Our exploration of the Shifting City concluded with the Cloud Pier's fine dining, before enjoying an evening view alongside Corai. When she leaned forward against the shimmering railing overlooking the abyss below, I'd thought it might be the only thing holding her upright. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and I imagined the fear that humanity might be the culprit, after all, troubled her. It took on a new meaning for me to prove that my people weren't the bad guys through this 5D probe, not just to save my species anymore.

I was nervous about facing the Justiciary of Experimentation, and finding myself under the spotlight when Corai offered us up as candidates. The Elusian had sent me a message on the side, requesting that we keep our relationship all business until this was done; she didn't want to give the appearance of impropriety, with her government microanalyzing her proposal. We were a day away from facing down the hand of power that had shut down Sol.

It was simple enough to find lodgings overnight, with the Shifting City hotels being palatial. I still tossed and turned as I tried to fall into much-needed sleep; I couldn't forget that moment with Corai. My thoughts were fogged by how on Earth I would keep her interested—if this was something I wanted, how did a human even go about courting an immortal alien goddess?! Sofia—Sagua had two X-Chromosomes, so maybe I'd have to ask her for advice. I didn't want to mess this up, and I had no clue what would make a woman like this happy.

You're overthinking this, and you have more important things to worry about right now. Fucking up with the Justiciary could mean the human race is no longer around—and that I won't be either to stress about relationships. That's…a scary thought that I wish I didn't have.

The prospect of returning to my human body had excited me, for both its familiar form and awesome superpowers, but it also lent itself to a new wave of insecurities. What if the comparison between Estai and Preston wasn't as favorable as Corai said? What about those superpowers that would make a passionate kiss or anything of that nature very dangerous for her? I'd be terrified of hurting her, just like how easily my hands smashed through the Derandi's concrete. I grunted with frustration as my rumination bubbled over into the wee hours of the night. At some point, I slipped into a slight spell of restless sleep.

A hand jostled my shoulder, awakening me from my abbreviated slumber. "Huh? Um, time to go?"

"In a few minutes," Corai said in a soft voice, causing me to snap upright. "Not who you were expecting?"

"I, uh, figured it was Sagua telling me to get my ass out of bed. But I'm happy it's you."

"I wanted to check on you. I know how difficult all of this preparation for Suam has been for you. Whatever happens today, I hope you know how grateful I am that you joined me on this path." She planted a kiss on my cheek, then rested her head on my shoulder. I froze up, like my limbs were locked in place. "Please do not feel any pressure around me. I chose you because of who you are."

"A nervous, tongue-tied buffoon?" I stammered. "I, uh, thought we were keeping things professional until after the Justiciary."

"In public, yes. I was hoping to steal a few brief moments before we head to the Justiciary; if anyone can quell my tempestuous nerves right now, it is you. I could use a laugh. To tell you the truth, this all frightens me."

"You, frightened?!" I exclaimed, looking deep into her blackened eyes with concern. "Why? You can…talk to me."

A deep frown creased Corai's lips, and her shoulders sagged. "I am worried about what might happen if I fail you—if I can't save humanity. I couldn't bear a universe and a life without your people. I acted so sure-footed in my plan so that you'd trust me, but I'm uncertain that it'll work, or that we'll find…"

"That humanity might cause your extinction after all. And then you don't know what you'd do."

"Yes. I've tried to do the right thing, Preston, but it's so hard to know what that even is. Perhaps that's a failing of my deadened conscience. You would have that fire in your eyes and just know."

I placed my hand around her forehead, pulling her closer to me. "No, I wouldn't. That fire is because I'm angry that I can never save the people I love when it matters. I don't know what I'd do in your shoes. I'm darn certain I know this answer, but I think you need to say it. Why did you decide to help humanity?"

"I've asked myself why I'm siding with you, in spite of the risk, and it's because you make me happy. It's so shamefully simple, yet…a complicated mess. Truth be told, and…this might anger you, but I don't know how to decide which decisions my people were wrong about. Heartless isn't the same as wrong."

I looked deep into her eyes, wanting her to see the lack of judgment inside them. "I'm not angry, Corai. I'm very glad you trusted me with your feelings, and with the memorywalk. The thing I can say is I'd rather be wrong than fucking heartless. Don't you agree?"

"Yeah, but sometimes, you can't be wrong. You can't afford to be, or you'll lose the thing your heart cares about. What if I've…already failed you?"

