He went into Anciannas form, full wingspan out impressively. “Check the sun!” he thundered.
Had to give it to human and A-C hindbrains. When a being that looks like an angel says to jump, every human and A-C asks how high. Apparently this worked on the Ignotforstans, too, because they, like the others, were racing to give us sun specs. Or they were running out of the room in terror. Really, it could go either way.
Started peeling off the remaining layers of body armor and face masks. “Gustav, let me be the first to say that you are a designer of the highest order, and you are not allowed to take a contract from anyone other than the United States, specifically Centaurion Division. Amazing stuff. We, ha, burned through more than a few of them, but the body armor is fantastic. The face masks are, ha, stellar, too.”
“Baby, are you alright?” Jeff asked, sounding incredibly worried. “What are you talking about?”
We were not gone as long for them as it seems to us, Lilith said. As you noted, time is different in the center of a star. And yes, before you ask, any star, not just one at risk of becoming a black hole. Which Yoko Ono will now not become.
“Oh. Gotcha. Um, Mother, you want to tell everyone what just happened? I assume that you, at least, were monitoring.”
“Yes, Kitty, I was. Well done.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jeff asked suspiciously.
“Kitty and John, assisted by Lilith, took SuperBun into the sun.”
“Well, that was succinct and to the point, Mother. Perhaps not nearly as impressively told as it could be, though.”
“What did you do with SuperBun?” Lizzie asked, sounding anguished.
Had all the armor and the Moon Suit off now, so went to her and hugged her. “I let him be the hero he always was and wanted to be.”
Stop being upset, a voice that was kind of like SuperBun’s and kind of not said in my mind. Saw everyone else’s expressions—this voice was speaking in everyone’s mind. We did what we had to do.
“SuperBun? Yoko Ono?”
“Why are you asking about the woman who broke up the Beatles?” Christopher asked.
“Absolutely zero awareness of popular culture but that pseudofact you know? Yoko was just in the wrong place at the right time. However, now isn’t the time. No, the star of this system is called Yoko Ono by the inhabitants.”
This earned the appropriate stunned silence, though I could see Reader and Tim desperately trying not to crack up. Raj sidled over to Christopher and started telling him about the Yoko Situation. He was talking softly and at hyperspeed, but with Lilith inside me I could hear him and the speed of the words didn’t make me sick.
Not anymore. We aren’t SuperBun or Yoko Ono now. We’re combined, something like the way that Dopey and Grumpy combined. Better, I think. Whole. Complete.
Got into my purse and pulled the trap out. The Anti-Mother was definitely still in there. “Um, does SuperStar work as a name for you?” Heard Lilith chuckle in my mind.
Yes. We like it.
“Great. SuperStar, do I put this into a vat of pure grain alcohol or do I do something else with the Anti-Mother?”
“What in God’s name is going on?” Jeff asked Wruck quietly. “Is the sun’s degradation affecting everyone’s minds?”
“Hang on a moment, SuperStar.” Turned to Jeff. “Geez. Okay, here’s the fast recap. No one had any good ideas, I had one, talked to John about it, we decided to go for it, Lilith came to help because she’s not evil anymore and we needed a superconsciousness as part of the team. We went into the sun, Lilith and I fought the Anti-Mother parasite while John helped SuperBun join with Yoko Ono, I trapped the Anti-Mother in this cage that looks like a whiffle ball that Serene created, we’re back without SuperBun because he’s now part of the new sun called SuperStar, the day is saved, the end. And I want to know if I’m destroying the Anti-Mother or not. I’m asking SuperStar what to do because I’m not sure if I should trust my decisions regarding a parasite of this magnitude.”
Everyone, to a person, other than Wruck, gaped at me.
Heard a chuckle in my head. It will be easier to just give you all the knowledge.
“Easier isn’t necessarily better. Just sharing that because it’s in the Superconsciousness Society Handbook, I think. I could try telling it with more details.”
Saw everyone other than Wruck jerk, blink, gasp, and relax. Then they all stared at us. Clearly SuperStar had decided that Superconsciousness Rules didn’t apply today.
“You went into a star?” Jeff asked. Could tell he wasn’t sure if he should be thrilled, freaking out, hugging me, or bellowing.
“We did. And, ta-da, we’re back. Unscathed, too. And they say miracles don’t happen. Moon Suits and Drax Industrial Battle Armor are a great combination. Having Lilith inside me also raised our survival chances astronomically. And John knowing how to turn into a star surfer was a happy bonus. Oh, and having the most powerful rabbit telepath in the galaxy was also one for the win column.”
“You could have died,” Lizzie said quietly.
“I know. Frankly, we expected to die. It’s why we’re kind of giddy right now.”
“Then why did you go?”
Stroked her head. “The good of the many outweigh the good of the few. I know you know that. Besides, my husband and our three children were among those who were in danger.”
She looked at me in a way I hadn’t seen before. Realized that she looked proud. “Yeah, that’s true.” She hugged me. “I’m glad you made it back . . . Mom.”
Hugged her back tightly and enjoyed the moment. “Me too.”
“Paul,” Jeff said, as Lizzie and I stopped hugging, “what do you think we should do with the parasite?”
Gower shook his head. “I understand why Kitty’s asking SuperStar for counsel. In this case, I honestly can only think that we destroy the parasite. I’m not sure that’s the right answer, though.”
“Serene, is there a way to lock this trap so the Anti-Mother can’t get out? Kind of like they did in Ghostbusters only without the easy release that can be orchestrated by an insufferable busybody at the worst possible time?”
“You’re so lucky Raj made all of us watch every movie you like,” Serene said with a laugh. “I have an idea.” She zipped off and was right back, with several other traps. She triggered one and had it encircle the trap I was holding, then she locked it. She did the same with the rest of the traps.
Was left holding a larger whiffle ball. “Um, this is sort of like Russian nesting dolls. It doesn’t take much to open these—one turbulent patch and we have a seriously pissed off parasite on the loose inside the ship.”
“Oh, I know,” Serene said calmly. “I can put more traps on, but they could all be opened. However, this is a good stopgap for now. Once we decide what we’re doing with the parasite, I’ll put this into something that can’t be easily opened. Or you’ll put it into a vat of grain alcohol.”