Lindsay paused for a second. Normally, she would've just ignored him and done what she wanted. But this time, she paused.

Lindsay: "Yes?"

Khumar: "He...well...he was Emeraldon!"



Lindsay: "What?"

Khumar: "Yeah. But...almost everyone now believes he's dead!"



Lindsay: "Khumar! What a horrible secret to have to keep!"

Khumar: "I was his greatest confidant for many years! But that all changed as of this past August. Now, I'm not even sure he is still alive!"

Lindsay: "What happened?"

Khumar: "He...got caught up in that whole stupid Meethlite-Phaelite war thing! His ship was attacked in the raid over Gerosha that occurred this past August. No sign of him or his girlfriend anywhere!"



Khumar: "What are you doing?"

Lindsay: "Looking where you stashed your family album!"

Khumar: "Why?"

Lindsay: "I wanna know who this ‘girlfriend’ of his was!"



Khumar: "I don't know...some Candy Cane chick! Candy! Ha! Sounds like a stripper name!"

Lindsay: "Worse..."

Khumar: "Worse? What could be worse than my brother dating a stripper???"



Lindsay: "How’s about…a potential Centhuen Prototype!"

Khumar: "A what???"

Lindsay: "Khumar...that isn't ‘Candy’ with a ‘Y’. It's with an ‘I’. And this is no ordinary Candi that he was dating!"

Khumar: "She...looks ordinary enough to me!"

Lindsay: "I've seen this girl in the library at Viron University! She goes under the last name of Stevens, but there are no Stevenses that I'm aware of that come from Gerosha. This…is Candi Flippo!"



Khumar was taken aback. Candi Flippo? Could his brother truly have been dating a Flippo? It was unthinkable!

Khumar: "My…frog!!! Flippo? Candice…Flippo…as in, daughter of Stan and Shalia Flippo??? You serious?"

Lindsay: "I'm almost certain! She's going by the name of Stevens, because she doesn't know if any of Donte's family members are still alive! Her sisters are scattered and hidden, and one of them is dead. Her parents are dead, and her brothers have practically disowned her. We're the closest thing to a family she has left! We have to find her before the Meethlites do, or else that girl is in serious trouble!"



Nobody ate easily that evening. Lindsay's thoughts turned to solving the mystery of where Candi was. Jeraime worried that the Meethlites would be after her in no time, and that getting involved would fare ill for all of them.



Jeraime: "Lindsay...you're sure that this Candi is out there?"

Lindsay: "We have her photo with Donte. It's about the only evidence he left us of who his mysterious love is, as I'm sure he wished to protect her. I could almost swear that I've seen her at the campus library! She doesn't know who we are; but if we don't do something..."



Dolly: "I understand. This is serious. But we're technically not family! If she isn't married to him, or hasn't had any kids with him, there is no blood relation!"

Lindsay: "You may be right, Dolly. But even if she never considers us family; she's got to be lonely—always in hiding like that! If she doesn't have friends, then even if she isn't captured, she'll very likely go crazy out there!

I speak from experience here: if we do nothing, she may end up making some very poor choices!"



The wind picked up outside the house, and the atmosphere of the chilly night went from one of family warmth to one of fear and uncertainty. They all knew something was wrong...but what?



The doorbell rang. Who could possibly be stopping by the door?

Jeraime: "I'll get it! Sheesh, I'm about ready to pull that thing out of the wall!"



Jeraime opened the door to find...nobody!

Jeraime: "Hmmm...odd! Who'd be pranking me tonight?"



Harga: (to Justin) "Now!!!"



Justin: "Get victim!!!!"

The brainwashed man followed orders immediately, while the two Meethlite elders moved in for the others.



Jeraime was immediately frozen in terror and disbelief at what charged right at him!

Jeraime: "Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!"



Jeraime: "Aaaarrrrrgggg!! Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!"

The pain was almost unbearable, but it would be over soon. Jeraime had been placed against his will in the suit! Musaran was born.



The machine wherein which he was built had been blown apart by the violence! But at least Harga had succeeded at her goal. Jeraime Malestrom was now Musaran, a ruthless shrew cyborg that would do the Meethlites' bidding!



Almost immediately, the evil AI began to take its effect, feeding off of Jeraime's natural aggression! Things didn't look good for Justin until Harga's interference!

Justin: "End threat!!!"

Jeraime: "DIEEE!!!!!!!!!"



Harga: "Stop!"