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recollections had been shared with both travelers. Sthon-ghta smiled as she picked out a few marker stars within their map. Gsainmht had noticed them much earlier but waited patiently for his soul mate to catch on. He touched her briefly and affectionately as he made minor corrections to their course.

"We're getting close now, my love," he offered.

She returned his touch and said, "We'll be free of this container soon, darling, at least for a short while."

He nodded his reply and tried to empathize with her desire for a change of scenery. Personally, he didn't mind the voyage nearly so much as she did. But then, his mission was to get there, and hers was to analyze and adjust things once they arrived. Understandable differences in their personalities, he mused.

"What do you think we'll find, Gsai?" she asked with renewed enthusiasm.

"I'm sure I cannot even imagine, sweetheart," he said. "No doubt you will find whatever awaits us to be intriguing and worthy of a long report for our Administrator." This last was in a teasing tone that always made her giggle at his mock seriousness.

The voyagers entered what could be described as a long, spiral arm extending from the center of a large-size galaxy. They would remain safely distant from the engulfing black hole that formed the center of every galaxy. Out here, the stars were well-spaced and varied immensely in density, composition, and magnitude. Navigating this sparsely-populated sector was relatively simple. After a few more minor corrections Gsainmht managed a smile of his own.

"There, just ahead, Sthon. Do you see it?" She squeezed her response, and he felt her straighten in anticipation of their arrival.

Their waypoint now was a smallish yellow star of moderate brilliance. Their name for it was Rsgahg. The word appeared as a floating label as their target grew larger and assumed its natural color. As they neared, tiny spheres popped into view with superimposed trails of light to indicate these planets' orbits around their star.

The pair ignored the two closest-in satellites, both far too infernal for them to land upon. Gsainmht shifted slightly to lock their craft onto the exact course needed to make rendezvous with the third world from the nearby sun. As they made their approach the viewing area appeared to become immersed in the shimmering trail "behind" this small planet. Both knew it was a helpful illusion, designed to reassure the team of their impending arrival.

"It's quite beautiful," the pilot noted, with uncharacteristic

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