Welcome to the Journal of Now and Forever. This Journal is a collection of my Star Control and Star Control 2 fiction. Note: Some of this material is, by necessity, extrapolation from the slim information provided by canon sources.

New fiction is posted first at My Livejournal before it appears here. This story is in response to 15 Minute Ficlets' Challenge #8.

"Nothing? You brought back nothing?" Dina wanted to ball her fists and shake them in the air. Instead, she tried to limit her show of disbelief to her voice. "Are they truly that far behind?"

"I'm astounded too," Gary replied. This month's Committee meeting was indoors due to the unseasonable rain drenching everything for forty square miles. The steady drumming sound would have put Dina to sleep if not for Gary's news. "But there's no reason for Finn or any of the others to lie. The Earthlings are limited to their new orbital stations and the moonbase; that's it." He spread his hands wide. "They've had eight years to recover, yet they haven't even replaced everything we took or destroyed in the Exodus."

All the Androsynth faces at the meeting reflected shock, in varying degrees. Dina couldn't believe the Earthlings hadn't at least tried to replace everything in the first few years. "It has to be a trick."

Gary shook his head. "Finn said they scouted around, silently of course so no transmissions would be available for Earth sensors to pick up. And the fighter wing never got closer than Mars. But still – it's not like you can hide major space installations, even at that distance."

"It doesn't make sense," Kurt muttered. He began to pace by the long window, oblivious to the sheets of water that blurred the view. "Dina's right. It's a trick of some kind, something to make us complacent. Make us –"

"That's enough, Kurt," Jack said. He sat by the door, leaning his chair back so the front legs were off the floor. He moved his glasses to the top of his head and continued: "Remember, they're Earthlings. They're not Androsynth. Of course it makes sense to us to repair and replace immediately. But try to look at it from their viewpoint." He held up his hands and ticked off each point with a finger. "One, we took or destroyed everything they had in space. They might have decided to upgrade and/or review what they had, and new designs take time, as we well know." He looked at Dina, and she nodded back.

"Two, remember, the UN's in charge, or at least it was eight years ago, and the whole planet had been war-free for close to seventy years when we made the Exodus. I imagine militarization was the last thing the UN wanted to think about, given their halfhearted response to our revolt. Any suggestion of preparing for military force probably got tied up in bureaucracy and might only now be breaking free."

"Jack's right," Ruth said, pouring herself a fresh cup of hot tea. "Even if they think we're about to attack, they probably can't go to the toilet without the right paperwork."

"Three," Jack continued, after waiting to see if Ruth was finished speaking, "They're not Androsynth. We like to work. We don't have vacation time or families or state-sponsored holidays or, for that matter, weekends to interrupt what we do. We are a small but highly motivated – dare I say 'obsessed' – workforce that gets things done. I doubt the Earthlings have anything anywhere near our productive output."

"That's still a problem," Dina interrupted. "They've still got numbers, even if they don't work as hard. We can't survive against sheer numbers, we've all said it at one point or another." She placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward, toward Gary. "There were no Earthlings available for capture?"

Gary shook his head. "None without exposing ourselves. They're still trapped in their own planet's gravity well. If they had other ships or bases past Luna, Finn and the others didn't see them. I know what you're thinking, Dina," he said, as she turned away to face the window. "We just couldn't do anything on this trip."

"At least we know where they stand... or where they want us to think they stand," Kurt said, resuming his pacing. "But it is hard, not bringing any Earthlings back. The sooner Dina can get her work done, the sooner we can stand on equal footing. Based on what your people saw, Gary, when should we try again?"

"Not for at least a year. Maybe longer."

Dina shook her head and resisted the impulse to bury her face in her hands. Another year, at least, before her team had the necessary subjects. There were only so many projects she could funnel their way before someone ostensibly higher-up than her would determine the Reproductive Research group could afford to lose a few people to other, more critical jobs.

It had been wrong to hope for success on what amounted to a recon mission, but she still felt disappointed. If only Finn had come across some stray Earthlings, too far from their home to get away. If only the Earthlings had gotten their butts in gear. If, if. If they'd recovered completely, the Earthlings might have tried mounting an expedition to the Vulpeculaes with the intent of reclaiming – or destroying – their runaway brain slaves.

Nothing for it now, she thought, as Gary and the others discussed timing for a future recon mission to Sol. Best to keep going and figure out how to keep my team together. She came back to the present and noticed Jack watching her, quietly, chewing on the earpiece of his glasses. Dina gave him a weak smile, and he gave one in return.

Comments? Email me: laridian at aol dot com