One inorganic simulant named each of my ED offenses. Holos played of all six. Recounted the rules for avoiding Therapy, this punishment. My face burned. Most people I saw did not even look at me, but I gained little comfort from that. I saw the hard face of the Governor of Lilmerica, Eric Schwer, before the crowd.

My head could not turn in the grip of the containment field. It forced me to look at him. The few that survived this were never the same again, never able to feel emotion again. Like simulants.

At that moment, I wanted to hate him, but I felt sadness. Pity for all of those who watched. Would they go home and struggle not to cry, to forget, as I did each time I saw this savagery? How can a civilized people think that this is necessary?

How sad, that Ossy and Citsa sent me here, and to DF most of those times, because they knew me well enough to say hurtful things. Do they have any guilt?

But then, I saw the riots in my mind. People are ready to be free of the Rads. I used the Diplomatic Link and reached out. People in it blocked DF from hearing.

Ryee came. Stood before Eric Schwer.

Papa gasped as I touched his mind. Mama’s. Maia’s. Farther. People of Areon! Rise up! Why do we stand by and let the Rads control us? They want profit, but around us, 517 worlds of people cry for our ships! We now have enough nitrogen in our atmosphere that we do not need breathers, and we can export nitrogen!

"As you know, Governor Schwer, we protested your restrictive policies long. We detected the latest refit of the Emotion Detectors in the city of Eicken,” Ryee said. “We do not mean to interfere with the humane operations of your government. Is difficult for us to continue normal relations with a government that is cruel to her people.

“Did you think that we do ne know of your use of Kajarian weaponry for this?” He pointed to the poles.

“Seventh Galaxy Minister, Cevit Ion, wishes to speak with many concerning this. Do you wish the Treaty of Areon with Ishah, for healers? I can name at least seven others that you asked him about lastweek."

The crowd cheered Ryee. I kept reaching for minds and fed them the scene. Rads use slaver herbs to control us. Even now those who protested sit in Eicken Hospital, drugged and subjects of experimentation. I showed them. A flood of people ran towards it and destroyed EDs as they went!

"Ryonne~, King of Ye~, you rule over a rock with few people. Your word means nothing here. This interference with our law will cost you trade. Take her and leave; and may neither of you set foot on Areonian soil again!"

My head pounded. But Uncle Asha stood by me and helped me touch more minds.

Governor Schwer shouted at me. “Don’t listen to her, a criminal—”

“My daughter is not a criminal! She just today discovered our answer. Are we to kill her for this stupid offense?” He grabbed a simulant’s arm and ripped it out! Used it to attack the console in front of Governor Schwer. I reached for more minds! More! Showed them what was happening. Vonn and Derees used simulant arms as whips to tear into the console.

“Security! Stop this! What are these people doing? I—”

A holo formed. Leader Sau. “You took my position from me as Planetary Minister. I think the people tire of your lies. Take him to prison! I declare us free of Rads rule. Take down all EDs! No more Emotion Detectors! No more oppression! We have enough nitrogen in our atmosphere, and ships wait for us. We will not take any Kajarian weaponry with us, or EDs. They, and all notes of their use here shall port into our suns! No one will be monitored! My brave operatives went to DF and freed everyone. They are now on our ships with healers.”

All around me, people tore down EDs and grabbed simulants! This was very different from the vision I saw! My head ached. Now my work is finished—

Ryee tried to pull me from between the poles, but I stayed. Fear gripped me! Will the machine start and kill him, too? Governor Schwer smiled as Security dragged him away.

Papa, Vonn and Derees pulled a panel from the console. Someone brought a weapon. He shot it. Green poured from it. My cousin, Terry MLX!

I fell into Ryee’s arms! Papa and Mama held me, sobbing. Aronna clung to me. So did Maia! My body shuddered. I bent. Dark green sprayed! A glittering cloud. Ryee gasped.

Papa cried. “Did they experiment on my poor daughter?”

Behind us, people struck the poles until they fell! Portals took all the EDs and wreckage away.

Ryee’s hands soothed my headache. All heard you, Ay. O, you harmed yourself! Even that gentle touch hurt. His mind reached for Pas, but found Ahstam.

