MENTAL ESSENCE
PAGE 149
   "I doubt they are capable of keeping a secret like the presents of the Celder," Pace injected.
   "Point," replied Trent.
   "So, we set up four companies, buy parts from the four manufactures, then call the military and let them assemble them.  Then they can have at the Celder as best they can.  In the mean time we can be on our way to Nee," Pace suggested.
   Four months later they had hired Vitians to run the companies without knowing about each other's activities, and had set up a communications relay system to stay in touch on their way to Nee.
   "Trent, we are within one half-light year of the outer most star systems of Nee," OM stated.
   "How is Pace, and how many communications has there been with Vitis?" asked Trent.
   "Pace is fine, and there have been seven hundred and ninety-six communications with your companies on Vitis.  There have been enough parts produced to complete three hundred thousand scanners.  There are one hundred and four civilizations with space flight capability, five thousand have interstellar flight capabilities, and there is one called Annum with intergalactic capabilities and it has a definite a gravitirium registry," Reported OM.
   "How far are we from Annum?" asked Trent.
   "Ten light years.  I did not want to approach further without waking you.  They have monitors scattered out to five light years, and they have regular transport activity with eight solar systems.  If anyone has the ability to send a ship to Vitis it will be them," stated OM.
   "How advanced are they compared to the Ree?" Trent asked.
   "Hard to tell from here, but I would guess nowhere near as advanced," OM thought.
   "No sign of Celder?" Trent asked.
   "None.  However, considering the distance, that is understandable.  I am searching for communications in their language and the word Celder, but so far there are no matches.
   "Perhaps we should approach from the far side of one of the star systems they do business with," Trent suggested.

   "This approach will take could require a year.  There is lot of debris," OM thought.
   "If that is what it takes.  Wake me," Trent though as he settle back into his chair.
   It took more than two years to weave their way to one of the planets the Annum did business with.
   "Trent, we are at a planet called Bidum," OM thought.
   "Pace?" asked Trent.
   "Still fine.  It has taken a two years and three weeks to get here.  There are monitors at several locations.  Sneaking in is not going to be possible," OM stated.
   "Do you have a picture of an Annumite?" asked Trent.
   OM displayed visuals of the Annumites on the forward screen.
   "How tall are they?" asked Trent.
   "Skin color is whitish-red, average height is six feet three inches for the males and six feet for the females.  The average weight for males is two hundred and forty pounds.  Females are and average of two hundred pounds, and neither are in anyway similar to the Celder," stated OM.
   "I will morph to their design, then use my shielding to ride a meteor to Bidum.  After that infiltration should be relatively easy.  What do the Bidum look like?" thought Trent.
   "Skin color is gray, average height is five feet five inches, and one hundred and ten pounds for both sexes," said OM displaying a visual of the Bidum.
   "What kind of commerce do they have in common?" asked Trent.
   "Agriculture, I think.  At least there is a lot of agricultural activity.  The only electronic storage systems deal with inventory, climatic variations, and specific needs of specific plants," stated OM.
   "I am beginning the morphing procedure now," stated Trent.
   Ten days later Trent had completed the morphing.
   "Well, what do you think?" Trent asked.
   "You should pass as a Annumian," OM thought.
    "Time to wake Pace," Trent said.
   Pace did not break stride on the way to the pantry when she seen Trent.
   "Interesting look.  You should not keep it," Pace said between bites.
   OM gave Pace an update.
   "If this disguise fails to impress, there is no reason to hold back, just fly in and pick me up," Trent said to Pace.
   "If it works?" Pace asked.
   "Then while I infiltrate, you go around and analyze the other seven planets they do business with,  Stay in constant contact, and no interaction.  Really, no interaction," Trent insisted.
   "I know you want to protect me, but you can't do it forever," Pace thought.
   "I can try.  OM, do you have an audio," Trent asked.
   OM played some audio from ship to shop communications.
   "It sounds like they speak with their tongue pressed to the roof of their mouths," said Trent.
   "You only look like them, so like the Celder, do not open your mouth," thought OM.
   "How do you want to arrive on Bidum?" asked Pace.
   "I will hold on to meteor and Ship can provide a push," said Trent.
   "Coming from anyone else," thought Pace showing a one-sided smile.
   "Handy, I require more suitable attire," said Trent.
   "I require more pictures if you could," stated Handy.
   An hour later Trent had a new set clothes.  Fifteen minutes after that he was riding a meteor to Bidum.
   "OM, you are getting pictures of this aren't you?" asked Pace watching Trent disappear into the darkness of space.
   "Of course.  The next planet is Loamous.  It will take a week to get there do to the amount of debris.  Would you like to go into stasis?" replied OM.
   "Yeah.  As soon as Trent makes a landing," Pace thought.
   Four days later Trent and the meteor streaked across the Bidum nighttime sky.  Trent used his shielding lower him to surface.
   "I am on Bidum, and riding a meteor through a planet's atmosphere is something everyone should do at least once.  It is night here, and there is no one around this location.  I am heading toward lights about a mile away," thought Trent.
   "The monitor got some great visuals of your entry," Pace stated.
   "Okay, there is a small village with dirt roads and what looks like a processing plant with a nuclear power source.  There are Annumians moving around the plant," Trent thought.