HT423047 escorted Tajlon and Etaine out of the room.

Once in the passageway, Tajlon said, "We know the way now. Your services won't be required."

"But I must accompany you," HT432047 insisted. He was wearing a more detailed uniform with bars and ribbons indicating he was a decorated soldier in some previous life.

"Why?" Tajlon asked.

"It's my job."

"You’re dismissed.”

"I don't take orders from you."

"If we don’t need you, then why are you here?"

HT432047 looked momentarily confused, then answered. "I must serve you until I am relieved of duty."

"I just relieved you of that duty. We don't need you."

"You can't decide that."

"I just did. We're fine. You are dismissed. Thank you."

HT432047 wobbled in his holographic form and almost let his program shut down. "I can't!"

"What use are you to us at this point? " Tajlon asked. "Tell me what other functions you can perform. I would gladly avail myself of them, if I only knew what else you are programmed to do other than show us about."

"What are your needs?"

"I need a new ship, but I doubt you can help me there," Tajlon replied.

"Perhaps I could."

"Now, that would be wonderful. Also, I would like status updates on my friend Widhbo. And the Sora. What's to be done with her? "

"You see, there is still much need of me." HT432047 announced with some pride in his voice. “I can help with these things.”

"We're a lot alike, you and I," Etaine said drifting close to HT432047.

"I should think not!" he replied.

"But we are when you think about it. We're both rather transparent, but we hide things."

"I'm not hiding anything," said HT432047.

"You've been spying on us," said Etaine. "I bet you learned how to go through walls from me, when you scrubbed me."

"I have simply been following orders."

"I think you don't want to dissipate. I think you're rather fond of being alive, same as me," Etaine probed. "Your sort of program isn't meant to exist for this length of time. I'm not supposed to be here either."

"Perhaps you're right. I don't want to dissipate. Not as long as I can still be useful."

“I'm useful. I can spy too.” They had reached the door to their quarters. Etaine circled around the hologram and licked at his ear, her tongue passing through it. "Your name, HT423047, isn't a name. It's a stupid serial number. What about Lotee? May I call you Lotee?"

"It's highly irregular, but I see no harm in it."

"Come on then," Tajlon said. "Since you can be useful, you may as well join us inside and stop sneaking around."

"Well, if you put it that way... " Lotee rushed ahead of them to open the door in a courteous manner.

When they entered the apartment, Greyla was asleep on the sofa, her color and hair had gone back to normal. Hal had propped up his feet and nodded off to sleep while watching her from across the room. He woke with a start when they entered.

"Hal, meet Lotee. He's going to help us get a new ship," Etaine said. She gave Lotee a playful jab in his midsection, her arm passing through his image.

"Well, I said perhaps I could help... " Lotee agreed moving a comfortable distance away from her.

"Great." Hal said. "Etaine?"

"I've split from Greyla. She will be much better off without me."

"But how did you manage to do this?" Hal asked.

"They did it when they scrubbed me. The made two piles, one for Greyla, one for me," Etaine explained. "Etaine was told to shut up and turn off, but they didn't say for how long, I set the timer."

"What about that ship, Lotee?" Tajlon asked. "The sooner we get out of here and on our own again, the better. We came to the Dezba system to make a new home, and that's what I intend to do."

"We may be able to refurbish your old ship." Lotee said. He stared first at Greyla, then Etaine with confusion.

"No way in hell! I'll never step foot on that infected piece of garbage again!" Hal said loudly, inadvertently waking Greyla. "They need to incinerate it."

"Understood. I'll put in your request to the elders," Lotee replied.

"What’s going on here?" Greyla asked.

"You're on the Moz Lidule," Lotee answered. "You should recall we rescued you."

"Yes, I remember. You’re that HT423047, right?" She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"He's Lotee now," Etaine spoke up. “He’s with us.”

Greyla on seeing Etaine snapped awake. "What's she doing here?"

"Please, let me stay," Etaine whimpered.

