Humans from Dimension 482 might recognize a rodeo as a place where other humans in big hats chase around animals to prove that they can dominate their... four-legged quarry with ropes, horses, and sheer will. Some Pellians from Dimension 996 had been traveling through 482 at one point, and witnessed the event for themselves. They thought it was delightfully absurd. A competition focused around dominating some other creature faster and better than others? The Pellian species, a sort of squid-like. “I could use your help with something.”“What’s up?” she asked.“Do you know if Clara celebrates Christmas?”“Sure she does.”“Cool. Then I could use a ride, if you don’t mind?”A short time later when Shannon’s car announced its own arrival, I let Lara know I was going out. She waved sadly and returned to her book, rejecting the offer to accompany us.“Long time no see,” Shannon said with a smile as I hopped into the shotgun seat.“I know, right? Fucked up night.”“Yeah. Murph’s, then?” she. The first text read, “Report to professor Julian’s (pronounced Hulen ... she smirked internally) office to receive your grade on today’s philosophy 201 test.”If it hadn’t been for the second text that read, “Failure to appear before COB today will result in failure of the entire class,” Mika would possibly have ignored the message.She didn’t want to fail the class, she discovered somewhat belatedly, so reluctantly she dressed and headed back across the campus to find out what the damage was.As. “Let’s go the meeting room where we can sort all this out,’’ I said.I called Connie in to take notes for the official record.‘‘I don’t know what to say,’’ General Ingram said.‘‘I don’t want you to say anything. It is a JBG problem to deal with at this time. Unless they attack a US government installation, flagged ship, or assets, WE are not getting involved. Congress would have us all hung on the conflicts of interest and a host of other charges,’’ I said.‘‘Now we know they are following the.