Meeting

Sam got himself cleaned up and dressed. The three men left his hotel room and rode the elevator in silence, finally reaching the ground floor. They skirted the bar and walked out into the sunshine.

Hiro led the way to Cassie's house telling Kisho and Sam about her. He rang the bell and waited. She didn't answer and he began to worry. The Mercedes was parked in front of the house. The three men walked towards that back.

Sitting at a small table situated on the patio, and staring out at the beautiful garden that adorned Cassie's back yard, Cassie and Doston were sipping iced tea and companionably talking. Doston was fearful that the evil man would return but didn't want Cassie to know it was protecting her. So they chatted about life at The Station and looked at the flowers.

Doston heard the men approach before Cassie could; its hearing was for more acute. "Someone is coming."

Cassie tensed. She didn't know if the rapist man knew where she lived or not. Doston was unsheathing its talons when Hiro came around the corner. The talons surreptitiously retracted and Cassie jumped up to greet her friend. Then she stopped as two more men followed into the yard. "Hello." She was staring at the strangers who were staring back at the creature still sitting at the table.

Hiro said, "This is Kisho, a Ninja I've known since before my days at The Station. In fact, at one point he was sent to ambush me. He is a very good Ninja, but I am a very good Samurai. We both survived the encounter. And this," pointing to Sam, "is Sam Shovel, the policeman in charge of capturing Ralph."

Then addressing the two men at his side, "Of course, you can surmise who Cassie is, since we were coming here. Doston is a Musician who helped to save her from Ralph."

"Ralph's my attacker?" asked Cassie. Doston was nodding its head behind her.

"Yes, that is the name of the man who attacked you. He murdered at least six women before coming here. Sam was on his trail but he escaped capture." Hiro filled in all the details, with Sam adding clarification when necessary. Sam never took his eyes off Doston.

Finally, when he couldn't stand it anymore, Sam asked Doston, "So what do you play? You beat Ralph off with a tuba or something?"

Doston's laugh was one of the most musical things Cassie had ever heard. "I'm from a planet whose name doesn't translate well. Your friends have decided to call it Music. Therefore I'm a Musician. But I got Ralph's attention with these." Doston again unsheathed its talons. Long, clawed, razor sharp points extended over its fingers. It was like three knives in each hand.

Sam had been perturbed by the four eyes and the beaklike feature. He had been troubled by the golden fur covering the body. But he was scared nearly senseless by the vision of those talons. "You just walked up to him and …" Sam couldn't even figure out what might have happened next.

"I swooped down on him. I fly more often than walk. It's faster."

Sam was looking a little dazed, but Kisho could stand it no longer and broke in, "You fly? In what?"

Cassie turned to Doston and said, "Perhaps a demonstration?"

Doston stood, stretched its wings, which startled both Kisho and Sam, and launched into the air. It circled the yard a couple times, landed, and the wings folded back perfectly flat and were again unseen from the front.

"Good Gawd, almighty," whispered Sam.

"By all that's sacred," intoned Kisho.

"Impressive, isn't it?" said Hiro.

The Law

Sam looked doubtfully at the two men in front of him. He was both daunted by their ferocious demeanor and uncertain of their ability. But his own ability to catch Ralph was a proven disaster. Ralph had to be stopped. "I will help, but I'm not sure what I can do."

"What sort of weapons does Ralph have?" asked Hiro.

"I've only seen him with a knife. But that doesn't mean he hasn't armed himself differently now."

"Was he known to use a gun when you were chasing him? Is he a good shot?" This time it was from Kisho.

"No, but how good do you need to be with a Tommy gun? They can spray bullets across a wide area."

"What do you know about his habits?" asked Hiro.

"He likes to dance. And drink, like I said before. I think he plays cards a little."

"Drink what?" asked Hiro.

"Whiskey, usually. But he sometimes just goes for a brew. You know, beer."

"Any idea what he was doing with the stolen body parts? You said you didn't find them, did he destroy them? Have them in the car with him? Take them with him when he fled?"

"No idea. I know that his hands were empty when I was chasing him through the mountains. There was nothing in the car. It was a stolen vehicle. We never did track down his last place of residence."

"Speaking of that. What sort of house would he choose to live in here?" asked Kisho.

"He grew up kinda rich. His dad is a doctor married to a debutant. You know debs?"

"No," said both men in unison.

"Society girls. Come from good families. Money. Ralph's mother's family were doing okay until the stock market crash. Then it all fell apart for all of them. Buying on margin, trying to get richer, quicker. They still had some of their properties, but it didn't leave them with enough cash flow.

"Anyway, it wasn't enough cash to keep Ralph in his nice loony bin and the cheap place had low security. Actually they had no security. Ralph just walked away during the dead of night."

"How much time do you spend at The Station bar? You ever seen Ralph there?" asked Hiro.

"I mostly drink up here." Sam looked around the room at the empties attesting to this sad fact. "I don't really want to talk to people. I was supposed to be a good detective. Didn't work that way, though."

"You might still be a good detective. What we have found here is that the Boss's influence only goes so far. You can be what you choose to be. You can be a drunk cop or you can be a great cop. You choose. You are now the Author of your life. Unless the Boss calls you back into action." Hiro was surprised at how often people didn't realize that they were more than mere characters. At The Station, they were who they would choose to be.

"You mean I'm not forever left with the story of the Boss? I can actually do something here?"

"Yes. What would you like to do?" Hiro tried, with little success, to keep the smile out of his voice.

"I would like to catch that bastard."

Sam's Story

Hiro called down to room service and had a huge American breakfast of fried eggs, sausage, hash browns, toast, and coffee sent up to the room. The two Japanese men had no desire to eat, but they did have some tea.

Sam started to look a little better after some breakfast and a whole pot of coffee. The interrogation continued.

"How many unsolved murders?" asked Kisho.

"Six."

"All in Phoenix?"

"And the surrounding area. It's desert there, so there could be more bodies that weren't found yet." Sam looked around at the mess, and sadly shook his head, trying to dislodge the memories of the corpses that had been tossed into dark places or left in the desert sunshine. All were gruesome.

"He apparently raped the women, then used a serrated bladed knife, probably a hunting knife of some sort, to cut them up. With each new body, a different organ was missing. The first one had no heart. Liver, kidneys, and lungs were missing. Also fingers and ears. We've never recovered the missing pieces." Sam's voice slowed and then stopped. He stared through a dirty window looking out on another building that backed up to the bar/hotel.

The room was silent for several minutes. Sam finally shook himself out of his stupor and continued, "The first murders were months apart. Then they got closer together. Ralph sent taunting notes to his old girlfriend after the first two crimes, but then stopped."

"What was in the letters?" asked Hiro.

"Descriptions of the crimes and threats that the same would happen to her. The Governor called in all sorts of favors to protect his daughter and increased the manpower on the hunt for Ralph. I was still lead detective, then. I had tracked him as far as Flagstaff.

"We had a trace on him and I found him driving a stolen car. I followed in 'hot pursuit' and chased him through the mountains in the northern part of the state. I had gotten close many times, but it was only me in the car. I'd fired on his car, trying to blow out the tires, but missed. He had stolen a Duesenberg and I was in Ford. He simply could outdrive me." Sam looked at the two men hoping for not only understanding but absolution. He was in a car with less horsepower, less speed. "It really wasn't my fault," the voice was pleading.

"And then what?" prompted Kisho after a minute's silence.

"Ralph was far ahead of me and gaining distance. Then he suddenly veered right and hit a boulder in the sand off the side of the road. The car rolled twice and then came to rest against a giant outcropping of rock. We were in the mountains of northern Arizona. I saw the accident, but was far behind. By the time I got there, Ralph was running into some caverns. There was blood at the scene of the crime. That's where he cut his forehead open.

"I tracked him for a while but lost the trail. I got back to the car and radioed again for help but I was out in the wilderness and with the mountains, the call didn't go through. Ralph made his way to the Navajo Indian reservation and we lost him there. We searched where we could and tried to deal with the Chief, but nothing. The trail was going cold. It had been months and we were stalled. And then, the next thing I knew, I was here. I was hoping that Ralph wasn't. But you say he attacked your friend. But you said she was okay? Right? She's okay?"

"Yes, she's okay. A few bruises and scratches, but okay," Hiro reassured Sam.

"We need to find Ralph," said Kisho. "You wanna help?"

Finding Sam

Two ferocious and mildly ticked off Japanese men climbed the stairs. On the third floor, where the hotel rooms began, they stopped and peered along a long corridor with many closed doors.

"How are we supposed to find the right room?" asked Kisho.

"I don't know. We could just start opening doors. Or do you think that they are all locked?" asked Hiro.

One set of doors to the right of the stairs glided open and a slightly tipsy man, leaning heavily on the arm of woman of questionable repute stepped out into the hall. "Elevator," said Hiro.

"Prostitute," said Kisho at the same moment, which at least masked his voice.

"Excuse me ma'am," began Hiro, "we are looking for Sam Shovel. Do you know him and where we might find him?"

"I'm busy here, buster. I ain't got time for that nonsense." And so saying, she moved down the hall two doors and took out a swipe card which permitted her access to the room. The drunk man followed her, smiling.

The two men decided to walk the corridors and seek out hookers who were not busy at the moment in the hopes of finding someone who knew where to find Sam. It paid off on the eighth floor when a woman told them that she thought the man they were looking for was in room 1429.

The two took the elevator up to the fourteenth floor, found the room and began to pound on the door. It took nearly a minute before they heard any sounds from within. Finally a disheveled man with glassy eyes, two days growth of beard, wrinkled clothing, and nauseating breath opened the door.

"Are you Sam Shovel?" asked Hiro.

The door started to close when Kisho shoved past the man and entered the room. It was nearly as messy as the man himself. It was littered with empty bourbon bottles.

