Ant and Four

Ant and Four Chapter 2

This is a story about two boys growing up in the galaxy, in a distant future. Neither of them is human.

It is not an erotic tale, but one of friendship and love. The story contains no AI-generated material.

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**Ant and Four 2 - Touching Shore
**

by Winter

 "Oh no, not now!"

Ant had the finish line in sight, when his car was blasted from behind. While he was busy exploding, his opponent sped by to win the race. As soon as the victory fanfare died down, the game graphics faded from the viewscreen and were replaced by a smiling face, which sing-sang cheerfully.

"Beat ya agai-ain!"

Over the weeks they had spent together, Ant and Four had both taken a liking to animated films and shows, and Four had managed to construct a face of his own by taking elements from his favourite characters. The result was a pale-skinned human boy in early adolescence, with short, spiked blonde hair, large blue eyes, a petite nose and rosy lips that were usually smiling. It was more or less styled in the classic anime tradition, and Ant had to admit that his friend looked very, very cute. Except, of course, for whenever Four was taunting him for yet another video game loss.

"I almost won this time."

"Almost only counts when you lose." Four squealed gleefully when Ant pouted. "Wanna rematch?"

"No, my eyes are getting tired."

"Excuses."

"And I am going to find out how you cheat."

Ant resisted the urge to throw the game controller. Instead he laid it down on the small coffee table, which he had bought during their stay on New Mérida, for the cheap end of a bargain. The two of them had caused a small sensation, or at least he had. None of the towns he visited had ever seen a non-human traveller before, and the locals had been falling over themselves to be the first to do trade with him. It had required quite a bit of self-control, not to take too much advantage of their eager kindness.

Were all people in the galaxy this magnanimous? Unfortunately not, a café owner told Ant while she treated him to the local beer. The brew tickled his nose and was quite bitter, and even though he did praise it, he would always prefer fruit juice. The more he drank, though, the more it kind of grew on him, and he found himself accepting a couple of refills.

Only some people, the owner lamented while she sipped from her own stein, were eager to see fresh faces and would greet newcomers with open arms. Others shunned anyone who wasn't them, and could even become violent if you were unlucky. There was really no way to know who was who, other than to ask around whenever you were with friendly folk. They drank and chatted for a while as she let him know about the quiet peace of her world, and she seemed fascinated when he told her about life in the Mining Belt and his brief travels with the Morning Calm.

Four chirped in from time to time, over the portable two-way radio Ant had built from spare parts and from an on-board coffee maker he didn't need. He had tried coffee during his stay in the hospital station, and really didn't like it. The ferry was delighted to hear from outside people, as he called them, and was very happy that Ant had found a way to include him in his excursions. Sadly, constructing a portable real-time video feed had turned out to be beyond his capabilities.

Wolf kids in the Belt learned a lot about mechanics, but only when it was relevant to mining. Ant could take apart a drill laser and put it back together again, no problem, but anything to do with lenses and viewscreens had him baffled. Still, he did take pictures with his datapad, and they enjoyed watching them together.

After he left the café, he found to his surprise that the sidewalk was leaning. Every other step, he stumbled, and for some reason he found that hilariously funny. When he talked to Four over the radio he could not get his words to sound right. All in all, it took longer than it should have to get back to the ferry, and once inside he slumped onto the couch and fell promptly asleep. The next morning, he and his head weren't friends anymore.

* * * * * *

Back from his mind trip to the recent past, Ant noisily slurped up the last of his grape juice. He closed his eyes and sighed. They had been watching movies and playing games for hours, and he really did feel tired. Before he could sink into a nap, though, a soft voice came from the viewscreen speakers.

"Ant? Ant, you're not mad at me, are you? If you are, then I'm sorry. I didn't mean to gloat..."

"No, it's okay." He opened his eyes, leaned toward the screen, and smiled. "I'm not mad, promise. It's just part of the game, you know. Just like you don't really mean it when you rib me, I don't really mean it when I throw a hissy."

