Tajlon watched as four tugboats came toward them, two for the sub and two for the wreck. He slowed the sub and turned it in a gentle arc.

Jejliard had finished his treatment in the hyperbaric chamber and rode the rest of the way back to Nova Base in the control room.

“How are they doing?” Tajlon asked.

“Hal’s great. Greyla’s vitals are good and she’s resting. Still asleep,” Jejliard glanced over at Nova snoozing nearby. "I'm going to suit up and secure the wreck to the tugs."

"I can handle it from here, Dad. You have a lot of work to finish up before the conference tomorrow."

"I have time to do it," Jejliard said. “I don't want you to have another excuse to let Nova pilot the sub."

Talon winced. Once his father made his mind up about something it was set in stone. "Got it."

"It’ll be another couple of hours before Hal and Greyla complete their decompression cycle," Jejliard said. He turned before going below. "Have Hal check in with me before he calls it a night. I'll be up."

"Will do." Tajlon said concentrating on piloting the sub. The last thing he needed was to make a mistake in front of Jejliard and the less he said about Nova, the better.

Nova kept his nose tucked under one huge paw and pretended to be asleep. He felt Jejliard's eyes on him and watched him walk away through the slit of one eyelid, waiting until Jejliard had gone to get up and stretch.

"So, I'm a ferocious, savage leopard who can't be trusted. Insults are hurtful, but do not define me." Nova said to Tajlon. "I will be piloting the sub again."

"Sorry, Nova. Maybe we can go out again during the conference," Tajlon said. "Dad will be to busy to notice." He really didn’t like lying to his father, but Nova needed to practice for the upcoming demonstration they had planned.

Once the tugs had attached to the wreck, Tajlon released the lines and freed it from the sub. The other two tugs hooked to the Solar Wave and guided them into port. He would have to wait in the docking station for Hal and Greyla to complete their decompression cycle before going ashore.

Their home port was Nova Base on the main island called Novaland. Jejliard had built the oceanic research center on their island home and developed it into the most respected scientific hub on the planet. Experts from all over Beldora would be assembling there for their annual presentations on the latest discoveries and research.

The return trip had gone smoothly enough, and it was a relief to be back after the surreal events in the Agartoon rift. A cluster of modest homes dotted the shoreline in walking distance of the base. Lights twinkling in their windows greeted him as they came into port. Tajlon wasn't surprised to see Koutou appear in the chart room just as he finished logging the day's events.

Nova strolled in to join them and plopped down on a padded bench.

"You have some explaining to do my feathered friend," Nova said.

"Idiots!" Koutou paced back and forth along the edge of Tajlon's desk.

"You might have mentioned the wreck, but you never said there was anything alive left on it." Tajlon said. "We weren't certain if it was your ship until we pulled it up."

"Only Hal would think it was a nice night for a wreck dive below two hundred feet," Koutou said fluffing his feathers in frustration. "I was caught off guard."

"A wreck dangling over a three-mile rift no less," Nova said. "But there was a girl. Enough said."

"Yes. Greyla of course," Koutou agreed. "Why do we have to possess the one empath on the planet? Who also happens to be a marine biologist studying the rift containing my ship?"

"You're one lucky bastard. Widhbo," Nova said licking his tongue across a shiny black paw.

"I'm relieved to have my spaceship back at least."

"I'm curious, Widhbo," Tajlon said. "Why did you never reveal your true nature to my father? He would have helped you recover the spaceship sooner. Why make me keep it a secret from him?"

"Don't take this personally, but I have learned that bursts of knowledge in the hands of savages can be dangerous and unpredictable. Growing up with it such as you and Nova have, allows you to see it as normal. It doesn't excite you to rash behavior. If Jejliard knew the whole of my history, he'd understand all too well."

"Meaning?"

"The forces that destroyed his home city of Sera Luca are an excellent example. How do you suppose a handful of troglodytes from Agartoon learned to develop such incendiary devices? They burned his city and destroyed it with those weapons and its my fault."

"Okay. I see your point," Tajlon said. "He would never forgive you."

"I evaluated your father a good while before trying again with a more suitable specimen. He had an even temper and far nobler spirit than the stone age marvels from your planet which I had the bad fortune to encounter when I first arrived here over a hundred years ago. I had almost given up on the Theopians when I had the good fortune to ran across Jejliard and Captain De'Marc. The islanders were not receptive to advancement until they came along. I'm very sorry I ever gave a shred of technology to those Theopian warmongers. Don't open old wounds. It will only cause Jejliard distress by sharing this with him, Tajlon."

"Why not just possess a human instead of a bird?" Nova asked. "You could have done anything you wanted."

"You won't understand, but there are some rules against using higher life forms as vessels. Even I have to answer to someone eventually. In truth, minacaws are probably too advanced, and I may be in more trouble than if I had grabbed one of those slack-brained barbarians. But I can plead ignorance."

"What's on that wreck, Widhbo?" Tajlon asked. "What kind of demon or monster was it that took Greyla?"

