(Hey Guys, I know it has been a long time since I update this, and “The One Who Lived”, but I’ve had a lot on my plate as of late. But the schedule is clearing up and I hope to get both stories back into the swing of things…so enjoy, and again…sorry.)

“…it is only in the last decade or so that reactors have seen a significant decrease in size, without a sizable decrease in power output. As a result, we now have smaller, lighter ships that are far easier to pilot.” Taron said to Alex as he turned the corner and began to make his way to the station CBD.

“Heh.” Replied Alex as he thought to himself. Taron was giving him a crash course on modern space astronautics. Which wasn’t at all uninteresting, it just didn’t involve flying, which was first and foremost what Alex was interested in.

“Course they say ships could take more of a beating back then. Which isn’t true, a few extra layers on the bulkheads doesn’t mean much as far as today’s weaponry is concerned.” Taron shrugged, nearly sending Alex falling to an early grave, if not for the little human’s spectacular grip and intuitive titan riding skills!

“So everything is done by computers now a day?” Asked Alex, hoping to use this information against Rixie and Pryvani the very next time they argued he was too inexperienced to fly.

“Hardly.” Taron looked flatly to Alex and grinned. “But today’s computers can compensate for pilot error. The smaller, sleeker designs did allow an increase in the number of civilian pilots and personal space craft….”

“Aha…so….”

“HOWEVER, those civilians still have to earn their pilots license, and take courses in modern space aeronautics.

Alex frowned and narrowed his eyes tightly.

“So, how did this Armac lady learn of you?” Taron asked, attempting to be as casual as could be.

“I don’t know.” Alex shrugged. “Dr. Freeman I suppose.”

“You want me to stick around…because I don’t have anything to do, it wouldn’t put me out much to stick around and….”

“Nope.” Alex replied casually.

“Fair enough.” Taron shrugged.

“Stop doing that.” Alex complained.

“What this?” Taron shrugged once more.

“Yes that.”

“Oh…” Taron paused, and then shrugged yet again, “why? Does it bother you?”

“No.” Alex said, strategically. “But if I fall and break a leg, Rixie will break both of yours.”

Taron narrowed his eyes. “Not fair, you can’t always use your woman as an Emperor card.”

“Can’t I? Wouldn’t you?”

“…”

“Hello, Alex Carey I presume?” A tall, well dressed, thin titan woman with short brown hair and deep blue eyes interrupted Taron before he had a chance to think of a fitting comeback. Though, it surprised even Taron to find the woman’s attention focused solely on Alex.

“Oh, um…yup, the one and only.” Alex quickly stood up, and composed himself, as traveling shoulder top was a harrowing and rough experience even for the most seasoned veterans.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet face to face.” The young woman had an instant air of charisma with a voice that was fluent and lively. She composed herself like a young lady who had tasted the sweet nectar of success, and was ravenous for more.

The way she extended her hand out suggested she was quite familiar with earth greeting customs though only her smallest finger was extended in full.

“Oh…Miss Armac…I didn’t recognize you at first. You look different in person…much taller.” Alex offered a dopey grin and rubbed the back of his neck. Alex eventually grasped the finger, and shook.

“Actually, I get that a lot.” The titan smiled, a thin formal smile, showing no teeth. “Oh, and please…call me Loona!”

***

Dhan had the peace of mind to head straight for the Tram station, of course he had to stop and ask for directions…twice…the third time didn’t count as Dhan was convinced the young woman he asked the second time had given him a totally different set of directions from the first. It wasn’t his fault people around here could not accurately give directions, that was his story and it’s what he had planned to inform the tram operation staff when he politely requested a ride back to Tayas Mons! A plan that was very likely to fail for two reasons.

For starters, Tayas Mons was not a location the Avalonean authorities were keen on allowing random scraggly looking strangers without identification to visit, and secondly, Dhanyle didn’t do polite very well.

“I don’t see why I have to explain this again, I already told you! I am a contractor working for Pryvani Tarsus assessing and upgrading the existing holomatrix, and beta testing the new portable holographic interface. This is an important field test and I’ll have you know I don’t appreciate sausage fingered Mugo Whomps like you questioning my credentials!” Dhan folded his arms and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look larger.