"We're looking for Ralph Stevens. He attacked a friend of mine and she wants him stopped." Hiro would brook no protest from this drunken bum.

Sam's head lifted sharply and his eyes focused slowly on the pair of men now standing amidst the trash that was his room and his life. "She okay? The girl, I mean. Ralph is a nasty man." Sam's voice was thick, not just from drink, but from sleep as well.

Hiro shoved Sam into the bathroom and forced him into the shower. He turned the cold water on and stuck Sam under the spray. After a bit of sputtering, Sam tried to escape the cold and Hiro strengthened his grip, forcing Sam back under the spray. After a few minutes, Hiro turned off the water, pulled Sam dripping and swearing from the shower, and handed him a towel.

"Tell us what you know about Ralph," ordered Kisho after Sam got himself partially dried.

Sam glared at the two men, stripped off his wet clothing, and wrapped himself in a fluffy, soft, white robe that had been neatly hung in the closet and had "The Station" emblazoned above the breast pocket. It was the only clean thing in the room.

"He was a medical student – going to be a doctor. He was dating the Governor's daughter. Then things started to fall apart," began Sam.

"What year?" asked Hiro.

"School? That was 1928. His grades started to drop. He was drinking too much. This was Prohibition. He spent way too much time in speakeasies and was not paying any attention to his studies or his girl. So she left him. He had some sort of nervous breakdown and by the middle of 1929 he was in a mental institution." Sam looked at his audience. "This what you guys want to know?"

"Yes. Then what happened?" prompted Kisho.

"After the market crashed, his parents couldn't afford the pricey private sanitarium. He went to some cheaper place. His father's a doctor, too. But after the crash, money was tight all over, ya know?"

"Not really, but we can figure that out later," Hiro assured him.

"Ralph broke out of the crappy mental hospital and began attacking women. His first victim was in my precinct. I'm a cop outside Phoenix, Arizona. Or I was until there were too many unsolved murders." Sam looked up at his inquisitors. "Can I have a drink now?"

Gathering Information

Kisho and Hiro agreed that they needed to meet with the most people as quickly as possible and that meant only one thing. Going into the bar. Most newcomers arrive in or near the bar. Many stay there; some even living at the hotel built above the smoky watering hole. The two men took off in that direction.

Samurai walk with a perfect equilibrium to each step that would allow them to draw a weapon and remain balanced for attack. Their gait was an odd rolling step that permitted them to be always ready for death. Ninja were trained for stealth. Their step was light and noiseless. Always. The two men walking toward the bar may have looked a little funny to a futuristic eye when seen from behind, but they were certainly menacing when viewed from the front.

Ninja wear all dark clothing when out at night, white clothing when stalking through snowy landscapes. But in the daylight, both men were dressed relatively the same in traditional early 17th century Japanese clothing. While Hiro's armament was more visible, Kisho was also carrying deadly weapons – hidden.

They talked very little on the way to the bar. There was no point in trying to formulate a cogent plan until they had more information to go on. What they needed at this point in time was facts, and they were few and far between.

They entered the dark, smoke-filled bar and stood silently in the doorway for a moment while their eyes adjusted to the gloom. In those few seconds, most patrons turned to see who was entering the place, many hoping for some turmoil, or at least some excitement.

"We are looking for a man called Ralph Stevens. Does anyone in here know about him or know anyone who does?" asked Hiro in his most non-threatening voice. It was still a powerful sound and echoed through the now silent bar.

There was no immediate response. A few people turned to look at their friends. No one spoke.

"This man is a known serial rapist-murderer. He attacked Cassie. I believe some of you know her," Hiro added.

Immediately there were murmurs throughout the bar. Cassie was a nice, if slightly ditzy woman. She didn't seem to really know who or what she was, but she was kind and cheerful. She had not created a horde of enemies, these people would help.

The largest spider Hiro and Kisho had ever seen came scuttling up to the pair. "Is she all right? I've heard about this Ralph man. He is bad. Very bad. Is Cassie all right?"

"Yes, he is very bad," agreed Hiro. "Cassie is bruised and scratched. She was not harmed further. She is okay, but she wants Ralph removed from society. He cannot be permitted to attack again."

A rather indistinct, common woman walked up to the two men. Tears were silently running down her face. "Is she really okay? I'm Con. I guess we are sisters of a sort. We have the same Boss. How can I help her?"

While the two men might have liked to help Con, they really wanted to help Cassie. "What we need is information." Kisho pushed past Con and returned to the spider/waitress. "What do you know?"

"Many people don't like spiders. So when I serve drinks, they mostly just ignore me. I hear things that way. There is a man here, a cop, named Sam Shovel. He was the person trying to chase down and capture Ralph in the original manuscript. He was unsuccessful in the chase. The Boss couldn't figure out how Sam would capture the murderer and dropped the story."

"Do you know where this Shovel guy is?" asked Kisho.

"He drinks too much. I believe that was part of his problem while chasing Ralph, but I know it is a problem here. He is probably passed out somewhere. Either in some dark corner in the bar, or up in one of the rooms."

"Anyone see him in the bar?" shouted Kisho. All the patrons helped to peer into all the dark corners. Sam wasn't there.

The two men headed for the stairs that led to the hotel rooms.

The Hunt Begins

Cassie left Hiro still sipping on the vile blue liquid. She got in her Mercedes and headed for home.

Hiro, sitting at his kitchen table, glared at the blue drink, got up and tossed it down the drain. He then got a large glass of water and gratefully drank it. That blue stuff really was horrible.

How would he go about trapping the serial killer? He didn't know where the man lived and wasn't sure when he lived. Hiro knew that there were guns, some of them that fired many bullets in succession. They were not proper armaments for a Samurai, however. No matter how good he was with a sword, the weapon demanded proximity. A man with a gun could kill from far away.

Hiro decided that he needed help with this task. He needed to visit Kisho, his friend who was Ninja.

Hiro showered, another wonderful invention of the future, dressed and armed himself. He walked some distance to the north to find his friend.

"Hiro, konnichiwa, it has been a while since I've seen you. Are you well?" Kisho bowed to Hiro.

"Konnichiwa. Yes, I'm well," Hiro replied, bowing with equal formality. "I have a small problem. I met a woman in the courtyard a few days ago."

Kisho's eyebrows raised and a tight smile found it's way to his lips, but not quite as far as his eyes. "There is something new and different."

Hiro brushed that aside. "She is American, 21st century. New to The Station and not very comfortable here, yet." Hiro paused gathered his thoughts. "She was walking home from Frau's house. Do you remember him?"

Kisho nodded.

"She was attacked by that man who was an escaped mental patient and a serial rapist-murderer. The guy with the scar across his forehead. You know who I mean?" asked Hiro.

"Ralph Stevens. Isn't that his name? I think that's his name. Caucasian, light hair. Tall?"

"Yeah, that's his name. I kept thinking it was Steven something and it just didn't sound right. Anyway, Ralph attacked Cassie, that's the woman I met, but she was saved before he did more than rough her up some. She wants him stopped."

"Okay. What do you need me for?"

"What do you know about him? I'm not sure what type of weapons he carries. Do you know when he is from? Does he have guns? I've only seen a knife. I'm fine against a stupid little knife. Guns would be a problem."

"Hiro, I'm sorry. I don't have that information. I'm not even sure where to find it. I'm sure that we could silently track him and have him dead before he even had a chance to reach for a gun. Stealth is key." Kisho knew how silently he could move and was able to sneak up on any man. Ralph's neck could be snapped before he was even aware of another person's presence.

"Cassie doesn't want me to kill him."

"What?" Kisho stood blinking. "What does she want you to do?"

"I'm supposed to jail him, I think. First I have to learn more about him. If he is a serial killer, he must have some skills in stalking and taking victims. I don't even know where to begin looking for him. Do you?" Hiro needed some help or at least some information.

Kisho shook his head. "But we will find out."

Recourse

Hiro produced some water for Cassie and she drank deeply to get the horrid taste from her mouth. Sighing, she asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Time isn't the same here. It flows and swirls. I'm not sure, but it has been a long time, at least it seems like it."

"Are there police here?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I need to report an attack. That man can't go free and attack other unsuspecting women." Cassie massaged her jaw where the bruise was still livid. "I bet this bruise didn't help endear me to High Lord Thorton."

"The authorities, such as they are, know that your attacker is out there. We all are aware of the villains who reside here."

"Not all. I have no idea why I thought it was only the heroes here. Are secondary characters here as well?"

"Anyone can be here, if they choose. Once a Boss writes about them, and then tosses them aside, they are free to enter The Station."

Cassie sat quietly staring into space. "Any person written and discarded?"

"Yes. That's what this is. A way station for unused characters. Any unused or no longer used characters." Hiro wasn't sure where this was leading, but he was willing to help Cassie sort the place out. It was unlike any other place in the known or even unknown universe.

Cassie got up and paced around the tidy kitchen. She stopped and stared out the window and looked at the wave-raked sand. She stood still and stared for several minutes. Luckily Samurai are patient and enduring. Hiro sat motionless through it all.

Cassie finally turned to face him. "Everyone can be here. Does that mean that people can choose to not show up, as well?"

"I assume that is true. It's difficult to prove a negative. I know that some of the people that I associated with while working with the Boss are not found here. That may only mean that I've not found them and not that they are not here."

"Is there no list of who is here someplace? A census of sorts?"

"There is no central government body. No one to take a census. Who you find is who you know."

Cassie went back to staring out the window. "There are some people that my Boss wrote about that I would enjoy seeing again."

Hiro watched Cassie and her whole demeanor seemed to change. Her head tilted, her voice softened, her balance shifted as her hand went up to play with her hair. He started to ask a question, hesitated, then opted to remain silent.

