Trance stared at the screen, the latest readout made no sense, they didn’t match any poisons known in Andromeda’s database. It was enough to send her tail lashing.

Shinya entered the room quietly, apparently something was bothering the lavender one. Approaching steathily, Shinya leaned over and asked, "Is something the matter, Trance?"

"OH! Shinya, yeah. Tyr’s been poisoned but by what we don’t know. The poison doesn’t match anything in Rommie’s database. I downloaded more medical info from a nearby sat but it doesn’t recognize it either. And Tyr’s getting worse. If I don’t find the agent, he’ll die."

"I see. Well perhaps, I can help. Most poisons are made from plants and my favorite study is that of rare plants. Would you mind some help?" Shinya offered.

"NO. It would be wonderful." Trance got up and turned the monitor towards Shinya. "I’ve never seen these readings before."

"Strange they look vaguely familiar." Shinya muttered.

* * *

Dylan raised his head from the window and walked into the bathroom. Maybe it’s wrong, maybe Andromeda and Rolf are wrong. Who... would want to create a clone of Radhe and why? Does he know? Is he that good a liar? For a while I was afraid that I wasn’t falling in love with him but rather Radhe but he is Radhe but he’s not. He’s Radhe in his walk, talk, word choice, even some of his tastes. Other things he eats what Radhe never would, he’s not Radhe cause I killed Radhe. I shot him with my force lance. I toasted his heart. He was proud of me for surviving. I don’t know if I can survive this. I don’t know if I want to.

* * *

Standing there watching Trance and the Valu Shinya walk down t he hall, he waited. Once they turned the corner, he slipped into medlab. Without turning on the lights he walked softly over to Tyr’s bed. Lifting a chair and placing it beside Tyr’s bed he watched Tyr.

Tyr’s breathing was labored and slow. Sweat beaded his forehead but he was clammy to the touch. He reached out and took Tyr’s hand in his, kissed Tyr’s fingers.

"You have to wake up Tyr. You have to get better. Where are those nanos you boasted about? I need you. I love you." A light flashed on his wrist. "I have to go." He leaned over and kissed him. I love you, Tyr." Silently he slipped out of the medlab and continued on.

* * *

Shinya stopped in the hydroponics garden to study the holy trees, the old tree, the sapling. Every time Shinya had a problem, she meditated. The old and the young. No ripe ones. Concentrating, Shinya let the holy trees and their fruit enter her mind.

The trees merely floated, intertwined, caressed. Then they appeared in a mirror, the mirror doubled. One was at the beginning and from it a cord stretched, Tyr lay deathly pale along the cord. The other end was attached to the other mirror, with the old tree reflected in it.

Standing up, Shinya reached the older tree and plucked a leaf.

* * *

Dylan strode down the hall to medlab, entering he saw Trance nibbling her lipas she tried to figure out what was happening with Tyr. "Any news?" he asked?

"No, I’m worried, Captain."

"Worry no more, my dear Trance. I know what’s poisoning Tyr. We Valu used it on the Nietzscheans during the War. It’s usually harmless to Valu and most species but since the Nietzscheans are bioengineered, they tend to be more rather than less affected. We used this drug to wipe out three different invasions. Nietzscheans are rude, arrogant, stuck up but not stupid, they left us alone after that. Only thing is thing is, I made up a batch of antidote but in 300 years they may have made themselves immune to the antidote with their constant tinkering. We can only hope and wait."

"If this is poison your people developed why would I let you try the antidote?" Dylan asked.

"Easy, Tyr has been out for almost forty hours. It kills in little less than 44 hours. Do you want a live Nietzschean?"

"Yes. Where does the poison come from?" Trance asked.

"Well the poison and the antidote," Shinya replied as she lifted Tyr, "come from the same source, the Acathla tree. You see it has a narcotic affect that we used to use in religious ceremonies. We told the Nietzscheans that we had seen them coming in a vision and hail. Then we offered them The Drink Of Peace. It’s a euphemism for death, and they all drank it. Humans it makes sick, Nietzscheans it kills. And they fell for it three times." Shinya poured the antidote down Tyr’s throat and sat down. "Now we wait."

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