M’Naga’s holo gave light that woke us. “Ryee, Adia, we are here! Landing was uneventful.” His gray eyes had his merry look. As if to punctuate his words, clicking beneath us ended. The smooth tempo had meaning for anyone who tested a ship. Our engines were not stressed in this. But then, our ship is new.


    Ryee pulled me into his lap and gracefully leapt off our huge, nine-sided bed. I giggled as he set me on my feet. With a wave, our plain redviolet sleeping garments melted into our working clothes. Ryee’s redviolet formals included a coat with tails to his knees over his onepiece with a high collar, pointed at the bottom. His medium blue-bordered diplomat’s sash had so many sparkling pins, little gray in the center stripe showed over his chest. On his dark curls, his ninesided redviolet flat looked soft and had gold Tessite trim, as did his sash. The hat looked soft and had gold Tessite trim, as did his sash. My handsome husband of 4 days is Emperor Ry’nao’s 2^nd in command, his Unified Diplomat.


    That wave also dressed me. I also wore a ninesided flat of cloth, that felt light and soft on my hair. A redviolet dress to my ankles, trimmed in Tessite. Ryee used a design from a Celtic dress shop in Little 5 Points that Laura told us about, but with his modifications to make it different. I admired the modest neckline and dainty necklace. The title I cannot give to anyone is The One Of Prophecy. With that title comes responsibility to save our 13 galaxies from Eriganh, here. If only I knew how soon he comes! Ryee led me through the tapestry that his brother designed for us, standing on Ye~ with our people around us, enjoying our Wedding Festival. We walked through. I tensed, expecting pain, but the warmth, then cool sensation was pleasant. Ryee also relaxed when we were through. Only I would know of it. My husband never shows weakness.


    On our enormous redviolet ship, the center gave much space for our friends to gather. Around the outer ring, doorportals marked with tapestry designs gave the only sign of our many bedrooms, and Pirad’s Lab of green, and our ScSv Lab of orange.


    Ry’nao, Emperor of the Seven, met us and bowed low, right leg behind. We returned it. I took Ryee’s twinfingered hand and yet expected mine to have five. I am Zheien after our recloning only 5 days ago. My reflection in the rubbery floor showed my wide cobalt blue eyes and my long, red hair. Our redviolet formals felt odd. For our excursion we shall dress as Earthans. Both of us easily came up.


    Our emperor smiled. “We did much research. Adia, I took the liberty of working with Berto and Akras, as well as Cerict. Zheien kings and queens are also diplomats. Here is your sash.” He looked beside Ryee where a green swirl grew.


    Berto ported in. “Adia, I want to thank you for my healing! I feel like a new man!” He took my hand and bowed low, from the waist. Laid a medium blue sash over my hands. On it, one sparkling pin in a cube shape. “Thank you!” I returned it, in Elshar fashion. Then waved it onto my redviolet formals.


    “It is my pleasure to assign you as leader of Adia’s Team. You have a ship, so you are leader.” His Elshar eyes turned very light blue.


    I startled. “But, this is Ryee’s ship! We should be Ryonne~’s Team.”


    Ryee put his arm around me. “Love, your prophecies brought us together. This is your team.”


    Vonn laughed loudly. “Oh, I said you would replace me as Lead Scientist, did I? This is better!” His gray eyes opened wide. My Areonian supervisor now worked for Yeff Science Service, with two other friends I worked with, and my parents.


    Berto slapped his shoulder. “Careful, Links, you are using Zheien customs. I expect to see twin fingers on you any day now!”


    He chuckled. “Oh, I think I might turn Earthan. My brother Tan is studying the laws, and we plan to go trading today. I learned enough biology from Oesha to collect samples, and there are plants all around us that we can get.” It felt odd to see him in blue jeans and a medium blue jacket! He raked a hand through blond hair.


