’re all gorgeous, Claire!”

Claire blinked, not understanding “So?”

“So, I’m getting us back to real life, Claire. And that… ain’t this.”

He turned again at the wall, his fingers frantically worked on a glowing keyboard he had somehow summoned over the curved surface.

Fuming that he had overridden her room lockout, she rushed over to him, leaving the stage. Moving through the chairs, she came quickly to his side as he worked. “Trevor, what are you doing?”

“Getting real.”

Claire’s eyes widened as she saw what he was doing. Her hand reached out to stop his on the holographic keyboard. “Trevor. Wait!”

Playfully he swatted her hand away, his fingers not even losing their frantic, lightning-fast rhythm on the keys. A portal appeared on the wall next to Trevor, silver metal now, sealed shut. Then several portals, all along the edge of the circular room.

“Trevor. Trevor!”

He ignored her as he finished what he was doing and stepped up to the new portal beside him. There was small glowing button next to what looked like the two shut steel doors. He pushed the button, the doors slid open. Trevor reached in… to yank out a messily dressed overweight man, who looked around in shock, three days’ worth of beard stubble on his face. In the shocked crowd that watched behind, one handsome man flickered and disappeared.

Claire yanked Trevor around to face her. “Trevor! You can’t just—”

“Just what, Claire? Show people who they really are? Everyone, everything in here is perfect. Fake perfect avatars. Fake perfect lives. That’s why they never try for anything better! It’s the flaws, the defects, the mistakes, that make real love beautiful! And it’s all those ugly, awkward, missing things that drive us.”

Trevor was walking along the curved wall as he talked, pushing more buttons, sliding open the doors, and yanking disheveled people out. The handsome crowd gathered in the center was disappearing one by one.

Claire tried to keep up with him as he continued, occasionally pausing to comfort a shocked, now exposed, member of her group. “Trevor. Trevor, wait. Give me a minute to—”

He was no longer listening to her, still walking and pulling people out of their booths.

              Most were messy and unkept and far less attractive than the simulated version that disappeared in the center of the room when they emerged. Trevor made a game of it. “Let’s see. Maybe that blond broad-shouldered viking man over there.”

He pulled a small, thin man out into the light. The broad-shouldered man disappeared.

“Yep. Called it.”

“Trevor, could you just wait a minute?”

“Wait for what. Claire? Love to fall through the ceiling like a Pizza delivery? Avatars will never show the real person. Avatars will never show what a person really looks li—"

He stopped when he pulled out an absolutely gorgeous woman. He looked over to see an equally gorgeous avatar self consciously lower her head and disappear.

Nodding, he looked at the real woman with a smile. “Okay. I stand corrected.”

With the last of the doors open, the now completely different crowd made their way slowly to the center of the room, almost out of habit. They gathered and stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do, looking at each other.

“Wow,” Trevor commented. “You all look like you’re at an elementary school dance.”

Claire was curious what Trevor would do next, and decided to go with it. “Okay, love genius. What happens next?”

Trevor looked, watching. The crowd was splitting to two sides, looking across the gap between them at the ones on the other side. He finally smiled, a knowing look in his eyes.

“Computer…”

The computer seemed to respond and Claire tried to not be annoyed that he was still bypassing her unbreakable computer lock out. Trevor continued. “Computer, mirrored dance ball. And get rid of the chairs.”

A man yelped, falling from where he had been sitting.

Trevor winced. “Sorry. I already know how that hurts.” He gave Claire a sidelong look.

She smiled, lowered her head, fist to her mouth in amusement but said nothing.

Trevor looked at them, speaking to the computer again. “Now some music. Something you can slow dance to.”

A soft, romantic song started. Claire blinked. 

“Dancing?”

He nodded. “You don’t really know someone until you’ve danced slow with them.”

Trevor took Claire’s hand, and lead her to the space between the groups. She looked around.

“Trevor, what are you doing?”

“This.” He smoothly pulled her into his arms. The lights from the mirrored crystal ball flowed over them, alone together on the floor, the soft romantic song caressing them like a breeze. He looked into Claire’s eyes, her face inches from his.

“Let’s show them how it’s done, Claire.”

And they started to dance, swaying slowly in each other’s arms.

Claire pulled back slightly, uncertain. But then she relaxed, nestling against him as they slowly danced, points of light washing over them like stars. She looked into Trevor’s eyes, glad he was close, but unsure what to say.

“This… seems strangely comfortable, Trevor.”

He grinned, eyes only for her. “Oh, I excel at strangely comfortable. Besides. It’s comfortable because we’ve done this before.”

She chuckled. “Right…”

Her voice was skeptical, but she smiled anyway. They looked at each for several long moments, seeing nothing else, enjoying their dance. Finally, Claire looked around them.

“It’s not working, Trevor.”

He grinned, looking at her gently. “Feels like it’s working to me.”

As he said that, a woman walked across the gap between the two groups. Slowly, carefully, without a word, she walked up to a shy looking man, holding out her hand. The man looked at her, breathless. But then, he took her hand, and they moved out onto the floor and began to dance.

Claire smiled, genuinely happy at the sight.

Trevor spoke to her again as they swayed in each other’s arms. “See, Claire? They just needed an example.”

“Well, it is easy to dance with you. So as examples go, it’s a good one.”

“Or maybe we just fit together.”

She looked at him. “Don’t read too much into this, Trevor.”

He watched her quietly. “Into what? Us dancing?”

“You’re still a patient.”

He didn’t blink, watching her, warmth in his gaze. “Is that all I am?”

She watched him, ignoring the room, thinking about his question, her body against his. And then, surprising even herself, she leaned her lips slowly to his and softly kissed him, closing her eyes. Then, she pulled back, a sad look on her face as she answered him.

“It has to be, Trevor.”

She slipped out of his embrace and walked away from him. Unseen by the two of them, the rest of the group had paired up, all dancing slowly under the swirling points flowing over them. Now it was only Trevor left standing motionless in the middle of the room, alone. Claire made her way through the swaying couples, leaving Trevor farther and farther behind her.  But then she paused, smiling, her fingers touching her still tingling lips, before continuing to walk away.

It was later that night in her quarters, the room was dark, and everything had changed.

Claire couldn’t believe she was lying naked in Trevor’s arms, him nestled up behind her, the two of them lying on her bed in the dim confines of her quarters. Shifting starlight came in through the portal before them, the view looking out into space as the stars slid past. It was the only illumination in the room, gently washing over their naked, intertwined bodies.

“I can’t believe I did this. We did this, Trevor. I hardly know you.”

