“WHAT’S AMYE’S SMERTH’N problem? She just accosted me in the hall to inspect my teeth.” Doug wiggles his jaw.

“Your cybernetic jack finally overloading your brain?” Scott asks as he secures the final bolts of a new captain’s chair into the main control station of the bridge.

The other six stations have been cleared of all damaged components, leaving nothing but skeletal frames of control systems. Several synthoids replace burnt and smoke-damaged carpet.

“Statistically, it’s an impossibility. I’m the only Osirian not driven insane by using a jacking port. Amye’s the one who’s lost all her cookies.”

“Reynard’s capture weighs heavily on her,” Australia says.

“She’s been pursued by a Sandman, so those dark monsters aren’t done with any of us,” Hauser adds. “The dead merc in her hotel room and the several more at the bar are all clear evidence of Sandmen.”

“JC, do you detect any…?” Australia pauses, unsure what to ask.

“I haven’t read her mind.”

“You’re safe on the Dragon. We know you perform unauthorized scans,” Scott says.

“My compulsion to follow my training happens, Scott, but she’s extremely upset about Reynard. No other thought permeates to the surface.”

“So upset she jumped into bed with a strange alien,” Hauser remarks.

“Our concern should remain with the Sandmen attacks. Have any of you encountered these creatures?” Australia refocuses the group.

“I will consult with the Hex Darmight,” JC says.

“It’s just a couple of rock fragments.”

“It’s much more, Scott. It contains a living memory of the universe. Only it’s just pieces. Much like a fragmented hard drive. Through telepathy, I understand it.”

“It created Samantha to converse with us,” Australia says.

“I’ve heard no suggestions from the cat,” Scott says.

Samantha leaps to the stripped control panel to be closer to eye level with the crew. “I surmised based on my limited information—”

“Why is it limited?”

“I have access to only what the fragments you possess retain. I will gain more knowledge as you find more fragments.”

“I didn’t sign on to hunt bogeymen,” Hauser spits.

“None of us did. But until we refit the Dragon with a Mecat storage bay, repair her systems and purchase new Cats. We’re not a merc unit,” Scott says.

“Repairs are our first priority. We must be able to operate the Dragon from the bridge not the shuttle. Samantha will guide us in reaching Reynard’s location,” Australia says.

“Sandmen travel interdimensionally. The Hex Darmight only retains the history of this reality.” JC’s guess contains logic.

“Sandmen come from another alternate reality,” Scott muses.

“Alternate realties are scientifically sound, but transferring between them requires immense star-draining energy,” Doug adds.

“With our understanding of technology. Sandmen have advanced beyond,” Hauser adds.

“Sandmen operate through focal points. Soft spots between dimensions, allow them to cross the gap safely. The Hex Darmight was created to seal these veils. When it was shattered it allowed Sandmen to reenter this reality,” Samantha says.

“Somewhat useful information, but how does this assist us in locating Reynard?” Scott asks.

They all glare at Samantha.

“I offer what I know. Sandmen only digest the mental matter of a being.”

“We only have room on this ship for one mystic-speaking alien, and Joe was a part of the crew first,” Scott says.

“It’s not as transcendent as you think. Australia received reports of the brainless body. The hotel room was secured by credits purchased by Amye’s DNA card. More skull-cracked bodies were discovered in the bar. The reports were broadcast as news feeds,” Samantha offers.

“Doug, scan the ISN for news and police reports on murder victims discovered missing their brains,” Scott orders.

“Plausible start, Lieutenant.”

“I’ll need to jack in, and it will take hours.” Doug heads for the bridge doors. “I’ll access Athena from the shuttle. Connection’s stable there.”

“We’ll occupy our wait time by repairing the main command station.”

“I’m going to pull the navigation board from the shuttle. Do you have a location to search for Reynard?” Scott asks.

“Nothing yet. If we could scan across dimensions, maybe, but even when the Dragon’s advanced sensors functioned, we could not detect other existences,” Australia says.

“These focal points—if they lead back here, then where would be the best point of arrival for Reynard?” JC asks.

“Doug, set search parameters on the ISN to locate unusual deaths with missing cranial tissue,” Australia says.

