The signals came again, strong and clear, but still scattered. The Legion rose to action, releasing the Swarm they created while the network reverberated with activity, fine-tuning the release for maximum destruction.

[Gan]

Mora seethed as we slid together under the covers. Not that I blamed her. She jerked her head up with face contorted by the anger that swirled within. "That idiot!"

I pulled her head back down to my shoulder and wrapped my arm around her, drawing her against me. "Sander is not our problem anymore. He will go back to Earth in disgrace — Captain Greer will make sure of that. I only hope the old data will help, at least give Samir a direction to look."

"I thought this world my Garden of Eden, my paradise," she blubbered. "Now look at it — paradise lost."

"Hmm, I don't know," I whispered, while placing a kiss on her forehead. "When I have you in my arms, it feels like paradise to me."

Once in a while, I said the right thing. Mora lifted her head and guided her lips to mine. After a deep, full body contact horizontal kiss that stirred my desires, she cooed, "Hmm, I need you to remind me."

*****

We joined Liz and Captain Greer for breakfast the next morning. Standing across the dining hall, Kate spun around, searching for an empty table among the bustling crowds, so I motioned her over.

Kate explained her presence. "Got a call to help with a possible evacuation. I take it things are going to hell in a handbasket?"

She placed her tray on the table and sat down as we made room for her. I pointed toward the Captain. "Oh, Kate. This is Captain Greer from the Ark Hope."

Kate's eyes widened as she jumped up, almost standing at attention. "Major Storm Greer?"

The Captain tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, in my military days. Have we met? You seem familiar..." A small grin of recognition came to him. "Bender?"

"Yes, sir. I gave you and your team a ride in my jump jet during the Varna evac."

He nodded. "I remember that day. As I recall, you disobeyed orders when you did that."

"Yes, sir. Busted to corporal."

"You got off easy," the Captain responded, his steel-blue eyes blazing. "I would have busted you to private and gave you some brig time. Still, some damn good flying under fire and you saved my ass." He paused and pointed to her chair. "Sit down, Kate, no need for military protocol here. Call me John."

She sat down slowly and deliberately, keeping her eyes on him.

John continued. "Kate, would you care to join me for a drink this evening? Good to see someone else from the old campaign. I have a bottle of fine whiskey and would like to share it with you."

Kate nodded vigorously. "Sure, umm, John."

I interjected. "Kate, I have to ask, why did they call you Bender?"

The Captain grinned and answered for her. "Because she tended to bend the rules." John stood up with his empty tray. "Tonight then Kate. Twenty-hundred?"

Rendered speechless and wide-eyed, Kate merely nodded, and her eyes tracked him as he walked off. I think she just met her match.

Mora's viewer beeped, and she pulled it out to receive the message. "Samir found something. Liz, I think you should come too."

As we picked up our trays, I couldn't help but take a parting shot at Kate. I nudged her and said, "Be careful to not drool when you meet up with John."

That earned me a glare. "You shouldn't talk, swoon face."

*****

Samir guided us before a view screen in his lab. "I found these in the soil samples."

The screen displayed gray spherical objects among the magnified soil particles. He zoomed in on one of them. Dark hexagonal openings spaced about the object came into focus.

Liz asked, "What are we looking at?"

Samir replied, "I believe these are the source of the Paradise Blight."

Mora said, "That might explain why the blight does not reproduce like a virus. They are born."

Samir nodded. "Yes. Or perhaps more accurately, they are manufactured. These appear to be a molecular assembly factory, but on a much smaller scale than anything we know. I am still analyzing their structure, but there appear to be complex metallic and semiconductor surfaces within, containing carbon, silicon, copper, and a surprising amount of gallium."

My eyebrows shot up. "Gallium? The initial planet survey showed unusually high levels of gallium across the surface."

"Yes, and I believe it is because of these things. If so, there may be hundreds of billions of them scattered across the planet surface. The one you see on the screen, it came from a soil sample taken just outside."

Samir continued. "Something else — these devices transmit and receive the same frequency of microwave radiation that the blight does."

A dreadful chill enveloped me. Based on the stilled, wide-eyed look on Mora's face, she shared it.

Liz raised her eyebrows. "What is it?"

Mora answered. "They are not organic life, but machines. And they communicate together, perhaps forming some sort of neural network with the capacity to learn. Do you agree, Samir?"

"A reasonable hypothesis."

I continued the logical progression. "If so, then someone built them. The technology is far beyond anything we have."

Liz said, "That is a subject of discussion for the future. For now, does it have an off switch?"

I replied, "They have been here for at least a hundred years, probably much longer, and only recently become active. Something activated them. If we can find the on switch, perhaps we can then find how to switch them off."

My com-viewer beeped. "Excuse me. It is the satellite control center, I need to take this."

