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furrowed and he, too, began wondering what Atton meant by that.
    “Love, for one. I spent the night before The Choosing with a woman named Ceyla Corbin, a pilot from my old squadron. The next day she chose to become a Null, while I chose to go to Etheria.”
    Hoff began to suspect where this was going, but he didn’t understand. Relationships between Nulls and Etherians never worked. Only Etherians were allowed to cross the Styx, and their visits were limited. People couldn’t share a life together with a physical wall separating them.
    Atton went on, “I begged Omnius to give me another chance, to help me convince Ceyla that I’m still the same person I was before the Choosing. She believes that we have a soul and that it passes on when we die, or in my case, transfers to the body of an immortal clone. Because of that, she told me even before I ascended that she wouldn’t want to see me after I was resurrected. She’d already made up her mind that the real me would die during transfer, and all that would be left is a convincing copy. So, I made a deal with Omnius to win Ceyla’s heart without her realizing who I am. In exchange, I’ve been working undercover in the Null Zone to help prevent an organized Null rebellion.”
    “Go on,” Hoff said.
    “Well, Ceyla and I have been dating for the past six months, and—”
    “No,” Destra said.
    “Mom, just listen.”
    Destra shook her head. “You can’t become a Null, Atton! For the love of a woman? What about us? What about Omnius? Etheria? Don’t throw away an eternity in paradise for a love that you could just as easily find with someone else—someone from the Uppers!”
    Hoff watched Atton’s green eyes flash and his features darken. “I’ve already made up my mind. Tomorrow, on our six-month anniversary, I’m going to ask Ceyla to marry me.”
    “I suppose you’ve come to ask for our blessing,” Destra said, sounding equal parts hurt and angry.
    “That would be nice to have, but no, I’ve come to share the good news with you, and to ask you all to come down and meet Ceyla in the Null Zone—assuming she agrees to marry me of course.”
    “Go down there ?” Destra sounded frightened at the very thought of it.
    “We’ll meet somewhere safe,” Atton said.
    “There isn’t anywhere safe! That’s why we have a shield to keep them away from us!”
    Hoff raised his hands for quiet. As he lowered them, he found Destra’s knee under the table and he squeezed it just hard enough to convey a warning. “I’m curious, how did Omnius help you win this woman’s heart without her realizing who you are?”
    “That’s the other surprise I came to share. Brace yourselves; this might come as a shock…”
    Dinner sat steaming on their plates, rapidly cooling, but no one moved to touch their food. All eyes were on Atton, waiting for something unexpected to happen. Then, suddenly, Atton’s features shimmered and morphed from the green eyes, dark hair, and oval face of the boy they knew, to the face of a complete stranger. Golden eyes replaced green; brown hair replaced black; and gaunt cheeks and sharply-defined features replaced his boyish good looks. Atton’s new appearance was sinister, though Hoff supposed others might have said he looked dangerous .
    Beside him, Destra gasped, but Hoff smiled with sudden understanding. “A bio-synthetic suit.”
    Atton nodded. “Yes.” Even his voice was different. “Unfortunately, a bio-synthetic suit isn’t enough to fool someone who lives with you. That degree of intimacy leaves considerable room for failure, and I couldn’t afford for Ceyla to see through my disguise too soon.”
    “Atton, what did you do? ” Destra asked, sounding horrified.
    “The face you saw a moment ago, the face of Atton, was the one projected by the suit. This one is real. It’s the face of Darin Thardris, the estranged grandson of Vladin Thardris.”
    “You transferred to another body?” Destra said.
    “Can I do that?” Atta