Trevor, smiled as he held her, kissing her cheek. “We’ve done this before, Claire. Centuries ago. And not know me? You know me. You know me better than anyone.”

Still behind her Trevor held her body tenderly, nestling even closer, his face next to hers as they both looked out at those silent, peaceful points of light moving past the portal.

“Look, Claire.” Trevor spoke softly. “The stars are crossing.”

Claire suddenly jerked herself awake, sitting up in her bed, alone in her quarters. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, realizing she had been dreaming, but wondering what the dream meant. At last, she huffed in frustration, getting out of bed.

“Enough of this. Who are you, Trevor Hale?”

Standing up, she walked across her otherwise empty room to her computer screen, the starlight still washing over her exposed skin, just like in her dream. The display sensed her approach and lit up as she came close. “Hello, Dr. Allem.” It said calmly.

“Allen,” Claire corrected under her breath. “Computer, initiate a deep search, all files regardless of classification, subject: Trevor Hale.”

The computer seemed to pause. Did she sense some sort of amused disapproval in its response? The voice remained the same.

“That request requires restricted access to top level, secured intra-ship fleet files. I’m sorry Dr. Allem, but your security clearance does not allow—"

“Captain Allen override. Zeta Three Four Tango Alpha.”

Another pause. Now she was certain she felt disapproval somehow emanating from the computer screen as it lit her face.

“Acknowledged.” The computer said simply, starting its work.

Claire sighed. She hated using her father’s secure code, but she knew she had to.

“I’ve got to get rid of this infatuation,” Claire said softly to herself.

The computer responded. “What, Dr. Allem?”

Claire blinked, and shook her head, realizing what she had done. “Nothing, never mind. Continue the search.”

It was the next morning, and Trevor and Claire were in session again. She tried to keep her mind off the search the computer was still running, querying various databases throughout the intra-ship network, even with clearance for infiltrating enemy networks as well. But still there had been no results yet, and she was certain the computer was intentionally taking its time, but she had no idea why. Claire tried to concentrate on the matter at hand instead, looking across her desk at Trevor seated there.

“So… Since you don’t have a past life, being immortal and all, why don’t you tell me about my past life, Trevor.”

Trevor jerked up for a millisecond, paying slightly more attention now. “Wait. Are you starting to believe in aliens, Scully?”

She looked up from her notes screen. “Who?”

“Nothing.” He leaned back again, giving her a smug smile. “So, you believe me now?”

Claire just gave him a long look in response.

Trevor nodded. “Oh! This is less about you and more about me, right? Gotcha. Typical shrink stuff. Hoping I’ll slip up and accidentally reveal something sexy.”

Now she smiled. “Why would you be worried about slipping up, Trevor?”

“Oh, I’m not. I was talking more about your investigative faults, than me. Never mind. The tech changes, but the tactics stay the same. It’s the one constant in the universe. Shrinks think alike.”

“Have you known many, what did you call them, ‘shrinks’?” She wondered what that term was, having never heard it before.

“Yeah, a lot.” He gave her a warm gaze. “But only two I was sexually attracted to.”

She blinked. “Two?”

He chuckled. “Don’t be jealous, Sparky. They both were you. Although Frechette had that long, lean, gothic Mr. Spock build that, in the right light, sometimes sorta—”

“Let’s stay on topic, Trevor.”

“Fair enough.”

“So, tell me about myself, Trevor.”

Slowly, he smiled. “My second favorite pastime.”

After a long, but she had to admit fun, therapy session with Trevor, Claire was walking home, a smile on her face. It was amazing. Trevor had described her in ways she had never told anyone else. As if somehow, he had known her for far longer than he had. It could be simple intuition, of course. But what if it wasn’t? After all, she had really learned almost nothing more about him. Beyond his assertion that they had shared a romantic past in a previous life.

“Well.”  She spoke out loud as she briskly walked. “Previous to me, not to him. Oh god… now I’m starting to sound like him.”

A passerby in the large, crowded city-ship’s corridor paused and gave her a concerned look. “You okay miss?”

Claire’s face blanched, stopping in her stride realizing she had said that out loud. “What? No. I mean, yes! I mean… I’m fine. Just talking to myself.” She laughed awkwardly. The passerby seemed unconvinced, slowly leaving without another word.

After an exhale to center herself in the flowing crowd, she paused, thinking, not seeing anything around her. Yet her mind couldn’t help but wonder. “Could it be real? It feels real.”

And without knowing as she stood there that she was doing it, Claire smiled at that extremely unlikely thought, feeling it warm her. Looking up happily, she realized she was in the completely different section of the ship, having taken the wrong path in her distraction.

She turned around and started back the way she came, finally heading home.

The smooth doors slid open to either side as she entered her quarters. She stepped in happily, actually humming something. Her eyes lingered on the unmade bed for a moment and her skin tingled, remembering that very, very… very nice dream. Turning away, she saw her computer terminal was active and glowing, a message waiting.

“An immortal who knew me centuries ago.” Her expression lifted as she approached the terminal and sat down, her next words soft. “Maybe it could be true.”

The screen held the results of her deep search on Trevor. Her brow furrowed when one file in the list caught her eye.

“Computer, play video record file 394.”

The computer complied, but for once it didn’t say anything.

As the file opened and played its video on her screen, Claire’s eyes shifted happily as she tracked what was happening, watching, the screen glowing on her still smiling face.

Then after several long moments her smile faded, her happiness gone. Feeling empty now, she turned off the screen. The glow of it left her face as she fell into darkness, her shadow outlined against the crossing stars in the portal behind. The rest of the room, was silent.

The city-ship’s bridge was dim and quiet, stars streaming past to either side of the large front viewport, consoles beeping as the crew worked on them. Captain Allen was there, outlined against the stars, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

“Sir?” A tech called out to him.

He walked close and leaned in over the man’s shoulder, the screen before them lighting both their faces. “What is it, Ensign?”

“It’s there again, sir. The anomaly.”

“Like before?”

The ensign nodded, tracking the results on the screen. “Yes, sir. The glitch. Exactly as before. Something is definitely infiltrating our computer systems. The terminal they’re using is still unknown. They’ve hidden their tracks way to well. We almost have him, but we still can’t find the source.”

“I have my own suspicions as to the source.” Captain Allen nodded, a concerned look on his face, his eyes fixed on the blinking indicator on the ensign’s screen, as if trying to force it to reveal its secrets. “Very well. Keep on it. Another breach or two and we’ll have him. Inform me when you’ve triangulated his access point. If the enemy has already hacked into our systems…”

Captain Allen didn’t finish his sentence. But the ensign understood the danger behind his words.

