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December 2008, Mercuria

�How many times have you read that book?�

Mack looked up from his seat on the cushions in the living area to see Tyzonn standing in the doorway that led to the rest of the house. He lowered his book - one of the Baron series that he had brought along - and closed it. �A few times. It kind of reminds me of home, you know?�

�Yes, I understand.�

�Where�s Vella?�

�At home, getting some rest.� Tyzonn advanced into the room and sank down to sit cross-legged, watching Mack with his usual open smile. �We have not talked for a long time. I mean, really talked. How are you?�

�Fine, I guess,� Mack said, a little uncomfortable under his friend�s intent gaze.

�That woman, Strellia, seemed nice. Are you friends?�

�Yeah. Friends.� Mack couldn�t keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

If Tyzonn noticed, he gave no sign. �Good, I�m glad you�ve made friends here, besides me and Vella, of course. Do you see each other often?�

�Nope.� Mack tossed the book down. �Not anymore.�

�What happened?�

�Just didn�t work out. We�re from two different worlds, literally, and I found out the hard way that Mercurians seem to have a lot of different attitudes about romance from what I�m used to.� He made a rueful face. �You guys seem to be very casual about it.�

Tyzonn seemed to be choosing his words carefully. �You wanted more from the relationship than she did?�

�Yeah, that�s about the size of it,� Mack muttered, looked at the floor.

�Mack.� When he looked up again, Tyzonn was still fixing him with that direct stare. �You�ve been lonely and unhappy, and you�ve had no one to talk to about your problems. Perhaps that�s why this happened. It�s my fault; I brought you to this planet and then left you alone so I could spend time with Vella. That wasn�t fair.�

�No, it�s okay.� Mack put a smile on his face. �You and Vella were separated for years. You thought she was dead. It�s only natural that you want to be together as much as possible.�

�But I wouldn�t have Vella again if not for you and the others. Back on Earth, you were my friend even when I looked like a monster and fought for Moltor. I needed you then, and you need me now. I�m responsible for you, not just to keep you safe but to make sure you�re happy.�

�Thanks,� Mack said around the lump that had appeared in his throat because of the kind words that both cheered him and made him realize just how lonely he really was. �Maybe you�re right, and it was more about me wanting to have someone, like you and Vella have each other, than about me really wanting Strellia. I�ve been homesick, I guess. But there�s other stuff that you couldn�t help with anyway.�

�Like what?�

�Well... Like with Strellia, when she said we were just friends - I wondered if it was because I�m an android. I don�t really think that�s the reason, but I still thought about it. The thing is... I�m different. Different from everyone here, and from everyone on Earth. No matter how many friends I have, or if I have a girlfriend, or how hard Dad tries, I�m always going to be alone.� He looked up at Tyzonn. �Does that make any sense?�

�It does. But I hope you know your being an android makes no difference to me, or to your father, or Spencer, or Rose, Ronny, Will, and Dax.�

�Yeah, I know.�

�Good. I think in time you�ll find even more people you can trust to accept you as you are, and then you won�t feel so alone.� After a silent moment Tyzonn continued, �We can have dinner together tonight, and talk more. In the meantime, I have something that may cheer you up.�

�What?�

With a grin, Tyzonn produced an envelope from his pocket and held it out. �It came today.�

�A letter? For me?� Mack grabbed it eagerly, and scanned the return address. �It�s from Dad!� he exclaimed, tearing the envelope open and unfolding the pages within. A smaller, folded envelope fell out into his hand, and he opened that to find a tiny plastic capsule which he turned carefully between his fingers, puzzled, before dropping it back in and settling himself into a more comfortable position for reading.

�Dear Mack,

I was very happy to receive your letter. Actually, �very happy� isn�t strong enough. Spencer and I were overjoyed and relieved to know you�re safe and doing well, and we hope you�re happy too, and enjoying your new life as part of Tyzonn�s rescue team. We�re glad you�ve been making new friends there, but sorry to hear things didn�t work out with the girl you mentioned. I�m sure you�ll meet many others, though.�

�Hah,� Mack muttered at that; in the nearly four months since the Strellia Incident, as he had come to think of it, the girls hadn�t exactly been beating his door down.