The woman barring entrance into the cities tram network stood at least a head taller than him, with a corned beef complexion and a sour, mean look on her face. She was a large woman both vertically and horizontally, with long tied back red hair and an official looking uniform with a shiny badge.

“Sir, in order to board the tram to Tayas Mons, you’re going to need identification, and an access card. Regulations state no Avalonean is permitted on Tayas Mons without identification and credentials for safety purposes.” The large woman repeated, with a bland look on her face.

“I’m not an Avalonean! I am a personal friend…look do I really have to go through this once more? My ID and key card were stolen by native Ler Garble trash, and once more, I’m not even from this primitive foul smelling dirt heap!” Dhan took a step forward forcefully.

That didn’t appear to have the desired effect.

“Sir!” The large woman growled. “I suggest you step back, if you have a crime to report I told you where the guard post is. If you file a report, they can verify your story and deal with you from there. But you’re not getting on this tram without ID and proof you are who you say you are!”

Dhan’s face went red, but carefully he took a breath and calmed himself. “How many Archavian born human engineers with a working knowledge of imperial technology and a far superior vocabulary come prancing in here asking for transit to Tayas Mons, and with that prey tell to what end would it serve me to illegally infiltrate a castle of terrifying gargantuan carnivores!?”

The large woman blinked and stared back plainly. “You’d be surprised.”

Dhan balled his fists and grumbled to himself. He turned around and began to walk away. Now he would have to find his way once more through the busy city streets, through the smell, the ruffians and the noise to hope the planets primitive police force could prove more helpful than the tupp for brains tram guard.

Or…he could take matters into his own hands!

That was his first mistake…

Dhan quickly turned back to face the guard, and as quickly as his unremarkable frame allowed he made a dash for the moving stairway that lead to the tram!

That…was his second.

***

The kindly young man listened patiently as the nervous young woman explained her situation to him, leaving very little to the imagination, for the second time. It was one of Kymie Abaforad’s many faults, and was likely why Drs. Freeman and Bass often didn’t entrust her with information that they didn’t want going public.

When Kymie was anxious, she would ramble on, often about the situation she was in, what lead her to be in that particular situation and what she felt she could have done differently to not end up in that particular situation should she be given a second chance.

The young man smiled, and slowly walked with her up and down the various avenues as they looked for her friend. He had proven a lot more understanding of her situation than she had been lead to believe, and had actually shown a surprising level of understanding when it came to the more complicated techno battle she prattled on about.

“So, it’s like a picture show?” The man said, giving Kymie a little more of a hint as to where the Avaloneans stood technologically speaking.

“Um, well….”

“No, I think it is. Think about it, when you watch a picture show at the theater, you’re watching moving images of the actors and actress on the screen. They are not really there, but you can see them and hear them.” The young curly haired dirty blond said with an air of confidence.

Kymie froze for a second, and then nodded. “On a very basic level…yes it is a lot like that.” The young titan smiled and for the first time since she had met the young man (nearly knocking him on his rear end in the process), she stopped talking and seemed to calm a little.

“Only, I can interact with you, and I can touch you…and you I.” The young man’s face scrunched into a more puzzling look, as if he was attempting to work it all out in his head and had come to a road block.

“Look, I am a physics major, I hardly understand everything there is to know about hard light holographic technology, I think your explanation is quite sufficient, I suppose you understand just about as much as I do on the topic now!” Kymie laughed, and then snorted just a little, which she often did when she laughed.

Dhan knew just about all there was to know on the matter, or at least he liked to let on, whatever he didn’t know he was damn well good enough to terg-shit his way through. Then there was Shaar, who knew everything Dhan knew, and the bits he didn’t, together with Myona they were an unstoppable force, which made Kymie feel more than a little inadequate.

“I’m sure you know a bit more than you’re letting on though? I mean, otherwise why would you be here, helping your friend out?” The young man asked, as they turned a corner. He wore what appeared to be a very in style red and brown sleeveless vest, with loose brown sloops, and a beaded necklace around his neck. His hair was let down past his ears, and simple animal skin shoes. Of course most Avaloneans wore recreations, but there were still a few who crafted their own clothes, as was the old way of things. The young man reminded her of somebody, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“I travel with him, because if I didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to.” Kymie said, with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. There were two reasons this was true, one made her a little proud, while the other filled her with a dreadful sense of shame.

