Doxonica felt the corners of her mouth curving in amusement. She leisurely ran her hand through her hair and shook it out as she listened to the blaring voicemail. "You little wretch! You think you're clever? You think I wouldn't know you did it? I reckon Mom put this idea into your head. Or that sleazeball, Mavis!" Aunt Noiry was seething. "Don't you dare think for a second you will get away with this! You will pay dearly! I will show the galaxy what you did! I will burn down your company to ashes and cinders!"

Is that a confession for burning my train down? Doxonica mused as she sat up in her bed.

"Mom said you've gone to Karomoz. You think you're safe there? You think I will let you and that sleazeball partner up? I will come to Karomoz, and I will tear everything—"

Alright, I've heard enough, Doxonica thought with a chuckle and stopped the audio. She looked at the time on her holophone — seven in the morning. Oh my, someone was in a hurry to install the PFTs, Doxonica thought.

She brought up the notifications once again. A slew of missed calls — most of them from Aunt Noiry — texts, voice mails, and emails showed up.

She searched through the mess for correspondence from Ifer and read through the news he had. It was soon apparent that Aunt Noiry's train was completely bust — but most importantly, there was no proof that Doxonica was responsible.

After all, she was just repaying her aunt in kind. Not that Doxonica had ever had any doubts, but her security team had acquired footage of a gangster lurking around the Sonic Boom. He had turned out to be involved in previous acts of terrorism — the same ones Aunt Noiry's company had been notoriously involved with and had suffered penalties for.

So, Doxonica spent an entire day as she methodically took apart the PFTs piece by piece, making sure she would cause no permanent damage. She studied the inner workings with the most powerful microscopes and sonoprobes she had available. She had always been a quick learner — something Grandma Revana always reminded her of. Her efforts finally paid off when she found out that some of the transistors used in the PFTs could easily be caused to overheat if a few circuits were altered ever so slightly.

So, she set to work and carefully made the imperceptible changes. When she was done, she and Ifer reassembled the PFTs, with no signs that they had ever been dismantled.

The next day, they had sold the PFTs to her aunt — at half the price Doxonica had paid for them. I would love to invite you to the inauguration tomorrow, but I am sure you must have your troubles to attend to, Aunt Noiry had said with a concerned look. Little did she know she had just bought troubles of her own.

I wanted to be there at the inauguration, too, Aunt, Doxonica thought. She caught herself smiling in the mirror on the opposite wall, still in her yellow baby doll pajamas. That brought her back to the present. She had almost forgotten she was on Karomoz.

The walls of her room were yellow, as were the tulips in the window, which gave a view of the stark white hangar outside. She had flown her Amphipod Z all the way from Vibraudio to her privately owned hangar on the Karomozian spaceport. Doxonica was the proud inventor of the transport vessel described in lay terms as a 'spacecar.'

It could not only glide through the vacuum of space using its efficient thrusters but, after landing and tucking in its wings and other flying apparatus, it could discreetly move about on the land just like any other campervan. Doxonica had kept it as minimal as possible with only a bedroom with an en suite bathroom, a living room with a kitchenette, and the cockpit up front.

Doxonica threw her sheets back and jumped out of bed. She moved out the door into the considerably wider center of the Amphipod that served as a makeshift living room. In the middle was a circular depression, set with a round coffee table, which was surrounded on three sides by a yellow, leather sofa. Nearer to Doxonica was the kitchenette with its marble counters. As Doxonica gestured with her hand, a hologram materialized above the coffee table. She wondered if there would be any news as she flipped through the channels. She did not really believe so, as there had been no destruction or fireworks — just an anticlimactic disablement of poor Aunt Noiry's train.

"We have rounded up a lot of the fighters, but we still need your help," some actress named Pinz Ailoraw was saying on a channel. Wait, is she... Doxonica tried to jog her memory. Is she the one who ordered a custom-made trailer from us, or the one who got a train station built next to her mansion? "Some people have stepped up and contacted us—" the actress continued before Doxonica shrugged and changed the channel, unable to remember correctly.

There was no news of Aunt Noiry's predicament on any channel. That's not good, Doxonica thought, disappointed, as she gestured the hologram away. She had initially asked Ifer to arrange a meeting with Rik Mavis but then had decided against it. She had hoped that Aunt Noiry would kick up such a fuss about the PFTs that it would be broadcast everywhere and eventually reach Mavis — and then, he would be forced to contact Doxonica.