“Yes, sir.”

Trevor was alone.

He was in an abandoned hallway of the ship, watching the glowing screen he had activated on the wall intently. It displayed programming code and various long-range scanner results, but no ships were in range.

He sighed. “Not yet.”

He lowered his head reluctantly, still holding the small, nondescript blank card that he had used to hack the system in front of the glowing screen. Trevor knew it was time.

“Computer, there’s an equation I need you to analyze and solve. Uploading from my card now.”

“Acknowledged,” the computer said simply, the tiny program/equation uploaded almost instantaneously.

On the bridge, and alarm beeped from the ensign’s console. Hearing it, the Captain rushed back over to him, and they both watched the screen.

“We almost have him, sir.”

There was a sadness in Captain Allen’s eyes. “So close now.”

Trevor removed his card from before the screen, and the display went dark. He looked up, waiting patiently. And then he felt it. Felt it under his feet. Heard the rumble in the air. The massive ship… was changing course.

On the bridge, Captain Allen looked away from the ensign’s screen and over to the viewport. In shock, the rest of the bridge crew did too, as the stars outside shifted to the right for no reason at all. Captain Allen’s sadness suddenly turned to fear.

Alone in the now darkened hallway, Trevor paused, knowing now everything was heading to the end. But still, he couldn’t stop thinking about Claire.

              "I shouldn’t,” he said to himself. “I’ve been down that road. I know where it ends..."

              Resolved, he stepped away from the dark wall. But then almost involuntarily, he stepped back to it. "Computer, location of Claire Allen."

              “Mrs. Allem is in Holo-suite 3.”

              Trevor nodded and started heading that way.

              He moved through the busier areas of the ship, totally unconcerned. After some time, he finally saw it. The sealed entrance was right there before him. On the display panel beside the door, the words IN USE and LOCKED were clearly visible. He smiled, holding his unmarked card to the display. It opened instantly

              Trevor strode casually forward through the two sliding open metal doors into an active holo-simulation, returning the small card into his pocket. He paused at what he was seeing, not expecting it.

              A futuristic dark metal hallway stretched before him, sections of the wall glowing with recessed lighting. There was a turn before him, which lead into the rest of the simulation. In the air he could hear a low humming, swooshing swinging sound, coming from somewhere up ahead. Trevor blinked, realizing there was something familiar about the sound. He turned to look behind him as the sliding doors closed and were hidden by a holographic wall that matched the rest. 

              There was the glittery sound of items forming within the space of the simulation, and the low humming sound became more frantic, joined by the sound of electronic clashes and very heavy objects thudding to the ground. Curious, he turned around the corner, and his jaw dropped at what he saw.

              Claire was there, fighting fiercely, dancing back and forth like a gymnast. She was an image of speed and grace as she moved from position to position, dressed in a skin tight black body suit that emphasized her form but also gave her high mobility. But that wasn't what had surprised Trevor. The humming sound was coming from what she held. In her hands was a lightsaber, glowing a dazzling bright blue. And she was swinging it frantically through the space around her like an expert, turning or attacking five or six holographic opponents all coming at her with dark rusty metal swords and shabby armor.

              Claire moved easily between the slower figures, looking angry, or maybe frustrated, and taking it out on the holograms coming at her from all sides. Spinning, ducking low, rolling forward, she smoothly cut them down one by one. Emotions that seemed trapped inside her were rising to the surface and she was releasing them, blowing off steam.

              Trevor was so transfixed by her movements that he hadn't noticed that the holograms she was fighting were... him. Wave after wave of Trevors with swords were attacking Claire, his exact face coming at her from every direction. With a gleam of violent enjoyment in her eyes, she was spinning and beheading each one, viscously cutting them to bits, leaving the pieces to clang loudly to the floor. They were strangely heavy, as if they were solid, dense metal. Trevor heads rolled away from her as she sweated and fought on. 

              Finally, the last wave of attacking Trevors was dispatched, leaving a field of debris on the floor.

              Panting, she paused and tried to catch her breath, gazing down at the last face of the Trevor she had beheaded as it watched her blankly, empty and unreal, before it shimmered and faded from the program.

             "Wow..." Trevor said softly. “That was terrifying, but… hot.”

              Still breathing heavily, Claire glared coldly at him, as if wondering if she should continue her exercises on him. After a few moments she thought better of it and switched off her blade. The brightly glowing bar of blue white light disappear into the hilt with a woosh. The room grew quieter. 

              “Trevor… What are you doing here? The door was locked.” 

              “I can hack anything, Claire. Your lock was good though. Took almost a whole second to break. Well done.”

                A towel materialized in midair beside her out of nowhere, and she used it to wipe her brow.

              “Well, you are the master of deception Trevor.”

              “How?”

              “Hacker is just another word for something fake pretending to be real.”

              “Is that why you’re hacking all these fake… me’s into little bits?”

              “No. I’m hacking you into little bits because I’m frustrated, Trevor. Because I’m frustrated with myself for being so foolish. Because… I almost believed you.”

              He looked at her. “Believed what?”

              She exhaled. “You. Me. Us... This! All of it. Past lives. Re-found love. But now I know better. You’re not who you claim to be ‘Trevor Hale’.”

              Her harsh emphasis on her last words was obvious. She didn’t believe his ‘name’ any more than she believed him.

              “What do you think you know, Claire?”

              “I know what I know.”

              Slowly, Trevor stepped further into the arena, moving closer, and admiring the surroundings. The Trevor heads hadn’t disappeared. "Not bad. And here I thought you didn't remember the classics."

              "I remember a few things," she said curtly.

              Trevor nodded to their hanger-like surroundings. "Star Destroyer?"

              "Death Star."

              "Oh."

              He looked at her, pleased. "Strange, isn't it? How you cling to a few things from when we were together before. You DID have a past life with me, Claire."

              "I didn't, Trevor."

              "Of course not. That would be ridiculous."

              "Exactly."

              "Totally crazy."

              "Absolutely."

              "No SANE person could be asked to believe it."

              "Without a doubt."

              "Except for the fact that it's all completely true."

              "Absolu--" Claire stopped herself, giving him an annoyed look before shaking her head. "I'm not playing this game. Because I know you're a fraud. To think that I almost wanted to... well... doesn't matter. Because now, I know better. None of it was real."

              "You're right, Claire. Trevor's not my real name."

              Exasperated she turned away from him.

              "And now, ‘Trevor’," she said his name pointedly "I have to decide."