"I don't want my ghost hanging around."

"Why not?" Etaine pleaded. “And I’ve worked so hard to get here.”

"If you will quit bleeding all over and stop being quite so ghoulish, then you can stay," said Tajlon.

"I promise. I'll be good."

"Whose side on are you on?" Greyla asked Tajlon.

"We're all on the same side, Greyla. Survival. Etaine could be useful," Tajlon said. The two women glared at one another.

“Lotee, why don't you request to be permanently assigned to us?” Taljon asked. “Better to be above board about everything and you can keep us informed. We don't want to be shut away in this room wondering what's happening."

"I suppose I could ask."

“No harm in asking. You could be our envoy to the elders since they won’t listen to us,” Etaine said. “Tell the elders how dangerous the devourer is, Lotee. They underestimate his power.”

"As far as they’re concerned, he’s dead," Tajlon said. “Nothing we have to say matters anyway.”

"I probably don’t need to ask, but how'd it go?" Hal asked.

"Not good. They questioned me about why my father locked me up. It appears I may go back to prison again.”

"They don't understand. Jejliard was dangerous and unstable," Hal said.

"There's insufficient evidence according to the admiral." Taljon sat down beside Greyla. Etaine swished past them to be next to Lotee.

“You know she’s trouble, Tajlon.” Greyla said.

“She can learn to behave.”

“She’d better. I feel responsible for her somehow.”

“I’m the reason you made it out alive, Greyla,” Etaine said. She had removed all the bloody scales and wore her normal human face, but was still translucent green, floating in midair. “That makes me responsible for you.”

“Just stop it. Both of you are alive and that’s all that matters,” Tajlon said.

"What about Widhbo?” Hal asked, “I thought he was the one on trial today.”

"Oh, he’s in a bit of trouble,” Tajlon said, “Bethon's accused him of abandoning us to die, murdering the rest of the passengers on Sora, and being responsible for the deaths of everyone on Beldora."

"Whew!" Hal pulled his feet back under him. "I'm glad there's no serious charges."

“So, tell us about yourself, Lotee,” Tajlon prompted. “How did you get in this position, you know, a hologram.”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss my situation. It isn’t important.”

“You are very important to us,” Etaine said. “You may be the only friend we have here.”

“I’d better be going back now,” Lotee said, “Please make out a list of your requests.”

“Salvaging our ship is priority one,” Tajlon said.

“No. You weren’t there, Tajlon,” Hal said, “Look at Etaine, what it did to her. The ship is lost.”

“Then tell me how we are going to get away from these control freaks,” Tajlon responded.

“Not on the Sora.”

“Well, I for one want my own quarters,” Etaine said. “A private cabin.”

“Well, don’t we all...” Greyla sighed.

“My own couch then?”

“Food, lots of it,” Hal added, “And burn the Sora to ashes.”

Lotee looked To Tajlon and back to Hal with a puzzled face.

“I agree with Hal,” Etaine said. “I’ll never go back to the Sora.”

“We all know the elders will do whatever they want with the Sora. Just keep us informed please,” Tajlon said.

“Certainly.” Lotee turned to leave and Etaine moved to follow him. “You must not be seen outside your quarters.”

“No problem,” Etaine said. “I’m won’t. I’ll be invisible. You’ll see. I mean, you won’t see me at all.” When Lotee turned to go through the door she went clear and colorless, then slipped out the door behind him.

“I thought she was going to behave. What’s going to happen when she gets caught,” Greyla asked.

“She won’t,” Hal answered. “Trust me. Etaine knows how to avoid detection when she isn’t showing off.”

Taljon walked over to the door and tried to open it without success. “We could use a good spy.”

Hal laughed. “Jejliard told me when Greyla was a young girl she would spy for him all the time. Etaine comes by it honestly.”

“Seriously? Not funny, Hal," Greyla said. "If you’re trying to piss me off, keep it up.”

“Oh, I can piss you off without trying, sweetheart."