"Same problem, different circumstances, unplanned disaster. History has a way of repeating itself even across the dimensions. The '[demon' on the ship is a primitive creature. I allowed him to become educated beyond his abilities. He grew restless upon realizing just how sad his life was on Corrudi and escaped the planet by stealing my spaceship. Well, it really isn't my ship, but in my possession none the less. I had to hitchhike on the hull to avoid being left behind and would have died on entering the atmosphere if I hadn't jumped into the first lifeform which presented itself. A giant white bird happened to be in our flight path. It died soon afterwards from the trauma of the turbulance. Fortunately, the chief's pet minacaw was available and lucky for me, they are plentiful. I can trade in an old bird for a new one."

"So, that is why you take the form of a great white bird?" Tajlon mused.

"Yes. A tribute to the creature who was sacrificed to save me from destruction. It's the least I can do, pay respects and all that"

"I never knew you were so noble, or so sentimental," Nova remarked. "If you are such a superior being, why did your ship wreck?"

It wasn't ready. I had not finished its programming. Gengor didn't know the first thing about piloting it. The ship crashed in the rift after coming through from my dimension. Truth is, we probably made the rift coming through. Gengor remained trapped on board the wreck, effectively a prisoner. If you hadn't disturbed him none of this would have happened. It should be noted that my intent was to make him more civiized and compatible with society. Now we've all suffered the unintended consequences of artificially boosting a primitive brain beyond its natural limits. No offense to anyone, Nova."

"Leopards have thick hides. I am secure in my beasthood." Nova snarked.

"I would remind you, It was you who gave my father the insight to produce the computer chips in the first place," Tajlon said.

"Computer processing chips, yes. I never suggested implanting them in an organic brain. That was all Jejliard's idea. We'll see how it works out for you in the long run."

"There isn't really a demon on the spaceship then?" Nova asked.

"Don't get caught up in all this supernatural hogwash, Nova. There are no demons. Of course if he were to get loose in your dimension, his actions would be indistinguishable from one," Koutou said. He gave a sardonic cackle. "There are those who might see a large black leopard with a higher level of intelligence than a human to be a sort of demon. It's subjective."

Nova looked down his nose at Widhbo and snarled. "Be afraid."

"Now you that you have your ship back, spaceship that is, what do you plan to do with it?" Tajlon asked. "It'll cause quite a stir. We've barely begun to experiment with flight and air travel. This sub is top secret."

"I'll have to let them play with their new toy. Warning, may cause dizziness."

"Watch out for unintended consequences and other side effects too numerous to mention," Nova added.

"Your planet is about to take an exponential leap forward, Tajlon. Welcome to the space age Beldora."

* * *

The light flashed signaling the cycle was completed. Hal unsealed the chamber and rubbed Greyla's arm. She responded with a sleepy protest.

"Wake up beautiful. Time to come back to reality and your handsome prince."

Greyla opened her eyes at the sound of Hal's voice. She looked around the chamber, disoriented. "Where are we?"

"Home. We're back in port. You've been asleep for a few hours recovering from our little adventure on the wreck."

He helped her sit up and steadied her with an arm around her shoulder, stopping her when she tried to stand.

"Slow down and just sit here for a minute."

"What time is it?"

"Let's say we missed dinner."

"The wreck! I remember we found this old wreck."

"Yeah. Not much to see really. We towed it back with us, so there'll be plenty of time to explore it later."

"Something went wrong didn't it?"

Hal laughed. "Why no, darling. Whatever makes your think that?"

"Hal?"

"What do you remember?"

"I... I can't recall what happened after... something tore us apart and that's all I know. It's a big blank after that."

Hal watched her face. He probably shouldn't be encouraging her to remember anything. "Mara made up a little cocktail to help you with the post-traumatic stress. It affects your memory."

'You drugged me?" Greyla said.

"I was out voted. Mara and Jejliard will have my hide for telling you this, but you were kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?"

"Yeah. I would want to know if it were me. It didn't want me of course. Went straight for the pretty girl."

"It?"

"That empathic vibe you had? It was attached to a creature of some sort living on that wreck. We still don't know exactly what took you, too blurry to get a good look at it. We did determine the ship came from somewhere beyond our little planet."

"Beyond Beldora? What are you saying?"

"Space. From somewhere in space. I have a creepy feeling that what we found living there isn't native to Beldora either."

Greyla looked at Hal and raised both eyebrows. "This is where you laugh and tell me it's all a joke."

"Sorry, sweetheart. I'm telling you straight."

Greyla looked at him intently for any sign of jest. "I want to talk with Jejliard."

"You will. Just as soon as we get something to eat. Let's see if you can walk on your on steam shall we?"

He helped Greyla stand and climb out of the chamber.

"How do you feel?"

"A little wobbly, but I'm okay."

Hal helped her navigate the stairs and they headed for the chart room,

"How did you get me back? From my kidnapper?"

"We chased after it through the wreck, following a trail of dust motes in the water. I lighted some flares and Jejliard got his hands on the thing once. I thought it was about to have him for a snack, so I stuck a flare through it's ugly hide and it let him go. You reappeared not long after."

"What do you mean, reappeared?" Greyla asked. "You found me unconscious?"

"Yes. But we apparently had a little help from the mythical creature known as the Widhbo."

"The giant white bird? You're telling me it's real?"

"It was a giant bird shape, glowing and white. Large as man. Jejliard saw it too. You can ask his opinion."

"Hal, I swear if you're making all this up..."

"Not a chance, sweetie. My imagination is not that good."