Suddenly, her holophone rang. In a surge of excitement, Doxonica yanked it and looked at the display. Once again, her hopes were shattered. Grandma Revana was calling.

Doxonica had been dreading her call, not least when she saw Grandma's name among the numerous missed calls. She inhaled deeply to brace herself and picked the call.

"At last! Why has your phone been busy for the last hour? I have been worried, sick! Who could you possibly have been talking to for that long? Oh, dear, please don't tell me it was that COO of yours, Melodver, or whatever — forgot that boy's name, bless his heart..."

"Ifer—"

"No, I don't care what his name is! That's precisely why I forgot it! He is the reason you have got so dull lately. I mean, you used to be so bright and intelligent!" Grandma's quivering yet firm voice began its relentless barrage. "Or were you talking to your aunt? I really don't know if that's better or worse—"

Doxonica struggled to find a pause and interrupted, "I just woke up, Grandma!"

Doxonica heard a deep sigh on the other end. "Ah, not only does my honeybunch now sneak off to other planets without telling me, but she lies to my face as well. It's like I don't know you anymore, honeybun."

"But..." Doxonica tried to protest but then realized what must have happened. "I seem to have missed a lot of calls, Grandma. Perhaps, you were calling at the same time other people were. Also, I couldn't lie to your face even if I wanted to — you have your back camera on."

"Oh," Grandma exclaimed. "Stupid phone."

Doxonica waited as the hologram emanating from her phone changed from a view of Grandma's feet on her bed to Grandma's face.

Grandma had her graying hair in a bun, and although right now, her twinkling, brown eyes had little bags under them, even at this age, Grandma looked radiant and sprightly.

"So, tell me, honeybunch. What's going on? Noiry called me earlier. From all the noise she made, I gathered she accused you of wrecking her train. Is that true, honey?" Grandma inquired.

"I can't talk about these things on the phone, Grandma," Doxonica replied hesitantly. "And well, she did burn down my train," she added and let her words hang.

"And what's all this about going to Karomoz? I only found out from Horvanfer. You trust your COO more than your grandma?" Grandma asked, with a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Of course not, Grandma," Doxonica replied instantly. "I just knew that if I told you, you wouldn't let me go."

"You bet I wouldn't!" Grandma said firmly. "So, why did you go to Karomoz?"

"To talk to Mavis," Doxonica replied as she walked over to sit on the sofa. "I need him to acquire more PFTs."

"Oh," Grandma said, again with a touch of disappointment. "I thought..." she said before trailing off.

"What?" Doxonica asked.

"Well... you know... I thought you had gone to meet someone else," Grandma muttered.

Doxonica frowned. She did not like what she thought Grandma was implying one bit. How could that thought even enter her mind? Still, she decided to see if Grandma really meant what she thought. "Who?" she asked guardedly, looking Grandma in the eye.

Grandma shifted uncomfortably in her bed. "Your... father," she mumbled.

Doxonica let out a snort. She cast her eyes around the living room of the Amphipod, biting her lip. I wish I hadn't asked. Not knowing what else to do, she scratched her nose before she gazed back at her grandmother. "Why did you even—"

"I know, honeybunch, I know. You hate him, and darn right, you should. He is worse than rat scum! It's just that—"

"Grandma—"

"Since you went to that planet—"

"Grandma!" Doxonica said firmly, making Grandma stop talking. "I know you have a soft corner for him... and I understand, I really do. You are his mother, after all. But never ever expect me to have any compassion for him. As far as I am concerned, he is not my father. I have no father. Period."

Doxonica tried hard not to think about the past, but all the pain rushed in. Her mother died when she was born. Grandma Revana always told Doxonica that her mother didn't die because of her — that she was sick even before having Doxonica. But Doxonica secretly believed that was just Grandma's way of easing her irrational feelings of guilt.

At the same time, Grandma was planning to retire and relinquish control of Enzene Transport to her children. But her older daughter, Noiry, didn't want to share the company with Doxonica's father.

