Havin' trouble sleepin' again. Nothin' particular in my head. Oh, my Agnus-G fantasies were sweet, sure, but readin' like one of them mushy romance novels, so I quit'em. Guess I'm bored. I may be a tad worrisome, also, wonderin' if I'll ever git home, if I'll ever hear any broadcast jawin' from my ole pilot buddies. I dream about them fellas, the academy, my family and humans in general. I sit up nights recallin' the goals I once had, now on hold. My comin' here was sorta like a new assignment, but all for not if I can't git home with the fruits of my labor.

Guess ma was right. Once a dreamer, always a dreamer. But them big dreams can oft times come true, she assured me.

Tried to work-out before hittin' the hay. Runnin' in place mostly. Just woke me up more. Looked out the port window. No sign of SID, but whoa! I rubbed my eyes several times just to make certain I wasn't dreamin' while I was awake.

Durn! Can't seem to get away from that color no way no how. Imagine my surprise to see a huge magenta haze whirlin' 'round a whole mess of constellations heaped atop each other. I traced the dots on the porthole with my finger. Looked just like a flower. What kind of flower?

I asked AGNUS-G to scan the new galaxy of unidentified stuff, and to please tell me what flower it resembled. We needed to map it all anyways. After that, I got to thinkin? she might find out more about exotic flowers. She recited a list startin? with ?A? and displayed visual samples of each one. I couldn?t pronounce any of 'em til she got to Lotus.

"Stop! That's it. We oughta name this the Lotus Galaxy. So many stars... How did that kiddy wishin' song go now?"

Agnus-G replied, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have my wish come true tonight."

"Yeah, that was it." I was amazed she even knew it. "Now what to wish for?"

Come to think of it--oh what the heck. Why aim low? "It sure would be nice if AGNUS-G were more than a blob of energy showin' up on the heat sensors. I wish I had some company in the flesh, sorta. It gets tiresome lookin' at all these knobs, dials and screens, not to mention the endless walls of metal." I looked over at my pin-up calendar, sighed.

I felt kinda silly talkin' to the stars, but it's not like there was anyone around who'd make fun of me. "Star--I know there's more than one of you out there in the Lotus Galaxy, so this here wish should be multiplied times some huge number, right? I saw you all at once, so I reckon I have a lot of wishes comin' my way. I just want one wish, stars-and that's for some female companionship. Nothin' fancy mind you, but I wouldn't mind her to look like that calendar girl yonder."

I couldn't help gigglin' after that. I giggled so hard I nearly wet myself. The last one got caught in my throat, though, on account of in she walked.

"What in the--"

"Shaula," the calendar woman said softly, "please inform me as to why humans raise flowers. My data banks only contain categorical information on various genii, cultivation, and harvesting. They do not contain any socio-cultural data on this subject."

"AGNUS-G?!" I squeeked at her all incredulous like.

"Yes, Shaula. Do you require something else?" She asked all matter-of-fact like.

I was speechless, to be sure. I need to sign off now, to take it all in. Could ma be right?

Shaula Randolf, Star Pilot: 3rd Class & AGNUS-G

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