Macali winced with pain, but kept all nine data-transfer links wide open, let the information flow into her processors in a flood. She would sort it all out later. Pain was immaterial. For now, she needed to collect every bit and byte of data she could gather. The longer she was in the kalilja, the easier it was for her to monitor and direct the flow. Her memory systems should be more than enough to hold everything she was receiving. Someone on Opae once told her they only used a tenth of their storage capacity. She had not contradicted her colleague, but was aware that her own capacity was quite a bit larger than ten times what she used. There were vast blank spaces inside her, available for an as-yet-unknown future. Some small part of her internal library had flashed a tiny red light, and she did not pursue the conversation. She monitored the data links. All indicators continued green, and she returned her attention to the firewall. Twice more she was able to find her way in, and twice more she was rebuffed. The pain from the dataworm was nothing. Macali sloughed it off into one of those vast reservoirs of hers, hoping some of the information would stay with her. She labeled the seemingly empty file with a code only she would recognize, and let the information and the pain flow through. What had been difficult at first now seemed like second nature. It seemed as though she had been made for this. At last the flood eased to a stream, and then to a trickle, and finally stopped. Macali knew she had everything she was going to get. She initiated the protocol that brought her out of the kalilja, reinstating her full self into her physical form. "You've come back on your own," Augidarr's voice was even, but Macali saw the surprise behind those calmly neutral eyes. "Yes," replied Macali. "I believe I have received all the information my memory will allow." She did not mention the dataworm. It was better for Augidarr and the rest of the war council to believe she had no idea of what had transpired while she was in the kalilja, and of course they would not mention it. "The information you have received about the humans should enable you and your people to break the deadlock between your races," Augidarr told her. "While you are organizing the data, you can begin the first step of your assignment." Macali nodded her head in acknowledgment. "You have the ability to collect humans and keep them in a temporal vortex. Having human specimens available to study during this phase will enable you to more efficiently process the new data we have given you. We will be in contact and will advise you further in the fullness of time." It was an odd expression Augidarr used, but Macali kept her expression neutral, expressing no surprise. Two lights - no - three lights, two red and one orange, blinked slowly on and off in the background of a group of her internal subroutines. She silently marked the files for later review. "We will send you back to your planet now," Azinorc's musical voice came from behind her right shoulder, and Macali turned to face the Beridae. "Walk with me." Azinorc turned, Uven at her side, and the three of them stepped out into the corridor. Macali was aware that she now had the ability to return herself to her own world, but she allowed the two Beridae females to think she was still in their capable hands. Sometimes it was better to remain silent. ********* Craig & Tara (auntietk)
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