"Whatever happens at the Justiciary, I believe in you, Corai…do you have a hyphen name, like the Fakra?"

A single tear rolled from her eye, and she looked away. "Yes, they did take that custom from us. Corai-svran. That's my name."

"Hear me now, Corai-svran. You're wicked smart, and I know that you've done everything you could. No one did or could have stepped up like you did, or come up with a better plan. What means the world to me is that you'd even try. I know your intent, your heart. Feeling that is what made me fall for you."

"That's how you truly feel?" The Elusian startled, and it was then I realized that I'd admitted serious feelings far too early. I was going to scare her off already, dammit! "Thank you."

"Sorry. That was silly, and—"

"Not to weird you out, but I…loved you from the moment I held you in my arms, when you were drugged and calling for help after escaping 'Bighead.' I'd watched videos of you and your antics, and I couldn't get enough of you. That's far sillier."

I cleared my throat. "Wow. I never, uh, got that impression."

"Of course you didn't: I'm fairly certain you hated me. Just another…soulless Elusian who screwed humanity over. You weren't very receptive to me, so I wrote it off, but then I started to think there was something there. You felt…different."

"Well, I do have different skin, so of course I feel different. I must not have noticed you playing a game of nanobot grabass over there. This is not what the itsy-bitsy spider is about; 'watching' our culture all wrong. Naughty Corai."

The Elusian smiled flirtatiously, before standing. "While I'd love to hear you scold me, we need to leave for the Justiciary. We can't be late. Thank you for lifting my spirits."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"No problem. Let's do this. You got this."

Corai-svran extended a hand to me and pulled me out of the room; Mikri and Sagua were already waiting, and notably, the Vascar's expression looked irate. The Elusian released our interlaced fingers to open a portal, and I steeled my nerves as I reflected on this conversation. I'd choose to have faith in our Elusian ally to save humanity, because I meant what I said: I believed in her. That bedrock needed to be enough to give me confidence and allow me to be supportive of a wonderful woman.

Sagua and Mikri stepped through the portal close behind, as we got our first look at the Justiciary of Experimentation. Embossed seats waited for the invited guests, and through the lens of augmented reality, I could see four marked with our names. With the whole of the government called the Hearth of the Eternal Justiciaries, it figured that colorful flames were tended to behind the Experimentation panel.

Nobody was paying much mind to us, though when I looked at the posh Justiciar in intricate, golden-orange nanobot chainmail on the stage, I thought his eyes were focused on me. It was as if he could see right through me, and was sizing me up. That must be in my head. Delving deeper into the geotagged nanobot interface, it seemed that multiple chatrooms were open which permitted simultaneous conversations. That might be important to monitor to see how the assembled guests reacted to Corai's suggestion, and to read the mood of the room.

"This is like an organic network!" Mikri told Sagua. Notably, the android was making a point to look around me and focus on her. "I am surprised you can keep up with so much information."

I snorted. "It seems useful, but I can't. Not even gonna try."

"The way you're not going to try to include me anymore. Yes, that figures. Speak to Corai instead."

I shot an aghast look at Sagua. "What did I do? I had one conversation with her this morning!"

"Mikri," Sagua scolded, looking at me out of the corner of her eyes. "You're being incredibly rude and unfair to Estai. Now isn't the time, but I'm disappointed in the behavior you're exhibiting. We are going to talk about this later."

"Hooray," the Vascar said, imitating an eyeroll with his pixel movements. "Everything I do is wrong."

"If you care about us, can you put your personal concerns aside for the duration of this meeting? Humanity will be erased if this goes poorly; this is a very stressful time, and I'd deeply appreciate it if you didn't make matters worse. If you helped us."

"I still care about you. Do not worry, I will aid your efforts to save Sol and persuade the Justiciary. I do not wish to lose you, even though it is evident I already have."

"Oh, no you haven't, Mikri. Sweetheart, you shouldn't take this—"

"Let us commence the scheduled session to discuss docket item 108.2.34," the Justiciar announced in a booming voice, his eyes never leaving the four of us. "A new probe has been commissioned to acquire more details about our foreseen disappearance, and assess whether this future has been averted through our containment of the Sol dimension. This is the final meeting before its launch, and all protocols will be solidified by the end of the hearing. Any questions?"

A silence filled the room, and I noticed that the color of the flames behind him seemed to change with the phase of the meeting. A quick search revealed it also shifted based upon who was speaking. I racked my brain for a name for this leader figure, trying to remember my cultural data, before pulling up a cheat sheet Mikri had sent me. Justiciar Colban: that was his name. I definitely knew that.