Cassie stood there for another minute or so and then returned to the table and sat across from Hiro. "So what about containing a serial killer? Certainly he can't be permitted to attack people without repercussion. What can I do?"

"You realize that in Japan, Samurai helped to enforce the law, right?"

"No. So what do you think I should do next?"

"What do you want to happen to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want him to die slowly or quickly?"

"No, I want him to be locked away and kept from hurting anyone else." Cassie had to keep reminding herself that his culture was far different from hers.

"I'll see what I can do." Cassie shuddered when she heard the rock hard tone.

Starry Eyed

"Grimorph is a scientist or inventor from the Moon Colony," said Hiro.

Visions of white lab coats with pocket protectors, big dark-framed glasses, and a receding hairline entered Cassie's head. She could just picture the absent minded professor guy as he wandered around a Tom Edison lab filled with bits and pieces and invented useful items on a regular basis.

"She is the most amazing woman. She helped produce the system that feeds the entire Moon Colony. Her mother was Japanese-American while her father was a Native American who fled the reservations," Hiro continued. His voice was soft, dreamy. His eyes were all sparkly and focused on some distant point.

Cassie's vision disappeared and she was faced with the reality of Hiro's infatuation with Grimorph. And in the next instant she was struck by her own infatuation with Hiro. But she wasn't Japanese. And she wasn't a powerful person who saved colonies. Cassie was the person who was so stupid that she walked through forests and was attacked by serial killers. No wonder Hiro was infatuated with someone like Grimorph and no wonder, as well, that she was infatuated with someone like Hiro.

Infatuated, at least in her case, was probably not the right word. Lust might be better. Cassie saw Hiro as virile, masterful, and yet touched with kindness. He was willing to enter into the fray in order to save her. Apparently that is what Samurai did and it had nothing to do with her as a person. It was just his job.

Cassie was suddenly feeling a need to flee. She wanted to just be gone. Alone in her misery. She hadn't been that aware of her wish that Hiro would see her not only as a responsibility or liability, but as a woman with possibilities. She was probably just some pain in the ass to him.

Cassie was fiddling with her drink, rolling the sweat-slicked glass around in circles on the table. She hadn't even tasted it. Should she gulp it down and run? She looked up to see Hiro staring at her. She tried to smile, but instead felt the blush start at her neck and bloom upwards to her hairline. She was on fire.

"Let me get my fax number for you." Hiro leaped up out of the chair and left the room, apparently to get pen and paper.

Cassie wondered if she could just creep out while he was gone and then realized that would be even worse. How could she have done this to herself? How long had she been fantasizing about Hiro? Of course he wouldn't be taken with an American. He was Samurai, all bushido and katana and Japan. But he was so compelling. He was wise and strong and handsome and luscious. And it would feel so wonderful to have those muscled arms pulling her close to the massive expanse of his chest, lifting her face to his as he gently placed a kiss on her tremulous lips.

"Here is the number," said Hiro as he walked back into the room.

"Thanks." Cassie put the paper into her pocket and tried to think of a way to get out of there gracefully. She picked up the drink and took a gulp. "Jesus, what is this crap?"

"It's a mixture of healthful nutrients. Very good for after a workout. It replaces, um, things, um, whatever it is that you lose when you exercise for long periods. It recharges and re-energizes you. Grimorph developed it."

"It tastes horrible," said Cassie honestly, "and it's an ugly color."

"It is supposed to be good for you," Hiro defended the drink, or maybe just the inventor.

"Thank goodness I haven't been exercising then. Do you have any plain water?" Cassie was already feeling a little less intimidated by the unseen Grimorph, inventor of food stuffs that were not all that tasty. She might have to get a look at this Grim person.

Anachronisms

After taking Sten and Frau back home, Cassie drove over to visit Hiro. There was no answer to her knock on the door, so Cassie walked around to the back of his house.

There was an open space in the center, Japanese gardens surrounding the whole. Next to the back of the house, beside what looked like a cross between a patio and a deck, was a sand garden with huge boulders and sand raked in a waving, restful pattern.

In the center of the yard was Hiro, wearing only his pants, his upper body drenched in sweat and shimmering in the sunshine. He was wielding both swords in a cross pattern that was both beautiful and menacing. As Cassie watched, he sheathed his smaller sword and began to track a fly buzzing in front of him.

Hiro stood perfectly still and concentrated on the fly. He then flicked his wrist and the tip of the sword moved in a blur. The fly fell to the ground, sliced in two. As he bent to inspect his work, Cassie gasped. Hiro spun and holding his sword in an attack stance, looked for the source of the sound. Seeing Cassie, he broke into a smile.

Cassie noticed the broad expanse of heaving chest, rippled muscles, six-pack abs. "Sorry to bother you. Did you really just cut a buzzing fly in two?"

"Yes, but not evenly. I prefer when it is more half than simply two."

Cassie blinked in confusion, "Isn't 'two' and 'half' the same thing?"

"No, 'two' doesn't mean that each of the pieces is the same size while 'half' does. I was sloppy."

"I see," is what she said, but her brow was creased and her eyes were narrowed.

"Watch." Hiro took a leaf, dropped it from shoulder height and cut the leaf in half lengthwise and then each half was cut in half so that four equally sized pieces of leaf hit the ground in a flutter. "See? Even."

Cassie came to inspect the pieces of leaf and found them to be exactly as he described – evenly cut into quarters. "How long did that take to learn?"

"Months to cut it into four pieces before hitting the ground, much longer to get them to be evenly sized."

"I thought it took a lot of practice to learn to place a tennis ball into the corner of a court." Cassie was laughing and shaking her head.

"I've been out here for a few hours now, let's go inside. I need something cool to drink." Hiro led the way into his modern-future kitchen. As they passed the neatly raked sand, Cassie paused. Hiro asked, "Do you like it? It is meant to be calming."

"It's beautiful. How do you manage to rake it so perfectly without leaving footprints?"

"Another skill," Hiro voice held a touch of a laugh behind the words. "And special tools."

"What I came over to find out was if you had something like a telephone or communicator or a way to talk while not face-to-face." Cassie reached for her cell phone to show Hiro what she meant at the same time Hiro was pulling out a small rectangle object that was tucked near his smaller sword.

"I have this, but I believe it will work with other communication devices. Grimorph said it contained 'legacy capability' and 'integrated potential.' Is this what you mean?"

"Yep. You got a number or code so that I can reach you on that?"

Hiro gave her the number and she programmed it into her phone. "Who is Grimorph?" she asked as they sat down at the table. Hiro pushed the glass full of ice cubes and a bright blue fizzing liquid.

Rankled

"How dare he?" Cassie fumed. It was a good thing that there wasn't much traffic here at The Station because Cassie's driving was erratic at best. "How could he treat us like that?"

"I'm stunned. I've worked with him before and he did not behave like that. Cassie, I would never have taken you there if I had known. Please forgive me," Frau said.

Cassie stopped the car and turned to face Frau. "Forgive you? You, my dear friend, did nothing wrong and there is nothing to forgive. Without you and Sten my life here would be so much less. You have been nothing but helpful." She noticed that Frau's color was starting to return to normal and his hands finally rest quietly in his lap. She hadn't realized how upset Frau was. "Are you doing okay?"

Frau looked at her then, finally really seeing Cassie instead of his guilt. "Yes, I'm just ashamed for High Lord Thorton and my own inability to see how this would turn out. I swear he didn't act like that before."

Cassie began to giggle and then it burst forth in a full belly-laugh. "Of course not. You are a high ranking person and you were helping him with his negotiations. But we are going to just forget it now. It's over and done."

"Cassie, what did you do for the Boss?" asked Sten.

"What?"

"Well, I guess I want to know the same thing High Lord Thorton did. What is your 'rank' so to speak? This is idle curiosity. You were brilliant back there and took no crap from that man. Where did you learn that?"

"Oh. I was many things. My Boss isn't all that creative. She made me and used me over and over. I've been both a prosecuting and a defense lawyer. I've been a surgeon. And a private detective. I've been a major on an interstellar spaceship. She starts story after story, using me in various jobs."

Cassie paused for a moment. "She never saves the stories. She writes, edits, rewrites, adds, reads, sits in the chair staring at the screen and then she selects all and hits Delete."

There was silence in the car. Cassie turned forward and began to drive, slower and more carefully. It was horrifying to have a Boss who never saved.

But Cassie was an optimist. "I guess I should get a bumper sticker for this car that says 'Jesus saves; Boss – not so much.'" At least she could laugh about this.

"You really are all those professions?" asked Frau.

"Yeah. And more, some not as 'glamorous.' I've been a scullery maid that solved mysteries in a manor house and nun in a silent cloister. The conversation in that story was scintillating," snorted Cassie, drolly. "I've been an artist and inventor. I've been a scientist and college professor. She writes and writes. But never Saves."

"And you retain all those skills?" asked Frau.

"Yes. She just keeps piling more on."

Frau looked over at Sten and began to laugh. "She's brilliant. And she doesn't even realize it."

"My Boss created me smart because what good is a stupid heroine, but brilliant? You are kidding," Cassie laughed with her friends.

Sten said, "You know, most of us only have one career, one story, one way to be. Your Boss has given you the gift of wide ranging talents. You will do well here."

Intercession

Frau took a calming breath, "Milord, Cassie is a friend of mine."

"What is your rank?" High Lord Thorton asked Cassie.

"Human."

"What? I asked for a rank."

"Look, I come from a more egalitarian world. I am a full member of society. I have no 'rank' but simply am. I have the same recourse to all resources as you do. Your Boss is apparently just as inept as mine is because you are here at The Station – just like I am."

High Lord Thorton glared at Cassie and stood up behind his impressive desk. He made an even more imposing figure as he leaned his well-manicured hands on the desktop and thundered, "Get out of here. No one talks to me in that tone."

