"I know it seems like a small thing, Captain. But I assure you, when you have children of your own, you'll understand," Krystina said as she gazed at Captain Maruu. "My daughter won't sleep without her puppy blanket . . . It took the doctor doing something to her to get her to sleep last night . . . and she was in tears. It just broke my heart . . . Please, I can't put her through another night like that." There was a sense of concern, love and desperation in her eyes.
"Very well," he said, "But I'm going to send down Commander Nadira and Lt. Chee to accompany you."
Krystina smiled. "Great! Thank you so much!" she replied enthusiastically.
As she left his office, she felt strange about going back to her home. In all honestly, she really didn't want to go. She hadn't been on the Virgo long and she certainly didn't understand most of it, but there was something about the place that made her feel safe. As if she had come home somehow . . . And that was a feeling she wasn't use to back on Earth.
After checking on her children, she was met by Katianna and Jenara. Cassie wouldn't let her leave, so Krystina picked her up and took her along, even if it were going to complicate things a little. The four proceeded to Transporter Room two. Krystina remembered the dizzying affect she got when she had been beamed aboard.
"Its okay. Its better the second time around," Jenara replied having read Krystina's mind.
Katianna also gave her a gentle smile, but was mostly gazing at Cassandra, nestled in her mother's arms.
Krystina smiled brightly in reply. For a moment, she had forgotten Tanzarans were telepaths, though she had created the race herself.
The foursome stepped onto the transporter pad. Krystina took a deep breath, steadying her nerves as the now familiar tingling came over her. Her vision disappeared for a second in a blinding light. As the light vanished, she, Cassandra, Kat and Jenara were inside her living room. Krystina was still amazed. It was one thing to write it, it was another to live it. It was beyond anything she had ever experienced before.
As she gazed at her partners, she noticed them both staring at the portraits on her walls of her children - especially her daughter. They would then steal looks at the real thing. But as Krystina put Cassie down, her daughter ran off to her room.
"My God, she looks exactly like Adrianna . . ." Jenara breathed as she stared at Cassie's newborn picture.
"She also looks exactly like Laurissa," Kat replied with astonishment. "I mean, I knew from seeing her . . . but she is my daughter without spots . . ."
"Well, I did design both of your daughters on mine," Krystina smirked.
"And whose that man in the portraits?" Jenara asked, seeing they weren't of Steve. "Is that the children's biological father?"
"Yeah, that would be him . . ." Krystina replied suddenly tensing and quickly leaving the room to her daughter's so she could gather the things she knew Cassandra would want.
Both Jenara and Katianna exchanged looks and decided to stay silent, knowing that unpleasant memories had been brought up by their mention of the man. Krystina emerged in a few moments later with the blanket, a Tigger doll and a couple of children's books, pulling Cassie behind her who was clutching a Barbie. For her son, she grabbed his Gameboy and games, though she didn't think he would be playing them much since he was so interested in the Virgo, itself. He loved space and the stars and planets. When Steve had been able to bring his telescope down, Jordan had been so excited as Steve had shown him Jupiter and Saturn and some of the different stars . . . For herself, she had grabbed some of her writing. She always had hard copies of much of the stuff she had written for the RPG. And now, she thought it would be a good idea to refresh her memory. She also grabbed her stuffed dog Kiya - Her constant companion for the last 11 years. She laid the stuff on the floor in the living room.
"Let me get a box from outside to put all this in," she said, knowing there was one under her carport.
"We'll go out with you," Katianna said, altering her uniform into something like Krystina's pant outfit. Jenara immediately did the same as Cassie watched in fascination. She looked up at the women with her large green-brown eyes filled with wonder. Krystina smiled and then started heading out. She opened the front entry door and then went out her front door. As they all walked out of the house, Cassie stopped and pointed down at a plastic container nestled in some apple plants.
"That's our dead bug!" Cassie announced very proudly.
Krystina could barely contain an embarrassed laugh. Both Kat and Jenara looked at themselves and then Jenara picked up the container. She gazed at the dead creature inside. Her eyes lifted and looked directly at Katianna. She handed the container over to the other Tanzaran, as the dead thing inside held their rapt attention.Krystina, by this time, was getting a little concerned, since though she was good at reading people, was not a telepath herself.
"What is it?" she asked.
"How long have you had this thing?" Jenara asked.
Krystina shrugged. "I guess about a month. I'd been meaning to take it to Vector Control so they could tell me what kind of insect it was, but I never got around to it . . . Do you know what it is?"
"Well, let's get done here and get back to the Virgo first," Jenara replied. "I want to run some tests on it before I say anything."
"Okay . . ." Krystina replied, a bit concerned now about the bug she had let die. Maybe it had been poisonous after all, she though.
"Hi," came a gentle voice from next door. As her attention turned, she saw her neighbor Earl. He was an older gentleman who lived beside her with his wife. He also took care of her yard. He was a sweet man and had always looked out for her. He was watering her rose bushes.
"Hi, Earl," Krystina replied. "How are you doing today?"
"Oh good, good . . . You know, there were people here looking for you earlier . . ." he said a bit concerned. "They said they worked for the government."
Krystina shook her head. "I don't know what they want from me," she said. "But I'm out of here for a few days."
"Might be a good idea," he replied, "When do you think you'll be back?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Anyway, if those people come back, don't tell them you saw me, unless you feel you have to . . ."
"Oh- okay . . . Take care of yourself."
"I will, I promise," she smiled. "Now, one last thing," she said turning to her counterparts. "ANGEL!" she called out. "ANGEL!"
Suddenly, a white cat with orange and black splotches came up to the group. Krystina immediately scooped her up in her arms too.
"I can't leave her here . . . No one will know to take care of her . . ." Krystina explained.
Quickly the group went back in. Cassie wouldn't let her mom put the blanket in the box, so she clutched it tightly to herself. Jenara held the insect specimen and Krystina held the cat, as the box sat at their feet.
"Virgo, four to beam up," Katianna said.
Again, the tingling started and the blinding light came. In an instant, they were back aboard the Virgo.
"You know, I could get use to that," Krystina smiled.
Jenara and Katianna had taken the specimen of the insect to the science lab and ran several tests on it, though they were sure what they were seeing - a foot soldier of the Kullinari. And Krystina Stressman had put it in a container and let it die. They had to tell the Captain.
"You mean to tell me that Ms. Stressman just stopped an invasion of Kullinari? You're joking, right?" Captain Maruu asked.
"Look at the results from the tests we ran," Jenara said. "That bug in her container was definitely a Kullinari."
Captain Maruu glanced at the report and shook his head. Who would have thought a woman from the 21st century could have foiled the Kullinari, just because she was curious. He smiled to himself.