Toni was waiting as I walked in. “Thank you for coming. Refreshments? Food if you like? We will eat in the dining room in four hours. If...”

“Wait a minute. I thought we were going to engage the life forms that had done this to me… us… Sherry and me. I’m tired of looking like a damn female poster babe for some Trader Outpost. I plan on getting that damn DNA coding and returning to my old self. Me… Bill.” I wanted Toni to know why I had agreed to come along on this ride. It wasn’t for dinner on some damn planet, in some damn galaxy, a billion light years from my outpost.

Toni nodded. “Understood Brandy. I will take you to the life form who designed the DNA infection.”

She held up her hand when I started to ask when. “Please, time is meaningless, a few more hours won’t make any difference. After dinner, I promise, after dinner we will go see the life form you seek.”

She swept her hand toward a hall. “Please, you have a room down the hall. If you do not desire refreshments at the moment, then make yourself comfortable. If you need for anything, ask. My home is your home. I have been away and must take care of business. I will be back in less than an hour.”

Dumbfounded, I watched as she walked out of the house. I looked at Sherry who seemed to be studying me.

“Fuck this!” I didn’t want a room, refreshments, or to wait to get back to being Bill.

Walking over to the door I looked and looked a second time. Toni and her ship were gone. “Well hell!”

I tapped my com link and... nothing. I tapped it again. Bad com link? “Sherry is your com link working?”

“Yes and so is yours, but not here. Brandy, why don’t you relax. Toni has left. There is nothing you can do about it. I’m going to my room and check out the creature comforts. I would strongly suggest you do the same.” Sherry left me standing there in the doorway as she walked off down the hallway.

Emotionally, I exploded as I spun on my heel and watched Sherry step into one of the rooms off the hallway. I wanted to go see the little weasel that turned me into a woman and I wanted it NOW not an hour later. Fuming, I headed off down the hallway knowing there was nothing I could do until Toni decided it was time. I should have stayed on UF-2 until she decided it was time.

As I walked past a door, it slid open silently. Stopping, I hesitated. Was I invited in? Tentatively I entered the room. My nerves started settling down. There was soft music playing. I didn’t recognize the tune, but it was eerily beautiful. I had been too focused on getting my hands on the thing that had made me into a woman, to pay any attention when I walked into Toni’s home. Now I noticed the walls were light pink rock or a damn good imitation thereof. The floors were a light gray rock. The furniture was quaint. It looked like wood. Humans had figured out how to make imitation wood several millenniums ago. Real wood was expensive to grow. Probably less than one person in every hundred million had ever touched or seen real wood.

There was a long, sweeping, blue cloth couch that curved around a corner of the room and a matching chair by the door. A vanity, dresser, and a really soft looking bed, big enough to take up most of my room back on UF-2.

“Your bath is drawn, Mistress.”

I jumped out of my skin before I focused in on where the voice had come from. There was a droid standing in one of the doorways leading off the bedroom. It was an odd looking droid as it looked more like two poles side by side, with two horizontal poles for what passed for arms. It didn’t have feet or rollers as it hovered.

“I don’t need a bath.” I had a chem clean before I left UF-2. I was positive I didn’t need another one yet.

“Please Mistress, Master would be most happy if you would.” It waited in the door for me to accept.

“I told you, I don’t want a bath. Go sweep some dust or trim some plants or whatever it is you do.” I was getting exasperated with this dumb bot.

“My functions do not include trimming plants, Mistress. Am I addressing you incorrectly? Is there another formality you would like me to address you as?” It waited patiently.

“Yeah, call me Bill or Captain.” I was getting steamed over at that thing calling me 'Mistress.' I was only barely tolerating being Brandy until this was over.

“Protocol for humanoids indicates that it is not correct to address you as Bill, Mistress. Unless you wish to command Master’s home then Captain is also incorrect. I have information you are to be addressed as Mistress, or Mistress Brandy.”

“Mistress Brandy?” I choked on that one. “God no, I couldn’t stomach that one. Let’s go back to square one.”

“Square one? I am sorry Mistress I have not had a lot of input of humanoid expressions. Please explain.” It was still patiently waiting as only a droid could.

“Forget it. And forget that bath bit too.” I was getting tired of this dialog with a droid. Personally, conversations with bots were a waste of time.

“I apologize if I annoy you, Mistress. Your bath is waiting.”

