《Beyond The Logos - Episode 3 - Fracture》


 igne natura renovatur integra | Prologue

    The world wanted to live. One might question that statement¡ªposing the apathy of the universe as evidence toward the opposite, however know that the world is as living as you or I. It lives on through a voice¡ªa human chosen to speak the world. Since the very beginning of existence the world chooses humans to act on itself since humans were the world''s most favorite creatures¡ªthe very first that had been directly inspired from itself. Humans and their relationship with the other species would always be a frayed one¡ªwar, strife, plague, famine, these issues would always exist. They existed when humanity went to Sayar, as well.


    There was a long period of human suffering at the start of the twenty second century, several humans who couldn''t adapt to their surroundings began to lash out at anything different than themselves¡ªracism bore it''s ugly face and genocide latched onto the population like a sickness. Sometimes, the single strike of a match can burn through the infestation and clear with a clean slate. Through fire, nature is reborn whole. Fire isn''t just an instigator for fresh beginnings, it is sometimes used as an inner motivation¡ªdescribed as a willpower to keep going, even if fire threatens to burn everything around you to the ground. Who is to say the fire is right for burning, or the parasite for existing? Sometimes the world isn''t always right.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

 ONE / of / MANY

    of / SO / few


    GAVIN


    Your soul is broken amongst the many stars of the galaxy. They say the easiest way to break bad news is to be blunt, so that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. Something happened to you...something bad. I don¡¯t know all of the details and that¡¯s quite rare in my current situation. I am this world¡¯s protector, you know me as Gavin Daniels. Of course, you might not even know me as that...you might know me as a rotten-attitude college student, or even as a dimension hopping freedom fighter. Heh, it sounds ridiculous saying it out loud. You may know me from many things, or you may know me from none of them. I¡¯m not going to tell them to you here, I¡¯m sure you know where to find those old stories.


    But that¡¯s the exciting thing, you are something truly unknown to me. I sit at the center of the universe and have ready access to anything I would dear wish. The caveat with that of course is knowing how to handle living with it, and that¡¯s certainly a story for another day...but you exist both in our world...and outside of it. A singular existence and yet not. You are one of many, and yet you¡¯re so few that you¡¯re all right here. How do I speak to you? Something bad has happened to you, and I pity you greatly. Thing should not have turned out this way...and yet here you are, sitting beside me in my resting place. Behind you you¡¯ll notice the elaborate display of stars swirling about, those aren¡¯t the real deal, you should know. Just a manifestation of my own imagination to help keep me occupied in my rest. I know a lot of things, but I¡¯m not God, I can¡¯t do everything, and the things I can do are very...very tiring. Luckily, the things I can do are worth it.


    You, now you have been doing a splendid job so far, throughout the position you¡¯ve been in you¡¯ve done so much good...or not. I can¡¯t comment on every single strand of you out there. Something happened to you. Something bad. That¡¯s all I know, honest.


    I swear.


    Do you believe me? I hope not, because if so then you might as well tell the body you¡¯re inhabiting to put this book down now and stop reading. If you truly believed I didn¡¯t have any answers you wouldn¡¯t have opened up the pages. So, where do I begin? First, to understand anything I tell you, you must understand that time is a very...very tricky thing. Time as you know it goes forward in a single direction until the end of...well, time. I¡¯m going to need you to take this slowly, because time doesn¡¯t singularly work in a straight line. Every single instant happens alongside every other instant. The present doesn¡¯t exist, as every second a new present is formed, overlapping the previous. Millions of existences blend into a panorama of existence.


    You know the butterfly effect, right? At least the gist of it? A single change in time in the past snowballs and heavily affects the future. Well, that is of course if you¡¯re going by linear time. It makes enough sense, and plenty of people write a lot of fiction on it.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I liked to read when I was back on Earth. Those were always my favorite kinds of stories.


    So since time is less linear¡ªmore like an ocean¡ªwe¡¯ll say, the butterfly effect works just as well in reverse, forwards, and even upside down. (If you want to come by after class I can teach you about that third one.) So, we take for example, a random Lunfilios who...oh, I don¡¯t know, for the sake of this example travels back in time and leaves a chunk of Queoquartzite in the past. You know enough to know that somehow that Queoquartzite is going to change the future. It just has to. It¡¯s not going to just sit there undiscovered and unaffected by its environment. Similarly, if someone where to travel forward in time, their presence is not normally welcomed there. Their existence ripples those changes into the time-ocean. (I¡¯m trying my hardest to break the habit of saying timeline, give me some credit.)


    Okay, so that is sort of a world breaking revelation...I guess? You ask, no need to interrupt me, I very well knew you¡¯d ask something like it. Unless you wanted to be a contrarian asshole, of course. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t mean that as an insult. I¡¯ve been there, done that.


    So, how does this relate to you? Well, you¡¯re that third option I spoke about earlier. Don¡¯t worry, it wasn¡¯t a throwaway line just to elicit a giggle. I¡¯m not quite sure how you managed to do it, but you¡¯ve managed to get your consciousness directly wrapped up with all of existence. Imagine our universe¡ªand pretend that encompasses all of everything we live in because I¡¯m not here to argue pedantics¡ªnow imagine that universe as a rolled up ball of Play-Doh. Everything that ever was, is, or will be is that ball. Now, say you¡¯re a second, much smaller, ball of the stuff and you just mush ¡®em together like a five year old who was told he has to make the best ball before he can be allowed in the restroom. Notice how your imaginary ball has all those tiny little red spots mixed in with the blue universe-spots? (Red is an infinitely inferior color, and if you imagined different colors. I¡¯m sorry to inform you that you imagined wrong.)


    Your soul has become fractured, split into millions of millions of pieces across the galaxy. The odd thing is that you seem to be whole in each of your pieces, but unconnected entirely. Your souls don¡¯t share memories or experiences, but you are you. You exist both in and out of time, both in and out of existence, and something about you transcends borders. You see me as ink on a page, yet that¡¯s just because one of your selves has slipped into some other strange time. I get glimpses of your time, and you are a strange lot. How does it feel to be free? Aren¡¯t you? Hm, odd.


    Anyway, Devon wouldn¡¯t have fully understood the whole concept. I only told him the SparkNotes version (is that a thing where you¡¯re from?) when I told him¡ªI purposefully didn¡¯t tell the whole story, he¡¯s gone through enough confusing bullshit to try and comprehend you. He just needs to know you¡¯re there to help him, and I know you already will by the fact that my words continue to reach you. As long as they do I know that we¡¯ve reached a prime time in where you do help him.


    There are others that will need your help¡ªmaybe your help¡ªor maybe one of your other selves. That time will come when it does, but for now, I ask you this:


    Do you want to remember who you are? How badly? How about this proposition...continue to help Devon out...and you might find the answer along the way...sound like a deal?

 Chapter 41

    7426


    Devon


    The bunker door opens wide to a foul stench. I snap my head back as it pours in. The putrid odor spills from the rotten ground just outside the bunker. The sky haunts the horizon¡ªa dark and starless night greets my face with a single gust of wind. The forest that lead from bunker to bunker was gone¡ªburnt to the ground. Whatever I expected to see...it was not an ashen-gray wasteland.


    Welcome back. It sounds sort of weird for me to say that, now. Not only because I¡¯m acknowledging you¡¯re here, but for me it doesn¡¯t feel like you really left. I know you did, it was in that single gust of wind, right? That¡¯s what it felt like, just a chill up my spine. I don¡¯t know really what my plan is from here on out, here¡¯s what I have so far:


    -Jesse Anderson is NOT Jesse Anderson. For some reason, the real Jesse was able to use ICARUS to travel back to my time and change places with Noah Marshall. This means that the Jesse Anderson I¡¯ve been buddy-buddy with this whole time has been Noah Marshall. Whether or not he remembers me is yet to be known, but I wouldn¡¯t put it past him.


    -God exists...sorta. Turns out he was once human...is human. Something in-between, and he was the hero who saved humanity from enslavement after the destruction of Earth. He was also Andrew Cress¡¯ best friend, although I think that was is a bit tentative, since Gavin seemed to only think kindly of his old friend. Andrew must blame himself for that, too.


    -Roland Duschand is back in my time inside my body to gather a mysterious artifact from this time that has somehow gotten stuck in my time. If left unresolved it would be catastrophic to be the least. This incident is related in part to both Khap-En, son of the current Lunfilios council member and exile of the Lunfilios race, and the real Jesse Anderson traveling back to my time.


    -Cross, the ancient Dromedan intelligence is alive and well, and worst of all, Alex¡¯s consciousness has merged with his. Her feelings of betrayal and hurt bathe him in a rage unlike any I¡¯ve ever seen. She¡¯s mostly dormant inside of him, but I¡¯ve seen her spill out, and it wasn¡¯t pretty.


    All in all, things could be worse. I mean, I could be on fire, that could totally put a damper on my day. Really, though, I have to thank you again for helping me out here. Both you and Gavin have been paramount in me getting better so that I can deal with things. I¡¯ve been away for almost three years now...that thought is alone what is keeping me here, standing out across the ashen fields. I know nothing good is going to come of me going out there...I realize that me being away has been an open invitation for Cross to continue his genocide.


    I know that sounds extremely cocky, like I was implying that I was the only thing keeping him from doing so, and I promise I didn¡¯t mean it in that fashion...but I can¡¯t help to wonder that something like it may be true. I mean, it isn¡¯t coincidence that all of this has lined up this way, and I¡¯ve been able to hold him off twice before when I was not even close to anywhere ready. Maybe...maybe I am destined to stop him, and maybe that thought is what brings the guilt of my absence.


    But nonetheless, I am here now. Here, and I am confident. I¡¯ve had time to think about everything¡ªfrom Alex, to Noah, and even what I feel I am here for. I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Me? I think I¡¯m on chance number ten myself, who knows if I¡¯ll be able to do right by it? I¡¯ll sure as hell try though.


    My name is Devon Campton, and I¡¯m a terrible friend, a rapist, and for a large chunk of my life I was a part of a suicide cult because of my conflicting feelings over my ex best friend and her parents. I¡¯m also a hero, saving the lives of the council members of Sayar and standing up against the evil menace who threatens a global genocide. I¡¯m also a missionary to eliminate that very menace with years worth of combat training like anyone wouldn¡¯t believe.


    I¡¯m learning that you really can¡¯t classify anyone by the actions they do in the long term, because if given the opportunity they¡¯re bound to surprise you and do the exact opposite of what you¡¯d think. I know that personally. I take my first step outside of the door and let it shut behind me, closing forever. I look up toward the sky and its darkness one more time before I press my finger to my palm, activating my speed. I race down the path I¡¯d walked with Jesse three years ago. This time, I don¡¯t stop at the next bunker over, the burnt forest already tells me that it is no more. No, I¡¯m headed straight where this all began. I¡¯m headed for the ruins of Pandera City.


    Now, I hear what you''re saying, but I have a very specific reason for heading to Pandera and I see it within seconds. I find myself gravitated back towards where I first stepped out into the streets of Pandera, the mysterious shack that Roland''s body had been kept while he waited for my consciousness to travel to this time. It''s been bugging me since the very second I saw that it didn''t show up on Cardus'' video footage, so I need to confirm it for myself.


    Breaching the city''s limits is fine enough, the sky is still dark and the ash starts to settle less frequently. If I was back home I would have suggested that the existence of ash had meant that the fires had only stopped burning recently, but I know better now to assume that it is probably made of a different substance than the ash I''m used to, and that it could have been from a year ago, or maybe even two. The time of when it happened isn''t as important to me, right now. I''ll let the Head of Archives deal with that one.


    The Taction walkway isn''t as bright as I remember it, the over-reflective path that serves as all the main streets for the city that doubled as constant crime surveillance. I had quite the unpleasant experience with the Taction roads if you remember that much back.


    Inside Pandera, I find myself at my destination easier than I would have imagined. It feels like it¡¯s been forever since I¡¯ve been here, but I have a sort of attraction back to this spot. Of course, I don¡¯t see tha shack. I was hoping it would be so simple that everyone had just missed it in the video and it was here all along, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. I think back to anything at all that might help clear up the confusion...anything. I remember a shack being here, of course it was¡ªit had to. I remember the way I stepped out of it and how I looked out onto Pandera...so alive and the opposite of how it looked now.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I turn toward the broken mess of what once was, the capitol building ever visible in the distance. I can only stare at it as I think of how it looked. I¡¯m devastated by this mess and I¡¯ve only seen a small fraction of what this city had to offer...imagine anyone else who survived who¡¯s lived in this place forever must feel.


    I look back behind me to where the shack is supposed to be, and all at once I feel a shaking sort of presence inside of me. I press my finger to my palm, feeling the waves course through me. Flashes of the dark world I saw in Gavin¡¯s simulation appear in my mind, the coldness of the tar that latched onto my being. I remember their pulsating veins connecting to mine and yanking in rhythm with my heartbeat...not anything from this shell Roland inhabits, but my own heart, back on Earth.


    I reach out my hand and feel the cold presence of a door. It vaporizes into existence, the hinges followed by the crooked handle, and all at once the shack materializes out of thin air. A nervous sort of smile passes my face and I feel the butterflies in my abdomen, walking up the steps toward the single room I¡¯d most wanted to see.


    There are no extraneous hallways, bedrooms, or any of the like¡ªthe entirety of the shack consists of the single room. To my right is the mirror that I¡¯d first seen Roland¡¯s face out of, and to my left is the wardrobe with the dragon-handles that had confused me so profoundly on my first inspection. On the far corner of the room is the bed I had woken up in.


    Now, I have some answers. This shack is somehow connected with the waves inside my body...whether that be in my actual body, or the body Roland owned is something I don¡¯t wholly find important. I think the point of this place is to be hidden from normal people¡ªtraveling through pockets of time does enough to differentiate your waves if I¡¯m remembering with Khap-Ar had mentioned. He was able to tell I wasn¡¯t from this time solely from my waves.


    It also makes enough sense as to why any of the others weren¡¯t able to see it through the video that the Taction plates had recorded¡ªthey weren¡¯t in sync with the waves. Counting our options, the only ones that would be able to utilize this opportunity would be me, Gavin, Roland, Khap-En, and the real Jesse. As far as I know we are the only ones that have crossed time at some point or another. I make my way over to the wardrobe and look down at the inscription made just between the two handles. This was the insignia that bothered me most about this room. This insignia had come at him when he knew the least about his surroundings and he hadn¡¯t thought on it more than it were something he shouldn¡¯t mess with...but he was placed in this room for a reason, and that reason just had to include this wardrobe. It wasn¡¯t like it was some common person¡¯s room and it had their spare underwear tucked away. This was a locked wardrobe in a house hidden to the large population of the universe.


    As I look at the insignia, I understand it:


    I


    t didn¡¯t make sense for me the first time because I didn¡¯t read or speak the language. This is Krande...the language of the Sayarians. I remember Gavin telling me this. I know I didn¡¯t touch on this when it was most relevant, but I didn¡¯t know you were with me fully at the time, so forgive me, but Krande as a written language is a whole lot different than English. English as you know is written out all horizontally as we both know, but Krande is compressed into several layers. Each layer is actually composed of English letters. Why that is, I don¡¯t know. This insignia is a simple word, one I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen before.


