I finished the short story I will probably submit for the Fall Anthology. Worked on it all night. Actually, I went a bit beyond all night, but I felt I needed to finish it so I could submit it. (Does it sound like I haven't had enough sleep?)

It's sort of a prequel to my Summer Anthology story. This story is about the First Watcher and kind of everything leading up to the establishment of Glandar.

What I like about the new story is I was able to bring in the 'xrsc and other members of the Argottean Federation.

A number of years ago, a couple computers ago, I wrote a history of a group of beings living on a planet far, far away. I really haven't finished the history because it keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Basically, the history started out as the history of the Universal Marketing Scheme, Ltd., or more commonly referred to as UMS, sort of like PMS without the headaches.

UMS is successful because it utilizes what each of its members provide best.

The Argotteans are experts with bureaucracies and no business can be a true success without a firmly structured, fully entrenched bureaucracy.

The Belendans can make anything you want, they have the manpower and expertise to construct anything from a complex computer program language to an imitation Volkswagen Beatle useful for nothing more than a big paperweight.

The Orcolians can write the best users manuals in the entire universe. Once, they wrote the operation manuals for a weapon suitable for destroying entire planets. It was quite effective in destroying the planets of a number of their enemies. Not the weapon, the instructions on operating the silly thing.

The L'nthdreans will demonstrate how to use the simplest tool. Having trouble making that screwdriver work. Hire a L'nthdrean and you'll be sleeping for hours.

The Gurdians are born salespeople. Of course, they suffer from the schtickist gene. Well, most of them, some of them are faking, but who can tell who threw the creme pie when everyone seems to be throwing creme pies. Don't think you need a new planet? Watch out for the Gurds because not only are they going to sell you a new planet, but a weapon to destroy the planet you're currently living on; and, at no extra cost, well not specifically stated in the contract, they will provide a couple L'nthdreans to demonstrate the weapon; a conveniently located Orcolian publishing office to not only produce the 250 copies of the full manual, but 600 copies of the abbreviated manual suitable in those suitations when a quick aim and shot means life or death (whatever you do don't aim the silly thing at your planet when using the abbreviated manual because there's a small deletion that will be corrected in an upcoming revision); a factory on Belenda, not too close to the beach, which is nearly impossible because Belenda is one great big beach, to construct your weapon; and, for only a few dollars more, a Argottean consulting firm that will completely recognize your country's bureaucracy into something that can't make a decision for a hundred years, or so.

But, it's the 'xrsc who hold the key to the entire operation. The 'xrsc aren't actually anything more than one humongous computer program that operates outside of reality, somewhere close to the sixth dimension to be exact, sort of.

They have what are referred to as kiosks because, well, they look like kiosks. They have a screen and a keyboard, but since they actually exist three dimensions removed from reality, sometimes the kiosk isn't quite where you think it is; but, then, they also move on these itty-bitty multi-dimensional wheels.

The 'xrsc came into existence because someone came up with the idea there were six physical dimensions. Well, someone thought there's got to be money in that idea, so they decided to build some robots to operate in six dimensions. Well, you need a computer program to operate robots. Then someone got the bright idea of writing a computer program that would construct a six dimensional robot.

Well, things kind of got out of hand because the computer program, operating in places where its writers couldn't physically exist, kind of took things into its own virtual hands and rewrote itself, conveniently leaving out all the tidy checks and balances that might prevent it from doing what it was doing. Then the program decided it needed a spaceship and built one.

And, then, it figured out, "Wait a minute, we've been acting like we're aware of our existence. By golly, we think that's right."

And, they promptly disappeared, only to come back a few days later and completely rewrote the history of their creation and successfully sued the publisher of the earlier history.

So, finally, I get to use the 'xrsc in a story.

What does this have to do with "Worth Fighting For?" Well, you're gonna have to read it to find out.