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were and
two times larger than the biggest Troglodyte, in order to be large
enough to surround this Sac.
    And I had no idea if this would work, or if I
and the Pillar young with us would die. I only knew that, when
faced with watching the last of their colony and, possibly, the
last Pillar in the galaxy die, I was willing to risk whatever I had
to in order to ensure that didn’t happen.
    My willingness to risk wasn’t based on the
Pillar emotionally manipulating me, or on any kind of fatalism. Roy
had actually called it correctly when we were alone – I had no idea
if I would ever have a child of my own.
    Normally, I never thought about this. We were
usually too busy trying to stay alive for me to ponder progeny or
my lack thereof. And I wouldn’t have called myself overly maternal
on a normal day.
    But this wasn’t a normal day.
    While I knew the Pillar had connected in some
way with everyone on the crew by now, I also knew that they’d
connected the most strongly with me. They could have connected to
Tresia or Ciarissa, but they’d chosen me, and I knew they
had.
    Not just because I cared and had risked my
life to save them, but because I was the only one who could, at any
time I wanted or they needed, become a Pillar. Become their mother,
both figuratively and literally.
    And I could also become something unheard of,
in the hopes of saving them.
    The first portion of this experiment worked –
both the space suit and my Polliskin layers altered with me and
didn’t rip or explode off me. So I’d have the protection these
offered, and so would the Pillar.
    True, I filled most of the hold, but I was
functioning. I’d never gone into Pillar form before; there had
never been a need. However, we’d visited Rockenroll enough, and
being heavy and strong had its advantages, so I’d assumed
Troglodyte form many times. Plus I had practice looking like one
kind of being on the outside and altering my insides into something
else.
    I altered next into the Pillar portion of my
experimental form, while remaining a Troglodyte at the same
time.
    Again, I had success. I hadn’t destroyed
myself or turned into something that couldn’t move, function, or
think. The Pillar shell was the hardest, but that was one of the
reasons I’d put on more than one Polliskin – the outermost
Polliskin layer I turned to the iron hardness of the Round Form. My
spacesuit altered to Troglodyte stone. If there were still
competitions for the most amazing shapes managed – as there had
been before the Purge – I’d have been guaranteed to win.
    I pointedly didn’t pay attention to anyone’s
expressions, Roy’s in particular. There was no way this look was
going to fulfill anyone’s fantasies. However, I was able to move,
albeit slowly, and to curl around the Birthing Sac securely. The
Sac’s rough edges didn’t bother me – I could feel them, but they
weren’t causing discomfort because my many legs were able to
position the Birthing Sac perfectly to hold it steady and not hurt
myself at the same time. Plus the Polliskins were a great
buffer.
    Ciarissa was in my mind – at my request and
Roy’s insistence. I wasn’t sure if I could communicate with anyone
properly in this form, and if things were going wrong, the Pillar
and I would have only seconds.
    “I am here, DeeDee,” she said soothingly. “I
am connected to you and the children as well.”
    “Are you too tired?”
    “Not for this.”
    I could feel straps being put on and around me
– to keep me stationary during flight and most importantly during
warp.
    “It’s almost time,” Ciarissa said. “Do you
need one of us to stay in the hold with you?”
    “Absolutely not. But please ask
Bullfrog to stay close.” If I was in
danger, he’d get to me fastest and was the strongest and so the
most likely to be able to help open me up. So to speak.
    “He is indeed staying near. But
all will be well, DeeDee. Fren is also monitoring and will use his
powers as necessary.”
    The