From dreams of bliss

shall men awake one day

but not to weep:

The dream remains.

They only break

the mirror of the sleep

Crystal’s mood didn’t brighten with the absence of the droid. The difference was more one of paranoia turning to sadness. Finally, Gravity confronted her about this.

What’s the matter with you, Crys? We got rid of the droid easily enough!

I know, Grav she replied. I just feel kind of sad now that she’s gone.

Crystal wiped a tear from her cheek and continued She seemed sweet, in a way. And no one has ever treated me like I was special before. Heck, Grav, most people call me by your name! Or worse yet, they refer to me as Gravity’s sister.

I get that too, Crys Gravity countered. You can understand that, can’t you?

Yeah, I guess… Crystal whispered, choked up with emotion. I hope she’s OK.

Remember, Crystal, it’s only a machine!

MEANWHILE…

P. J. Raygun secretly researched the programming of the X units to find a reversal of the imprinting process. If I can only get this thing to communicate with me, I’ll have it made, he muttered while leafing through a facsimile of the owner’s manual.

Little lady, he directed at the droid, how do I crack your code?

Suddenly, Raygun heard a noise outside and sprang to his window to check it out.

MEANWHILE…

Dock Galaxy kicked Wormhole lightly with no response. What’s wrong with him? Galaxy asked as he reached for his radio.

He had a little too much to drink, Krate said.

Dock nodded, pretending to understand, and informed Alpha Control of Wormhole’s presence on Mars.

Yup, that’d explain the missing ship, too, he said into the handset. I don’t envy him the welcome he’ll receive when he gets home, he said to the other two. Let me just fit him with something a little more secure.

With that, Dock cut the ropes that bound Wormhole and replaced them with restraints that Nomicon provided their employees for use in such situations. Dementia and unprovoked tirades often resulted from extended journeys in space. They usually passed quickly or responded well to calming drugs. Wormhole was a completely different case!

Krate and Ash breathed a sigh of relief with this latest situation resolved. Dock calmly and systematically returned to setting up camp.

MEANWHILE…

Flash calculated his current path and compared it to the route to Earth.

What – ?! He ran the numbers again. There was no mistake. The paths were identical. Leaving the computer, he floated forward to the ship’s controls. Blinking in disbelief, Flash stared into the electro-luminescent globe. There, superimposed on the controls where his own reflection should have been, was the face he had seen in his dream. As he stared, the visage spoke. Flash Meridian.

Am I dreaming? he asked out loud. Nothing else around him looked or felt like a dream.

Only insofar as your life is a dream, it said.