"Watcher Corai has brought forth a proposal to alter the search procedure. I bring her forward to the Hearthseat to discuss this breakthrough that her research team has made, which could allow us to send manned guides along with the probe and have exacting control," Colban murmured, still casting an unnerving stare at me. "A bold claim, indeed. I hope you intend to elaborate on this discovery?"

I gave Corai a smile and winked at her, as she ambled up to the stage; there was some light clapping from the audience, which suggested many were aware of her work…with humans. Yeah, that was always going to be weird to think about. The Corai that settled down in the Hearthseat was the epitome of composure, shifting herself into the role of calculated Watcher like she had at Pompeii. Her eyes were focused and locked in, but her body language was relaxed, as if nothing could bother her.

There's the aloof, intimidating Elusian aura she likes to project. I hope she doesn't do this the first time we get into a fight; I'd fold like a wet paper towel.

"Good morning," Corai said, offering a half-smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's a pleasure to be able to share the fruits of our work—unlocking a capability that Elusians have been seeking since the humans' precog was uncovered. It is with great pride that I can say that we've discovered a procedure that can harden our brains to 5D exposure."

Colban steepled his gray fingers. "Ah, yes—do go on. We'd love to hear all about this work. The Justiciary of Experimentation had appropriated funds to your team for centuries and come away…empty-handed for some time. Surely you can go into the details."

"It involves a nanobot brain treatment as shown in this exhibit, one that we've been refining for years upon years." The presentation shared with each member in the auditorium seemed derived from legitimate research, though I knew Corai hadn't gotten any real results. "Shutting down certain areas of the brain responsible for higher thought and visual processing offers the same effects as killing all of it. We can say with a 90 percent degree of certainty that this will work yet allow continued consciousness."

"I'm uncertain how these simulations got to these results, or whether they're replicable. Can you please provide the exact parameters to the Justiciary for us to peer review these findings?"

"Of course I can, but it'll require certain variable changes and deep neuromorphic processing; the variance in quantum mechanics in the fifth dimension has affected our results. This understanding is what allowed us to solve the issue. As happy as I am to have my work checked, I have confidence in my research. We shouldn't waste time on a critical matter. I've brought two test subjects who've received this treatment and can provide results."

"So you found two volunteers who'd sign a waiver like that? I find that a little peculiar to take such a high chance of ending their lives. Would they like to explain why?"

"We're doing it to protect the Elusian species. We'd rather take a risk to ourselves than have everyone in our great society perish," Sagua telepathically broadcasted to the entire room; she understood these nanothingies better than me.

"Can you state this verbally, Sagua?"

"Not in their language. Corai told us that both forms of communication are acceptable," Sagua told me privately, before switching to the All channel. "I am not certain what game you're playing, Justiciar Colban, but I don't wish for a part in it. I trust in the purity of direct, unerring communication which words can never fully construe."

"So that's a no. No matter, no matter: of course we must have brave souls who would avert a heavy risk cast upon our entire species. I must suggest to Watcher Corai that we should have more volunteers prepped with this procedure, rather than not having enough hands on deck. It would be ideal to have people directly involved in the probe's construction and operation, don't you think?"

Corai's expression wavered slightly. "I must insist that you don't follow that course, Justiciar Colban. These procedures are yet untested, and two lives are as many as I'm willing to risk: my people, who I know their reasons and authenticity."

"Are you saying that my people are not of the same mettle as yours?"

"Of course not, sir. We should just have a small test group."

"Why? This grim future concerns all of us. Why can you not bestow the treatment upon volunteers of my choosing? It would be their decision."

"It simply is not ready for rollout except for Elusians with a very specific neural composite. I'm unwilling to take that risk."

"I know the reason you won't share these advancements and why your answers skirt the details." Colban dropped the charade, staring at Corai with open contempt. "It might be because your solution to the issue was to transplant human brains into Elusian bodies!"

Shocked gasps spread throughout the chamber of spectators, and every head snapped in our direction as if we were a herd of buffalo that'd appeared on a merry-go-round. My heart stopped in my chest, a sinking feeling tugging on my stomach. Corai flinched backward like she'd been electrocuted, unable to formulate a reply. This plan had just collapsed in the blink of an eye; somehow, Justiciar Colban had known. The secret humans in the room and our allies were in a metric ton of trouble.

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