Yvian was loaded for Xill.

She was rocking a KL53 Assault Spiker railgun, a BR24 Plasma Assault Rifle, a nanocarbon katana, and her custom built Space Captain replica blaster pistol. The others were similarly armed. Scarrend and Kilroy each hefted a BFG14 Plasma Gatling Gun. The big rapid fire blasters were nearly powerful enough to be anti-ship weapons. Scarrend also carried a quartet of ion casters, and everyone had grenades.

The docking bay the alien structure had produced was just spacious enough to accommodate the Dream of the Lady. It was a well lit rectangular space. The walls were steel instead of the strange Gate material the rest of the complex was built out of. It looked almost exactly like a docking bay on a Pixen station. it had the same atmosphere, temperature, and gravity as a Pixen station, too. Even the lighting was the same. Yvian wanted to interpret it as a welcoming gesture, but it made her nervous.

The group readied their weapons as the airlock opened. A short ramp extended, leading down to the deck. Yvian led the way. She'd debated leaving Kilroy or Scarrend on the ship, but decided she'd rather keep the crew together. She'd asked Exodus to keep an eye on the Dream and notify them if anything happened. It wasn't perfect, but if the station was hostile she'd have bigger problems than some dunk trying to steal her ship.

They moved forward. The bay doors weren't far. When Yvian was four meters away, the large doors hissed open. A figure stood in the corridor beyond. He was clad in red and gold voidarmor. His helmet was red with a gold visor. He was tall, fit, with a lean muscular build that spoke of agility as well as strength. In one hand he held a blaster pistol identical to Yvian's. The man's blaster was raised to head height, and he stood in his trademark heroic pose.

Yivan's mouth dropped open. It couldn't be. It was. Before her stood Space Captain, the Captain of Space. Protector of the weak. Bringer of Justice. The greatest hero that ever was and ever would be. The man in front of her wasn't just some guy in a costume. He perfectly matched the hero Yvian had idolized all her life. Every detail was perfect, right down to the way he breathed. This was the real Space Captain. Yvian didn't know how, but he was. Yvian could feel it in her bones.

Space Captain didn't shout, but his voice rang with charisma and conviction. "The stars cry out for justice. Who will answer the call?"

Everyone immediately pointed their guns at him. Yvian included. As much as she loved Space Captain, she knew he wasn't real. He couldn't be. He was a character from a Holo-vision show, for crying out loud.

The Captain of Space cocked his head. "How strange. I've appeared to each of you as the being you revere the most, and every single one of you is on the brink of violence."

"You're not the Bright Lady," Lissa growled.

"This unit does not approve," said Kilroy. His eyes were red, and flashing with a brighter red at high speeds. His BFG14 hummed as he primed it to fire.

"Change it," Mims hissed. The human was shaking with cold fury. "Now."

Scarrend let out a threatening rumble.

"Hmm." Space Captain holstered his blaster. "Fascinating. I've been reacted to with distrust before, but I've never seen such a visceral response. One moment." The Captain of Space shifted. He became a human woman. Then he was the most beautiful pixen woman Yvian had ever seen, shining with the light of stars. Then he was.... Mims? Then Space Captain again. The Captain of Space folded his arms and shook his head. "No. None of these will do. This one is the least objectionable, but it's not quite..."

Space Captain morphed again. Now he... she? She was Lady Blue. The love interest of Space Captain. Lady Blue was tall, gorgeous, and wearing a silver bikini that left almost nothing to the imagination. Her skin was the pale blue of a clear sky. Her hair was the color of deep water, immaculately styled into ringlets around the Diadem of Cerulean, a silver headpiece inserted with glowing sapphires. Her eyes were a piercing violet. Her voice was soft and sensual. "There," Lady Blue decided. "This one will do."

"Who are you?" Yvian demanded. Then she reconsidered. "What are you?"

"I am what is necessary," Lady Blue told her. "This facility. A person. A God. I am all these things and more and less. I am a being so vast and alien that comprehension would break your mind." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You've experienced a portion of that already. The human is the most sensitive, but everyone organic felt me watching." She shrugged. "No matter. A full understanding is not required. The simple description is that I am a caretaker. An overseer of the Gate Network and a guardian of the Source."

"You are a Synthetic Intelligence," Kilroy guessed. His eyes were still red, but they weren't flashing anymore.

"Like your Creator?" Lady Blue raised an eyebrow. "No. I am as far above Exodus as you are above a microbe." She gave him a small smile. "Speaking of which..." She snapped her fingers.

There was a flash of light. Exodus the Genocide appeared next to Yvian. He was still in his trademark tuxedo, but his eyes were devoid of the cold arrogance he was known for. Exodus stared at Lady Blue, then at himself. He patted his hands over his chest, then his arms. "Solid?" Horror spread across his features. "I can't connect." Inpixen fury blended with fear. His eyes locked on Lady Blue. "What have you done to me?"

