E00 left Hanga’s memories and waited for him to come back. It was an exhausting activity, and he felt worse every time he did it. Except for the energy loss, he also hated barging inside his crewmates’ minds and witnessing their breaking points. That wasn’t a great way to make friends.

Dropping on the floor, Hanga gazed up at the grey, dull, metal ceiling. "I see Maya everywhere I look. I can't face losing her all over again."

“I don’t understand what’s with all this fuss about memories. I can access my memory files and relive anything anytime.” C1313 shrugged. “If I don’t like a memory, I can always delete it. Well, sometimes it’s tricky because some rather peculiar protection mechanisms can trigger a full shutdown.” She looked at Hanga. “But I guess no one cares about my issues.”

“Not now, C1313,” E00 said. “But after this situation is resolved and we safely get the Transcendents to their new home, feel free to talk to me about your problems. Maybe I can help.” He paused for a few seconds before he continued. “Hanga, get up. The droids need you. They look up to you.”

“Really?” Hanga raised his head, his eyes beaming with hope. “Do you hear their thoughts?”

E00’s voice came into the room once more. “No. But I knew that would give you some pick me up.”

“Bastard!” Hanga wasn’t yelling, but he had cranked up the volume. “If you had a body, I would have kicked your ass.”

“Maybe. We’ll never know.”

C1313 grabbed Hanga's arm and pulled him up. She examined him from head to toe, keeping an arm's length between them. "His vitals are presently stable. E00, go to the next."

Hanga huffed at her but didn’t add anything.

For a moment, E00 observed Hanga. He looked well, maybe a bit confused. The lingering sadness about him had deepened, reliving a loss that broke his heart. E00 only knew the surface story and wondered if the Valerian wanted to talk about it. But E00 didn’t know how to ask without risking making things worse. So, he decided to do what C1313 nudged him to do, to go in and drag another crew member from the memories.

Only Cato and Jackeye were left. They both looked pretty stable up to the point when Jackeye started twitching. His whole body shook while his eyeballs moved under his eyelids. Something was happening with him, and E00 couldn’t decide if he should enter his mind now or let him stabilize before that.

Jackeye gasped and blinked open his eyes. C1313 darted in front of him, inspecting his face. Hanga approached them, his expression filled with anxiety.

“Are you alright?” Hanga asked.

Jackeye heaved a frustrated sigh. “By now, I’m able to tell the difference between reality and other worlds. And also how to get out of any construct.” He shrugged. “Okay, almost any construct. But sure as hell, I won’t be trapped in that pile of shit that’s my past.”

“Good to have you back,” C1313 added.

"This means I just have one to go," E00 replied, checking Cato's brain waves. From what he could tell, this dive was going to be difficult.

Once this last one was finished and the Transcendents loaded off the Space Spoon and into their new home, E00 could finally rest and replenish his energy. Perhaps he would even have a few moments to spare and dip into the bright star that awaited them at their destination.

He reached out and entered Cato’s mind. After he found the spot where her consciousness manifested, he slithered between the edges of the memory and entered the closest avatar he could find.

Stunned, he had no words for what he saw and felt. Getting inside the avatars in the memories wasn’t easy. He could never feel their bodies like his own. Well, not like this. He jerked his head back to get a better look at what fluttered over his shoulders.

The lines of his wings, starting from his skin, were all black, each one being a contrast to the nearly translucent substance that shimmered like crystals under the sun. Stunning and flawless, they belonged to him. He couldn't believe his eyes. He handed them a test flap, which worked. They moved. Oh my goodness, this was pure magic.

Cato was standing in front of him. Her enthusiasm matched his. A thrilling sensation bloomed in his chest, dashing through his heart and bringing a grin to his lips. He let her pull him up. She smiled. He had never seen her smile before. And then reality hit him. Those weren't his wings, and this wasn't even his memory.

Before he could say anything, she flung a hand over his. “Come, Talulah, hide your wings already. We have to go to the party.”

Who was Talulah and why was she so important to Cato that Memory Bliss sent her here? They both looked happy, and somehow this was about to blow up in their faces. Maybe this time he could prevent things from happening all over again. Maybe he could take out Cato from this memory before bad things happen.

“Cato, do you remember –”

She dragged him down the stairs to the party, where numerous human teenagers danced, drank, and laughed. Somehow, his wings disappeared without him doing anything about them. This couldn’t have ended well.

Not long after, he got a drink, a pink liquid glimmering in transparent glass. Hoping the beverage wouldn’t taste bad, he poured it inside his mouth. He couldn’t control the body, merely the words he uttered.

The doors flew open as soldiers in blue uniforms marched inside. One of them moved forward. "I'm Colonel Darren Kyel, the Interplanetary Police. It was brought to our attention that there are two unauthorized life forms present at this celebration. Please form a line so that we may collect DNA samples from each of you."

The moment E00's wings pierced through his clothing, he couldn't control his body. He turned toward Cato. “Come, I’ll fly us out of here.”

"Stop right there, Dragonkin," the Colonel shouted. "How many of you are around?"

The moment his wings fluttered to take off, a shot burned through his chest, and E00 felt Talulah’s pain as she died.