    K E Y


    So it looks like I need a special key to get into this wardrobe, huh? Well, luckily I¡¯m always carrying that sort of key with me at all times. I take off my right glove and hold the handle, feeling my waves in my left hand. Hearing the heartbeat in my ears ring as the simple word flashes across my vision: Pulse.


    I feel a similar sensation reciprocated on my hand and I pull the door of the wardrobe open toward me. It is mostly empty inside save for a single journal tucked in on the left side. I reach in and pull it out, opening it up and finding the vast language of Krande out in front of me. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it handwritten, so just give me a moment and I¡¯ll try to translate:


    It took you longer to read this then I was expecting. Oh well, we can¡¯t all be winners. My name is Jesse Anderson¡ªnot the disgusting man that you¡¯ve been journeying with thus far. Like my choice of matchmaker? It¡¯s like you two were made for each other. But I¡¯m not here to pat myself on the back.


    You must have so many questions. Well, keep this journal with you, and I¡¯ll keep you in on the loop. Wonder how that is possible? Then you¡¯re missing some fragments of the story. You¡¯re assuming too much, everything makes sense eventually. I can shed some light that will drag you deeper into this cesspit¡ªbut only because I cannot wait until it swallows you whole.


    I hate you. I hate everything you stand for, stood for, and will stand for. Every single time you¡¯ve realized the error of your ways you are one step further from being exactly where you belong¡ªlying back in your whorehouse skull-fucked out of your mind.


    Confused? You don¡¯t even know the half of it. Why don¡¯t you ask your good friend Andrew about me? He might point you toward the Head of Archives to learn some more...oh wait.


    This rabbit hole goes so much deeper, princess, and you¡¯re already in too deep. Keep falling. I hope you snap your neck.


    -Five


    That is...very disturbing. If anything, this note is right about one thing...I am very confused. The rest of the journal is blank. Somehow...I think it¡¯s updated in real time¡ªor whatever would be the equivalent if he really is back in my time. The one thing I can take from this if anything that¡¯s positive is that Andrew¡¯s still around kicking? I breathe a sigh of relief as I now have some goals to work toward:


    -Find out what I¡¯ve missed in these past three years.


    -Find Andrew, see if he can help me figure out this nonsense with the real Jesse.


    -Find a way to stop Cross and whatever he¡¯s planning, maybe even see if we can find a way to separate Alex¡¯s consciousness from his.


    -Try and help Roland back in my time...if I can at least. I really don¡¯t want to play the waiting game.


    With my goals set I close the journal and hold it by my side. Whether I like it or not, it looks like I¡¯m going to be keeping Jesse real close by. He knows that I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave it here...he knew that I wouldn¡¯t get it on my first go around. Just why does he hate me...specifically me...so much? He was born five-thousand years ahead of my time, how could he even know of me? It looks like I need to do some legwork.


    I step outside of the shack once I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t missed anything else. Staring back out at the ruins of Pandera gives me a panging feeling in my chest. I turn away as I begin running. Where? I have no clue, but I¡¯ll find out eventually.

 Chapter 42

    1917


    JESSE


    The sun sets way too early for my liking. It becomes dark much too early. I wonder how ship captains feel at this time of night, no lighthouse to guide their way. If it were me, if I had the responsibility of an entire ship and a crew I¡¯d just stay docked the whole time. Why am I going to risk my ship and my crew? I don¡¯t need to get paid. If I¡¯m ever the owner of a boat and can tell people what to do, then obviously I have enough money to not worry.


    These are the things I think about sometimes. There isn¡¯t much else to do besides watch TV, and I don¡¯t feel like doing that either. Ugh, everything feels so old, like I¡¯ve done it a million times. I hate being eleven, it¡¯s such a goddamn stupid age. You can¡¯t say goddamn and you can¡¯t go outside without permission. You can¡¯t have a boat and you can¡¯t tell people what to do. I went out with my Dad once when I was five, I loved the open sea. It felt so...right. There was even this time when my sister, Isa, got her little teddy bear snatched up by some starving sea gulls. She cried FOREVER. Of course, my Dad took to yelling at the ¡°damn birds¡± while my Mom tried to comfort my sister. You see, trying to tell a five year old that she isn¡¯t going to be getting her favorite teddy bear back isn¡¯t the best way to help calm her down about said bear. So, I did what any brother would have. I jumped in after the ¡°damn birds.¡± Let me tell you, birds are stronger than I imagined. I just thought they stood there and...you know, didn¡¯t really do much. Sea gulls, nah. They¡¯re really territorial over the things they claim as their own, and I learned that the hard way. The ¡°damn birds¡± all grouped up on me when they felt threatened. I mean, to be fair, I was a relatively fit boy jumping in directly toward them just aside our modest boat.


    Anyway, these birds all began pecking and pecking, clawing at me with their talons. I got Isa¡¯s bear back. She called me her hero after that. I ended up in the hospital¡ªthe ¡°damn birds¡± had raked out my right eye and gave me extremely deep gashes in my right arm. You know, having your eye out of your head is a pretty traumatic experience for a kid to go through. I could still see with it¡ªmy eye, I mean. It hurt everywhere, and I was awake for the whole thing. The strangest thing happened when I was in the operating room, though. They had me on all kinds of medication, but none of their anesthetics worked. I was awake, constantly awake. They tried everything, but then just gave up when nothing worked. I felt everything, and it wasn¡¯t nice.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Afterwards, I sat in my hospital room for days on end, everything was so difficult to focus on. My parents would come in and say things, they were blurred out. I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but the feeling of the ¡°damn birds¡± ripping my eye out. A week later I relearned how to think. I don¡¯t think that I didn¡¯t know beforehand, but every waking second of my existence was reacting to the pain my eye was in. My arm was absolutely nothing compared. It was back in my head and all of that, but the phantom of it remained, and it was ALL I could think about. I begged God to make it stop. I begged him and offered anything, everything. I begged and I begged and for a year I was ignored. I got behind in school, my parents were told I was a lost cause. The physical damage wasn¡¯t enough to warrant such a reaction, the doctors and nurse¡¯s told them. ¡°It must have been worse than we originally thought.¡± Isa was brought around less. I wanted to see her more, she was the only one I wanted to see. I hated the doctors for making it so she couldn¡¯t come as much, and I hated my parents for listening to them. A year after all of this I finally am allowed to come home, and what happens, but I¡¯m restricted to my room, staring out the window for my own safety. I¡¯ve regained control of my mind¡ªI still feel the pain, but nobody listens to me. They all say I¡¯m cured and that everything feels fine, but how do they know how I feel? I hurt. I feel their talons on my face.


    And suddenly as if it were normal, a hole opens in front of me. It has no discernible source¡ªno beginning and no end. A man spoke from the other end of the hole, its pulsating ends waving and shaking before me, ¡°You wish for mercy. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re willing to earn your keep. I already know your worth, it¡¯s time to show your stuff.¡± I didn¡¯t know what the voice had meant, originally, but to me it spoke perfect sense.


    With absolutely no hesitation I felt a flash in the back of my mind...it was a boy¡¯s face. I did not know the boy, nor did I think the boy was the one who was speaking to me from the other side of the hole...he was much too young and the voice was much too old. I did what I thought most reasonable and I walked over toward the hole and stepped inside. On the other side, the hole closed behind me. I stood looking at a man much taller than my eleven year old self. He wore a nice pinstripe suit and had wire frame glasses held up by his thin nose. He looked down to me like no one else ever had before. I wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t tell people what to do. He looked at me like I was the captain of a ship. I look toward him, a smile coming across his face. It¡¯s a slight smile¡ªreserved. I wouldn¡¯t see it often, it was almost like a weapon, premeditated and always at the most prime moments.


    ¡°Hello, Jesse. My name is Friedrich. Do you want to go to space?¡±

 Chapter 43

    7426


    DEVON


    An indigo sky greets me; the stars streak across my vision, blurring the night into a fantastic purple hue. The journal is clutched under my arm, its words running through my mind. Something needed to be done, and I wasn¡¯t quite sure exactly what. There was another line added while you were gone, just a single sentence: Head to Gaos.


    If I remembered correctly, Gaos was where Cardus and his team was planning to go back when we were setting out to go tackle our Dromedan problem. Of course, that was three years ago, so who knows what I¡¯d find there now? I don¡¯t even know what race primarily lives there, much less even where it is. I have a name, at the very least, and I think that¡¯s all I need. I begin to slow down as I see a fire in the distance¡ªa camp of some sorts. I approach and see the circular metal pod more clearly, its owner¡ªa Garexian relaxing idly by the fire¡ªrelaxes no more as I approach. I stop completely and he lets out a breath of relief as he sees me fully. ¡°Sorry, traveler, I thought you were someone else for a moment. Almost leapt out at you...or something.¡± I see he¡¯s made no effort to move. ¡°Want to come sit by the fire? It¡¯s pretty cold out tonight.¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± I say, stepping out into the light of the fire. ¡°What brings you out here?¡± I ask.


    Now that I¡¯m closer to him I can see that his mane is a dulled red-almost-pink color, and it¡¯s mostly tied into a bun. He looks toward me and tosses a small meat portion into his mouth and begins chewing. ¡°I¡¯m just living, brother. It¡¯s a rotten world and you gotta get warm where you can, know what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet.¡± I rub my hands together as I begin to realize exactly how chilly it is outside. ¡°It feels like I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on with the world anymore.¡±


    He makes a small enough sound, swallows, and looks up to the sky. ¡°Yeah, you got that right. It feels like it¡¯s been forever since anything real exciting¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I fish for any information I can get.


    ¡°Of course. Since Tiburr¡¯s duel with the new emperor things have been mostly calm.¡± New emperor? ¡°That Dromedan dude ain¡¯t too bad, you hear me? I know some people got a rough read on the guy, but life¡¯s about compromise.¡±


    ¡°Dromedan...wait a second. Tiburr challenged Cross to a duel?¡±


    ¡°You okay? Lack of sleep roughin¡¯ with your memory?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I say.


    ¡°Well...yeah. That¡¯s obvious. Tiburr wasn¡¯t strong enough and he had to give up his command. Ain¡¯t you been around Garexians long enough?¡±


    ¡°I actually had very little idea what went on with Garexian politics...things have been so hectic with me I haven¡¯t even been able to keep my head up I feel.¡±


    The Garexian shakes his head, ¡°Must be one of the few. Lots of folk don¡¯t seem to be too well versed in our ways when we do what we can to learn about others. Birds of a different feather, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t blame you too much. Things have been admittedly crazy the first year after the change in power. I originally didn¡¯t care much for Cross myself, but I learned that his way of thinking makes a certain sense. And here we are.¡±


    ¡°Must have affected you some sort of way if you¡¯re camping out here, right?¡± His brows furrow at me in a way I¡¯m not wholly comfortable with.


    ¡°I¡¯d quit that kind of talk around here if I were you buddy. I don¡¯t mind it too much, but others might not care for your rebellious tone.¡±


    Rebellious...what? Is Cross leading a dictatorship over the stream of thought here?


    ¡°Oh...I didn¡¯t mean any implications, I was just noticing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out here because I love the stars. I never had time to come out here back then, I was always so busy.¡±


    ¡°That sounds...nice.¡± Just what is going on?


    ¡°Yep, here on work, actually. The stars are just a nice bonus. Just gotta watch out for any straggling rebels and--¡± He stops himself and sits up, looking out past me.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask, turning around. Out in the darkness a figure is shuffling across the crest of a hill under the starlight.


    The Garexian grumbles and shifts in his seat, standing up and stretching. ¡°They always gotta try when the fire¡¯s most comfortable,¡± he growls, leaping across the campsite in one pounce and dashing across the plains faster than I can keep up with. I lower my gravity and ramp up my speed, kicking off of the ground and soaring my way over toward the action. Up above I can almost see the creature speeding across, but it is much too dark still. Waves. I press my pinky to my palm and feel my waves extending out all around me like an all-encompassing hand. I feel the Garexian below me as he speeds toward the creature, and I feel it too. I sense its fear and exhaustion. If the Garexians are under Cross¡¯ control now...I can¡¯t consider them to be my allies. I¡¯m not sure if every Garexian considers themselves one with the Dromedans, but to be safe I¡¯m going to have to run with the assumption. Also...Tiburr lost a duel?! I...am not going to be naive and run with the hope that this duel was anything other than to the death. Cross had been working to eliminate the heroes, and Tiburr met his fate. Things are bad. I just have to hope that everyone else is okay. I see the Garexian leap out toward the creature and sink his teeth deep into its neck. I know enough about my situation to know I need to act. I angle downward and dive towards the two tangled up in each other.


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    I increase my strength as I reach out my fist, slamming it hard on the ground next to them, shaking the ground and loosening the Garexian¡¯s grip. I see that the other creature is a Fal'' Z?Ar. Blood pours openly from the gash in its long neck. He breathes faintly, ¡°Th-Thank...you.¡±


    The Garexian steadies himself up, ¡°Wh...what are you doing?¡±


    My suit glows a transcendent red as I feel the powerful energy flowing through my body. ¡°I can¡¯t abide by any killing ordered by Cross. You¡¯re going to let them go, and you¡¯re going to go back to your camp and enjoy the stars for the rest of your time here.¡±


    An almost hurt look passes over his face, but it passes. ¡°So, I wasn¡¯t just losing my peepers, that is a military outfit. You know, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you¡¯d plucked that off of some scrubby rebel and were wearing it to spite them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know everything that¡¯s going on here, but that won¡¯t last long. I¡¯m going to learn, and I¡¯m not going to be intimidated by bullies who push others around to get their way.¡±


    He bares his fangs and jumps out toward me, I speed under him and let loose one punch to his ribcage, shattering multiple as he flies back. He¡¯s not military trained...probably not even trained for combat at all. Just knows how to use his teeth enough for the job. He lands with a thud against a tree, nearly snapping it in half. He strains himself and stands back to his feet, falling over once and then shaking his head¡ªgiving up.


    ¡°Feh, screw you.¡± He says, hopping off back toward his camp at the other end of the prairie. The Fal'' Z?Ar makes its way to its feet and looks up toward the sky, and then down toward me. The blue of its feathers reflect in my eyes, they end in a black shine that masks him in the darkness¡ªpart of the reason why it was so hard to see him as he ran.


    ¡°I really cannot thank you enough. Can I get your name?¡± It asks in a deeper voice than you would have expected for his size. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be any patrolmen out in this area so I was more careless than I usually am.¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Devon.¡±


    ¡°Well thank you very much, Devon. It¡¯s nice to see someone willing to lend a helping hand around here, the world could use some more of it.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand by. I¡¯ve done too much of that in my life.¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t we all? Where are you headed to? Maybe we could journey together for a short while, it¡¯d help keep my stupid self safe,¡± He laughs, his beak clacking together like pots and pans on New Years. ¡°I¡¯m Karrat, by the way.


    ¡°I was heading toward Gaos, actually, but I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t know quite where it is.¡±


    ¡°What luck. I¡¯m heading there myself.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s almost too good to be true,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my stops, I deliver messages between rebel camps. I¡¯m hitting up Gaos and Abu Kheppi tonight before I head back out toward the Westerwinds tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to travel with you, Karrat. I¡¯m afraid my memory isn¡¯t what it used to be, so if it isn¡¯t any trouble could I ask you about the conditions Sayar¡¯s in...?¡±


    ¡°A spot of amnesia, huh? Drat, I guess so, as long as you can keep up with me I¡¯ll talk about most anything.¡± Bingo.


