Lu Kan sucked in air. “The person who can best answer your questions lives on Shifos.”

“Who is that and how can I find him or her?”

“Why are you so adamant about knowing this?”

“The Stafriez on the west side of Shifos have been trying for a long time to make contact with anyone who will listen to them.”

“There are no Stafriez there!”

“There are, Grandfather. They have reached out to me during my times of meditation. For years, I wondered what they were talking about. I need to know how the artifact came into your possession. Then I will figure out a way to cross the continent.”

“No way! The jungles of Shifos are very dangerous!”

“I plan to find the right mix of people, develop a plan, and take an expedition in. It will help to have the complete story about how this artifact came into your possession.”

“Jal, that is the craziest thing I’ve heard in a long time!”

“That’s too bad. I’m sure that it can be done. I plan to approach the Protectorate officials for their help.”

“Very well. If you want to know the stories of the journey through Shifos, I will take you to someone who knows them. I need ten days.”

***

A week passed, filled with school lessons, combat and martial arts, and working on crafts. On the seventh day, Jal sat in front of its computer.

“Hello, Jal! It seems like forever since you were here. How are things going?”

“Very well, thank you.”

“I assume that you would like to talk with Solrio?” Lonc Vellino wondered if Jal had made a mistake in the communication hook-up.

“Lonc, I would like to talk with you first, for a bit.”

“Certainly. How can I be of assistance?”

“I am studying the geography and terrain of Shifos for a report in my world awareness class. I wonder if you could provide some information?”

“I will do my best.”

“I’m certain that you recall moving the Pyricells to their native habitat.”

“Of course.”

“To do that, we used satellite cameras to study them after they were released.”

“Yes. Scientists continue to come in on a regular basis to monitor them.”

“So, the satellite system is still in use?”

“Oh, yes. We use the satellite systems to monitor a lot of things on the planet.”

“Has data ever been collected on the area west of the Megace Mountains on Shifos?”

“I’m sure it has.”

“Who would I contact in order to access such information?”

“Hm. This should only take a minute.” Lonc clicked buttons on his computer and after a moment said, “Yaaba Gyasi. I will send you his contact information.” Jal watched as Lonc leaned back in his chair and nearly tipped over. “Is there something else I can help you with?”

“Do you know if there have been any tectonic plate movements on Shifos in the past week or so?”

“Yes. There was a 4.0 earthquake in the southern area. The epicenter was in the center of the jungle, but it was felt on the eastern coastline. Why do you ask?”

“I merely had a sense that something had changed.” Jal shifted in its chair, its gut tightening.

“Several other Stafriez have been in contact with the Enclave in Nik asking this question. It’s interesting that you asked. You would have felt the upper western edge of the shift in Iragos”

“Hm. That’s intriguing.”

“Are you still planning to attend university, Jal?”

“I am.”

“Perhaps you’ll have time to study more about this then.”

“Maybe. Thanks for your assistance. Would you connect me with Solrio?”

The monitor blinked and a moment later, Solrio flashed onto the screen. “Solrio, it’s very good to see you!”

“Hi, Jal! How are you?”

“Things are going well here. I’m busy all the time. I’ve been working on my pottery a lot. I’d like to bring you something.”

“When would you like to do that?”

“Whenever it’s convenient for you.”

“I am not doing anything right now,” she offered.

A bit later, Jal stepped off the transporter in the enclave. A large box sat there, and Jal held a smaller box. “Two huge boxes?” Solrio laughed. “We can open these in the lounge. That way everyone can see what they are.” She grabbed a cart, lifted the box onto it, and pulled it down the hall. She removed the wrapping off a small item and smiled widely. “A teacup. It is exquisite, Jal!”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Carefully she took the soft cloths from the rest of the collection in the box. Before long, teacups, saucers, plates, glasses, and serving dishes covered the table. “A full set of dinnerware! It is so neat! I love the tiny rose borders that you painted on each piece. You are very talented.”

“This is a thank you for helping me, Solrio!”

“You are welcome, Jal. We can sit outside and visit.” She led Jal to the inner courtyard of the enclave. They spoke for a long time about how things were going with each of them. “I am so glad to hear you are doing so well. I see Eiske occasionally, when there are various emergencies in the community.”

Nervously, Jal asked if Solrio kept the Protectors informed of what was happening on the peninsula. She became thoughtful and considered how to answer the question. “I inform my superiors,” she said quietly. “They pass the reports up the ranks.”

“The ranks? You mean there are various levels of workers.”

“Of course. There are a lot of people who work for the Protectorate.”

“Can you talk to me about how that works?”

“I am a low-level mediator. Low-level mediators expect to work daily with citizens of the world, particularly those in an assigned area. Mid-level mediators are expected to oversee those of us who directly have contact, provide directions regarding resources, training to handle specific situations, and so on.”

“How many levels are there?”

“Six.”

“What is the position at the top?”

“A luminary.”

“The luminaries interact with the Protectors?”

“Yes.”

“Could you pass a message up the levels?”

“Maybe. What kind of message would you like to send?”

“I’d like to meet with a Protector.”

“You would be better off trying to do that at a temple.”

“I thought maybe someone in the Protectorate could help me.”

“I am sorry, Jal. I cannot help you.”

“Why not?”

“I do not know how to do that.”

“When was the last time that you heard someone had met with a Protector? Maybe I could approach that person and find out it’s done?”

