Summer was coming to an end. Lidda had informed her parents of their engagement. They took it in stride as though it were a foregone conclusion. She was tempted to tell them what she had discovered about her true origin but decided it would only upset her parents and make them worry. It wouldn't change anything. In retrospect things had gone a little too smoothly and Lidda had to wonder if Widhbo might have given them a helpful nudge. She would not put it past him to use his powers of suggestion. There were more pressing concerns as it was time for Reddge and Casra to leave again. Not only that, but it was also time for Lidda to leave Castonea Gardens and move to Provendor. She was spending her last evening with Reddge in the library. He was recommending the books she might want to take with her to the University.

"Why do I need these when I have Widhbo?"

"Cover Lidda," Reddge replied. "All the students at the university will be using textbooks. You have to blend in with the public just as you do here." Reddge replied.

"Ok. I was just thinking that it was such a high-level research facility that only our group would be there," Lidda said. She placed another text on the growing stack of books.

"No. There are a lot of people from all walks of life. We own it true enough, but don't limit our faculty or student body just to the Ring. Many of our students are Ring members, but you will be the only one there with a magiton and a computer chip in your head. You are to meet with Professor Gliedan who has been told you are a brilliant programmer and that your goal is to develop a new android line. He knows nothing of the plant experiments or your chip. He thinks Widhbo is simply an electronic gadget, little more than a GPS. He doesn't need to know our true mission."

"So, Professor Gliedan doesn't know about the chips."

"No. He showed no real interest in our group, so he was not offered one," Reddge said. He fished another reference book from the shelf. Its cover had a picture of of a robot dog playing catch with a child.

Lidda laughed when she saw the cover. "The dog I always wanted, but never made it to market." She picked up the book and flipped through looking at the pictures, most of which were drawings; artists depictions of what life might look like in the next century. "What is the professor's area of specialty?"

"Security sciences and technology. Also, he is well connected politically."

"I can talk freely with him about the chips I am to program?"

"Yes," Reddge said, "But let him lead the conversations."

"What about Father Martin. Does he have a chip like Mara?'

"No. He was past the age limit of thirty-five when we had advanced to that point, but he would have declined." Reddge laughed. "It's against his religion."

"How is his religion any different than yours?" Lidda asked. She closed the book and added it to the growing stack in front of her.

"The Ring of Sora partnered with the priesthood. In planetary time, they were here first."

"And the reason you partnered with them?"

"It was much easier to get started. The basic structure of a religious order was in place and saved us a lot of time."

Lidda tried to imagine how an ancient priesthood would react to a group of aliens with such advanced technology. "And they agreed?"

"They didn't need persuading at the time. A probe sent out by the demon landed near their monastery and nearly destroyed them," Reddge explained. "The guardian magiton arrived in time to help the priests destroy the invader.

"And so became friends?" Lidda asked.

"Yes, and the priests understand Earth is vulnerable to future attacks, so were eager to partner with us."

Lidda rearranged the books in her backpack to fit them all in. She stifled a yawn, surprised at herself for being so jaded the thought of fighting demons couldn't keep her awake. "Why didn't this guardian ship notify all the others?"

"They originated from another quadrant and didn't know the magnitude of our problem. Since arriving we have been informing other local ships and recruiting as much help as we can find. All of us encounter malevolent beings from time to time and just deal with them. Due to its chaotic nature, evil has never presented a universal threat before."

"What makes this one so different?"

"If I could fully answer that, I would know enough to destroy him. Most rogue personalities are so self-destructive as to never achieve his level of power."

"So he is an abberation?"

"As never seen before, yes," Reddge said and shouldered her backpack.

Lidda grabbed one last book which caught her interest, a small prayer book of daily devotions. "Why do I have to go to Provendor at all? If the child is what we need, why wait to get married?" The minute she said it, Lidda recoiled at all that it implied.

"We need a back-up plan," Reddge said, "You can, with Widhbo's help, develop an advanced line of androids." They left the library and Reddge walked with Lidda back to her dorm.

"If you can insert chips in a human brain, it should be easy enough to install one in a robot," Lidda said. On one level she was excited about going to Provendor, but part of her wanted to stay at the Gardens. Too much was happening too fast and with the Tollsun's leaving again, she was growing anxious about striking out on her own in a strange city.