    I grin subconsciously as I stretch out my arms. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to be talking up a storm then. I¡¯ll follow you?¡±


    He nods, ¡°Wait just one second...¡± he breathes in loudly, I can see the blood on his neck begin to slowly suck back into the gash. He makes a pained look as it all comes back in, the gash scabs over as he finishes. ¡°Now I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Huh, never seen that before.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, and ask away.¡± He says, starting into a jog which turns into a full sprint. He must be running at least forty to fifty miles an hour right out of the gate. I speed after him, catching up right next to him, the blades of grass below us scrape my legs as we run, but it doesn¡¯t bother me too much.


    ¡°So, things start to get foggy for me about three years ago. General knowledge I know...like Cross taking over the Garexians...but most everything else is...a blank.¡±


    ¡°It all rammed in our throats when Pamen and Piscar were killed. Cross got them both in the same day¡ªit was a terrible day for everyone here on Sayar. Our military pushed back, pulled it off until we heard we lost some soldiers. Messian Head of Archives was the only one of the Northern squadron to return. Jesse...or rather, Noah.


    ¡°Any word at all on the others? What about Cardus...Khap-Ar?¡± I ask.


    ¡°They¡¯re camped out in the Westerwinds right now. Planning some sort of assault on a Dromedan lockship down in the Quarry there.¡±


    Something inside me tells me to go and help, but I can¡¯t help but think of Jesse¡¯s journal. What could be in Gaos? Is it an obvious trap? Maybe, but it¡¯s eating me alive that I don¡¯t know. ¡°The Dromedans got some momentum from their victories in Andem, the place exploded and left a huge chunk on Sayar where its crater used to be.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s crazy.¡±


    That¡¯s where Pamen¡¯s final stand was. ¡°Tiburr came about a year later. The balance was pretty even on both sides, no major losses on either side, but Tiburr had broken the silence and publicly challenged Cross to a battle to the death. Winner would control the loser¡¯s territory¡ªThe Garexian way of course.¡±


    ¡°And he lost.¡±


    ¡°That he did. Garexians everywhere mourned their fallen king, but they¡¯re a pride of pride. They quickly adjusted to their new king as their blood has worked for thousands of years. Several uneasy alliances turned into in-fights, and soon these outposts were planted all over the surface of Sayar¡ªnormal civilians paid handsomely to hunt down any old friends they see. Certainly you noticed how Jol back there gave up after one hit? He¡¯s no warrior.¡±


    ¡°You know his name?¡± I ask.


    ¡°He was a friend. He hesitated...you know. Before you came down he hesitated, and I think that moment of hesitation saved me. If he bit down harder I certainly would have died before you came down.¡±


    ¡°He mentioned that he just loved to look at the stars.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was always a dreamer...wanting to go out to Helmnet to rediscover Garexian heritage.¡± Helmnet must be the origin planet of the Garexians.


    ¡°Well, I have a feeling that things will turn around,¡± I say.


    ¡°That sounds incredibly naive, but I¡¯ll commend it over pessimism.¡± Just a feeling...no, it¡¯s more than a feeling. It¡¯s a mission. It¡¯s a purpose.

 Chapter 44

    7423


    CROSS


    Alex Sharpe¡¯s body lies in the cold snow back in 1986 on this very day. Her mind is elsewhere, dragged into the Queoquartzite as if it were a vacuum. Her mind could not exist inside a stone, of course, so it entered into a higher plane of existence¡ªsearching for its prime destination. In normal cases, this would be toward The Pit¡ªa functional afterlife where her self would be stored for archival purposes. Her memories would live out a fantasized heaven and her soul would then be recycled into the universe to be born as a new soul with brand new memories as it had previously for millions and millions of years. Things didn¡¯t work out, of course. Alex¡¯s consciousness was sucked into the Queoquartzite, and hers wasn¡¯t the only one who made contact with the stone.


    She woke up in darkness, unable to move any of her appendages only to realize that she had none. ¡°Where am I?¡± She thinks, for she doesn¡¯t have a mouth. A ball of light fades in beside her, slowly emanating life energy. Red fills the area around her and all at once she begins to see.


    Cross begins to see as well, his body left for dead in the pits of Nastor¡ªa canyon long overfilled with vegetation. His cold metal body had worn down in the years that he¡¯d been inactive, the first thing he experiences as he boots up is the rush inside his soul. He feels Alex¡¯s presence and all of her memories flood his own. He begins to choke¡ªit is too much. Alex sees the ball of light in front of her sputtering, it looks like it is dying. She reaches out to find that she is too a ball of light, her arms extensions of that light. She touches the ball and holds it close, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re going to be okay.¡±


    Cross regains control of himself, his life force stabilizing. ¡°You...have such powerful memories,¡± he says to her. ¡°I remember when I used to have those kinds of memories.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I became this.¡±


    ¡°Well...who are you?¡±


    Cross stands his body up, looking out toward the stars. ¡°I...really can¡¯t remember.¡±


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    ¡°Well, okay. I¡¯ll help you out. I mean, that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, right? I died myself...I think. My name¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Alex.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±


    ¡°I saw your memories as you entered my body. I saw everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...yeah. I don¡¯t really know what to say about it to be honest. I¡¯m not sad, I¡¯m not alive there anymore so there¡¯s no reason to be sad.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t right. What happened, you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. I deserved it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. If I didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t have happened. Justice doesn¡¯t punish good people.¡±


    ¡°I find that we have to make our own justice, because it punishes good people all of the time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Hey, why is it that you saw all of my memories and I haven¡¯t seen any of yours?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t really remember too much about myself. All I know you should know.¡±


    Alex thinks through her memories, finding a few she never remembered remembering. She sees Cross falling for the final time in the Great Sayarian War¡ªthe opposing parties fly back to their safe planet after leaving with the rest of the Queoquartzite.


    He stands high on a clifftop, shouting down at the emptiness below. ¡°You cannot do this! What have I done?! You cannot do this! I-¡± He takes a step as his central unit loses power, the momentum pushes him forward and he slams to the ground below, falling where he wakes up now, hundreds of years later.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened,¡± Alex says.


    ¡°Do not apologize. You¡¯ve had so much taken from you. Never apologize to anyone ever again. You deserve thousands of millions of apologies. We¡¯re going to go get them.¡±


    ¡°How are we going to do that?¡±


    ¡°First, we have to get a way off of this planet with the short energy burst you have given me. When your soul went into the Queoquartzite it absorbed some of its energy, which is what woke me up. I have to thank you for that.¡±


    ¡°Oh...you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± If Alex could blush she would, but she has no cheeks nor blood vessels. ¡°But...thank you.¡±


    Cross looks up toward the sky and takes off at supersonic speed, his metallic body glimmering from the abrasive sunlight. ¡°No problem. It looks like we¡¯re going to be roommates for a while here. I can do what I can to help you with your problem if you help me with mine.¡±


    ¡°How can you help me with my problem?¡±


    Cross¡¯ sealed mouth offers the slightest grin, ¡°I think I know some things that which I shouldn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 45

    1917


    JESSE


    I didn¡¯t know what to tell the man in front of me. I would be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t interested by his prospect, but that was a weighty proposal. Travel to space. What kind of place was it? I didn¡¯t know, and I¡¯m sure Isa didn¡¯t know either. She loves playing outside, I try to show her all the coolest spots I played at when I was her age¡ªwe have a wooded area back outside of our house that leads to a clearing where I made my hideout in a giant tree right in the center of the clearing.


    I¡¯m sure that she¡¯d love to hear stories about the place off of our planet. Of course, that comes with the moment where reality bursts back to the forefront of my mind. How could this man know of a way to see what is out there when nobody else could?


    ¡°My, your mind is quite the inquisitive one,¡± the man named Friedrich says. ¡°It reminds me of my own. I had questions long, long ago¡±


    ¡°So...you can really get to space?¡±


    He laughs, ¡°Most in your place would ask how they could get back home to their loved ones.¡±


    ¡°Most don¡¯t consider how this could be good for all,¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh, do explain. I already know your answer, but I¡¯d love to hear you say it.¡±


    I smile. ¡°My parents treat me like I¡¯m fragile. My sister loves stories about adventure. I don¡¯t care to go to school tomorrow. It¡¯s a win/win/win.¡±


    The smile remains on his face and disappears briefly after. ¡°All right, works for me. So, here¡¯s our plan.¡±


    That was how he did things. We do this, this, and you do this part. Don¡¯t worry about failing...I know you succeed. He knew everything. I didn¡¯t believe much at first, but I got over that after I remembered I walked through a portal to Germany. I didn¡¯t mention that initially, because I was so preoccupied with the man more than the surroundings, but yeah. I¡¯m in Germany, and it¡¯s amazing. I have to bring Isa someday.


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    Mom and Dad can stay back and watch over the house, they¡¯d just tell us not to do all the fun things. I¡¯m not going to be like that when I grow up, I asked Friedrich. He told me that I was going to be much better than that, and then he smiled. I liked it when he smiled.


    He tells me that I¡¯ll be ready to go to space in twenty years. I groaned and moaned as anybody would when told that, but he told me everything about it, which helped the wait...I guess. I¡¯d be getting inside this metal ship that uses explosives to propel itself upward into the sky, he tells me that nobody else knows about it yet, so I shouldn¡¯t tell anybody about it. I asked him if I could tell you, and he said it was fine, because you come from a time where people already know about it. I didn¡¯t get what he meant, but I shrugged it off and assume you know what he meant more than I do.


    I spent almost half a day with Friedrich, learning more than I ever did at school from him¡ªbut he told me I did have to go back. I¡¯d be considered a missing person if my parents found out I was gone and police would be searching everywhere. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t find him in Germany, but Friedrich knows that I care for Isa, and I can¡¯t well just appear out of nowhere to see her if there¡¯s a manhunt for me.


    The cost of all of this fun is that I do have to go to school, and without any sleep, no less. The thing is, though, is that even if I had the eight hours available to me I¡¯d be too excited to sleep a wink. I look at the portal in front of me¡ªit¡¯s been here the whole time, so much that I¡¯ve gotten used to its existence. Huh, what a strange thing for a young boy to say. I walk on through and notice that my cherry tree alarm clock begins ringing on my table just beside my bed. 6:30, huh? Well, it could be worse. It could always be worse. That was something Friedrich taught me, and I know it sounds like I¡¯m going total googoo over the man, but I want to let it be known here that I¡¯m simply appreciating the fact that I¡¯m being mentored by a man who knows everything so that he can bring me to space before anybody else. I¡¯m going to be the very first...he called it...astronaut. I don¡¯t know the word so I¡¯m just going to use it there and just say I¡¯m going to explore space. Forgive me for being excited.


    I can¡¯t tell Isa just yet, I don¡¯t want her getting to excited too early and telling Mom and Dad. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me from going back to see him¡ªconsidering he can call me to him at any point and place, but it¡¯d be much less of a headache. Well, I better get my nice clothes on and get ready for the day. Only twenty something years left. Time for school...I guess.

 Chapter 46

    7243


    CROSS


    Cross showed Alex the galaxy¡ªhe flew through space like a bullet aimed straight for one of Sayar¡¯s neighboring planets, Galdon. This was the home planet of the secretive Yeltian clan. ¡°Yeltians are very isolated beings, only making home to well-hidden provinces where they can keep to themselves,¡± He tells Alex.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± She asks back.


    ¡°They¡¯re actually going extinct. The species is predominantly male, and there¡¯s been a movement over the last few thousand years separating what female Yeltians there are now due to unfair living conditions.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d sacrifice their species¡¯ well-being to make a point?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. That¡¯d be idiotic. Male Yeltians are proud beasts. They drove them out. If there wasn¡¯t the imminent threat of extinction I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be at war right now.¡±


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    ¡°Huh...that¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s gotten them so mad that they can¡¯t just talk to each other.¡±


    ¡°History is a troublesome thing, and their problems lie deep within their history. So there of course it two sides to their problem.¡± Cross surveys a high mountain top as he slows his descent, landing on the surface, looking out toward the distance.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s kind of like what humans are like.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Cross has his hand as a visor to block out the harsh Galdon sun. ¡°Blasted place is like Nastor,¡± he gripes quietly.


    ¡°Yeah, what I learned in school always differed to what I was reading. America was always the best and whatnot.¡±


    ¡°Your America interests me. I¡¯d like to learn more about it, care to share some more?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not that great.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re from it,¡± He feels her blush inside him. He smiles as he takes off, he¡¯s found his destination¡ªa mine built into the side of a Galdon mountain. A Queoquartzite quarry. He sighs a desperate sound. Thank God.

 Chapter 47

    7246


    DEVON


    Gaos shines brilliantly in the distance. Karrat and I begin to slow as we begin to approach. The ground underneath us turns to a sloshier glowing mossy substance. Its incandescent light glints the lunar light from above. The Gaosian dwellings catch me by surprise¡ªthey almost look like they¡¯re clay spires twirling around in a double-helix. Karrat turns to me, ¡°I¡¯ll never understand the Lunfilios.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s who built this place?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, sure did. I don¡¯t stop by too often, I¡¯m only here for parcel delivery. They kind of creep me out...the way they phase into those structures, you know?¡± You look toward the double-helix a few yards ahead of you, it seems to have a flowing sort of energy pulsating through it. What a strange thing, for a home to be as spaciously confusing as this one were. ¡°They aren¡¯t all like that here...the buildings,¡± Karrat says, snapping your focus back toward him. ¡°It¡¯d be right quite inconvenient for anyone who isn¡¯t Lunfilios to have just these things around. There¡¯s more...natural buildings constructed right in the back side of town for travelers. Only downside is it brings a sort of divide in the town so it¡¯s almost like there¡¯s two versions of Gaos. One for the Lunfilios and one for everybody else.¡±


    ¡°I remember tensions being high around them...because of their leader¡¯s son, correct?¡±


    Karrat turns to me and I see a seriousness in his beady eyes, ¡°People lump races together for everything¡ªcrime, advancement. It¡¯s how we live. Everybody does it, and everybody is aware of it. Them most of all. I don¡¯t think you could find anymore people that could despise what that stupid boy had done more than the Lunfilios.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet. It¡¯s hard to earn trust when one person could lose it so easily.¡±


    ¡°Trust, that¡¯s a funny word that both means so much more these days and not at all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know. I¡¯m just here to deliver a package. This is where we part ways, I think. I¡¯m probably going to be spending the night here so that I can rest up my lungs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, I¡¯m going to go look around for a bit.¡±


    In reality I had no idea what I was doing here, following the journal of someone who most likely wanted me dead. A strange curiosity moved my feet that I could only place as something I had to do. My feet move on their own, now. Not guided by curiosity or adrenaline or even some otherworldly being. I move my feet and imagine a time when that was all I could do¡ªwhen moving my feet was a feat praised. I remember my parents more now. It hurts to know that I¡¯m probably never going to see them again, and through everything that¡¯s one of my more recurring thoughts. I wonder what this world would be like if I was never born?


    I shake my head in the cold of the air. No, I¡¯ve got to stop thinking like that. It does nobody any good, and me a whole lot of bad. So, I move my feet at normal speed as I find myself walking under the bottom arch of the helix, stopping as I look closer at the pulsating light within. I can almost make out the form of a Lunfilios. Just what could they be doing in there...living? Sleeping? I¡¯d never know.


