Felix opened the door before him and crept slowly into a dark room. He could only make out vague shapes in the low light until the door slid shut and he lost all light. Once the door closed he took a few more steps then he paused, Felix could sense Lloyd was there with him. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, a moment went by as Felix attempted to gain a lock.

Felix darted to his side just as Lloyd had pounced. Coming in from 7:30 on a 45, Lloyd landed on his feet where Felix had been. Felix spun around just as the lights came on. There standing before him was Lloyd, for he knew it was him despite the stranger's face staring back at him.

"Ah, so you can still sense me," Lloyd chuckled with a hearty grin.

"Still got it," Felix smirked still pulling a face from the adjusted lighting, "so how are you feeling?"

"Fantastic! I feel bloody amazing. This body feels like I'm still alive, it's absolutely surreal." Lloyd announced with the youthful fieriness Felix had first found so inspiring about him.

"The Tarrax continue to amaze," he added.

"That they do," nodded Felix, "and well, you are still alive technically anyway. So why do you look like this guy? Did Erranos pluck a model at random from someone on-board?"

Lloyd snickered. He touched his face, caressing his chin, "this is no human copy," Lloyd chuckled. Felix narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips trying to work it out. "You're looking at an original Tarrax. Erranos, to be specific. Before they all went to using the drone bodies."

"What?" Felix choked, nearly falling over, "how is that possible?" he demanded with shock all over his face.

"Well, actually I'm hoping you and Maddie can tell us. Erranos can give you access to the Tarraxen genetic code for a comparison if you'd like. I'm no scientist but they must be bloody close," surmised Lloyd.

"Yeah I bet, pretty remarkable," agreed Felix. He appeared absent minded as he mumbled something about convergent evolution before his face then turned serious. He looked Lloyd dead in the eye, "so why am I here and not Eva?" asked Felix but Lloyd froze, shocked, he didn't think Felix would be so impetuous. With his new found ability to peer into the minds of others Felix saw little need for pretence, in fact he found it tedious now more so than ever.

"I can't let her see me like this," Lloyd attempted to rationalise, he whimpered as he shook his head slowly.

"Cut the crap!" snapped Felix, "like what exactly? Alive? Happy? Huh?" he barked. Lloyd chose not to respond. "Sure you look different, but who fucking cares? Everything that makes you who you are is still there, your courage, your integrity, even your confidence which seems rather lacking at present. All the things that made me respect you and cherish our friendship have nothing to do with what you look like!" Felix panted from his rant. After a moment of waiting on Lloyd to respond he had his breath back.

"This may sound silly but I was going to tell her I loved her after we got back from rescuing Gaia. After what happened I guess I just lost my nerve," Lloyd explained, "I just don't know how she could look a stranger in the eyes and say it back."

"Look buddy," Felix had calmed himself and now spoke more casually. "I can't say how she would react or what she might say but all I know is she wants to see you. So what are you going to do?"

"I want to see her too," he stated intrepidly, "will you ask her to come by?" Lloyd requested. Felix remained silent, instead he slowly crept backward towards the door and banged on it loudly three times.

"Sure I can do that," he snickered, so proud of his cunning plan.

Lloyd looked mortified, having been put on the spot. The door opened and Felix ran out without another word. Lloyd's synthetic body trembled in response to his overrun mind. He was unable to speak as he tried to grasp what Felix had done. His anxiety turned to relief when he at last saw her.

Eva had tiptoed from around the corner and stood there in the doorway. Her face was calm with the slightest hint of exhilaration, she was beyond overjoyed to see him but thought it best to remain calm for she didn't wish to provoke any further emotions until they had both had a chance to clear the air.

"Hi," Lloyd mustered nervously.

"Hi," she answered, giddy with delight.

"Hi," he repeated as if caught in a loop.

Eva giggled, "hey, just relax, I know this is a little awkward but I'm really glad to see you."

