"If you're just joining us, I'm Arnno in the Afternoon! We're here with a pair of beautiful Non-humans, one of which has only been in our star system for only FOUR YEARS! We're looking out from our downtown studios onto a thunderstorm in Elevator-City. Can't see anything outside, so...we'll look at the cute girls." "Life is tough for me!" The audience laughed as Arno turned toward his guests. He smiled and said, "They know each other. On the far left is the award winning Doctor, Tam'Ra Xrisis, Equine derived sapient, and creator of the 'Common-line chip'!" "Next to her is Willow! Prize winning singer, and award winning actress. She just performed, 'Unwilling Eyes' from her new album before we went to break." He focused on the copper skinned woman and smiled. He asked,"You wrote these songs? How did you manage to do it all? As our audience is aware, you are NOT really an Android, but a kind of Naturally Intelligent Machine-Life, much like the Cyclops species. Even Machine-Life has it's limits, doesn't it?" Willow blinked and said, "I thought you were going to ask why I don't wear underwear, or something! Heavy question! Of COURSE I have limits! Everyone does, ya know. I'm lousy at swimming. Sink right to the bottom! I'm good at singing, because I'm good at math, I guess. I'm good at acting because my life depended on it." She cleared her throat and went on, "Living as an Asuran sex slave is the most demeaning, degrading thing imaginable! You are always one step from being tortured to death, if you acted out of line. AND I WANTED TO ACT OUT OF LINE! Believe me. Those bastards are evil." She clenched up silently for a moment and sighed and relaxed, as Tam'Ra patted her thigh. Willow said,"Anyway! I have so many stories and songs I want to get out. I want to enjoy life and sing and act and do stuff. That's why I had my face operated on:to look more human. My whole species was created to be no more than a 'place-holder' for humanity." "I don't want to be a 'place-holder' for anyone! That's why I wrote my autobiography. To tell my story for everyone to know it. I couldn't have done it without Tam'Ra and Xeleb. I'm still adjusting. I was born to be co-dependent, and they've helped me conquer that." Arno turned to the camera and said, "Her story is available for sale everywhere right now. WHY in god's name did you call it,'Tongue-Kissing Yak Butts'?" The audience laughed, as Willow smiled, and shrugged. "If you don't think a life-time of kissing butts leaves a bad taste in your mouth, try 'Tongue-Kissing Yakk-Butts'! Tam'Ra reached over and punched Willow in the upper arm. She giggled as the audience laughed. After it died away, he said, "Doctor Tam'Ra, can you explain the chip you developed with your husband, Xeleb?" "Sure, Arnno. As everyone know, the Cyclops communicate across a wide band of the E-M spectra all the time. Working with certain Cyclops doctors, we've come up with a Comm-chip that uses their super-efficient rotating comm channels to best ability. This will improve short range communication amongst our troops a tremendous amount in real time! In fact..." She was interrupted by the lights turning red, and a wailing siren sounding. Arnno stood up and said loudly, "No one panic! It's just an Air Raid alert. Everyone follow me to the studio Bunker. Everyone else, please go quickly to your own shelters. We'll go to Civil Defense Net, and be back from the bunkers!" An image of a gray, grizzled veteran appeared on the screen. "This is Sky-Marshall Reinz of the United Coalition Space-Forces. We just received word from our front-line detection stations that an Asuran Battle-cruiser has appeared out-system of us and is heading toward Balaam. The UCSF will attempt to stop them before they get within bombardment distance of our planet. Get to your shelters immediately! That is all for now." The civil defense shield was shown, as the planet hunkered down for defense. --TO BE CONTINUED!--