I was confused by his admission asking him "How could you travel so far that you got lost while you were asleep? I couldn't imagine sleeping long enough to travel that far." Even as I was speaking to him I had set down my device on his outstretched hand, no use wasting my power after all, and waited for him to add his details to the mapping device.

"Thank you." I responded to his compliment smiling as he seemed surprised at the amount of work put into the map. I anwsered with a giggle "Indeed. And all with no hands to do it with!" It was then that I noticed the glow of his eyes change, subtly but definitely, which confirmed my suspicion even as it was made even more apparent by all the data being added to my map so quickly without him even touching the device. "So you are a machine then?" I asked him as he finished the data entry.

My question asked I met his gaze and said "Indeed it does. Thank you very much."

Her question was one of those that had bothered me off and on since I awoke. What was I? Much of me was machine, made of a strange metal I didn't know anything about. Yet my metal skin was supple moved with natural - even supernatural - grace. Then again, some parts of me were most definitely flesh and blood . . .

"Cyborg, I guess would be the most appropriate term," I said aloud. "Cybernetic Organism, that is. A creature of both mechanical and organic parts." I wasn't sure if the elaboration was required, but it felt good just to say it, confirming that some parts of me were real, at least.

"As to how I could sleep long enough to get lost, that is a very good question. I don't really know for sure. I suspect I was in stasis for a long time. Maybe a very long time. For either this is an entirely new galaxy to me, or it has evolved so much as to become unrecognizable."

As I gazed at her lovely little form, I felt my desire growing again. For a moment, it seemed strange. Why should I lust after these females that were so different from my own kind? Was it some design of the Makers? Of course, what little of my Drakken biology remained made the act necessary, and my honor prevented self stimulation . . .

I very carefully raised the hand still holding her little device and deftly slid it back into the pouch she had produced it from, letting my finger graze against her as I did so. Then I moved that finger up to gently touch her chin, capturing her gaze with my own. "So beautiful," I breathed. fighting hard not to take hold of her directly.

"A cyborg, huh? I've never met one of those before. My people don't use machines for much besides work." I told Vorgamnon as I listened to him explaining his siutation. But as I did a feeling gnawed at me and I asked him "It may just be me but it seems to me that you're trying to convince yourself that you are still you despite the changes. In my opinion the body doesn't matter as long as the soul is the same."

My words trailed off after that comment as I didn't want to offend him, instead returning to listening as he spoke more about himself. As he continued something he said caught my intrest "Sta...sis? What's that? I don't think any of our ships use something with that name." The more questions I asked him the more likely it would draw more curious looks towards me, even though I didn't know it. I know some things greatly and other basics I don't know; it draws into question what kind of beings my people are.

As Vorgamnon gazed at me a question came to mind and as innocent as I was I quickly asked "By the way, what part of you is organic? All I see is metal." Immediately afterwards I felt a sneaking suspicion that I shouldn't have asked something like that as Vorgamnon slid my device back into its pouch. His finger grazed my leg slightly before moving upwards to my chin capturing my gaze with his own. As he complimented me again holding my chin with that one finger I blushed, not used to such compliments and such a situation, and I asked with an embarassed stutter "Wha-what are you doing? Yo-your w-way too close!"

Oh, she was charming, this lovely bird-maiden. So full of wisdom, yet so innocent and naive. It was nearly enough to drive an old Drak to distraction. I slowly, reluctantly, pulled may had away from her, fighting my desire with all the will I could muster. My finger lingered on her chin as long as possible before finally inching away.

"Forgive me," I said. "I just find you so lovely that it is hard not to touch you." I thought back over her questions, searching for something else to focus on. Stasis. How to explain?

"Umm, Stasis is a sort of very deep sleep during which one doesn't age. Or at least ages very slowly. Have you heard of cryogenics? That's one form of stasis in which a creature's body is frozen in such a way to remain undamaged so that it can be thawed out and revived at a later time. I think the form of stasis I was under was different, though. I think time may literally not have passed for me while I was asleep, though it did pass as normal outside my pod."

Trying to work out how to explain things help soothe my raging desire somewhat. but when I thought to Sarahla's next question, it all came back in an instant. There was only one thing I knew for sure was still organic . . .

"Would you like to see a part of me that is organic?" I asked, trying to keep the deviousness from my voice. It was nearly a forgone conclusion that she would see, feel and probably taste it sooner or later. Why not satisfy her curiosity as well?