It didn’t take long at all for Joe and Abigail to realign the *Hind*’s matrix drive and to repair the other critical items that needed maintenance. True to Joe’s word, Abigail simply cloned herself into sufficient working simulacra to do most of the work, while Joe supervised and did that work which needed his own special touch. The *Hind* was traveling at virtual velocity again within an hour and a half.

On this run, Chris Alan was sitting at the helm instead of in the captain’s chair, while Faith monitored the navigation station. Their Guardians were in the cradles that serviced these stations, ready to intervene if a need arose that organic reflexes couldn’t handle.

“E.T.A., Rafael?”

“Approximately one hour at this velocity, Captain.” One never knew just where an uncharted planet would be in an uncharted system. Even the estimate that one could get by tracking the signal strength of an automatic distress call had its limits over interstellar distances.

“Nervous, Captain?” Cody asked from the station behind him.

“Can you tell?” Chris Alan looked back. “I’m *always* nervous at times like these.”

“Well, it’s a normal thing to feel, when you don’t know what you’re up against.” Cody had removed his cloak and stored it in Ezekiel’s closet; he was now sitting calmly, playing with his knife.

“Aren’t *you* nervous?” Chris Alan asked.

“No! More like excited and curious; I live for a challenge.” Cody gave a rare smile.

“You mean *you’re* not afraid?” Faith also turned back.

“I’m not afraid of *anything*.” Cody wasn’t breathing bravado as Susan often seemed to do; his confidence was calm, like deep waters untroubled by the wind.

“Oh come on, everyone’s afraid of *something*,” Susan shot from next to him.

 “What are *you* afraid of?” Chris Alan asked as he turned to her.

 “Disappointing the Lord and Master Hung.” Susan showed some discomfort answering the question.

“What about *you*, Faith?”

“I’m afraid of most things: the dark, getting killed, insects – you know, like a normal girl would.” A nervous smile came across her face.