"Yeah, me too," he smiled, "I'm sorry if I made you worry," Lloyd consoled.

"If!" she snapped, "I watched you die!" Her plan to remain composed had all but vanished, "of course I was worried you idiot. I thought I'd lost you," she then cleared her throat, remembering her plan, "I have something important to say."

"No wait," Lloyd jumped in, "please let me go first." Eva smiled, she approached and stared back at him waiting on his words. Lloyd opened his mouth only to feel nervous beyond words and then hesitated. Eva could see he was struggling to open up to her. She wondered if he was acting this way because of his transformation or if he would have been just as shy had they returned unscathed from Gaia. He took her hands into his own,"Eva I love you."

Eva beamed with ecstasy, she lifted his right hand cradling it against her cheek, "you're alright, I guess," she sighed. Lloyd's face dropped, though he no longer had such organs he could still feel as though his stomach was in knots. "Kidding! I love you too, you big idiot." She moved in and they kissed softly. Eva had pondered about such a sensation, to her surprise, perhaps because she was so overcome with emotion. She felt as though she was kissing the same man she had fallen in love with. The fact that Lloyd was now mostly an inorganic machine had escaped her thoughts for that blissful moment.

Meanwhile Felix had run off to report back to Maddison and Emelia like a gossiping schoolgirl, giddy at his own hand in the fated reunion. Felix found them on the bridge with Erranos.

Everything was ready to go and Gaia was about to be integrated into the Lotar's systems. Felix pointed out that Lloyd and Eva should be there too when Gaia was activated. Maddison agreed wholeheartedly and she rushed off to find Councillor Bligh too.

With all present and finally ready, Erranos began the sequence. For their convenience Erranos made a display on the main view-screen to represent the task progression as a percentage of completion. They watched on as the progress bar grew and grew. Their anticipation rose to a climax as the task hit 99% then froze for a few seconds before going completely blank.

The bridge was completely silent, unsure if they had succeeded until an all too familiar voice addressed them, "check, 1 2, check check, hello, is this thing on?"

"Gaia!" they cheered in unison. Maddison and Bligh had started to weep.

"Hello my children. It's so wonderful to hear your voices," sung Gaia cheerfully. There were hugs all around as they revelled in their success, even Erranos found he had Maddison clinging to him blissfully for a brief moment. "Not as roomy as the last gig, but I like the new toys," she laughed, "but, I can't see anything though," she fretted.

"It may take a few moments for your program to completely adapt to the ships systems," Erranos advised.

"Ah, yes of course. One moment, I think I've found the internal sensors," said Gaia as a few odd lights flashed and flickered on the Bridge while she stretched her new figurative legs. "Much better. At least now I can see you all," she added. "Oh my. Lloyd, is that you?"

"Yes, Gaia, I was injured on our last mission. But I have been reborn in this form," Lloyd stated proudly as Eva put her arm around him.

"Mission? You don't mean my extraction do you?" Gaia enquired with distress in her voice.

"Yes, but I would have gladly given my life to save you. In fact, I did. Luckily, Erranos was able to bring me back as it were," he noted in solace.

"I see, well I'm glad you're here now. Thank you all for your sacrifices to help me. I am eternally grateful." Gaia paused a moment for she knew her next statement would be a much harder pill to swallow, "I'm sorry that you have all lost so much. Please forgive me."

They all protested Gaia's acceptance of fault. They knew well the capacity of the Scourge and no one, not even for a second thought Gaia to be responsible.

Satisfied that Gaia was now secure, Lloyd and Eva left to go check on the prisoners. Felix decided to join Bligh in consoling the Gaia refugees and make sure they were settling in fine, he was just about to ask Maddison to join them when Gaia spoke up.

"Maddison?" called Gaia softly.

"Yes, Gaia?" she responded cheerfully as Felix smiled and escorted Bligh off the bridge.

"I'm so sorry about your Mother, Dear. I hope you and your father can help each other through the pain," confessed Gaia in a solemn tone.

