{Enki}

“You look amazing, Fury. That’s all we’re saying. The glow to your skin. The shine in your hair. Although, I take some credit for that amazing haircut.”

Sagan affectionately mused her way down the vacant colony’s corridor while she and Caedes tag-teamed Tameka in a compliment sandwich.

The softening of the gravel in his voice belied his crush. “She’s right. And—ahem—as much as we appreciate the work you put into yourself, maybe cut back a bit to avoid detection.”

“I can’t help that I look good.” No shame in the redhead. “But for the mission’s sake, I’ll reduce my consumption. A little.”

After a night’s rest in the bungalow, Sagan traded Korac’s sweater for her Lyriki coat and trademark boots. When she awoke tired and craving more appetites than she could juggle, she resigned herself to visiting Doc Pablo. But first, she and Tameka traversed different routes to map while Caedes and John recorded them from “the room.” Jack, Karter, Chris, and Para worked out their living situation and future steps with Tumu. Meanwhile, they awaited word from Ross. It was a crazy day in Enki.

“Third conduit on the left, Seamswalker. Fury, you’re approaching unchartered waters. Tell me which conduits you choose and where they lead,” Caedes instructed. He healed up nicely after feeding from Tameka. No obvious bruising or soreness. Sagan thought he even shaved and shined his head recently.

Through the Icarus’ mic, they overheard John groan, “How long will this take?”

“Until we find it. I took the second conduit on the right, Caedes. It leads to another landing. Once again, no discerning features.” The powerhouse Progeny sounded discouraged.

So Sagan changed topics. “How do we feel about Pehton and Celindria?” The most recent conduit took her to another corridor with each door lining the hall locked behind nacre-resistant shields.

Tameka clicked her tongue and weighed in, “I want to say that’s their business. But…”

But they couldn’t afford any conflicts of interests with their allies. That being said, “The First Progeny sure burned her fair share of powerful allies.”

Caedes gave an approving, “humph,” before changing the subject. “I’m working on beefing up security within the system before I test the drive you gave us.”

The approving note from Tameka reassured Sagan. “Can’t be too careful.”

So much happened in the last few days. Touching her axes for comfort, Sagan reflected on the conversation with Razor earlier. About the experience she remembered. She knew so few things about Korac. And everything was always too hectic for her to stop and get to know him.

“Still no Tritans?” John asked over Caedes’ mic again.

Sagan frowned as she observed, “Notta. Feels weird slinking around their sphere without bumping into anybody.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“Almost like there aren’t enough of them to bump into,” Tameka said what everyone was thinking, as usual.

This time, John sounded more excitable. “Seamswalker, how old is Razor?”

“No idea. He won’t tell me.”

“I’m sorry if this is intrusive, but could you ask if he knows about the number of Tritans?” Was John onto something?

Not that it mattered. Sagan almost admitted to losing the upper-hand in the arrangement when an idea struck her. “Sure. I thought of just the thing to make him tell me.”

A strained silence stretched between them. Eventually, Tameka broke it with, “Seamswalker, don’t you think—”

“Uncle Caeda! Play?”

Auntie Seamswalker grinned. Pax had that affect.

“Come on in, Pax, we—Hey. Don’t touch that kiddo. Wait—” Sounds came over the mic of a struggle with a tiny person no one wanted injured.

“What’s wrong?” Tameka sounded both concerned and beguiled.

Caedes grunted while wrestling his charge before explaining, “It’s the map again—”

“The lines, mommy. On the paper.”

Sagan stopped square in the middle of the most recent landing. “Wait. Caedes, ask if he means his dad’s paper?”

He relayed the message, and the wriggled struggling intensified.

“Mommy. Daddy’s house.”

The Seamswalker knew instantly what he meant. “Fury.”

“I heard.”

Sagan let the excitement into her voice. “Would it align with Caedes’ mapping system, do you think?”

Tameka’s voice denoted a grin. “Only one way to find out.”

“How is that?” Caedes asked as Sagan Seamswalked into the stronghold.

When no one came over the earpiece, she tested, “Anybody hear me?”

Nothing.

Sagan entered through her bedroom on the stronghold’s third floor. And immediately jumped back with a “Yip.” Someone was in her bed.

“T.a.o.?”

The dark woman lay there with her eyes in permanent Atramentous open to the ceiling. Her breathing came heavy and even as if in deep sleep. Sagan walked over and gently, cautiously, touched her arm. She gave no response and continued to hibernate. A chill traveled down the younger woman’s spine. This was not natural.

As if locked in a room with a cadaver, Sagan quickly exited via Seamswalk to Xelan’s museum. Climbing the glass stairs which appeared underfoot became easier overtime as the Progeny acclimated to the novelty of it. At the top, pressed between two pieces of glass, was a sheet of paper with lines on it. The first time Tameka brought Pax here, before the explosions, he tried to show it to them. They paid it no mind, but…

The lines. They looked exactly like the conduit plans Caedes drew on his model of the Dyson’s Sphere. Sagan pressed the release and retrieved the sheet with a delicate touch. She turned to Seamswalk and almost kissed a nightmare.

T.a.o. stood behind her, staring as if she traded Sagan for the bedroom ceiling.

“What’re you—”

The woman clasped a hand over Sagan’s mouth. “The Seam calls for you. It asks for the archive. She desires it. Do not let her have it.” Blood dripped from her nose, slow and viscous, like molasses. Those solid purple eyes glanced down to the blond woman’s nacre or the port at its place. “I will watch over you. Do not let her have you. Or it. Him.” In the same instant she removed her hand, she disappeared.

The younger Seamswalker’s heart pounded in the abandoned stronghold. She was almost too scared to travel through the Seam. With a deep breath and a whole lot of faith, she took one quick step in and one quick step out.

Enki. In Tameka’s bungalow. Outside “the room.” With shaking hands, she knocked on the door. Not that Caedes and John got up to anything incriminating, but she needed to practice her manners.

“Come in,” the gruff Icarus called.

Upon entry, Pax flushed all the way to his freckles, hopped out of Caedes’ lap, and hid under the desk. Both the human and the Icarus shook their heads with gentle smiles at the cuteness.

“I got it.” Sagan handed the sheet carefully over and watched with bated breath as Caedes held it up to their current map system.

“Holy shit,” John gasped.

Tameka came over the earpiece once more, “What? Is it a match?”

In a voice mixed with pride and wonder, the Icarus announced, “Pax found it. He found the Pantheon.”