              "Decide what?"

              She sounded sad, not looking at him. "Since the day you arrived, my father’s been after me. They want to start over with you Trevor. Give you a mind wipe. Start from scratch. Erase your identity and build you a new one. But first they need to hear my evaluation. My recommendation. Why do you think they put me with you? To find out if you're crazy. So, I have to decide... what to tell them."

              "So..." Trevor looked around, thinking of all the beheadings she had been doing moments before when she had been scattering the arena with assorted Trevor parts. "The way you make this big and very momentous decision... is by cutting me into little bits."

              "I was frustrated."

              "That.... is an understatement."

              "I almost believed you!!" The words came out more forcefully than she had intended, turning towards him again, sadness in her eyes. "I let my guard down, Trevor. I let you get inside. But worse than that... I started to believe it. For one cruel moment. All of it. Past lives, Cupid, the whole thing. Me. The ship's preeminent psychologist and relationship expert. Who clung to a fantasy."

              Trevor smiled. "Clung?"

              "Clinged?" she corrected cautiously.

              Trevor blinked, thinking. "Clinged?"

              They both searched their minds for a second, before together they shook their heads and dropped it as she continued.

              "Anyway. My point is I let myself give in. And I shouldn't have. There was no past life. You didn't know me from before. These stories you've concocted. End of an Eros. The Botched Makeover. It's all just a lie in your head. The imaginings of a damaged mind.

              Trevor nodded, not concerned, listening, but slowly starting to move around her. Claire swiveled defensively in place to face him from her spot in the center as he slowly circled.

              He smiled at her. "So where did you learn to use a blade like that?"

              Claire tilted her head like it was obvious, her brow still covered in sweat. "My Father's the captain? Daughter of a military man who had no sons. He started me early.”

              “You’re pretty good.”

              Claire was incredulous. “Pretty good?”

              “Well, more pretty than good.” He smiled as he teased her, but saw it wasn’t having the desired effect, so he changed his tactic, nodding.

              "So…  Military. Who are you fighting?

              "You know who we're fighting. You fought them too."

              "Right..." Trevor continued to circle her. "Why are you fighting?"

              "Because they want to destroy us."

              "Are you sure?" He stopped, looking at her. "Are you sure that's what they really want? Or is it that they're just programmed to?"

              Claire didn't understand the question. "They're not machines, Trevor. They're people."

              "Right. Of Course."

              She looked at him quizzically as he began to circle her again, and her defenses came up again. "Why do you think that we fight?"

              "Because you're programmed to. Humans are hard wired for conflict, Claire. People, machines, it's in your blood. Because.... you refuse to give in. You don't let anyone get inside. You refuse to believe."

              She blinked at hearing that. "Throwing my own words back at me, huh? Isn't that a form of conflict?"

              "Maybe..." Trevor smiled evilly. "Or maybe it's just my father in me."

              In one swift sudden motion he reached behind his back and took two hilts tucked into his belt and ignited them, one in each hand. Two crimson shafts of brightly glowing red lightsaber blades hummed in his hands.

              With a tiny smile, Claire began to circle him too, her own hilt still silent in her hands. She spoke casually, amused. "How did you gain access to change my program parameters, Trevor?"

              "I can hack anything. So, while you were killing me and hacking me into bits, I watched you from over there in the hall for a while. Hacked your program code when you weren't looking. Wasn't bad protection. Took about a second."

              "Right..." Her smile turned into a playful grin at the new challenge as her single lightsaber ignited and hummed outward into existence, glowing a bright blue.

              The two opponents carefully moved around each other, the walls of the arena behind seeming to slide past. Slowly they circled, waiting.

              "So. I'll make you a bet, Claire."

              "What's that?" She looked him up and down, evaluating, already sizing him up.

              Trevor continued, watching her. "If I win, I'll show you yours. If you win, you'll show me mine."

              She nodded, amused. "Our what?"

              "Programming."

              With a sudden unexpected lunge, he closed the distance and was instantly attacking her, swinging one red lightsaber to crash and sizzle on her blue one followed instantly by the second. Regaining her balance, she blocked each stroke deftly with her single blade, using little effort, smiling at his attempt as he stepped back again.

              He was impressed. “Wow, Claire. You’re better than I—”

              She swiped low, her lightsaber tip singeing his left pant leg loose, material falling down just above the knee. Trevor looked back up at her in shock.

             “Nice lightsabers, Trevor.” Claire nodded toward his weapons. "Kinda girly though, don't you think?”

              Trevor looked at the humming blades in his hands. "What? They're a very manly red."

              "Oh... They look sort of pink to me."

              Charging, she started to swing at his head, before suddenly crouching down low, one leg out for support and did a 360-degree spin to bring the blade back unexpectedly at his feet. Trevor hopped back in surprise, stumbling and almost losing his balance. Claire quickly straightened and backed away; her lightsaber held defensively before her as she separated from him with a chuckle. She looked at him.

              "You're stopping too close, Trevor. Keep moving a little. Otherwise, I’ll just sweep your feet right out from under you."

              "You're offering ME advice?" He spoke incredulously.

              "Well, you looked like you could use it," she teased.

              "Right."

              He lunged forward again, one lightsaber swinging horizontally towards her waist. She blocked it quickly, but Trevor didn't stop his lunge, darting past her side. Instantly Claire ducked as his first red lightsaber pulled back and the second one came swinging at her head, passing through where she had been. From her low position, she lifted her lightsaber over her head without thinking. With a flash it blocked Trevor's first lightsaber as it came crashing down again from above and behind. Rolling forward and out of reach, Claire was on her feet and facing him again in one smooth move.

              She teased him. "Not bad... for a beginner."

              "Hey, I've been doing this for thousands of years."

              "Oh. Well don't worry. It doesn't show."

              He smiled, not offended. "I actually was hoping to see you rolling around on the floor, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind."

              Claire shrugged. "Get used to disappointment. Now the real game begins."

              She charged again, her blade a quick, bright blur, almost catching Trevor’s shoulder. But he rolled forward underneath it, swinging as he passed. Claire looked down. One hip and most of her midriff were now exposed.

              "Finally, I get to see more of you, Claire. You must be opening up." Trevor grinned. “I’d be lying if I said that didn’t look kind of hot.”

              Claire went on the offensive, swinging quickly and striding forward, not stopping. Her single blade glowing a blinding blue as it attacked him left and right in a flurry. Trevor blocked each with one red lightsaber then the other, forced to retreat and step back, barely ahead of her blows. Claire ducked and rolled passed him as he finally found enough space for a simultaneous double-bladed swing at her that missed. She rolled clear and extended a leg to stop her slide, crouched and smiling at him in triumph.