"That's good to hear." The face on the screen went from frown to smile, and the blue eyes glittered with a happiness that almost made them look real. Ant wished he could touch that face, to reassure Four and show that he cared. "I really want us to stay friends."

"Of course we will. You're the best friend I've ever had."

Four kept grinning, then a tiny squeak escaped him, and they both fell into giggles.

* * * * * *

It took two more days to reach Shyre. Locals on the last two worlds they had visited all recommended it as mostly friendly, and that it would be a good place to stock up on supplies.

Ferry number four's interior was quite different now from how it had looked when Ant first came aboard. He had pretty much right away traded the central table and the chairs for a larger refrigerator with an in-built freezer. That way, they could do fewer supply runs, leaving more time for exploration. The left-hand side, as seen from the entrance door, held several small paintings Ant had bought from local artists on their stops. On the right-hand side, on and around the bedroom and bathroom doors, were pictures he had taken himself, which he had let Four select and print out. The ferry did not object to any of the changes. On the contrary, Four took delight in looking different. He loved his new decorations, and every now and then Ant could hear the faint whirr of the on-board cameras as Four looked around and zoomed in on things.

The bedroom had become more or less a storage space. Once Ant had decided he liked sleeping on the couch better, he talked Four into getting rid of the bed, and the room was now half-filled with non-perishable food, water bottles and crates of juice boxes. And books. Several boxfuls of them. Ant didn't have many vices, and he was careful not to overspend, but one thing he couldn't resist was books. Even though he could read pretty much anything off his datapad, there was something about a solid paper book in his hands that made the reading so much better. Maybe, he mused, if they ever ran into the Morning Calm, he would give some of them to Raeder. It was from the captain Ant had got his love for reading, and he still felt guilty that Raeder's own books had to be burned. Like everything else aboard the Calm they had been contaminated, by him.

Growing up in the Mining Belt, where highly radioactive ore was dug out and processed every day, had made Ant himself dangerous to human life. After weeks at the hospital station where he met and more or less stole Four, he was no longer too radioactive, and he would really like to give at least something back. After all, if it hadn't been for Raeder and the Calm crew, he would still have been hidden away inside the caves underneath his home town, waiting to get captured and turned into another mining slave. With his tail cut off, to add injury to insult.

A beep from the screen made him realise that he had just about fallen asleep. The view ahead showed a blue-green planet, surrounded by a couple of small moons and three space stations. All of whom had been highlighted in the image, since they were more or less invisible against the background of stars. Ant knew from the datapad that Shyre had several large cities, but he hadn't decided yet if he wanted to visit them. Cities, he had been told, were busy places, filled with people and bustling with activity. Some of which could be shady, even dangerous. Together with Four, he had made the decision to land outside one of the smaller villages first. Just to scout the terrain, and see what he was up against. The beep sounded again, and this time Four's face appeared on the screen.

"There's an incoming call for you, Ant."

"Who is it?" His heart sped up a little. "Is it Raeder?"

"No, it's from Shyre space control."

"Okay. Can you open it on the screen, please?"

"Sure!"

The viewscreen filled with a plump man sporting bushy red face fur, impressive for a human. Beard, Ant corrected himself. He was trying his best to learn and remember the human words for things like that. Fur on top of your head was called hair, face fur was called beard. A caption at the bottom of the screen identified the man as Argus Perez of Shyre World Security. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he caught sight of Ant, but he kept his expression neutral. Ant gave him his most charming smile, at least according to some of the young girls and boys he had talked to, who had seemed quite keen to get to know him.

"What can I do for you, Mr Perez?"

"Personnel Transportation Vehicle number four?"

"That's us."

"Please state your purpose for making unregistered entry into Shyre space."

"Stocking up on supplies," Ant replied, feeling slightly puzzled. "And maybe some sightseeing, if that's okay."

"Certainly," the man hummed. He had a lower voice than any Ant had ever heard before, except for the Morning Calm's mechanic, Tow. "So long as we can clear away the formalities. Are you aware that a landing permit is required to visit Shyre?"

"No sir, I was not. I've never heard about anything like that."

