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Pillar with us are young children. They’re
curious and, right now, they’re very afraid. Horror and devastation
cause beings to not think right all the time, as our good doctor
mentioned earlier. They wanted to be sure that the beings rescuing
them weren’t worse than the beings that had destroyed their entire
colony.”
    “I didn’t feel emotionally manipulated,” Roy
protested.
    “Me either, and I don’t buy it,” Willy said.
“I think you’re all jumping to a heck of a conclusion, little
girl.”
    “I spent most of the time we were hiding from
the Diamante Cruiser being afraid. Of Roy, of all of you deserting
us. Of other things, things I’ve never worried about since our
first mission together. I firmly believe my emotions were
influenced by the Pillar, so they could see if their fears were
grounded or not.”
    Tresia nodded. “I experienced the same – the
same fears, and the same reasoning that my fears were
groundless.”
    “I’m not a fan of the Pillar,” Willy said.
“Don’t wish ‘em ill, but they were never my favorite aliens. So how
did they affect me?”
    “I think they just helped you speak out. Note
that you still helped rescue them. I don’t think they care that you
don’t want to hang out with them, Willy. I think they care that
you’re trying to help figure out how to keep them alive, despite
not having affinity for their race.”
    Doven nodded. “It proves you are not like the
Diamante Families and their troops.”
    “That makes sense, but why affect me to not
want to search for them?” Roy asked.
    “Because the proof of what kind of beings we
are was based on that, my boy. What would we do when our captain
and leader told us to let them die? What would that captain do when
we were insubordinate?”
    “Get pissed off,” Kyle muttered.
    Willy cocked his head. “Yeah, the kid’s right.
So, Roy was angry with the situation, I wasn’t happy, but you three
went and helped anyway. Four, really, because Kyle couldn’t wait to
get a spacesuit on.”
    “Everyone likes to get in on the action
sometimes,” I pointed out. Then went on quickly, lest Roy start
lecturing Kyle about how he shouldn’t risk himself ever. Basically,
if Roy could keep his entire crew wrapped up safe and tight and
still manage to do the work we needed to, he would. “But are you
angry now?”
    Roy sighed. “I’d love to say yes, but I’m
frankly far more worried than anything else.”
    “I hear the babies talking, in that sense,”
Willy said. “They’re alive and happy to be so. So, no, I’m not
angry.”
    “I feel them as well,” Doven said. “They seem
to…like us.”
    “All of us?” Roy asked a little
suspiciously.
    “Ask them yourselves,” I suggested.
    “I don’t know how,” Roy said. “I don’t feel
anything different.”
    Willy barked a laugh. “Roy, if they’re talking
to me, they’ll talk to you.”
    “Maybe they won’t –” Roy jerked. “Oh.
That’s…different. Are you sure they’re telepathic? It feels all
emotional to me. They’re kind of…hugging me and apologizing for
being afraid?”
    “Probably they are, yes.” I felt the Pillar
tell me I was correct.
    “Empathy is rare,” Ciarissa said, “but not
unheard of, and it’s definitely a telepathic trait. A specialty, if
you will. Most Espens don’t focus on emotion manipulation because
controlling the mind is more effective.”
    “Or the body,” Dr. Wufren said cheerfully.
Then he looked at me and no longer appeared cheerful. “You’re going
to be the only one capable of doing what must be done.”
    “I know.”
    “What do you mean?” Kyle asked. “They’re in
Round Form. We can get them into one or two Polliskins easily
enough, same with the space suit or suits.”
    “Yes, but that won’t be enough. And I don’t
think we actually want to remove them from the Birthing Sac.
However, your idea is still a good one, Kyle.” I went and gave Roy
a kiss. “Help me get into a Polliskin or six, will