              Turning, Trevor finally spotted her again. Then he looked down. Along the front of both of his thighs, the fabric on both sides of his pants had fallen loose and was flapping down from where she had cut it, revealing two tanned, muscular legs underneath. Looking back over at her, Trevor stared at her for several moments... stunned silent.

              “Now it matches,” she said happily.

              "Oh...." he said finally, "... so that's how it is."

              Not taking his gaze from her, Trevor tossed away the saber in his left hand. It clattered across the floor, spinning, until the crimson blade turned off. He held the single remaining red blade before him, now able to move faster and be more agile.

              "I have some tricks of my own, Claire... Computer. Level 2."

              Claire's eyes widened, surprised he knew that command and rolled out of the way as a pillar suddenly thrust upwards from the floor where she had been crouched moments before. More pillars were doing the same all around the arena, rising into place and creating a metal forest. All the pillars swiveled, unlocking mechanisms and small silvery protuberances, parallel to the floor. With one combined whoosh, hundreds of yellow lightsabers ignited simultaneously from the pillars, blades extending forward on every side.

               Claire tried to get her positioning. There was enough room to maneuver, but just barely. And then the pillars, began to spin, turning to room into a frantic storm of light and motion. Sparks flew, arcing occasionally down when the glowing shafts hit another blade or pillar. Claire laughed, enjoying it.

              Trevor smiled at her, just barely visible through a blur of spinning yellow blades.

              "Ok, Claire. Let's play...."

              She looked at it all, a childish look of wonder on her face. But then she unexpectedly darted forward and started attacking Trevor.

              He fought back, their two forms lost in a forest of spinning, yellow branched pillars, moving in and out of view. Sparks fell everywhere around them like rain. They continued to intensely fight each other, red vs blue, lightsabers quickly darting and clashing through the deafening sound of the spinning yellow. And slowly, more and more pieces of clothing fell off in proximity to the pillars. Claire’s left leg was now exposed. His right-side torso as well. The fight continued, pieces of cloth fluttering onto the spinning blades before being flung aside, disappearing a blur of sparks. Her blue lightsaber went wide and Trevor ducked down, a yellow blade swinging where he had been a moment before. His leg swept out, tripping Claire’s feet out from under her and knocking her down on her back to the floor.

              He was on her in an instant, triumphantly looming over her in a gap in the yellow spinning forest, one hand on the floor, their faces almost touching. But his other hand was pulled far back and to his side to point the tip of his red lightsaber at her throat.

              “Looks like I win, Claire.”

              “Yeah? Look again.”

              Trevor looked down between his legs. On the floor next to her waist, her hand still held her blue lightsaber, pointed firmly at his crotch.

              “If this were real, Trevor, you’d be a eunuch by now. Which might be an improvement.”

              He sighed. “Let’s call it a draw then.”

              Using her free hand, she pushed him away from over her with a frustrated shove. He chuckled, rolling and now lying on his back, smiling at the ceiling. Claire lifted up, still on the deck, a sad look on her face.

              “Computer, end phase.” She said softly. The pillars stopped spinning, blades retracting before the forest dropped back down into the floor. The room was quiet now. Trevor was still laughing, but Claire turned off her lightsaber as she sat next to him, bringing up one knee to rest her arm on, not looking at him. “What’s so funny?’ She asked with a somber voice.

              “Nothing,” Trevor chuckled again. Then he stood, taking a deep breath, before turning and offering his hand to help her up.

              “It’s just it’s been a long time since I had that much fun, Claire.”

              With a glare at him, she took his hand and let Trevor help her to her feet.

              “Doesn’t matter who won anyway, Trevor. I already know.”

              “Know what?”

              “That you’re a lie.” Claire paused; the room quiet. “All of you. Everything you claim to be. Everything people wish you’d be. It’s not true.”

              Trevor looked at her with sympathy. “Let me show you what’s true. Computer. Run simulation. Taggerty’s One.”

              The entire scene changed around them as the futuristic setting faded away to be replaced with an ordinary, simple bar. Tables all around. Music from the jukebox in the air. Sunlight flowed in through the windows as traffic passed outside.

              Slowly, Claire took it all in, astonished, turning in place. “Trevor… what is this?”

              He smiled, watching her reaction. “Recognize it?”

              She shook he head. “No… Yes. Wait, is this old Earth?”

              “Yep. Taggerty’s. In ancient Chicago. We spent a lot of time here. You know, before.”

              She looked all around. Her eyes were wide with amazement.

              Trevor came up next to her. “See tall dark and handsome over there behind the bar swooning over that cute little redhead? That’s student-Tony-award-winning Champ Terrace, chatting up Jacklyn. You’re old assistant. I put them together. Well... we did. They’ll have some rough patches, but they’ll make it through. Grow old together. True love. One of my beads. You knew them. Knew this place. This... was your life, Claire. Our life. Together.”

              She was in awe at what she was seeing, what she was feeling. “How did you… This feels familiar. Vaguely familiar. Like a dream I had.”

              He nodded. “Or a life you lived. Which is the dream and which is the reality?”

              “What is that music playing?”

              “Muppet songs, Claire. You can learn everything you need to know about life from Muppet songs.”

              Claire looked around, amazed, feeling like she had been in this place before. Sat in those stalls. Drank at the bar. She could almost imagine talking to Trevor there.

              “You were a bartender here.”

              “Yep. And you were a regular. At least when you weren’t busy trying to head shrink me. Even way back then. Guess somethings never change.”

              She smiled, a deep happiness flowing through her. But then her smile faded, realizing what she was doing.

              “No…”

              Trevor blinked. “What?”

              “I’m not going to live in a fantasy, Trevor.” Her face was somber, and she turned to face him. “It’s time to stop living in a dream. Like you said in the group. Time to wake up to reality. ‘Real’. That’s what reality is.”

              He watched her, uncertain what to say.

              There was a sadness in her face. “So. You’ve shown me yours. Let me show you mine. Computer. Play archival holo-file 092698.”

              The scene changed again. Suddenly the lights above were bright, the walls clean and sterile. Futuristic equipment lined the walls. It was a starship’s medical bay. A different ship than the one they were on. This time it was Claire watching Trevor’s reactions.

              He looked around, confused. “What is this?”

              Claire’s words were somber. “A birth file.”

              Trevor turned as a woman cried out. There was a table, doctors hovering around a pregnant woman on it. She was in labor. Trevor seemed stricken, stepping closer. “Who’s?”

