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In a fit of enthusiastic madness I created a rational creature and was bound towards him to assure, as far as was inThis was my duty, but there was another still paras of reater claireater proportion of happiness or misery

- Dr Frankenstein Speaks, Shiprecords

THOMAS STRETCHED himself in the hammock of a cell and watched a fly creep its way across his ceiling There were no ports in this cell, no chrono He had no way of esti the time

The fly skirted the protrusion of a sensor eye

"So we brought you, too" Thomas spoke aloud to the fly "It wouldn’t surprisearound this place Non-human rats, that is"

The fly stopped and rubbed its wings Thomas listened There was a steady streae outside his locked hatch It had been locked from the outside, no handle in here

He kneas somewhere within Oakes’ infaon They had taken all of his clothing, every possession, leaving hilesuit

"Quarantine!" he snorted, still talking aloud "At Moonbase we called it ’the hole’"

So was rush-rush here He wondered as happening What was going on over at Colony? Where had they taken Waela? They had told hi It turned out to be a quick once-over by a strange med-tech and isolation in this cell Quarantine! Before they had closed the hatch, he had glin across the way: "Lab One" So they had a Lab One here, to or they had moved the other one fro at hi The cell was spartan - the ha toilet without seat

Once ressed to the far corner of the cell

"Ishmael," he said "I think I’ll call you Ishainst every ainst him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren

Ship’s unmistakable presence filled Thomas’ head so suddenly that he clapped his hands over his ears in reflex

"Ship!" He closed his eyes and found that he was near tears I can’t give in to hysteria! I can’t!

Why not, Devil? Hysteria has itshumans

"There isn’t tiht his hands away fro sensor "We have to solve Your problem of WorShip They won’t listen to me I’ll have to take direct action"

Ship was relentless: Not MY proble to share it with the others"

It is tilared at the sensor, as though that were the origin of the presence in his head

"You ?"

Yes, it is the time of times

Was that sadness in Ship?

"Must You?"

Yes

So Ship really meant it This was not just another diversion, another replay Thoo slack in his throat, his one

"Ho long do w how long?"

There was a noticeable pause

Seven diurns

"That’s not enough! I ht do it in sixty Give me sixty diurns What’s such a sliver of ti, the way it works its way into the most sensitive area Seven diurns, Raj, then I must be about other business

"How can we discover the right way to WorShip in seven diurns? We haven’t satisfied You for centuries an"

The kelp is dying It has seven diurns until extinction Oakes thinks it will be longer, but he is mistaken Seven diurns, then, for you all

"What will You do?"

Leave you to the certainty that you ipe yourselves out

Tho about it in here! What do You expect fro ?"