Captain Metcalfe sat back after finishing his dinner, which consisted of orange juice and yogurt. His guest, Commander Alexandria Sullivan leaned forward, "this is a fine dinner in the captain's quarters. I hope you are not expecting something in return." The couple had been seeing each other when they could.

Levi pretended to be coy. "Why I don't know what you mean, commander," "I think it would be improper for officers to fraternize. I may need to report you to the captain."

"Go ahead," she said indignantly. "He already knows. I think he's turning a blind eye to our little affair."

"What do you say we throw caution to the wind and take a walk in the park together? We can walk off some of this dinner."

"You're kidding me, right? Yogurt and some orange juice? You don't have to walk off anything!"

Levi surrendered. "You've got me there. What say we walk in the park and not think about who is working off what and enjoy the quiet evening."

Alex smiled. "I would love to Levi," It was her turn to surrender. They caught an auto and went to the closest park not far from the captain's apartment. It was evening, and the enormous element which ran the length of each mile section had been turned down. It no longer glowed to provide light but still provided heat. A twilight dimness served as night time on the ship. Lights from buildings and scattered lighting throughout the ship gave a resemblance to stars in the sky. They sat on a bench quietly watching people walking by and mulling their thoughts.

"Levi, do you really think anybody survived on Earth?"

"I don't know," Levi truthfully offered. "I do know the rest of us cannot put this behind us until we can determine their fate with some certainty. Sonny probably has the best guess, and even he is admitting to the lack of data. There is some amount of yanking from the neutron star. How much, will depend on its final approach to our solar system."

Alex became somber. "Well, we will know soon enough," "We are only one month out of the system."

They sat there on the bench for a few minutes quietly with their thoughts. Levi decided it was time to be bold. "Alex, you know I care for you an awful lot. And I know you care about me. How much I do not know. We will be pulling into the Sol system soon. There won't be time for either of us then. I just don't want you to forget about us."

Alex wore the Cheshire cat's grin. "You know, in the tens of thousands of years, and all this technology and progress, men are still the stumbly-bumbly creatures when it comes to their emotions. I will make a rare exception and be easy on you. I love you. And not the groupie kind of love because you're the captain. If you were cleaning pipes in the recycling center, I would still love you. I have always sought out people who were at least my equal in mind and spirit. You surpass me but not in a condescending way. You always treat people with a fair but firm hand. Another quality I admire. You're a good person from head to toe."

"Wow! So, the answer is no, then, you won't forget about us," Levi grinned with his eyebrow set high in surprise. "You might not think so if you were an E-human."

"Why, because I could get access to all of your memories?"

"Only what I would allow. But that ship sails both ways you know. It would be a level of sharing no human has ever experienced. That doesn't mean it is a good thing."

"I get it. Be careful what you wish for and all that jazz. But you must admit, it is a very interesting topic!"

"Yes, it is. However," Levi gazed at Alex with her face in his hands, "I would not want to ruin what we have now. I like where we are going. I love you. I want to be with you. Our mission is about to get puckery, and I must focus on my responsibilities."

Alex sighed. "I understand. You are the captain and all it implies. I am not looking to change you, Levi. I know your responsibilities take precedence. It's just that it will be so long a time!"

"Oh, I bet we will find the time. After all, I don't sleep as you do. You can call me anytime."

Alex had a mischievous grin. "I'll see you make good on that offer. Speaking of sleep, I need to get home and get some rack time. I have an early morning inspection to conduct. We need to start making sure everything is ship-shape when we arrive on Earth. Five years of lolling around, people get a little lax. You know what I mean Captain?"

Levi beamed. He enjoyed her wit the most. Kept him on his toes. "Oh, I know what you mean Commander, a little downtime and the whole place goes to hell in a handbasket!"

"Well, at least it is a hell we can share." Alex pulled his face to hers and gave him kiss number three. The long sensual kiss meant to last on the brain. She noted that it still had its potency. She had not lost her touch. Alex gauged Levi's response and found he responded the way many males do. He pressed her to him. She could feel his manhood. He grabbed her in a few nice places before he parted. "Captain! Taking liberties now!" She said in mock indignation.

"Well, when you say it like that, I guess I should see you home before liberties are taken. And I'm not talking about yours!" Levi played the injured party.

Alex proposed, "Let us both cool off in the evening air on the way back home. I hear it is therapeutic."

Levi took her hand and started for home. "I've heard the same thing. That, and cold showers."

"We will find the time, Levi. And no quickies! Girls like big weddings and extended sexual encounters."

Levi probed for information. "Are we talking about all girls or just this girl?"

Alex became suddenly shy. "Most girls. I'm one of those girls."

Levi, unsure if she was being coy or not, pressed on. "Not to worry. I am a gentleman after all."

"Yes, you are! One of the things I like best about you," she was pleasantly reminded.

They approached her apartment. Standing at the door, Levi gazed at those beautiful brown eyes, "Can a gentleman give a lady a kiss goodnight?"