I put it on speaker and answered. "What's up?"

A voice responded. "The blight is hitting again. Multiple locations across the planet, including one close, three kilometers to the southeast. I've sent images and coordinates to your viewer."

"Okay. Keep a watch and let us know if anything changes."

I turned toward Mora. "I need to get close to it." Her eyes shot up as I continued. "But not too close. I hope to record the microwave communications. They might tell us how they turn on and off."

Mora stood up as I did. "Then I'm coming with you."

"Mora maybe you...". The narrowed-eyed glare on her face told me there was no changing her mind. "Okay, let's go."

*****

I placed my backpack beside me in the hovercar and then pulled a black case out as we sped off with Mora driving.

She asked, "How are you going to record them?"

After opening the case that contained my survey drone, I answered, "Bob. It has a multi-spectral receiver that I can set for microwaves. That way, we can stand well back."

Mora grinned. "I'm really becoming quite fond of Bob."

Mora stopped on the top of a hill that overlooked what would have been a scenic valley if not for the blackened flora. The hazy edge of the blight stood about two-hundred meters away, advancing slowly. After I sent Bob on its way, we ventured to the overlook edge to watch the live visual images on my com-viewer. The corners of Mora's lips turned down as we gazed at the devastation.

She lowered her head. "Gan, if we don't find a solution soon, this world is doomed. Gan?"

I stood with a hand to my chin, lost in another thought. "Something Samir said about these blight machines... Damn! Gallium! That might be it!"

Mora jerked up. "What?"

"Neutrinos!" I blurted out, waving a hand for emphasis. "Neutrino detectors use thin films of gallium, carbon, and silicon. They can even generate electricity."

I pulled my com-viewer closer and dialed a number, mumbling, "Come on, come on, pick up..."

"Eric!"

"Gan, what's up?"

"You mentioned neutrino generation from the fusion reactors. Anything different about them when in helium-three generation mode?"

"Yeah, much higher energy states. But they are harmless, hardly any interaction with matter."

"Are you making helium-three now?" I asked.

"Let me check... Yeah, started just over an hour ago. Why do you ask?"

I practically yelled into the viewer. "Listen, and this is really important. You need to shut down the reactors right now! I think the neutrinos are triggering the blight outbreaks."

"Are you sure?"

"High probability, but we can test it later. For now, shut it down!"

"Okay. I will send you a message when it is done."

"Thanks, buddy."

I let out a big breath, hoping this would work.

"Gan!"

Mora grabbed my arm and pointed. A new patch of blight appeared behind and had already engulfed the hovercar in faint, smoke-like haze. Grass and brush twisted in death throes as it advanced ominously toward us. With the hovercar no longer an option, I took Mora's hand, and we ran. After a few moments, we turned around. We had gained more distance from the blight, but it continued to advance, leaving death in its wake.

Mora pulled on my hand. "We need to keep going."

"Which way?"

"Let Bob show us," she said.

I recalled Bob as we paced on, and soon it hovered overhead. As we stopped on top of a small rocky hill, the drone rotated, providing a 360-degree view from above. The images brought me only heartbreak.

Icy dread crawled down my spine. "Mora, we are surrounded. There is no way out."

She scrambled up a large boulder and spun around to see for herself. Downcast eyes and a quiver of her lip confirmed what I already knew. The dark death converged on us in a relentless march from all sides.

She turned to me with moistened eyes. "It's too late to call for help, isn't it?"

I nodded as I pulled her down from the boulder into an embrace. There had to be a way out of this. "Could we get through it if we ran?"

She shook her head. "Unlikely. I've seen in the lab how fast it kills."

"Do we have any other options?"

She shook her head again.

I whispered into her ear. "Then together. I love you."

Tears traced her cheeks. "And I love you. I am so glad I met you."

Now only about ten meters separated us from death. I cupped her face and pressed my lips to hers. Hearts connected as she molded against me, and the kiss lingered, perhaps for the last time. We had only minutes left now. If we were to die, it would be together.

In our kiss, we hardly heard the whine of the flyer that descended close beside us. We both jumped as it set down in a gust of air and dust.

Kate yelled out the open door. "Suck face later. Get your asses onboard!"

She didn't need to ask twice. We leaped in as Kate powered up. Just before Mora shut the door, I guided Bob inside with us. Our bodies pressed down into the seats and Bob tumbled to the floor as Kate accelerated straight up.

After a moment, I allowed myself a breath. Mora bent forward and gave Kate a hug from behind.

I laughed. "Kate, I take back every bad thing I ever said about you. How did you know we would need a rescue?"

"I was hanging in the satellite control room when more blight popped up. Figured you two would get in trouble, so I, umm, borrowed a flyer." She smiled. "But let's get back. I need to clean up for a date."