518 was almost dragged into the cockpit by Snowflake. 518 was greeted by a voice he recognized with dread. "Well, 518, looks like you made a friend! So have I!" It was male, and very cultured sounded. 518 wheeled around in surprise to look at the source of it. It WAS a Tragus type robot head on a variant type of Cyclops male body. 518 choked out, "Perro? Narchi's friend from Firetown? Perro nodded and remarked,"I got an upgrade. Since Toxic, daughter of Aldus Panchetta, found her birth-rite...I was under no other instructions. I found a sub full of Cyclops from the Cyclops Concenus and they asked me to join up! Since they WEREN'T those idiots from Alpharis--I joined! I can NOT wait to Narchi's face! That makes the discomfort of the upgrade worthwhile!" Capitan Rose looked over tot he rear of the room to her new Engineer, and said, "Chief Engineer, your giddy excitement at upgrade is excusable, however, this puts you on report if you transgress again. Understand?" The four-eyed Perro, nodded and remarked."Yes, Capitan!" 518 smiled and looked at Capitab Rose with new respect. The Capitan waved a hand to the right side and said,"518, If you look to starboard, you can see the so-called 'Ghost-City', Flying city 113. According to folk-lore, it was launched as the Blight ravaged to world, sixty-four years ago. Those who launched it were sicken by the Blight and killed each other off, leaving the city to float as an 'Evil Omen'." The bright copper co-pilot remarked to Rose, "Capitan! I LOVE evil omens and all that superstitious stuff! Can I download our pictures of the city?" She paused and said to the ensign,"Yes. When you off-duty." She turned to 518 and said, "Co-pliot Live-Wire--youngest pilot in the Consensus. Next to her is Bloody-Steel--the most expert transport pilot and MEV pilot ever produced." Live-Wire looked at him excitedly as Snowflake squeezed his arm. Bloody-Steel twitched her ears slightly and said coldly, "If you weren't organic, I'd probably be pleased to meet you." A young male Cyclops said aloud, "With you permission, Capitan?" A nod by Rose later, the young male said, "He IS organic, but he is ALSO completely artificial and synthetically produced by humans, like our ancestors! In all statement of fact, all the people responsible for our enslavement and attempted extermination are ALL dead by now, and those left are weakened by age." The Capitan remarked dryly,"This is Upsilon. He's my son, and acting Air-Control officer at Cadet rank. He can be quite out-spoken sometimes." Upsilon nodded and retorted, "Yes,Capitan!" He had kept his eye on his panel unwaveringly the whole time. 518 looked out the starboard-side window at the eerie unfinished floating tomb of City 113 hanging next to a mountain where the unfinished Imperial Residence stood like a pair of tombstones stood, marking the hopes and lives of billions until the fall of civilization and the death of most humans by the Blight. 518 remarked, as it passed, "I'm surprised the you Cyclops didn't lay claim to it! It'd be useful, I think." The Cyclops made a stuttering musical static noice indicative of laughter. Capitan Rose remarked, "It is useful...for the DUERGAR! They already claimed it! AND ALSO the Imperial Residence. They have rebuilt both into fortresses against any who would take them! They are secretive, and powerful as we Cyclops are. They also hate humans as much as Exterminators do. If most Cyclops weren't so neutral on Humans, we'd have allied long ago." 518 shook his head and said softly,"I suppose my human friends should thank the heavens for their luck and continued life!" Most of the Cyclops laughed again, Live-Wire snickering, "Heavens!" 518 caught Perro's eye as he shook his head. --TO BE CONTINUED!--