There it is again, I murmur to Zap, the all-seeing Marshal of sector 9. My eyes fix on the ethereal apparition.

It must be the sixth time Ive seen it in two minutes or maybe two weeks. Time doesnt mean much when the suns stay in the same infernal positions, disappearing and reappearing without warning or pattern. I stretch my legs, keeping my eyes on the fiery vision which the locals call the red death until, as always, it disappears. I know Zap doesnt want me to go check it out. Its too dangerous crossing the glass prairie. But Ive been inactive so long Im beginning to feel paralyzed. So I flash a look at her and slowly pick my bones up off the clouds. Gravitys harsh again. Its always fluctuating. ts why I spend most of my time on the clouds where its safe. But Ive got too much pride in what I used to be to take the chance of people dying when the red death decides to come to sector 9. They may not be my people, but shit, do I even know what my people are anymore? Zap buzzes that I should just let it be, that its in my head, but I know her better than that. I lead and shell follow. Weve been on too many missions together to let each other go it alone. Sure enough, when I get my grip on the glass prairie I see her right beside me. Affectionately flicking my head to her, I take a few steps along the obstacle ridden plane of earth that looks down into infinity. Keeping a mental image of where I saw the red death, Zap and I traverse the planes. The gravity is only getting harsher but the air as still as the light-statues in summer. I can just tell somethings about to give. And Zap can feel it to. Shes buzzin loud in my ear that something aint right. Tentatively, I peak over the edge of the glass prairie. Weve made it this far. Now its just a jingle bounce over the sleek-dark plateau to where Ive been seeing the ominous sun burning in the ground of sector 2. I start to lift my hand up over the edge of the glass prairie when I hear it: a tornado of wet unpleasant air and the eardrum shattering clickity-clacks of the monster. I backpedal quickly, forgetting that Im resting upon a paperface stack. The stacks go crashing to the sleek-dark plateau below. I hear the sickening crumple sounds of the faces hitting the ground and utter a screech of remorse. We dont know if the paperfaces have consciousness, but I hate to think of anything that might be alive and innocent suffering such pain because of me. But bigger things are in front of me. The monster has approached the glass prairie. Its jagged teeth only tempered by its fleshy, dripping tongue, about the size of my face, hanging stupidly from its mouth. This is the reason Zap wanted so badly for me to stay behind I know. True Ive gotten the better of the monster before, but any encounter with the sickening beast is enough to make me wish Id stayed put on the cloud. Its head moves ominously towards me and I shrink back, hearing the paperfaces tear under the beasts crude feet. This is enough. For the sake of the paperfaces and for the sake of my mission, I need to end this. I whip up my right hand, bringing out the knives that were infused in my fingers at the time of my birth almost instantaneously. Bearing my weapons with my teeth, I shout at the beast, Leave this place at once! You are not wanted here, monster! Then when I see its stupid eyes merely gaze at me, I swipe all five of my knives by its face: a warning shot. The beast lets out its characteristic cry of cowardice and

flees the scene, not before tearing more of the paperfaces to shreds though. My heard breaks a little, but nothing is more important than the mission. Swiftly I leap down from the glass prairie to the sleek-dark plateau. In a brilliant shift of luck, I can feel the gravity soften as I leave the ground. It should hardly be a shock to me. Any time I make this or any leap the gravity cooperates, but I constantly remind myself not to take it for granted. As I approach the spot I see that there has been no damage from the fires that have been raging on and off in the exact location Im closing in on. Perhaps Zap was right. Perhaps it was all in myI see the red death appear not 1 league from me. It is even more haunting up close. Zap, reading my thoughts buzzes around for me not to do anything stupid. Whether its stupid or not, I dont know, but I do know that I cant take the chance of this getting back to sector nine. With the intensity I can see it has now, theres no way it would leave without claiming lives. I whip out my knives and smash my hand down on the plateau where the red death is. To my horror I see it on my hand now. My eyes widen with fear, but I dont feel anything. Suddenly it disappears. I snatch back my hand and see that its gone from the plateau too. Looking all around me, I cant see a sign of the red death anywhere. Have I done it? Or is this another of its vanishing acts? On a chance I look up and to my shock see five pronged space ship descending towards me. Zap buzzes for me to get out of there. But I know this spaceship well. It is she ship that provides me with sustenance and is attached to the mother ship that occasionally attempts contact with me. Zap is buzzing wildly about something but I am priming for contact with the ship. I see a metal rod in another ship nearby and look back at the spot that housed the red death, but the mission is over. My thoughts lose clarity as the spaceship gently massages my back. I flick my tail in appreciation and collapse on the ground. Case closed.