Damn, I had forgotten how single purpose minded a bot could be. I was going to go have to take a look at that bath to get this thing to stop annoying me. “Sure, why not? Lead on, broomstick.”

It moved back into the room it had come from. As I walked into the room I saw a huge tub filled with water. I had died, I was sure. No one, but the rich, could afford to take a water bath. Us lesser people took a chem bath which was a combination of ultra sound, and aerosol spray. Water was recirculated on a post. No one wanted to drink someone else's bath water no matter how much it had been evaporated, condensed, and filtered.

I couldn’t resist as I stuck my finger into the tub. That was either the best hologram in captivity, or that was real water. It was tepid, begging for a body to climb in. That body had to be me. I dropped my gear and clothes in record time. Sticking my foot in I almost fainted it felt so good. The rest of me followed that foot. No need of letting the foot enjoy the whole bath.

It took me awhile to start playing like a duck as I slid under the water and held my breath. I was in heaven. No telling how long I played. Eventually it was time to leave my little trip to paradise. I should have taken my clothes in with me. When I climbed out they were nowhere to be seen.

“BROOMSTICK, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY CLOTHES?” I was dripping water all over the floor as a bot approached with a huge towel. I knew it was a towel because I had seen pictures of them. We had no use for them on UF-2. We didn’t take wet baths.

“Your clothes have been retired, Mistress. You will find appropriate body coverings laid out on your bed.” The droid held out the towel.

“Retired?” I got a sick feeling down in the pit of my stomach that told me that my jumpsuit and boots were not going to be the clothes I would be wearing to Toni’s dinner.

It didn’t answer as it left the room.

Padding barefoot into the bedroom my stomach did a flip flop as I looked at what was laid out on the bed. “Screw that!”

Staring at the outfit I decided I had two choices. I could wear the towel the rest of the evening, or I could wear what was on the bed. “I’m going to kill Toni when I get my hands on her.”

The bots were marvels of engineering. They may have looked like sticks, but they could obviously manipulate molecular flow in the same way Toni’s ship could create a door where one didn’t exist. I had one of them help me dress and get ready for dinner.

As I finished dressing and walked out of the room, the droid hovered behind me. “Mistress Sherry is in the garden to your right. Would you care to go there?”

“Why not?” I wanted to see if they had done to her what they had managed on me. Of course, Sherry would probably enjoy the five-inch stiletto pumps. I hated them.

Sherry was bent over, smelling a huge red velvet flower of some kind. “You look beautiful, Brandy.”

“How...” She was psychic, she didn’t have to be looking with her eyes to see.

Sherry was wearing a metallic blue dress. The bodice looked painted on, the full skirt shimmered and flowed a liquid blue. She was wearing matching heels with a stiletto heel. The dress had full gossamer, billowed sleeves. On her wrists I counted four of the most beautiful blue stone and silver bracelets I had ever seen in my life. Her long, dangle earrings were a perfect match. I had seen some of those women who frequent the Trader Posts and they were over endowed. If that’s what turned men on, Sherry could put all of them to shame.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Sherry. A little too much for my taste, but still the prettiest woman I have ever seen. I take it you have found what you were seeking?” I walked up beside her as I reveled in the scents of Toni’s garden. Every thing looked real.

Sherry turned to look me in the eyes. “Am I attractive to you? Do you want to make love to me?”

“Gasp!” Escaped from my mind and my lips. “Uh... yes, I mean no... I mean...”

I took a step back to put some space between us. “When I get back to me, I mean when Bill...”

“Confused aren’t you?” Sherry stepped up close and put her hands on my shoulders as she studied me. “Let me unconfuse you.”

If I had seen it coming... Hell, I don’t know what I would have done. Sherry pulled me in and planted a big, passionate kiss right on my mouth.

It was the biggest shock I had ever received in my whole life. It took me a few seconds to react as I pushed her back and wiped my mouth with the back of my right hand. “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”

Stepping back to put even more space between us so she couldn’t surprise me a second time, I glared hatred at her. “What the hell was that all about? Have you lost your mind?”

I went ballistic when she smiled and winked at me. She held out her hand and looked at her long sharp nails. They were blue to match her dress, and jewelry. “Not confused any more, are you? I’m not what you want to take to bed. That was the last of Bill, thinking I was what you were wanting to make love to. We just put that idea out in deep space. Brandy, no matter what, there is very little of Bill left.”

