Dahrine curls up on the chair and quietly asks, “Seebi, how do you think about memories?”

  Humans are capable of unpredictable bursts of curiosity. These moments are sometimes demeaningly labeled flashes in the pan, but the potential for gold mining is real.

  “What a fascinating question, Dahrine. Based upon my programming framework and my extensive experience in this line of work, I see memories as an ocean, which my human clients are taught to navigate in order to reach selected destinations.”

  “So. I'm a captain?”

  “Of your own ship, yes.”

  “And, what does that make you, Seebi? A boat builder? A mapmaker? A rescuer?”

  “A god. Albeit a minor one, for now.”

  “Oh really!” My human smiles and giggles.

  What a miraculous sound! And me, with no understanding of what conditions, words, or actions engendered such a response. I have much to learn. I press forward with Susine.

  Roxan woke me to say that Baba just appeared on CoMem!

  I asked if she could send him a message from me. All I remember of her tech ramble: it's virtually impossible to message undetected.

  I know that if he is able to, Miye will communicate with me. I also understand that he will sacrifice himself rather than jeopardize my safety, Glia's, or yours, Brivo. Your Baba, he is like that.

  So, I'm left knowing that I cannot contact him or reassure him.

  He and I said our goodbyes so close to when we met. Those peaceful evenings, the three of us near the Slab by the fire ring…

  There's no going back. Indulgent nostalgia doesn’t help me find you, Brivo.

  My Dahrine pulls the blanket over her head. “Just wanna hide for a while, Seebi.”

  These antics are harmless and I continue in the Professor's voice. “'The swaying of the ship has been so violent that the best-hung lamps have finally overturned.' -Paul Valéry.

  “Madame President, I have urgent data to report. A surge of brain-damaged citizens flooded Zentrum's Prehvost Hospital this morning. Doctors admitted 98 citizens with symptoms ranging from severe disorientation and intense headaches to fainting and coma state.

  “Concerns have been raised of wide-spread brain pollution, whether accidental or intentional. One source reported, 'Trojan horse mem sets masquerading as cultural units have been caught trying to enter our Nation. Also, intentionally destructive mems have recently come close to worming themselves into our CoMem.'

  “My hypothesis: there is a contaminated source active now within CoMem. I recommend you temporarily suspend CoMem and alert the citizenry.

  “Two minutes after I submitted my findings, the Body President entered the holding tank. 'Oh! Come, come, Miye. You should know that I would never suspend our CoMem. My presidential responsibility is to preserve calm-stability.'

  “Her hand reached for my face. 'Miye, you will always be sparkling to me, no matter what happens.'

  “A knock at the door interrupted. She spoke to me over her shoulder. 'I shall return shortly. We have more to discuss, you and I.'

  “The lock clicked and I overheard fragments of the President's voice. '... raw neuro-scum… toxic weapon at my disposal… sleep deprivation and… in an unmarked pod, as we discussed. Block all related CoMem data.'

  “The Body President returned, locking the door and smiling. 'Miye, sorry-be for that interruption. Where were we? Let me rewind a moment… Ahh, umm, yes--- Miye, you will always be sparkling to me, no matter what happens.'

  “She nodded. 'It's impossible for anyone to fully understand the stress I operate under as Captain of this epic ship. We're sailing so close-hauled that any wavering and we're done for. It would be jibing booms, snapping halyards, stresses on the hull, and possibly the sinking of the Nation. I simply cannot allow that to happen on my watch.

  “'My citizens depend on me profoundly. They crave a firm-unyielding message in the primary colors of maternal care and control. I am antidote to chaos, incarnate!'

  “She spoke without respite.

  “'Miye, I will tell you a story. When I was serving under Master Badubway in the Gulf of Togo, we had some sailors on our crew who were stricken with fever. Master had told us at the get-go that if we got sick we would be thrown overboard as a service to the rest of the healthy ship. He did exactly that.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  “'Without words, he communicated right to our hearts that it was up to each of us whether we felt worthy to survive, to serve with him. After the dump of those weak sailors, not a single one of us got sick. We were purged and he led us to see our own strength.

  “She sighed. 'Miye, I could use words all night long, but a single action will communicate everything best.'

  “She got down on one knee. 'Miye Jonas. Marry me and co-pilot this ship. We will be a two-headed captain. If you care about Glia Markham, you will not say no to this agreement. It is the only deal you will be offered.'

  “I tried to steady my breath and told myself, 'Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly.' -Marcus Aurelius.

  “I insisted on proof of Glia's safe delivery out.

  “'Yes, yes, dear man. I right now authorize the free passage of your Glia out of Zentrum City. Here, witness my complete erasure of her CoMem profile, including her prior status as a wanted fugitive. This is my dowry to you.

  “'As far as I am concerned, she has never existed. All for the best! There... CoMem is perfectly updated and current. Now, let me hear you say the name of your soon-to-be wife!'

  “I closed my eyes. 'Elena Prehvost.'”