"I just did. You are an impotent despot who is merely taken with your own importance. I could have constructed a monstrosity as you have done with this chateau you have created. Big deal. You aren't all that impressive Mr. High Horse."

Frau tried to get a word in to calm the ruffled feathers of both High Lord Thorton and Cassie, but was overridden by Thorton's bellows.

"How dare you speak to me in that tone? Get out of my home."

"I dare because you are nothing. In my era we call you a 'paper tiger' which means you are all roar and no substance. You made us wait nearly two hours to speak to us. What was the purpose of that? Just to show how 'powerful' you are? You are nothing but ego wrapped up in a pretty package." Cassie was on a roll.

Sten gently took Cassie's arm and gave a small squeeze. Cassie looked over at her friend and instead of continuing with a rant, let out a deep sigh.

High Lord Thorton stood glowering behind his polished desk. No one had ever spoken to him in this manner. No one had the right to speak to him is such a way. He would have to punish this woman.

"Your behavior will be punished," Thornton roared.

"How?" Cassie's whisper almost didn't reach all the way across the desk. And then she actually smirked at the man. That was new, she didn't know she had it in herself to do that. She was getting stronger.

High Lord Thorton did not immediately respond.

"That's what I thought. There is nothing you can do to me. You are simply an over-inflated windbag. Your Boss has abandoned you, just as all of ours have. You are no better than anyone else here at The Station. I don't need you or your attitude." And with that pronouncement, Cassie turned to leave the room.

"If you two would like a ride home, let me know and I'll wait in the car," she called to Sten and Frau. She never looked back.

High Lord Thorton stood there with his mouth hanging open, making his curled mustache look like a frame from which it hung. His face was flushed, his eyes were blazing, and as he stood to his full height, his hands clenched at his sides.

"Thank you for your time, milord, I believe our ride is leaving," said Sten as she took Frau's hand and walked away from the seething man.

High Lord Thorton

Cassie followed directions and she, Sten, and Frau arrived in front of an imposing structure. The house was huge with several domed sections merging to form a circle around an open courtyard. All that could be seen from the front of the house was reflective glass triangles that made up the domes and an aperture that seemed to be the door.

Frau had been here before helping Thorton with some negotiations resulting from a dispute over proprietary rights to a recipe. He knew that walking up the path alerted the servo. As they all approached the door, the servo robot opened it to allow them into the entry hall.

Cassie looked around and stared at the crystal chandelier the size of Volkswagen that hung over the intersection of hallways leading off of the entryway. There were six matching sofas lining the walls of the hall with tables in between them with huge bouquets of fresh cut flowers on each. Understatement did not seem to be Thorton's strong suit.

Frau explained to the servo that they would like to talk with Thorton about helping Cassie with obtaining a Quintanian vehicle. The servo intoned, "Please wait in the seating room while I see if High Lord Thorton is receiving supplicants." The robot led them to a room off to the right which was larger than Cassie's entire house. There was a musical instrument in one corner that resembled a grand piano, only larger and with several rows of keys. It took up less than 10% of the space in the room.

"Supplicant?" Cassie asked Frau. "We are supplicants?"

Frau explained, "Quintan is a hierarchical world. There is a strict enforcement of the old feudal-type systems from Old Earth's medieval history. But Thorton wasn't at all 'uppity' and really a home-style kind of man."

They waited patiently and the servo returned within minutes, "The High Lord Thorton will receive you as soon as possible. Please wait here. I will come for you when he is ready to grant you access." And then the servo rolled out of the room. The three of them waited.

And waited. Cassie knew that time wasn't the same at The Station, but she knew a long time when she was in the middle of it. "How long have we been waiting here?" she finally asked Sten.

"I would guess about an hour, more or less. Oh, that would be a New Earth hour. I guess about 80 minutes for you."

The three continued to converse, pass time, and Sten even played tentatively with the musical instrument. After about another 15 minutes, the servo reappeared. "High Lord Thorton will see you now." It rolled out of the room, expecting the humans to follow. They did.

They were led into an even more imposing room and High Lord Thorton was seated behind an ornately carved desk of highly polished wood. It was beautifully rendered, but Cassie was more impressed with the drop-dead gorgeous man behind it. His features were smooth and even with beautiful, full lips that were curved in a slight frown at the moment. His cheekbones were sharp, his eyes were glacier blue, and his hair was midnight black. He had a curled mustache that reminded Cassie of silent movie villains.

"Frau, how nice to see you again. My claim has seen no more encroachment. You are a true negotiator. My servo said you needed some help?" The voice was a deep baritone.

"Yes, milord, our friend Cassie is new to The Station. She was hoping to procure a vehicle that is from Quintan, but was unsure if she could manage to operate it. We thought of you and came to see if you could help her with it."

"You want me to help this … this … " he eyed Cassie up and down and didn't even try to hide the disgust, "this … serf buy a car?"

"I'm not a serf," Cassie said in her own defense.

"Silence. I have not given you permission to speak."

"This should go well," thought Cassie.

Cassie's New Ride

Cassie looked over the lot full of machines. There were horse drawn carriages waiting to be hooked up to horses, there were Model T type old cars, there were sleek current sport's cars, and there were futuristic indescribable vehicles. She really wanted one of the latter, but was unsure if she would know how to drive it.

So she stuck with something more current for herself and picked out a moderate sized four door sedan with a comfortable interior. She was only taking a "test drive" and her plan was to get her kitchen appliance home and get Sten and Frau to come and see if they could teach her to operate the futuristic vehicle.

She got back to her house and realized she was starving. She plugged in her kitchen appliance and looked at the listed recipes. She selected blueberry pancakes with butter and blueberry syrup, a rasher of bacon cooked crisp, and coffee with cream. She dined with relish. Everything was perfectly prepared. She put the dirty dished back into the machine and hopped back in her car.

She was on her way over to Sten's house when the thought struck her that she really didn't know what time it was. Would she be intruding? Were they still asleep? Had they had their breakfast yet? She had no idea how time functioned here and she had no idea how convenient it had been to have time zones before. She really like stability in her life, she now realized.

She sat in the car parked in front of Sten's house for several minutes trying to decide what to do when Frau's head poked out the door. Frau followed and walked over to Cassie's car. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was afraid to disturb you. I wasn't sure if it was a good time to visit. I would have called first, but I don't know how since I don't have any numbers. And I don't know what time it is." Cassie was really beyond simple frustration and was close to tears.

"Come in. We do have communicators and can give you numbers to reach us. I will write them down for you. Have you had lunch?"

"Lunch? I just had breakfast. A very delicious breakfast. Lunch? What time is it?"

"It doesn't really matter, as long as you aren't still hungry. I guess you finished your kitchen."

They had walked through the garden, entered the house and sat down in the comfortable living area. Sten came in from the back of the house. "How are you doing today, dear?"

"I had a restless night, but I'm doing okay. I went into town to get my kitchen appliance. I had a walking stick or perhaps I was simply carrying a club, but I had something. I looked up and Doston was flying." Sten had looked highly concerned, but nodded her approval when she heard of Cassie's precautions. "I then got a car to get my stuff back home."

Cassie looked around and didn't know whether to ask another favor of these kind people or not. "There were some highly futuristic vehicles, shaped like triangles, no wheels. They must hover somehow. They looked sorta like a motorcycle, but not quite. Do you know what I mean?"

Frau thought for a moment and then said, "Quintanian by the description. Sten who is that fellow from Quintan, the man with the curling mustache? I can't think of his name."

"Norton? No. That's not it – Thorton. That's his name. Yes, I'm sure," Sten finally said.

"Yes. Cassie, why don't we introduce you to Thorton and then maybe he can help you with the vehicle?"

And they all piled into Cassie's Mercedes Benz and went in search of Thorton.

Peace and Quiet?

The four humans conversed about many inconsequential things. The light in Cassie's eyes began to fade and her three friends could see that she needed to rest. They left her after Sten helped her up to the loft and into bed.

Cassie immediately fell asleep only to wake after about an hour having horrible nightmares. She would calm herself and drift off to sleep again, only to waken with the memory of a leering face with a scarred forehead. She finally abandoned all thoughts of sleep and crept downstairs. She was amazed that it was daylight outside. But time didn't flow as usual here at The Station.

She was hungry, but still had not completed her kitchen. She should go to the Store and purchase – well it wasn't really purchase – retrieve a kitchen gadget like Sten and Frau had. But that would mean going back outside. Into danger. Away from the safe.

She was hungry but safe. Was she really safe here? What would happen if the serial killer knew where she lived? Would he come after her even here in her home? Was she really safe anywhere?

This type of thinking wasn't going to get her anywhere. She simply had to pull herself together. The horrid man accosted her, but she was okay. Really. She was okay. Maybe if she repeated it to herself often enough she would begin to believe it. She was okay. She would be okay. He scared her, but she was stronger than that. She was okay.

She needed to get to the store and get her kitchen equipment. "Maybe I can call Sten to go with me. I don't have a number to call. I don't even know if Sten has a number to call," she mumbled to herself. The only way to get to Sten was to walk there and she might as well walk to the Store instead. She was going to have to find out about motorized vehicles soon.

Cassie gathered her courage around herself like a coat of armor. She was okay. She would not be intimidated and locked in the prison of her own fears. She was okay. She opened the door and looked out to a beautiful spring day. Flowers were blooming and scenting the air with sweet perfume. There was a gentle breeze making the bright green leaves of the trees rustle into a lulling whisper. "I am okay," she said in a loud, strong voice.

