The camp became their life for the next couple of weeks with occasional excursions into civilization for supplies. It was peaceful, but as more time passed Lidda could feel everyone becoming more anxious wondering what their next move should be. There was still no word from Reddge or Casra.

Father Pen and Mara had retired for the evening. Lidda sat by the fire with Hal enjoying the mesmerizing flames when the transmission came through. Lidda saw the androids sit up and look at one another, both alerted simultaneously. They sat locked in one another's gaze for a moment and then relaxed.

"What is it guys?" Lidda asked.

"Word from Reddge." answered Conner. "He has found a sanctuary and given us a map to the destination."

"How many days away?" Hal wanted to know.

"We still need to travel carefully and stay off the main roads," Conner said. "It may take over a week depending on conditions, and we will be crossing the desert."

"The desert?" Lidda exclaimed. "With all the kids?"

"Yes, it will be an arduous trip and approximately 2005.4 miles to our destination." James replied.

"That should put a little distance between us and the Gordaylians," Hal reflected.

"I am concerned that the Novaland vans may be rather conspicuous." Mara said in a worried tone. "As we get farther from the main roads, they will look out of place."

"There is no need to change vehicles." James countered. "Take a look at our vans. That's all anyone will see."

Lidda turned to see a rag tag bunch of trucks with some dings and rust spots where the paint was missing. It was neural override from the magitons.

"I have been making our vans appear to be just average vehicles such as those we passed on the road. It only takes a small effort." James added.

"You have been overriding the public's visual cortex, not ours?" Lidda asked.

"Correct. We can affect a quarter mile radius around us without using an excessive amount of energy," James explained.

Hal tested it by jogging out a few yards from the encampment and looking at the vehicles from all sides. "Amazing," he said on returning.

"I recalled that you consider us handsome and enjoy seeing us the way we really are." Conner added looking toward Lidda.

"True enough," Lidda said. "Thanks." She wondered how much the androids knew about her romantic involvement with Hal and blushed.

Conner got up and walked over to the tent with the children. "Time to turn in. We need to get an early start in the morning."

***

They made room for the extra fuel and water. Lidda was not looking forward to crossing the desert on the back roads. The constant feeding and changing schedule would have been nearly impossible while traveling without the tireless efforts by Conner and James who performed the endless chores without a complaint. They were perfect and performed their job seamlessly, though she would think it to be excruciatingly boring for these mental giants. Sometimes she thought they might be talking between themselves by the looks on their faces.

Father Pen and Mara drove one of the vans while Conner and James took over the one with the children. It left her and Hal in the third van by themselves which allowed plenty of time to get better acquainted. Lidda enjoyed the freedom of the open road. Hal seemed to always be in a good mood and was a great traveling companion. The miles went by quickly when she was with Hal.

"Hal," Lidda asked later that evening in their tent, surrounded by the night sounds of frogs croaking and crickets chirping.

"Yeah?"

"In my understanding, you and all the magiton personalities who came to my planet are like gods in your true form, correct?

"You call us that. I don't really see it that way. We're just more evolved," Hal replied.

"Doesn't your mind explode with all the information?"

"It's a little overwhelming at times. Nothing a little extra RAM can't cure," Hal replied. "Anyone could do the same given enough time. None of us could become 'God'. We haven't attained divinity."

"Tell that to Widhbo." Lidda said.

Hal chuckled. "He does take himself a little seriously."

"What is it like out there, in space?" Lidda asked. She remembered how Widhbo, in an uncharacteristic outburst of emotion, had described it as cold, dark, and horrid. She wondered if Hal felt the same way.

"Lots of time to kill between destinations. We invent artificial, digital worlds to play in and occupy ourselves. After a while everything starts to feel the same. It deadens you to reality. It’s a lot more fun to be alive."

"Why are you more 'normal' than Reddge?

"More normal?" Hal asked.

"Well, more 'human flavored'." Lidda said. "If I didn't know the truth about you, I would think you were just an ordinary guy. A wonderful guy," she added. "Your reason is tempered by empathy. I've had far too much of those who let rationality trample everything in its path."

Hal laughed at that. "I know what you mean. Probably, because I lived a full human life before I uploaded. On coming here I elected to keep it simple and duplicate my original self as much as possible while experiencing a normal childhood. Reddge brought as much of his larger self as he could."

"But Reddge said he was a real boy once."

"He was, but his father put a chip in his head while he was very young. He was an experiment of sorts."

"Good grief! Sounds like his dad was a monster to begin with. Wait. You knew his father?" Lidda realized she knew nothing of Hal's human life on his own home planet.

"We were good friends once. He wasn't a monster, just dedicated to science. He had already undergone the procedure himself and wanted to give his son a head start. Reddge, as you know him, had a very interesting childhood."

"So that's what these kids will be like," Lidda mused. "They'll never have a chance to know what 'normal' feels like."

"Is that so terrible?" Hal asked. "In some ways 'normal' can be overrated. Think about how much easier school was for you after Widhbo activated your chip."

"I know what you're saying, but will they ever get to be children?" Lidda asked.

