Errend was pacing the small sitting area that served as Inta's living room. His nerves were starting to eat through his practiced calm.

He couldn't stop thinking about all the incidents that had occurred in the last few days. Between his weird feeling of connection to Aiya, her being infected by the strange bacteria the Rakshasa beasts carried, and his waning control over his peace and calm when Aiya was involved, he didn't feel like himself. The whole thing was disturbing.

Adding to his inner turmoil was Inta's condition and the overwhelming need to protect his friend's unique daughter. He couldn't explain it, but he knew the girl was important.

Continuing to pace, Errend ran his sweaty hands through his unruly hair and suddenly realized he needed a wash. With his arms over his head, he got a good wif of himself and instantly regretted it.

"Errend?"

Inta's soft voice startled Errend so much he had to swallow a yelp. The woman could still creep around as quietly as a shadow. She had always been the only one who could surprise him. He never did figure out how she could move so soundlessly.

Errend turned around and let his weary eyes rest on the whithered frame of his lifelong friend. Her colour was a bit better after sleeping for four hours. Or had it been six now?

Didn't matter. She was still too thin, eyes full of far more pain than just the physical pain of her abused body. The shadows under her eyes seemed to be headstones for her inner agonies.

"Inta. How are you?"

Inta gave him a half-smile. Tired but wry.

"How do I look?"

"Is that safe to answer?" Errend couldn't have stopped his replying half-smile even if he'd wanted to. Vishnu, he had missed her.

"Well, politeness aside, I can confidently say I feel worse than I look."

Inta chuckled at Errend's look of dismay. It was humourless and made Errend's heart ache. She was bitter, and the sound that should have been laughter sounded more like a mocking cackle.

"Could be worse, Errend. They could be testing Sardini and not me. At least this way, I have less guilt to try and sleep through."

Errend had to turn away from the coldness in his friend's eyes. She was no longer whole. A part of her was dead. Her eyes told the story.

"Inta, I will not let them touch her. I promise."

Inta's face softened, and her eyes welled with tears.

"Thank you, Errend. Doing this all alone, trying to keep her safe and having no one I can trust... I..." tears started down her face, and she let out a shaky breath as she tried to find words. "I was so afraid that failing Sardini was inevitable. And now you're here."

Inta's last words came out so quietly they were barely audible. Errend couldn't imagine what Inta must have gone through daily. The fear, the pain, the willingness to do anything as long as the doctors remained uninterested in her daughter.

Errend decided Sardini must be good at blending into her surroundings, or at least going unnoticed. She must. Because of one look, one good look, no one would mistake her for a mundane, ordinary child.

"Together, Inta, we will ensure your daughter remains untouched and safe. Perhaps... No, that is a bad idea."

Inta reached out, a tentative hand touching his arm like a ghost. It was strange for Errend to see her like this. She had been bold, full of confidence and fire. Now her touch could barely be felt as she cautiously reached out to him.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Errend. Let me help make the decisions." She gave him a tired smile, but her eyes remained kind. "You always did take too much responsibility for others. It's not a burden for you to bear alone, Errend. She's my daughter. This is our life, and we are talking about it here."

Errend sighed heavily and sat down in one of the armchairs with a thunk. Inta was right. So he told her what had been running through his mind since he had seen Inta lying helplessly in the daybed.

"The doctors are pretty sure they have found the portal. Or so that's what they are willing to confess. I am willing to bet that means they know exactly where it is." he paused, searching Inta's face.

"The Rakshasa armies are coming here, Inta. You know what will happen when they do. I think you and Sardini will be safer at home. They are almost done with our planet; our people have adapted and learned how to survive. I know it isn't the life you'd wish for your daughter, but I think it will be safer than here."

"How will we use the portal, Errend? I lost all my equipment to the doctors and researchers here. Did you manage to salvage anything from our trip?"

Errend stared at the floor between his bent knees, hands clasped together as if he could anchor himself in time by just gripping tighter.

"No, I don't have any equipment."

Then Errend had an idea.

"I think if we described to Marvin what we needed, he might be able to make us one. We need to find a way to obtain the materials."

Inta gave him a skeptical look.

"This human will be able to make us a multidimensional portable navigator? Seriously Errend? And what then, we magically find where the wormhole has settled and travel there on our own, getting there before the doctors and their team and go home before they close it?"

Inta snorted her derision, not at Errend but at the whole idea of escaping this hell that had been her home for so long.

"If your friend is that good, why doesn't he build us a mini Jumpgate that opens directly to home. Forget the nav gear."

"Inta! Yes. Yes. Do you remember the codes or any of the equations? I think I only know about half of them."