"Standard procedure these days, I'm afraid. Space around here has become infested with pirates and other do-badders."

"Is... is there any danger?" Ant rubbed the spot on his chest, where a pirate had shot him not long ago. It still ached from time to time, especially if he slept on it the wrong way. "Should we turn around?"

"No, no, there's no need for that. Just a security precaution. Mainly to make sure that you're not pirates." The man let hear a rumbling laugh. "But if you are, you're the oddest-looking pirate I've ever seen."

"I'm a wolf." It had become second nature to introduce himself as such. "From the Thessalia Mining Belt."

"Never heard of it." He started scribbling on a pad. "And the rest of the crew?"

"There's just me. And Four of course."

"Four?"

"The ferry. I call him Four, and we're friends."

"Are you talking about the PTV's onboard computer?"

"Yessir. His name's Four now."

"Oh-kay..." More scribbling. "What about your parents, or legal guardian?"

"No need for one." Ant resisted the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. It was the same thing everywhere! "Among my people, I've been considered an adult for years."

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen-and-five-eighths, standard years."

"That is too young for unsupervised interplanetary travel. At least by normal standards. Do you have any documentation to corroborate your claim?"

"I have a passport from New Mérida." The café owner who had given Ant his first and hopefully only bout with intoxication, had pointed him to local authorities, to get some legal papers. To avoid situations like this one. The passport had a picture of his smiling face, and a couple of impressive-looking stamps. Ant was very proud of it. "And the doctors at the station believed me, if that's any help."

"Which station?"

"Sunview Hospital Station," Four chimed in. "That's where we met."

"This is Four speaking, I presume."

"Yes, sir! I'm travelling with Ant now. He's very nice and he's my best friend, if that's any help."

"I'm sure it will be," the man chuckled. "I must say, I've never met a computer with so much... personality."

"Ant has helped me to become more like a person. Before I met him, I never knew what it was like to have a friend."

"That's very sweet. Now, Ant, is that your first or last name?"

"My only name, sir. I've never had more than one."

"Hmm." He scribbled some more. "Well, my computer did find the Thessalia Belt, at least. Seems like there was some kind of commotion there, a while back."

"That's when I was rescued, sir. My people were kept as mining slaves, but now we're not."

"That's a good thing." The man smiled behind his beard, and his dark eyes lit up in a way that Ant found both pleasant and reassuring. "Ant, please dock at Security Orbit Station Two for inspection. It's just procedure, when it comes to unregistered vessels. It won't take long."

"Then we can be on our way?"

"Yes, you can be on your merry way. Both of you."

* * * * * *

"What a nice person he was," Four chirped while the ferry left orbit and entered the Shyre atmosphere. "I thought he looked scary at first."

"So did I, to be honest. There's something about authority people, rubs me the wrong way. But like you said, he was nice."

"Are we going to the beach place he talked about?"

"Do you want to?"

"It doesn't really matter to me. I'm happy to go where you want to go."

"Four, are you cross with me, 'cause I get to go places? I mean, out on my own?"

"Of course not. I'm a ferry, my job is to park and let people out."

"Four..."

"Okay..." There came an electronic sigh, and the face on the screen pouted. "I guess I'm a bit envious. I wouldn't have been before... before you made me your friend."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Ant. I'm happy for everything you've done for me. It's just, sometimes I wish..."

"That you could go out there with me."

"Yes."

"I'll see if I can find someone who knows about optics. See if I can at least set you up to be with me by proxy."

"There's no need to use up your money on me."

"I don't mind. You're worth it."

"But you'll end up poor and broke and it will be my fault! What if you have to sell the shirt off your back, just so you can eat?"

"What good is money if you can't share it with a friend? I'd rather be poor with you than rich on my own."

"Oh, Ant..." The screen blurred for a split-second, then a tear rolled down Four's animated face, even though he was still smiling. When the ferry spoke again, it was in a low whisper. "You're so kind."

