From Ronstaad Irk's preface to the fourth edition of Nichols's Tripping the Light Fantastic
〃I'm sorry I ever had to drag you into this 。 。 。Ariel；〃 Scott said； finally working up the courage to meet her gaze。
〃Please don't make things worse；〃 Marlene told him weakly。 〃And don't refer to me by that name； Scott。 I'm Marlene。 I have been since the day you found me。〃
Scott's nostrils flared。 〃You're not Marlene； damn it！〃 he cried； turning away from her。 He stormed three steps toward her cabin's security door before swinging around。 〃You're Ariel； and the sooner you understand that； the better。〃 He gestured offhandedly about the shipboard cell G2 had fashioned for her。 〃Why do you think you're locked up in here？ This isn't some free ride。 Intel's convinced you know where the Regis is。 So put yourself in touch with your real self； Ariel。 Tell them what they want； for your own sake。〃 Marlene hung her head； waves of red hair falling forward to conceal hollow cheeks and colorless lips。 〃Don't you think I'm trying； Scott？〃 She lifted her face to him。 〃Look at me。 Can't you see what this is doing to me？〃
He didn't want to look； but when he did； he could not stop himself from hurrying to her and encircling her frail form with his arms。 She was so pale； so thin。 And he kept recalling Sera； wasting away in Lancer's bed。 〃Marlene；〃 he whispered； rocking her gently back and forth。 〃Marlene 。 。 。 〃
He had already been through the same argument just hour； earlier； shortly before the Ark Angel had folded from Earth space。 Some numbnuts from G2 had given permission for Kurt and Lana Rush…the real Marlene's parents…to observe by remote； one of Obstat's brain probe sessions with Ariel。 The Rushes had sought Scott out immediately afterward； understandably upset； visibly distressed and angered。
〃How could you do this to us； Scott？〃 Lana had sobbed from the safety and fort of her husband's thick arms 〃Even if Marlene was captured and conditioned by the Regis。 Why couldn't you have left her alone？ How could you let her be put through this hell？〃
Scott had been dumbstruck。 〃But that's not your daughter；〃 he had managed to reply。 〃That 。。。 creature in there has green blood in its veins！〃
He remembered Marlene's father taking a menacing step for ward； fists balled up。 〃Damn you for that； Bernard！ 〃 Rush had seethed。 〃I don't care what color they turned her blood and hair。 I know my own daughter。 That's Marlene your intel freaks are torturing with their devices。 And you put her there！〃
There had been no convincing them and； in the end； no way of convincing himself； either。 Each day saw more and more of Marlene emerge in the simulagent； more and more of what had been Ariel submerge。 And each day seemed to bring both personalities closer and closer to death。
Scott huddled with her on the cool floor of the cell； railing silently at the thought of losing her a second time。
〃I'm going to try harder； Scott；〃 Marlene said； full of false hope。 〃I know how much your friends mean to you and I desperately want to help you find them。 You know I'd give up my life…〃
〃Don't；〃 Scott said； stopping her。 〃I don't want to find them only to lose you in return。 I'll help you。 Maybe together。 。 。〃 She showed him a wan smile。
〃We'll be on Haydon IV soon；〃 he went on。 〃Exedore will have some answers for us； I'm sure of it。 We've made a start； Marlene； that's what's important。 We'll find the Regis。 Even if we have to go back in time to do it。〃
In a spacious cabin aft of the Ark Angel's astrogation section； Louie Nichols locked his hands behind his head and leaned away from a screenful of hyperspace position grids and spacetime calculations。 〃Well； I think it's a righteous intro to interstellar travel；〃 he told Harry Penn and Vince Grant。 〃I mean； I've heard of missing the hoverbus； but missing an entire planet。 。 。 This is one for the record files。〃
Gibley and Strucker； two of the mohawked members of Nichols's team； laughed from their seats at the far end of the table； where they were headlocked into an interactive video ic book pulled up from the ship's entertainment mainframe。 Gleaming interface plugs studded their cranial cyber…ports。
Penn； a curl to his upper lip； eyed the two with disdain； their tattoos； tight clothes； bad skin； and bad hair。 Now that he had gotten to know Louie's team a little； he had decided they were as unappealing a lot as he had ever encountered。 Video fiends and substance abusers； they related only to things they could plug themselves into。 Despite all their ravings about artificial intellect and 〃machine mind；〃 it was almost a pre…Protoculture； electronic age fascination that animated them。