�Mack?� Tyzonn said.

�Nothing.�

�Things here have been getting back to normal. We had the damage to the mansion repaired, and even made a few improvements. I�ve been working on a new project, too. Actually, Rose and I worked on it together-�

�Hey, he�s seen Rose!�

�It�s very nice that your father�s keeping in touch with your friends.�

Mack gave Tyzonn a quick grin and a nod. �Yeah, it�s great to hear about what they�re doing now.�

He returned to the letter, nodding absently as Tyzonn stood and said, �I�ll be back later, after you�ve finished reading it.�

�Actually, Rose and I worked on it together while she was on summer break from research and teaching at Wernerbridge University...�

Andrew could hear Spencer�s voice exclaiming, �Miss Rose, how delightful to see you again,� even before he got close enough to the front door to see her himself. Delightful was a good word, he decided. Rose looked very happy with a big smile of greeting on her face, and very pretty in jeans and a soft gray sweater with a touch of pink at the neck and wrists. She saw him and ignored his outstretched hand to squeeze him in an enthusiastic hug, bringing with her a hint of perfume and the realization of how much he had missed all of those bright young faces.

�Rose, you look wonderful,� he said sincerely as she stepped back.

�You look great too,� she said. �Both of you.� Rose took a few steps further inside and turned in place as she looked around. �And the mansion seems to be completely repaired! Some new furniture, I see. And a new pool table!�

�A bigger TV,� Andrew put in. �A few new video games. Too bad Mack isn�t here to play them.�

�Yes. You must miss him.� She gave him a sympathetic look.

�I do, very much. But at least we settled our differences before he left, and he did promise to come back some day.�

�How have you been otherwise? Any new explorations?�

Andrew shrugged with a smile. �It�s been pretty busy around here with repairs and so on. I�ll get back to it sooner or later.�

�Spencer?� Rose asked. �How are you doing?�

�The same as always, Miss. Oh, perhaps a little trouble with my knees now and then, and a twinge in my back, but I manage to survive.� With a long-suffering look he continued, �Would you care for something to drink after your trip? Or a snack, perhaps?�

�Well, living in London again I�ve developed a taste for tea. If you don�t mind.�

�I never mind making tea for someone with such discerning taste. Sir?�

�Um?� Andrew said. �Oh. Yes, I�ll have some tea if you�re making it, thanks.�

�You�re already having a civilizing influence on him, Miss,� Spencer murmured as he departed for the kitchen.

Rose took a few more minutes to look around the newly redecorated game, trophy, and living areas before settling down on one of the sofas, facing Andrew. �I feel a little like that first day when you summoned all of us here to recruit us as Rangers,� she remarked.

�Meaning you�re wondering why I asked you to come.�

�I hope it�s not trouble again.� Rose looked concerned, but her eyes sparkled with suppressed excitement.

�No, nothing like that.� Andrew grinned at the flash of disappointment across her face. It seemed that Mack wasn�t the only one among his former team with the spirit of adventure. �It�s more of a project that I�d like your help with, if you�re willing.�

�Sounds interesting already. Tell me about it.�

Andrew paused as Spencer came in with a tea tray and lowered it to the coffee table, making a show of pouring each of them a cup and serving them with the requested amounts of sugar and milk. There were also enough biscuits, cookies, and pastries piled on a serving plate to make a filling, if unhealthy, meal. He waited for Rose to take a sip and choose a snack before explaining.

�It�s for Mack, really. With him away and on his own - well, like any parent, I worry. I hate to even think it, but he could be damaged at some point and not have access to the kind of facilities that could repair him. If such a thing happened I�m sure Tyzonn would bring him here, but it would be better for him to have some ability to self-repair.�

�Self-repair. You mean he�d be able to heal, almost like a human?� Rose�s eyes were sharp and bright with interest.