What her father did next always baffled her. Having lost his wife and left with a daughter to care for and a power grab with his sister, he ran away. Just like that? Doxonica used to ask Grandma when she was little. Even then, it didn't make any sense. He ran away to Karomoz, leaving behind all his responsibilities. Sometimes, Doxonica felt glad that he showed his cowardice before she even got to know him instead of letting her down later on.

"I'm sorry, honeybun, I should have known better," Grandma was saying remorsefully. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I am so stupid." Tears began forming in her eyes. "You are all I have, Doxonica. And there is nothing I want more than seeing you happy."

As angry as Doxonica felt at the moment, she knew that much was true. It was Grandma who had raised her. It was Grandma who had then changed her plans of retirement just to secure a part of Enzene Transport for her — which then splintered into Aunt Noiry's NE Transport and Doxonica's RDE Transport.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too, honeybunch," Grandma said, wiping her tears.

"It's OK, Grandma," Doxonica said with a smile.

"So... this Rik Mavis," Grandma said, shifting in her bed once more. "What will you say?"

"I have some things in mind," Doxonica replied. "I did a lot of research on his PFTs. I think I can convince him to manufacture more for our company."

"I know you can, honeybunch." Grandma chuckled. "Can I suggest something?"

"Of course."

"If you want to convince him, first identify what he wants most... what motivates him. It's always the same old stuff — money, power, recognition. Whatever it is, dangle it in front of him — all the while maintaining the threat of taking it away from him if he doesn't comply," Grandma said in a way that almost scared Doxonica.

"That's going to be hard."

"Yes. But then, you're a fast learner, honeybunch," Grandma replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

Doxonica smiled back. Just then, her holophone vibrated, and a pop-up appeared at the corner of the hologram. Doxonica sat up straight.

"What happened?" Grandma asked.

"It's him, Grandma. I need to take his call."

"Ah, bless his heart, the poor fellow." Grandma chuckled. "Alright, I'll get out of your hair. Goodbye, honeybunch."

"Bye, Grandma," Doxonica said and hung up the call.

She watched for a moment as Grandma's image disappeared, and the notification for Rik Mavis's call enlarged. I'll let it ring some more, she decided and counted to ten.

Finally, she inhaled and exhaled deeply before picking up the call. "Oh, hello, Mr. Mavis," Doxonica said most nonchalantly.

"I need to talk to you urgently, Ms. Enzene," the physicist's deep, monotone voice rang out.

"Um... please do."

"Not on call. Can I come to Vibraudio in, maybe, two hours?" Mavis asked.

This is better than I even expected. "Oh, but, I am on Karomoz, Mr. Mavis," Doxonica replied, trying her best to avoid betraying her mirth.

"Great, where can we meet?"

Doxonica pursed her lips for a moment, going over her next words in her mind. "I am sorry, Mr. Mavis, today is not good. I already have a meeting scheduled. But maybe tomorrow morning? I am leaving tomorrow afternoon, though."

"This can't wait until tomorrow, Ms. Enzene," Mavis's voice grew more urgent. "When is your meeting... and where is it? I can wait for you there."

Doxonica prepared to drop the bomb. "With some Oracle Industries executives — but, I doubt you will be welcome there."

Doxonica sensed consternation on the other end. There was no sound for quite a while.

Oracle Industries was a perennial rival of Rik Mavis's Savvo Corporation, and the two companies were almost always involved in one feud or another. They had been in a race against time to develop and acquire the patent for the PFTs, which Savvo Corporation had eventually won.

Finally, Mavis spoke up, "This is outrageous, Ms. Enzene! How could you..." He paused and sighed. "Please, Ms. Enzene. You can't throw our rapport away just like that. We need to talk. There must be some way for everything to work out."

"Hmm... well, if you put it that way," Doxonica said. "I'll hear what you have to say, just to make sure there are no grievances moving forward. If it's good, I will cancel my meeting. If not, I'm afraid I must proceed."

"Good enough. There's a bar in Malora on Parade Avenue—"

"Nowhere too public, Mr. Mavis," Doxonica interrupted. "How about your headquarters?"

"Oh! But that would be perfect!"

"Done. I will be there in two hours," Doxonica said and hung up.

Phew. Doxonica raced to the cockpit before realizing she was still in her pajamas and hadn't had breakfast yet, so she headed back to the bedroom. She washed and dressed up in a knee-length, yellow, satin dress with translucent, gray leggings and black ballet flats. She wore a pair of yellow barrette clips in her silky hair to keep it from her forehead.