"They will see the world though a child's eyes, brand new and full of wonder, but with exceptional intelligence. And you did fall in love with the guy," Hal said raising his eyebrows and giving Lidda a questioning smile.

"Don't remind me."

"Is there more between us than just hormones Lidda? Do you love me at all?" Hal's face was suddenly serious, and he moved closer to put an arm around her.

She paused to take a deep breath. The fact that Hal even asked, told her where he was going.

"I do. I know I could never go back to just being friends," Lidda answered. "Give me some time to sort it all out, Hal."

"No pressure. Just know that I love you, and I'm here for you no matter what." Hal reached over and turned off the lantern, before pulling Lidda inside their sleeping bag and into his arms,

"Thanks, I really needed to hear that," Lidda said. "As she lay beside him in the sleeping bag, she decided life on the road wasn't the worst thing. It was liberating to put so many miles between her and all their troubles. She also had to admit it was more than a little romantic to be running with a pack of superhuman aliens while being chased by other aliens.

As her relationship with Hal grew stronger, Lidda made no effort to hide it from the others. It was easy to be with Hal and very natural. She didn't experience the level of apprehension she had always felt with Reddge. Their passion was smooth and calm by comparison. Hal was an experienced lover, and she knew this wasn't his first romance, but she never asked him about his past and he returned the favor by not mentioning Reddge in that context.

Lidda had reached the point where she could hear Reddge's name without turning to jelly inside. She knew Reddge was her first love and would always be imprinted on her heart. Lidda decided the pain it caused was proof of life, living leaves scars. Once she had accepted that, life could go on. She was not the same naive girl who had first ventured to the Gardens. Her only fear was what the future might hold in store and worried that she and Hal may never get to enjoy a life together.

* * *

They had been on the road for almost two weeks and their luck couldn't hold forever. One of the vans broke down with a leak in the cooling system. Ordinarily, it would have been a minor delay, but in the middle of nowhere, they were glad to even find a garage to order the necessary parts. They were in a particularly bleak and desolate strip of desert. and were fortunate to find across an outcropping of rock to block the wind. Motels were nonexistent leaving them exposed to the elements at best.

They were getting proficient at setting up camp and improvised some shade during the day with large tarpaulins. It looked like they’d be stuck here for several days while on the repair. Lidda feared the longer they stayed anywhere, the more they would garner unwanted attention. She was thankful the magitons could disguise the vans and hide the children so well.

Hal and Father Pen passed the time snaring small game and teaching the androids basic skills. They learned to hunt and build campfires out of whatever could be scrounged from the nearby brush. The androids had no need of for food or creature comforts, but Lidda could tell they delighted in showing off their new skills. Mara could cook anything and make it taste wonderful. She had picked up a few skeins of yarn in a general store along the way and taught Lidda how to knit to help pass the time. The children were learning at an amazing rate. They watched the adults’ every move intently and soon learned to communicate with sign language. It was a deceptively serene and happy time to be cherished, but the threat of discovery loomed large. There was no escaping the coming war with the demon, who was hunting them across the light years. Lidda would feel a chill throughout her body every time she thought of it.

The engine repair was finally completed, and it was their last day before breaking camp. It was a lovely evening with a full moon. Few spectacles can rival a desert sunset on a night such as this. Hal had turned in early after a long day of hiking. Lidda walked up to a high point on a ridge near the edge of camp to enjoy the view. While lost in thought and reverence for the experience of being alive, she felt Conner's presence as he joined her on the ridge.

"What do you see?" she asked. "I'm curious. Can you see beauty in things like we do?"

"I must digitize it first to analyze it. On repeated exposures I build more complex data relationships. I'm examining the concept of beauty by perceiving your thoughts and reactions."

"Do you understand them? Do you know why I think it's beautiful and can you experience the actual emotion?"

"I'm learning. I must get past the details of information. You simply fall into your limbic system and have a direct emotional connection. I have to create a system of analysis that will simulate emotion. It is more difficult as there is no logical conclusion, no right or wrong answer."

"How good is the simulation?"

"It's difficult to be certain, but I believe it will become an accurate reproduction."

"Human emotions are rather complex and rarely simple. We don't understand our own emotions half the time," Lidda said. "But if you can simulate one emotion, you should be able to simulate the others. The hardest one has to be love. Good luck figuring out sex." Lidda never quit wondering if the androids were observing the romantic relations between her and Hal.

"I understand it to an extent," Conner said. "Your hormonal system is a large contributing factor in human sexual functioning, in which of course I can have no direct experience."

"And you don't have the right nerve endings."

"Correct. I only have those circuits needed for my intended physical functions."

"Hmm. You might be able to play a trick on yourself."

"How so?"

"The human brain can transfer sensory information from one area another and redirect it to a different part of the brain than intended." She vividly recalled her experience learning to skate knowing Conner would follow her thoughts. "The human brain is very adaptable, yours even more so."

"I could input sexual information, apply it to the part of me devoted to sensory-motor function, and re-interpret it."

"Maybe."

"Fascinating concept."

"Now you just need a girlfriend." She couldn't believe she just said that to Conner.

Conner smiled. A facial expression he had learned to imitate quite well. It was disarming.

"Well don't look at me!"