The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
Alexand returns to the army vehicle she arrived in, sits in the driver’s seat, watching people walk past, from behind the safety of the glass, after her very short honeymoon ended. She and Jarad had argued over why she wouldn’t talk to him about crying on the banks of the river. Jarad stormed off, leaving Alexand to become Colonel Merek again.
Katherine ignored the Guild Master’s General’s warning and could not resist touching Alexand, whilst phased between energy and corporeality.
A month has passed and Alexand was sedated to aid in her recovery from heart surgery. The sedatives are wearing off, and she begins to hear voices. (This issue is dedicated to my son, Sam, who is 18 today. Happy Birthday, Sammy, one of the few people who are as real to me as my characters.)
Katherine, equipped with dark glasses and a determined stride, makes her way towards her brand new laboratory.
An hour later, Jay and Katherine sit in a very empty bar, attempting to make sense of the shrinking world outside the ship.
Jay was one of the first asylum seekers to be rescued and brought to the Kyuunansen. He is relieved to see a familiar face on board the ship, and although it’s been a few days since he met Katherine De Somme again, he is eager to re connect, as it’s quite lonely being one of the only passengers on a very large ship, travelling the ocean, with no prospect of seeing land again.
Ajeeta Kothari escorts Katherine towards her shared laboratory, where research is being conducted into cloning, which has been illegalised on the mainland, by Amanojuko infiltrators within the governments around the world. Although Katherine remains suspicious of Kothari, Samira Ganesh has assessed she poses no threat to Kothari, and has left them to walk alone together towards the cloning lab.
After a month of overseeing Katherine’s rehabilitation, Inajda has been left behind, wondering where future Anesidor has taken her friend. She has been accompanied by the mysterious future version of Katherine, who seems to have an agenda for her as well.
Helga Ritter has been listening to Heyem’s thoughts for the past couple of hours.
Helga Ritter, disguised as a Swedish tourist, called Elsa, waits for a very drunken Heyem Merek to fall asleep. She is beginning to suspect that Heyem has no idea where Lord Anderson is, but as Heyem begins to snore, softly; Helga digs her way into her uncensored thoughts.