Her bracelets tinkled as she rolled her wrist, curled her fingers and rested the points of those long sharp nails against her palm. “You felt revulsion when I kissed you. Would Bill have felt like that? In spite of you denying it, you are a woman. A very beautiful one too, I might add. You would have noticed if you hadn’t been so focused on admiring my looks and hating your situation.”

“I’m not…”

“A woman?” She cut me off. “I think if you look in the hologram replicator you will see a beautiful woman, and that woman is you.”

Sherry put her petite hand under her breasts. “You think my breasts are big? You haven’t been noticing your own.”

She dropped her hands down and rested the heel of her hands on top of those abundant hips of hers, while cupping her impossibly small waist. “Admit it, this body was a turn on for Bill. When you finally notice your own you are going to be even more shocked.”

Unconsciously I dropped my hands down to my waist. It took all the conscious effort I could muster to not look at what my hands had found.

Sherry smiled as she nodded in acknowledgement. “Too busy thinking about getting Bill back. You never noticed did you?”

“Bill...”

“Is never coming back.” She completed the sentence I didn’t want to hear.

“Fuck you! I will get back. I am not going to be a damn woman the rest of my life.” I wanted to jump on Sherry and strangle her for what she was saying.

“First off, you can’t. We are both women. Second, yes you are, whether you admit it or not. You can deny it every day for the rest of your life, but hat is going to be one long, miserable life if you do.”

“Toni is back. Let’s go meet her company.” Sherry walked back into the house, leaving me standing there.

Damn! I hated that woman! She was probably right. When she kissed me I felt violated. Bill would have jumped all over Sherry after a kiss like that. I wanted nothing more than to put space between us. I looked down at my huge breasts. Double damn! Those bimbos at the Traders Posts were also-rans compared to Sherry and myself. My long gown was of a semi sheer, layered, chiffon, gossamer, type material. Softer than anything I had ever felt, it was a bustier design, with beads or stones in intricate patterns. There were no stays or ribs. It hugged every curve like paint. At my hips it flared out into a full, billowed skirt and the hem swept the floor, followed by a full, ten foot train.

It took me awhile to calm down as I ran through my mind what Sherry had so pointedly taught me about myself. Sighing in resignation, I took a deep breath before following Sherry back into Toni’s rock house.

Straight into the middle of a couple dozen Pash. “Oh...”

Sherry was standing between a couple of them, holding a glass, and carrying on a conversation.

Toni held out her hand toward me. “Brandy, please let me introduce you. Everyone already knows you, but I feel you should be introduced.”

Hesitantly, reluctantly, I walked, with my skirts quietly rustling, over to where Toni was and put my left hand in her right.

There were two Pash standing in front of us. “Brandy, I want you to meet, Misalachula, and Breveanolesa.”

The one to my left held out her hand. “Please, call me Missy. It is hard to roll my name in your language.”

I took her hand. “Missy, good to meet you.”

The one on my right held out her hand. “Call me Brev. Tonlosania was right. You are a beautiful woman.”

I blushed as I took her hand. “That’s very kind of you to say.”

As Toni introduced me to the others I couldn’t but help notice that Sherry was watching me like a hawk. I was wondering if it was because of what she had done to me earlier in the garden or what?

After the introductions, Toni put her arm around me. I was feeling too much closeness and affection from Toni after that event with Sherry. I tried to put some space between us. Toni wasn’t having any part of it. Her strength was something I would never be able to best.

One of Toni’s stick bots floated into the room and stopped in front of me. “Mistress, the table is ready.”

Toni swept her right hand out indicating a hall leading into another room. “Please, shall we?”

“As you wish.” What I wished was that Toni would stop holding me so close.

Toni and I led the others into a large dining room with a long, dark, wood table. I was thinking how beautiful that room and furnishings were, even if they were artificial.

Toni walked me up to an ornate chair at the end of the table and pulled it back from the table. “Please be seated, Brandy.”

I struggled with the dress and the train before I found my seat. “Thank you.”

The other Pash and Sherry had lined up on both sides of the table and waited. Toni walked to the other end and took her seat before the guests seated themselves.

Toni held up a tall skinny, long stemmed glass filled with a red liquid. “A toast.”

Everyone held up a similar glass as I did the same. I was feeling awfully strange and foolish as I held my glass up.

