Pretty sure Taylor was used to being able to simply bluster his way out of uncomfortable situations; say mean things, intimidate, flee with a smirk, claim victory.

Not here. Elanor and Ezra were allowing him to live. But their hate for Taylor was choking the air like smoke from a brush fire.

They were busy with their own tasks, helping me sync up the Queen's Mean Machine to the rest of the world-opening devices. They made a point of not looking at Taylor, until they did. When it happened, both of them did it at the same time, and their eyes weren't full of rage or hate.

It was a kind of cool indifference. Ownership. I wouldn't have wanted to be the target of that gaze, not one bit.

The Mean Machine Array, as we'd taken to calling it, was revving its engines. Still not enough power, just enough to boot everything up. The big boost was on its way. It would, very likely, destroy all of the Array. And the building it contained, which wasn't something I'd considered at the time. Gary would be furious.

Taylor was armored up. Literal armor, designed to stop bullets. It was ceramic plates and mesh and some kind of organic kinetic absorption gel Gary had made (hopefully not secreted). He didn't look like a knight in his armor. More like a hockey goalie, with the bulky pads and a heavy mask.

"Owen," He said from in there. "I want to be remembered." His voice was stronger than I'd heard in days. The armor helped, I suspect. "Promise me."

"You'll be okay, Taylor. You'll get through this, all of us will."

"I want to be remembered for what I did. For…screwing up." Raw pain in there, just for a moment. I couldn't see his face; maybe that's why he could say it. "A screwup."

"Don't talk like that," I said. "This is the best thing you can do, and only you can do it."

Not true, of course. Any number of us could do Taylor's job. This was just a thing for Taylor.

Look, I'm not good at Human stuff. I don't know if this was a good idea or not, but when in doubt, err on the side of empathy, right? And Taylor needed it if anyone did.

"If I live," he began.

"You'll live! You're going to be fine."

"If I live, I want to be able to go away. Disappear. Live on a nice island away from…people." His masked face twitched towards the pitiless Ezra and Elanor. "Will you help with that?"

"Of course, man."

He sighed and nodded. "I want you to look out for the Humans living here. Sean did it before. I think you can do it."

"I already do that."

"You don't. They're afraid of you. Way more than Mandy. I'm afraid of everyone here, but I know it doesn't matter anymore, so I'm saying it to you. They're going to need help and I don't care what you do to me for saying it. Don't let them down."

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"Since when do I…" But I remembered Taylor, weeping in terror in the ruins of the cafeteria tent. "Okay, Taylor. But you're being dramatic here."

He grunted and walked off, went to his launch zone. "I gotta pee and I'm all locked into this suit. Someone had better try to shoot me or I'll be disappointed."

"Guns won't work, you know that. This is just a backup."

Another grunt. He sat on a biped chair, facing away from everyone.

Gary had recently reinflated. He was still covered with bandages, but he was out and about, verbally abusing everyone except Taylor, to whom he would not speak.

"You look good, Gary," I said. "I had some of your Human Food, it was pretty good stuff! You're a dang genius."

"I'm no genius, you are merely a fool. Your Human Food Plant concept was inadequate!" He picked up one of his many tools and threw it across the room at Taylor, who did not respond to the little brass object bouncing off his helmet. "Not a complete idea! FOOL!"

"You included shelter. You made it a house; I saw one outside."

"Only a people born in NIGHTMARE would force their own to suffer for survival. So this plant not only feeds Humans, it is a home for them, allowing them to not only endure their horror planet but prevent other humans from killing and eating them."

"Humans don't eat one another."

"You are a fool for thinking so."

But Mandy was the big gun, the most important part of Operation Other Thing. She was a whole phase unto herself.

"Owen Owen come here, we gotta make out a little, I'm losing my mind." She ran at me and glommed on, wrapping her arms around the back of my head, pulling me down. She was all bouncy energy, nervous and excited and, for want of a better term, aroused.

Our minds swirled together, both of us. Fear. Don't you get hurt, Owen, your tiny flat ass is mine and don't forget it. I won't, Beautiful Strawberry Mandy, when this works we'll be able to go and you'll have entire YEARS of clothing-optional existence.

A shoulder tap from Cassie. "Break it up, guys, it's getting a little weird for the rest of us."

Mandy pulled loose, untangling our tongues and hands and hair. She was indeed round and red. She looked me in the eye, turned and fled without another word.

"Uh…all set then?" I called.

She gave me a thumbs-up, knowing I was watching her rear as she left, approving and amused and afraid.

Cassie was in her Schmendrick Pouch, and Phobos and Deimos were goggling at all the intense preparation in the dome. Deimos still would snarl at me, but that was okay.

"If things get rough I'll join in," Cassie said. "But these two are my priority."

"Thanks for that. You're badass, chingon."

"You're nuts. You don't have to do it this way." But she knew I did. The connection with Cassie was strong, not as strong as with Beautiful Mandy, but she could feel the rightness of it all. "It's dumb," she said, also not believing that at all. "And you're nuts," she said again. Some truth in that one.

I wanted to hug her, but I also suspected I stank from all the work, and I didn't want to squish the twins.

"You do stink," she said with a smirk. "Take a shower first, think of this as a job interview or something. The entire Human race will end up watching. Maybe get a haircut or something."

"Yes, Cassie."

She shoved me away. Deimos barked at me.

Work to do. Contact in two hours.

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