In four hour shifts, Krate and Ash made it through the night. They bound Wormhole securely hand and foot, in case he should wake. Col. Lander checked his vitals from time to time, having no idea the amount of sedative he had consumed.

Two days passed thusly, with Wormhole unconscious, and the other two keeping their round-the-clock vigil. Late in the second day, Krate noticed something in the sky – a meteorite? A comet? It looks like a ship Ash said, remembering the arrival of Wormhole’s craft a few days earlier.

The men watched over the following hour and soon it was clear that another ship was descending toward them.

MEANWHILE…

Flash fell asleep, still wishing for communication. He had come to cherish his time sleeping. He never knew where his dreams would take him, or who he might meet there, but they always took him somewhere other than where he was. His dreams took him to places the TNI could not.

Flash found himself engulfed in bright light. A white ball of energy. He could see it with his eyes, but more importantly, he felt it surrounding him, filling him. He breathed it in and it tingled from his toes to the top of his head. He inhaled light and exhaled darkness until all he felt was light. Far from the cold darkness of space, he basked in this glow.

Something was moving, indiscernable within the halo, and as he watched it, it slowly began to take form.

Flash Meridian came a voice – a large, comforting voice, a rich, echoing voice. When it spoke his name, it spoke his entire being. All that Flash was, was summed up in that voice. Flash realized that he did not hear the voice with his ears, yet it spoke to him. From within… his entire being reverberated with that powerful, loving voice.

Even as he realized this, the movement formed hands, a face, and it touched his cheek softly. Soft as the petal of a flower. Fragrant and fresh.

MEANWHILE…

Droids? the face on the screen asked. Lady, I’m an exterminator, not a junk yard.

It’s not junk Gravity replied. She then explained the situation as Crystal stood nervously by, glancing at the Nebula X’s face for any sign of understanding.

What kind of joke is this? Raygun asked. I could work my entire life and never afford a state-of-the-art unit like that. No one exterminates them!

OK, OK! Raygun answered, but I’ll treat this as a salvage run.

OK Gravity said, but please hurry.

MEANWHILE…

Ash and Krate made their way to where the ship came down. It was even closer to their camp than Wormhole’s. As the two approached it, they drew their guns, wanting no more unpleasant surprises. This was a larger cargo ship. The door opened, and Ash and Krate approached it tentatively. A lone man in white disembarked and approached Azimuth and Lander.

Some welcome he said, glancing at the guns.