    “When we lived in Stuttgart, I learned a lot from the flower farmers, how to grow cuttings. I gave quite a collection to Oesha, and Sia gave him herbs and some flowers I did not have.


    “Tanda’s husband Kol is very good at trading, and he learned how to get money. We have many items to sell that we fabbed.”


    A wave, and Kol wore trousers of a deep blue material and a blue shirt the lighter shade of trader robes. “This is how we will dress to go shopping. But this,” he waved for a deep blue suit with a vest and coat, “is for our trading. We will be very formal.”


    Tanda wore a deep blue dress to midcalf, which seemed odd for her. No lace. She giggled and hugged her husband’s muscular arm. “Ah, today I must not wear anklelength for that is considered ‘evening wear’. This is business dress.” Her white shirt had frills down the front and along the collar. Her short blond curls bounced at her ears with every movement.


    Gravity here is twice what we had at home on Areon. Light blue eyes looked through the transparent hull of our ship to the sidewalk beyond. Streetlight showed an empty sidewalk and little traffic. A full moon shone above us, and I squeezed my husband’s hand. Felt his delight tingle on me.


    He stroked a blond curl out of her eye. “You are beautiful, dear wife, and your suggestion that we trade diamonds is an excellent one! We had to fab many credentials so that they believe in a legal source. Soon we have much money to spend on our trading.” He wore a gray three-piece suit with pinstripes of deep blue. His tie was the same shade of deep blue. One hand smoothed his immaculate blond hair, darker than hers.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    M’Naga, Ryee’s colony master trader, bowed low and his gray eyes stayed on him. We returned it. “O, my traders are also ready. Ao~ played operative and taught us all how to hide our twinfingered hands with our telepathy. Many of us have items we may sell to get currency.” He waved and had cobalt blue jeans and a redviolet T-shirt. “I plan to visit many second hand stores in Little Five Points today.” M’Naga, Ao~ and Be~saech came with us, Ryee’s 3 dearest friends.


    I smiled. M’Naga’s cheeks were very orange in his excitement, which tingled on me. “Please be careful, my friends. I —”


    Berto laughed. “We have an army of operatives! Meritt brought many Areonians who secretly fought against the Rads with us. Most are scientists. His specialty is contact work, for planets like this one that do not know of other worlds’ peoples.


    “Today one of his teams will visit the SETI project. This group studies signals from space in hopes of finding a pattern. Our men will ‘discover’ one and show it to them. We will give them friendly messages and start a conversation. Earth has protocols for when they find someone to talk. Once they give us someone, Ry’nao is waiting.”


    I shivered. Ryee sent warmth into my shoulders, and I fought the urge to cry into his! He will be beside me. My husband is brave and I need to learn it from him. He gave me words for my Team. I called them all into our largespace. Fivehundred men, women, and a few children including my siblings! Aronna ran to me and I hugged her. Stroked her long, blond hair.


    “Friends, and my family, I am happy to be your team leader, and shall try to do my best. Please be careful. We do not know this world, and there will be many dangers for us. Our progs will help, but no diplomatic mission is safe, and we are to do contact work, the most dangerous kind. If you do not feel safe, port to our ship. I wish everyone to have safety, and enjoy the exploration. There are already beings here from other worlds.” I thought of many I saw in dreams, and my worries projected to everyone through my telepathy.


    But, many of our scientists and diplomats had solutions to some of them. They shared these with all. I could not tell them that my main mission was to somehow defeat Eriganh, Emperor of the Six and his Red Cube of Fire. Some of the Earthans I seek are vital for what comes after, if I am to defeat him. Doubts of my ability shook me!


    My team is very skilled. If anyone can succeed in this, all of us together, can. I spoke long of their accomplishments, and people in my Diplomatic Link shared much I did not know. People who can help me with skills beyond my own. Such a gift it is!


    With us were over 500 diplomats, traders, and scientists, and a very few of other occupations such as the lady who cares for my friend Derees’ children when he will be helping to gather specimens.