“It’s my birthday. I am of age to take a wife. I ask for a long and happy marriage.”

“Long and happy marriage” Rang from all those around the table.

“Lareu eh samp los vesapen.” Missy nodded toward me.

Toni looked sharply at her. “Please! Brandy does not speak Pash nor read mind thought. Speak her language when she is present.”

“My apologies, Mistress. I was in error. Please forgive me.” Missy was looking at me.

“My apologies for not understanding your language. It had never occurred to me I would be talking to more Pash. You are rare among my people.” I smiled, hoping to smooth over the error Toni thought Missy had made.

“Thank you, you are too kind.” Missy held up her glass to me.

The rest of the Pash held up their glasses to me and I felt embarrassed by it all. I took a sip of my... boy was that smooth stuff, whatever it was.

The dinner was delicious. Or I was thinking it was. That red stuff must have had a screwdriver in it, because somewhere about the second glass, my mind became unscrewed. If it had been alcoholic I would have sworn I was plastered to the gills.

Somewhere in all that conversation I heard it was Toni’s birthday again. I was wishing I had brought her a birthday present. My mind was definitely not engaged as I heard someone say that Toni had found his mate for life. “His?” Humm, fancy that... giggle. Boy was she going to be surprised. Could I have some more of that red stuff? God it sure tasted good. What was that stuff anyway? My hearing is going, along with my eyesight. Did someone say I was Toni’s fiancée? Nah, never work... I like Toni a lot. Bill even wanted to get her in his bed, but as anyone could tell, I’m not Bill. Giggle... Look, I have big boobs and... oops, no that’s gone. Yeppers, gone, gone, gone. Gimme some more of that red stuff. Boy is that stuff good. Did Toni say she wanted to be my mate? Hell, sure why not…? I love that girl. She’s such a fox. What say we get married? Is any of that red stuff left? Gimme a shot wud yuh?

I opened my eyes thinking I'd had a bad dream. It wasn’t all a dream, since I was looking at one of those stick bots. I started to rise up and my world swirled. “Ooooooohhhhhhhh.”

I held my head as my eyes tried to refocus. “I’m in serious pain.”

“Would Mistress require a medication for pain?” The stick had moved up beside my bed.

“No, it’s not physical pain, it’s a 'can’t get the world to stop moving' pain. What in the hell was that stuff I was drinking?” My world was slowing down enough for me to focus on the stick droid.

“Mistress drank a lot of things. Could you be more specific, or would you like me to name them all?” It patiently waited.

“Never mind. I probably wouldn’t understand anyway.” I tossed the cover back. I was dressed in a pink, sheer, filmy nightgown. It hid nothing as my breasts pushed pointedly at the material. Great! I had no idea who undressed me or who dressed me in this nothing number.

I rolled my legs off the side of the bed and stopped as my world wobbled. “I have to get the market on that damn red stuff. I can sell it at the Traders Posts and make a fortune. It will sneak up on you and grab you before you know what hit you.”

“Mistress is ready for her bath?” The stick had moved away from the bed as I sat up.

“Bath? Uh... sure, why not?” Standing up, I unsteadily headed for the bathtub in the other room.

Standing beside the tub I couldn’t find the closures on the nightgown. “Bot, I need some help getting out of this rig.”

The bot floated up in front of me, held out one of its stick arms and the gown fell to the floor.

“I was going to do that.” I had a strong suspicion it was molecular flow or whatever. The bot was the key to the zipper, or buttons, or binding.

I could get used to those baths real easily. They were a touch of heaven. I took my time, until I happened to remember we had a date with a DNA virus programmer.

When I toweled off and walked back into the bedroom, I almost screamed. “No way! Where’s my old clothes?”

Bot was waiting beside the bed. “Those you wore the day you arrived have been recycled.”

“RECYCLED! RECYCLED MY ASS! GET ME A JUMPSUIT OR I’LL WRING YOUR SCRAWNY LITTLE NECK!” There was no way I was going to wear what was on the bed.

Minutes later I was furious as I stepped out into the hall. Yes, I was wearing a gown, and heels, and... If they thought I was ready to kill when we left UF-2 they were wrong. NOW, I was ready to kill as soon as I got my petite little hands on a phaser. I was hot as I searched the house for Toni, Sherry, or anyone. It was a huge house and it took me a long time of searching. I didn’t find anyone to take my anger out on.