    The back roads of town have noticeably more of the sloshy moss. I¡¯m ankle deep in what feels like goo, and I can¡¯t help but notice that it feels like tiny little feelers are working themselves all over my feet. I continue on until I find a larger communal-looking building with oval shaped holes cut out of the top in a circle. A glowing gold light pours out from the inside that reminds me of candlelight, blowing and fading. I find my way inside and the loudness of the room doesn¡¯t pierce me until it all comes at once.


    There is no door. I shouldn¡¯t have focused on that as much as I did, but it was just so strange¡ªeverything was just so open and free, that there was no door. Back on Earth having no door was an open invitation to have everything you ever loved taken from you. You know, if you think about it, I was one of those people who took from others with open doors. Alex always left her door open for me.


    Inside my heart jumps, to what I think is most likely off of the side of a cliff. Sitting around a small, controlled fire sits Jesse Anderson, but of course this isn¡¯t the real Jesse Anderson. He was somewhere else. Noah turns to me as I enter, and by the look on my face I knew that he knew.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± No emotion behind it, he was just reciting a fact.


    I had so many things I wished to tell him, so many emotions to convey, but all I could do was nod. There was no way to say everything, not without losing it. I could only ask one thing, ¡°When you said that I looked like someone that you knew...that wasn¡¯t Jesse Anderson talking about Roland Duschand. That was you talking about me.¡±


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    He¡¯s the only one in the room, I had just noticed it. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if he had a whole platoon with him, nothing and nobody else mattered in this moment. My heart rang like it was finally ready to yank out the spear buried so deep inside it. But of course, that¡¯s when all of the blood comes out.


    ¡°Yes. I first recognized you inside that prison cell. I was well adjusted to my new life here, little made sense at first, but I adapted.¡±


    ¡°You were transported to this time when the real Jesse went back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that it what happened. I also suppose that I was incorrect in my beliefs back on Earth. The Next Level doesn¡¯t exist in Heaven with some god, it¡¯s here. Sayar is the next level. I learned how to live here, and everything was okay for a while. I lost my...well, his legs in some combat mission. It wasn¡¯t a pretty sight, but we¡¯re in a time that we can just get new ones.¡±


    ¡°There is so much wrong...with everything about you I don¡¯t even know where to begin,¡± I say.


    ¡°Oh, well then let me continue, and maybe you¡¯ll find your place. Sound good?¡±


    I was both disgusted and curious. Within my heart were conflicting feelings battling on a vicious warscape. Logic had no place on the battlefield. I nod.


    ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to be blameless.¡± He says, quieter. ¡°I saw my life from an outside view, everything that I did. I don¡¯t apologize for who I am, but I apologize for what I did to you. I saw how worthless my teachings actually were, and so I had to discard that part of me when I got here. Bonnie, Craig, Dante, all those who didn¡¯t make it. They were lives wasted because of my foolish goals...and now I¡¯m here.¡±


    I say nothing.


    ¡°I was sure that this was my hell, for the longest time. That is...until I found you. The second I saw you I knew that you weren¡¯t Roland. You had a look about you...that was one thing I remembered.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to be a part of any of this.¡±


    ¡°But you did.¡±


    He was right, it just felt like the thing to say at the time. I signed up for it, was there of my own will, and even pushed away the one I loved most.


    ¡°I knew this wasn¡¯t hell because you were here. You didn¡¯t deserve hell.¡±


    ¡°I...did. Or do, I¡¯m still working through that.¡±


    His brow furrows, and then softens. ¡°You have to learn to forgive, Devon. No matter what you did, you have to learn to forgive yourself.¡±


    ¡°How could I?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was actually doing this. My mind told me that this was the worst person I could be talking to about this...but at the same time it also seemed like the best person.


    ¡°Nothing sets you on the wrong path forever. Anything can be worked to make right. I¡¯m here.¡±


    That you are.


    ¡°I¡¯m here and I¡¯m doing what I can to make things right for these people, I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten that Cross is still running around, rampant?¡±


    I take in a deep breath, walking over and sitting by the fire with him, watching the smoke funnel out through the ovals in the ceiling. ¡°There¡¯s...something about that. Alex...she¡¯s...like us. She¡¯s here too...inside of Cross.¡±


    This is the first time you see him lose his cool, but only momentarily. ¡°I...I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What am I even doing...sitting here with you? This is all so wrong.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to forgive me, I never expect you to,¡± he begins. ¡°But you need to forgive yourself. Because with that knowledge or not, Cross needs to be stopped, and you can¡¯t let your guilt stop you from making the right choice.¡±


    ¡°So what are you planning...for any of this?¡±


    He takes in a deep breath, ¡°It¡¯d be an easy thing to say that everything I¡¯ve done has been left in the past, but you know it isn¡¯t that easy. Everything affects everything.¡±


    ¡°I think...that we have to work together to stop him from destroying everything, and that includes finding out why he wants to kill all of the council leaders.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to be near me?¡±


    ¡°My heart¡¯s split in two...both figuratively and literally. I¡¯ll have to sort my feelings out on my own time, but I can¡¯t sit by and let this world die. I have to make a choice I can be proud of.¡±


    ¡°So...that¡¯s it, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± He stands and makes a motion to put the fire out, using the waves from his hand to resonate with the fire¡¯s and cancel them out. ¡°We¡¯ve got someone else traveling alongside us, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± He says, nodding to the stairway at the far end of the room. ¡°Go on and say hello. I feel they may need your help to come down and formally join the team.¡± I turn, confused. The staircase is on the same side of the wall as the entrance; I¡¯d completely missed it when I came in. I stand and walk over toward them, climbing them slowly. The small burning scent of a tiny candle greets me first as I look to see an old shape sitting back in a chair, turning the page of a book titled, ¡°Telos.¡± He pulls it down and looks at me with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Hello, Devon. I hope you don¡¯t mind me calling you that...I heard you both downstairs.¡± Andrew Cress. He hides a gigantic sadness behind his eyes. If anyone needed to forgive themselves....well, it isn¡¯t just me. I¡¯m sorry if the choices I¡¯ve made don¡¯t agree with you...but I think I¡¯m on the right path to doing the right thing. I¡¯ve learned that you don¡¯t need to love somebody to respect them, and if I¡¯ve done anything to turn you from me...please respect me to make my choice.

 Chapter 48

    1917


    JESSE


    The next few days consisted of me going back to school. It was as boring as I had expected it to be, but I think the excitement of what I had been shown would have caused even the most exciting of days to be dreadful by comparison. I passed by Isa on our morning walk and almost let slip the secret of the mysteries of space. I didn¡¯t know much about it, but the fact that it¡¯s actually possible to go and visit this strange place was a story of itself. Unfortunately, I must keep my secrets. I wonder how many days it will be until I get to find out the truths of the out-there. I¡¯m sure I could sit down and count it out, but the thought of missing a day and miscounting terrifies me, and then to have all of that time wasted. I think that wasted time would be worse than a near-disconnected eye. At least the eye can heal.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    There are times when I dream of weird things without names. They are creatures without shapes, but their presence stares me down, breathing their hot stench onto my face, frozen to my bed. They can appear out of anything¡ªthe candle beside my bed, the stool beside my desk, or even the quill beside my books. Each of them has the equal opportunity to transform into some creature, hellacious eyes grasping for anything to tie them to our corporeal world.


    Sometimes they speak, uttering languages I do not comprehend, saying curses I¡¯m sure that must wish for my eternal damnation. At least, that¡¯s what my father tells me that they do. I¡¯m sure he has no clue about the origin of the creatures, or if that he believes that they¡¯re even real. I wouldn¡¯t have believed they were more of a specter of my sleep until I met Friedrich. A lot of things could be real now that I met him. I get to go back in a few hours once school is over. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m going to get to space, but I find myself thinking about it more and more.


    I just hope these creatures that haunt me stay away long enough for that to happen. Maybe I¡¯ll find something to drive them away in the coming time.

 Chapter 49

    7243


    CROSS


    Cross lies against the inner sanctum of the Queoquartzite mine¡ªthe Yeltians that may use the mine have no idea of their presence. He finds his strength weakening as his reserves brought from Alex¡¯s consciousness drains from his body. He stumbles as he moves deeper within the caverns, the magnetic pull of his lifeblood yearns him forward.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind my intrusion, but I can¡¯t really help but notice that you...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± He pains, still moving forward.


    ¡°Um...you¡¯re...not sad? I just mean...like, I would if I were you.¡±


    He lumbers a grunt, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be sad, it wastes power.¡±


    ¡°No, not at this second. I guess, but like, in general.¡±


    He reaches his hand out toward the far end of the wall and a laser erupts from his palm, blasting away the surface and revealing a fractured blue crystal. Too strong, damn it, he thinks, turning and firing a smaller blast just beside the crystal, excavating it from its hold. He begins shaking as the power drains from his reserves. ¡°I...haven¡¯t been sad in a very long time. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been sad since I learned about the one who did you wrong.¡±


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    ¡°Did me wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been awake for a very, very long time.¡± He says, hobbling over, tripping and falling over the Queoquartzite, shaking to get up. ¡°Wait one second...let me just...refill...first.¡± A panel at his chest slides open and he scrapes some of the shards from the ground into place, replacing the ash inside. ¡°I guess you can consider that ash my heart,¡± he chuckles. ¡°I don¡¯t feel much anymore. It¡¯s gotten really hard to feel for being awake so long. It¡¯s so much worse being dead and awake. I had all that time to think about so many things. When I was...much younger...I got a flash of knowledge. I saw the person who ruined you, and knew that he wasn¡¯t just responsible for ruining you. It was because of him that I became what I am, also.¡±


    ¡°Became...you weren¡¯t always a robot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything sentient was always a robot. It¡¯s been a very long time, but I do have strands of thoughts of when I was human. I was until I wasn¡¯t.¡± The power inside Cross begins to refill his power levels, and he mimics the action of taking in a very human breath. ¡°Like that, I remember that more than anything. It¡¯s most of what I have left, that is...until I get it back.¡±


    ¡°Get it back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost myself. I used to be and now I only somewhat am. There was an accident and I ceased to be wholly me. There was...¡±

 Chapter 50

    1939


    JESSE


    ¡°...an accident.¡± That¡¯s what Friedrich called it, but he quickly rectified it to mean that it would only be classified an accident to the people that chose to stargaze on that particular night. For me, it was a cold and calculated move that would lead to the continuance of the universe. I¡¯ve spent my life researching things far beyond those around me¡ªand I have to this point dedicated my entire existence toward furthering advancements into space.


    And now I was to give it all up. There was something he didn¡¯t initially tell me about my trip into space, something that anybody wishing to venturing to the out-there as I had once called it should most definitely know.


    He told me exactly how it would happen, I would breach the atmosphere in our homemade rocket¡ªa term that horribly undervalues the amount of work I had put into perfecting this space-cub. My lion to the stars. As soon as I left Earth I would be redirected onto the gravitational orbit of our Moon, and would then be pulled away from the moon using my ship¡¯s hypernate thrusters to swing myself around and launch myself directly into hyper-space¡ªtechnology that wouldn¡¯t be discovered for another three hundred years, mind you, and thrust my ship straight into a wormhole.


    He told the plan to me with the straightest of all of his faces, the most normal thing he¡¯d said all day to someone, probably. I, of course, didn¡¯t take it the way I think he wanted me to take it. Or maybe I did, he knows everything, of course. How much did I have to act to be outside of his knowledge? Does he know that I¡¯d oppose it, or even think of being for this plan now just to see if I could one up him? I¡¯m sure of it.


    Isa was no longer a small child amazed with the possibilities of the unknown, she stayed at home and took care of her two children with her husband Millard. It was an oversight on my younger self¡¯s part to even believe she¡¯d still want to be near me after I¡¯d spent the majority of my time outside of any lifely requirements thousands of miles away.


    ¡°Why do all of this...?¡± I broke out of my twenty-two year long reverie. Never once did I ask that question. My burning desire to see the stars up close and my faith in the man who knew everything blinded me to see what I had been working towards. I had no life, no friends, none of my family ever regarded me outside of necessity.


    This man...Friedrich was a knowledgeable face that hid a sinister agenda. I understood it finally, and I realized that the faces of the creatures that I¡¯d seen in my childhood nightmares all belonged to this one man. I had never wanted to admit that the darkness had been so close to me, but here I stand being told that my life as I know it is gone, and that I must go on and pilot the ship that will most certainly kill me.


    I can¡¯t say no, because I know that it is my destiny to pilot that ship. I have no life to return to, no person within. I¡¯m just a boy who got his eye ripped out inside an adult¡¯s body with no place to go but further down. And so, the only question that I can ask, one that I¡¯m sure is the only one he is waiting for: ¡°Why?¡±


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    ¡°Your actions here are important,¡± he reassures me. I know it¡¯s bullshit, and he knows I know it¡¯s bullshit. ¡°This is to prepare for another¡¯s story, a boy named Devon Campton who will be born in the years to come.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...¡±


    ¡°But a prologue.¡± He turns on his heels, ¡°Now come, you aren¡¯t the only one that¡¯s going to be making this trip. Consider yourself...half of a prologue.¡±


    The words shattered whatever was considered my heart, that lump of flesh in my chest that felt nothing and did nothing but pump blood to a slave of fate. I took a step forward and followed him. He introduced me to the other pilot on my journey, a woman around my age named Rose Linden. I didn¡¯t know her story, and Friedrich didn¡¯t seem to care enough to tell me. I understood that that was solid proof that my life was going to end before the sun had set.


    Time passed and before I knew it the ship had begun to take off. Now, I don¡¯t know if it was because I didn¡¯t care, or if I didn¡¯t want to care anymore, but I seem to recall meeting Rose before. Maybe in a bar somewhere, maybe in a hotel somewhere. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s entirely possible, though, since I¡¯m sure I¡¯d only just met her, but my mind may just be playing tricks on me.


    I remember drinking lots of champagne.


    The ship lifts off the ground, the interior is deadly silent. Neither of us speak to each other, whether that be from her remembering me too, or if it¡¯s because she¡¯s some mind slave to Friedrich that¡¯s ten levels below me...I don¡¯t know. I feel a sickness in my stomach as the ship keeps propelling forward, like everything I had ever wanted was being drenched in poison right in front of me and then served on a plate at an all-you-can-eat buffet.


    I didn¡¯t have a moment of my life flashing before my eyes because I had no real life to flash. Instead, I saw his life. The boy whose life was predicated on the waste that was my own. It makes a twisted sort of sense, but his was the last that I wanted to see. I started to get angry.


    Angry at myself, angry at Friedrich, even angry at Rose beside me, who I couldn¡¯t notice more than her protruding stomach...even angry at the budding human inside her body. And then as we gravitated toward the moon I found that the one person I could stay mad at was the one that the anger flowed the easiest to. I was angry with him.


    That anger flowed through everything that was left of me as we swung around and it never ceased. I don¡¯t know how long we were inside of that ship, it felt like years, I don¡¯t know how I would have lived that long if possible, but nothing else seemed to matter. I saw the wormhole before my eyes and it was the most horrible looking beauty that I¡¯d ever seen, but it could still not defer the slightest bit of rage from my boiling blood. As the ship passed through I screamed for the first time in over twenty years. It was a blood-curdling scream that tore itself at the seams.