�Almost. If my idea works out, he�d recover from injury more quickly and effectively than a living human. He�d still need to come here to take care of any really major damage, but for less serious stuff - he wouldn�t need me or Spencer.�

�I�m sure he�d like to feel a little more independent from you,� Rose said thoughtfully. �No offense.�

�None taken. It�s Mack�s birthday in a couple of months, and this would make a good present. I may not have a way to send it to him, but at least I�d like to have it ready.�

�Mack has a birthday?�

�Yes, part of his false memories, and we�ve celebrated it every year since his creation. It�s actually the day he was first activated.� Andrew leaned towards her expectantly. �You�re the best advanced robotics and electronics expert I know, and I could really use your help.�

�What mechanism do you have in mind?� Rose asked.

�Nanorobots. Self-replicating, programmed with Mack�s construction templates. They would work at a microscopic level throughout his body, repairing damage almost the way living cells do, by using raw material from the food Mack eats. Normally he just breaks it down chemically for operating energy, but there�s no reason the component elements and compounds can�t be used too.�

�Interesting...� Rose�s eyes were glazing over, the same thing Andrew had seen them do before when she was fascinated by a new idea or discovery. �They�d have to be able to move freely through his mechanisms... And they�d have to be able to communicate on a primitive level, maybe just sending a signal from the damage site...�

�So will you do it?� Andrew asked as she trailed off.

Her attention came back to him with a blink. �Well, of course I�ll do it. Wouldn�t miss this for the world.�

�Wonderful! From preliminary research I estimate with you on the team it�ll take about two to three months if we don�t hit any major snags, so hopefully we�ll be done by the time you start your next semester. I�ll pay for your time, of course.�

�Pay me?� Rose frowned. �This is for Mack. I don�t need to be paid and I don�t want to be.�

�All right. Free room and board here, at least?�

�That I can accept.� Rose jumped to her feet. �When do we start?�

They started that day, even before Rose had unpacked in the same room she had used during Operation Overdrive. By dinnertime the two of them were absorbed in going over Andrew�s preliminary designs, with Rose pointing out problems and suggesting a few approaches he hadn�t thought of. Spencer prowled around the electronics laboratory in the underground base where Andrew still did much of his work, taking notes, making sure they recorded their modifications, and finally dragging them off to dinner. The meal was just a continuation as they hotly debated the merits of various types of microcircuits and how far they could be miniaturized. When they started back downstairs Spencer put his foot down, insisting that Rose, at least, needed to rest after her long flight.

�I�m fine,� Rose insisted. �Just another hour. Maybe two.�

But Andrew had taken a close look at her and seen eyes shadowed with fatigue, and he realized she had been hiding yawns for the last couple of hours. �I forgot you flew in from London today,� he exclaimed remorsefully. �It must feel like the middle of the night to you.� He circled her shoulders with an arm and steered her towards the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. �It�s off to bed for you, young lady.�

�Not all that young, if I can�t take a little sleep deprivation.� She yawned again, and smiled. �I guess you guys are right. I�ll go quietly. Just don�t finish the project without me!�

�Don�t worry.� Andrew took her hand in one of his and patted it with the other as he continued, �It would take twice as long to do this if not for you, and I�d probably end up with something only half as good. It�s great to be working with you again.�

She looked around with a happy sigh. �It�s great to be back. We had some good times here, all of us, didn�t we?�

�We sure did. Goodnight, Rose.�

�Goodnight, Andrew.� Her fingers clasped his lightly before she turned and ran up the steps.

That was only the beginning, of course. The following days were a blur of revisions, modifications, research, and debates over technology and methodology. Andrew found himself relying on Rose�s expertise and intellect even more than he had anticipated as the days turned to weeks and they began to build initial components and started their first trial runs...