* * * * * *

Strandstad turned out to be larger than Ant had thought, given Mr Perez's description. In fact, it was by far the largest town he had ever set foot in, and he felt a bit nervous. There was a lot of people out and about, and most of them turned and stared when he passed by. No one sought him out, though, or even spoke to him. Not like in the smaller villages he had visited earlier, where people immediately welcomed him and wanted to know who he was and where he'd come from. To make his tail hang even lower, it turned out that most of the street and shop signs were in a language he didn't understand. Luckily, he could whisper the words to Four, and get translations in return. He decided to get some really nice decorations for the ferry. His ears perked up a bit when he found a food store with a sign that said 'Standard English Spoken'. He walked in, smiling as the door set off a brass bell. Behind a counter he saw a blonde girl who looked to be about his own age.

"Välkommen, hur kan jag hjälpa..." She had spoken without looking up, but when she saw him, she jumped back. "Oj!"

"Uhm, sorry," he said, feeling very awkward. "Your... your sign said you speak..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir." She had a soft dialect, and there was genuine concern in her voice. To Ant's puzzlement, her face turned a bit pink. "I... I didn't mean to be rude."

"Let me guess." He gave her a lopsided grin, which made her go from pink to red. "You've never met someone like me before?"

"I... No, not ever. You look a little strange, if you don't mind me saying so."

"I'm a wolf, but my name is Ant." He bowed, and the girl smiled. "Pleased to meet you."

"And I am Four," came a cheerful voice from the small loudspeaker clipped to the collar of Ant's shirt. "I'm a ferry!"

* * * * * *

With all the fresh supplies stowed away, Ant sank down on the couch with a sigh. It had been a tough day. Not hauling boxes, he really had nothing against hard work. What had got to him was the people, all the stares and the whispers and the double takes. He had been nervous to begin with, and now that his first outing was over, it felt good to just sit down and relax. While Four downloaded all the pictures he had taken during the day, Ant popped the straw into a box of apple juice, and took a sip. Then he decided to have a look at his present.

Gina, the girl from the food store, had turned out to be friendly and talkative, and Ant had learned a lot about Shyre in general and the surrounding area in particular. Her father, the store owner, had been kind enough to deliver his purchases directly to Four, and had even given him a hand with the heavier boxes. It was when Ant packed everything away that he found a small, stylishly designed box, which he did not remember buying. It had Gina's name hand-written on it, encased inside a symbol which Four told him represented a heart. Not sure what that meant, Ant half feared that he would find a slab of raw meat inside. But when he opened the box it was to rows of little strange, round balls that smelled sweet.

"Do you know what these are? I can't read the word on the box."

"They are chocolates," Four informed him. "According to my search, the word is the name of the manufacturer. Chocolates are sweet treats, kind of like candy."

"I like candy." Ant's ears perked. "Those sugar bomb things we got on Kallha were so good."

"They made you drool when you were chewing them," Four giggled. "All over your shirt."

"It mostly washed off." He selected a red ball and sniffed it. The smell was earthy, but also with a hint of fruit. "Here goes."

The outer layer cracked as soon as Ant bit down on it. Inside was a soft mush which must have been where the earthy smell came from. At the centre was a gel, made from a fruit he didn't recognise. Almost like orange, but not quite. As a whole, it was one of the tastiest things Ant had ever eaten. His salivary glands went into overdrive and he had to finish it quickly or risk another shirt.

"That was good." He licked his lips, then ate another ball. "The yellow ones are kinda lemony. So yummy!"

"Maybe you should go back, then. And thank your new friend." There was an edge to Four's words, and Ant stopped himself from trying a green ball. "If she's that good to you. Heart and all."

"Heart?" Ant frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"Of course not." A sigh followed, then a huff. "You're just eating fancy candy from a fancy box."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Never mind me, I'm just a stupid old ferry without apple cheeks and a plumpy front."

"Four, you're not... jealous... are you?"

"Of course not." On the viewscreen, the boy disappeared, and was replaced by a picture Ant had taken of Gina and him side-by-side, smiling. "Just saying."