My head fell onto his broad shoulder. “I must take you to healers! Will you come, Adia’s family?”

Beyond us, people cheered! No one fought. Vonn dropped a simulant arm and vaporized it. So did Derees. They ran towards us. People were laughing and crying!

Papa tried to take me. “My sister is a healer! Port us to Kleideu!”

A portal opened. Ryee laid me on a soft bed. I blinked up at him. Green walls of a tiny ship. Crowded.

“You must take us to Kleideu, now!” My father held my hand to his face. Sobbed.

Ryee hugged him. “Kleideu already boarded ships. My people are evacuated. We fly to meet them on the Yeff Ship. Sia will come.”

Half the hull vanished. Pas reached for me and I hugged him. “Here is yllis, Child.”

“What is that?” Papa watched as I ate it. Pas hummed and all pain stopped.

I looked up. “Oh, Adia, are you besser?” Papa sobbed.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

When I stretched, I saw that Mama held my arm. “Don’t move! Let the healer—Sia!”

Aunt Sia hugged me. “She can move! Do not sit until I see your points, dear.”

A hand rested below my knee. D’gmiash startled. “She is cold, Pas! Should she be cold?”

Pas rubbed the back of his blond, straight hair. “Do not worry. Sia looks over her points, and I listen. Her regen went well, my son.”

Sia’s blue eyes filled. “Oh, such harm you had! I wish they let me come, each time you saw DF. I cannot heal all of this. You have nightmares, yes?” Her hand shook as she smoothed my long hair. Hers is long, but silver like Papa's.

“Papa has them, too.” I held his hand to my cheek and he stroked it. My hand trembled. My body.

They moved so all of us could embrace. Maia hugged me first. Sobbed too hard to speak. “Did you know Ossy and Citsa both went to prison?”

“Yes! They are dead! We found recording terminals, in our bedrooms, all of us!”

I gasped. “Ossy recorded us?”

Aronna hugged me and I lifted her to the bed. We fit on this huge, ninesided bed with redviolet covering. This huge space had hundreds like it! Many Zheien filled them. Why? All were pale! I clung to her and my arms shook.

Vonn was on the next one holding his brother Tan! He cried. I saw him on Ye~, trembling and asking for his books. Speaking in twoword sentences.

This man had more weight on him. Muscular. Rubbed an eye. “Vonn, Gott be praised!” He hugged him.

“Let a healer see you—”

“I feel fine! Let us not waste trade—” He waved, and looked at his record. “I did not lose it, while I was in the hospital?” His gray eyes studied the room. “Where is this? I feel clicking! Not a ship, is it?”

Pas took his hands. “Do you remember me, Mr. Links?”

“Pas, I could not forget one who saved my life! They ported me from the hospital and you gave me something.” He shuddered. “I was barely aware of it! Will I be mindless again, when it wears off?” Tears streamed down his face.

The old healer hugged him. “Yllis affects for a short time, which passed. You will be more healthy now.”

By them, another healer helped a lady sit up. She trembled. “Where is this? Oh, Tan! They took us out!”

He pulled her close. “Lili! How do you feel?”

“I cannot calm myself. EDs will—”

“There are no more EDs.” Vonn showed them grabbing an arm from the nearest simulant and beating the machine that held me prisoner!

I sobbed and Papa held me. “Oh, it is all right, Zucker. Look, Leader Sau wishes to speak to us.”

His holo stood in the middle of the large room. One hand rested on his cobalt blue trader’s robe.

“People of Areon! We are free! No more shall EDs punish us for our emotions. Many of you were injured when DF took the last of us. Our Yeff friends supplied us with vek ea, an herb to wake people, and yllis, an herb that heals people. Now most of you are able to hear my words.

“Cevit Ion, Seventh Galaxy Minister, will explain what we do. Areon Colony is moving, with our world, and with our suns, to escape Eriganh. His ships pursue us, but they cannot get near our suns. We are on the opposite side. If he wished to threaten us, he must take a wide course and we can move our suns closer to him! Kajarians have a much dimmer sun. Once we are near our destination, he will lose us.