She stepped into the yard and looked around for a walking stick that would double as a club, should she need to club any horrid men with scarred foreheads. She found a downed branch off in a corner of her yard and felt its roughness and tested its strength against the palm of her hand. It was not rotted wood, but a strong branch about four-and-a-half feet long. It was solid and sturdy and would be a weapon should she need it.

She took off for the shopping area with her thoughts blazing the trail, looking for danger everywhere. She looked up and saw a golden eagle, and felt immediately reassured. Doston was flying up there. It wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. She pictured again the blood dripping off its talons after the rapist was attacked. She was safe, she was okay.

She got into town and the store was there and still looking like a Wal-Mart. She envisioned a futuristic appliance store and something else morphed before her eyes. She entered and found the kitchen machine. Now what? She wasn't safe walking home like this. She couldn't carry it and the stick and still walk safely.

She set the machine down on the ground outside the store and wondered if she could conjure up a car dealership. And with that thought, one appeared. Now, what kind of car would she like to drive?

Who Was He?

Doston spread its wings again and took to the sky. It called down to its new friends, "I'll see you again, soon."

The four humans watched Doston soar high into the clear sky and then veer toward the left. It was soon out of sight. They stood silently in the garden for a while and then Cassie began to shiver. "Perhaps we should go back inside," said Sten.

They sat in the cozy space that Cassie had designed especially as a conversation area for friends to gather in. But it was an awkward silence. Cassie edged closer to tears, "Who was he? Why would he attack me?"

Frau asked Cassie to describe her attacker.

"He grabbed me from behind. He was more than a head taller than me, so perhaps a little over six feet tall. His hands were calloused and rough. When he threw me to the ground, I got a better look at him. He had a scar across his forehead that was curving up into his hairline near his right temple. His hair was light, but I don’t think he was truly blond."

She shuddered at the thought of the man. "He was not ugly, really rather nice looking – except for the scar. I can't tell you what color his eyes are since the light wasn't that good. Hiro, did you get a good look at him when you entered the clearing?"

"I saw pretty much what you saw, but I know who he is. I've seen him before. His Boss wrote mystery thrillers. He is a serial rapist-murderer who was on the run, then his Boss couldn't finish the story," Hiro's voice dropped off and he looked over at Cassie. She now had to know how close to death she had been.

Cassie gasped. She looked around the comfortable room eyes wide as the terror returned. "I hadn't thought of the characters who would be here. The people I met in the bar were a little rowdy, but not evil. But of course, there must be 'bad guys' here as well as the nice people, like all of you."

"There are people from every walk of life. There are detectives, police, special agents. There are criminals of every sort, as well. It is populated with the same wide range of personalities as is the real world, where the Bosses create us." Frau was aware of all the manifestations of people here. He was a negotiator on his home planet and had already been used to mediate some less pleasant encounters.

"How do I manage to go outside and be safe?" asked Cassie.

"How would you manage to go outside and be safe in your own world?" replied Sten. "It is no different here. You must always be alert to your surroundings. Perhaps Hiro could show you some ways to defend yourself should you be attacked again." Sten looked hopefully at Hiro.

"I do know a few tricks that might help you. I also have some friends who know the silent killing ways. Ninja are specially trained in ways that Samurai are not."

"I couldn't kill anyone," Cassie shuddered visibly.

"Of course not, but you could learn to defend yourself."

Frau looked at Sten and then said to Hiro, "Perhaps you could give us group lessons?"

Getting to Know Doston

Doston was happy to help Cassie get her mind off her troubles. Doston was really unsure exactly what was so special about the trouble. It had seen the larger person attacking the smaller one and heard the small cries for help. And so Doston had helped. It was the nature of the species.

"Why do you have a number to your name?" asked Cassie.

Sten and Frau didn't know there was any number involved so Sten asked, "What do you mean, a number?"

"My name is Doston3647."

"Oh. What does the number mean?" asked Frau.

"The '36' signifies that I am from the 36th merge season and the '47' means I am the 47th Doston."

The three humans looked at each other, hoping that someone had understood that, but all faces were blank. "I don't understand that," said Cassie.

"On Music, there are seasons for merging. They happen planet wide and without our understanding of the cause, but we are compelled to merge with others of our species. We form groups containing two to nine of us and drink the Merge Drink. Then we interweave our talons together to form a ring. Are you with me so far?"

"Yes," came the chorus of voices.

"We each then bud, but it is unlike normal budding. During non-Merge seasons, when we bud, we are exactly the same as the parent, but during Merge season, there are differences between parent and bud. Therefore, at that time a new name is given. Then in later years when we simply bud, a new number is given."

"I think I get it," said Sten. "How long, about, between merges?"

"Hundreds of years, sometimes as few as three hundred, but sometimes it is closer to eight hundred. We don't know what causes it."

"Would you spread your wings?" asked Hiro.

Doston looked around, "There isn't enough room in here. I could do that outdoors, though." The group went into Cassie's gardens and the warm evening. When out in the moonlight, Doston's hair took on shimmering look that was not present inside. It spread its wings.

"Beautiful," said Sten. The wings were spanning close to six feet. They were also a golden color, like Dotson's hair, but of a leathery texture. They actually looked closer to the material in a wetsuit. "May I touch?"

"Sure." All the humans reverently stroked the huge wings. They felt like velvet. Doston folded its wings and turned again to face them. When folded, the wings were practically invisible, even when seen from the back.

"I bet it is wonderful to fly." Cassie actually sounded dreamily happy while she looked up to the sky.

Injured But Home

Cassie managed to retain her composure long enough to get to her house. When Hiro opened the door and Doston helped her inside, she limped into the living room and began to sob. She ached all over and she was scared out of her mind.

Doston looked at Hiro who unhelpfully just looked back. Hiro began to leave, saying, "She needs a woman to talk to."

He was almost through the door when Doston said, "Well, go and find a woman and get back here as quickly as possible." Hiro had thought Doston was female since there was no evidence to the contrary.

Doston helped Cassie to the sofa and placed a pillow behind her head and looked up to see Hiro still standing in the doorway. "Go and get some help. Now. I have no idea what to do, either."

Hiro shook his head and gathered his wits about him and went off to find Sten.

"Can I get you something to drink?" asked Doston.

"I really didn't finish the kitchen, there isn't anything in there to drink." Cassie was still crying but less hysterically. Doston tried to comfort her, but there wasn't really much that could be done.

Sten and Hiro finally arrived back with Frau trailing behind them. Sten ran to Cassie and brushed back the tousled hair. Sten assessed the injuries. The bruising on Cassie's face was spreading but the scratches on her torso were no longer bleeding. The most noticeable ill effect of the attack was the look of fear in Cassie's eyes.

"How about something soothing to drink. Or something with a little kick to it. What would you like?" asked Sten.

Cassie again explained about the unfinshed kitchen. She could feel herself close to tears again.

"Frau will get what you want to drink. What would that be?" Sten tried again.

"Maybe some Jack Daniels and water," said Cassie. Frau left, glad to have a mission. He returned with a bottle, some ice, glasses, and a willingness to share with the group. In his absence, Sten had gotten Cassie to a much calmer state and into some fresh clothing.

Cassie took a long drink, shuddered slightly and then smiled shyly. "Thank you, all of you. Frau, Sten, I would like you to meet my savior, Doston. Doston, these are friends of mine, Frau and Sten."

"I haven't seen you up close before, although I have noticed you flying over the garden," said Sten. "Where are you from?"

Doston answered. All the humans looked quizzically at each other. "Where?" asked Sten again.

The answer was the same, musical notes without any given translation. It sounded like the beginning of a piece by Chopin – almost.

"It isn't translating." Cassie looked bewilderingly at her guests. They all nodded their agreement. "I guess we can call the place 'Music' if that is all right with you, Doston."

Doston said, "That will be fine, it is close enough."

"Hiro told us some of what happened. We are so sorry," said Frau. "What can we do to help?"

"I think I need to talk about something else right now. Doston, you said you aren't a woman?" Cassie hedged.

"That's correct. But I'm not male, either. We don't have that stuff on Music. I am just a, well, I guess I would be a Musician," said Doston.

"Maybe you could tell us about your world. It might help Cassie," suggested Sten.

Cassie Under Attack

Survival classes say to submit to a rape in the hope of living through the experience. But this man didn't look like he was going to permit Cassie to survive the experience so she might as well fight. The knife resting so close to her head told her clearly that her chance of survival was low.

As the horrid man kept one hand on her face with his fingers digging into her cheeks, his other hand tore her blouse away. The nails scratched her skin as he tore at the fabric and little droplets of blood oozed up to the fresh wounds. The new source of pain energized Cassie and she scratched and clawed at the man.

She would have liked to have gouged his eyes out, but he was taller and his arms were longer and he kept his face out of her reach. She contented herself with scratching what she could reach. If he came close enough she would bite. She attempted to buck him off her, but his weight was too great.

She screamed, as best she could, but the sound was muffled. "Who will hear me, no matter how loud I scream?" Her mind raced with thoughts of rescue and saving herself. But the man outweighed her by probably 100 pounds. Although she was strong, she wasn't that strong. The adrenaline was pumping and she knew she had to fight for her life, and so she did with the sickening realization that it was probably all for nothing.

This man's scarred face and calloused hands were her world now. She had to defend herself against this. Her mind was no longer focused on anything but her own escape with the secondary thought of harming this brute.

He suddenly cried out in acute pain and jumped to his feet. He turned and Cassie saw rivulets of blood streaming down his back. There were six red trails and his shirt was in tatters. And hovering out of reach was the golden bird.

Cassie now got a better look. It wasn't really a bird. It was golden with huge wings. The span looked to be more than five feet across, but the body contained two arms and two legs with sharp talons. There were three fingers or talons on each arm, now dripping blood with perhaps small bits of flesh on the points.