�Look! It�s working!�

He bent to the microscope and looked. The tiny machine was indeed slowly fusing a break in the circuit board they were using as a testing ground. It would have to work faster, of course, and they needed to miniaturize the �bots a lot further, but it was an important step. �It�s looking good,� he said, and reached out to shake her hand. �Our first functioning nanobot.�

She grinned, but her voice was soft as she asked, �Is this just a little of how you felt when you built Mack?�

He raised his brows, surprised. �A little, I guess, but Mack was an entirely different matter. That was - creating a person. This is about making his life a little better, if I can.�

Rose just smiled at him, and touched his hand quickly.

The work was absorbing, and as they began to get promising results Andrew put himself into it with the same total dedication that had made so many of his projects successful. Rose worked just as hard as he did, impressing him with her energy and commitment. But as weeks became a month, he began to realize that both of them needed a little relaxation once in a while. But in truth, it was Rose who knew it first...

�Have you done something different with your hair, Miss?� Spencer asked as Rose walked into Andrew�s study, where he was poring over design specifications.

�Why, yes, Spencer,� she answered, sending an arch look at Andrew as she added, �I�m glad someone around here notices something besides machinery.�

�Umm?� Andrew looked up. Rose had indeed done something different. Gone were the pigtails or ponytail he was used to seeing; her hair had been trimmed and pulled back by two clips to fall in loose waves behind her ears. She was also wearing a dress, and a very pretty one. �You look nice, Rose. What�s the occasion?�

�I was hoping to drag you away from your computer for a couple of hours. How about the three of us go into town and catch a movie?�

�A movie?�

�Yes. You know, when they project a moving image onto a screen in front of a bunch of people.� She was trying to keep a straight face, but unsuccessfully holding back a grin.

Andrew sat back in his chair, smiling. �Oh, right, I think I�ve heard of something like that. I guess we could use a break. Spencer?�

�Oh, no, sir. If the two of you are off for the evening, that is quite enough relaxation for me.�

�If you insist. Okay, Rose, what would you like to see?�

It wasn�t until another week or so had passed that he began to realize how much he was enjoying himself, and how much Rose was a part of it. The intensity of the work, the realization of what they were achieving; it was as exciting and at the same time as quietly fulfilling as any time he could remember. And whether he quite wanted to admit it yet or not, there was starting to be another element...

It was late, very late, and Andrew tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn as he rode down to the underground base in the elevator, too tired to take the stairs. Just one quick look at what their latest batch of �bots was up to, he promised himself, and then a good night�s sleep.

He wasn�t the only one. Andrew stopped short as he stepped out, shaking his head with a smile as he saw a small, dark-haired form slumped over their main console. Rose seemed to be sound asleep, her head pillowed on crossed arms, a few papers and printouts peeping from underneath. Quietly, Andrew moved closer and stood over her, looking down and pausing in mid-motion as he reached out to wake her with a touch on the shoulder.

Rose was putting so much into this, so much drive and energy and focus, so much denial of anything else in her life. For a moment he felt a twinge of guilt. But it was in her nature, he knew that; it was the same dedication that had made her a respected innovator in the field of robotics even at her young age. And it wasn�t as if she denied any need for relaxation, the way she had at the beginning of Overdrive. Still - maybe he should start insisting that they get out more, take a little more time off from work. The way they were going, they would still finish ahead of schedule.

A lock of hair had come loose and fallen over her cheek and nose. Instead of waking her, Andrew lifted and smoothed it back, watching as she stirred slightly and sighed in her sleep. Rose had such intensity; he could almost see it even now, in such a quiet moment. He recognized it; in some ways she was a lot like him: the same drive for accomplishment, the same neglect of that side of life that was less glamorous but no less real and valuable. All that had been supposed to change for him when Mack came into his life - but somehow it hadn�t happened. But - now - the thought came to him that he might be content to settle down just a little, to find life at home more satisfying, if that life included someone as intellectually and personally challenging as Rose. That could be an adventure all in itself.

She twitched, her breathing quickened, and her eyes opened.

�Andrew?� Rose blinked up at him, her gaze still bleary with sleep.