The young man nodded, which for a moment made Kymie feel relieved, she didn’t want to have to explain it to him, but then he asked, and Kymie winced.

“Why is that?”

“Well…” Kymie took a long look around, praying silently she would spot Dhan, and free herself of the explanation.

“Is it because he can’t travel on his own, because he is a human?” The man asked, without the anger and frustration she would have expected.

Kymie nodded.

“It has to be more than that though, are you his minder? His owner? Why wouldn’t he choose to travel with somebody who knew more about mobile…holo…um…hard…about the thing you’re here to do?” The young man asked, inquisitively.

Kymie took a breath, and shook her head. “Oh, no, nonono…I would never own a human…ever…please, I work for one after all. Dhan is not my pet, we are friends, I help him out when I can because Dhan doesn’t do so well in public…I mean with people…titan’s mostly…but he doesn’t have a whole lot of social skills with his own kind either.” Kymie always found it a little humorous that she was the one who had to coach Dhan on issues of how to interact well with other people, when she herself seemed to have a lousy handle on it to begin with. “See, there are not a whole lot of people he will travel with, he’s choosy.” Kymie bit her lip, would it be betraying Dhan to reveal too much information? “He has a…a bit of an issue with my species.”

The young man thought for a moment, then narrowed his brow. “Isn’t too fond of ya’ll eh?” The young man looked around, and then whispered. “There’s still a bit of that around here…I can’t say I don’t at least see where they are coming from though.” The man shrugged. “But, it’s a sentiment that is fading.

Kymie winced, she felt as though she had been put on the spot and was about to find out why she had been told to keep herself a bit of a secret.

“Calm down.” The young man laughed. “What could I do to you even if I wanted? You’re not really here, and the real you is a lot more intimidating than I could ever be.” The man shook his head and grinned. “Besides, I said I understand where they are coming from, not that I completely agree with it.” He looked around once more then said quietly. “Not everyone on Avalon hates Titans. Pryvani Tarsus has done a lot for us, and while we may have our reasons to distrust them, if it weren’t for the kindness of a few titans, we’d be living no better lives then the pets out in the empire.” The young man nodded, as if affirming to himself what he had just said. “That’s how I choose to look at it anyhow.”

“Or, you’d still be back on earth, never having been separated from your home world to begin with.” Kymie offered, with a meek, guilty frown.

“I was born on Avalon, and so was my father, and his father before him…as far back as my line can be traced. To me, this is my home. I no more have dreams to see the purple fields of Home-World-Of-The-Avartle-People, than I do the snowy peaks of Everest. Atlantis is my home, Avalon is my world, and that’s all there is to it.” The young man said, in a proud voice. “We may be few, but we are proud.”

Kymie smiled.

“We have a working government, living conditions are improving, there are more schools, hospitals, and the Guard has never been more competent. Life here is good, would that every human out there had it as good as us. I don’t know what life is like on Earth, but I know it is good here.”

“No…I get it.” Kymie thought back to Dhan, who had repeatedly refused to move to Avalon, for the very reasons this young man was so proud to live there. Archavia was Dhan’s home, just like Avalon was his.

The two walked in silence for a while, until they came to a spot they both remembered visiting before. Kymie looked back to the young man with a look of panic, but his hand on her shoulder soothed her a little. “He’s not here…where could he of ran off to?” Kymie said, with a downcast voice.

The young man looked around, it was getting dark and the markets were closing. “I don’t know…but don’t worry…I won’t leave you until we find him.”

Kymie looked to the wrist watch like device she wore around her left wrist. “Well…” she said with a quiver in her voice, “Shaar was hoping to get a good beta test on this things battery life.” Kymie looked up to the young man’s soft green eyes “I never caught your name?”

The young man grinned and took Kymie’s hand. “My name is Andpor, but my friends call me Zhen.”

Kymie blinked, Zhen? The fashion sense, the hair, even the man’s accessories, and now the nick name? It struck her finally who he reminded her of. He was a dead ringer clone of Pryvani Tarsus lover…it was Zhan’s Twin!

“Nice to meet you Zhan…er…Zhen…” Kymie smiled, though it was an awkward smile. Zhen, as well as a fair number of the young men his age walking around the market place, were dressed, exactly like Zhan Ilios