Fusion comes in at 4400 words and shall be a part of my next collection. Looking at the scrap of paper I made before Christmas, there were seven ideas on it. One was folded into Martian Wonderland and another here. As of this typing, no one in my head has given me the slightest idea as to what to do, next.

With Ash Wednesday, perhaps that’s why: I need a small break. No, of course I’ll not give up writing for Lent – that would kill me – but a little pause right now might be in order. My liver certainly thinks so.

As has so often happened before, be it music or images, the image at the end has been behind my eyes for much of this. I had no idea who she was; my oldest daughter explained it to me. Hope to see everyone no later than a week from today with a new story.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

My head hurts, Tamara thought.  And it’s so bright.

Opening her eyes just made it worse.  It’s just all white.  Am I…dead?

“No, just a little sick,” Henge said from nowhere in particular.  “Once we have you back to my husband, your friend, you will need filgrastim to get your white blood cells back onto their feet, so to speak.”

“Why…why can’t I see you?  Did the radiation affect my eyes, too?”

“Ah, no,” Henge said, apologetic.  “I had a very good idea what Dorina was going to do, something similar to my formation all those years ago, but I was just code, a mind, being woven into a new form.  This was more:  we had to first disentangle Lem and Ildi, then remake her.”

“Reality got pretty screwed up in there, by the reactor,” she sighed.  “You were just a touch too close.  Here, close your eyes and let me help.”

The light lessened and the nurse was aware she was lying on her back on something soft.  So, I’m not on the floor in the middle of a code; guess that’s something.  Now she felt hands move from her chest, to shoulders, to eyes.  It was no brighter than artificial lighting.

“Open your eyes, friend,” Henge said.

Tamera obeyed.  “May I sit up?”  A nod.  She did.

In the observation room from when all this started three days ago, she was on a couch against the wall.  To her left, Skylar in an office chair with her son in her lap, looking fine.  Turning right…yikes!

“Um, hello?” Who is this young woman?  When Tamera made to stand, Henge stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.  “Forgive my rudeness.  I’m Tamera Keynes, a… nurse…”

The other was smiling.  With that smile, she recognized Ildi Hartmann.

It’s her, but it’s not.  Her longer, typical dark Hartmann hair was now a rust-red and just to her neck.  And, she looked closer to twenty than fourteen-years-old.  Taller.  After what had just happened, there must have not been clothes about for her and a sheet or towel was wrapped about her torso.

The utter shock was over her head and behind her back.

“I,” she shook, “I’ve always thought, now and again, that Henge has a halo.  Are you the new and improved version?”

“That’s one way of putting it!” Ildi’s laugh had not changed.  She reached up with her right and flicked the white gold halo with a fingernail.  It made an audible tink.

“And those?” Tam pointed.

Looking made of glass or thin crystal, four shards – or was it more?  So hard to see – hung in the air just behind Ildi.

“Yepper,” with another laugh.  “I’m already older with them.  Watch!”

The now older girl closed her eyes and Tamera watched the shards flex like wings, up and down.  Then, they seemed to disappear behind her back.  “Yep, otherwise I’d never sit down and lean back in a chair, again.”  They were back, hanging in the air.

“Can you tell me just what happened?” the nurse asked, turning to Henge.

“What you said was not far off, about this being a new version,” Henge said with a glance to her niece.  “She had already been in her body for those fourteen years and, unlike me, had a much better self-image – no, not in that way – than I did.  Mine, after all, was so my love Gary could perceive me in the Tohsaka construct.”

“This,” she motioned with her left at Idli, “is how she saw herself.  For Dorina and I to override that might have been very bad.  So we didn’t.”

Knowing anything more complex would sail right over her head, Tamera nodded.  “So she and Lem are both fine now?”

“Yes.  But you and I will keep an eye on them.  Once you’re over your radiation poisoning, of course.”

“Okay.  What now?”

“I,” Ildi said walking closer, “need some clothes.  Then I shall speak with the Director, Professor Doctor Li.  Following that, we fly to the so-called capital of Chu and speak with the warlord, Duke Yuë.  I say thanks, make a few promises on behalf of mom and – don’t touch those!”

Tamera had just reached her hand up to one of the crystal wings.  Feeling nothing, she looked in mild shock at the blood running down past her wrist.  Two fingers were open to the bone.

“I have summed a medic,” Henge said, now with an edge to her voice as she grabbed Tam’s right wrist, elevating it and squeezing hard enough to hurt.  “I suggest, Angel Mark Two, you learn to not maim those around you!”

“Sorry.” The shards vanished and she knelt to the older woman, crying.  “I’m very sorry, Tamera.”

“Accidents happen,” she replied, woozy now from both the radiation and mild shock.  Henge forced her back down while keeping her hand up.

Later that evening, close to midnight, was the audience with the local warlord.  It was the same meeting room as before as were his clothes:  charcoal gray business suit accented by a silver and blue cravat, the local colors.  To not look threatening, Ildi told Tamera and Henge she would be alone, just like before.

“Your report from some hours ago matches Doctor Li’s,” Yuë began once tea was poured and set on the low table between them.  “The boy lives and seems well.  I must confess a question, Princess Ildi.”

“Such a gentleman, Lord Duke!” Ildi grinned, flexing her crystal wings out.  “Yes, I changed my hair.  That is not so uncommon for Westerners.”

Daughter, her mother, Empress Faustina, said to her mind, after all this, please don’t screw it up in the last moments.

Hai, hai!

Just one “yes” is sufficient.  It was a very old family joke.

“That is not exactly…” he began.

“As you know from Li, there was some confusion after the reactor’s first run,” she interrupted.  “I admit, we imposed for a second.  During that, the boy was saved and I changed a little.”

“Changed?”

“Yes.”

“For the better?” He reached forward for his teacup.

“Duke Yuë!” she looked away, faking embarrassment.  “You are a married man!”

Just like before, he spat some tea onto the table.  An aide mopped it away and returned to the wall.

“But I did promise you a ride to the moon on one of our ships.  We always keep our promises.” She looked back at him and flexed again.  “On behalf of Empress Faustina, I would like our two lands to discuss trade and technology.”

NOT my motors, Ildi, Fussy shouted into her.

“Within certain limits, of course,” she amended, knowing how dangerous her mother could be when she lost her temper.

“I think,” Yuë said, standing and extending his hand, “this is an excellent beginning.  I look forward to our trip and talks.”

Ildi stood, smiled, and gently took his hand.  “Me, too!”

***