Esther

It didn't take Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa long to show up after Minmin and Lieutenant Tanpo returned with the Bundu-Jo body. I had just finished putting away the Aether Field Prototype when he showed up. He pulled something black and cloth-like out from his white lab coat. He unfolded it on the floor until it was the size of a large blanket.

"Put him on it," Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa said. His command wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but I helped Shel move the body onto it. The Lieutenant Commander folded the cloth-like device so it completely covered the body. He typed something into his okulus and the device sealed. A few more types on his okulus and the device let out a sound like hissing steam. The shape of the body inside the device lost its hold. It didn't take long before there was no shape within the device at all. Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa picked it up and refolded it. He stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Were all of the Corruption inside him dealt with?" the Lieutenant Commander asked.

I tried to relate him to someone - anyone - on the Lion of Judah Research Station, but there hadn't been anyone like him. Not even the top leaders had his presence. I was pretty sure after seeing how they had cowered in front of the Awakened One that they would have bent to Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa as well. I didn't think Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa would cower in front of an Awakened One.

"Yes," Minmin said.

"Good," the Lieutenant Commander said. "Thank you for keeping Vai out of this. I expect your cooperation on this matter in the future." Shel turned his head away from the Lieutenant Commander and his mother. His blue eyes rolled up to the ceiling. I forced myself not to smile. I knew we couldn't have Vai involved in the Corruption anymore, but I was pretty sure all of us not-quite-adults wanted Vai to still be involved even if he didn't have the light.

"Thank you for your help, Lieutenant Commander," El said.

Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa gave a single nod, but didn't say anything further as he left.

"It's getting late," El said. "We should all go to bed."

"I'll see you fellow warriors tomorrow," Lieutenant Tanpo said.

We raised our hands in farewell as Lieutenant Tanpo left our quarters.

El was already retrieving her blanket and spreading it out over the couch. Shel watched her a moment, then he nodded to me and Minmin before he retreated into his room.

"Let's go." Minmin took my hand in hers.

"Esther," El said, "don't forget to reach out to the Awakened One."

I nodded, but El was already sprawled out on the couch with her eyes closed.

Minmin and I entered our room.

"I'll wash up first," she said. She left me alone as she went into the bathroom. The bedroom had a single window that looked out at the darkness of space - the brightness of the stars. There was a single desk in the corner with a chair. I pulled the chair over to the window. I sat down and watched as the stars streaked as we jumped through F.T.L. I closed my eyes.

I concentrated on my pink light and lifted outside of myself. I floated out the window. A wave of rushed panic tingled through me until I reminded myself space couldn't hurt me in this form. My body was safe inside the ship where I was warm and could breathe oxygen freely. The ship continued it's jumps through F.T.L., but my connection with my body remained the same.

I had no idea which direction to go. "Awakened One," I called out. There was no answer. I went further from the ship. I checked to make sure my light was still connected to my body and then when I went further away from myself.

"Awakened One."

I stilled. I listened. Space held noise. Hums, clicks, buzzes. I couldn't hear them with my human ears, but as my light I heard space. I did not hear the Awakened One.

The ship jumped further away. My spirit self went rigid with the sudden panic. A quick inspection told me I was still connected to my body and I could easily find my way back.

I went out further. I tried not to let myself panic out there in the vastness of space - alone. What if I couldn't find him? What if none of us were able to find him? What if the Corruption found him first? What if they already found him?

"Awakened One."

I waited. I listened. I moved on. "Awakened One."

"Little One."

And I saw his gray light rush towards me.

A small noise - almost a squeak of relief - came from me. His enormous spirit hands touched mine. There wasn't warmth when we touched, not physical touch, but all the panic I had felt left me. I wasn't alone. I was protected with him there.

"Are you safe?" I asked. "Are you hidden?"

"For the time being," he said. "Are all of you safe? I mean, except the Little One that died."

I was reminded again of how different this one was from the other Awakened One. The other Awakened One had eaten us. This one asked if we were safe. Red anger flowed through me that the other Awakened Ones called him weak. He was strong and didn't realize it. But something he said bothered me.

"Vai? He didn't die."

The Awakened One seemed surprised by this. His spirit head cocked to one side. "But his heart stopped. His brain stopped."

"That isn't possible. He's walking and talking and breathing just fine. You must have been mistaken."

The Awakened One cocked his large head to the other side. "His light?"

I shook my head. "He was injured so badly that his light isn't there anymore."

The Awakened One's red lips pinched tight. "Little One, I think your friend is dead."

"No. I'm telling you, I saw him myself. I've talked with him. He was injured, but now he's fine."

"It doesn't matter how injured he is, once he has the light it won't go away."

"Maybe that's just for your species," I said. "Humans must be different."

The Awakened One let go of my hands and floated slightly backwards.

"I am not mistaken. The Little One you named Vai is dead. The other must be an imposter."

The Awakened One didn't make sense, but he sounded so sure of himself that I began to doubt.

"But he remembers everything before the Corruption attacked him. He has to be the same."

"He is not. Have you tried to reopen the light in him?"

"No." It had occurred to me, but El and Lieutenant Commander Ma'amaloa had been adamant it wouldn't work.

"Try," the Awakened One said. "If you can't find the light to open, he is an imposter. I must go. The Corruption search for us. Go now." He gave my shoulder a slight push just before he retreated back the way he came.

"Wait! How can we find you? The physical you?" He sent me an image of unfamiliar constellations and a green planet. Then he was gone.

I followed my tether of pink light back to my body.

"Esther." A quiet whisper just as I reached the ship, but hadn't entered it yet. I paused outside the window where my body sat. I looked around. Chills spread over my spirit self. It was quiet enough that I couldn't quite identify it other than it was male. My first thought was that my dead brother's spirit was trying to find me.