"Four..." While Ant watched, a large beard appeared on Gina's face, then she was flipped upside down. Finally, a cartoonish anvil smashed her out of the picture. "Four, don't be silly. You know I like you much better."

"I never gave you candy."

"But I bet you would, if you could. Right?"

"I don't know." The picture vanished, and Four returned. The sad look on his usually so chipper face sent a stab through Ant's chest that had nothing to do with his still healing injury. "It's not like I can go shopping."

"It doesn't matter, I like you best anyway. Without you, I couldn't have gone anywhere."

"Yeah, that's right. I'm a mode of transportation, thanks for reminding me!"

"Four, please..."

"You keep telling me what her candy tastes like, and I have no idea what anything tastes like."

"I know, but... maybe you could find out."

"Huh?"

"Isn't there some way to... I don't know, simulate flavours? I mean, if you know what's in something, can't you make like an electronic version?"

"Maybe." To Ant's joy and relief, Four's smile returned. Seeing his friend in distress had made him feel unbearably bad. "I'll have to do some research."

"I'm not gonna elope to get married, you know. Like in that movie we saw."

"I know. My friend." Four tilted his head, and smiled wistfully. "At least not without taking me with you, right?"

"Right! No, I mean, wrong! I mean... I'm not gonna leave at all! I wanna be with you, travelling together."

"Thank you," Four whispered. "I... I really knew that, all along. It was just that, in the picture, her facial colouring indicates romantic or sexual interest."

"That's what it was? I was wondering why she kept getting red." Ant took another sip of juice. Some of the chocolate had stuck to his palate, and it was getting to be too sweet. "I've seen that in movies, but I never knew what it meant."

"It's called blushing, and it can also mean embarrassment. Or happiness."

"Like tailwags. So maybe she was just glad to meet a new guy."

"Please! She looked ready to mate with you."

"I'm glad she didn't. Honestly, I never had any thoughts like that."

"Honestly?"

"Swear it on my tail."

"I believe you."

"That's good. You can delete the picture if you want. Or better yet, keep it, and you'll see that she was just one person I met, who I'll never see again."

"I'm sorry for being a bother."

"You're not a bother. And I'm sorry for making you feel bad, even though there was really no need."

"Are we..." The face on the screen bit its lower lip, looking nervous. "Are we friends again?"

"We never stopped. Friends forever."

"Friends forever." Four grinned happily. "I'm gonna start looking, to see if I can find a way for me to smell and taste things."

"You do that. In the meantime, I'm going out for a little while. Nowhere near that food store, promise. I'm gonna look for a video camera."

"You're so sweet. And I wasn't worried or nothing."

* * * * * *

Ant turned around and glanced back at the ferry, just as the ramp was pulled in and the door closed. Personnel Transportation Vehicle number four looked like a steel-grey cube about seven metres to a side, with slightly rounded corners. The surface was smooth and lacked distinctive features, except for a door on one side, three metres up, from which a ramp descended to the ground whenever Ant wanted on or off. He knew that there were hatches here and there, which hid engine nozzles, spotlights, antennas, cameras and other things, but he had to get right up close to see them. The only other thing that really stood out was the number four, which was painted in black on two of the sides.

The sight gave Ant a warm feeling inside, even though he had started to think of the ferry and Four as separate things. This cube wasn't his friend; the boy on the screen with the ready smile and the cheerful voice, that was Four. It wasn't entirely logical, he knew, but he couldn't help the way he felt. The onboard computer's circuits were spread throughout the ferry, according to the blueprints he had looked at, yet...

Four was more than just a machine. To Ant, he was a living being. Gentle and friendly, sensitive and humorous. He pulled out his datapad from a pocket in his grey shorts, and took a picture, making sure that a four was near the centre. Then he used the pad's image manipulation program and drew one of those stylised hearts around the figure. He sent the picture to Four, and almost immediately there came a high-pitched shriek over the radio, followed by giggles.