The portly scientist cleared a low growl from his throat。 〃And I'm telling you we're exactly where we're supposed to be； Professor Nichols。 If anything's missing； it's Haydon IV。〃
Nichols； grinning； put a hand to his round…leaned goggles as he peered over his shoulder at Penn。 〃Some wrinkle in the Newtonian universe； Doctor？ A planet gets it in mind to leave orbit； and off it goes？〃
Penn scratched at his beard。〃 Need I remind you of some of the wonders we've experienced these past thirty years； Professor？ Besides； with that world anything's possible。〃
Nichols smirked。 〃Relax； Harry。 I'm sure your aim was true。〃 His forefinger called up data on the touchscreen。 〃What we have here are indications of gravitational perturbations throughout this star system。 So I believe it's safe to assume the planet has in fact vanished。〃
〃But Cabell had been in munication with Exedore；〃 Vince thought to point out。 〃There was nothing in his transmissions about 。 。 。 this。〃
〃Then it's likely the event occurred recently；〃 Nichols said： 〃Obviously within the past Earth…standard month。〃
〃I concur；〃 Penn said。
The bridge …line tone sounded； and Vince leaned forward to respond。
〃Receiving an urgent distress call； 〃 his exec began。 〃Survivors from the Karbarran ship N'trpriz。〃
〃Survivors？ What happened？〃
The line was quiet for a moment。 〃Sir； the N'trpriz was ordered to Haydon IV on an extraction op。 Seems that several hundred Karbarran traders were taken prisoner during the rebellion。 〃
Vince and Penn traded astonished looks。 〃What rebellion？〃 Penn demanded。
〃It's unclear； Doctor。 Apparently the Haydonites have risen up against the Awareness。 Offworlders caught up in the rebellion have been transferred to subsurface confinement areas below what remains of Glike。
〃This is madness；〃 Vince said。 〃Ask them if the N'trpriz attempted to engage the planet。〃
〃Affirmative； sir。 N'trpriz was in munication with the surface when the planetary Awareness succeeded in arming the ship's auto…destruct systems。〃 Grant's first officer paused momentarily。 〃The survivors claim to have jumped ship in an escape vehicle prior to detonation。 They claim that the ships of their own battle group deserted them。 〃
Vince tightened his lips。 〃Tell them we're on our way to their position。 But ask if they can give the approximate present location of Haydon IV。〃
〃Negative； sir。 They say no can do。 〃
〃Why in heaven's name not？〃 Penn said。
〃Response； sir： ‘Because Haydon IV executed a fold。'〃
After rescuing the Karbarran survivors； the Ark Angel executed a jump of its own not； however； for the ursinoids' homeworld but for Fantoma's third moon； Tirol。
Scott had to call in most of the favors owed him to get himself included among the small landing party that was shuttled down to Tiresia。 But the hassle was well worth it； if only for the quick ride through the city's streets to the Royal Hall； which still towered argent and pyramidal over the city scape like a holy mountain。
Otherwise； the place had changed dramatically in the three years since the Mars Group's departure。 Scott had not been here for the return of Jonathan Wolff's starship； and with it the arrival of the 15th ATAC and the Tiresian clones they were conveying home。 Nor had he been around for the first Flower of Life harvest on New Praxis or the development of Lang's facsimile Protoculture matrix； which had been left in Tiresia for safekeeping。 That alone had returned enormous wealth and prosperity to Tirol； what with liberated worlds throughout the Local Group hungry anew for interstellar transports and； inexpensive but efficient sources of energy to assist in the mammoth task of reconstruction。 Most of the actual manufacturing of ships and machines had been farmed out to Karbarra； but it was Tirol that had reaped the rewards。 The moon had bee a kind of cultural crossroads； almost on a par with Haydon IV in the trafficking of information and construction techniques。
Thus； Tiresia's public buildings and housing structures sparkled like gems in an emerald setting。 Under REF supervision； the clones and indigs had irrigated and terraformed the city's once…denuded outskirts； and while a Rome…analogue look had been preserved in places； reconfigurable stadiums and ultratech high rises dominated the skyline。
Scott's parents； both of whom were engineers largely responsible for the rebuilding of Mars Sara Base； were among a group of Terran settlers and exiled Ghost Squadron pilots who had elected to remain on Tirol。 He was eager to see them again； plans for a meet