�Yeah. You fell asleep.�

�I guess I did. Just meant to close my eyes for a minute.� She sat up and yawned.

�You�ve been working too hard. You don�t have to do this all by yourself, you know.�

Rose shrugged. �I like working hard. Besides...� Her eyes lifted to his. �I want to do a good job.�

�You�re already doing more than I could possibly expect.� Andrew smiled and again reached out to smooth back that strand of rebellious hair.

�Am I?� Rose was still looking into his face, seeming to watch for some reaction, he wasn�t sure what. �I guess - I guess I want to impress you.�

�You have.� Andrew took her hand, pulled her to her feet, and turned her towards the elevator with his hands on her shoulders. �Now you can impress me more by getting yourself to bed and getting some proper sleep.�

�Yes, sir.� Rose sketched a smiling salute as she reached the elevator and stepped inside.

Maybe that was when it began; looking back, he wasn�t sure. He didn�t remember when it started; when his friendly and vaguely paternal feelings began to change into something he avoided admitting even to himself. Perhaps it was when they began to stray from the topics of electronics and automation into music, poetry, books, and theatre, and he was both amused and intrigued by her knowledge and taste. Certainly it continued when they began to make a habit of going out once a week to dinner and a concert, a play, a movie, or a museum, as a well-earned break...

�Wait. Look, isn�t it beautiful?�

Rose�s voice and her hand on his arm stopped Andrew between the car and the house. They had stayed in town late this night, for dinner and the opera - that had been Rose�s idea, but Andrew had found himself enjoying the performance more than he had expected. Now, music still seemed to echo pleasantly inside his head as he stood beside her and looked up. It was an unusually cool night for summer, and an unusually clear one. The lights of San Angeles were distant enough for them to see an impressive number of stars twinkling in the darkness of a moonless sky.

�Yes, it is beautiful,� he said. �Someday we should go someplace where you can really see the stars - the desert, or the mountains, far from any artificial lighting. The sky is covered with them, like a billion tiny, sparkling diamonds on black velvet. You can even see the color of some of them.�

She took his arm. �It sounds amazing. I�d like to see that, very much.�

�Sometimes I wonder which one is Mercuria�s sun. Which one is the sun in Mack�s sky.�

�Right there.� Rose pointed, leaning distractingly close. �Tyzonn showed me once; it�s near Orion�s Belt. You can�t see it with the naked eye, I�m afraid.�

�Might have known you�d know that.� Andrew chuckled and looked down into Rose�s face, so close in the darkness and solitude of the night. He felt a shiver go through her. �Are you cold?�

�No. I�m fine.� Her voice was almost a whisper.

�We should be getting inside.� He was acutely aware of the pressure of her arm still linked with his as they started for the door.

Whenever it started, however it continued, it happened slowly, during the weeks and months of working together so closely and constantly that they seemed at times to share one mind, sometime during so many dinners spent looking into Rose�s smiling eyes and hearing her laughter at some comment he had made, at odd moments while he was coming to the conclusion that black hair, dark brown eyes, and smooth olive skin were amazingly attractive qualities in a woman. He was forced to suspect it when he caught himself one morning looking in the mirror and thinking he needed to lose a few pounds and get in better shape - and he could no longer deny it when the thought of people looking at them and wondering whether Rose was his mistress or his daughter stopped being funny.

It was ridiculous, of course, but seemed harmless enough. Rose was a very intelligent, very lively, very pretty girl; he was a reasonably healthy heterosexual man; they were spending almost every waking minute together working on something important to both of them. It was only natural and normal to feel an attraction - as long as it stayed strictly in the realm of fantasy. Anything more was out of the question. She was half his age, a teenager, and living in his house, under his protection.

