It would be an interesting situation for Anna, who has really got a strong scientific backgroundand is a child of science to face something that is so alien to her nature and understanding.

> And historically, if someone tried possessing her, or taking control of her to hurt someone, she goes into auto-shutdown and faints. That's what happened last time someone tried possessing her. It's not an automatic response though - she does that consciously to prevent harming someone while out of control.

I think possession in the poltergeist sense would more likely be some kind of over-riding of muscular control systems rather than the mind that usually commands them - like someone physically bending your arms against your will.

> Speaking of Anna, to move things forward I've been thinking of pulling her back to Paradopolis, and then leaving the explanation of where she was for later. The beauty of having two different plot forks not dependent on each other is they don't have to happen concurrently.

The question is whether you want to get any more milage out of Anna in space before she heads for home.

For example, she might be recruited to act as a market researcher (surveilance operative) on Earth for the Trading Alliance

> > > > Vinnie's probably still feeling guilty for the other times Liu Xi got dragged into supernatural danger. > > > Or he's afraid of getting in trouble with Liu Xi again. > > Vinnie's used to being "in trouble" from the womenfolk of his life, especially his mother, sisters, and ex-fiancee. What disconcerts him about Liu Xi and his other new female friends is a tendency they have to actually care about him and try to scold him for benevolent reasons not to control him. > Liu Xi also tends to mean exactly what she says, and doesn't manipulate him.

I imagine that would be refreshing.