"What?" Maddison blurted, "my dad's alive?"

"You didn't know, Dear? His name is on the refugee manifesto, I'm certain," confirmed Gaia.

"I never finished reading it!" Maddison confessed still in shock, "thank you Gaia," she sang out as she left the bridge in haste. Emelia unsure of her role decided to remain with Erranos on the bridge. Though she felt very close to Maddison, Emelia knew well enough that being seen together with her would be too much for Silas to take in.

Charging toward the quarters of the refugees Maddison could not believe how fate had smiled upon her, despite so much loss she at least had someone from her past aside from Felix to accompany her into the future. Stopping at the junction toward the refugee section Maddison checked through the manifesto scrupulously. She found her father's name and she jumped up and down from sheer excitement. After locating her father's section she took off to find him at high speed.

Silas had been roaming the sections of the ship allocated to the refugees. He was uncomfortable with the lack of colour, he was always more at home amongst his photosynthesising friends. Silas enjoyed the soothing natural tones of the tree bark and the alluring colours of the autumn leaves. After losing his wife to the Scourge attack, his greatest regret was not being able to gather some seeds before fleeing to safety.

Maddison at last found him conversing with one of the Tarras in a quiet corridor. "Daddy!" she called out as she bolted toward him already teary-eyed. Silas was reduced to tears the second he opened his arms to catch his daughter. The two stood in silence for over a minute as they held one another with tears flowing. "I'm so sorry, I would have come sooner I only just found out you were here."

Silas smiled back at his daughter. "Not to worry, I'm just relieved you're safe. But how did you get here? What is this place?" he questioned her calmly though cautiously.

Maddison wiped her eyes in an attempt to be strong, "Dad, I have so much to tell you. Let's go to your room and sit down." They went back to the quarters allocated to Silas and there Maddison explained everything as best she could. From the mutiny and the Drusai to the Tarrax and the Scourge. It was all quite a lot for Silas to process but he did his best to listen, occasionally asking Maddison to slow down or repeat something. The ultimate question arising at the conclusion of her presentation. Where to next?
Gaia station was overrun by the Scourge and now scheduled for demolition when the Tarrax reinforcements arrived. Maddison pointed out that they would need to discuss with Erranos and Bligh what their next course of action should be. So Silas accompanied Maddison through the ship to find Felix, Eva and Lloyd. They all met back on the bridge, where they found that alongside Erranos and Emelia was a second Tarraxen drone.

"What's with the drone Erranos? Do we have security issues? Felix questioned in jest.

"Why no Dear," the drone responded cheerfully. The humans all simultaneously lost control of their lower jaws in hearing her voice.

"Gaia? Is that you?" asked Eva completely caught off guard.

"Yes, Eva. Erranos informed me I was able to activate these drones at will and even occupy one, allowing me the freedom to quite literally walk around," she declared with exuberance.

"Whoa!" Felix and Lloyd squealed in harmony, "that's so awesome!" Felix proclaimed, "but it's, well, it's just not how I imagined you'd look."

"Oh yes, I definitely agree Felix," Gaia nodded, "however, I'm already working on that," she eluded. Gaia was ecstatic once she learned she could move freely around the ship and interact with others in a much more personal sense. The only thing that bothered her and only in the slightest, was that she was identical to Erranos, along with every other drone and she didn't appear at all how she had always envisioned herself. Having a body wasn't quite the same without a face to go with it.

"Surely you know what this means then?" called out Maddison. The group all pondered her question, unsure as to where it led, "now we can give you hugs!" she screeched with glee. With that, Maddison bounded over and put her arms around the Gaia drone. Gaia hugged her back and the entire bridge fell silent for a blissful moment as the childhood dream of almost all of Gaia's children had now been realised. Gaia had always been the third parent to her children, always there to offer advice or kind words, but only ever to be heard and not touched or felt.