Inta stared at him dubiously.

"You are serious, aren't you?"

Errend felt his face harden, and his determination firmed his resolve to protect Inta and Sardini.

"Yes, I am."

They both heard a soft moan coming from Sardini's room. Bed sheets started to rustle, and the crying turned into a cry of fear that slowly turned to words.

"No. NO, wait. Please! Please."

Aiya's voice had turned into a pleading wail by the last word.

They rushed to her side, and Errend noted the sweat pouring off her like rain and heat was emanating from her in waves.

"For Vishnu's sake, Errend, she's glowing."

Inta sounded equally awed and scared. They had both witnessed people going through the change before, but not like this.

Errend had even seen a man's whole forearm grow a giant puss-like bubble over it, and when it finally broke and was washed away, his forearm and hand had turned into a giant pincer that could create a sound wave loud enough to turn rock into dust.

But Aiya was different. The heat and almost blinding blue glow coming from her now sparkling skin were unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.

Aiya moaned again and started to thrash violently. Between moans, she kept mumbling the word please over and over again.

Her skin grew hotter, her matted hair started to steam, and a sizzling sound could be heard as sweat evaporated from her glowing skin.

Her body suddenly went rigid and slowly rose a foot off the bed, sheets sliding to the floor. Her back arched, and her mouth opened wide in a silent scream.

Aiya's ice blue eyes suddenly shot open, and bright light poured from them like lasers. Her change was still not finished, only climbing to an even greater climax. Light poured from her mouth as her arms and legs shot out wide, with concentrated light shooting from her palms and the soles of her feet.

She oddly resembled a sparkling, glowing starfish lamp to Errend's distraught and overtaxed psyche.

Staring at the spectacle that had been his team leader on Earth, the moment felt surreal to Errend, and words escaped him.

Inta, however, couldn't help the words that breathlessly escaped her lips.

"Dear Vishnu, save this woman!"

***

Marvin stared at his childhood friend and tried his best to control his temper. Derek had no idea what was going on with Aiya. It wasn't his fault that he was trying to get a little love in while Aiya may have been fighting for her life.

Breathing deep through his nose, Marvin stared at the bowl of vanilla ice cream Sardini had brought him. It was small, maybe a cup of the delicious frozen goodness, but it was enough.

When had he last tasted ice cream? Hell, when did he last have ice cream?

Still unsure of his control, Marvin pushed a small spoonful of the creamy white gold into his dry mouth.

The sugar he hadn't tasted in what felt like forever hit his brain like a thunderbolt, and the creamy vanilla flavour melted on his tongue.

A million thoughts raced through his mind as they were simultaneously dulled by the joy his body felt with each spoonful of ice cream.

Sardini had been right. He had needed ice cream.

"Holy shit, this is fucking amazing!"

Derek practically yelled out his excitement after the first bite. He then dug in to slowly savour each mouthful and remained thankfully silent.

Marvin wasn't sure where to begin. He was angry with Errend and his friends, but were they to blame? Their intentions had been good.

But would the Rakshasa monsters have made it to Earth as early as they had without Errend's people creating the wormhole?

Marvin didn't know, and the more he tried to sort it out and his feelings along with it, the more confused and upset he felt.

"Fuck it."

Marvin's sudden outburst caused both Derek and Sardini to stop midway through, lifting spoons to their mouths and looking at him.

"Sorry." Marvin felt his cheeks warm. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"No worries, bro. You gonna tell me what's up yet?" Derek was nonplussed by Marvin's random cursing.

Derek knew when Marvin was genuinely angry; it was best to remain quiet until the storm passed. Poking the bear did not end well.

But now that Marvin had broken his silence, asking felt safe. However, as Marvin opened his mouth to answer, Sardini's spine straightened, her head lifting to stare up into nothing.

"Hurry, finish your ice cream, Marvin."

Her voice was small but strangely strong and seemed to echo in Marvin's bones.

Derek stared oddly at the girl as she continued.

"Aiya is waking. She needs you."

"Whoa, whoa, what? Wait, Marvin, what is going on with Aiya?"

Derek's voice held a tone Marvin had never heard from his friend before. It almost sounded dangerous, and it gave Marvin pause.

"Not now, Derek. Finish your ice cream. We need to go."

Derek's hard gaze turned to Sardini as she spoke, and Marvin feared he would say something harsh to the child, but the man just clenched his jaw and shovelled the last of the ice cream in his mouth in one large spoonful.

Derek's eyes turned back to Marvin as he finished, accusing and full of rage that moments before had belonged to Marvin.

"Fine. Tell me as we walk, Marvin."