She was not interrupted by any of the others as she brought her wireframe form over to settle her head amid the Symbias root branchings. This one’s emotional-musical language met her senses clearly again, and Aelrn called up her sonic analysis data and poetic impression file. In some way, recording poetic impressions created more accurately effective waveforms, distinguishable by their strong ideations. Symbias are able to affect reality through sharing their dimensional awareness with their friends. Once understood to a degree, they’re deft communicators – consistent to forms of address or clarification, making repetitions to get their point across.

Aelrn loved listening to them, though in Vedani fashion she was working to make it possible to let others do this work in her stead. She thought of what she would do afterward, and in what way it might be related or different. Her gained familiarity with these… plants?… warmed her affections more and more, every time she returned and learned and understood. That was the effect of their presence, and Aelrn felt she could grasp a certain deep foundation of the Aquari people. She’d been feeling like she wanted to name her favorite but hadn’t yet, sensing this was a tradition that belonged to others first, others with whom she should speak.

They were working out eight distinct patterns, one for each homeworld of the Aquarii. These were accompanied by a collection of subpatterns, which corresponded to burnt groves on each planet. They were being given spatiotemporal frequency keys. Vedani were able to recognize these principles relating to their own understanding of neurolocation, the way that internal states affect the ability to find or connect to a physical place. In a moment with certain conditions, done in such a way, by such a person, something can have a specific effect. It wasn’t that far a stretch. The Symbias liked this about them. Aelrn shut out the visual aetherscape, and for now listened only to sound.

There were plenty of comfortable alcoves for people working aetherically, and Aelrn sought the nearest unoccupied. She lay her body down in the center and closed her eyes to access entry to her grove, which had grown in many ways. There was more traffic there now, and the Symbias enjoyed it.

The four of them hollered with laughter. Human dimensions tickle, and getting here was hilariously weird for all of them. They continued dissolving, or resolving, in giggles as they broke their group hug and started looking around. Captain Wendel touched parts of Drift X as she moved, and they were solid, yet still alive (though in the more familiar way).

They were parked in a glen surrounded by tall, straight trees. A bright noontime sky shone golden-hued, and the three moons told Wendel they were on Primatris. In the distance across the meadow sat the Clearpath, looking scrubbed. The sight took her breath away, and she floundered toward the hatch and hit the opener. Continuing to peer out, she saw that people were bringing firewood into the ship. Leiv’s delivering wood? That can’t be earning him much, but the food’s probably good.

As the hatch finished opening and Wendel spilled out of it, she saw Leiv step out of his hold. It gave her the silliest grin as she broke into a run. Her limbs don’t normally flap around this much when she’s running, but okay. Relieved laughter sobbed gently from her as she flapped a hand up in the air while galloping toward him. Heads turned as they just noticed the ship there, and Leiv saw her. He’d just taken an armload of wood, and he took a step toward her and dropped it to one side. Wendel must have been running pretty fast, because Leiv had just reached out his hand when her outstretched hand met his. Leaning against that hand like a solid wall of safety, Wendel drooped panting and grinning, and he softened like he could finally relax for a minute.

“Can you also think about what you think he’d be doing right now?” Greezmo said this as they peered attentively at the ship inhaling the scent of the necklace.

“Sure I can, that’s natural to me.” If he had his ship (which he should), in this state of emergency he might be helping people that the system would overlook (since he’s a free agent). Country living is where he came from, so that’s where he might be. People who could use the help but only ask each other for it. He finds a way to become one of them if he isn’t already. He would listen to find out what they needed, and then do what was simplest for him at the best possible price. She choked up a little on these many reasons why she loves him. “I think it’s helping,” Greezmo said reassuringly. “Of course your guesses can’t be exact, but they’ll be as close as close can be, and we have some tendencies of probability to get that even closer, close enough but not so close that we land on him… so to speak.”

Rosy Glow drifted over to them, assumed human similitude evaporating from her traits, releasing her from gravity. “Maybe think of some of his favorite places. You don’t have to tell us. Thoughts are able to contain more information than words, saying thoughts only tells a part of them. Favorite places.” Wendel let her eyes fall closed, and took a breath the way Leiv would take a deep breath when they were somewhere beautiful, or when he talked about someplace he loved or that felt like home. There were lots of these recollections in her memory, some more clearly visualized than others. She just let them all filter through her mind without worrying whether she was right, just a little happier to feel so close to him, as close as anyone.

The Jiggler’s fluffy checkered harlequin rustled like the pages of a schedule as they too approached. “And how about also, now, think about why you want to find him.” A silent sob pulsed beneath the smile that grew on Wendel. Because a lot has happened. Because when we’ve lived to tell the tale, we tell each other soonest. Twice now she might not have come back to him, and that’s once more than she usually lets go by. She settled into this longing, which seemed to stretch into infinity, and they too seemed to stretch into infinity. The ship stretched, they all stretched, everything stretched. As they stretched, the Kao-Sidhe clasped each other, and Wendel, Drift X’s hose and the necklace between them in a mighty group hug that also stretched to encompass an enormous space of emotion. The stretching flattened everything, like a focusing laser field; everything was still there, but flat like a carpet. That flattening also felt fast – like as they stretched, they moved. So this was a magic carpet ride, but reality was the carpet. The flatness flickered in frames which slowed down gradually like the wheel on a slot machine. Wendel still felt her breath and her heart, slow and timeless, then – pop. The film strip cut. The sound of a huge exhale, and they were somewhere again.