The crowded streets were noisy, filthy, and stunk of sweat and piss. There were no gliders here, no walkways, no clean walls or shielded skies. Wind-blown dust seeped into people’s hair and clothes, as it had for thousands of years.

Finding her target would not be easy. All the holofile said was that he had been seen here recently. Well, in the ‘capital’ anyway. She wasn’t even sure she was in the right city.

Mrill paused in the shadow of an alley to swipe through the data. No address. Just the name of a park. She wished she’d seen this earlier, she could have checked its location before going through that door.

She did so now.

Her wristpad revealed the park was in Tolinku and brought up a map showing her how to get there from where she was. At least, she wouldn’t waste time finding a way to travel between cities.

There was no public transportation here and it was a half-hour walk, but she didn’t mind. It reminded her of home. Not that home had been anything like this at all—at least not as far as sand and filth were concerned. But it was a rimworld too. One with little technology, where people relied more on their physical abilities than on machines.

She missed it. She would have liked to go back, but she knew she never could. Her people were more likely to kill her than to welcome her with open arms.

When she reached the park, she walked around showing a picture of her prey. One was included in the holofile, along with his name: Gulen Udran. With some luck, he came here often enough that the regulars would recognize him.

“Oh, yes! I know him,” said a young blonde woman.

“Do you know where I can find him?”

The woman squinted as she looked her up and down. “Why? What is he to you?”

“I owe him money,” she lied. “Would like to pay him back.”

“And you don’t have his address? No, I don’t think so.”

The woman walked away.

Mrill dove into her mind before she was out of reach, but there were no answers there. Just the shining silhouette of a kind and generous man.

She found two others who reacted in much the same way. And, like the lady, the two men only remembered this idealized version of Udran.

Why did people care so much for this man? It was like they all wanted to protect him.

While the fourth who knew him reacted like the others, this one thought of an address. With a beautiful, big house in the suburbs of Tolinku.

Mrill left the park and headed for the outskirts of the city. She noticed the streets were cleaner here. This must be a wealthier neighborhood.

All the houses were different, so it was only a matter of finding the right one. And as long as she had a purpose, Mrill could be a very patient woman.

It took her three days to find it. Every night, she would retire to a hotel in the heart of the city. Then early in the morning, she would return to roam the streets, examining each house with great care. Twice the residents had called upon the authorities, concerned they might have a stalker in the neighborhood. Twice she had used her powers of persuasion to convince the patrollers that she was a harmless tourist.

Now she stood in front of the structure, studying it with curiosity. It had triangular walls that pointed at the sky, with possibly hundreds of antennas poking out of a red selite roof.

She walked up to the door and knocked.

Within minutes, it swung open, and a smiling man appeared.

It was Gulen Udran in person.

His smile widened when he saw her.

“Oh! A Vron! How wonderful! Please come in.”

She stared at him as he stepped aside.

“You know my people?”

“Yes, yes, of course! But come now.” He motioned for her to enter. “I would love to have a chat with you. It has been so long since I’ve seen one of your kind.”

She scanned his mind, but found no ill will. Only kindness and pleasure. So she stepped into the living room.

The inner walls were all translucent, each tinted a different color—green, yellow, red, blue... The ceiling was fully transparent, with a magnificent view of the clear blue sky. A comfortable-looking couch waited against a purple wall. Embedded in the blue wall across from it was a TriVid screen. Images of beautiful landscapes from throughout the Imperium scrolled on the display.

“Come, come! You must tell me all about yourself. Sit, please, make yourself at home. What would you like to drink?”

“Must?” she asked blandly.

He glanced at her and grinned. “Oh, oh! Don’t get all mad at me. I know your ways. I’m just curious, is all I am. You would know that if you knew me.”

She probed into his mind again and found no deceit in this one. She dug further, needing to understand.

There, in the depths of his memories, shining like a beacon of hope, was a valley of light and joy. Humans and Vrons mingled and laughed and shared moments of friendship. There was no hatred there, no fear, no misunderstanding. They all knew each other’s true nature.

Her hands shook as she sat on the couch.