“Our Yeff friends travel with us, but they moved onto ships as we did. As we travel, we shall terraform our worlds. Plants will grow all over Areon, not only in our island provs, surrounded by desert.

“We gather ice moons to create a larger ocean. All our buildings and farms are on these giant ships! When terraforming is complete, Areon shall have great shipbuilding facilities on five worlds teeming with life! All of these worlds shall be Unified worlds and we now use Ye~ Hub. D'gharr can now build its own Hub. Our fine Council voted for these changes. Our people are in agreement about our future, for Kleideu, and Lilmerica.

“Ye~ will also have much water, and life. Areon must change. Our plans were years in the making, and hidden from the Rads. Now that we have tech from Ye~ to help us monitor, no one will oppress us again!

“Our enemies were executed before we left. Their bodies ported into our suns. Anyone trained to help the Rads had healing. Those who decided to pledge allegiance to our new government were not harmed. However, these people were spared because they agreed to be monitored. If they live honestly and trade fairly, in five years, all monitoring shall cease.

“We can use this new technology to detect theft and all manner of corruption. Our new society will need no prisons or torture. It is time for healing. It is time for new lives for all of us.

“All children are released from Eicken School and other schools in Lilmerica. All inmates of the Eicken Hospital and other facilities are free, and their possessions and trade bal restored when possible. Babies will stay with their parents, where they belong. Progs run for those of Lilmerica to help you learn care of children under five. Now we live in a better world!

“Eanne~, Elder King of Ye~, will now speak to you.”

He raised both arms. Silver curls trembled on his shoulders. He looked like an old king in a fairy tale book I read as a child. But he did not wear a golden crown or a cape. His uniform was white, like Ryee’s, with a redviolet sash filled with pins. On his head was a ninesided cloth flat with jewels in gold trim, also bright white.

His tenor voice thrilled us. “I signed an agreement with Leader Sau. His new Council worries that healing all of these people who are unwell from the hospitals and experimentation facilities would hamper the new government. We agreed to provide healing for all of these, and they shall enjoy citizenship of Ye~ and Areon.

“We have more than enough foods, healers, education from Sigan Mas, and small entertainments for all who choose to join our colony. Many children refused by their families will have adopted Yeff parents.

“Children of parents who are unwell to raise them will join families on Ye~ who wish to adopt the child and the parent. Ne child shall be parted from family! All who add Yeff family may have visits anytime from those who stay with Areon.

“We welcome our Newcolony from Zhea~! Now 5800 soldiers, who helped free all Areonians imprisoned by the Rads and helped in determining who among the Rads were forced to help them, they and their families are now Yeff!

“All of us may port freely between ships. Anyone who causes a disturbance will have a reduction of privileges. This system is in place in every Zheien world, and there is peace in most. Trade flourishes. Please, friends, do not fear for trade balance. Leader Sau agreed, portals between our colonies shall ne cost trade.

“We brought our Noh Colony with us. Leader Bekshay also wished to be included in this agreement, and Areonians shall enjoy many familiar foods imported from their farms. Visitors are also welcome on the Noh Ship.

Lorg~er are now tame animals. Anyone who wants to see these animals and more may port to visit Noh~La, Ye~, Kleideu, or Lilmerica. All farmers agreed to visitation and are happy to share animals with all. Any who wish pets may have them! Elshars who came to build ships brought many animals with them and are now free to trade them between our worlds. Ye~ can provide many gelsai, and they need little.

“In two Standard Weeks, we shall arrive in the Alb System. Alb Seer is Alliance, but our Hub will add a Unified Hub, and we shall be the Fhiah Hub. Biehshah Hub is Alliance only and shall continue. Many Regions enjoy membership in both trade networks.

“It is my sincere wish that Areon, Ye~ Zheien Colony, and Noh~La enter a new era of prosperity in our new location. Because Fhiah Zheien Colony has undertaken final construction of the Nefcot Ring, all worlds of the Seventh Galaxy will enjoy unlimited tech. The First Galaxy has enough energy to feed all of us for millennia. Using it, we can move stars in uninhabited areas to those that are.