"I've got it Nova. I can do it," Ben said. "You'll need to lie down in the floor first."

Soshe looked up from the manual she was reading. "What are you two doing?"

Ben had Hal's helmet in his hand. "I'm going to pilot the sub while Nova uploads. It'll black him out."

"Maybe that's not such a good idea, Ben." Soshe put down the manual. "This is complicated material. Have you learned enough to fill in for Nova?"

"All I have to do is stay on the course he's set."

"When you say upload, what do you mean? To the Sora?"

"Yes. They have to time it with their orbit it when it passes over us."

"How long will he be out?"

"Tajlon promised it would only be for a few minutes," Nova said. "Ben can handle the sub for that length of time."

"Wait. I heard that!" Soshe said. "Ben, I heard him again."

"That's great, Soshe."

"Well don't tell Ben, tell me." Nova replied.

"I don't believe this. Why now?" Soshe asked. "Why couldn't I hear you on the island?"

"Either I'm getting better at telepathy, or Widhbo has been blocking my abilities. Let's go with the latter. It's just like Widhbo."

"It looks like I'm the only one here who can't hear Nova," Mara said. "How does this helmet work?"

"It makes a copy of me," Nova said. "Then it sends the information to the Sora, a complete record of my experiences and memories so I can be regenerated on the spaceship."

Soshe related the information to Mara.

"Regenerated how?" Mara asked. She put down the garden sketch she was working on.

"As an energy being restricted to the ship's energy grid usually. With genetic information and enough raw material they can make a real flesh and blood version, like Gengor."

Soshe filled Mara in again.

"That's disturbing," Mara said.

"It's ghoulish. Gengor was dead," Soshe said. "I can't believe it's even possible."

"Gengor was dead?" Ben asked. "This is witchcraft, no?"

"Same difference," Soshe said. "I'm certainly not doing it."

A message from Widhbo came over the sub's radio. "You're in the window. Prepare to upload"

Nova got up from his bench and lay down in the floor beside Soshe. "Alright Ben. It's time."

Ben brought the helmet over and placed it over Nova's head before staidly taking his place at the controls.

"Good luck, Nova," Ben said. "You're a lot braver than I am."

"We need you to operate this sub, Nova." Soshe said, "What if something goes wrong?"

"It won't. Hal uploaded earlier on the Luca Luna. He's fine."

"So you're doing this to be with Tajlon?"

"Yes, and to be immortal. Think of it. Endless years to eat and sleep. I want to sample every delicacy the universe has to offer."

"I hope the food's good."

"Don't dash my hopes, Soshe," Nova adjusted the helmet with a paw. It flickered and came to life. "You could go ahead of me. Ladies first."

"No thanks."

"Oh, let the leopard go first. See how it affects him. If he survives, then I might try it.," Nova said bracing himself for the upload. "That's what Jejliard said before..."

He didn't get to finish his thoughts. Nova lurched forward and passed out cold as the helm streamed a digital copy of his mind to the Sora. Soshe cradled his head in her lap and prayed he would wake up with all his faculties.

* * *

Greyla followed Widhbo to the control deck.

Widhbo set the controls and waited for Nova to get the helm in place. "Uploading now."

Greyla saw a few twinkling lights on the console.

"How does this work?"

"Once I've uploaded Nova, he will be stored in digital form along with a genetic sample I acquired earlier so he can be regenerated."

The formation grid fogged over in front of the console.

"No! That's not supposed to happen," Widhbo cried out. He began typing furiously trying to find the glitch.

A few moments later a full-size leopard appeared. Nova was temporarily disoriented. Greyla ran around the console to greet him.

"Nova! You made it." She threw her arms around him in greeting.

"Feels a little different, but I'll get used to it," He licked her cheek in recognition.

"It's the gravity," Widhbo said. "Less gravity out here."

Greyla looked over to Widhbo. Can we get Mara?"

"We could. She didn't want to come."

"Ask her again. Please, Widhbo. Soshe isn't coming and who will cook for us?"

"The window is closing in a few minutes. By the time another rotational cycle is completed, we'll be too far away to do this safely."

"Let me speak to her," Greyla demanded.

Widhbo stepped to the side and pointed at the console in a nonchalant manner.

"Mara, come in Mara," Greyla said. "Nova made it. He's fine. Please use the helm. It's your last chance to see your grandson again. The Sora is leaving Beldora forever."

There was static and an indicator light came on.