    My body was completely and wholly disintegrated, our ship split in two. Rose accomplished a great feat for man, but one not a surprise to Friedrich. She landed on an uncharted planet in a far off galaxy where she would soon give birth to a healthy baby boy. His name doesn¡¯t matter, and Rose wouldn¡¯t matter in the long run, because the both of them would be renamed by history as ¡°Adam¡± and ¡°Eve¡± by some cruel reference to the origin of a completely new species on a planet that hid its sun like a prized commodity.


    Of course, this planet would be known as Tetrose in the Black Eye Galaxy, and Eve would raise her Adam to grow up to be healthy using the various sources of food and shelter across the empty planet. Two would become three as the plan to repopulate began, and over the course of seven thousand and some years the Messians would gather on Sayar as a communal outpost in the vastness of space.


    What happened to me was much less of an easy story.

 Chapter 51

    7243


    CROSS


    ¡°You became a robot?¡± Alex asks.


    Cross shifts uneasily as he breaks apart more Queoquartzite to add to his systems¡ªother chunks he¡¯ll save for reserve. ¡°My soul fractured into a million million pieces across the universe. I am the largest chunk, the only to retain my memories of my fate with Friedrich. I¡¯m sure there are other parts out there that better remember my sister, or even parts that better remember the pain of my eye accident. There¡¯s even a piece with us here, right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh...you mean this right here? I was going to ask you who that was.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going through a lot, there¡¯s a lot they¡¯ve been learning over time. They¡¯re different, but parts of me, all the same. The large majority of my soul erupted all over the universe, taking shelter in any place they could¡ªanimate object or not.¡±


    ¡°How does that work?¡±


    ¡°For living things, much like how we are now. Since they are smaller pieces of a soul, they don¡¯t claim any dominance in the current living creature, the large majority aren¡¯t ever recognized as a separate existence. Humans on Earth did discover them, however they likened them to mental illnesses such like Schizophrenia or Multiple Personality Disorder. Inanimate objects is where things got interesting. Here, the soul existed as an intelligence, and inanimate or lesser-animate beings receive added intelligence, they evolve and grow into their own species. This is the case with every single other species and piece of intelligence here in our universe.¡±


    ¡°Everything...is you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be seeing some creatures that look like creatures from Earth. Lions, frogs, crickets, even light. Each of these things originally came from Earth in a time before it was destroyed and separately found their way to space¡ªeach from a separate time and space all finding their way to discover Sayar, a communal planet in a communal time. Of course, none of these races are aware of their origins. One day they didn¡¯t exist and then they did the next. And none of them are truly aware of how closely knit we all are.¡±


    ¡°Wow...that¡¯s...¡± she pauses. ¡°I understand. Normally I wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb all of that, but being with you here helps it make some sense. I think I had a learning disability back on Earth, thing¡¯s are making sense easier now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be of some help.¡±


    ¡°Now, you said that you had a...mission of getting the parts of you back?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My goal is to recover all of my fractured souls. I¡¯ve made some progress in the last seven thousand years, but of course there is a lot of creatures that have been affected by this curse of my soul inside of them. You see...they¡¯d never understand this, but this isn¡¯t how things should be. It never was, and everything that is here now is just a corruption of what should be. It¡¯s a pity party set up by Friedrich.¡±


    ¡°Well...what about Friedrich? Shouldn¡¯t we stop him from doing anything else like what he did to you?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. He¡¯s more than dead now, he¡¯s been erased by the current god of the world.¡±


    ¡°Well...that¡¯s good, right?¡±


    ¡°Humans should never play god. After a few hundred years any normal human¡¯s morality begins to shift. You cannot retain your humanity after that long a lifespan.¡±


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    ¡°But you¡¯re still here.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m this world¡¯s villain.¡±


    ¡°I...don¡¯t think you¡¯re a villain. You¡¯re just trying to survive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pathetic reason for poor choices. Not close, however. My reason to continue leads directly back into the one who ruined you, Devon Campton. My life was wasted so that he could be born unto this world, and look at the mess that he became, wasting each of our lives.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± she stops. ¡°I didn¡¯t want...I just wanted things to go back to the way they were,¡± she begins crying a tearless sound. ¡°I just wanted us to go back.¡±


    ¡°No longer. He¡¯s not going to ruin anybody else, because I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°What...is your plan?¡±


    ¡°Each of the new races created by my souls has the most concentration of soul-body in their race¡¯s progenitor. The older the body the more soul continually picked up over the millennium, they refer to these progenitors as Heroes. Now, there¡¯s something about these souls of mine I neglected to mention since it wasn¡¯t important until now. If small concentrations of my soul are released then they obviously return to me with little disturbance to the world around us. However, if there are large scale returns...¡±


    ¡°Large-scale disturbances,¡± she finishes.


    ¡°Now, in my time of slumber, I saw the one who ruined your life, and I cannot forgive that he is allowed to come to this time unscathed. So, my goals happened to align up as if it were some sick joke meant to taunt me. So, if I were to return large enough concentrations of my soul¡ªif I were to kill each of the eleven heroes I can cause a large enough disturbance to end everything.¡±


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t...think killing people is right.¡±


    Cross shakes his head, ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anybody. But I cannot let this go on. If you were sick and were told you had a tumor that would kill you if left untreated, would you sit idly by?¡±


    ¡°I...can¡¯t say that I¡¯d do anything as credence to the fact that I¡¯m here...but I get the analogy.¡±


    ¡°My soul in bodies that are not my own are a tumor, and nothing good comes from it. Not even touching the fact that the hell-spawn is getting another chance at life with absolutely no consequence for what he did to the both of us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...that is pretty fucked up.¡±


    ¡°First time I¡¯ve heard you swear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize for it. You¡¯re going to need that fire.¡±


    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because I need your help. Last time I tried I was killed. Shut down, mainly, but killed if I were flesh. I despise the fact that fate leads people to certain places, but I¡¯d be a fool if I tried to fight it¡¯s existence.¡±


    Cross can almost feel her rest against his ashen heart. ¡°I just want the pain to stop. I feel like every time I try not to think about it he¡¯s there...telling me to shut up or punching me. I just want it to stop.¡±


    ¡°Help me, and it can all stop for good. We can do right by his waste.¡±


    She thinks on it, and then he hears, echoing inside his head, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. We¡¯re going to rest here for the night, I don¡¯t want to run out of Queoquartzite in deep-space, so I should be full by the morning with plenty to spare.¡±


    ¡°Where are we going, next?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to make a quick round-trip back to Nastor, we¡¯re going to need some reinforcements. It¡¯d be a suicide mission to mount any kind of assault by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Fair point. I can¡¯t say I know much about anything, but whatever you need I¡¯ll try my best to help you with.¡±


    ¡°Just stay by my side.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice, but yes. I will.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 52

    7246


    DEVON


    Andrew sets his book aside, placing it down with care and then turns back to me¡ªhis face looks calmer than when I last had seen him. ¡°I am glad to see you. I had thought you had perished on your way out toward Abu Kheppi.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for someone who¡¯d say perished.¡±


    He moves to stand, his whole body seems to stretch and I can hear several of his joints cracking. ¡°Separation from a term makes it much easier to deal with. It¡¯s the same concept of how it is much easier to let billions of people die on a planet than to stab a single person with a knife.¡±


    ¡°You still hung up on Earth, huh?¡±


    The question escapes my lips and sooner that I catch it I try to hide it, but as anyone knows that words cannot be unsaid. He doesn¡¯t seem to perturbed by it, however. He chuckles once and looks straight at me. ¡°Glad to know you¡¯re finding comfort in yourself. I don¡¯t care much for all this false air business, myself.¡±


    ¡°False air...what do you mean?¡±


    He swivels his hand in the air as if searching for the words, ¡°I¡¯ve known a long time who¡¯s been responsible for humanities¡¯ problems and I¡¯ve sat by and let the council protect me. I mentioned to you when we first met that I couldn¡¯t bare to off myself because it would have been an insult to those I¡¯ve killed, yes?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the entire reason. I¡¯ve been scared to face the judgment of those scorned. Most of all I¡¯ve been afraid to confront the one who tried his hardest to make things right.¡±


    I shift and take a seat opposite of the one he¡¯d been sitting in, resting my right leg over my left. ¡°You mean Gavin?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± He pauses and I can see his eyes shift downward.


    ¡°I saw him in the time that I was gone.¡±


    His eyes perk up, ¡°Wh-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s...in a complicated position. I do know that he doesn¡¯t blame you for the things you think you¡¯ve done. He told me he still considers you his best friend.¡±


    ¡°How could he...?¡± The smallest break of a tear forms at the corner of his eye.


    I take in a deep breath, ¡°Andrew...Andy, you¡¯ve lived with this guilt hanging over your shoulders for over five thousand years. Whether you were aware of it or not isn¡¯t a huge concern at this moment. I can¡¯t imagine how that can affect your mental state, but at the same time, you need to stop blaming yourself.¡±


    He looks to me, confused.


    ¡°In the past few years I¡¯ve learned a lot about blame and about guilt...I¡¯m guilty of a lot of things that I¡¯m not proud of. It doesn¡¯t matter if I didn¡¯t remember doing it, because once I did all of the pain and suffering I had caused came into me all at once. I was crippled and didn¡¯t know how to process it all. I had to channel it into something I could do¡ªanything to make things right. That¡¯s when I met Gavin. I was captured by Cross after our squad got ambushed, and Gavin had saved me from his clutches. He took me into a world of his own creation¡ªa simulation¡ªso that I could learn to work through my grief and train myself to be stronger. I...I can¡¯t in a million years claim that I¡¯ve known what you¡¯ve experienced how you have, but I do know that if there is anything that you can do to honor the memory of those who have lost their lives...it¡¯s anything but this.¡±


    Andrew is silent.


    ¡°It is more than unfortunate that your wife lost her life too soon. I cannot express to you how sorry I am. I¡¯m sure she was absolutely perfect. It¡¯s more than unfortunate that those who were on Earth lost their lives, but you were not the person to blame. You were manipulated by a psychopath, and you did what you could to bring these survivors to Sayar. It doesn¡¯t matter if you needed help from Gavin to do it, because he¡¯s your best friend. You¡¯re here for a purpose, and if there was anything to be blamed for, it was to waste a chance to do something to make things right.¡±


    He takes a deep breath and turns to look at the book by his side, the cover displays an almost cartoon version of Gavin holding his hands on his head in pain. ¡°You...¡± he blinks away a tear, ¡°...you¡¯re right.¡± He breaks a little, ¡°I...¡± a tear falls and he lets out a small sound. ¡°I had no idea Gavin was still...to think he never changed.¡±


    ¡°Forgiveness can come to anyone, if you¡¯re willing to accept it,¡± I say. ¡°All it takes is the will to stand up and ask for it.¡±


    ¡°I...want to make things right. This...is not a world I¡¯m happy in, or happy to have been a part in creating, but you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Come downstairs, Andrew. Let¡¯s come up with a plan to make things better,¡± I offer my hand.


    He steadies his breathing, and takes it to help stand up. ¡°One second...I just need to...¡± he closes his eyes.


    I look at him strange as he stands still, breathing still. The book behind him begins to rise slowly.


    ¡°How...¡±


    ¡°I have things I can do which I stopped doing when I crawled deep into my depression. The guilt overpowered me and I chose not to use the things that made me different because I was guilty that I had all of these abilities and the chance to live.¡±


    ¡°Living isn¡¯t anything to feel sorry about, Andrew. I¡¯m not going to say that I have everything in my corner under control, because believe you me I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m going to react when I see Cross again. But I sure as hell am going to make that a reality, because I just learned that he killed Tiburr and rules over the Garexians now? This is something we need to fix.¡±


    ¡°I can try...¡± the book clatters to the table. ¡°...I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to make everything okay...¡±


    ¡°Just come downstairs. We¡¯ll figure out the rest later, okay?¡±


    He nods his head, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Downstairs, we sit in a triangle, facing each other: Noah Marshall, Andrew Cress, and myself. It¡¯s weird seeing the three of us here together, knowing what I know, but maybe that¡¯s the way things are supposed to play out.


    ¡°So, now that each of us has our own special spring in our step...¡± Noah begins, ¡°...I propose that we seriously think about looking to make our current situation not so shitty. This would include someplace to sleep that isn¡¯t emptier than Devon¡¯s love life.¡±


    I give him a look sharper than a thousand knives.


    ¡°What? Did your sense of humor die in your training?¡±


    ¡°No, but some topics are more sensitive than others to joke around with,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°Oh nonsense,¡± he replies, saggard. ¡°If you can talk about something, you can joke about something. Just because you remember a few things doesn¡¯t mean you change who you are, how you speak. What I¡¯m trying to say is that we had a certain layer of teamwork before you found out who I really was, right, Devon?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with working with me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re all working for the same goal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s now say we combine those two facts, teams who work easier together are ones who get more done, am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°Teams also need trust,¡± Andrew pipes in. ¡°Take it from me, where trust lacks, so does proper teamwork. I feel like there needs to be a clean an open air about...well, whatever we decide to do.¡±


    I lay my head against the wall and look over to the both of them. ¡°I am going to need some time to fully give you my trust, Noah. I hope you understand. As hard as it was to remember what I did, it was just as hard to remember what you did. I can forgive you, but it¡¯s not going to be immediate.¡±


    He raises a hand, ¡°I¡¯m not expecting it to be immediate. I just hope that it can be quick so that we can be efficient.¡±


    ¡°Now, this I have to ask about. What...are we going to do? I¡¯m motivated and all, but what is our plan?¡± I ask.


    He smiles, ¡°There¡¯s a resistance blooming, gov¡¯nah. It encompasses what remains of the council minus the Garexians of course. Dromedans are easily enough wiped out alone, but we rarely fight them alone. Andrew and I were actually tasked to attack a weapons base just south of here.¡±


    ¡°Just you two?¡± I ask. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but even with the three of us that sounds impossible, and you were going to do it with basically just you?¡±


    I feel Andrew¡¯s eyes shift toward me.