The man reached over for his knife and Cassie grabbed his arm and bit down as hard as she could on whatever she could get hold of. The man screamed again, but pushed her away and grabbed again for the knife.

The bird-type creature landed and the wings folded back flush against the spine. The face was not that of either bird or human. There were four golden eyes, no nose, something between a mouth and beak, no discernable ears. And the entire body was covered with golden hair. Cassie could no longer see the wings and wasn't sure if there were any feathers anywhere at all. The creature was without clothing and showed no earthlike gender characteristics.

But there was both power and strength in the creature. The creature was shorter even than Cassie, probably about five feet high. And was lighter in build than the man, as well. But it showed no fear and it steadily approached the now armed man.

The man himself was trying to decide whether to keep hold of the knife and slash repeatedly or to hurl the knife and hope for a killing strike. But the creature's anatomy was unknown and who knew where the heart was, certainly not he. He opted to hold onto the knife and got into a crouch.

The creature stood in what could only be termed loose preparedness. And then, in a blur, an arm shot out and raked the razor sharp talons across the man's arm and the creature's other hand (claw?) almost gently took the knife. "Leave now, while you still can," came a soft, musical voice that didn't seem to match the cold stare of the four eyes.

Footsteps were pounding toward the trio and Cassie could hear Hiro shouting, "Do you need help?"

"A heavily armed Samurai is coming this way," Cassie sneered at the man. He looked around the small forest and glared at both Cassie and the creature and then ran in the direction opposite from the Samurai's shout.

"I'm all right now," Cassie yelled. And then to the creature, "How can I ever thank you? My name is Cassie."

"I am Doston3647."

"I'm human, a woman. Where are you from?'

"Let's get you taken care of first, then we can talk."

"Cassie, what happened?" asked Hiro, stepping into the clearing and seeing Cassie, face bruised, torso bleeding, torn clothing, and in a totally disheveled state. He glared at the creature and raised his sword.

"This horrid man was going to rape me, at least, and probably kill me. But Doston here saved me. Hiro, please put the sword away. Perhaps you both could help me home?"

Cassie Returns Home

Cassie and Sten spent another pleasant hour in the garden. They spoke about men in general and Frau, the Highwayman, and Hiro in particular. Cassie maintained that the Highwayman wasn't really a bad guy and Hiro was really special. Sten, on the other hand, said that life was tough here in The Station.

Cassie was bemused by that point. Stores of all sorts could be shopped in without paying. One could have a castle just by dreaming it up. Things were beautiful all the time. What was so tough? Frau got frightened and that was nearly the end of the world? She kept that last thought to herself.

Eventually she realized it was time to leave and made her goodbyes and headed back to her perfect little cottage/cabin. She walked along a shaded road with blooming cherry trees on one side of the dusty path and blooming apple trees on the other. The sun was sinking toward the horizon and the sky was filled with opalescent colors. Peaches and plums filled the sky. "Fruit salad," thought Cassie as she hummed to herself.

Life here was idyllic. The bar was quite hectic. She had noticed that fights broke out in the bar on a rather frequent basis, but that no one was ever seriously hurt. Well, she didn't think they were seriously hurt. She had never actually seen anyone in that state.

She was nearing her home when she was suddenly grabbed from behind by a man with rough, calloused hands. One of those hands was clamped firmly over her mouth and nose making it impossible to scream effectively and difficult to breathe. Perhaps it was the panic that was making it difficult to catch her breath.

Within her line a sight came a large bladed knife. The sun glinted off the blade as it was laid against her throat. The man held her tight against his body. He was more than a head taller than she and much wider. And it all seemed to be muscle. He half lifted her off her feet and dragged her off the road and into the trees.

It wasn't a dense forest, but it turned dark almost immediately. Cassie tried to think the sun back into a high noon position but it wasn't working. Apparently this horrid man was keeping her from daylight not only by the trees but by blocking the sun.

He threw her to the ground and then laid one large booted foot across her stomach, pinning her to the earth. She looked up and saw a relatively handsome man. Tall and looming over her. Even in the gloom she noticed he would have looked much better without the scar across his forehead. She wondered why he combed his hair back and then was struck by the ludicrous thought. Panic apparently made you notice strange things.

The knife went whizzing past her head and struck the ground less than an inch from her left ear. She could hear the zip as it passed by and the thwack as it embedded in the ground. From the corner of her eye she could see it vibrating as it settled into the dry and packed ground.

The man knelt on one leg and positioned himself between her legs. She was going to be raped. She could sense not only the violence, but the angry need for power and control from this man. As he knelt there he slowly grimaced. Perhaps that was supposed to be a smile. His right hand gently cupped her face and then he began to squeeze her jaws, causing and incredible amount of pain.

Cassie looked at the man and overhead noticed one of the largest tawny golden birds she had ever seen. It looked larger than an eagle and was the wrong color. "Concentrate on something other than pain," she told herself. "Don't let this man take your soul. Lie passive, don't fight. You will be okay."

She knew she wasn't going to be okay. The tears leaked slowly from her eyes. The man started to laugh.

Hiro as Hero

Cassie had never seen such a variety of flowers. Many of the blooms were totally unfamiliar to her, but she noticed orange and yellow mums between the daffodils. That shouldn't happen.

"How can you have both fall and spring flowers blooming at the same time?" she asked.

"There are no seasons here, so everything blooms all at once," replied Sten. "I like the way the garden looks and so that is the way I've designed it."

The two women walked to a shaded portion and sat amidst some vines that held flowers with a very delicate scent. It was not quite as sweet as a rose or lilac, or as overpowering as honeysuckle. "What is this plant?" asked Cassie.

"That's a dreniaha," said Sten. "Smells delicious, doesn't it?"

With the addition of a strange word, Cassie suddenly wondered if Sten and Frau spoke English or if she just heard it as English. She felt totally ignorant, but asked about it anyway.

"We speak a form of English that is similar in many respects to the dialect you speak, but without some translation we probably would be having a terrible time trying to talk," Sten told Cassie.

There was a pause in the conversation while both women simply enjoyed the beauty and tranquility of the garden.

"Can you tell me why you dislike Hiro?" Cassie ventured.

"It isn't so much dislike. It's more that we are embarrassed. Frau especially so. You see, soon after we got here, the Highwayman accosted us. We had no idea how to respond to this type of threat. It is unheard of on New Earth," Sten began the tale.

"I don't know if he would have hurt us and I have no idea why he would want to rob us. I think that to him, it was all a game of terror and submission without any malice or intent to actual physical harm."

Cassie was amazed that she could be so calm. She had met the Highwayman and he was a large, powerful man who had a broadsword at his side and a couple of ancient pistols – well to him they were probably very modern weaponry, but to Cassie they were ancient – tucked into his belt. He would be very scary on the attack. "So, what happened?"

"Frau was a very influential person on New Earth. A Diplomat who ensured that the planetary peace was maintained. He is very gifted with the power of persuasion, but he was totally helpless in the face of such weaponry. He was mortified, scared, and unable to defend us against this threat. He could keep the peace on a planet, and was helpless before this 'lesser' man.

"Before we knew it, this Samurai came out of the forest near where we were all standing. He was slashing and cutting with both swords. He yelled at the Highwayman and threatened him. The Highwayman looked at the Samurai and went to draw a pistol when the katana blade was suddenly pressing against the Highwayman's throat.

"The Samurai growled one more time telling the Highwayman to leave. And so he left."

"I assume the Samurai was Hiro?"

"Of course."

"Then I really don't understand. He saved you. He lived up to his name and his profession and he helped you. Why do you dislike him?"

"It isn't dislike. It is … I don't know. Frau was so helpless and then so … Hiro had no reason to come to our defense. He could have easily helped the Highwayman. Frau knows that his skills were useless in that situation. He couldn't mediate, he was too frightened. He is embarrassed and angry about it, too. He knows he should be grateful, but he can't seem to find that emotion, yet."

"Do you think he can get past this? Hiro is such a nice man." Cassie's voice carried more than a touch of worship in it.

Getting to Know the Neighbors

Demonstrating the kitchen was quite easy. There were many recipes included in the machine's memory, but adding more was no problem. Cassie wasn't sure what the ingredient list included but was told not to worry about it. She could enter, as on a computer, any favorite recipe she knew, but had to be sure to include the serving size.

Sten, Frau, and Cassie sat at the table with steaming dishes. Cassie was careful with the fine china and crystal stemware, horrified that the real silver flatware would damage the delicate plates. Sten assured her that all was well, and encouraged her to "dig in" and enjoy the meal.

As the three sat with dessert and steaming coffee, Cassie decided to open the subject of Hiro. "You were highly recommended as helpful and kind people by Hiro, which seems to be borne out. Thank you for your hospitality." She then smiled in what she hoped was an open and pleasant manner and waited for some response.

None came.

They continued to sip at now cooling coffee. Cassie really wanted to know what the animosity was based on. "He was very helpful when I seemed so lost." No response.

There was more coffee poured and sipped with Sten and Frau giving each other furtive glances.

"Hiro is a very nice man. We know that. His culture is quite different from ours. Our planet has overcome all violence and we are a very peaceful and idyllic place." Frau looked at his wife before continuing, "We were confronted with a Highwayman soon after we got here."

Cassie was stunned. She had met the notorious Highwayman in the bar. He was large and powerful and elicited a visceral response from her that was in no way violent. She was caught by him as she fantasized about a tryst and it still embarrassed her. Her face now filled with color.

"Ah, I see you know him. He offended you, too?" asked Sten.

"Well, no. I thought he was quite remarkable. I mean, as a man. I mean, you know. He looked, um, well, interesting. Except that he has a barfly that stays with him all the time and she was scary."

"Did he attempt to rob you?" asked Frau.