"It's the helm. She's going to upload," Widhbo said pushing Greyla out of his way.

"That's low, Greyla," Nova said. "Good thinking."

Widhbo's bulk and feathers blocked Greyla's view. Finally, he stepped back and sighed.

"Well?" Greyla asked.

"Well what?"

"Did she make it? I don't see the fog."

"Of course she made it. No duplication, Greyla. That's the law. Nova wasn't supposed to materialize, but this ship has a mind of its own lately. I managed to keep Mara in her storage unit where she belongs."

"You're not going to allow her to materialize?"

"Not until I'm sure she's dead. Fifty years to be on the safe side."

"But she won't get to see Tajlon again until he's an old man."

"Pity. It's the law."

"What about Nova? He's here."

"He's a mistake. I've fixed it now. It's against protocol for the ship to disintegrate living organisms, so Nova will have to stay."

"Not having Mara's cooking is a bigger mistake in my opinion," Nova said. "Which way is the kitchen?" He loped out of the room.

"That's not fair to Mara," Greyla said. She walked onto the formation grid in frustration. "She was expecting to see Tajlon."

"I'll bring them all back together after Tajlon and Jejliard pass on."

"You know you can't just play god, Widhbo."

"I'm not playing."

* * *

Nova prowled the ship's corridors in search of food. He came upon a few crew members.

Most of them ran, but one pulled out a wrench and brandished it as a weapon. "Get back!" he yelled.

"Pathetic. I wouldn't try that if I were you," Nova thought. He snarled at the man and stood his ground.

The ship's alarm system recognized the threat of aggression and sounded a warning bell overhead.

"Busted," Nova thought. "Show me the kitchen. I'll leave him for the jackals."

"I suggest you put down the weapon, sir. It would end poorly for you," Widhbo's voice came over the speaker system. "Follow the lights, Nova, I'll take you to your new quarters. No leopards allowed in the kitchen."

The man lowered the wrench and backed away, then hurried away down a side passage.

Lights in the corridor blinked sequentially leading Nova to his destination. It was a plain room with only a bare mattress on the floor.

"I know you can do better than this, Widhbo," Nova said.

"Short notice. We can decorate later," Widhbo replied. "You will be happy to know that little niche in the wall will provide whatever delicacy you can dream up. The ship can hear you."

"But can it cook?"

"I'll give it access to Mara's recipes. No law says I have to keep them bottled up."

"You're a strange bird, Widhbo."

"And you being here on board was a mistake. Don't cause any trouble or I may reconsider that rule about disintegration."

"You should really a grip on that ego of yours," Nova said. "Now go away. I want to sample the menu."

"Enjoy."

* * *

"Sorry for the delay, Greyla," Widhbo said. "Nova is being himself again. Now, where were we?"

"You were showing me to my quarters."

"I was, yes. And I'm adding a special feature for you, Greyla," Widhbo said wriggling with excitement. "Look what I found hiding in the ship's archives. Think of it as a little experiment." He held out a round shiny object about six inches in diameter.

"Great. I hope it can wait," Greyla said. "I really need to lie down for a while."

"The upload will black you out again, this time in your own bed."

"Not what I had in mind. Will I wake in fifty years like Mara?"

"No. You can be with us in the flesh and have a secret life while in storage too. I think you'll like it. Very creative," Widhbo was doing the little foot dance he always did whenever he was delighted with himself. "You can design it to suit your tastes and your program will be active inside the unit until we have to hibernate for deep space travel."

"So, I'll be 'alive' in there?"

"Of course. Just digitally alive. Same thing. Alive."

"I don't know. I'll be all alone. What if I want out?"

"No duplication outside of your storage unit. The law doesn't specifically mention the inside, so I've gotten around it."

"That's a little scary, Widhbo."

"Don't whine. It's a grand opportunity."

"I may be many things, but I'm not whiny and you know it."

"Think of all the things you never have the time to do, to learn. I'll give you access to a complete encyclopedic library."

"So effectively a solitary prison cell with educational benefits."

"All the knowledge you can handle You'd be a genius by the time you get out."

"I'd be crazy. I want a switch to turn me off and on."

"Really, Greyla? Just how would you be able to do that."

"Okay, then just an off switch."

"Hmm... No. Not acceptable. I could give you a programmable time lapse function. Hibernate for a thousand years, that sort of thing."

"Okay, better. And I want to learn computer programming while I'm in there."

"Deal."