"So where does that leave us?"

"Well, if you were Kibok, what would you do to prevent a recurrence of the same incident, Miss O’Malley?"

"I'd have to withdraw touring vessels the way Space Force withdrew patrol crafts."

"Why should you take the same action? It was a Space Force missile that destroyed one of your vessels."

"I see. So Kibok should have the right to continue touring in our solar system."

"Correct Miss O’Malley."

"Then I would continue to send touring vessels."
"But they might then be accidentally or deliberately destroyed also. If it could happen the first time, it can happen again."

"Well now I'm getting flustered. I cannot send more touring vessels, and I should not have to give them up either. I don't know what to do."

"Well now you will be experiencing the same concerns as Kibok. He too would have been - to use your colloquial expression - flustered. In his human state, he chose to inaugurate a war."

"You know, for a computer who wanted to back out of this conversation, you have just taught me a lot about human psychology."

"I can barely comprehend the meaning of the phrase 'human psychology' Miss O’Malley."

Ann giggled.

"You're just breezy, Butler One."

"I will assume that was a compliment."

"Where did Jeradd come from?"

"Another solar system, Miss O’Malley, even further away than the location of Kadrom."

"So why was it so important for him to explore our solar system?"

"Jeradd was devoted exclusively to increasing his knowledge. He made it his goal to visit as many planets in as many solar systems as possible in his life."

"Did he ever go to Kadrom?"

"I do have a small file in my memory bank, but my knowledge of that planet is limited. When Jeradd was short of time, he would suddenly leave a planet and hurry away to the next one. He spent many lengthy conversations attempting to explain his feelings (about outer space explorations), but I had to repeatedly remind him that he had created me as a robot. I simply did not have any feelings. I can barely comprehend them even existing, let alone having any of my own."

“I sometimes wonder what’s stranger: a being from another solar system connected to our own universe, or a being in an entirely parallel dimension but from a smaller version of exactly the same planet as my own,” said Ann, “Not to say that you’re strange in a bad way, Wendell. You’re too cute for that.”

*          *          *          *

"We are starting to run out of things to talk about."

"I do not need things to talk about, but I could list some subjects if you are interested" said the robot pilot of Wildstar.

Before Ann could answer, Butler One made an important announcement.

"There is a fleet of ships on the port side, approaching from several quadrants away."

"Steer to avoid spacecraft" said Ann.

"Steering to starboard."

"Can you start navigating an alternative route?"

"Immediately, Miss O’Malley."

Butler One sent Wildstar through a cluster of white dwarf star fragments.

"What's special about this route, Butler One? Can you explain how it helps us?"

"The white dwarf star fragments will confuse and severely impair their scanners. As you can see, we are losing the steady blip signals on our own screen."

"Hurray for white dwarf stars!" said Ann.

"When emerging from the cluster, we will be away from the conventional space lanes used by the Kadrom fleet."

"I hope that Space Force can hold the fort" said Ann, "I'd hate to see any harm come to Saturn."

"We shall emerge from the white dwarf fragment area in fifty seconds, Miss O’Malley."

"I wouldn't know where we are. It's a scary thought that without you I'd be in all sorts of trouble."

"True Miss O’Malley."

"Computer minds don't need to be modest, but then they don't object to human immodesty either. I could tell you how clever I am, and you would make no discouraging comments. I won't though. Have we left the cluster of fragments yet?"

"Yes."
"Then full speed for Kadrom's galaxy."