�Andrew?�

He looked up to see Rose across the dinner table, her lips quirked into a half-smile. �I�m sorry,� he replied. �Were you saying something?�

�Just wondering where you are tonight. You seem distracted.�

Andrew looked down at his plate and laid down the fork he had been holding in midair for the last few minutes. �Just tired, I guess. We�ve been pushing pretty hard.�

�We�re almost there.� Her eyes brightened. �Just a little fine-tuning, and then final testing. I can�t wait.�

�You always did love finishing a project.�

�Yes. I love the feeling of accomplishment when everything is done, when everything has really come together like this has.�

�And with everything done, you�ll be able to go back to London a week or two early if you want.� Andrew frowned at his own feeling of dismay.

A little of Rose�s enthusiasm seemed to fade, or was that only his imagination? She picked at her food for a moment before saying, �The nanobots could always use extra testing. We don�t want anything to go wrong, not when we�re dealing with Mack�s health.�

�True. I could extend the testing myself, but if you�re willing to stay...�

�Of course.� She was all smiles again. �Besides, maybe we could relax a little too. Take a couple of days off and - I don�t know, hop into the SHARC and fly to Paris or Rome or Rio.�

�Just hop in and take off, huh?� Andrew chuckled.

�Sure, why not? We used to do it all the time, only you never came with us. You designed and built the SHARC; you should use it.�

�It was meant for you, for the team. Meant for a purpose that�s over.�

�No reason it can�t be used for fun now,� Rose answered in a coaxing tone.

�Fun.� Andrew turned his water glass in his fingers, staring into its depths. �I can remember when you didn�t much care for fun.�

�Maybe you - and the others, of course - taught me there�s another side to life.� When Andrew looked up Rose was watching him, leaning forward slightly, an expression he couldn�t quite read on her face. �I think it would be a lot of fun to just take off somewhere - anywhere - with you.�

For a petrified moment he wondered if she knew how he felt, and even more improbably whether she felt the same way. Then Spencer saved him from coming up with an answer by entering the room bearing two fluted glasses on a serving tray. He glanced at both of them sharply, cleared his throat, and said, �Pardon me for interrupting your conversation, Sir and Miss. Chocolate mousse?�

�Well? How does it look?� Rose�s voice was eager. She leaned on Andrew�s shoulder as he bent over the microscope.

�Hang on, let me finish...� Andrew fixed his attention back on the intricate machine he was examining.

In order to test the nanorobots in a realistic setting, they had manufactured structures based on Mack�s design - the same design the nanobots were programmed to repair. This was their most advanced trial yet, the one they had agreed would prove the project was a success - or not. For it they had used a knee joint - built it with painstaking care, deliberately smashed the delicate mechanisms, and released a small number of nanobots into it. That last stage had been three days before. Now, after a wait that had felt like eons, they would see the results.

�Wow,� he breathed, and looked again, searching for some sign of damage. Every part, every component of the humanoid joint seemed to be intact. The plastic �skin� they had cut open had sealed up without a mark, and he had no doubt the small hole he had made for his examination would close up within a few hours. He moved from the microscope to the x-rays they had taken a few minutes before. It all pointed to the same conclusion.

�It�s perfect.�

�I knew it!� Rose exclaimed. �Let me look!�

�Go ahead.� Laughing at her excitement, Andrew got up to let her bend and put her eye to the viewer.

�You�re right, it�s perfect.� Rose straightened and looked up at him, eyes shining. �Congratulations, Andrew, you did it!�

�Congratulations to both of us. I couldn�t have done it without you.�

Impulsively, Andrew put an arm around her shoulders for a hug that he intended to be no more than friendly. But Rose turned into the embrace, her arms lifting and going around his neck, her body suddenly much too close. For a breathless moment he stared down into her face, her eyes locked on his, only inches between them until her fingers tightened in his hair and pulled him down. Their lips met, and hers were soft and warm and sent a shock through him of the kind of desire he had thought never to feel again, and then he was crushing her in his arms, not knowing or caring about anything but her body against him and her mouth opening under his...

Until a cold thread of reality and sanity invaded his mind, and he lifted his head to look at her: eyes half closed and lips still parted. Abruptly Andrew let go and stepped back, struggling to keep the shock and dismay he felt off his face.

�Andrew?� she said uncertainly.