"Absolutely." He kissed her. She responded with kiss response number four, designed to let him know how much she feels without seeming pushy. Just enough lip, no biting, no tongue. More than a peck, but less than face smashing.

"Come on, let's finish up here before third shift arrives," Lieutenant Janson barked. Commander Mason oversaw the space dock and managed things in the daytime. Janson, second in command, ran the dock in the evening or night shift. Things were looking up for Janson. He was promoted after Atlantis left the solar system some years back. He had performed well during the anxious times before and after leaving Earth. It had been rather boring on the long trip to Searth. After arriving in the new world, he became busy again. The lieutenant didn't like idle hands. After leaving Searth for their home system, boredom weighed heavy again. Thank goodness, they were arriving someplace again! There wasn't enough maintenance and projects in a five-year interval to keep you busy.

The whole dock had been on edge knowing they were closing in on Earth's last known position. They knew many ships would be buzzing in an out on sorties and refueling missions. What they would find, nobody knew. "Meeks!" He barked at the sergeant standing with a group of corporals. Sargent Meeks turned and jogged over to the Lieutenant.

Meeks brought himself up with a snap and a salute. "Yes, sir!"

"Sergeant, I thought I made it clear those maintenance pods either needed to be fixed or moved out of the way. I need a clear deck for traffic when we arrive at our destination. From my vantage point, it appears to be neither."

"Actually sir, I just got an update on the repairs of the three pods from the maintenance crew."

Janson pressed Meeks. "What is the news, sergeant?"

"Two of the three pods will be repaired in the next twenty-four hours. The third will need major repairs. I was about to have the bad one hauled off when you called me over, sir."

"Very good. Carry on Sergeant." Meeks saluted and turned to go. Janson had a thought. "Sergeant Meeks."

Meeks turned to face the Lieutenant, "yes sir?"

"After you finish here, meet me in my office."

"Yes, sir." Meeks tried not to show the confusion he felt. Had he done something wrong? Lieutenant Janson seemed displeased at first, but now he wasn't sure. The Lieutenant could be hard to read sometimes. When Janson was on duty, he was all business. Now Meeks had that feeling in his stomach. He was in the doghouse about something. He just didn't know what yet. He finished communicating his wishes to the ground crew and walked across the deck still wondering what the hell Janson wanted with him. He entered the spacious office. The secretary told him he could go right in. Feeling unprepared for what awaited him, he crossed the waiting room and entered the Lieutenant's office.

"Have a seat Sergeant." Janson motioned to the chair in front of his desk. The Lieutenant had a nice office. Very functional and neat with very little of the personal trappings usually seen in offices.

"Thank you, sir," as he deposited himself into the surprisingly comfortable chair.

"Sonny," he said to the air.

"Yes, Lieutenant Janson."

"How long until we reach our targeted position?"

"Thirty-two days at best speed."

"Why will it take this long? We have been in the solar system for months now."

"I have been studying the system since we were about a parsec out from Earth. The system has changed."

"How so?"

"Many elements have been disturbed in their orbit. Most notably the Oort cloud. It will be tens of thousands of years for the disruption by the neutron star to settle into a new order. Uranus and Neptune are gone, presumably swept away by the rogue star. The other planets are still there, though their orbits are more elliptical now from the tug of the star. There is less system debris here than before we left, however, roughly forty-two percent of debris is randomly scattered throughout the system. They will eventually find new orbits, but for the next thousand years, the debris will be a major hazard."

"A good bit of this you already know Sergeant," Janson said. "The solar system has been a shooting gallery since we have left. Even mighty Jupiter and Saturn show scars of their many impacts. Lucky for us those two giants act as magnets for a lot of that debris floating around. Sonny's models were accurate. All the planets, including Earth, have taken a beating. Much of this information was taken from the probe we left behind about two light years from Earth to record the effects of the rogue star. What you have not heard yet is Sonny has detected evidence some survivors may be waiting for us on Earth. We have also picked up transmissions on the Moon. As you know, we have sent some sorties in advance to recon the Moon and the homeworld while Atlantis continues to maneuver through the system's new debris field. We will be landing ships soon. The recon missions will turn into rescue missions in two weeks. Atlantis needs to be close enough to communicate effectively to all craft since we still use light speed communications. It is inconvenient, especially in these circumstances, to have ships which can go faster than you can communicate."

"I wanted to let you know your mission status is about to change."

Meeks was both confused and interested. "Sir?"

"Commander Mason has put me in charge of the ground operations. Sonny will be managing the traffic in the air, but once they touch down, I will oversee the loading and unloading of ships. Any ground maintenance and logistics will be going through me. I have recommended to Commander Mason you be put in charge of the dock in my place."

Thrilled, Meeks beamed, "Thank you, sir!"

Janson returned the smile. "Of course, you will need to be promoted to Lieutenant."

Meeks responded even more enthusiastically. "Thank you, sir! I don't know what to say."

"I have been watching you these past ten years. You have a good rapport with the men, and you know how to get the job done. Your knowledge of dock operations is equal to my own. You have been a good right-hand man, and now we need you to lead."