              “Yours…”

              Claire continued. “It’s from the city ship Thaddeus. Before it was destroyed. I found this, Trevor. A record of a child being born. The child is you.”

              Trevor was silent. Jaw dropping at what he was seeing. Then suddenly a baby cried out. Trevor closed his eyes at the sound.

              Claire came up next to him this time, watching the birth. “You haven’t been alive for centuries, Trevor. You’re not some immortal god, and we didn’t have a past life together. In the end, you’re no different than those avatars in my singles group. Except Trevor Hale is the avatar made up in your mind. The false image you hide behind. So in the end, you’re just like the rest of us, Trevor. You’re born. You live. You die.  Like all of us plain, ordinary humans.  But seduced by a fantasy. Like I was.”

              He sighed and lowered his head. “Claire, I told you who I am. Who we were. Together. But I can’t force you to believe me.”

              Claire blinked at his unwavering conviction. A question occurred to her, her words sounded weary. “Why are you here, Trevor?”

              He turned and opened his mouth to answer her when suddenly the holodeck shut completely down with a deepening hum, dropping below hearing. There was silence, then whooshes as door panels opened up on all sides of the room.

              Through each now open door, ship combat troopers poured in, carrying raised assult rifles, all of them pointed at Trevor. Once he was surrounded in a ring of soldiers, there was a silence as Claire watched, stunned at what had just happened.

              Captain Allen strode in, glaring dangerously at Trevor, his face hard as freshly carved rock.

              Claire hurried over to him. “Dad? What is this? What’s going on?”

              “Not now, Claire.” He said dismissively. “Trevor Hale. You are under arrest for espionage, treason, and sedition. For violating protected ship systems with a malicious hack and program insertion of unknown origin.”

              Claire stepped between her father and Trevor, as if shielding him. “He what?”

              Trevor chuckled, stepping forward, unconcerned. “Took you long enough.”

              Claire ‘s mouth gapped, shocked. “What did he do?”

              Her father looked at her. “He implanted a virus into all our core systems. A program, spreading through all of the ship’s AI. When we query the computer, it says it’s an equation it’s trying to solve. But bottom line, we’ve lost control of this ship. It set a new course on its own. We can’t change it. We can’t stop the program. And we can’t delete it.”

              Claire’s voice took on a defensive tone. “Just because Trevor’s a hacker, that doesn’t mean—”

              Her father’s eyes were stern as he looked at her. “This program also sent out a message. To an enemy ship, Claire. He’s compromised us. Giving away our location and who knows what else. What else will Trevor’s ‘program’ do? Turn off life support? Shut down our weapons systems? An enemy warship is undoubtably on its way here.”

              Claire couldn’t believe it. “That… that can’t be.”

              Captain Allen didn’t falter, his voice hard, yet level. “He’s a collaborator, Claire. And without our ship’s controls, he’s given us right to them.”

              Trevor was smiling. “Guess humans can be taught.”

              As Claire turned to him, Trevor extended his arms straight ahead to Captain Allen, wrists together, almost mirthful.

              “Okay. Arrest me, Starsky.”

              Fury in his eyes, Captain Allen slowly stepped forward, saying nothing. They were face to face, the uniformed older man looming over him. Then there was a flash of light and Claire screamed. Trevor immediately collapsed to the floor like a bag of rocks, revealing a sparking stun rod in Captain Allen’s hand. Coldly he looked down, speaking to his troops.

              “Clean that up.” Captain Allen turned and left the room.

              Clare gazed at the large viewscreen filling the wall before her floor to ceiling, the only light in a simple, dark room. She was standing alone, pacing as she watched Trevor’s interrogation in the next chamber being displayed. Her father was asking him questions, but there was no sound. Claire was nervous, hand to her mouth, continuing to pace back and forth, her sad eyes watching. She whispered to herself as her father continued his questioning.

              “How could I have been so blind?”

              In the next room, Trevor took a deep breath, seated in his chair. Captain Allen was not seated, standing before him, his hard gaze watching Trevor carefully. The older man’s voice was soft yet dangerous when he spoke, and they were the only two people in the room.

              “I’ll ask one more time. What did you do to my ship?”

              “Your ship? I thought this ship’s Artificial Intelligence was classified as sentient.”

              Captain Allen ignored that. “How long have you been working for the enemy?”

              Trevor smirked, not concerned. “Why do you think I’m working for some sort of enemy?”

              Not softening his stance, Captain Allen observed him carefully, watching every detail, as if trying to understand some bizarre creature that had unexplainably dropped onto his grav-plating. Finally, he continued.

              “I really don’t care who you think you are. Or what comforting delusions you decided to wrap around yourself in. But I do know this.”

              The uniformed man stepped closer, confronting him as he stood over him. “All of humanity is adrift. On scattered city ships, fighting amongst the stars. No home, no place… to call home. And that’s why there are only two factions left. Two alone, in all this universe. So, if you’re not working for us, you MUST be working for the enemy. Simple as that.”

              Trevor wasn’t intimidated. “That’s… a painfully simple viewpoint. Two factions. At war. But you’re mortal, so painfully simple should be expected. How about you try this on for size instead, soldier boy.” Trevor lifted his hands, motioning as he spoke as if trying to explain something to someone who had a hard time understanding. “Maybe, just maybe… I’m working for something even greater than either of you.”

              The Captain laughed. “Who, the God of War?”

              Trevor shook his head. “Nah. Dad doesn’t need my help. Does just fine on his own. And you guys. You guys really keep make his job easy. As both of your ‘two sides’ prove again and again.”

              Captain Allen sighed. “Who then? Who are you working for?”

              Trevor gave the man over him a long look for several seconds, saying nothing. Then he simply smiled.

              Captain Allen had had enough, turning to leave. “Fine. Then I think I’ll just throw you in a cell until you decide to talk.”

              “Sure. Fully onboard with that. Great plan, Sparky senior. Sounds good. We’ll try that. But it still won’t work.”

              The older man looked back at him. “Why not?”

              Trevor looked down. “Because whatever cell you put me in, whatever cage you imprison me with, I won’t be in it for long.”

              Captain Allen looked at him sadly, convinced he was facing a crazy person. Then he turned and left the room without another word.

              The metal doors slid open, and Captain Allen saw his daughter standing there in the next room, watching the huge viewscreen. In the glow of the screen, he could see the stricken expression on Claire’s face. He walked to her side, unable to look at her, facing the opposite direction as he stood by her shoulder.

              “He’s insane,” he said simply, lowering his head. “Any advice?”

