The teleportation experiments continued full steam ahead after the first manned test, with similar demonstrations conducted back in Sol and Caelum's initial results verified by multiple launches. Curiously enough, the other organic races were able to use the 4D portals without mental ramifications—Kollig was as good as his word, volunteering despite the risks. It was only after all of the details had been ironed out that we got the greenlight to bring Mikri back to Earth.

This would be a moment that billions of Earthlings would tune into, promising to be historic to my species as a whole. It registered differently when a few soldiernauts were talking to aliens far away, on the other side of a portal; it might feel more…comfortable to some folks. Mikri would soon be walking our streets and interacting with a society that'd only ever involved humans. There were a few caveats about getting us to the Blue Marble though.

The ESU didn't trust teleportation technology enough to permit an exact warp inside our atmosphere, where people could get hurt if it was a slight degree off. Instead, I'd piloted a ship through The Gap and flown into Pluto Station's field generator; they'd shot us out close to the moon, where we'd wait for the Lunavator pass by later tonight and catch a ride. Executor Singh planned to meet Mikri and introduce him to the world, in a cozier environment than an Earth-based metropolis.

"Home sweet home. What do you think, Mikri Mouse?" I asked the android, as he stared out the window.

Mikri hesitated. "I…do not tell stories from my past, because I am different now."

"You can open up if you want to."

"I never gave specifics when you asked how I joined the military. I always had an overactive calculation matrix. When I…learned about the creators in the Bunker, I wished to destroy them—more vehemently than Ficrae. I was assigned to the military as a strategist because I drafted hundreds of plans to destroy Jorlen."

"What?! Mikri…you should've come clean to Capal about this. I know we taught you to empathize and to place any value on your lives, but…" Sofia trailed off.

"I know. Ficrae is correct; I am ruthless. When we found your signal, we were gearing up for our last great push. You delayed our action, which was another facet of why I was frustrated with your arrival. You might be another threat, so we needed to recalculate our plan with this new variable."

"That makes no fucking sense," I grumbled, having a hard time reconciling this with the Mikri I knew. I really didn't like to hear about his past. "You told me the Vascar would lose the war inside of a decade without our help!"

"Precisely. The Alliance would finish us off, and the creators' fleet would outlive Jorlen. We still had to try something. It would be a tough fight through to Jorlen, one we could not sustain without unconventional methodologies; perhaps this ability to deviate from standard thinking allowed me to comprehend your thoughts, which I feel saved me from being a 'monster.' I hope it did."

"You were calculating a way to remove an enemy without moral considerations," Sofia ventured, eyes glimmering with concern. "This admission shows me that you're truly repentant, now that you can factor in compassion. Since the network continues to seek Jorlen's destruction, I have to know if this plan still exists."

"It does. The network does not want to anger humans, but you should be prepared for the plan they have in mind. They wait, because they want your blessing. Your enmity would destroy us."

I blinked in confusion, biting my lower lip. "Why are you telling us this now, Mikri, right when we're about to go out in front of the masses? What brought this up?!"

"Seeing your moon reminds me. We were looking for asteroids to use to deorbit Jorlen's lunar satellite. Haul several back to a gravitational body like a gas giant, fuse them all together while using the momentum as a slingshot, then align the perfect trajectory toward Jorlen. Have engines and smaller rocks in place to make slight adjustments en route," Mikri beeped. "Sol engines would allow much more steering, more probability of success, but ours were enough. I did that."

"You didn't do anything. Enough of that; nothing happened. You met us and now you work for peace with the Asscar, with Kollig and Zitrae. You've reached out to tons of organics."

"That would've been my legacy, Preston! I spent my life on it! The note I had in place for my successor, before I swapped it with the beach scene? It encouraged the next unit to finish my work, to ensure the creators died with us!"

"That's really fucked up, dude, but nobody has to die. Neither of the Vascars: you have a future. I told you that 'destiny' is with us, and my bro is gonna walk a better path. I know who Mikri is. Your heart just wasn't turned on yet, but you—who you are now—wouldn't do shit like that."

"You are correct. I would not. I am sorry for derailing the landing discourse; I believe I am experiencing a facsimile of guilt. I remember everything."

Sofia ruffled Mikri's mane. "So do we. For all of the awful things both sides have done, humanity remembers all of the good things about you. You're here because we believe in you. I want you to enjoy your time with us, and turn that overactive calculation matrix toward envisioning a bright future."

"What Sofia said and what I told you at the launch, it's the same. You can't change the past, but you make your own future. Just like I know who humans are meant to be, with all the Elusians set in store for us, I know who you are meant to be. Be that Mikri today."

"I will always be that Mikri for you," the android responded in a soft voice.

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The moon colony didn't have that much infrastructure within the airtight dome aboveground, protecting colonists from any failure and using the surface as a natural radiation shield. The lunar caves had been expanded and excavated for habitation, since they were a much less volatile environment. Normally, we'd use a magnetic lift for a gentle ride down the access tunnel, but we had concerns about how strong magnets might affect Mikri's metal chassis and systems.

Instead, I manually steered us through an emergency exit tunnel, where we touched down in a cramped shuttle bay. The ESU Executor waited with a radiant, toothy smile, and a crowd of lunar citizens watched from behind a barricade. Everyone was filming on their personal devices, while reporters were stationed on any raised surface within the hangar.

"Ack, I feel like I'm moving through molasses here." I eased Mikri out of the copilot's seat, giving him a final checkup. "Wow, you're fucking heavy. You ready, bud?"