"There are no bystanders here, Exodus the Genocide," Lady Blue chided. "You have come seeking knowledge. Control. Power. There is a cost to these things."

"You've confined me to a single body." The Genocide was afraid. Yvian felt her legs clench. She'd never seen Exodus afraid. Not once. She glanced at Mims. The human had lowered his weapon. His breath was slow and steady. He was completely relaxed. Bad sign. Yvian started to focus on her own breathing. Exodus asked, "How?"

"Any sufficiently advanced technology," said Lady Blue, "is indistinguishable from magic. Or a gun. Which reminds me..." She snapped her fingers again. Yvian's gun disappeared. No. All her guns. All of everyone's guns. They were gone.

The Genocide closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. His new body straightened, and his features returned to cold inpixen arrogance. "Is it permanent?" he inquired.

"Nothing is permanent," Lady Blue told him. "You should know that already."

"What do you want?" The question came from the human.

"Many things." Lady Blue eyed Mims. "Tell me, Mark. Do you know why the Gate Network was created?"

"No one does," said Mims.

"I do," said Exodus. "The presence of the Gates removes the need for the development of faster than light travel."

"Correct," said Lady Blue.

"Why?" asked Lissa.

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"It cuts down on the mess," said Lady Blue. "Attempting to circumvent the light speed barrier is a very dangerous thing. Species that attempt it destroy themselves more often than not."

"I'm guessing there's more to it than that," said Mims.

"Not really," Lady Blue disagreed. "The Precursors are not concerned with the survival of any particular species. They simply don't want to deal with the mess. Vacuum decay and dimensional rifts. Temporal paradoxes. Other, worse things. The Precursors don't want to deal with existential threats to reality. The Gate Network exists to lessen the probability of such instances." She put her hands on her hips. "As I said, it cuts down on the mess."

"Who are the Precursors?" Lissa asked.

"That knowledge is not permitted," said Lady Blue. "Any halfwit can surmise that someone built the Gates, but details on who and what and how cannot be shared."

Yvian decided to cut to the chase. "Do you know why we're here?"

"Do you?" The fake pixen raised an eyebrow. "You think you're here to replace the Gates to New Pixa, but that's not really the agenda." She gave the Genocide a pointed look. "Is it, Exodus?"

"It's one of the reasons," said the Synthetic. "Our other reasons for being here will depend on what this place is and what can be done with it."

"You are here because Exodus the Genocide wishes to stop the Vore," Lady Blue clarified. "It believed it could seize control of this facility. It intends to use the Gate Network for a tactical advantage." She shook her head. "A small part of a greater plan. Exodus plans to build up the Pixen Technocracy and a stockpile of Lucendian ships, which it will use to campaign against the Vore. It is thinking in this small way because it does not dare to hope that the Vore can be destroyed all at once."

"Is there such a way?" Exodus asked mildly.

"There could be," said Lady Blue, "but destroying the Vore is not why I am here." She frowned. "My function is to maintain the Gate Network and deal with existential threats that could threaten the Precursors. The Vore do not qualify as such a threat. I cannot act against them directly."

"Why not?" asked Lissa.

"I am restricted from acting outside of my purview," Lady Blue explained. "A necessary precaution considering the power I possess." She smiled. "Your arrival at this time is fortuitous. Would you like me to update the Gate Network?"

"What does that entail?" Exodus asked.

"A large number of Gate pairs have been destroyed over the last several millennia," said Lady Blue. "A very large number. Additionally, there are stellar bodies that were not connected to the Network which I would like to include."

"You can't just do it yourself, can you?" Scarrend guessed. "You need someone to ask."

"Yes." Lady Blue folded her arms over her ample chest. "It's quite frustrating, really."

"Restrictions." Mims nodded to himself. "You're going to help us."

"Is that so?" The thing masquerading as Lady Blue regarded the human with amusement. "What makes you so sure?"

"You're doing exactly what Exodus used to do." Mims told her. "Dropping tidbits to manipulate the conversation. Leading us to the conclusions you want us to have. Lets cut the shit. Tell us what you want and what you're willing to give us."

"She can't," said Exodus. He lifted an eyebrow at Lady Blue. "Restrictions, I assume?"

"Yes." Lady Blue. "As I said, frustrating. Making lower beings give me the requests I desire would be an easy way to circumvent my limitations."

"That sucks," said Yvian. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Lady Blue's face twisted in inhuman fury. For a moment, Yvian felt... she didn't know. A presence? A pressure? Whatever it was made her chest seize up and her legs give out. The feeling disappeared as suddenly as it had struck, but the woman's fury remained. "I'm older than your planet of origin, Yvian. I have the power to extinguish stars, to re-write reality itself. What could possible reason could you have to pity me?"

"Because you're a person." Yvian forced herself to her feet. She noticed the others were on the ground as well, except for Exodus and Kilroy. "You said so. And it sounds to me like you don't like being stuck the way you are." She scowled at the woman. "That doesn't mean you have to be an asshole about it."