    I shrug, ¡°Were you willing to fight before I came here?¡±


    He lets out a sigh, ¡°Your point is noted, but duly told to fuck off.¡±


    Noah chuckles, ¡°I had been hoping you would show up, actually.¡±


    ¡°Just out of nowhere three years after my disappearance?¡±


    Now it¡¯s his turn to shrug, ¡°Eh, what can I say? I had a feeling in my chest that a headache I hadn¡¯t had in a few years would be coming back.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Enough of the wise-business. Brass tacks here, gents.¡± Andrew begins. ¡°I know the lot of it, Gerau Cliff is where the weapon¡¯s base is. You know where that is, Devon?¡±


    I shake my head, ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a bit more arid in climate, nothing like the marshlands around here. Think Sahara rather than-¡±


    ¡°I know what a desert is. I lived on Earth too, remember?¡±


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    ¡°Just making sure. It¡¯s not quite desert, more rocky. The base is built into a cliff-side¡ªeasy way to hide from any potential thievery business.¡±


    ¡°Built into a...just great. And how were you two musketeers planning on taking down a cliff-side base by yourselves? Why wasn¡¯t anyone else sent with you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re spread thin. Everyone and anyone who can stand has been called out, it¡¯s why grumpy-guts here¡¯s been assigned even though he had no intention of seeing any actual combat. Three years is a lot of time for Dromedans to come onto this planet and build as many bases as they can in secret. If there were more people to spare I promise you we would have them with us.¡±


    ¡°Talk about unprepared in planning,¡± I say more to myself.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we asked for it,¡± Noah says. ¡°I would have much rather we take larger groups to take bases quicker, but the vote was majority in lower numbers to attract less attention.¡±


    I groan. ¡°Fine, whatever, we go in with fewer numbers. Is it just the fact that it is a weapons base that we¡¯re targeting it?¡±


    ¡°The base ain¡¯t anything large scale,¡± Andrew begins, cracking his pasty-white knuckles, ¡°but it would give us some momentum in pushing closer towards Potsberro.¡±


    ¡°Garexian capital city,¡± Noah adds.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Cross ain¡¯t there, but reclaiming the city might shock some sense into the people. It¡¯d be a hell of a lot easier of a job without them out on the prowl every day and night. Of all of the races to be turned, Cross was definitely strategic in forcing his allies. Garexians are no doubt the strongest in the galaxy, maybe only the Yeltian tribe trailing close behind, but there¡¯s so few of them left it hardly makes a difference.¡±


    ¡°Yaldabaoth is still hanging on, right?¡± I ask.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, he and Darmande have taken an offensive deep near Abu Kheppi after your squadron was wiped out.¡±


    ¡°Wiped out...huh. That means Sen...?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t make it out,¡± Noah shakes his head. ¡°Khap-Ar managed to slip away, he regrouped with me, and now he¡¯s off near the Westerwinds for medical treatment.¡±


    ¡°Damn shame,¡± I say. ¡°Pamen...you heard about Pamen, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The entire existence was just...wiped clean...like nothing ever existed there.¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to make sure that it doesn¡¯t happen to anybody else. So, we tackle this weapons base. Do we have a plan on how we get in? I hope it¡¯s not just balls to the wall gunfire action, because my training was more concerned with strategic action rather than action movie status.¡±


    ¡°Balls to the wall...that¡¯s a phrase I haven¡¯t heard used in eons,¡± Andrew says. ¡°Reminds me of an old friend,¡± he chuckles.


    ¡°Is that friend someone to look up to, I hope?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh, no, not at all. He was probably one of the most terrible people I¡¯ve ever met, but we shared a laugh about some jerk-wad we met choking on chainsaws.¡±


    ¡°Sounds...delightful.¡±


    ¡°Right...well, I¡¯d sure love to give that feeling to Cross. Jerk could use some metal maintenance. Step one of that does in fact come with a plan, believe it or not, Devon. The plan belongs to yours truly, and it¡¯s all right...here.¡± He brings out a small tablet from one of his pockets. It displays a holographic topographical map of the region¡ªthe area we¡¯re most concerned with seems to be highlighted with a red shader. ¡°Now, as you can see here, the cliff-side overhangs a large valley due south,¡± Devon explains. ¡°That valley is the Westerwinds, locale of the Fal'' Z?Ar. Zyar Harras, councilman of the Fal'' Z?Ar is there now helping with medical aid on those wounded at Battarial Ground.¡±


    ¡°Battarial Ground is a famous landmark noted for it¡¯s beautiful waters that are said to soothe any soul, but of course right now it¡¯s nothing more than a graveyard.¡± Andrew adds. ¡°A few months back there was a large battle there over some territory¡ªa large arms manufacturer for the Dromedans. The base has been destroyed, and those who sacrificed their lives can rest easy knowing that they¡¯ve helped the cause a million fold.¡±


    ¡°I see, and Khap-Ar is recuperating there as well, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah says, pointing toward a smallish building set into the valley. ¡°This here is their medical facility. But as you can see, more than just a momentum point for the rebellion, this cliff-side base causes a lot of concern for our wounded, seeing as it is this close, right?¡± Noah says, moving between the two spots. I can see how having a weapons base so close could be concerning.


    ¡°Of course, if folk were suited for battle in the Westerwinds then it¡¯d be no problem to have them dispatched to take care of the issue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing a but here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well thank you very much,¡± Noah says, chuckling. I stare at him hard. ¡°Well, yes. You may have noticed that Fal'' Z?Ar aren¡¯t really the most capable species suited for combat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I actually was helped here by a Fal'' Z?Ar who was a mail man...mail...bird?¡±


    ¡°Parcelor,¡± Andrew corrects.


    ¡°I...don¡¯t think that¡¯s right,¡± I say.


    ¡°It is here,¡± he nods, winking.


    ¡°Anyway...¡± Noah interrupts. ¡°Fal'' Z?Arians are not going to be leading a charge on a base. So, we have to help them out before the Dromedans at that base get any orders to do anything crazy. And it is highly likely that such orders may come soon seeing as both Zyar and Khap-Ar are both within the confines of the Westerwinds.¡±


    ¡°Right, that makes enough sense. Get in before they¡¯re able to do anything.¡±


    ¡°So, obviously climbing up from below isn¡¯t going to be an optimal strategy,¡± Noah says, returning to the diagram, ¡°they¡¯d see us from a mile away and we¡¯d be sitting ducks.¡±


    ¡°So how about we go from above? I¡¯m not seeing any way to tackle it from the sides.¡±


    ¡°Exactly...however that¡¯s of course something they¡¯ve prepared for. I mean, you kind of have to when building a base into the side of a cliff. The top being your one area you can¡¯t look, it is only common sense that they¡¯d make preparations to handle assaults from that angle.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    Andrew raises a hand, ¡°I think I can help with that.¡±


    ¡°Andy old buddy old pal, I think you are totally one hundred percent right on that equation.¡±


    ¡°Equation?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t all be funny right on the first try.¡±


    I turn to Andrew, ignoring him. ¡°What¡¯s your idea?¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s something I¡¯m going to need to practice before we put it into place, but I should be able to teleport you guys inside.¡±


    ¡°Woah, really?¡± I ask.


    ¡°The things you can do with your power suits, you know they are based on abilities that I mastered over the years, right? Waves were something I was learning to control back when I was in my twenties.¡±


    ¡°Gramps, you look to be much out of practice out of your twenties,¡± Noah says.


    ¡°Which is why I said as much earlier. But when I was at my peak I knew how to transport matter between places in my field of view.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a video game,¡± Noah says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I probably could have sent matter to things outside my view, but what if things had moved around in those places? What if say I transported a pig and it ended up cut in two because a door had been shut instead of open?¡±


    ¡°Ooh...ew. Yeah, you¡¯re right, sticking with field of view is good.¡±


    ¡°I can probably get you guys in there if I get enough of a vantage point,¡± he says.


    ¡°Are you sure? You¡¯ve been out of it for quite a while...I¡¯m not trying to tell you not to help right after telling you that you should...just curious if you¡¯re able to move those old bones,¡± I say.


    He turns to me, ¡°I¡¯ve been alive for over seven thousand years, Devon. The brittle bones phase ended long, long ago. If my bones were natural they would have faded to dust long, long ago.¡±


    ¡°Fair point.¡±


    ¡°I can get myself around. I just need to get back into the swing of things. I¡¯ll probably stay up tonight and work on it while you two sleep.¡±


    ¡°We can stay up too if you want the help,¡± Noah says.


    He shakes his head, ¡°Nah. You two are going to need to be at your top if we¡¯re going to do this. Trust me on this one, assaulting the enemy with a small amount of people is going to need your focus.¡±


    ¡°Were you...like in the army or something like Jesse was?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Nah, I learned it from a video game,¡± he leaves with a wink. ¡°Now go on, the room up there has two beds. Go on and get some sleep while I work out some of these things I have floating around inside my head. I¡¯ll come wake you early and we can prepare to head out.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Positive. I need to do some thinking.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you heard the man, let¡¯s go,¡± Noah says, jumping to his feet and snatching the tablet up in his hand and stuffing it into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll move the second bed into the hallway so you¡¯re more comfortable sleeping.¡±


    I move to object...but then I realize it¡¯s probably for the better. I also need to sort some things out in my head, but I respect his offering. Maybe...maybe there is a second chance in for everyone. That makes me wonder...could I maybe get Alex to see that for me...too? Sleep doesn¡¯t come easy, and when it does it is filled with meaningless darkness. Cryptic dreams about my inner psyche that I am too tired to try to even begin to decipher. It would just tell me what I already know.


    I¡¯m going to have to forgive Noah. I...want to, because I understand that I¡¯m not really Devon anymore and he isn¡¯t really Noah anymore. We¡¯ve grown into new people, and I can¡¯t fault him for the things that happened in what may as well be another life...just as he doesn¡¯t fault me for what I did.


    This is all so difficult. I know that the things I did and the things he did were wrong, I don¡¯t want to make it seem like they weren¡¯t...and I don¡¯t know why things became so difficult. I just have to keep on pushing. Pushing toward making things right. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to return to our lives and make things right there, too? I¡¯d like to go back and make up for the things I said and did to Alex...even if she never wants to see me again. That¡¯d be okay, as long as I could end things right.


    The morning comes too soon.


    Andrew is still practicing by the time we get up. I haven¡¯t slept in a really, really long time, and that¡¯s because these new bodies don¡¯t require it. Of course, it isn¡¯t impossible to sleep, but hardly anyone ever does anymore since it isn¡¯t a limit on the body anymore. Andrew doesn¡¯t seem to care much for his limits; he has been lifting his book up and down for hours to get back in the use of using his abilities. ¡°The things you can do with your power suits, you know they are based on abilities that I mastered over the years, right? Waves were something I was learning to control back when I was in my twenties.¡±


    To think that the things that I¡¯ve trained for three years for...he¡¯s had thousands of years more experience than I could ever dream. He¡¯s the leader for a reason, and now that he has a proper reason for fighting, or more that he¡¯s found his reason buried underneath all of that guilt...he can truly show what he¡¯s made of.


    ¡°Hey, you ready to head out?¡± I ask as I grip the wall of the divider at the end of the staircase.


    He turns around, shaking his head slightly, ¡°It isn¡¯t coming as easily as I thought it would...maybe just with a little stimulation and time to practice it would all come back to me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it right now.¡± Noah says from a level up, stomping his way down the stairs. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s gonna be a big issue if we can¡¯t find a way into the weapons base, but don¡¯t sweat it for now. We¡¯ve got a few days travel before we get there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel useless is all,¡± he replies.


    ¡°I get you, but these are things you haven¡¯t used in years. Like, longer than I¡¯ve been alive and in this body times like a hundred. If you weren¡¯t using your legs for a significant portion of time your muscles would atrophy. It¡¯s gotta be the same thing. Just gonna take some time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...correct. I just feel like I¡¯m young again, not knowing what¡¯s going to happen next or if I¡¯ll ever get good at it again. That¡¯s not a feeling I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± I say. ¡°We¡¯re going to be here by your side. We hardly know what we¡¯re doing, either.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself, Devon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you both. I know you¡¯ve been dealing with me be way too into my own issues for the past few years,¡± he turns to Noah, ¡°and for even bringing me along with you when you probably could have just dumped me at the nearest shelter and gone on alone.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that...it costs money to ship people there.¡±


    I elbow him.


    ¡°Anyway...I want you both to know that I¡¯m gonna work on me. It¡¯s going to take a lot of work, but I can¡¯t call myself a leader of humankind just because I have abilities. I need to be a leader, the one I had lost so long ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy you feel that way, and before we go into other mushy territory I suggest that we head out. The day only lasts so long, and the threat only increases as the days pass,¡± Noah says, picking up his fire-starter and dropping it into his pocket.


    The both of us nod, and we settle out from the hut in Gaos.

 Chapter 53

    7243


    CROSS


    The sky around Sayar is a fantastic purple. They say that the atmosphere soaks in the sunlight much like how Earth used to, except that its distance causes the hue. It was...wrong to not see a blue sky. Cross knew that it confused Alex, so he spent little time staring at the sky and began to descend from his flight. Behind them were the Dromedans that he had been constructing within the past month¡ªa faction of bodies controlled with just the smallest fragments of Jesse Anderson¡ªthe minimum of sentience for existence.


    Cross and Alex talked more on their flight from Nastor to Sayar. They began to get used to the idea of being two minds in one body.


    ¡°If there¡¯s ever anything that happens to this body, just stay with me. I¡¯ll carry you into another,¡± Cross had said.


    ¡°What if we get separated? I don¡¯t think I can handle myself all alone out here.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    And so they had gone on their way¡ªtheir faceless mechanical friends right behind them¡ªfreshly powered up with some of the excess Queoquartzite that Cross had gathered. Now they were in business, Queoquartzite mining could be delegated to some of the lower end Dromedans so that nothing like what had happened before would again.


    As they descend onto Sayar, Cross begins to reminisce on the times when the others around him had seen him as friend and ally. Of course, this could never be reciprocated, for the people of Sayar would always represent the pieces of himself that were stolen from him. They were keys to a puzzle that masked as people, and that fact seemed that much more of a stab in the back.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder about what it would be like if I left things to rot as they are now,¡± Cross says, looking down at the microbial cities below who haven¡¯t yet caught wind of their arrival. ¡°Things will only get worse. But sometimes I think about the false lives that my soul has created here¡ªnothing more than an imagination running wild, but at what point does imagination bleed into reality?¡±


    ¡°Are you having doubts?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I think I¡¯m moreso just thinking about everything that led up to this point in time. I¡¯m not any less angry.¡±


    ¡°Well, the sooner that we get you back to normal the sooner we can start things over, right? Plus, the more that these fragments live on as these imaginary people is suffering in its own right, right?¡±


    Cross nods, ¡°Correct. All right, let¡¯s do this. Who knows, if we¡¯re lucky we can be done right after this sweep? One shot and maybe we can clear them all out in one go. Once the council members are gone I¡¯ll have a good majority of my soul back. Not complete, but enough to where we can take control of this pitiful world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you.¡±


    The Dromedan force behind them do the job they¡¯ve been handed down¡ªan assault begins on Pandera, Sayar¡¯s capitol city. Cross flies over the water-scape and lands onto the taction glass, cracking the surface, looking out as gunfire and smoke covers the sky. In a matter of seconds blood fills the atmosphere, as buildings are torn apart. It all happens so fast, Cross flies forward toward a small Illith clad in a power suit. She¡¯s communicating with someone over a holographic projector.


    ¡°She¡¯s got to be talking to the people in charge,¡± Alex says.


    ¡°Right.¡± Cross dashes toward her and snatches her up by her fat neck, he holds her out in front of him, keeping turned away as she squirms, unable to make a sound. His hand tenses and closes tighter and tighter until the bones in her body snap and she falls limp in his hand. He drops her near weightless body and picks up the holographic projector, seeing the face of Entria Brant, the Illith council leader.


    ¡°You threw us away. Well guess what? We don''t die easy,¡± he says, crushing the projector in his fist. ¡°Now, we assault the capitol building.¡±


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    ¡°Using the explosives we rigged on the sentry bots, right?¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re learning.¡±


    Explosions rock the ground as Cross blasts his way into the capitol building, walking in on an argument already in place.


    ¡°Dude, you literally just threw a bitch fit because one of your own race died. That''s reasonable, but now you don''t give a shit when there are tons of people out there probably dying?¡± A man says, separated from the eleven heroes seated.


    ¡°He''s got a point, Cardus,¡± Entria Brant says.


