    "This is Hiret! Are you receiving this transmission? Ending Hiret."
    Hiret continued trying to transmit for several minutes before he decided to take the transport back to Loma Dena. On the way he tried several more times to make contact using the transports link.
    This was unprecedented. There had not been an equipment malfunction for billions of years. It finely dawned on Hire that it must be the electromagnetic energy infiltrating the system.
    Hiret could only hope that the security systems would stop the advance of the electromagnetic energy as it approached Loma Dena. He sat starring at the screens, and fiddling with the knobs and buttons. Then it occurred to him that the electromagnetic energy might be trying to communicate. Maybe it doesn't know how to use modern electronics. Hiret reversed course and returned to the grid where Mrs. Dennen was waiting.
    "I think I got it. I just need to figure out how to use the equipment," stated Hiret to Mrs. Dennen as she stepped off the transport.
    "Ok. Now that it's in the system, then maybe, maybe it's capable of using the database. Maybe it can learn by being part of a knowledge base. Maybe we need to teach it somehow. Let's see, if I were it, what would I want or need?" said Mrs. Dennen with note of wonder.
    "I would first want my presence recognized. I would then say 'Hi'," said Hiret.
    Mrs. Dennen tapped the com-mike twice. Sure enough, the mental essence caused two spikes on the screen showing electromagnetic activity. She then tapped it four times, and the got back four spikes.
    Once in contact with the electromagnetic coils the mental essence was conducted to the 'LINK' through the wiring and transmissions. This was the most significant occurrence since the asteroid hit Trent's ship.
    The link is the term used when referring to the computer network interconnecting most of the technological centers and personally operated devices throughout all of the 7,042 civilizations in the Alliance of Nations. The accumulated knowledge of the last three billion years from a large number of sources is accessible through the link. Now the mental essence was part of that network.
    Aside from having access to a tremendous database, the mental essence had also gained visual, audio, and movement capabilities.
    "Probe 14, I'm getting some static on this frequency. Probe 14! Hello!" said Hiret.
    Hiret tried switching to different frequencies and a variety of devices, but the electromagnetics bonded to the mental essence was overwhelming all circuits.
    "How much poking and prodding could this new thing take?" asked Hiret to himself out loud.
    Thinking to himself, Hiret pondered the possibility of scaring it away. What would be too much?
    "Is there a problem?" Mrs. Dennen asked.
    "No problem yet," replied Hiret.
    "What do you mean by not yet?" Mrs. Dennen said.
    "I mean we keep doing this that and the other. Maybe it doesn't like it," said Hiret.
    "Maybe it's trying just as hard to communicate with us?" said Mrs. Dennen.
    Hiret and Mrs. Dennen sat staring at the screens around them.
    "You've done it. You've done it," proclaimed Hiret.
    They embraced for a moment.
    "I wonder what the best way for it to learn is," said Mrs. Dennen.
    "Or, for us to learn. Maybe it can't learn," Hiret said.

    "This is Hiret! Are you receiving this transmission? Ending Hiret."
    Hiret continued trying to transmit for several minutes before he decided to take the transport back to Loma Dena. On the way he tried several more times to make contact using the transports link.
    This was unprecedented. There had not been an equipment malfunction for billions of years. It finely dawned on Hire that it must be the electromagnetic energy infiltrating the system.
    Hiret could only hope that the security systems would stop the advance of the electromagnetic energy as it approached Loma Dena. He sat starring at the screens, and fiddling with the knobs and buttons. Then it occurred to him that the electromagnetic energy might be trying to communicate. Maybe it doesn't know how to use modern electronics. Hiret reversed course and returned to the grid where Mrs. Dennen was waiting.
    "I think I got it. I just need to figure out how to use the equipment." stated Hiret to Mrs. Dennen as she stepped off the transport.
    "Ok. Now that it's in the system, then maybe, maybe it's capable of using the database. Maybe it can learn by being part of a knowledge base. Maybe we need to teach it somehow. Let's see, if I were it, what would I want or need?" said Mrs. Dennen with note of wonder.
    "I would first want my presence recognized. I would then say 'Hi'." said Hiret.
    Mrs. Dennen tapped the com-mike twice. Sure enough, the mental essence caused two spikes on the screen showing electromagnetic activity. She then tapped it four times, and the got back four spikes.
    Once in contact with the electromagnetic coils the mental essence was conducted to the 'LINK' through the wiring and transmissions. This was the most significant occurrence since the asteroid hit Trent's ship.
    The link is the term used when referring to the computer network interconnecting most of the technological centers and personally operated devices throughout all of the 7,042 civilizations in the Alliance of Nations. The accumulated knowledge of the last three billion years from a large number of sources is accessible through the link. Now the mental essence was part of that network.
    Aside from having access to a tremendous database, the mental essence had also gained visual, audio, and movement capabilities.
    "Probe 14, I'm getting some static on this frequency. Probe 14! Hello!" said Hiret.
    Hiret tried switching to different frequencies and a variety of devices, but the electromagnetics bonded to the mental essence was overwhelming all circuits.
    "How much poking and prodding could this new thing take?" asked Hiret to himself out loud.
    Thinking to himself, Hiret pondered the possibility of scaring it away. What would be too much?
    "Is there a problem?" Mrs. Dennen asked.
    "No problem yet." replied Hiret.
    "What do you mean by not yet?" Mrs. Dennen said.
    "I mean we keep doing this that and the other. Maybe it doesn't like it." said Hiret.
    "Maybe it's trying just as hard to communicate with us?" said Mrs. Dennen.
    Hiret and Mrs. Dennen sat staring at the screens around them.
    "You've done it. You've done it " proclaimed Hiret.
    They embraced for a moment.
    "I wonder what the best way for it to learn is." said Mrs. Dennen.
    "Or, for us to learn. Maybe it can't learn." Hiret said.