Null state.

*

The Prime of Primes Klakgluk, bloated on the pheromones of her own majesty, was now so large she was incapable of leaving the Chamber of Birthing, Center of the Universe and Jewel Among The Stars. The chamber was filled with the holy wet flapping noises and dry clicks of her ever-writhing corpus.

Min-ji's specialized implants told her what the pheromones were saying, that she should be in undiluted awe and terror of the Prime of Primes. Lucky for her this was the extent of their effect on her human biology.

"You are the demi-life who claims she can open the gate in the sky?" bellowed the Primes of Primes, as spirit-castes frantically recorded her words using an ancient system of beads.

"I can, I promise you that," said Min-ji, taking great pains to excrete the appropriately humble pheromones "I just wanted to talk to you about it first."

"What talk is left? You have answered the question which interests me. You will go now and enact the will of the Primes!"

"I'm on a sort of star tour, or at least I'd like to be. This is the beginning of it, if things go as planned. I'm hoping to travel to as many inhabited worlds as I can and really immerse myself in all kinds of different alien cultures. Learn their perspectives. So, hopefully, maybe I broaden my horizons enough that Proxima selects me as an Ambassador," said Min-ji.

"An Ambassador," said HandsomeNose "That's a lofty goal for someone less than a century old."

"Gotta start somewhere," Min-ji shrugged "Why are you on this cruise?"

"I suppose for the opposite reason you are," replied HandsomeNose "I plan to become the foremost expert on a single alien species. I have cleverly selected one that is extinct, so I will never have to meet them."

"That sounds lonely," said Min-ji.

"And yet here I am, chatting with a charming young female companion."

"Once you open a router, however," said Min-ji "Any tin-pot empire with slower-than-light warships can just jump across space/time with their entire navy and come out the other end it. This station is in orbit of your home star. If we do this you'll be exposed to the whole galaxy. I hope your people are prepared."

Min-ji didn't think they were prepared. In many ways, the Hivers were like children.

"The Hive was promised that you would open the gate. Will you perform the task or not?" asked Korkeh.

Min-ji gave HandsomeNose a worried look. HandsomeNose's his eye in conspiratorial amusement.

<Don't get me wrong, I really like the idea of reviving a Precursor wormhole router, but you do realize these people are going to get themselves killed right?> signaled HandsomeNose

<It's not our place to decide for them. The router is in their territory and all the local powers want it open. Having access to so many new alien cultures might give them some perspective.>

"If that's your decision, lead the way," said Min-ji.

HandsomeNose laughed.

Min-ji scrambled, gracelessly pulling her tiny body onto the next branch. She unsteadily stood up and struggled to keep her balance as the branch swayed.

<Min-ji> signaled Scout <Maybe it's time to get down!>

Scout's tail was anxiously tucked between his legs and he was pacing back and forth at the base of the tree. Scout was usually so much fun. Min-ji wondered why he wasn't being fun.

<I'm almost done,> said Min-ji <I just have to get to the top.>

<Proxima!> signaled Scout.

<Way ahead of you,> replied Proxima.

Min-ji reached for the next branch and slipped, only to be caught in a cushion of antigravity. Proxima slowly lowered the child to the ground.

<That is an inefficient use of AG,> Proxima scolded her <You should listen to Scout when he warns you about things.>

<Why?> asked Min-ji.

<Because he knows things you don't,> explained Proxima.

<I suppose I agree,> signaled Min-ji

<So we're going to destroy the Hive's wormhole router,> signaled Proxima.

<Destroy it?> replied Min-ji, incredulous.

<The Hive is out of control,> signaled Proxima <And we're responsible for inflicting them on the galaxy at large. They can't be trusted with technology of that level of sophistication. They're just not ready. The router itself belongs to a dead species. This region of space is better off long term if the router is destroyed.>

<Can I have just one more chance to talk them down? Make them understand?> asked Min-ji.

<I don't believe that's possible,> replied Proxima <But I've been wrong before. That's why I want you to go on this mission in the first place.>

"Min-ji Cerulean, the perpetual granule in my inner tissues," said Prime of Primes Chom "So you have finally shown your stinger after all these many cycles?"

The electronic pheromones indicated the all-encompassing majesty of the highest of all Primes.

"This isn't my doing, Prime of Primes Chom," said Min-ji "When you attacked Xul you made this much bigger than the relationship between my people and yours."

"Xul is ours," said Chom "All planets belong to the Hive. There is no life but the Hive. You do not comprehend because you are demi-life."

"It doesn't have to be this way," said Min-ji "My people can teach you how to build orbital colonies. You can make as much territory as you want, an unlimited amount, just out of the debris in space. We can even build them for you! There's no need to steal other people's planets."

"The demi-life have stolen the planets from the Hive," said Chom "Let them live in the void."

"That's not going to happen," said Min-ji "Don't you understand? We're on our way to destroy the wormhole router. You'll be trapped in your home star system."

"If you violate Hive Territory it is you who will be destroyed. I have exhausted enough time with irrational humans."

The communication link cut out before the pheromone signal even arrived.

<Sounds like she voted for 'destroy the router',> said TheBestAtJumping.

The excitable blonde girl handed Min-ji a tennis ball.

"What's this?" asked Min-ji

"It's a ball," said the girl.

"That's what I thought it was," said Min-ji.

"Yes," agreed the girl.

"So, um..." asked Min-ji "What- why did you hand it to me? Is it a gift?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you can't have it. That's my ball," said the girl "It belongs to me. I want you to throw it."

"I see," said Min-ji.

"As far as you can," continued the girl "Preferably in that direction but follow your heart. Then I'm going to tear off after it, as fast as you've ever seen, and I'm going to catch it and bring it back.

"You will?" asked Min-ji

"Over and over again," confirmed the girl "Until you get bored of throwing it."

"I understand," said Min-ji.

<I don't understand!> signaled Min-ji <In their own atmosphere?>

<Your own people did the same thing, within years of developing the technology,> replied Horror-Vacui.

Sisisi exhaled with three different lungs at once. There was a bagpipe quality to the sound it made.

<You and your people rectified the casus belli of our war with the Cytholonii, who should never have been our enemy to begin with. It was within the bounds of honor and respect to withdraw our annihilation of their species at that time. But an enemy? Ha! An enemy would be driven from the stars, cast down into the gravity well of their homeworld, which would then be turned into a hunting resort. The last remnants of their genetic line would be sub-sapient prey species.>

Min-ji was quiet for a moment.

<Thank you very much, Sisisi Hyuhyuhyu,> she finally said <You are very wise.>

<Wiser than you could possibly comprehend, one-sider,> he sneered.