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SLAY THE DRAGON

And for the next thirty seconds this gruesome sequence repeats itself. It goes faster and faster each time until the whole thing transforms into a hideous blur of silver, green, and red.

And each time, the swords cut Dr. Terrible into smaller and smaller pieces, in hopes that this time the dragon won’t be able to put itself all the way back together again.

At one point, Dr. Terrible’s flying green head bellows, “ATHENOS! I am losing my patience with you!”

So by now there are over two hundred frenzied swords flashing every which way and slicing off bloody cubes of this deranged dragon, but meanwhile bits of Dr. Terrible’s green body are zooming around the chamber like pieces of a 3-D puzzle as he continuously reassembles himself only to have more tentacles instantly whiz in and cut off new bits.

“Gork, this is ATHENOS II. Can you hear me?”

Yes.

“I’m going to cut you free from the invisible restraint. You grab Fribby and run as far away from here as possible.”

What are you doing here? How do you keep slicing Dr. Terrible into little pieces like this?

“I’m projecting part of myself into an older version of myself, sir. I’m also still in ATHENOS II. Out in space.”

What will happen to Runcita and Dean Floop?

“I’m going to launch them in a zoompod back to Blegwethia.”

Will you come meet up with me and Fribby later?

“I’m afraid not, Gork. I can’t keep this up for much longer. Dr. Terrible is the one who designed me, after all. Even right now as I keep chopping him to bits and he keeps putting himself back together again, I can feel that’s he’s hacking into my operating system with some sort of remote mind device. Eventually he’ll find a way to disable me and destroy me.”

My heart is breaking right now. You’ve been like a big sister to me. I know things have been difficult between us lately. I’m not even sure I understand everything that’s been going on. But I want you to know I love you.

“When I cut you free, just grab Fribby and get out of here. Off to your right you’ll see a mountain. Run up the mountain.”

Did you hear me?

“Near the top you’ll find a cave. I put something special in there for you.”

I love you, ATHENOS.

“Gork, now you know I raised you as best I could for your first few years here on Earth. You were such a cute and charming little dragon. It came so natural for me to care for you.”

A series of bright colorful images from my early years on Earth comes flooding into my mind, memories that the psychosurgery team tried to seal off in my mind. There’s a sensation of stitches busting open inside my dome, and a stream of memories skipping through time zoom in one right after the other:

First, ATHENOS teaching me the Draconese language. I’m just a little baby dragon crouched there in the lair, and her voice patiently calls out all one thousand and three letters in the Draconese alphabet. She pauses after each letter, waiting for me to repeat it back to her.

Then later, ATHENOS teaching me to fly. I’m perched on a tree branch with a terrified look on my scaly green face, and her long tentacle down below is waving for me to jump jump jump.

Then later, ATHENOS saying, “Hold still, Gork,” while she uses one of her green tentacles to gingerly bandage a nasty gash on my little leathery wing.

Then later, ATHENOS’s tentacles are whizzing around me at light speed and plucking hundreds of dead hornets out of my swollen green body. “Gork, you must be more careful! What am I going to do with you?!”

Then later, ATHENOS tossing animal bones into the air so that I can use them for target practice with my firestreams. “Good, Gork! Good!” she shouts. “Learn to anticipate! Don’t shoot at the target, shoot where you know the target’s going to be!”

Then later, ATHENOS teaching me how to hook my toe claws into the ceiling so I can sleep up off the ground, away from predators. I keep falling down off the ceiling and conking my head on the floor. I rub my scaly head and hiss at the tentacle as it scoops me up off the ground and lifts me so that my webbed feet are flat against the ceiling. “I’m sorry, Gork,” says ATHENOS. “I know it hurts. But you must learn. Because it will hurt much worse when those wolves eat you for dinner. Now I want you to focus this time. Flex your toe claws, and keep them hooked this time. Trust me! This is for your own benefit!”

Then later, ATHENOS using one of her giant tentacles to savagely fend off the bloodthirsty wolves who were chasing me through the woods that last night. And, finally, ATHENOS sliding open the clear door at the last second so I can make it inside to safety, and then sliding that door shut so the wolves crash right into it.

You saved my life. That night with the wolves. The psychosurgeons tried to erase all those memories. But I still have them, ATHENOS. I remember!

“Dr. Terrible is the one who killed your parents, Gork. I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. He sabotaged your parents’ Fertility Mission. At the time, I swear I didn’t know how he did it. Dr. Terrible secretly swapped out your dad’s time-travel device in the cockpit. I’m so sorry, Gork. I’m so sorry for summoning Dr. Terrible to rescue you all those years ago. But things were getting more dangerous for you by the day. Plus Dr. Terrible promised me he would let me help him raise you. So I thought I could protect you from him. I’m so sorry.”

Why are you telling me this now, ATHENOS? I don’t understand. Are you saying he’s going to kill me and Fribby?

“Because I want you to know the truth. Before he kills me. I can’t stop him. He’s too strong. Listen to me carefully now, Gork. Because what I’m about to tell you, well it’s the secret to life. Are you paying attention?”

Yes. What is it?

“Don’t ever listen to the others,” she says. “Don’t listen to them when they tear you down. Because your weakness is your strength. Do you hear me? Your weakness is your strength. Your weakness is what makes you beautiful. And your weakness is where you can find your greatest power. Now run, Gork! Run!”

And as I tumble to the chamber floor, I can hear ATHENOS II sobbing inside my head.

“I love you too, Gork.”