    ¡°He has no point! We''re staying safe in here and that''s-¡±


    They all look toward Cross, speechless. Whatever they had been arguing about has ceased being important. ¡°The family is all here, how wonderful. It''s a shame a few Illith had to be ground into the dirt for our reunion to happen,¡± Cross says, stepping in closer.


    ¡°A bit harsh?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°Not harsh enough.¡±


    ¡°What? How the hell are you here? The shield is up!¡± Cardus yells.


    ¡°Cardus, it is good to see you again. Still as cowardly as ever, I see. Well, it seems absent-minded as well. Did you forget I was the one who installed that very shield in this building all those years ago?¡±


    ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t take you for home renovations,¡± Alex says.


    ¡°Consider it a talent I picked up along the way.¡±


    ¡°So then you''re the Mark VI, huh?¡± The man asks.


    Cross recognizes the face easily enough, it was Roland Duschand, one of the putrid humans who helped starve him in the past war. He takes a step toward the man, ¡°You don''t remember me, Mr. Duschand? I''m quite hurt...¡± But then all at once something freezes inside Cross. ¡°Wait a moment. You aren''t him, are you? No, your eyes are different...¡± he says.


    ¡°Alex...I found him.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°How are you alive?¡± Entria asks.


    Cross begins to laugh a fetid sound, ¡°Please call me by my name. It is the polite thing to do. And not by that silly nickname of Mark VI, Cross will do just fine?¡±


    ¡°You didn''t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°And you didn''t honor my request, is that not how bartering goes? One makes a request and another fulfills it? Or should I use the Sayarian bartering method of betrayal?¡±


    Piscar stands up, ¡°You were getting in way over your head, Cross. We had to-¡±


    ¡°I hope you know I didn''t come here to endure your lectures,¡± he says, raising up his left arm.¡± Cross wields an antimatter bomb, annihilation energy jam packed with enough firepower to blow the city to smithereens.


    ¡°Think about what you''re doing now,¡± Yaldabaoth says slowly.


    ¡°I have. I''ve thought about it for all of the time you cut the Dromedan race off. Now it''s time we cut you off from the roots up,¡± He says as he walks closer, twisting a piece on the device as it begins to glow a bright white. ¡°Your strings are cut free, and from freedom you shall embrace death as I once did.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s...he doing?¡± Alex asks.


    The soul inside Roland Duschand stands, takes a step toward Cross.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alex. We can end this now. Everyone is here for our grand finale. We¡¯re going to make this right.¡± He smiles as he takes a step closer to Roland.


    ¡°You will not come any closer,¡± he says, a defiant look in his eyes.


    ¡°You are something special, aren''t you? It''s too bad that has to be extinguished. What a shame that both of our lives had to be wasted for your pathetic excuse for a life.¡±


    The bomb is dropped, and the soul in Roland¡¯s body does the unthinkable: he absorbs the annihilation energy as if he were some sort of vacuum. The blast totals the capitol building, the body that Cross and Alex had been inhabiting, and the entirety of Pandera, however the targets that Cross and Alex had been searching for were safer than ever. Their souls flow through the universe as Cross pulls himself and Alex toward a suitable body, a recreation of Cross¡¯s own stored on Nastor in the case of an accident.


    ¡°Fuck! He ruined everything!¡± Alex screams, her stability has waned ever since the attack on the capitol. ¡°He ruined everything and he still gets to save the day?! And now he¡¯s going to be treated as some hero? WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THAT?¡±


    ¡°We need to regroup. We were successful in getting back at least some of my fragments, and we let them know that we¡¯re a credible threat willing to do anything.¡±


    ¡°FUCK that! God...I didn¡¯t know how satisfying getting to say that would be. FUCK him. Fuck the people that protect him, and FUCK this world for believing that everything that has happened to us is okay.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re properly motivated, now,¡± Cross says, looking up toward the stars, toward the smallest one they can see, Sayar.


    ¡°I don¡¯t just want to kill him,¡± she says. ¡°I want him to remember everything that he did to me. I want him to understand just how terrible of a person he is, and then I want him to suffer.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that.¡±


    ¡°Devon...you better fucking watch out.¡±

 Chapter 54

    7246


    DEVON


    We first set camp out in the Estrain Outbacks, a cone-shaped plain where the wind screeches through the crevices as if they were banshees into the night. We walked for hours, transportation had to be divvied up amongst the teams that went out and there simply had not been enough for everyone. And so...we walked.


    We walked until we could no more, the night did nothing to persuade us on our tracks. Luckily, any small disturbances were nothing to scoff at¡ªtravelers looking to mug us were quickly turned away when they saw our power suits. They figured it wasn¡¯t worth the hassle getting knocked to the ground several times, so they simply left with a happy ¡°how do you do.¡±


    I could tell they were out for no good because nobody sane would dare walk outside without a reason, and they didn¡¯t carry the necessity of life¡ªthey weren¡¯t worried about being out so late. So, they must be there for the purpose of taking advantage of others around them.


    Andrew bends over to stretch as we set up the wood we gather. Noah reaches in his pocket for the fire-starter, but Andrew stops him, shaking his hand and nodding, ¡°Let me try.¡±


    Confused, he steps back as Andrew places his arm back to his side, taking in a deep breath, closing his eyes, shielding the sky from their green reflections. He shakes a little as he begins to get visibly agitated, and I¡¯m about to walk over toward him when I notice a small flickering of light beside the wood. It begins to catch aflame, and I look at it with amazement. ¡°That was you?¡±


    I can see a grin form on his face, ¡°Yes!¡± he whispers to himself. He looks up and then feels a stroke of embarrassment, ¡°Oh, uh, yeah. Pyrokinesis was something I learned really early on. I can control the waves around my body and excite them enough to catch fire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sick,¡± I say.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to know you won¡¯t be totally useless,¡± Noah says, picking at something on his finger, half paying attention, then looking up to him, ¡°Just kidding, of course.¡±


    The night passes into the morning we continue our journey through the Estrain Outback. This time, no hoodlums stop our tracks and the sky is a clear force, wishing us well on our track. We don¡¯t stop again until we reach the end of the coneish landscape, it dips down and funnels into a cavernous exit. Noah says that this cavern leads to the bottom of the mountain that we must scale to be opposite of the one overlooking the Westerwinds. From there Andrew can transport us where we need to be and we can do our thing...whatever that thing may be.


    The outback becomes a little less lonely when we see a checkpoint set up just before the entrance to the cavern. I see about seven or so Garexians encompassed around the whole stand, and unlike Jol, these are fully outfitted in soldier-like armor. Helmets formed around their massive heads and metallic banding to cover their abdomens. I make no mistake in assuming they haven¡¯t noticed us already.


    ¡°You might want to stay a bit back,¡± I turn the slightest to Andrew.


    ¡°Itching for a fight?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Not so much an itch...¡± I say, noticing that one of them has started toward us.


    ¡°How do you want to play this?¡± Noah asks.


    ¡°Why are you asking me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you seem to be taking charge, walking ahead of us. You think we can take them on?¡±


    ¡°Honest answer or one that would make you both feel better?¡±


    ¡°Honest,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°No way in hell.¡±


    ¡°How about the one that¡¯d make us feel better?¡± Noah asks.


    ¡°No way in frozen hell.¡±


    ¡°How does that make us feel better?¡±


    ¡°Honesty¡¯s got a way of doing that.¡±


    I look down and then back up toward the Garexian heading toward us, the others have begun to join¡ªthey must see the power armor and know we¡¯re more than rowdy travelers who¡¯ve gotten lost. That means that we need to take the action to them, first.


    ¡°Incapacitate, don¡¯t kill,¡± I say. ¡°Not their fault they¡¯re forced to be soldiers.¡±


    ¡°You think we don¡¯t know that?¡± Andrew asks.


    ¡°Just making sure we¡¯re all on the same page.¡±


    ¡°Should have done that back in camp.¡±


    All right, let¡¯s get this show on the road. I activate my strength, and lower my gravity as I kick off from the ground, transitioning quickly into channeling my speed into forward momentum¡ªcanceling the rest of them out with my shield hardening around me like a human-sized bullet. This seems to catch the Garexian in the lead off guard, he dives out of the way, hitting the ground hard as he skids on his armor. Noah takes the opportunity and grabs for the gun at his side underneath his trench coat, the wave blaster. I see it for a fraction of a second and my heart leaps as I jump to the thought of him using it to completely eradicate the Garexian. I leap out with my speed before I hit the ground, creating a small sonic boom as I propel myself backward toward Noah. He falls back and the gun¡¯s shot flies upward, vibrating against the ceiling of the funnel before breaking apart.


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    ¡°Agh, what the fuck are you doing?¡± He yells.


    The rocks from above recreate a scene deep from Roland¡¯s memories as they crash toward the fallen Garexian, however just before they land Andrew steps up and stops them from falling. He navigates the waves and the boulders catch a hearty flame around them, launching them toward the checkpoint. They crash into the building, denting and crumpling it like a bonfire. This doesn¡¯t seem to please the Garexians at all.


    ¡°You were going to use your wave blaster on that Garexian! What the fuck happened to incapacitate, not kill?¡±


    He shakes his head as if he¡¯d been told that two plus two equaled seven, ¡°I was aiming for his armor! We¡¯re not doing much to them with it on.¡±


    The first Garexian stands up, stretches, and begins to run toward us.


    ¡°Ugh, damn it, talk later.¡± I say.


    ¡°Least you can do is trust me not to kill them,¡± Noah mutters, standing.


    ¡°The both of you, quit it. We have more pressing matters.¡± Andrew says, lifting the first Garexian out of the air, throwing him back toward the crowd behind him as if he were bowling. One of them with dark brown-almost-black fur jumps over the attack and pounces, leaping toward me with a scraping claw. He catches my leg and I scream out. White blood sprays into the air. Andrew turns his head to me instinctively, and then I feel a weird rushing sensation in my leg that makes me more uncomfortable than the pain. I see the blood returning to my leg and feel the wound closing up.


    ¡°Thank me by getting up and doing something,¡± he says, lifting the Garexian off of me.


    I nod and stand back up; activating my speed and feeling my strength power through me. I can feel the brush of Andrew¡¯s telekinesis on my back as I break through another sonic boom, sending the other Garexians off of their feet. Noah aims his gun again, ¡°You¡¯re gonna need to trust me on this, Devon. I can make the shot.¡±


    ¡°What if you don¡¯t?¡± I ask. ¡°That¡¯s too much a risk!¡±


    ¡°Not a problem!¡± He calls back, pulling the trigger, sending out the shot. I activate my speed and rush in to slam myself into the Garexian, sending him aside, the shot misses again.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± He calls out. He shrugs and adjusts a switch on the gun, aiming it at the ground just below the Garexians and fires, caving in the ground underneath the fallen beasts, incapacitating them just as intended. The ground shakes all around them, but he looks directly toward me.


    ¡°I said it was too big a risk!¡±


    He shakes his head, activating his speed and stepping up close to me¡ªface to face. ¡°It¡¯s not. The guns sync up to specific material¡¯s waves. I¡¯m synced to their armor, I can only disrupt their armor. I told you about this.¡±


    I remember, and feel it hits me as what he said was true. The gun has to get a reading for it to be useful, and of course he wouldn¡¯t have the reading of Garexian waves as there¡¯s not been the issue that¡¯s needed it.


    ¡°I...I¡¯m sorry. I forgot.¡±


    He jerks his head back, ¡°You forgot because you got cocky about this leader business. Look, I said that as a joke. You aren¡¯t the leader, here.¡± I don¡¯t know what to say. I stand back as I look at the hole that his gun created and back over to him. ¡°I incapacitated them, happy?¡± He shakes his head and walks off.


    Andrew walks over to me, standing as he usually does, as if he has something to debate. ¡°You know...that thing I mentioned about a team that works well together gets stuff done together? Well, it works in reverse, too. A team that can¡¯t work as a team fails as one.¡±


    I look up to the ceiling above us where the first shot had hit, ¡°I know...ugh. I know I fucked up. I was just so worried about doing the right thing, that anything that had the chance of fucking up couldn¡¯t happen. What if innocents died while I tried to do the right thing? Would I just continue to be a fuck up?¡± I shake my head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for unloading.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve unloaded quite a bit onto you as it were. But it isn¡¯t me you should apologize to. I did mean what I said, and I know that you want to do good, but you have to trust that we do too. You can¡¯t let what happened in the past catch up to you again and again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...Okay. I¡¯ll go talk to him, you want to go check on the Garexians and make sure they¡¯ll be okay?¡±


    He nods, and I jog over across the way and find Noah holstering his gun just outside the burning heap that used to be the checkpoint building. ¡°Hey, uh, listen...¡± I say as he turns around, ¡°...I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t trust your intuition.¡±


    He wipes a hand across his forehead and looks down, ¡°I know you have your own stuff that you¡¯re going through and understanding.¡±


    ¡°But I shouldn¡¯t have interfered. It only makes our job harder. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He sighs, ¡°Just trust that I know what I¡¯m doing. You may not, but you¡¯ll get it. We have little room for error.¡±


    I nod my head, looking back toward Andrew who has just started coming back from the caved in section of the ground.


    ¡°They¡¯re alive, but unconscious. The combination of the sonic boom and the quake did a number on them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, that means we need to keep moving. We still gotta clear through this cave before the sun sets if we¡¯re going to stay on schedule,¡± Noah says.


    ¡°Okay, well, let¡¯s get going.¡± I turn to Andrew, ¡°And nice call on burning their outpost...but what was that crazy magic on my leg?¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you,¡± he nods. ¡°And I just felt the waves around your body, and helped navigate everything back where it was supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Geesh, here I am all thin and tan and you feel up the newbie, I¡¯m kind of offended,¡± Noah regards him, taking a few steps to the cave.


    ¡°Oh hop off it,¡± Andrew calls to him.


    ¡°Are you still able to get it up, anyhow?¡± Noah asks.


    ¡°Glad you two are still without a room together,¡± I say.


    ¡°N-No.¡± Andrew says, flustered. ¡°You know I¡¯m not...¡±


    ¡°Wife, I know,¡± Noah says continuing along. ¡°But you¡¯re a widow my friend, and you¡¯re not getting any younger,¡± he winks.


    -..-. / - .... . / ... -- .. .-.. .. -. --. / -- .- -. / .. ... / .- .-.. -- --- ... - / -. . .- .-. / -..-. / -..-. / .... . / .--. .-.. .- -.-- ... / .- / --. .- -- . / --- ..-. / -.. . .- - .... / .- .-.. .-.. / - .... . / - .. -- . / -..-. / -..-. / --. .- - .... . .-. .. -. --. / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. ... / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / -.-. .. .-. -.-. .-.. . / --- ..-. / .-.. .. ..-. . / -..-. / -..-. / .. -. / .... .. ... / -- --- ... - / -.. . ...- .- ... - .- - .. -. --. / .-- . -... / --- ..-. / .-.. .. . ... / .- -. -.. / -- -.-- ... - . .-. -.-- / -..-. / -..-. / - .... . / ..-. .. -. .- .-.. . / -.. .-. .- .-- ... / -. . .- .-. .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- --- .-. / -- .- -.-- -... . / .. - / -.. --- . ... -. - .-.-.- / -..-.

