Measure was on the edge of her seat. She watched the elf girl become alert after hearing a noise. Measure whispered to herself,"Oh,my,god! It's gotta be that psycho-killer ranger guy! He's sneaking up on you!" The comm-cube went off shrilly, and Measure fell out of her chair with a thump and a shriek. She reared up and growled in anger, "Finally! A reply! Always at the most dramatic time, though. Viewer! Sound--mute. Record!" The viewer flashed it's 'recording underway symbol' and fell silent. She turned to her 'comm-cube' and said, "Holo-cube turn on and broadcast." The cube transformed into it's send-receive state like a metal flower. It said,"Voice only message received. Sender:Tyyee the white. Playing." The sound of her mother's voice made her cringe. "Neesae? This is your mother. I can't help with your line of inquiry." "No surprise THERE, mom!" "However, I DO know one who can answer all your questions. She's an expert on the Great Enemy and have spent most of her life studying them. It's time you two met, anyway. I'll connect you." Tyyee's voice faded away. The solid image of another Naga appeared. She looked like Measure in the face. A HUMAN face, no less! Her burnt orange eyes riveted Measure in place. She finally remarked,"So...you must be the CURRENT 'Measure of the Bridge between worlds'? Neesae, isn't it? I'm Syyree Uriel of the Black Horns and Keeper of Mysteries. I'm the previous Measure and also your older sister. Pleased to meet you, I suppose." Measure exclaimed in shock, "YOU are my older WHAT? WHY didn't mother ever mention you?" Syyree shrugged. "Maybe because I'm a failure? Because she didn't want to burden you with our family's awful curse? Because she didn't CARE? The answers are without number. Now--how can I help you with questions about the Great Enemy?" "Failure? AWFUL CURSE? What the HELL? What are you talking about?" Measure was about to boil over, she was so upset. Syyree sighed and said as if reading off of card,"I was the previous Measure of the Four Sisters. Along with Mi'ii.Kyryn and Larka, we were attuned to the Altha-Krommium artifacts and had all the power that gave us." "On the planet Axion, we encounter a PHYSICAL Great enemy. It killed millions before we ran into it. During the battle, Mi'ii was hit by the thing's disintegrator weapon and started to dissolve. I got sucked into Sub-space. Larka came after me and saved me at the cost of her own life. It...BROKE me." She looked at Measure with a hollow look of someone who had lost everything that made life worth living. "I lost the will to carry on. The artifact left me." Measure nodded, feeling a sense of dread."I SUPPOSE I inherited it." "How did Awina die? With honor?" Measure looked confused."She died fighting the Scourge. WHY? Did you know her?" "She was my daughter. Now--what are you questions?" Syyree looked no sadder than when she began. Measure swallowed and asked,"When someone is possessed by one of those THINGS, how do you deal with it? How do you drive it out?" "You can't. You freeze the possessed person in liquid helium and shoot them into the sun. Once possessed, they are lost forever." Measure blinked in surprise,"SO...in the history of the UNIVERSE no person has EVER been saved from the Great Enemy?" Syyree nodded. "That's right. Not possible." Measure asked,"What are the Boneyard planets?" "They appear to be 'bait planets' where sub-space is closer to them than anywhere else. They come out there, and those artifacts on the surface generate a black-hole and all die there. They were created billions of years ago. The enemy attacks every four million years like clock work." Measure asked,"Curse?" Syyree smiled sadly,"Our family has had more than FIFTY Measures selected from our line. Call me if you have any further questions." In the dark room, Measure wept. --To be continued!--