Memories cascaded and blurred and shattered. I found myself sitting in the Wanderlust's pilot's seat with no menory of how I got there. Or of taking off my claws and getting dressed. The imperial wolf - I really should not start thinking of him as Nick, that would be foolhardy sentiment on my part - was sitting beside me with a frown on his face - it seemed to be his habitual expression. I turned to ask him something and my awares spun away into a kaleidoscope of fragmented images again. Nick's face blurred and very air around him seemd filled with pulsating color. Suddenly he was leaning over, hand clutching his chest while blood oozed between his fingers and strange violet pluses of energy raced from his shoulder down his arm and up into his face. In the background, a voice was reciting coordinates and course changes. It boomed oddly in my ears. I could not tear my eyes away from Nick but I was also aware of making the indicated changes in heading and speed. Then Xerxes' voice announced: "Docking completed. Normal power down procedures commencing" and the universe snapped back into focus. There was no blood. The wolf gave me an odd look as he got up. "Are you coming, scout?" He rumbled, the heat that had filled his dark eyes for the last two days, chilling rapidly. I shook my head convulsively. "Yes, of course," I replied, wondering where the hell we were. ************************************************** Thanks to: quim2001, RDNA, Jim Burton, Wyrmmaster, Sharkey and Lalverson This is part of a joint story (The Exeter Mystery) being done by myself and Lalverson. Check out his and my galleries for other portions of it.