Jalisco yelled at everyone else in the life-pod to shut up as they got a real-time transmission from the EWACS that arrived at Hell, some five light seconds away. It showed Tall White Lady and Violet. Violet spoke first, "Hey, brother and friends! We found a small freighter hovering over a mountain. We did NOT find any crew or passengers. The ship is made on Maris, and it's registry is only a month old." TWL picked up the report,"We surveyed the moon of Hel and found it right off. There are six bucky-cables lowered from the front ramp. According to the last log entry, there is an archeology expedition down there with the crew." "Get THIS--the crew are Toffet and Kella Delgado! Yes, the same ones we know from the transport four years ago. They all have been down there for two days. I'm not picking up ANYTHING from down there. If they were that close, and I DO know them--I should be able to read surface thoughts easily! HOWEVER..." Violet smiled and jerked a thumb at TWL and laughed, "She has the 'heebie-jeebies'! I love that term. Anyway, the top hatches were unlocked. The cargo hold is set up as a lab, and they had this giant crystal in there! About nine feet tall and three across. Mostly opaque. It DID react to me touching it. It told me it's an Altha-Krommium 'Crystal-stasis storage device'. Do NOT know what that is." TWL picked up,"Obviously, spending so much time with Toxic all those years ago did have an effect on Toffet and Kella. Guess what they named this thing! The Handbag! My god...those goof balls! They must have known they were coming here to name it THAT!" Violet said, "Oh, wait! There is MORE! The ship's comm system recorded a message from the deep-space freighter, Aeriolous! It's on it's way. The message is from Jeet, and Slicey-Dicey is on it, too. TWL said it must be fate that we are all gathering here. Must be. It's more likely than random chance." Violet laughed. Cyclops didn't believe in such things. TWL rolled her eyes. "I didn't say FATE. I said that probability is twisted up when ANY of the Four Sisters are involved. They affect probability on a macro level in ways that we can't understand." "I just have a weird feeling about this place. My esper sense is being 'blocked' or something. I can feel things on the surface, eating each other, but everything close by is fuzzy or blunted. I have this feeling that we are being watched." Jalisco saw behind them, the cockpit door slid open silently. A tall shadowy figure stooped and sneaked in behind them and stood up. Glowing eyes opened in and watched the two of the women intently. Obviously, the two women didn't have a clue what was happening. Jalisco didn't recognize the silhouette from the alien records, or records from the Colonial authorities. The life-pod was raucous and hysterical as Jalisco yelled for silence. He made a decision. He texted to them, "There is cloaked figure behind you. Exercise caution. Not recognized sapient." It took five seconds to reach them. It took five more for the reaction image to reach the Life-pods. Violet pulled her service weapon and spun around the chair as TWL turned towards the intruder. TWL said said, "We know you are there! Show yourself!" Violet shouted, "Where is the crew?" The transmission went dead. The fearful people exploded with questions and speculations. Jalisco let them run out to silence this time. Over the intercom to the other Life-pod, Perro said, "It'll be hours before we arrive to Hel orbit. We'd best make our plans as best as we can. What ever happened will be old news when we arrive. TWL is a powerful Telepath. Keep that in MIND." Jalisco silently prayed to a god he didn't believe in for his sister, Violet's, safety. --TO BE CONTINUED!--