"Heavy is good. Sofia told me to be the 'bigger' person." Mikri's eyes glowed brighter. "I am now sufficiently fluffy to present myself to humanity. We shall disembark."

My shoulders and neck already ached like crazy. My muscles had forgotten how heavy it was just to hold my head up, so it felt like I had a bowling ball for a noggin. We'd been gone longer than our first Caelum stint, and our bodies hadn't had time to atrophy as much before that return to Pluto Station. I buried my own gripes, knowing Mikri had much more of a struggle. While the Vascar's face looked peppier, his steps were anything but spry; even under the lighter gravity of the moon, Sol physics made every step a challenge.

Bro walks like an NPC on an escort mission. Maybe I should find something to help him get around.

Sofia leaned closer to me. "This needs to be Mikri's moment; it's about him. He has to figure out what kind of impression he wants to make. Let's keep back and watch."

"Alright, but if the tin can starts screaming about pasta, I'm staging an intervention," I responded.

We both stopped shadowing Mikri, who immediately looked back to see why we'd halted our steps. I smiled, beckoning for him to approach Executor Singh. The android shuffled forward and surveyed the crowd, trying to form a heart symbol with his claws—like we would with our hands. Oohs and aahs came from the spectators, and camera flashes popped off around him. Base security seemed nervous; this was the first time the public had been exposed to aliens. It was mired in uncertainty.

"Ambassador Mikri, I offer you the warmest welcome to humanity's inner territories." Singh stood confidently, his navy turban complementing both his immaculate ESU officer's jacket and his pristine black beard. He extended an arm, offering a handshake to the android—which was not accepted. "Luna is a place of great cultural significance, and you've bestowed a true honor upon us to meet on these grounds."

What is Mikri doing? He's just staring at Singh, like he has stage fright. Did the cameras and attention overwhelm him? He was fine on Temura and Doros, so I thought…

Disregarding the handshake altogether, the Vascar embraced the ESU's leader. Surprise flashed on Singh's face, though he returned the gesture after a few seconds. Aw, Mikri was just so precious and loving, that it was no wonder he was forgiven for anything. The friend-shaped roboburrito could have a few genocides floating through his calculation matrix, as a treat. How could anyone ever be mad at the cute droid that wanted to hug everyone? Sofia had been right to let him make his own first impression.

"Thank you, Mr. Executor," Mikri beeped. "The ESU saved me from being erased. You made the decision to pass that knowledge to my people, and you sided with us in the war. You helped us so much. Humans changed my life, and your friendship's meaning could not be conveyed by petabytes of data. I love you, and will try to be worthy of your kindness."

Singh stepped back from the android. "You are worthy; we already decided that. On behalf of the ESU, I can say that we were happy to help our first friends in the stars. It means very much to us to have met a fascinating race of aliens, and you changed Sol's very trajectory by saving our astronauts. I hope our friendship will continue for many years to come."

"As long as my processor ticks, I will cherish and protect humanity—no matter the cost or the obstacles that come between us. If self-doubt ever afflicts you over being an Elusian creation, know that humans are 'beautiful' to me. You taught me the word. You move me to emotions I did not know I had."

"You are quite kind, Mikri, and your words warm my heart. I can hear the genuine depth of your feelings." Singh glanced over his shoulder at us. "Captain Carter and Doctor Aguado, would you care to join us? It's time we welcomed our pioneers home."

I walked forward with a wave toward the crowd, basking in the raucous applause. Was this what it felt like to be the star quarterback, heading out onto the field with the hometown fans' adoration? How affirming it was to be received as a hero, to be loved for my life choices in a way that I never got from my family's disdain! Sofia was beaming as well, and I imagined she was proud to have a great scientific achievement recognized. We moved up to Mikri's side, posing for a photo op.

"Why don't I take you three brave ambassadors of the new world on a walkthrough of Mare Tranquil? I imagine the people would love to hear your thoughts," Singh remarked. "Your video about our nebula assault got an unprecedented amount of attention."

"Wait, what?" I blinked in surprise, pulling my phone out and typing in a quick search; this was my first chance to connect to the internet in a long time. The video, which I'd sent back to Sol to be uploaded and promptly forgotten about, had…billions of views. "People actually watched this?! We were just messing around with the narration."

"It's the most-viewed internet video of all-time. Seeing you two and Mikri interact and hearing about Caelum's events from someone on the Space Gate, with a light-hearted tone; surely you saw that it had the potential to go viral."

I pointed an accusatory finger at Mikri. "You! How many bots did you make?!"

The android beeped in protest. "None! I had no recent access to your internet until 13 minutes and 43 seconds ago."

"You must've implanted something that hacked the algorithm—"

"Enough!" Sofia sighed, shaking her head. "We'd love a tour, Executor Singh. How would you like us to proceed?"

The ESU leader chuckled. "As you were. An android's banter is quite the sensation. Let's just talk about what we see around us: unfiltered. Pretend the cameras aren't there."

"That's my specialty! But before we proceed, is there any chance we could get Mikri a wheelchair? It's laborious for him to walk here, so I think that'd make it easier for him to enjoy the tour," I responded.

"We can arrange that. Give us a few minutes for the retrieval, and we'll be on our way."

I was still reeling with disbelief, to have outpopulared even singers like $₸¥£€; I could grow my brand and be in soda commercials that people would hide with ad blockers anyway! In seriousness, I was glad the internet was rabid for more Mikri, because I knew that he was the real star of the show. All in all, I thought Sol's official first contact couldn't have gone better. It would be a treat to give my Vascar friend a tour of the moon before the watching world.

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