Colonel John and Major Haugen met again back on the entertainment grid. Colonel John ran his hand through his hair, "I feel like this might be worth waking up Andy for..."

Major Haugen shook his head, "I'll talk to Andy when he gets up for his shift, you know why we stagger our schedules. That way there are always two of us up at all hours."

Colonel John nodded, "You're right. I guess this is just such a huge revelation I am itching to get his feedback too. The Gah. They finally have a name."

Major Haugen frowned and then asked, "But do we know for a fact that these Gah are the true gate builders? They could just be an older race who piggybacked off the gate builders the same as us."

"That, you know, that's a real good point. See, this is why I am so anxious for Andy's input too, Tom." Colonel John squatted down and rubbed his hand through the dirt trail they were standing on. "This VR is really something, isn't it? The flowers smell and feel real, the dirt feels real... But as soon as we leave here and return to our bodies, it was all just an incredibly vivid dream."

"Why do you think the PB folks gave up all military?" Major Haugen asked.

"If they know about this... Gah, that there are other advanced civilizations you'd think they would want more or better military." Colonel John rubbed his chin.

"Could they have given up in the face of a vastly superior force?" Major Haugen wondered out loud.

Colonel John shook his head, "You've seen how amazing Treecy is, and she has said it herself, she's just average. Humanity has risen to unheard-of levels and yet, I just have a gnawing suspicion that something is missing."

Major Haugen nodded, "Had she even heard of the Gah?"

"The Gah? She hadn't even heard of the PRE." Colonel John stood up and then shook his head. "Five thousand years is a long time. That's the difference between The Federation and the Roman Empire, Tom. I am pretty sure that if you brought a Roman Legion into contact with one of us, even an average one of us, we would be god-like to the Legion. Would a Legionnaire even begin to understand why we wouldn't understand the importance of the Phalanx?"

Major Haugen balled up a fist, "That is a very solid point. We have missed out on too much history to second-guess them from our perspective. We are cavemen shaking our pointed sticks at spaceships."

Colonel John laughed, "I wouldn't say it's that bad but damn. We need to find some more time. What the fuck are we going to do once we go through another gate and show up in an age where even Treecy de Santos is a caveman?"

Major Haugen nodded, "It very well could happen, hell it might have already happened. Do we even really know what year it is?"

Colonel John called out, "Alice, are you around here?"

Alice's avatar popped into existence beside the two of them, "Colonel John, how may I assist you?"

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"Is Treecy de Santos available to talk?"

Alice closed her eyes and then when they opened Treecy came walking down the garden path. She waved and asked, "Colonel John, did you need to speak with me?"

He smiled at her and then asked, "Treecy, was your vessel able to give you any idea long you were in jump space?"

Treecy shook her head, "It's just a car. I was in jump space for what seemed like the correct amount of time to get home, but instead of home, I was here. Usually, a jump from College to Home takes a week in real time and I experience it as just driving through the gate."

"Thanks, Treecy, we are just discussing possible issues with going back to our space. Like, what if we are much further into the future than even your era? If we go back, will you be as far behind as we are in regard to you? That sort of thing." Major Haugen added.

"Oh! Well, yes, that is a very real probability." She quickly did the math in her head, "I am not a math genius or anything, but I have been wondering if we could somehow correlate our jumps here based on distance and what time we do know about. Flight 759, the squadron, and my car. We all used the gates from different systems and yet we are all here at nearly the same time. New Dubai's gate, Mar's gate, and ULVA's gate. Only, we are missing some important variables."

Colonel John raised an eyebrow, "Such as?"

"How fast the gate sent us to this system. Is there a difference based on vessel type, size, weight, or that sort of thing?" She tapped her chin in thought. "Hey, have you guys considered the possibility of a rescue team coming for any of us?"

Colonel John looked at Major Haugen and then blinked. "Fuck."

Major Haugen laughed and shook his head, "Fuck is right. No, we hadn't considered that at all."

Colonel John asked, "Treecy is there a way for them to know where you went?"

She nodded, "I drove here in a car, before I jumped my inputs were recorded and sent through my neurolink to the network. When I don't show up at my destination my family and friends will be informed along with my exact coordinates for that jump."

Colonel John called out, "Alice, we'll need you again."

A smiling Alice appeared a moment later, "How may I assist you, Colonel John?"

"How many of the destroyer AIs are currently here in Wonderland?"

Alice chuckled, "All of them, would you like them to visit?"

He nodded and then turned to Major Haugen, "We need eyes on all three spots. We've been here in the system for a month, that's more than enough time for a search party to be organized and sent through the gate behind one or all of us."

The group of AIs all came walking up the path a moment later. Nemo stepped forward and asked, "Colonel John, how may we assist you?"

"I need you to point a few scopes in the direction of the spots we entered this system. Look at the areas for Flight 759, the squadron, and Treecy de Santos's car. It's possible that we could have rescue teams or some other form of contact."

Nemo nodded and then asked, "Do you want any specific destroyer or shall we delegate it amongst ourselves?"

Colonel John shook his head, "You handle it between yourselves, use the closest scopes to each of the areas, please. Can you notify Me, Tom, or Andy, whoever is on duty at the time, if there is any contact?"

Nemo nodded and said, "It will be done... Colonel, it seems that there are already contacts in the system. A reconnaissance satellite followed us about a week ago and... There is a vessel of some sort that followed Miss de Santos. If we send a destroyer to intercept it should take one week at our current best speed."

Colonel John frowned, "Go get that vessel. I remember from Treecy's car that she only had at most a month of survival rations and no communications equipment. Closest destroyer, please."

Treecy looked pale, "I'm sorry, but may I see what the vessel looks like?"

One of the destroyers stepped forward and held out a tablet she dragged a finger across the display and brought a large frame into the air which showed a scene from her telescope. As she zoomed in on the vessel Treecy exhaled and then said under her breath, "Ben." She frowned and then added, "No rush on picking him up." She crossed her arms and turned her head away pouting.

Major Haugen chuckled, "Harsh. I mean, he did come out here to find you."

Treecy sighed loudly and with a defeated look said, "Fine, go save him, please." She licked her teeth and then said under her breath, "Ugh, I hope he didn't bring Wonda. Yuck."

Colonel John smiled, "Nemo, who is going?"

Nemo looked over at one of the men standing at the back, "Van Halen, can you take it?"

The destroyer raised his hand giving making a fist with the pinky and pointer finger extended. "I'll advise my command crew. Confirming this is a direct order, Colonel John?"

Colonel John nodded at him and said, "Van Halen, once you have him safely on board, grant him access here so we can have a chat."

The destroyers all looked as if they were anxious to leave which caused Major Haugen to ask, "If I may ask, what were you all doing before we asked you here?"

Argo blushed and answered, "We were playing a wonderful game of the ancients called..." Nemo quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

He smiled at Major Haugen and said instead, "Merely investigating some of the activities our crews enjoy in order to learn how to better accommodate them."

Colonel John shook his head, "Alright, you are all dismissed. De Santos, it's going to be a week, so no need to worry just yet."