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feel
special."
    "The same on the Mnemosyne .
Well, I'm off to take Da'Maass to his interview. It should be interesting ."
    "You think he'll be accepted?"
Pavao asked.
    "Oh, yes. The interesting part will be
to see who decides to have him as a host."
    * * *
    Da'Maass was quiet on the ride to Rupea.
    I doubted he was having second
thoughts, but I hoped his orientation helped him understand the cost of flying those
magical ships .
    After an hour trek into the wilderness,
we arrived at a semi-circle of Riss.
    He stopped short for a few seconds, and
his face paled. I think for the first time in his life he felt fear. He was
facing a life changing decision. Then he smiled and walked to a boulder some six
meters in front of the group and sat.
    The question and answer session lasted over four
hours .
    I called a halt for the day. The Riss
and Da'Maass needed a rest and time to consider what had been said. The
discussions had been interesting . The Riss had been more philosophical than
with Pavao or me, and Da'Maass had been brutally honest.
    "Wow, that was interesting. I
hadn’t realized what a bastard I was and how much my thinking has changed since
the Treaty," he said as we sat in the Rupea Snow Top’s main dining room.
    "Yes, we’re a product of our
environment. The question is whether we’re capable of adapting when that
environment changes. I’d imagine it would depend on how radical the change." For me the hardest part had been learning to deal with people , as I had
tended to be a loner. The SAS system with its hierarchical structure was
difficult. Conversely, the Riss system, where everyone is equal, I found easy.
    Being a Riss-brother would be easy for
Da'Maass—he understood clan . But his ideas of life and death were not the
same as the Riss. Only time would tell. "I think I understand you better
now. I knew the Riss were intelligent. What I didn't understand was they’re
real people with distinct personalities and professional interests. Thalia
enjoys life and is…"
    "A mathematician."
    "I can now understand that having
another person in your… vehicle with you for life might not be something most
people would want."
    "What about you?"
    "I could use a conscience." He
shook his head with a wry smile.
    * * *
    The
questioning went on for four days and was intense at times. Da'Maass never tried to avoid
the difficult questions and was equally probing. I was notified the next day
that three Riss were willing to host him, which surprised me. The Riss Snowy
mountain trails with shadows from the setting sun was the most interested. Her position had been scouting and
intelligence gathering. I notified her, Da'Maass, and Pavao to meet me on the Mnemosyne .
    * * *
    "Good day, Doctor Dayton. Are you
ready for another Riss insertion?" I said as I entered her office. She sat
at her desk, immersed in something on her medical tablet .
    She laid the tablet on her desk. "That
was very quick. I thought it would take months to find, test, and
accept one. The criteria are very narrow , otherwise I might have applied," she said
with a smile. "Oh, Da’Maass. That was the reason for the physical. I know
members of the clans are eligible to apply, but isn't that dangerous?"
    "No, not at all. If you were inside
someone and could take complete control over that person at any time, would you
allow them to do something against everything you believed in?"
    "I see your point, although I doubt
most of the fleet would . I guess I find it hard to accept ex-Raiders,
which they would have to be to qualify, as ideal candidates. They were
killers and worse."
    "It's interesting. We endeavor to
rehabilitate criminals rather than keep them incarcerated, but we never really trust or
forgive them. The Riss don't hate, so they have nothing to forgive. As for
trust, it's impossible to deceive a Riss who knows your thoughts and
feelings."
    I watched Dayton while she considered
what I had said. When she nodded, I continued. "If the candidate is
sincere, he