Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“So now nobody on Zeaga Four is allowed to have emotions?” Lili asked.
“No, they’re not! No, they’re not!” Yipper exclaimed. “It’s a crime punishable by death to be caught feeling. Which is why Zeaga Four is now considered a Closed Planet and not safe to travel to.”
“Well, what if you wanted to travel there anyway?” Lili asked.
“Lili, no—they have permanent emotion dampers now—remember?” Rachel said, shaking her head.
“I don’t care!” Lili said stubbornly. “You heard what Yipper said—they left because they were sad that they couldn’t Bond with me. But now we have a way to Bond. I can’t just give up on them!” She looked at Yipper. “Is there any way to break through to them? Or to remove the new dampers?”
Yipper looked mournful.
“The new dampers aren’t mechanical—no they’re not, no they’re not. They’re a chemical block in the brain.”
“But could you break through the block?” Lili demanded. “I mean, if you have a strong enough stimulus? Could you?”
“I suppose it’s possible…” Yipper still looked uncertain. “But it wouldn’t be easy. No it wouldn’t, no it wouldn’t.”
“I don’t care if it’s easy or hard or what, I’m going to do it.” Lili lifted her chin. “I’m going to go find them and remind them of what we meant to each other.”
“Lili, no—it’s not safe!” Rachel protested. “Why don’t you just get someone to take you into orbit around Zeaga Four and contact them with a Think-me instead of going to the actual planet?”
“I’m afraid that Z4 is shielded against all outside communication—even thought waves,” Yipper told them.
“You see?” Lili asked. “I have to go. Besides, I’m sure I have a much better chance of persuading them to come back with me in person.”
“But you heard what Yipper and Commander Sylvan said—Zeaga Four is a dangerous planet if you have emotions. And you have emotions—all kinds of them!” Rachel protested.
“Well…ut might be possible to mask Lili’s emotions. Yes, it might, yes, it might,” Yipper murmured.
“What did you say? Do you mean that?” Lili exclaimed, looking at him anxiously. His furry brow was furrowed and there was a look of deep concentration on his face.
“Let me think about it,” he said to Lili. “It would require some enhancements on your part, I think.”
“You mean…cyborg parts?” Lili asked uncertainly.
“Or at least the appearance of them,” Yipper said. “It would take a long time to make you actual enhancements suited just to your body. But fake ones would be easy to craft. No one could tell the difference unless they studied you closely. No they couldn’t, no they couldn’t.”
“But what about Lili’s feelings?” Rachel asked again.
“We could give her a temporary emotion damper. Yes we could, yes we could,” Yipper said thoughtfully. “That way she could go to Zeaga Four and search for Dark and Light.”
“Search a whole planet?” Rachel still sounded skeptical. “That’s crazy!”
“Actually, I do have some trackers for them,” Yipper remarked. “As the surgeon overseeing their emotional transition, I was required to implant a tracking chip into each of their enhancements so that I would know where they were in case trouble started. And I believe I still have them—yes I do, yes I do!”
Lili began to feel excited.
“If I can get to Zeaga Four, all I have to do is convince them to come with me back to the Mother Ship and then I can work on breaking through their blocks and getting them to feel again!” she exclaimed.
Rachel still looked worried.
“Lili, are you sure? I mean, think about it—you’re talking about going to a very dangerous planet where they’ll kill you for having feelings and trying to convince two huge, emotionless cyborg guys to come home with you when they have absolutely no incentive to come! And even if you do convince them, there’s no guarantee you can break through their mental blocks and bring them back to you. Are you sure it’s worth the effort?”
Lili lifted her chin.
“Dark and Light are definitely worth the effort.” She looked at her friend. “I know it sounds crazy since I spent less than a week with them, but Rachel—I love them. And we belong together—I just know it.”
Rachel sighed and shook her head.
“Well…I guess the heart wants what the heart wants. If we can get permission from Commander Sylvan, I’ll ask Brock if he’ll fly you.”
“Thank you for supporting me!” Lili threw her arms around her friend’s neck and gave her a hug. “I know it sounds like a risky plan,” she whispered in Rachel’s ear. “But it’s going to work—I just know it!”
“From your lips to the Goddess’s ear,” Rachel remarked, shaking her head. But she hugged Lili back and kissed her cheek. “I hope you’re right.”
“I know I am,” Lili said. “Just watch—I’m going to be Bonded to Dark and Light before the week is out!”
Rachel laughed and pulled back.