As Em came out of his dream state and opened his eyes he could feel the danger his friends were facing outside the ship. Could he help? He didn’t know. He looked about the destroyer in which he sat, then he raised his hands from the sides of the chair, and explored his arms. He undid the strap-ins and stood up. He walked to the pilot’s chair and sat down. He flipped the engine-on switch. He put his hands on the controls and let his mind go out to the ship. He felt its being. He knew it was a multipurpose machine. It carried. It transported. It threatened. It killed. He became part of its existence. He inspected and found injuries. He knew its weaknesses and its strengths. It would serve its master one last time.
The danger must be eliminated. He jammed his foot into the power-on switch while his hand swept across the generator beam. The engines began to hum. The ship came to life.
His fingers raced swiftly over the controls. The screen flicked on, and before him he could see a metal ball from which the feeling of danger emanated.
The ship rose a hands breadth from the surface of the roof, then leaned to the left and struck the edge.
Em's fingers raced continually across the controls. The ship rose again and came down hard. The force bounced it into the air. Em rotated a small yellow ball and struck out with his left foot activating the drive unit. The ship jumped forward.
It was all the force Em needed. With precision timing he slammed his right foot down and cut off the ship's power.
It fell to the roof and slid toward the turret. Em could see it in the screen until the last few feet. It disappeared from sight and then he felt the impact. The turret flashed back on the screen and disappeared over the edge.
Again he had done a service for those in need, his friends, but he could sense danger was still threatening to destroy lives. He wanted to slip back into his world of peace, but he knew his services were needed. In the back of his mind he could still hear the rushing of the wind, the crashing of the waves, and the loud booming of thunder, like giant hands clapping the air.
He shrugged it off and opened his eyes. He rose from the chair. With probing fingers he felt his body. It was different than the one in the other world. It was solid, more material, and denser. It was strong and healthy. It would be adequate in this world.
As he walked down the corridor a flood of memories came rushing back. In his mind he saw his rebirth in the computer complex and the events that his brain had participated in thereafter. He pictured the mountains and Viella. He could see the pit and the ensuing battle. He knew now the fight was not over.
He slid down the pole and dropped through the hatches to the roof. There were two groups of people standing near the destroyer. They were involved in a heated discussion. He heard one of the men say, "The ship might come to life again and plunge over the side. Nobody can go aboard."
Two more men were walking toward the groups.
Roqford was next to the ship when Em dropped to the roof. Roqford was lying on his stomach with his head up, waiting and watching. Hello, he said as Em suddenly appeared. He had been expecting him.
Hello, repeated Em mentally. It never occurred to him that the cat shouldn't be able to talk.
The men and woman in the groups turned and stared at Em. They had looks on their faces as if they had just witnessed the resurrection of a mythical God, springing from the womb of time.
"Are you with us?" asked Ben.
"Yes," answered Em. He was quite aware of his surroundings.
Viella looked shocked. “He can talk,” she said out loud.
Taul took charge, "Listen," he said to Em. "I don't know if you are cognizant of the present circumstances, or if you even want to help us, but we can't stand around and discuss it. We have to go down the stairs to the next floor and destroy the control center."
Em didn't hesitate. "I'll lead," he said. "It'll be easier for me to find the way." He took command and no one thought to question his ability, not even the Galaef.
Em pressed his hand against the palm lock. His awareness coursed through the mechanism. It found the code, which opened the door. The numbers coursed through the electronic circuits, and the door slid open.
With a look of wonder on her face, Viella asked, "How does he do that? I don’t get it." There was an inflection of amazement in her voice.
“You are absolutely right," agreed Ben. "I would like to know how he does that. If only we had the time. If only we had been able to study him—to talk to him.”