Ant smiled to himself as he walked towards the parking lot's exit, and his tail swished behind him. Hopefully, Four wouldn't doubt their friendship ever again. The argument they'd had, or whatever you might call it, brief though it was, still stung deep inside him. He wasn't a stranger to fights, not really. Back in the Belt, pups fought all the time. They snarled and growled and wrestled, punched and kicked and bit one another, and someone always sported a swollen nose or a black eye. As the smallest, Ant had compensated by being feisty. Even though he mostly ended up losing his fights, he made sure that none of his assailants got away bruise free.

Aboard the Calm, he'd had some epic rows with Raeder and Knife, even though it rarely came down to violence. Except for his sparring matches with Knife, of course. She had taken it upon herself to turn him into a warrior, and their training sessions had usually ended in ouchies. For him. But none of that had really fazed him. Not much had, not until he had seen how upset Four got. A part of Ant had wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner and whimper for a while.

"I'm going to be a better friend," he said to himself as he turned onto the main street, while holding a hand over the microphone around his neck. "The best friend you could ever have."

* * * * * *

The one who told him about the electronics store was actually Gina, but that was something Ant would definitely keep to himself. Or not; maybe a set of portable eyes would soften the ferry's antipathy. He reached Havsgatan, Sea Street according to Four, just as the sun touched the horizon. Alone in the streets after dark had not been part of Ant's plan, but he had underestimated how quickly night fell on this world.

The store had a sign that he not only couldn't understand, he didn't even recognise most of the letters. Gina had ensured him that the owner spoke standard English, though. He whispered to Four to stand by in case he needed translations, then he swallowed down his nervousness and entered. There were screens, datapads, gaming stuff, circuit boards, spare parts and parts he had no clue what they were for, all in jumbles on the shelves. Behind the counter stood an older man with grey hair and a sullen face. He looked at Ant, but didn't flinch. Maybe Gina had called ahead and told them about him. The man spoke to him in a harsh-sounding language, and Ant's nerves crept back in.

"Hello. Uhm, do you speak English?"

"Moment."

The man left the counter through a back door, and a minute later a much younger man came out. His son, Ant thought, or maybe even grandson. They looked alike, except that the young man had light brown hair and fewer lines on his face. He leaned over the counter and smiled.

"I speak English." His dialect had deep vowels and hard consonants, but Ant found that he could understand him with a bit of concentration. Maybe he should start learning new languages, and not be so bound to the one he did know. The one the foremen had used, back in the Belt. "Now, how may I help?"

Ant explained what he needed and why, and the young man became animated. He pulled Ant along from shelf to shelf, showing him different cameras and lenses, explaining what each one was good at and what their disadvantages were. In the end, the choice stood between a pair of sunglasses with in-built optics and radio comms, a kind of yellow vest with a camera in the middle of the chest, and a box full of small, round colourful stickers.

"These are micro-cameras," the man said, holding up a pink one. "Attaches everywhere, films everything. Here, try."

He held the thing close to the microphone hanging around Ant's neck, and it beeped. A few seconds later, Four's agitated voice came from the speaker.

"It's working, Ant, I can really see. Look, there's you!" The man held the sticker in front of Ant. "And it's really good quality, too."

"Sounds like friend is happy, no?" Ant nodded with a smile. "Is really easy, just pull away paper on the back, and it's sticky."

The sunglasses didn't fit Ant at all. His muzzle was too wide, and when he tried to balance them anyway, they fell off. The vest seemed clumsy when he tried it on, and he thought the bright colour would make him stand out even more than he already did.

So Ant bought five of the stickers, including the pink one that was already linked to Four, but not until after the young man had warned him that it was very illegal in most places to use them in bathrooms, locker rooms or showers. Not sure why anyone would want to do that, and suddenly feeling mildly nauseous, Ant agreed, and promised to only use them to show Four around. The stickers weren't very expensive, neither was the small box of fairy lights he found by the register, so he ended up paying with paper money. Cash was one thing he had learned to use early on. When trading with farmers and small town folks, not everyone had money cards or card readers. So he usually kept a small wad of paper bills and a handful of metal coins in his pocket. Not too much, which could draw the unwanted attention of ne'er-do-wells, but enough for random purchases. After a tip from an elderly man on New Mérida, he had sewn inside pockets into all his shorts, where he kept his money card safe and hidden.