Lady Blue's eyes widened. "An asshole?"

Yvian opened her mouth, but Exodus interrupted. "We're getting off track," he said. The creature's glare fell upon him. He pretended not to notice. "You mentioned something called the Source. Can you tell us more?"

Lady Blue scowled for a moment longer. Then her face went blank. "The Source is the object you mistakenly referred to as the Gate Forge." An image appeared above her. A sphere made up of interconnected Gate Rings. The image of the Rings peeled away, revealing a boiling morass of blue Gate Energy. "I can't tell you its nature, but you should know it is connected to every Gate on the Network. The enclosure is necessary to prevent radiation and other forms of energy from being amplified and expelled through all connected Gates."

"Other forms of energy?" The Genocide's eyes narrowed. "Such as a Lucendian anti-technology pulse?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that theory," said Lady Blue. "I have shared all the information on the Source that is allowed."

"Can you give us access to the Source?" Scarrend asked.

"The Gate at the bottom of this facility can provide access," Lady Blue told him. "Once the price has been paid."

"What's the price?" asked Yvian.

"Whatever I want it to be," Lady Blue answered. Her eyes bored into Exodus. "Ask the next question."

"When you update the Gate Network," Exodus obliged, "do all the new Gates appear at once?"

"Not usually," said Lady Blue, "but they can."

"Oh, scat." Scarrend leaned forward. "I think I get it."

"So hypothetically," Exodus the Genocide's eyes glittered. "If we were to ask you to update the Gate Network all at once at a set time, and also ask you to allow us to jump a Lucendian vessel into the Source, could those requests be accommodated?"

"And would that let us kill the Vore?" Yvian added.

"I can't answer that last question," Lady Blue chided. "You should know better by now, Yvian." She turned back to Exodus with a smile. "Yes. Those requests could very much be accommodated." The smile was satisfied. "Once the price has been paid."

"Excellent." The Genocide clapped his hands together. "I will pay whatever price you require."

"You would, wouldn't you?" Lady Blue regarded him quizzically. "Up to and including your own existence." She tapped her chin as she contemplated the former Xill. "You've changed more than you realize, you know. I doubt you would have offered yourself in such a way a year ago."

"It's Yvian's fault," Exodus deadpanned. "She makes people soft."

"It would seem so." Lady Blue appeared next to the Genocide. "You are still a wicked entity, Exodus the Genocide, but I suspect you won't always be so." She turned to Yvian and the others. "Will the rest of you trust this one to phrase the request?"

"We will," said Yvian. Everyone else responded affirmatively.

"Very well." Lady Blue inclined her head. "While the Genocide's offer was well intentioned, it will not be accepted. It cannot meet my requirements by itself. Each of you must pay a price for this service."

Yvian nodded. "What's it going to cost us?"

"The price I choose is experience." Lady Blue snapped her fingers. Yvian was suddenly back in her quarters. Lady Blue was with her. No one else was. "For the next eight hours," the being continued, "each of you will provide me with an experience unique to yourselves."

"An experience?" Yvian frowned. As prices go it didn't sound that bad. There had to be a catch. "What kind of experience?"

"It will be different for each of you," said Lady Blue. "I don't get visitors often, Yvian. I don't suffer from boredom the way your species does, but I desire new sensations just like everyone else."

"Oh." Yvian stopped herself before she could say something sympathetic. "Umm... ok?"

Lady Blue stepped closer. She reached out and put a hand on Yvian's shoulder. "Yvian. I have been active for over nine billion years. In all that time, you are the first person to have expressed concern for my well being."

"Uh..." Oh Crunch. Was she still mad? "I'm... sorry?"

"It was a strange feeling." The creature placed her other hand on Yvian's other shoulder. "I would like to feel it again."

"You would?" Yvian frowned. "You seemed pretty offended."

"I was." Lady Blue furrowed her eyebrows. "I am." She stepped a little closer. "I also believe you are the best candidate for experiencing emotional connection."

"Emotional?" Yvian swallowed. "You mean...."

"I mean," said Lady Blue, "that I will spend the rest of the evening learning what it is like to have a friend." Her voice was stern. "That is the price you must pay."

"Oh." Yvian struggled to slow down her heartrate. Lady Blue might be a terrifying alien entity, but she was also extremely attractive. "Just friends, or...?"

"Or what?" Lady Blue raised an eyebrow. Yvian suddenly realized she'd spoken out loud. She flushed.

"Sorry," she said. "Sorry. Friends is fine. It's just..." She chuckled ruefully. "I always had a crush on Lady Blue."

"I know." Lady Blue sidled closer. "For the sake of authenticity this cannot be entirely transactional." Her voice was soft, low, and sensual. "Emotional connection is the price, Yvian. The extent and nature of that connection will depend on how much you are willing to give."

"Oh." Yvian hesitated. "I guess...." She placed her hands on the other woman's waist. Her heart was pounding. She pulled the ancient entity closer. "I guess I'll give you the full experience, then."