She returned to the kitchenette and quickly tapped at the counter interface to fix herself an open sandwich comprising a dorost sausage, zotter cream cheese, and smoked paprika. Once the automated appliances were done, the sight of her finished plate suddenly stimulated her appetite, and she wolfed everything down ravenously.

Finally, she crossed the entire length of the Amphipod and entered the cockpit. It was a snug little space where sheets of glass formed the roof, the semicircular walls, and even the floor, providing a panorama of the exterior.

Putting on the headset and settling into the seat, Doxonica contacted air traffic control to give her clearance to take off. Once that was done, she set the destination for Savvo Corporation headquarters into the GPS and fired up the engines.

The hangar doors opened, and she taxied the Amphipod out onto the runway. She steered parallel to the runway and gradually began accelerating. Although the Amphipod was perfectly capable of vertical takeoff, whenever possible, Doxonica always preferred conventional takeoff.

The other hangars, spacecraft, and aircraft whizzed by on both sides as the Amphipod picked up speed. Doxonica gradually pulled at the yoke, pitching the vessel upward. Finally, near the end of the runway, the Amphipod left the ground and soared into the sky. Underneath, the spaceport gave way to the deep-blue, churning waters of the Great Unzayi Lake.

After gaining some altitude, Doxonica turned east toward the mainland. The skyline of the city rose tall against the horizon a few miles away. The Savvo headquarters were situated in the outskirts of Malora, to its east, and there was still an hour left. Doxonica figured she risked reaching too soon, so she slowed down to a more leisurely speed.

The lake still ran out underneath before she knew it, and soon, Doxonica was gliding among the skyscrapers of the city while the morning traffic idled down on the roads, like little ants stuck in their loops.

The steel frames, curtain walls, and spires glimmered in the morning sun, and Doxonica could see the reflections of the Amphipod on either side, like specters leaping from building to building.

After a while, the city abruptly gave way to the Qulnar Bay — one of Doxonica's favorite spots on Karomoz. Limestone towers, ridges, and islands jutted out of the water at intervals, standing like sentinels guarding the bay. Foliage sprouted out of the crevices in the rocks while water foamed at the bases. In ancient times, these towers formed important fortifications for Malora against naval invasion from the east.

Doxonica glanced to the right. The highway skirted the bay and then continued out of the city. She cast her eyes back on the clock appearing on the panel — only half an hour was left.

Sighing, Doxonica turned right and let her Amphipod fly across the water, toward the highway. As she flew parallel to it, another tower became visible rising in the distance, around a bend in the road — the Savvo Tower of the Savvo Headquarters.

Doxonica found a gap between the traffic and hovered above it. Emitting sound waves from her hands as a warning, she dipped further and further and deployed the landing gear.

Finally, the wheels struck the road and began rolling along. She tapped on the control panel, making the wings tuck neatly inside, and just like that, the Amphipod turned into a regular vehicle.

After traversing about one and a half-mile, Doxonica steered the Amphipod onto the driveway leading to the Savvo Headquarters. Up ahead, an enormous grilled gate stood astride, blazoned with the logo of Savvo Corporation. It was flanked by massive gateposts, with sentries standing vigilant above.

Doxonica brought the Amphipod to a halt. A guard in shining blue-and-silver uniform strode over to the cockpit, probably expecting Doxonica to lower the window of her "campervan" or something.

Doxonica let hot-pink sound waves emanate from her hands that conducted her vocal cords' vibrations into the fuselage of the Amphipod. "Doxonica Enzene for Rik Mavis."

The guard stood startled for a moment before speaking up. "Right. Wel... welcome, ma'am. I'll... I'll inform Mr. Mavis," he yelled at the top of the voice, trying to convey his voice into the Amphipod. He didn't need to, though, as Doxonica, still generating sound waves, could hear him loud and clear.

He motioned at the other guards at the gate, who let Doxonica pass through. A few meters ahead, there was another gate, this one of solid metal, and the logo was lit up with blue-and-silver lights. As Doxonica drew closer, it automatically slid apart.

Beyond was the expansive courtyard of the headquarters, surrounded by imposing, milky-white buildings inlaid with glass structures of varying geometries. The literal