“A large number of brainless bodies indicate possible Sandmen presence.”

“Incoming transmission.” Doug suspends his finger over the comm button, “From Admiral Maxtin.”

“He has been unavailable since the Summersun victory and the armistice signing. Open the channel.”

The image of an old lion-maned white-haired humanoid materializes on the fuzzy view screen.

“Signal degradation,” Scott mumbles. “I’ll add it to my list.”

“The victory on Summersun has assured peace with the Mokarran—temporarily. I need your crew to investigate the slaying of the president on Shalenotun VII.”

“Admiral, I have a full report on the assassination…” Australia pauses. “And actions perpetrated by this crew under Ki-Ton.”

The angry age lines on his face scrunch more. “After nine years never was there an indication he would work for the Mokarran. The damage he wreaked could take nine more years to undo.”

“He had his own agenda. A personal vendetta against Commander Reynard. I have yet to understand it. He wanted revenge for a transgression performed by the Commander in a time before Commander Reynard was removed from cryostats.”

“Where is Ki-Ton now?”

“Destroyed by a Sandman,” JC hopes.

Australia waits for the Admiral to spout the disbelief in such creatures that a man of his reason should.

“You encountered one of these creatures?”

Surprised by his consideration of the possibility, Australia continues, “Commander Reynard abandoned Ki-Ton during battle with a Sandman. On Summersun during the battle, a Sandman stole the Commander. JC witnessed the act from her Mecat. I have a full report.”

“Transmit,” he orders.

“Admiral, the Dragon was damaged in a crash pursuing Ki-Ton to his home world, and we have no means to search for our Captain.”

Maxtin reaches for something offscreen. He holds up a well-worn pocket-sized book. Australia recognizes the faded red symbol on the cover. The lined pattern is the same one Reynard asked her to investigate after seeing it tattooed on Youshon, Micah Donkor and Queen Aurora. All original founders of the UCP, just as Maxtin was.

“This is the oldest copy I have of a tome known as the Simballmum. Some consider it a religious text, and others, a fantasy. Known additions are copies of copies of copies, and separate, unrealized cultures have had copies of the text with their own historical variations added in. It speaks of Sandmen.”

“Which is why most would consider it a fiction,” JC adds.

“Telepaths were a great threat to these creatures.”

“I detect a presence when they are close—about to pounce. But it’s not enough to warn anyone,” JC lies. She was able to detect the Sandman snatching Reynard sooner. Enough to have warned him, but her flash of the future when she opened the tomb to Ki-Ton’s people revealed that Reynard must be taken.

“The training necessary has logically been forgotten. Sandmen faded into children’s nightmares in the closet. Find a telepath who’s allowed to return to the Sisterhood and have her investigate. Retrieve copies of the Symballmum and use its text for information.”

“It won’t tell us where to find Reynard,” Scott demands.

“No. Sandmen don’t kidnap. No story or myth ever speaks of such an act. Figure out why he has value to them and it could reveal his location. I’ll read your report. Ki-Ton’s treachery has to be negated. I’ll transmit any useful information I learn.”

The view screen cuts out.

“He doesn’t know.”

“The Admiral always has contingencies, and this moment he remains at a loss.”

“He gave us something. We repair the Dragon and locate a copy of this Symballmum,” JC says.

“What about your Sisterhood?” Scott asks.

“I have a few allies at the temple who might be able to research.”

“I have explored the Grand Library in search of information on my people after the Tibbar invaded Nysa. Rumor is your Sisterhood has even more extensive information about the galaxy and its history.”

“Only a select few are ever granted access, and never a non-telepath,” JC says.

“I don’t think any of this will give us a location to Reynard,” Scott adds. “Useful information on the Sandmen, maybe, but not a location.”

Australia punches in information on the keyboard adjacent to the main control panel. “Jenobis III has a shipyard and several historical research centers. Unless someone has a better recommendation, we travel there. Scott, you transfer control of the Dragon from the shuttle and I will research the Sandmen.”

“Jenobis have synthoid replicators?” he asks.

“It is an industrial system with four asteroid belts that they mine for resources,” Australia says.

“I’ll set a course.”