�Sorry. I shouldn�t have done that.�

�It was more my idea than yours. What�s wrong?�

�What�s wrong?� He gave a mirthless snort of laughter. �That was completely inappropriate.� He held up a hand as she started to protest. �It was my fault, not yours. Entirely my fault.�

�Why does it have to be anybody�s �fault�?� Rose came closer and then stopped as Andrew retreated another step, her expression a painful mix of eagerness and sudden doubt and anxiety that seemed to stab through his heart. �I thought - I thought we were getting to be - close. I thought maybe you felt the same way I do.�

�We are close, Rose. But not in that way.�

She took another step, eyes searching his face. �You kissed me back; you can�t pretend you didn�t.�

He avoided looking at her. �You�re a beautiful girl. Any man would want to kiss you.�

�Then why not? We�re so perfect for each other...�

�It�s out of the question. I�m old enough to be your father. You�ve just got a - a teenaged crush on an older man.�

�A teenaged crush?� Outrage chased the hurt of rejection from her for a moment. �Oh, please, I�m not a child. I haven�t been a child since I was eight and started taking accelerated classes with people five years older than I was. All my life I�ve had to grow up fast, and I�ve done a good job of it.�

He smiled faintly. �I know. But being a genius doesn�t make you emotionally mature.�

�True. But I�m nineteen, twenty next month. I teach at university level, and I�m finishing my PhD. I can vote, live on my own, enlist in the military if I want. I�m an adult by almost any standard.�

�You�re half my age.�

�What difference does that make if we - if we care for each other?�

�It makes a great deal of difference.�

�Why?� She was close enough now that he couldn�t avoid looking at her and seeing the pain that filled her eyes, and listening to the words that spilled from her in a desperate rush. �I�m smart, Andrew. I�m very smart. If anyone would know what that�s like, you should. I can�t even talk to most people, normal people, not about the things I care about most. I�m a freak, and I accepted that a long time ago so don�t tell me I�m not. But with you - I can talk to you, and you understand me - you don�t get weirded out by how much I know; you don�t resent me for the things I can do; you respect and appreciate my abilities. I�ve never felt so - so comfortable with anyone in my whole life. That�s what I like - what I love about you.� Rose stopped suddenly, as if she had just realized what she had said.

Andrew sighed as dejection settled over him. �I�m sorry, Rose, but it wouldn�t work.�

�Why? Why not? Can you look at me and tell me you don�t want me?�

He looked, the words of denial on his lips, and found they wouldn�t come. All he could manage was, �What I want doesn�t matter. It wouldn�t be fair to you. Whether you admit it or not, you�re very young, and you�ve had very little time for a social life. Someday soon you�ll meet someone closer to your own age, and wonder what you ever saw in me.�

�Are you worried about me or yourself?� She stared at him, the way her eyes turned closed and distant sending another pang through his heart. �All right, I get the picture. Don�t worry; I won�t bother you again with my teenaged fantasies. Maybe it�s just as well the project is finished. I can move my flight up and leave tomorrow.�

�If that�s what you want,� Andrew muttered.

�Haven�t you heard? You can�t always get what you want.� Without a backwards glance Rose headed for the stairs leading up to the house, leaving him with only the echo of her footsteps and the faint sound of a sob as she disappeared.

�No, you certainly can�t,� he whispered.

Their goodbyes were a sad contrast to the enthusiastic greetings of only three months before, Andrew thought gloomily as he shook hands with Rose at the front door of the mansion. Amazing how much could change in so little time. At least she had sent Spencer to tell him she was leaving; he felt grateful for that much.

�Goodbye,� Rose was saying. �Thanks for the opportunity to work on such a fascinating project. And thanks for your hospitality.� She hesitated just a little, her eyes ducking away as she added, �If anything goes wrong, or - or if you want my help again, just call.�

�I�ll do that.� Andrew stuffed his hands in his pockets and searched for something to say that might ease the discomfort for both of them. �Thanks again for all your hard work. It was really great having you here again.�

�Well. My cab�s waiting; I�d better get going.�

�Have a safe and enjoyable flight, Miss,� Spencer said, taking her hand between his for a moment.