    His son Puret is old enough to accompany him at 9 and already has skills for writing progs and interest in biology. My friend worked with me to discover new


    fuels, but knows much of organic chemistry as well, a shared interest with Vonn.


    Ry’nao stood beside me and spoke briefly. “We stand in the prov United States of America, state of Georgia, County of Fulton, on Elizabeth Street. You will notice sidewalks and larger walks made of asphalt or concrete, made for their vehicles, cars, buses, and trucks. Try to avoid walking on these.


    “You will encounter places with no sidewalks and you must try to walk on the grass. Oesha wrote guides about the many insects and animals you might encounter, and ways to use your telepathy to warn them from you. It is winter here, so most insects are dormant, but this part of the United States, the Southeast, does not get very cold. Be sure you can see your feet, and feel for the minds of these animals, for safety. My diplomats are trained in this so if you have questions, ask of them. Most of your teams will include a diplomat for this reason.


    “Most of the Earthans you will encounter will speak English, which you know as Areonian, or Spanish, and a very few are from other countries and speak different languages. Many of my diplomats studied all the languages of Earth and wish to practice, so some of you will visit other provs. A group of our Areonians wish to visit Stuttgart and will try to locate ancestors.” He smiled at a group including my parents and sister, Aronna, who eagerly nodded. Aunt Sia and my Elshar uncle Asha Lir was in it.


    “Today’s date is January 19, 2022. It is winter until March 20. Here is the weather forecast today for Atlanta. Rain is not expected, and temperatures are warmer than normal, but cold. All of you will need to add a sweater or jacket to your Earthan clothing so you blend in, even though your progs will warm you or cool you. Those of you traveling outside our immediate area will have a forecast and suggested clothing for you.


    “Enjoy your time! We will have to work harder to conceal ourselves once Earthans discover us.” He dressed in Earthan clothing and joined a group going trading in Buckhead, a neighborhood in Atlanta. His bright red skin appeared brown, and his four-fingered hands became five-fingered. Those redviolet eyes now appeared brown also. They ported away with smiles.


    It is 4:05 am. Already, people are porting to convenience stores to buy things with found money that was dropped in public areas. At 9 am when banks open here, our team can open an account. Others are already porting to cities in other time zones, to open accounts and trade minerals progs gathered for currency.


    Tanda, one of my colleagues on Areon and her husband Kol have a diplomat with them, Aubus, and they are going to London, England, UK to open bank accounts, since it is 9:05 am there.


    Our Areonian delegation is porting to Stuttgart, Germany where it is 11:05 am, with Asha, who learned German and the Swabian or other Upper German dialects they may encounter while searching for ancestors.


    Ado Pragate, who once lead the Eicken Project and Areon’s thousands of scientists, is going to a tiny village of Pragate in Italy where his ancestor came from, and with him are Maff, a diplomat who is Ryee’s adopted A’laf son, and Maia. One of Maff’s many talents is languages. He hopes to figure out Pragate’s dialect of Italian. Italy has many local languages. He learned many dialects of Italian and German last night. He held my sister’s hand tenderly. She enjoys his new Zheien-like appearance, but Pirad’s genetic mods on him will save his people. Last night, he volunteered to take them and Pas tells us he is healthy and will live a long life now! They hugged me before leaving.


    One set of our clones used Ryee’s ship to go to King Lyyyrah on Esteerr! Ay plans to show him memories I saw of an Earthan, Liz, who stopped Zbbat from attacking Ye~. We lost two-thirds of our people in that attack. We hope to prevent it. My new sister will probably die, attempting this!


    Two other sets of our clones are going with Doug, our Elshar poet, to find his Jen, and with Ni’olmai, an Elshar diplomat, to find his Suma. I clung to my husband’s hand. Something will happen at Suma’s mother’s home, and I cannot see it. She is very important to our future, since she became a Councillor.