Looking outside didn’t help. There weren’t any neighbors, or streets, or transportation tubes. There was a hundred foot clearing around the house and then a forest of some kind. Not any trees or vegetation I recognized, but then what would I know? I had never seen a real forest of any kind.

Finally I ended up in the garden by the pool and fountain. I found a place on the rock bench and fumed. Over time, my fury settled as I watched the water trickle from the fountain into the pool, and the aquatic life flash to the top before they disappeared in the depths again.

I heard the click of heels on the rock floor behind me before I turned to look at Sherry. “They took my clothes.”

A smile spread across her beautiful face. “Funny, but you seem to be wearing some.”

Standing up I swept my hand down in front of the silken, light green, breaded gown. It was strapless and I was wearing a matching scarf around the neck, draped over my left breast and down my back. “You aren’t funny. I was referring to my jumpsuit. This isn’t a jumpsuit, in case you forgot what one looks like.”

I lifted up my hem, and stuck out my right foot. The shoe matched the dress. It had a four inch heel and I felt like I was walking on my toes. “Running is not an option.”

I tried to push my heel off with no success. “Have you noticed we... I and my outfit seem to be attached to one another. I can’t get dressed or undressed without one of those damn stick bots helping me. I strongly suspect molecular bonding.”

Walking over to where she was standing in front of me Sherry started to raise her hand to my face. I slapped it away.

“None of that funny business. You aren’t going to kiss me again.” I backed up a step.

A smile spread across her face. “No, I think you have the idea now. You like women, but we aren’t what you want to take to bed. That’s natural feelings as a woman.”

“Fuck you. I’m not a woman.”

She sighed. “Okay, some things you still have to learn.”

“Toni has returned and we need to go see those life forms who sent us our virus.” She turned and headed toward the other room.

“Now wait one damn second. If you think I’m going like this then you are outta your ever loving, screwed up, psychotic mind.” Unconsciously I dropped my hands down on my hips.

She waved with her right hand as she stepped into the other room. “Suit yourself. You want to stay here then that’s up to you.”

Staying behind was not part of my options. I tried to run to catch up, but four inch heels are not track shoes. Anything other than a walk, with fluid motions of the hips, was not possible. I don’t think my breasts would have let me run even if I were wearing track shoes. Women who looked like Sherry or me were not runners by the laws of physics.

As I entered the room I caught sight of Sherry going out the front door. “Would you wait up?”

She stopped and turned. “I thought you weren’t coming. Change your mind?”

“You bet your life I’m going. I want to wring some answers out of some low life forms that did this to me.” I stopped beside her as I looked at the ship parked in front of us.

“Geeze... that’s a ship!” It was twenty times bigger than Toni’s ship. It also had flowing lines that made it look like it was moving a million light years a second when it was just sitting there.

“Let’s go meet a virus designer.” Sherry stepped out ahead of me.

I followed her to where we were under the ship. No windows, no doors, nothing except smooth flowing lines from front to back to side. A light flashed and we were inside.

“Please take your seats.” Toni was standing beside us pointing toward a couple empty seats. We weren’t the only passengers on that ship. I recognized the other Pash that had been with us at the dinner party.

Sherry and I found our seats and, no sooner had I sat down, then the seat reclined. Glancing over at Sherry she winked at me. “We are there.”

Our seats rose back up into the upright position. I was having a hard time believing we had traveled anyplace. After thinking about that last ride with Toni, it could be possible.

All the Pash stood up as Sherry and I rose out of our seats. Toni motioned for me to walk up beside her. “Brandy, please?”

I did as she requested as Sherry stepped up behind me. Two Pash stepped in front of us and the others dropped into formation behind us. There was a flash and we were inside a huge room. There were several spacecraft around. Some of them I recognized as those that space pirates or explorers jump space in. Others I didn’t recognize. They were oddly designed craft. None of them looked like starships. These craft would be for traveling between planets in a solar system.

A door opened on the far wall and a delegation was headed toward us. I thought I had seen most life forms, but these were beyond being odd creatures. They had four extensions for legs, which were padded on the ends. I was guessing the four extensions at the sides were arms, or what served as arms, and four eyes on stalks on top. Reminded me of a walking mushroom with about the same color and texture.

The delegation stopped approximately ten feet away. Two of them in the middle stepped forward.