Ant's purchases cost him most of his bills, and his outer pocket now mostly clinked with coins. Just when he was about to leave, he spotted something else on one of the lower shelves, in a corner of the store. His ears perked up.

"What are those?"

"This?" The man picked the object up and placed it on the counter. It looked like a simplified human head, with round eyes that were completely dead, and almost freaked Ant out. "Is not for you, I think. This is for grown-up play. You know, bedroom play."

"Oh." Ant's ears pressed flat against his head, in a wolf-show of embarrassment. He made a face and shook his head. "Yeah, not for me. I just thought..."

"You think a body for friend, eh? Little Four to run around?" Ant nodded. He hadn't even thought something like that was possible until just now, but it was a glorious idea. "Not that one, but there are others. They make for kids who are ill, whose body don't work. Kid puts on helmet, and robot goes out to play with friends."

"Would that work? I mean, if you hook it up to a computer?"

"I have no idea." He shrugged, then laughed. "You need expert. I know a guy in Rheenna. Don't know if he has any for sale, though, plus are very expensive."

"Rheenna..." Ant chewed his lower lip. "That's the big city, isn't it?"

"Capital," the man grinned proudly. "Biggest city in whole cluster. Two million people. Including expert guy."

* * * * * *

With the stickers and an address card in his pocket, the fairy lights in a small paper bag, and a picture of the kind young man, Mikhal, on his datapad, Ant left the store. He was a little bit surprised to see that it was completely dark outside, and that the streets were lit by hovering lamps. There had still been some daylight when he went inside, but that was all gone now.

Doorways, alleys and side streets gaped dark, even to his sensitive eyes. Ant had spent a long time living in lightless caves, but that had been completely different. At least to his mind. The caves held nothing but harmless cave ants, and him. Here, there were people. He couldn't tell if an alley were empty, or if there were a gang in there, waiting to beat him up and rob him. His nose and his ears helped some, but there were so many other smells and sounds that they felt unreliable. He walked towards the parking lot with determination, tail hanging down but not hiding between his legs, fast but not fast enough to look like he was running scared. Self confidence, he knew, kept you out of fights better than running-feet.

There was a bit more movement on the main street. Not as many vehicles as earlier in the day, though, and the sidewalks were nearly empty. Four kept whispering encouragement, and asked Ant over and over again to be careful and stay safe. He tried to keep worry out of his replies, but knew he probably botched it. At one point, a group of teenagers started following him, but it turned out that they just wanted to take pictures with him. They all posed together for a little while, then Ant felt quite happy when they went their own way and he kept on walking. That was, until he realised that his few remaining bills were gone from his pocket. The old Ant would have run after the gang, fists swinging and jaws snapping, but instead he just shook his head and wrote it down in the experience column. The money card was still there, his datapad was still there, the stickers were still there, the address card was still there. And he even had enough coins to buy himself a drink. He chose a fizzy soda, a tickle-nose drink as he had come to think of them. It tasted both sweet and citrus-sour, and he decided to see if he could get a crate of them somewhere. Probably not from Gina's store, though, he thought with a smile.

The parking lot had closed when he got there, but there was a button to press during off-hours. An electronic voice answered, and Ant said his name and his vehicle identification. The gate buzzed open, and he found himself alone among poorly lit rows upon rows of small ships, carts, cars and hoverbikes. And one hospital station ferry. Four had already opened up when he got there, so he scurried up the ramp. Once he was sitting on the couch again, he finished his drink and tossed the empty cup into the trash bin. He chatted with Four for a while, and showed his friend the camera stickers. Four was delighted, even more so when Ant started putting up little colourful lamps on the walls and doors. They all linked up to the PTV in the same way the microphone, the speaker and the camera did, so Four could turn them on and off at will. Even set them to twinkle. But he was still busy with his taste and smell experiments, so he soon stopped playing with the fairy lights, and returned to his work.

Ant, on the other hand, curled up on the couch and took a nap.