“It had to have been before I began working for the Protectorate.”

“Hm. Would you mind telling me how long ago that was?”

“I have been affiliated with the organization for one-hundred-twenty-six years.”

Jal’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. “What? That’s not a typical life span!”

“Jal, you do realize that I’m a Solo Life Response Instructor and Officer of the Protectorate?”

“Yes, I know you work for the Protectorate. What exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“Jal, I am an android. Surely you knew this.”

“An android?”

“Yes.”

“Many of the people that work for the Protectorate are androids,” she informed Jal.

“Are Lonc Vallino, Toya Inoday, and Meera Pacher all androids?”

“Lonc and Meera are. Toya Inoday is not.”

“Are the people of Zuphreon aware of this?”

“Of course.” Jal rose unsteadily to its feet. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m ready to return home. Thanks for meeting with me.” Jal walked toward the doorway, then stopped and turned around. “Solrio, is Yaaba Gyasi an android, too?”

“Yes. Does it matter?”

“I don’t know.”

That night Jal sat in its room in the dark. Taryn’s voice came over the communicator. “The meal will be ready in five minutes.”

“I’m not hungry,” Jal responded.

“You need to eat. You didn’t have a noon meal.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Two minutes later, Jan knocked at Jal’s door. “Why are you sitting here in the dark?”

Jal couldn’t speak.

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come and eat with me.” Jal didn’t move. “Something happened today. Let’s go eat, Jal. We can talk at dinner or afterward.” Jal made itself get up. It walked down the steps instead of jumping from level to level.

Taryn stood in the kitchen waiting to serve the meal. She put their food on plates and began to mix ingredients for a breakfast cake. “You’re not eating with us, Taryn?” Jal asked.

“I ate as I prepared the meal.” After she put the dish in the oven, she sat down at the table. “Something is bugging you. What is it?”

Jal put down its fork. It sat with its head down and couldn’t speak.

“Please eat, Jal. I know you love all these vegetables.”

“I can’t.”

“We can sit here a few extra minutes. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

Even when Jan opened the small door of the mini-greenhouse, Jal wasn’t interested. They went from the eating room to the sitting room in silence, where Jal picked up the heavy book it had been reading. It sat, looking at the book, but not reading it.

“Tell me how you spent your day, Jal,” Jan suggested.

“I did schoolwork, worked at the potter’s wheel, and went to see Solrio. I took her a set of my finest matched pieces as a thank you for all her work with me.”

“She was pleased with what you brought her, I’m sure.”

“How can an android be pleased, Jan?”

Jan considered the look on Jal’s face. “You didn’t know Solrio was an android, did you? You’re upset by that.”

“Are you an android, too, Jan?”

“No. I’m a Stafriez.”

“Are androids only of one race?”

“No.”

“How do you know who is an android and who isn’t?”

“Tell me why this is important.”

“I thought she really cared about me.”

“I’m sure she does.”

“But androids don’t have emotions. They are programmed to have culturally acceptable responses. Taryn is an android too.”

“What makes you think that?”

“She works all day and all night and never gets tired. She doesn’t eat when we do. Her head and hand movements are often jerky, and her facial expressions don’t change very often.”

“This really bothers you.”

“How do you know who is an android and who isn’t?” Jal asked again.

“You don’t.”

“But if all these androids are running around, and they don’t really have feelings, isn’t our entire social construct based on fiction? The act of caring for one another isn’t real. What happens to the androids who are doing wrong? Are they taken and reprogrammed?”

“Yes.” Jan paused. "Some androids are sentient. They have true emotions and feelings. Solrio may be one of them."

“What percentage of people in our world are androids?”

“I believe that it’s about sixty percent.”

Jal stared at Jan in disbelief. “Why are there so many?”

“The androids were initially created to serve us. Some of them become sentient and others don’t.”

“If something happened to the androids, our society would collapse?”

“Yes, that’s pretty likely.”

“What percentage of the population is Stafriez?”

“I would say about fifteen percent.”

“The Protectors weren’t androids.” Jal said matter-of-factly.

“No. They are another type of beings.”

“That means that twenty-five percent of the population are Illarians, Aphyxians, Cetephetans, Mazkes, Trestdons, and Bunifers. Are the Tezcatliopocas counted?”

“No.”

Jal considered the situation and typed some things into its tablet. “According to the census reports, fifteen percent of the non-android population visit the temples on a regular basis. That’s less than 7 visitors a day,” it thought. “Let me see if I have this right,” Jal remarked. “If something happened to the Protectors, the Protectorate workers would simply carry on indefinitely. Because less than ten people a day visit any given temple, it’s likely that very few people could consider the fact that they’ve never seen a Protector unusual. They always assume a Protector is somewhere else.”

“Of course. They have a lot of territory to care for.”

“Are there records of the Protectors interacting with the inhabitants of Zuphreon?”

“I should think so. Let’s see,” Jan studied the bookshelves in the sitting room. “Here you go. Start with these three.”

“These are small and short.”

“Yes, hopefully you’ll find some answers.”

“Jan, technically speaking, we could gather a group of the android population, organize them to make a journey across Shifos, and we could reach our goal.”

“We could?”

“I think that if androids are given an order, they would persist until they carry it out. Do you think a luminary would be able to gather a group of androids to work with me to cross Shifos?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can you help me with something?” Jan lay its book in its lap. “Could you help me make an appointment with a luminary?”