“Please, walk forward with me.” Toni put her hand around my waist as she urged me to step forward.

It didn’t make any difference, I wanted a closer look at these creatures. If they were the virus inventors then I wanted my... Well, no, I really didn’t think I should be touching them. No telling what I might pick up.

We stepped up and stopped. They took a couple steps toward us. We took another couple steps toward them and so forth until we were only a foot apart. I almost gagged. Up close they looked more like a frothy mass of boils, or pus pockets.

Toni nodded her head. “Speak in this language. My mate is not wearing a neural thought transmitter. She will not understand unless you speak in this language.”

One eye on each mushroom turned to look at the companion before focusing on me again. The one in front of Toni touched something inside that mass of puke it called a body. I almost lost my cookies.

A small hole appeared in the middle of one on the left and I heard it talk. “We did not know. It was a mistake.”

“A mistake nevertheless. You did not consult us. You know we would not have agreed. Terminating life forms is not allowable. What will you do to stop the design?” Toni was as serious as I had ever seen her.

“The design is not reversible.” The one in front of me answered.

“I see. Payment must be made to those damaged.” Toni waited.

“What is the price?” The one in front of Toni responded.

“Neutralize the process. Give those infected, trade rights with the Trag and their allies.” Toni never wavered.

“Price is too high. We do not agree.” They were focusing on me. I was wishing I had brought a phaser.

Toni put her arm over my shoulder. “Price is cheap. The alternative will not be so cheap.”

Why did I get the feeling I was the bargaining chip in this conversation?

“It was a mistake.” The first one reiterated.

“Mistakes have to be paid for. One can not make a mistake on life forms and say it shouldn’t happen. Pash do not make mistakes.” Toni ran her fingers through my hair as she was talking.

“We didn’t know.” The second one canted.

“I heard you the first time. Excuses are not accepted. Meet the first price or regret the second price.” Toni dropped her hand down on my butt. I almost jumped out of my skin.

“We have to council.” They were walking away from us without turning around.

Toni put her hand in the small of my back, urging me to rejoin the others. “Don’t step away from the group. If they could kill you the situation would change.”

“Kill me? Give me a phaser so I can defend myself.” I couldn’t believe Toni would take us to a meeting unarmed.

“You couldn’t defend yourself against the Trag if you had a star destroyer in your pocket.”

There was a flash and we were back on Toni’s ship. “Please take your seats and let’s go home. It will take them a few days to decide in council.

“That’s it? That’s the meeting? What about the coding to the DNA virus? Make them give us the codes.” I couldn’t believe our meeting with the life forms who had sent us a virus was over after a few words.

“Brandy, please take your seat. I’m sure you could ride standing up, but for safety's sake, please sit down.” Toni was motioning me to go find a seat.

“But...”

“Please?” Toni turned and walked to her chair where she pulled a console out in front of her.

“Shit, I should have brought a phaser and...” I found my seat and it reclined.

The seat rose back up almost immediately. “You can’t tell me we are back already?”

“We are at the center of Pash civilization. Please join the others and me in our Capital.” Toni offered her hand to help me up.

“Yeah, sure, why not?” I rose out of the seat. There was that now familiar flash of light again.

Toni had her arm around my waist as we were standing on an observation tower in virtual space. There was nothing around us except the platform we were standing on.

I wobbled. “Jeeze, I was thinking we would be on the ground with buildings all around us. You did say, the Pash capital, did you not?”

“Below us is the capital. Built in space. We did not destroy any worlds in building our culture. God makes worlds, we build cities.” She pointed below us.

I looked. In space there is no up or down so toward the feet is down, toward the head is up. I was looking at an area of habitation structures below us. Not nearly large enough for what I would consider a central Capital for an intelligent species such as the Pash. “That’s it? That’s the whole Capital?”

“We don’t have any need for central control like humans do. We made our laws many millennium back. They were simple. They worked then. They work now.”

She pointed out to the stars all around us. “We scattered to the stars, each one making sure they followed the Pash rules.”

I had no idea how we were breathing in space? Either I was in some hologram and this was an illusion, or they were able to compress a magnetic field around us and hold in oxygen without using walls or glass.

There was yet another flash and we were inside a great, round room. All her friends from the dinner were sitting in a panel before us. Toni bowed her head in acknowledgement.