"No. I have nothing to steal." Cassie was puzzled. There was no need to rob here, everyone could have everything. The Highwayman and his Brazen Hussy were both able to get what they wanted without resorting to violence. "And they have no need to plunder. They could have anything they wanted anyway."

"No, part of what they want is the terror the victims offer. And the Highwayman loves a good fight." Frau said this last with conviction.

"What has that got to do with Hiro?"

Sten looked at her husband and said she would tell Cassie the story later. She picked up the finished desserts and coffees and put the dishes back in the machine.

"Would you like to see the gardens?" she asked Cassie. The two women went out to a beautiful sea of colored blooms.

Modern Kitchen

Hiro suggested that Cassie talk with Stenilaw Mystol and Frausig Tlink, a couple from New Earth who had actually lived during the desired time period. He pointed out the house the couple shared. "I assure you that they are quite helpful. I must be getting back to my own home. I need to practice my sword skills."

Cassie began to protest, but then realized that she had monopolized quite of bit of Hiro's time already. "Thank you for all your help. I hope to see you around."

"I'm sure we will meet again. I'm looking forward to it," and with that, Hiro turned away and was gone from sight within two seconds.

Cassie felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and could hear Dorothy's complaint, "People come and go so quickly here," ringing inside her own head.

Cassie gathered her courage together and walked up to an imposing façade and looked for something like a doorbell. She found nothing and simply knocked.

A rather pudgy man answered the door, "Yes?"

"Hello, I'm Cassie. My Boss seems to have abandoned me here and I am looking … well, I'm trying … actually I'm hoping to get settled in. I have recently designed my home, but heard that your kitchen might give me some inspiration in setting up my own."

The man said, "Hello, I'm Frausig Tlink, but please call Frau. I'd be happy to show you the kitchen, but I'm not sure why you would find it at all interesting." He then shouted into the interior of the house, "Sten, we have company." He escorted Cassie into the house and back through a hall to the very small kitchen.

Cassie looked around in wonder. There was a small stand with a machine no larger than a microwave and a round table with four chairs. There was nothing else. Nothing else at all. Cassie looked around. "Is this the dining room?"

"The what? You asked to see the kitchen. This is it. Was there something else you wanted to see?" asked Frau who hoped sincerely that his wife would soon appear. Apparently this woman was a lunatic.

"Hello, I'm Sten," the voice came from behind Cassie. She turned and looked at an absolutely stunning woman. She was beautiful and had a friendly, open face.

Cassie held out her hand to shake, "Hi, I'm Cassie. Watanaba Hiro suggested that I get some ideas about a kitchen from you."

Sten stopped her hand halfway to the shake, "Watanaba Hiro?" She looked over at her husband and Frau's frown was bordering on angry. "You are a friend of Hiro's?"

Cassie looked between the two angry faces and paused. Why had Hiro sent her here when these people clearly didn't like him? She wished she hadn't used his name, but he was the only person outside the bar she had met so far. Well, except these two who were now going to hate her.

"I met him in the park and he has been showing me some of the ropes here," she finally confessed. "He suggested that your kitchen was remarkable and that I might find some ideas for my own kitchen," she limped on helplessly.

"I see," said Sten.

"Well, this is it," said Frau.

"Where are the appliances? Where do you store your food? Where do you cook it or clean up? I don't understand at all. It looks like a dining room," Cassie realized she was almost whining.

"Everything is right there. The food comes from that," said Sten pointing to the small microwave looking thing. "You enter a recipe and the food comes out in serving sized portions. What were you expecting?"

Cassie really had no idea what she was expecting. She was torn between her curiosity about the food machine and her concern over why this couple apparently didn't like Hiro. Discretion being the better part of valor, she asked for a demonstration of the food machine.

Cassie's House

Cassie closed her eyes tightly and thought for quite a while. She pictured the perfect house. How much space did she really need? She needed a kitchen and dining room and a bathroom with a nice whirlpool tub, separate shower. Something easy to keep clean.

She wanted a comfortable place to sit and read and a cozy corner for entertaining. Certainly more than just Hiro would soon be stopping by. She needed to have a place for several guests – just in case.

A bedroom done in pastels, but not pink or lavender. Maybe a muted green. And large windows throughout. She loved natural light.

"What's the climate like here?" she asked Hiro.

"Whatever you want. It's usually more mild, like spring or fall. But it can get quite hot or very cold. Sunshine or snow. It's all here. why?"

"I was wondering what type of floors I should have. You had some mat things on your floors."

"Tatami mats. They are customary when I come from."

"So they weren't there for warmth or insulation?"

"Sorry, no. They are traditional Japanese matting. They had nothing to do with temperature."

"Okay, then something easy to take care of on the floors," she finally decided. She again fell silent.

Suddenly, a cottage appeared. It was relatively small, with a living area, kitchen with an eating area, study/library, and half bath downstairs and a bedroom with full bath in the loft overlooking the living area. There was a large fireplace on the southern wall of the living room.

Outside were beautiful gardens. Flowers bloomed, herbs and spices grew, and trees shaded the yard. There was a stone fence surrounding the perimeter. It was rather rustic looking – a hint of Cotswold Cottage melded with American Cabin. The overall effect was pleasing.

"Would you mind showing me what a modern 2300 kitchen looked like?" asked Cassie. "I've left the kitchen pretty empty because I'm not sure what I want in that room. The library is full of all the books I've dreamed of reading. Are there any other innovations I might want to incorporate into my house?"

Hiro thought for a while before answering, "How would I know what you might want? It is entirely possible to alter the house at any time and so it really makes no difference. But if you meet a Dunubian or some other foreign person who has a better way to live, you can get that and add it, if you see fit. I've done that with my house, but left other parts as I would like them from my own time."

"Would you like a tour with what I've done so far?" offered Cassie.

Hiro nodded and the couple walked up the walkway that laced between beds of flowers. They entered the living area and peered around.

"No fireplace tools," said Hiro.

Cassie wondered what other details she had forgotten.

Real Estate

Cassie and Hiro enjoyed the tea and the almond cookies. While relaxing and munching on the sweets, Cassie asked, "How did you find a place to live? Where are the residential sections?"

"We can walk around after we finish the tea." The tea things were placed back on the tray, which Hiro whisked off to his modern, futuristic kitchen. Then the couple went back out into the sunshine and walked around the neighborhood.

"Why is the sun still shining? We met in the late afternoon or early evening, then we walked here, then we had tea, and the sun should at least be setting or it should be night by now." Cassie just couldn't figure this place out.

"Did you want it to be night? It would be difficult to see the neighborhood if it weren't light out. See?" And with that, dusk fell and within seconds the myriad stars began to shine. The moon was crescent shaped and gave some light to the scene, but it was very difficult to see what the neighborhood looked like.

"No, I guess this is not the way to look at the houses. Perhaps if there were streetlights?" And then some lights appeared. But the lights were glaring and harsh and left pools of darkness and wavering shadows as the tree braches swept in the mild breeze and cut through the splashes of light.

"Do you really think that is better?" asked Hiro.

"No. It is actually worse." And the stars began to fade and the sun began to shine, not on the horizon, but high in the sky. The street looked bright and cheerful in the yellow haze of a spring day. There was no trash along the gutters, no peeling paint. All the houses were neatly cared for, but the architecture was highly varied. It was like no neighborhood that Cassie had ever seen in her life, even granting that the Boss had placed her in the past, present, and future.

Cassie was stunned by the sight. There were medieval castles, grass huts, Roman and Greek temples, post-modern boxy houses, geodesic domes, futuristic pinnacles with domes toward the tops. Every imaginable type of house. "Wow, who lives here?"

"We all do, or at least, we all can. There is space, just like in the bar. Everyone in the bar can have a private corner because there are no limits to the number of corners. Out here everyone can have the type of house they prefer because there is no limit. There is no limit to the space or the infrastructure needed. It just all is here. So if you need electricity, it is provided. If you need plumbing – another one of the wonderful features of society that I have taken into my own home even though it was not available in 1600 Japan – then the plumbing works. It's really quite nice here."

"Do the houses come with mortgages?"

"There is no need for money here because there is no limit to products. You may pay for your drinks at the bar, or not. There is no local currency and all forms of payment are possible, but none is actually needed."

"So I could live in one of those castles if I wanted to?"

"Yes, they are usually lived in by newcomers. After a while you learn that things aren't important here. When everyone can have everything, the things suddenly lose all their value and there is not any real need to possess them. Many newcomers start with a castle and end up with a modest space that feels comfortable rather than a showy and uncomfortable heap of worthless stones. But right now, create whatever type of house you want and you can change it at will, later. Then you can see for yourself what will suit you best."

Cassie sat on the ground and looked at a space for a few minutes. Her ideal house began to form as a picture in her mind and she adjusted it slightly. "Yes," she thought, "this is where I will live."

Tea for Two

Hiro came back into the room where he had left Cassie for a few minutes while gathering the tea supplies. He carried them in on a bamboo tray that was ornately carved with flying, fire breathing dragons. He walked to a low table and set the tray down.

"Have a seat," he motioned toward some pillows scattered around the table. Instead, Cassie stood gaping at the tray. Hiro sat and began to mess with the equipment.

"What is that? I've never seen anything like that." Cassie was baffled by the contraption sitting in the center of the tray. She knew what the cups and saucers were.

"Almond cookie type treats to go with the tea," Hiro answered.

"No, the contraption in the middle, what is that?"

"Oh, isn't this something? It is a Denubian teapot. From some future where this planet, Denub, catered to drinkers of fine tea. It does something that makes tea perfectly. I have no idea what it is made of, but it works within seconds to produce some of the best tea in the Universe. It runs on batteries, so it doesn't matter that my house here isn't wired for power."

"What? I thought you were a Samurai from some distant past and you dress like someone from the past and you have a teapot from some future?"