"Yes, we could. And we can install a much larger one than in a human brain," Reddge agreed. "But, we also need the advanced AI and safeguards of the magiton programmed into those chips. It may be critical to our survival. If we fail to stop the demon at the next gathering, this little planet may be an island of hope for the future."

"How is that?"

"The android line you will develop needs to become not only a household word, but a household servant. We want to eventually place one in every home as a common appliance. While performing their domestic duties, they can be recording the persons in their care, preserving them in their memory card."

"That sounds like an invasion of privacy Reddge."

"It will be done with their full knowledge. Everyone seeks immortality in some form or another. Future generations could get to know their ancestors and even speak with them," Reddge explained. "If we should need to evacuate the planet, it could be done in a few minutes."

"The androids would essentially be magitons, making copies of people?"

"Yes. They would be better accepted by the public because of their more human form."

"I thought magitons could only be made in the gravity free environment of space."

"That is primarily to make them indestructible storage units with unique physical properties such as their power core. The programming can be adapted to an android."

"So, I'm actually going to be building magitons?" Lidda asked.

"That's the simple version."

" Do we even need the plants anymore?" The moon was full and Lidda looked across the expanse of vegetable gardens. There had been a soft rain shower which left the foliage glistening in the velvety night, lush and ripe for the first harvest.

"It was our best chance to propagate an accurate DNA sequence. We had so little genetic material, we needed the plants to preserve it. A secondary goal was to find a way to introduce the microchips into the population."

"But you are creating a race of humans with microcomputers in their heads who can't reproduce with normal people due to the cyclic DNA."

"That part wasn't planned, it just happened," Reddge said. "That is why we need to develop the robotics program. We planned originally to introduce the microchips as a genetic trait throughout the general population. Now the androids will have to fill in."

"Will our child grow its own chip?" Lidda just realized that her genetics were more advanced than his.

"We are hoping it will be a dominant trait. We have yet to prove the cyclic DNA structure can produce a viable offspring."

"What do you mean?" This was not something she had considered.

"We may effectively be sterile hybrids." Reddge replied. "We'll work it out Lidda. Genetic research going on now at Provendor may provide a solution if necessary."

They had reached the door to her room. Lidda decided to ask for at least one thing she wanted which Reddge hadn't planned.

"Since we are facing possible destruction of all humanity, I think we should break with tradition." She pulled him close and planted a kiss on his lips. Lidda could feel the passion rising in them both as he returned her kiss with a more lustful one. "Stay with me tonight. Just one night, before I leave tomorrow," Lidda urged. Life felt so uncertain, and anything might happen to keep them apart.

Reddge was resisting, but she was winning. "I wouldn't want to invade your privacy," he said.

They both laughed, their bodies melting together in a heated embrace.

"With my permission of course," Lidda said.

"Of course." Reddge held Lidda firmly against his body as she opened the door to her room. Without warning he picked her up and carried her across the threshold.

Lidda strongly felt the leopard phantom again which had appeared in the Gardens the night he proposed. This time however it was closer, much closer, and entwined with the two of them. Reddge's eyes reflected the dim glow light from the hallway with an eerie golden glow as he closed the door with one hand and swept her up by the other. She knew he was a strong man but had never experienced his full animal power before. Lidda felt as though she were a leopard's prey, soon to be devoured. Reddge carried her effortlessly to the bed and sensing her apprehension, softly laid her down upon it. She felt a heat rushing through her body that she had never known as he smothered her with another long kiss, pulsing with desire.

Reddge spoke in a husky voice. "Lidda, I have never wanted anything so much as I want you right now. But you know this will only make our separation more difficult."

"Don't even go there. You are not backing down on me, not now. I want every inch of you. All or nothing." In their passion Lidda had forgotten her virginity and a small voice of caution said she should mention it. "It's my first time...with a man." She managed to get out between passionate kisses.

Reddge whispered in her ear. "Not my first time, love. Leave it to me."

All her physical sensations were heightened, and she could feel Reddge in her head, felt him caressing her entire body at the same time. Not possible but happening. It was the first time she had genuinely appreciated the scope of his telepathic skills, She decided to just let go and enjoy.

Later with passion spent, Lidda lay next to Reddge feeling his telepathic caresses lingering about her body. It seemed natural. Lidda felt a sudden calmness and knew she could face anything now. Everything except one. She wasn't worried so much for herself, but a certain child which was yet to be born. She lapsed into a restless sleep, curled beside her alien lover.