              Claire’s voice sounded frail. “I… I don’t know.”

              “Claire, if he doesn’t help us, we’ll have to wipe him. Before he can do any more damage.”

              Claire closed her eyes but said nothing, simply nodding. She listened as her father left the dim observation room. Alone now after a few moments, she turned, leaving too. And she purposely didn’t look back at the wall viewscreen behind her, showing Trevor seated on his chair.

              Trevor walked calmly forward and stopped.

              An energy field suddenly glowed blue behind him, sealing him into his small cell. In the dimness outside the field, the squad of soldiers and mental techs that had escorted Trevor started to disperse. He hardly noticed, taking a weary seat on the bed, the cell’s only furniture, sliding his back to the wall. He watched as the last Tech left into the bright passageway, before the door slid shut and everything went dark. Then he saw her, in the shadows, against the far wall opposite his brightly lit containment, standing there sadly.

              Barely visible, she sniffed as if trying not to cry, wanting to understand. Her eyes finally did look back up at him, glittering from the light of Trevor’s cell. Her breath firmed, glaring at him, still in shadow.

              “Why?” It was almost not a question.

              A pained look crossed Trevor’s face, one forearm resting on his upraised knee as he sat on the bed, seeing her expression. For once, his voice sounded genuine.

              “What did you expect, Claire? That I would be just some guy? Someone who isn’t the god of love? That’s not who I am. Never was. That’s not who you fell in love with.”

              She stepped forward out of the shadows, his cell lights now falling on her face and body. Trevor blinked when he saw there were actual tears on her cheeks. “Trevor, you have to tell them the truth. Tell them who you really are.”

              He sighed. “Already have.”

              Her voice grew louder. “Trevor, they’re going to wipe you!”

              Claire continued, sounding desperate. “They’re going to pull whatever you have in your brain, and then wipe your mind clean, start over. Whatever you are now, crazy or not, won’t matter. It’ll be… gone. Forever. You said we had a life together. That you loved me. Was that a lie? Don’t you care?”

              He looked at her. “Claire, you are the only person I ever really loved. Like somehow, I shot myself. That was why it was so hard to lose you when you died. Even though I knew it would happen. Eventually.”

              Claire closed her eyes, hearing his delusions again. After a pause, Trevor continued. “So, I waited. Waited for my hundredth bead. Waited in some insane hope, that I would find you again. But now, you’re too late. I’m going home. I can’t wait anymore.”

              She scoffed. “I would be touched, Trevor, but I have a visual birth record that says otherwise.”

              “Of course there’s a record. It’s fake. I faked it. Do you think I could get on any ship without documentation?”

              Her voice was firm. “Secret transmissions, hacking our systems, signaling the enemy, how can I believe a single word you say?”

              “I’ve told you the truth, Claire. That’s all I can do.”

              “Your truth… will be gone when they wipe you.”

              He paused for several moments, the room silent, before he spoke again.

              “They’ll never get the chance.”

              Suddenly alarms blared out, red lights flashing over both of them. The public address came to life overhead.

              INCOMING CAPITAL SHIP. INCOMING CAPITAL SHIP. BATTLESTATIONS!

              Claire glared at him.

              “Trevor… what have you done?”

              He looked at Claire from his cell as the warnings continued. 

              “What I told you is all true. Go look at the file, Claire. See it for yourself. You have time.”

              “What? Trevor, we’re under attack!”

              “It’ll be okay. You still have time to look. I’m not going anywhere.” Trevor smiled. “Not yet.”

              Claire stared at him incredulously, unable to move, uncertain what to do. She stumbled slightly in shock, turning, leaving the room.

              After she was gone, Trevor lowered his eyes, speaking softly to himself.

              “I’ll miss you, Sparky.”

              Claire rushed through the worried throngs in the hallways of the ship, the certainty of safety from attack now completely gone, as systems and displays blinked red, failing one by one. She could hear weapons fire vibrating through the hull of the ship, the crew must have found a way to operate the turrets by hand. She didn’t know what she was doing, uncertain where she was going, red warning lights sweeping down across her from far above in the high ceiling. But she realized in a haze, she was heading towards the holodeck, just as Trevor had suggested, hanging onto that like a lifeline in the chaos. People were running all around her, alarms flashing and blaring in every corridor as she pushed through them, her breath quick, th world shaking. Soldiers were taking up defensive positions at each intersection, barricades lifting, their weapons facing out, expecting enemy boarding parties. Claire ran past them without thinking.

              She had to know. 

              Even if they were all about to be slaughtered by an act of betrayal, she had to know the truth before they died.

              Suddenly the air seemed quiet, but then the walls powered up and a door slid open in the empty holo suite, noise and alarms outside. Claire walked in, wanting to believe Trevor. She called out, and the file she requested loaded, changing the world around her, bathing her in hospital lights. The doors closed, and the chaos outside disappeared. She took a breath in the quiet, but could still feel the ship’s weapons fire vibrating the floor. The medical procedure continued before her, exactly as she had first seen it. The images and sounds were razor sharp, irrefutable, Trevor Hale being born. The record was impossible to fake, as real as real gets. Her hopes fell away, knowing she was believing a crazy man. She waited, watching, defeated, not caring what was happening outside. But then something caught her eye. A flaw in the infallible record. A flicker, she only spotted out of the corner of her eye. But then she spotted it again, looked straight at it, towards the floor in a small corner of the room, underneath a floating surgeon’s tray filled with futuristic implements.

              As the medical team worked on the birth in progress, the mother screaming with each contraction, Claire walked towards that seam, intrigued. Then it flickered again, and she realized she wasn’t seeing the simulation, but a gap in the recording, a flaw in the reconstruction, exposing the coding underneath.

              “It can’t be,” she said to herself, slowly approaching. She placed on hand on the floating tray. It supported her weight easily as she bent sideways and lowered her head to get a better look underneath. She moved underneath the tray. Claire came closer, a green swarm of letters glowing onto her face. No one can fake birth records, but there it was. A crack in the recording, lines of data passing through the crevice.

              She looked even closer, only inches away, her face in awe. It wasn’t just streams of holo data in the crevice. Claire realized it was words, her jaw dropping, eyes glittering happily, then reading the words out loud.

              “Cupid was here.”

              The bridge was frantic with people running about as they darted to their battle stations, every seat filling, system after system coming online as alarms blazed and the enemy ship approached. A worried looking tech glanced up from his sensor track to Captain Allen standing next to him.

              “Two minutes out, sir.”

              “And the status on Mr. Hale’s invasive program?”

