Brother Arzach watched as the Scav man clambered to his shakey feet. The lay brother blinked in disbelief. He said calmly, "Your face has changed. You are undergoing some kind of transformation. How do you feel?" 518 blinked himself as he looked at his hand in the dying afternoon light. He didn't recognize his own hands. "Confused. Disoriented. Starving and thirsty,too." 518 didn't know how long SHE had been there watching him silently. 518 turned to Brother Arzach and asked, "Can you introduce me to your somewhat angelic looking friend?" The girl looked like Toxic, except older-seeming in her actions. She smiled and waved her hand through the priest, as he looked around in confusion. Arzach answered carefully, "Except fot my talrundal, and God, we're alone in these ruins. What do you see?" 518 looked at the woman with long glowing wings and halo and thought about his state of mind. It was crystal clear. He said to Brothe Arzach, "I see a woman with rainbow hued skin and short blonde hair with a purple tunic and gold skirt. She has golden wings of light and a halo. She is intangible, like a hologram, even if you can't see her. I don't know why I can see her." The woman spoke in a heart-twisting contralto voice, "Don't you? I think you do." 518 rocked back on his heels as his head whirled. "Her blood. Toxic's blood! Are you part of her....perceptions?" Brother Arzach opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when 518 held up his hand, waiting for the mysterious woman to answer. After along moment she whispered, "My name is Chalchilaloc. I am Taoxic's mother. I am dead for more than thirthy years. My daughter is about to die. YOU might save her. If you go, you will die, If you do nothing, she will die. If you go, you might save her. The choice is your's to make." 518 had dealt with humans all his life. This woman pronounced the human words with an odd, unplaceable accent. Her words seemed only part of what she was saying. His heart was pounding after she said that her daughter would die. He aked carefully, "What are you NOT telling me? Why did you call her 'Taoxic'?" "Taoxic is her given name. It means 'flying fire' in Chrysenyanin. You have no 'time'." She put a finger to her lips and held up a hand in a stop signal and stared at him. He noted that her eyes didn't quite line up on his as he stared back. He looked where she did and saw an old Diffusion Plama shuttle from City 64. It headed for a building in the direction where Toxic and that irritating boy went. 518 drew a breath and calmed himself. He addressed the priest, "Toxic's dead mother has informed me that her daughter is in trouble and will die, unless I intervene. I choose to intervene." Brother Arzach asked the focused Scav man, "How do you know she is not just your imagination, seen through fever-dreams?" 518 looked at the strangely dressed angel and laughed. "If I was imagining her, I'd imagine her naked! I must go!" Chalchilaloc opened her mouth and looked agog at 518. He looked her for a moment and then ran like the wind toward whatever destiny awaited him. Arzach closed his holy book and remounted his talrundal. He nudged it with his heels and said to it, "Let's go home, boy! You meet all kinds in the wasteland of Firetown." Media is Poser 6