I floated away from the ship. "Levi?"

I always feared that my dead family was out there somewhere as their pink and red spirits. There was no basis for this fear. I had never felt them - had never seen a trace of their light. I looked for my little brother's red light, but there was only space.

I turned back to the ship and saw Shel's purple spirit self outside the ship watching me. I went to him.

"Did you call me just now?" I asked.

"No."

I looked back at space, but there was no sign of whoever called me.

"Did you find the Awakened One?" Shel asked.

"Yes," I said. I couldn't help but smile. Shel was more generous with his smiles than his mother and he smiled now.

"Good," he said. "Did he tell you how we can find him?"

"Not in words. He sent me an image of constellations and a planet. I guess I just need to find where that is now."

Shel nodded.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. "I thought you were asleep."

He shrugged. "Just stretching my spirit legs."

"I'm going to go in and sleep," I said to him.

"Go ahead. Minmin is already sleeping. She's already mentioned Bars twice in her sleep."

"I don't think she knows she sleep talks," I said. "But I'd rather her be mumbling about Bars than her parents." When she spoke of her parents in her sleep, it reminded me of my family.

I left him and went back inside my body. I opened my eyes and looked out at space. I couldn't see Shel's spirit self. I slid into bed next to Minmin. I hugged her because she was soft and comforting. I thought less of my dead family. I closed my eyes and welcomed the darkness of sleep.

*

Vai

Esther. I was flung back inside Warpaint. At least I had made it outside the ship this time. Long enough to see Esther's pink spirit floating around out there. I didn't know if she heard me. And even if she did hear me, I didn't think she had seen me before I was pulled back inside.

I lifted out of Warpaint and out of the ship. Esther was there, but so was Shel. Esther went inside the ship and out of sight. I waved my arms at Shel. I didn't think he saw me before I sprung back inside Warpaint. I was able to get a little further each time I tried, but it was tiring. Funny how I didn't have a body anymore, but practicing with the light still made my spirit tired.

Shel's purple light entered the room a moment before his spirit self did.

"Vai?" he said. He looked down at the sleeping body of Other Vai.

Shel. I rushed out of Warpaint and towards Shel's spirit self. I had never really seen him surprised before. His spirit self stumbled backwards even though it was floating.

Listen. That is not me. That is Other Vai. I died.

Shel recuperated and his spirit self stood straight as he faced my spirit self. "What do you mean you died? Then who is this?" He waved a spirit arm in Other Vai's direction. "Vai, what is happening? Did your light self somehow get separated from your body? Is that why you don't have the light anymore?"

I died on Doussix. The Corruption shredded through me. Warpaint hid me inside him before any of you could see, but I was dead. He knew I was dead. He contacted my father and told him I was dead. Well, he said code 0, but obviously that meant dead and my father knew it. This Other Vai is . . .

Shel was listening, but from his expression didn't quite know how to take it all in. Could I tell him about the clone thing? Then he would know I was a clone too. He waited for me to continue.

I didn't see a light or a tunnel when I died. I didn't disperse and rejoin nature. I was just there. And now for some reason, I'm attached to Warpaint. I can't travel far from him. It might actually have something to do with the Laumalie preserver. Although that is more in his chest and I'm centered around his head.

"The what?"

The Lauma...my father's invention. Ok. Look. What I'm going to tell you is probably very highly classified information and I'm not sure how you're going to take it, but I don't think I can explain further without saying it so here it is. My spirit self took a fake breath. Other Vai there - I pointed to the bed - is a clone. My father has special permission. I know it sounds crazy, but it's more than just a clone. My father found a way to not only preserve and restore memories in clones, but also their spirit - their essence - or at least enough of their essence so they appear the same.

Shel looked down at Other Vai.

My father doesn't know I'm here though. He thinks the Laumalie preserver didn't work and maybe it didn't. Or maybe it did and that's why I'm still here. I just wasn't in the Laumalie preserver. There is another clone body in his bedroom in case something happens to this one.

"Vai, if what you are saying is true, your father has invented something incredible and dangerous. Can you imagine what people would do if they knew they could just keep living after they died? Just make a clone of themselves and put themselves in it over and over again? The same government would keep running things for generations. Would there be generations? Would people even have children anymore? And if they did, and they kept recloning themselves too the worlds would be overpopulated. Only the rich would use this technology. The gap between the rich and the poor would worsen. The . . ."

Shel.

He blinked at me.

It's top secret right now. I don't know how much your mom knows, but she knows this is a clone. And Shel. I'm not the original Vai either.

He was surprised again. Twice in a matter of minutes I got to see his surprised expression.

My father told me he put me to sleep for 79 years as I had an incurable disease, but I just found out that was a lie. The original Vai died. I am the only clone where the Laumalie preserver worked enough that I was closest to the original Vai.

Shel shook his head at the Other Vai's sleeping form. "Then what do we do, Vai? You're dead and there is already a breathing, walking, talking Vai."

Other Vai is wrong. He is incomplete. He is only memories. I saw it in him. There are many patches of his spirit that are just missing. Shel. He killed a K'thaktra.

"Our list doesn't say there are any K'thaktra with the Corruption on board."

He didn't have the Corruption. Other Vai knew that and killed him anyway.

Shel shook his head. "If he didn't have the Corruption, why would this Vai kill him?"

We have original Vai's memories. We both remember the K'thaktran war. Vividly. I tried to get over it by making friends with Thrissko. Other Vai decided to kill. We have to stop him. We have to figure out a way for me to take my body back.