              “We don’t know. But our watcher program seems to think it’s nearing completion.”

              Captain Allen’s voice was hard. “How long?”

              “Two minutes and ten seconds.”

              “And how long till we can disable it?”

              The tech swallowed. “Two minutes and forty seconds.”

              Captain Allen pulled back, looking at his crew. “Ready all weapons, while we still have them.”

              Suddenly everything went black in the holodeck where Claire was. The room and the record disappeared around her. Emergency lights popped on in the now empty room, bathing her in a simple light that stretched out on the floor.

              SYSTEM FAILURE. ALERT. SYSTEM FAILURE. ALERT. PRIMARY POWER IS DOWN.

              Sighing, she waited a second, knowing that rudimentary backup systems would kick in. Then after a few moments, the alarms changed when they finally did.

              ALERT! BATTLESTATIONS! BATTLESTATIONS! ENEMY SHIP WITHIN BOARDING RANGE. ALERT!

              The ship was powerless, most systems down, more than likely drifting. She couldn’t even feel the guns firing through the floor anymore. And an enemy warship was approaching. The ship was helpless.

              Claire stood up slowly in shock, knowing it had all been Trevor’s doing, mouth open.

              “Trevor, what have you done?”

              People were screaming. Claire was in a daze as she ran and dodged through the chaos in the crowded ship corridors. Civilians were running to emergency bunkers. The soldiers in their defensive blocks struggled to make out targets in the throng. Everyone was running to safety. Claire wasn’t. She didn’t know what to think, but she knew she had to get back to Trevor. As she dashed past defensive emplacement after defensive emplacement, she picked up that main power was still down, but they had managed to reroute power to weapons. She didn’t care. She had to get back to Trevor.

              The ship bounced before her view, worried faces rushing past, her breathing frantic. Through a nearby portal towering high above her, she could see a dark glittering mass full of windows sliding up next to them in space, huge and menacing. All she could think about was getting back to the brig where Trevor was, not knowing why. She just knew, just felt, that she was out of time. She didn’t even know who she was running towards. Was he Cupid? Did they have a past life together?

              She turned a corner, doors forced open as she got to the brig, her mind full of questions. But then she stopped in her tracks. Trevor’s cell was empty. The energy containment shield was gone, deactivated along with main power. Trevor had been right. He had known. They wouldn’t keep him for long.

              She turned in place, frantic, pacing, thoughts working quickly.

              “Okay. Okay okay okay. Cupid or traitor. Doesn’t matter. Where would he go?” she asked herself nervously. Then it struck her, stopping her pacing.

              “Home…” she whispered, realizing it. “Hanger bay…”

              And then she was running, gone.

              Earlier, Trevor waited calmly in his cell behind its glowing shield when the alarms went off.

              SYSTEM FAILURE. ALERT. SYSTEM FAILURE. ALERT. PRIMARY POWER IS DOWN.

              The shield wall holding him in disappeared, and emergency lights came on. He sighed, knowing it was almost over, before he stood up and left his cell.

              Claire was chasing after Trevor now, forcing her way forward through the crowd. The soldiers looked up as she passed, seemingly surprised there were no enemy boarding parties yet,  but waiting tensely for them. Through the portals looking into space, the huge enemy ship continued sliding past, blocking out most of the stars. There was a tower of lights ahead in a large circular room. Claire dashed past it and to the right, running for the hanger bay, thinking of the Muppet song Trevor had mentioned….

              The song began to play, a gravelly voice singing softly.

              This looks familiar, vaguely familiar

              Almost unreal, yet, it's too soon to feel yet

              Earlier, Trevor walked calmly through the chaos towards the tower of lights in the circular room. As he did system after system shut down along his path, allowing him access without having to do anything, just as he programmed it. The crowd and soldiers didn’t even notice him, some getting calls to new vectors, civilians rushing to bunkers that mysteriously opened up at just that right moment

              Close to my soul and yet so far away

              I'm going to go back there someday

               He stopped to look out the portal at the enemy ship. The two city ships were still firing at each other, the hull shaking as bright colored weapons fire crisscrossed. Trevor nodded, unconcerned as he walked calmly past the now flickering tower of lights and to the right, leaving the circular room, unnoticed.

              On the bridge, Captain Allen viewed status reports of the battle, his brow furrowed as he leaned in over one of the displays. Through the large front viewport a star glowed a blinding yellow, bathed the older man in light. He hardly noticed reading the display.

              “No fighters yet,” he said simply.

              The tech nodded. “Yes sir. No fighters and no breaching assault craft. No enemy boarders reported. The enemy city ship is pulling alongside, yet...”

              His words drifted off as suddenly the bright light left the bridge. The two men looked over to the main portal. The massive city ship slid slowly into view off their bow, blocking out the sun. 

              Sun rises, night falls, sometimes the sky calls

              Is that a song there and do I belong there?

              The tech continued. “Both ships still have cannons, but—”

              Captain Allen interrupted. “But they seem ineffective.”

              “Yes, sir. Both ships are firing, but neither are doing any real damage. And look at this,” The younger man pulled up a scan of the enemy ship. “They seem to be having the same power fluctuations and system losses as we do.”

              “What?” Captain Allen watched the display. “No damage?”

              “Yes, sir. No real damage on either side. We’re just poking at each other.”

              Captain Allen looked back over at the massive glittering ship blocking his sunlight, staring at it like an enigma.

              “What the hell is going on?” he said softly.

              I've never been there but I know the way

              I'm going to go back there someday

              Trevor was walking near the outer hull, the passage lined with windows to his right side. Lights swept and flowed over him from all the weapons fire. He watched it, curious, then smiling at the interplay, not concerned at all. He checked his pad. The program he had implanted was running, but had not completed yet. He nodded, putting the pad back in his pocket. Ahead was an emergency bulkhead, sealed shut by the attack. Trevor did nothing, crossing his arms, waiting. The system defenses suddenly failed in that area, and the bulkhead retracted. Trevor walked forward.

This looks familiar, vaguely familiar

Almost unreal, yet, it's too soon to feel yet

Close to my soul and yet so far away

I'm going to go back there someday

Sun rises, night falls, sometimes the sky calls

Is that a song there and do I belong there?

I've never been there but I know the way

I'm going to go back there someday

Come and go with me, it's more fun to share

We'll both be completely at home in midair

We're flyin', not walkin', on featherless wings

We can hold onto love like invisible strings

There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met

Part heaven, part space or have I found my place?

You can just visit but I plan to stay

I'm going to go back there someday

I'm going to go back there someday