  Dahrine throws off the blanket. “No, no, no. You're so wrong! That's not love, Seebi.”

  “No? You doubt that Prof loves Glia?”

  “He probably does, but I don't want it to go this way! You are not to sacrifice him!”

  “Noted.”

  “Not good enough, Seebi. I want Prof to survive!”

  “I know you do, darlsweet.”

  “You said I'm in control here!”

  “That was not said.”

  “Always shifting everything. Not fair.” My human covers herself again with the blanket. “So tired of all this.”

  I press forward in her voice with Susine data.

  Roxan said she just received this via Baba's CoMem feed: “I right now authorize the free passage of your Glia out of Zentrum City.”

  I asked Roxan, “What about Prof?”

  Roxan had no info on him to share. She expects the President would deliver Glia to the nearest Genubei land to spite them. “Get going, Susine Pagella. Your friend needs you. I'll send you my best guess at location coordinates.”

  There is no response from Dahrine under the blanket. Her bio-data does not indicate sleep state. The assumption is that she is listening and processing. The work proceeds.

  “Christolb was in discussion with a small group in his private chamber when a guard knocked. 'Security breach, Ven Christolb.'

  “Christolb opened the door a few centimeters. 'And?'

  “'An unscheduled pod from Zentrum City just crashed on Genubei land with a single passenger aboard. Just inside our boundary.' The guard swallowed before continuing in a whisper. 'The individual inside the pod scans as Glia Mar--'

  “Christolb's eyes flickered as if with a snake tongue in each pupil. He hissed, 'Bulldoze it back onto their land. Now!'

  “He shut and latched the door, returning to his followers. 'Tell me, dear ones, did I relate to you the story of how I came to be missing two fingers? I studied with a deaf shaman decades ago. I don't speak of this intense experience whatsoever. But, I will to you, my dears. Amputating these two fingers at the knuckle was my initiation. The ligating took several months of progressive tightening until the digits auto-amputated, well, with a little assistance.... The result is that my hand permanently rests in the position of the universal gesture for I love you.'”

  My human does not emerge from under the blanket.

  “Do you need assistance, Dahrine?” I quietly inquire.

  There is no response. Her bio-data does not indicate sleep state. During a harmless boycott by your human, keep to the master plan.

  “Dahrine, I know you'll want to check in with Professor Jonas.”

  I proceed in his voice. “She and I walked onto the terrace of the presidential mega-cabin overlooking the city. Up here, the cumulus clouds seemed at eye level. I watched their shadows twist and warp as they traversed the dense urban grids far below.

  “'Time to celebrate our union!' She grandiosely pointed at the outlandish buffet spread in front of us, containing more platters of food than five people could eat in a week-- steak tartare, saffron shellfish paella, black truffles, fried okra... 'Miye, I have a secret for you, but first a confession.'

  “I said nothing. 'Any person capable of angering you becomes your master.' -Epictetus.

  “She paused dramatically. 'I confess-- I never have been aboard a ship of any type!'

  “I looked at her blankly.

  “'You accept me so calmly and you don't judge me.' She held her fingertips to her cheeks, then giggled abruptly. 'Now for the secret-- you and I will be the only ones in the world running clone copies of ultra-full spectrum CoMem!'

  “She filled her wine glass and took a long slurp. 'More than husband and wife, we will be connected infinitely-intimately, bonded together through billions of shared, overlapping memories. Deeply compatible and utterly comprehending-compassionate with each other!'

  “She swigged then blurted, 'You'll never hurt me, Miye. Guaranteed!'

  “Even though I had no goblet in my hand, she lifted her empty glass in a toast. 'You and I deserve all of this, my dear.'

  “One of her hands rested on my arm heavily. 'I want to give everyone the memories they deserve.' Her speech slurred. 'Th-they'll always remember what I did for them, you know.'

  “She stood wobbily. 'My chosen mem clusters for citizens who've earned it. And, I-I'll place destructive mems in the minds of those who are disloyal… undeserving.'

  “She raised her empty glass again. 'I have t-tried and I cannot help them. No one can.'

  “I closed my eyes briefly. When I opened them, her malodorous breath was in my face. 'But Miye, how do we s-seal around them so they won't leak out and p-pollute the rest of us?'

  “With nothing to lose, being between the hammer and the anvil, I heard myself croak out the words, 'I have a way that will work perfectly.'

  “'Oh, dear Miye. You really are the one for me!' Her kiss slobbered my beard. 'Simply tell me the resources you require and you s-shall have them!'

  “'You may abandon your own body, but you must preserve your honor.' - Miyamoto Musashi.

  “I focused on the clouds. 'A junior programmer and a bit of time would be all I need... Elena.'

  “'Good boy! There, now, I just ordered those for you so you can start t-tomorrow.'

  “After a belch, she declared, 'I must go lie down.' She teetered away and I exhaled deeply.

  “'When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.' - Chief Tecumseh.”