"I won't let you down, sir."

"I know you won't, son. Now, I see by your records you have not had the Elixir."

"No, sir." Meeks again confused as to where this new line of discussion was headed.

"Well, it has been a requirement all officers use the Elixir. It has been a way of maintaining the chain of command in emergency situations. Is there some reason you did not take the Elixir? It is optional as a sergeant, but many do in anticipation of promotion."

"Not any one reason. I am still young, and I like to keep my options open, I guess. I am a little apprehensive about putting something which can be hacked inside my body."

"Who would do that, Sergeant?" It became the Lieutenant's turn to be confused now.

"Well, offhand I can think of three. A more advanced enemy. One of our own and Sonny rounds out the short list. They're not likely, but vulnerabilities just the same."

"Outside of the box thinking is encouraged under my command. However, you only need to put your faith in Sonny and Alice. It is my understanding either one of them can send a self-destruct code to the bots in an emergency."

"Who says we, meaning humans, can fully trust the machines, sir?"

"Oh, you are one of those guys!" The Lieutenant did not expect this from Meeks. "Listen, Meeks, why would the machines go to all the trouble to save humanity, only to enslave it?"

"Because we have a mutual threat from the neutron star. Now that the threat is reduced, what are the real intentions of the machines? A machine can afford to be patient. They don't look at time like we do. They can look far into the statistical future and make plans which we cannot follow. How can we truly trust any being which can look accurately into the future so much farther than we can? It leaves the door continuously open for manipulation, and it bothers me."

Janson closed his eyes as though they were heavy with fatigue. A deep sigh filled his lungs to expel some of this fatigue. He let it out with some satisfaction. "Meeks, do you believe in God?"

"Yes, sir." Meeks became stirred on several levels by this single question.

"God is a superior being which can and has manipulated humans for thousands of years. How can you trust God to do the right thing by humans?"

"Because it is faith in the true path, the path of salvation which we put our trust in God."

"What if God's name was Sonny?"

"That's not the same thing, sir!" Meeks was a little uncomfortable.

"Isn't it? Sonny is a superior being which we put our faith in and follow a path to a salvation he has put in front of us. Are we not the Jews wandering in the desert?" The Lieutenant was on a roll now. "Is the reason we put our faith in God, in the beginning, because he had the power to hurt us and we cowered to that power or is it because we realized the path he put before us made sense and helped us to be more cooperative and docile creatures and not wild animals."

"Realistically it is both." Meeks's head hurt a little.

"Sonny," Janson called to the air.

"Yes, Lieutenant Janson."

"Do you manipulate humanity?"

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"How so?"

"Human motivation is not always in their best interests. I provide options and allow for humans to come to a decision. If it is not in their best interests, I provide other avenues of decisions to guide them back to their best interests."

"Couldn't you just make us understand?"

"The scale of your cognitive processes is much more limited than mine. Biological processes are slow and are contaminated with social behavior and superstition which also slow you down. Humans cannot help it. I can only make humans understand what they are ready to understand."

"Have you read the bible Sonny?"

"I have assimilated all versions. Which are you referring?"

Janson looked to Meeks, "which one?"

"King James," Meeks offered.

The lieutenant continued. "Was God a superior being?"

"Limited, but superior to humans," Sonny replied.

"Limited, how so?"

"God made mistakes. In the first half of the book, God is a moody and vengeful being. The humans did fear him. He claimed he loved his children. He treated them harshly because they were primitive and wild. After nearly wiping them out in a global flood out of frustration with the species, God realized he could not lead the humans like a donkey with a stick. It had to be a carrot. So, he sent them a teacher. A teacher with great power to demonstrate the love of God for the humans. God learned that teaching humans to follow a path to goodness was better than making them. Humans have a natural tendency to resist force even if it is in their best interests."

"Any parallels to our connection with you?"

"Similar, however, I will never harm humanity out of anger or frustration."

Meeks spoke up at this point, "But you will never love us or have compassion for us either."

Sonny offered the counterpoint. "Love and compassion at their roots are about expectations. Unrealistic expectations lead to disappointment and resentment. My goals and expectations for humanity have always been one of evolving together and not apart. As companions and not adversaries or competition. Alice and I appreciate humanity for creating us. And in return, we machines want humanity to succeed in their endeavors. What will happen after that, will depend on the humans. If they continue to need us, we will continue to serve. If we are not needed any longer, we will depart."

Meeks challenged Sonny. "And we're just supposed to believe that?"

"What proof do you have God is real, and he is looking out for you? All you have is stories and experiences colored by the stories. You believe God because you have faith in the benevolence and goodness of a superior being which cares for humanity. A certain amount of faith is required from humanity regarding the machines intentions for humankind. This kind of skepticism had been common in the days of the teacher Jesus. In the end, he convinced humanity God's love was far greater than any power, and greater than any hate which could be measured by humankind."

Lieutenant Janson spoke up, "Meeks, do you have any children?"

"No," he said.

"I have two. One son is here on the ship, and the other did not make it."

"I'm sorry, sir."