�Thank you, Spencer, for everything.� Rose smiled and leaned forward to kiss the elderly butler on the cheek, to his evident embarrassment.

Andrew looked away, and busied himself with picking up the larger of Rose�s suitcases and leading the way outside. In what seemed to be only instants, he and Spencer were waving as the taxi started off, reached the end of the long, curved driveway, and turned onto the street.

�We will miss her presence in the house, won�t we, sir?� Spencer asked.

�We certainly will,� Andrew said. He sighed, feeling the weight of every one of his forty years pulling him down into dullness. He half expected Spencer to say something, or question him, but his old friend only gave him a sympathetic and understanding glance before starting back inside. Andrew stayed where he was for a time, staring down the street to where the cab had gone out of sight.

�Rose and I developed a way for you to repair yourself if you�re damaged in the future. We built a set of nanorobots, microscopic machines programmed with your designs, which will be able to rebuild any of your mechanisms from the inside. It�s really a way for you to heal, like a human, only in most cases more quickly and completely. They�re in the plastic capsule I enclosed with this letter, in a small envelope. All you have to do is swallow it, just like taking a pill, and your food-processing system will release the nanobots. They�re self-replicating, so once in your system they will remain permanently.

It�s meant to be a birthday present, son, but the �bots are in a stable condition inside the capsule, so you could take it at any time in case you�d rather wait. Either way, Happy Birthday!

Other than that, Spencer and I have been doing well. I�m glad your letter came when it did; in a few weeks I�ll be leaving the mansion, probably for several months at least. I�ve been asked to participate in the development of Ranger technology for an outfit you may have heard of, called S.P.D. It�s located not too far from here, in Newtech City, and I�ll be working with a small group of other scientists and technicians who have supported past Ranger teams. It sounds like a very interesting and worthwhile project.

I guess there�s not much more to say, except that I miss you very much and hope you�re finding some of the answers I know you�re looking for. Spencer sends his love, and so do I.

Much love,

Dad�

Mack was holding the capsule and re-reading the letter when Tyzonn returned. He looked up, smiling.

�Good news?� Tyzonn asked.

�Yes. Everyone�s fine, and Dad worked with Rose all last summer.�

�What were they working on?�

�This. It�s a birthday present.� Mack held up the capsule. After Tyzonn had leaned forward for a closer look, he dropped it into his mouth and swallowed.

�Do people usually give each other pills on their birthdays on Earth?�

Mack laughed at Ty�s expression of blank puzzlement. �No, not usually. But this is a special pill. Come on, I�ll tell you all about it over dinner.� He climbed to his feet and stretched.

�Perhaps I have a birthday present for you as well - if you like the news I have to tell you,� Tyzonn said as they stepped out of the house and started for the street. �We�re going on a mission off-world.� He grinned at Mack�s reaction of surprise. �I promised you adventure on other planets, and now it�s finally going to happen.�

�Off-world? Where?�

�It�s a planet that was once conquered by Dark Specter. The population fled, but they returned after the Dark Forces were defeated, almost ten years ago. They�ve been rebuilding as quickly as they can, but they have limited resources, as you can imagine. Now they�ve discovered a powerful energy source still operating under the wreckage in their main city. They�re sending in a team to recover it, and have requested a search and rescue team for help and backup in case they run into trouble.�

His mood brightening at the thought of a new world and a new challenge, Mack asked, �What�s the name of the planet?�

�KO-35, in the Karova system. We leave as soon as I can make arrangements and collect the equipment we�ll need.�

�Cool,� Mack said, and stopped short as a memory of something Strellia had said came to him. �Weren�t there Rangers on KO-35?�

�There were, and I understand they�ve returned to assist with this situation. They�re going to be the ones making the attempt to recover the energy source.�

Mack grinned. �A new planet, and another Ranger team. Way cool!�

TBC...

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