"Cassie, this is The Station. Everyone from everywhere is here. What happened when you shopped for your journal?"

"Well, I walked down the street and found a dry goods store and it turned into a Wal-Mart in front of my eyes and then I entered and purchased what I needed. Now that I think about it, it was laid out exactly like my Wal-Mart at home, not like some different Wal-Mart where I couldn't find anything. Isn't that handy?"

"It's not handy, it's how The Station is. But if you had wanted to shop in the dry goods store, you could have. Or it could have become any store in your era or any store in the future. What sits on that area here in The Station is a store. It become any store you want it to become. You could have shopped at … name some fancy store from your time."

"Niemen-Marcus, or Saks Fifth Avenue."

"Yes, you could have shopped there, if you had thought of that."

"Well. Mr. Samurai from the past, how did you think of a Bamboozled Teapot Store of the Future?"

Hiro laughed. It was deep, rumbling sound. "Denubian. You aren't the first person I've spoken to here. I met a Denubian who talked about the Universe's Best Tea and then was able to concoct the store. Do you think that Samurai look exactly like I do now? We don't. I really should have my hair tied in a specific topknot, but that always made my head itch. It isn't required here and so I don't do that. I carry my weapons because that is comfortable for me. Anything that I particularly liked, I've kept; that which I didn't, I've discarded.

"I've actually kept this portion of my house just as a Samurai house would be in 1600 Japan, but back in the kitchen, it's all modern. Circa 2300 in your time."

Cassie was stunned. She had no idea she would be able to have all of eternity here. She grasped now that she was the Author of this portion of her life and her Boss was without control here. She smiled to herself, but Hiro noticed the curl of her lips and smiled in response.

"Well, can we have some tea?" she asked. Hiro pushed three different areas of the teapot and within two minutes the couple was drinking some of the best tea ever made in the entire Universe.

Cassie Visits Hiro

Cassie examined Hiro's clothing while they moved toward their destination. He was dressed oddly and she asked him about it. He told her that his kamishimo (outfit) was simply a kataginu (a vest) over hakama (wide, flowing trousers) and was traditional Samurai clothing. Cassie looked at his feet encased in funny socks and wearing hemp flip-flops.

Hiro noticed her stare, "The socks are called tabi while the shoes are called waraji."

"I see what you mean about foreign words," Cassie chuckled. "I'm getting some of what you say in English, but many words remain Japanese. So you are a Samurai? How does that work?"

"Actually, I'm ronin. I have no daimyo and so am no longer an official Samurai. My Boss concocted a story about me saving my now-dead daimyo's child and then I was left to suffer the consequences of his decisions. I am not supposed to allow myself to live without a daimyo," Hiro said softly. "But with a mission from him at his death, I was still under his auspices and so I did not seppuku – what you would call 'fall on the sword' and now continue to inhabit this realm without the need for following all the rules of my culture, bushido."

Cassie tried to absorb the alienness of what he was telling her. But what she really wanted to do was touch the beautiful clothing. The shoulders on the vest were exaggerated and yet they still barely covered the expanse of chest to arm. His arms were highly muscled. The cloth itself seems to shimmer and was beautifully done in muted colors with a delightful pattern. The sash around his narrow waist held two swords.

Hiro brought Cassie to a spacious, airy, but simple house. As they entered, Hiro took the longer sword, his katana, and laid it aside. He kept the shorter sword, his wakisashi, and a small dagger called a tanto that was tucked into the top of his tabi, were left. Cassie asked if he were expecting danger.

"One of the tenets a young Samurai learns is that he must always be prepared for death, his own or someone else's. I am always armed. Always."

"Well, this is going to be interesting. I usually don't even have a nail file with me," thought Cassie as she tried to absorb the notion of violence inherent in Hiro's culture.

"My reason for being at the fountain," began Cassie, "was to begin writing in a journal. I thought that if I gathered information and help from other characters, I could somehow figure out more about The Station. Although, it seems vast and complicated, I think knowing more would be better than knowing less, which is all I have now."

Hiro could remember the terror he first felt upon arriving here and he nodded in agreement. Knowledge was power across time, space, and all the dimensions.

"Perhaps I could make tea and we could discuss what I have learned," offered Hiro. He went off to gather the proper equipment together.

Cassie remembered reading about the difficulty in preparing ceremonial Japanese tea and she wished she could just have a cup of coffee. But she didn't want to offend a heavily armed man. "Sure," she said, and prepared to wait for tea.

Cassie in the Courtyard

Cassie looked across the open space of the courtyard to the fountain placed in the center. There were benches scattered around the park, allowing for different vantage points and she chose a seat in the sunshine and against the wind.

The fountain splashed playfully as fountains usually do. Cassie wondered if they ever splashed malevolently, and figured they did that on the other side where people gazing at the spray were hit with mists of water when the wind gusted.

She took out her journal and began to write. The first thing one must do in a journal is inscribe it with name and date. She knew she was Cassie, but her surname was uncertain. It changed with the incarnations her Boss gave her. It was, perhaps, irrelevant. She knew who she was and that was sufficient. She wrote inside the front cover: "Cassie." What was the date? The Station had no real time. Characters from across time, space, and even dimensions all gathered here. So to have to enter a date was going to be impossible.

Cassie mused. She pondered. She considered, thought, deliberated, and finally decided.

Across the top of the page she neatly inscribed: "Day 1." That was a solution. The puzzle was currently solved. Now, she needed a topic. What should she write about?

She sat comfortably in the sun, feeling warmth without overheating and with the sun behind her bench, she had no need to squint. She was content in this place. Perhaps instead of writing, she could take a nap. She closed her eyes momentarily. She knew she had not been asleep when a voice disturbed her.

She opened her eyes to a glorious sight. He was tall, dark, and handsome. His hair was slightly long and his eyes were almond shaped, he seemed Oriental. He was very muscular, his chest and shoulders were broad and his hips were narrow. His legs were long and braced by a couple of sheathed swords. He was dressed oddly rather than in Western style slacks and a shirt. "Hello," Cassie said in a low voice. "Do you speak English?"

"Not really, but at The Station it makes no difference. I've been here for years and have found that we all speak and hear in our own native tongues without need for translation. The difficulty can lie in words that have no meaning in the other person's language and so an occasional foreign word creeps in. Have you been here long? By the way, my name is Watanabe Hiro, but please call me Hiro."

"Did your Boss really name you Want To Be A Hero? That is unfortunate, but at least you got an entire name. Does your Boss always play in puns?" Cassie sighed. She was hesitant to ask but plunged on, "I only closed my eyes for a second and you appeared here. How did that happen?"

"First, my name is not a pun, but an honorable Japanese name, it only sounds funny in English. Second, my appearing here was one of the quirks of The Station. There are many and they are all-pervasive. Even though I have been here for a long time, I've not discovered all there is to know. You are a recent visitor?"

"Well, I wouldn't call myself a visitor. I'm a recent inmate or perhaps prisoner. I've looked through the Boss Viewer and figure I will be here for quite some time. Have you watched your Boss?"

"At first, but it gets less interesting the longer you stay here. I'm no longer as dependent on the Boss as I once was. I've decided to become who I should have been when he created me. I've made a better life for myself here than I could have had in any of his books. Would you like to see where I live?" Hiro looked back over his shoulder in the direction of his lodgings. Then he turned his lustrous, dark eyes back to Cassie and slightly raised one eyebrow. "I won't hurt you."

Cassie looked at her journal and then back up at Hiro. "Why not," she thought, "it will give me something to write about." She picked up her supplies and said, "Sure." They walked away. Hiro had a strange rolling type gate and Cassie had to lengthen her stride to keep up.

Ah, an adventure.

Cassie's Journal

Late in the afternoon or perhaps in the early evening, things started to look up. Cassie found herself in a position of power for the first time since arriving at The Station. This horrid venue was the place where characters went when their authors were not working with them. It was sometimes considered a respite, but often was more of a prison.

The locals could peer through the Boss Viewer and watch their Boss working away. Some of them would laugh and point, others would sadly shake their heads. If they could see the Boss working, they were in The Station, and thus the story was not about them.

Like the Hotel California, people could come into the place, but leaving was only at the request of the Boss. It seems that many Bosses create characters and then never use them. They simply discard them and go on to other projects. These abandoned souls then come to The Station looking for some company and end up trapped in the world of Not Quite Useful.

Cassie was 5'5" tall and weighed 117 pounds. She had red hair and green eyes. She was athletic and quick witted. She was intelligent with just a touch of meanness, not enough to find her cruel, but just an edge to her. Her Boss would reuse the premise calling her by different variations of her name, Cassandra, Cassiopeia, or Cass. She wished to be working, but knew that the Boss was more inclined to write non-fiction and therefore she would be out of a job most of the time.

She tried to find some satisfaction in her idleness and came upon a plan. She would write a journal of the events as they occurred in The Station and see if with the help of her trapped friends, she could make something concrete to help them all.

Today she left the bar area and strode out into the town. There was a main street bathed in sunlight. It was free of the smoke and smell of the bar itself. The town was beautiful and she decided that this place would make a wonderful backdrop for her journal writing.

She felt as if she had a least a small purpose. Maybe no one in the other world would ever read about her. Maybe over there she was forever locked in the Boss's imagination. But here she was real. Here she was alive. Here she had her own thoughts, dreams, aspirations.

She looked out over Main St. and found a dry goods store. She mused that it was anachronistic for a 21st century woman and before her eyes is morphed into a Wal-Mart store. She strode up to the behemoth, entered, noticed that the greeter was one of the regulars from The Station bar, and went to the stationery department.

She left with a journal, some pencils, a few colored pens, and a smile in her heart. Not only did she now have a purpose, but there were no cash registers. This place wasn't really so bad, once you got used to it.