As Maddison and Gaia released their embrace Lloyd had been preparing to ask a question, "Gaia, what did you mean by you're already working on it?"

"Oh yes, well you see Erranos advised me I have full access to the ship's systems and that includes the robotics labs. So I have decided to build myself a new body, it will be quite the makeover I assure you," Gaia giggled.

The group was stunned, they had no question with the thought that Tarraxen technology could easily pull off such a feat but they all began to visualise what Gaia's true form would be. Gaia thought it would be much easier to show them her progress and ask for some input too. So the group headed off to inspect Gaia's personal project. Eva remained behind, there was something on her mind, something she wished to ask Erranos.

Erranos noticed that Eva had remained behind on the bridge and initiated dialogue himself. "Yes, Eva? Is there something I can help you with?"

Without a moment's hesitation, she blurted it out, as though she had already planned out her entire sentence after mulling it over for hours. "Is it at all possible to build a new body for Lloyd? Could he look the way he once did? Would he survive such a transfer now?" She asked feverishly whilst going red in the face.

"It can be done. The mechanism containing his brain is interchangeable into other vessels. As far as his appearance, the ship has thousands of previous scans from internal sensors. It may not be an exact replica, but a satisfactory likeness is attainable." As he finished his sentence Erranos found that Eva had approached him and hugged him. Although pressure and temperature sensors allowed him to feel her touch, it was only when he realised that his simple response had achieved that reaction, that he knew he had said something so wonderful in her eyes. "Shall I begin construction?" he asked promptly.

"Hold off for just a little while," she answered wiping away her tears, "this was just me asking, let me speak with him first."

"Very well," Erranos nodded as Eva skipped from the bridge in search of her lover like a puppy following a chance at food.

Eva entered the robotics lab to find a holographic image of an elderly woman hovering in the air. She spotted Maddison standing with the others. Maddison waved her over and she was able to see the holographic form from head-on.

The Gaia drone waved her hands in the air with grace and purpose, as if conducting an orchestra. Each gesture resulting in a subtle alteration to the contours of the aged face. "I'm still not sold on the hair mind you," she announced, "perhaps more curls, yes, yes," she reassured herself as if her internal debate had reached an external settlement.

Eva asked Lloyd to accompany her into the corridor so they could speak privately. She practically dragged him by his arm as he tried to watch as Gaia made her finishing touches.

"So what's up?" he asked as he stared into her intense eyes finally accepting he would miss out on the rest of Gaia's presentation.

"I know you're happy with this new body," she stated as she caressed his arm, "but what if you could change how it looked?"

"Change it? Like size and colours?" he asked with excitement growing at the thought of a customised body.

"No, Baby. I mean if you had the choice, would you prefer to look how you used to? You know, before the accident?" Eva explained.

Lloyd looked puzzled, "from before? Like my original face and body?"

"Yes," she answered calmly, trying to hide her approval, "there's nothing wrong with you like this, let me stress that, I just wanted to know what you thought."

"I see, well I had already accepted my fate, but I think I would prefer to look like my old self. I certainly was handsome," he winked as he nudged her side with his elbow.

Eva rolled her eyes as she tried to hide her smile, "whatever you want to do, I'll stand by you," she assured him.

Over the following days, Gaia had completed her new body and moved in without hesitation. She was a shorter woman of advanced years, her face was sweet with just enough wrinkles to convey her aged wisdom, but not so many as to make her seem ancient. Her short hair was a light grey and bountiful with loose curls, so much that it bounced as she walked. And with legs that wouldn't quit, walk she did, constantly. Never before had Gaia been able to interact with her children in such an intimate way. Within 24 hours, her hug count had climbed into the hundreds. Maddison too had made sure to get her chance at the new and improved Gaia before the masses had their turn.

Gaia was always smiling, she was overjoyed at her new lease on life. She also hoped to lift the spirits of her children wherever possible, for she knew as well as they did, that in addition to all those lost, the survivors no longer had a home.