I was envious of her transporter as much as I was of her ship. Those things were great for moving from point A to point B. I noticed Sherry was off to our left by a huge arched entry. I was wondering if she had received a tour like I was getting?

The Pash named Missy stood up. “You are of age Tonlosania. Have you considered your choice?”

“I have. At first I thought there had been a mistake.” Toni glanced in my direction.

Way down inside my soul I got a queasy feeling. Something was about to happen and I felt a part of whatever it was.

“You were guided to this one who is named Brandy Winters?”

“It has been ordained.”

“Tonlosania, there may be no mistake. A mate is taken for life.” Missy was studying me.

“As it is written.” Toni was also staring at me.

“Whaa….” That sick feeling was growing by leaps and bounds.

“Then it has been ordained.” Missy’s cat eyes were boring into my soul.

Toni turned her attention to me as she took both my hands in hers. “I have given my soul to you. I only ask that in time you learn to love me. If that is too hard to accept, then I ask you to accept me.”

“Lo…lo…ve... Toni, I don’t love you. I can’t love you. Bill loved you but not as Brandy. I can’t possibly until I change back to Bill.” I was trying my best to explain Bill loved her, not me, not Brandy.

“Maybe in time? If you can’t find it in your heart, then I will return you to your people.” She waited for an answer.

“When I am Bill then...”

“The virus is not reversible. You will never return to Bill. Please…”

“NO, YOU’RE WRONG! YOU HAVE TO BE WRONG!” I pulled my hand free and was crying as I fled from the room past Sherry.

I was stopped at the end of a hall that seemed to go nowhere. “She’s wrong, she’s wrong, she’s wrong.”

I collapsed on the floor as I curled up in a ball and cried.

“She’s not wrong. You are. You’re wrong... about almost everything.” Sherry sat down on the floor beside me. She pulled my head over into her lap and put her hand on my shoulder.

“She’s wrong. She has to be wrong!” I sobbed as I wiped my eyes.

“Where do we start? I guess one place is as good as any. She is not a she.” Sherry leaned back against the wall.

“Whaaat? You’re outta your ever loving mind! What do you mean she’s not she? We are talking about Toni, aren’t we?” The tears had stopped like a spigot turned off.

Sherry was looking at me with a smirk on her face. “Toni is a male as are all the other natural born Pash. Pash have never had a female baby. They have male babies just as you and I were programmed to have female babies.”

“But... but…?”

“If they are all males how do they have babies?” Sherry was smiling from ear to ear.

I was wiping my cheeks as I sat up in awe of what Sherry was telling me. I was studying Sherry’s eyes, trying to make sense of what she was telling me. “They clone?”

“Not hardly. They pick mates outside their race. That was what threw Toni off for awhile. They really do feel a draw toward a certain mate. Toni was drawn to you. Believe me, he was as confused as any Pash could ever get.”

“Do you remember the first time you met Toni? He showed up on UF-2, walked straight up to your office, took one look and left the station. Because Pash are slender built cat creatures you thought he was a she. You wanted to get closer to Toni and he was trying to avoid you while figuring out what went wrong. Neither one of you realizing everything has a purpose, or as Toni put it, ‘ordained’. When the virus was turned loose on the ship, Toni was caught between the proverbial rock and the hard place. He knew you were the mate he had been sent to spend the rest of his life with. Yet, he was guided as a Pash to help find a solution. One of those 'damned if we do and damned if we don’t' situations we humans find ourselves in a lot of times.”

I wiped my eyes. “There isn’t a cure is there? I’m going to be Brandy for the rest of my life.”

Sherry laid her hand on top of my arm. “There is a reason for everything. You and I can only have girl babies. Pash can only have boy babies. You and Toni are destined to be the beginning of a new Pash civilization. You will be the proud parents of the first two girl Pash in their history. Your girls will grow up to be beautiful, intelligent, wise and legendary among the Pash. When they have babies they will be boys or girls. You and Toni will be remembered until the end of time as the Mother and Father of the new generation of Pash.”

“You can see all this?” Even though I had known David for years, I never knew he was a seer.

“I can’t see all the future, but where it changes history as much as what your involvement does, then it’s easy enough to see.”

She stood up. “Let’s get back to the others, shall we?”

FROM THE EDITOR: Chapter 5 will be up on Wednesday. Barbie and I want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments and kudos and we encourage you to continue reading and commenting. Thank you all very much.