The initial experiment for the Migration Plan had succeeded, greatly encouraging every member of the Star Gate Council. Their enthusiasm for research and work had reached unprecedented heights.
Over the next six months, the Star Gate conducted its third and fourth practical experiments.
Neither experiment involved Thor or Douglas.
But that made sense. Now that the experiments' results were clear, why involve outsiders?
After the fourth experiment, Alik was finally ready to take the last—and most important—step before leaving.
He would leave his original body and merge directly into the body of the enormous Red Worm coiled around the Star-Gazing Tower.
He hadn't told Thor or Douglas about this, either.
With no more Star Gate research to work on, Thor went to check on the Red Worm Queen several more times. The Star Gate gradually eased its restrictions on him.
Eventually, Thor no longer needed someone to escort him. He could enter and leave the White Warehouse holding the Queen on his own, and he gradually figured out the composition of the liquid in the pool where she was confined.
The Star Gate still wouldn't let Thor come into direct contact with the Red Worm Queen, though. He could only observe her through the Faceless One shell outside.
Only after Thor had made his dissatisfaction clear several times did they bring up Alik's exact words.
Thor wasn't to come into direct contact with the Queen before the Star Gate left!
After voicing his displeasure, Thor stopped visiting the Queen and went back to researching with Douglas how to use a soul to control an inactive Red Worm.
Thanks to their experience with the Star Gate's experiments, the two quickly found a way to merge a soul with an inactive Red Worm, even though they hadn't learned any of the core