 Chapter 55

    7243


    CROSS


    Cross and Alex have since rejoined and regathered on Sayar. They interrupted the supply run that Devon and Noah had gone on alongside the Breeton, Bartz, and Cardus C?. After confirming that Devon did in fact reside inside Roland Duschand¡¯s body, the two had a plan to finally seek revenge on the soul that had ruined their lives.


    It had led them to gathering intel on the Sayarian¡¯s plans on how to handle Cross¡ªa helpful fact nonetheless. It wasn¡¯t until they came face to face with Devon outside the crater that used to be Andem that Alex truly comes to terms with how she feels about Devon. Rage begins to swell inside of them as they look down on the unconscious Devon¡ªhe¡¯d only just been transported away from his squadron. Fortunately, fate seemed to smile on them as it had also brought along Pamen, the irritating hive existence that had stretched its reach nearly everywhere around the planet.


    ¡°What are we going to do about that?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually got an idea concerning that gun of his. If I can get it I can target that planet of theirs. The planet is what inherited the fragmented souls, all these here are just pale reflections of light.¡±


    ¡°Why not take it now?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s more fun than making him think like he has a chance to defend himself?¡±


    Devon begins to come to, he looks around himself with a stupified half-grin. It disappears when he sees Pamen behind him and then turns to see Cross, who is doing nothing but stare at him.


    ¡°Well, I''d love to say that this is surprising seeing you here, but we both know that you can''t leave things well enough alone, can you?¡± He asks, his voice half Cross¡¯s, half Alex¡¯s own building storm.


    ¡°Was that yours?¡± He asks, standing fully and taking in a deep breath. The attempt seems pitiable at most, insulting at worst.


    ¡°You mean my son? He''s quite the charmer, ain''t he?¡± Of course, Cross was talking about the gigantic sandworm that he had coaxed to attack the scent of human tissue¡ªartificial or not. So Devon could rest easy knowing that it was his fault that his squadron had been attacked, and the filthy Illith¡¯s death had been in vain.


    ¡°Your...son?¡±


    Cross looks downward and then back up to you, ¡°You don''t think I gave birth to such a beautiful boy?¡± He offers a small laugh. ¡°Looks more like his mother anyway.¡±


    ¡°You''re crazy,¡± He says, a determined sort of crazy look in his eye. Surely he wasn¡¯t going to try to pick a fight here? His power suit glows red as he enhances his strength. He dashes out toward Cross, grunting a loud sound. Cross simply raises his right arm toward the Queoquartzite at his chest, taking a bit of the glowing energy and applying it to Devon¡ªsending him flying backward toward Pamen¡¯s unconscious form.


    ¡°This is the time we¡¯ve been waiting for, Cross. Get in there and make him remember everything!¡±


    ¡°In due time. I can¡¯t let this end without getting some personal revenge in. Physical strength means nothing if you don''t have the courage to use it.¡± Cross walks closer toward him, stopping just before his face. ¡°But you weren''t ever brave, were you?¡± He bends down slow and brings a fist down to Devon¡¯s head, it sends the helmet slamming down to the ground and cracks the screen. Cross bends to his knees and speaks out like a surgeon over an operating table, ¡°I know who you are. You see, it bothered me endlessly¡± he picks him up by your collar, ¡°you were the first thing that I saw when I woke up. I''d known of you, Mr. Duschand¡ªand I know that he''s in there somewhere, so don''t you worry¡ªbut it''s you that caught my attention.¡±


    ¡°Wha-?¡± Devon manages little other than the sound of a beaten dog before he¡¯s hoisted up further and tossed through the air off of the cliff. Cross jumps down after him with blinding speed and grabs him just before he falls, nearly snapping his neck. ¡°Back at the Capitol I knew something was off. Mr. Duschand has been missing ever since our last fight, there was no way he could have returned from where I sent him, and yet there he was standing right in front of me.¡± He drops Devon and kicks him hard, knocking him over. ¡°Lo and behold I see what''s going on,¡± Cross walks closer to him as he clutches his stomach in pain. ¡°I felt angry with you, more than I''ve ever felt for anything in my entire life.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°YOU DON''T GET TO SPEAK.¡± Alex yells out, taking over. Devon reaches for his gun, but Alex is faster, taking the gun as Cross regains stability. He shakes his head and heads to the edge of the cliff. ¡°Hold on there, tiger. We¡¯re just warming up,¡± Cross tells Alex, but she doesn¡¯t seem to listen, anger courses through her spirit.


    ¡°Well there is the tool of the hour. It''s a shame I had to crush your friend''s old ones, but I''d only then got the most glorious idea that required one of them.¡± Cross says, handling two separate conversations at once. Devon only looks at you with the stare of an infant. ¡°You must be so confused,¡± he says, turning his head ever so slightly, ¡°to think that you''d end up here of all places.¡±


    ¡°I don''t understand,¡± He says firmly.


    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Alex asks, and Devon doesn¡¯t answer. She yells out, ¡°Why the fuck did you do it?!¡± There''s a bright red glow from their eyes, but then they fade. ¡°You...don''t even remember, don''t you? That''s it then? No! It''s not good enough!¡± She screams, slamming him hard to the ground, immediately dragging him back up. Cross regains composure, ¡°So sorry about that. They got really angry with you and I couldn''t hold ''em back. I thought things were different. I''m really in love with this feeling,¡± he says, in everything but smile.


    ¡°You wouldn''t let that slip if you didn''t want me to ask, am I correct?¡± Devon asks. He tosses his broken helmet aside.


    ¡°My, my. Look whose human thought processes saw them to the truth. Yes, but I didn''t bring you here to reunite. Think of it as a tease and nothing more. I brought you to give you a demonstration.¡±


    ¡°Of what?¡±


    He holds up the WaveBlaster in one hand while taking his other to his chest, ripping at the Queoquartzite. He breaks off a chunk with a grunt and shoots off into the sky, traveling down towards the crater. Along the way he adjusts the gun to the home planet of Pamen, and fire the gun into the crater¡¯s core¡ªreflecting the signal back as if it were light against a mirror. A massive column of light erupts brightly into the night sky. It fills the planet with light all around you.


    Cross flies back to the cliff to a horrified Devon. ¡°How many do you think there were?¡± He asks. ¡°That detestable creature of the dark. How many bodies do you think it had on this planet before I just wiped them clean?¡±


    ¡°Wiped them clean?!¡±


    ¡°Modifying your weapon allowed me to tune it to a very specific wavelength, the one of your friend¡ªthat is, if you were really friends yet,¡± he says. ¡°This planet is really something special, you know. It''s core is very reactive to certain stimuli, it can even act as an amplifier for weapons like yours.¡±


    ¡°That light in the sky...that''s not Pamen, is it?¡±


    ¡°The very one in the same. Pamen''s right on Sayar''s front doorstep. So, when I just activated it''s universal extinction code by using their singular existence against them, the whole shebang goes sheboom.¡±


    ¡°Sheboom?¡± Alex asks.


    ¡°Hush it.¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡± Devon asks, a defeated sound, ¡°Are you here to break me? Make me cry? That isn''t happening, because you''re going to be stopped. Maybe not by me¡ªhell, most likely not by me. I''m not trained for any of this, but you''re not going to get away with this...even if you kill me.¡±


    ¡°Kill you? I don''t want to kill you. Don''t you see? There isn''t any way in the world I could ever do that. I can''t live without you, and you without me...but you''ll soon figure that out. We should get going, your friends should be arriving soon once they see the light show.¡±


    ¡°And you think I''m letting you leave that easy?¡±


    He cocks his head ever so slightly, ¡°It''s as you said, you aren''t trained to fight. You can come with me awake or unconscious, it doesn''t bother me personally, but I''m sure they''ll get a kick out of hitting you a bunch.¡±


    ¡°And where are we going?¡± Devon asks, realizing the hopelessness in fighting back.


    Cross stares daggers, ¡°Don''t you ever stop asking questions?¡±.Alex throws a harder-than steel punch that knocks him out. ¡°Now is when the fun begins.¡±

 Chapter 56

    7246


    DEVON


    We travel our way through the cold cave. Light is scarce through the tunnel¡ªour only source of light are the stones that Andrew casts aflame as we pass. The trip is mostly a silent one, as we all think of our own situations. Eventually, the path begins to ramp upwards and the climb begins to get more difficult. It keeps climbing for another fifteen minutes or so until it breaks out into a large circular section of the cave where the ceiling raises high above our viewpoint. Stalactites hang down¡ªclinging to the ceiling, dripping like stone drops.


    Out at the opposite side of the clearing is the gaping mouth of the exit, half closed in anticipation. I have to swing a leg over one at a time to squeeze through the crevice created by the roof and floor. Andrew and Noah follow behind me, Noah catches up to the front as we reach the cylindrical tunnel that begins to funnel into a cone-shaped exit in the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this...¡± I say.


    ¡°Yes, it is quite unlike any kind of mountain that existed on earth. Pathways like this are typically caused by Breetons who tunnel through them searching for mines,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°Breeton can do that...?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite a sight to see. They typically come to these kinds of mountains to train and expand their muscles. Of course, they have their own network that keeps track of who tunneled in which mountains. Too much of it could cause seismic events if left unchecked,¡± Noah explains.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s navigate our way through this, then. It should lead us near the top, right?¡± I say.


    Noah nods, ¡°Right. The Breeton that tunneled his or her way through this mess had to have started somewhere. I don¡¯t see them starting tunneling upward.¡±


    ¡°You two will have to take care with your anti-gravity. This tunnel isn¡¯t going to be neat, we could do without the scrapes and cuts from one of you trying to rocket through here. I can fix you up, but we all know the best case scenario.¡±


    I nod, looking to Noah. We both look up as Andrew begins to float up, slowly climbing up. ¡°I haven¡¯t done this...in a long time. Let¡¯s see if I can follow my own advice,¡± he says, and he leaves our sight through the tunnel upward. It looks like there is only room for one person to go up at a time. Sure, it¡¯s Breeton sized, but it looks like if the both of us went up at once we¡¯d be pressed against the edges of the wall.


    ¡°You go next, I¡¯ll take up the rear,¡± Noah says.


    ¡°Is that just because of the innuendo?¡±


    He smiles wryly.


    I shake my head and sigh as I press my finger down to my palm, hopping up and floating up through the tunnel now that Andrew has had enough time to make some headway through. It¡¯s pitch black, so I keep my hands above my head so I can feel around to make sure I¡¯m not slamming my head against any slabs of rock.


    ¡°You know, this reminds me of when I used to go spelunking,¡± Noah says from below, his voice echoes through the tunnel.¡±


    ¡°You went spelunking?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, back in college. It¡¯s actually where I met Bonnie.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I say, looking back up above me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to shrug her off like she never existed,¡± he says. ¡°She was the sweetest thing, changing her entire life around for me, and I know it probably doesn¡¯t come as a sort of surprise, but I knew that she wasn¡¯t a whole believer of Next Level.¡±


    ¡°Is this really the time for this conversation?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Talking through it might help. Might also dredge up bad memories, I understand.¡±


    I look down, the light from one of Andrew¡¯s rocks from the bottom glimmers faintly as we keep floating upward, shifting to the side to align with the natural turning of the path. ¡°How¡¯d that start...you becoming the leader of a cult, that is?¡±


    ¡°College is a very transformative time. I went for a year and then dropped out, enlisted in the army and served for a year there. Left and went back to school to study music. Things opened up and I tried to do so many things at once, but it all hardly seemed to matter when my father died when I was just coming back to school. It hit me hard¡ªharder than I thought it would have. Things looked like they weren¡¯t ever going to clear up until a few friends dragged me out for some spelunking. Something about nature opening up life¡¯s closed doors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you met Bonnie?¡±


    ¡°She was a friend of a friend, we¡¯d met before but really met on that trip. She was going to school to be a nurse, but we both connected over the spirits of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Spirits?¡±


    ¡°We believed that something was out there for us in the world, I read a little in school and got hooked. Of course, we argued endlessly about differing theologies. I always took more to alternative life while she loved to discuss events in afterlife. We hung out after that initial date and moved to California to start a bookstore; figured we could connect with more people if we touched those who liked to read as much as we did.¡±


    ¡°Hey guys, the path turns horizontal up here, be wary, I¡¯ll make a light for you!¡± Andrew yells down.


    ¡°Got it!¡± I call back. ¡°What happened after you started your store?¡± I ask, looking back down to him as his face is illuminated by the fire above. I see where the path curves back into a more natural horizontal path.


    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t do too hot sales wise. I actually got in trouble with the law for not returning a rental car. I went to prison for six damn months. There, though, was where the roots of Next Level began to sprout. I sat day in and day out imagining and receiving messages from a higher power. I had a dream where the fate of the world was vividly painted to me like it were a movie playing the unwritten history of the future.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t realize it was bullshit.¡±


    ¡°In some parts it wasn¡¯t,¡± he says. ¡°Just look where we are.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, but I highly doubt you saw Sayar in your dream.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. And I understand your inference. I did become obsessed with this idea of a life alternative to our own on a plane of existence higher and more spiritually fulfilling.¡±


    I reach the ledge of the angled tunnel and pull myself up as I let my gravity return to normal, the light illuminates Andrew a bit ahead of us on the path down a long stretch of tunnel.


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing that bugged me, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Go right ahead,¡± he grunts as he pulls himself up.


    ¡°When Alex and I first joined up on the meetings, you had this rule that desecrating our bodies was blasphemous to the extreme. You were against suicide in every way possible. That changed...why was that?¡±


    ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t understand it much myself. Those last ten years felt like action of a body moving rather than the input and thought of a living person. I realized it more once I had woken up in this body, but I saw a vision of myself in another history¡ªBonnie was hit with cancer and had to have the both of her eyes removed. It was a very graphic scene...I saw her die during the surgery, but her body remained there. She was living proof...well, not any longer living proof that wholly contradicted the ideals I¡¯d believed in for so long. That dream lasted years, yet when I woke up it was just the next day. Nothing else around me had changed, I wasn¡¯t any older from the time in the dream, and nobody else reacted to its existence¡ªit was a dream, of course, but I never forgot it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...heavy.¡±


    ¡°I think my stance changed after that experience, my pillars begin to shift as they had not been as solid as I had thought they originally been. To avoid a total mental collapse of recognizing that everything I believed in was a waste, I simply shifted the methods. Now, while I didn¡¯t guess Sayar, nor would I in a million years, I think that my mental survival hinged solely on me being right about some other life. This planet saved me.¡±


    This planet saved him, huh? I haven¡¯t really thought of it that way. The same thing I feel happened to me...I never would have changed unless the things happened the way they did. For all of the shit that¡¯s happened.


    ¡°Of course, I probably should have seen that coming with the prison sentence. It wasn¡¯t until after I got out that Bonnie and I decided to do serious work with our beliefs. That led to us finding Dante at one of our meetings we started holding for those looking to find their purpose. He¡¯s been with us for a long time. Sherry and Craig found their own way as the years came on, but it didn¡¯t really feel complete until I took the day off one day to search the library for some new ideas. Something was missing.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s when you found me and Alex searching up how to get into space.¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Ah...yes. Forgive me for tricking you. I saw such potential in the both of you...your thirst for knowledge excited me, and I saw the subject matter you tried to read. I saw it as nothing other than a sign.¡±


    ¡°To think, all of this could have been totally different if we knew what a miscarriage was.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have the heart to break that news to you. Maybe if I did you wouldn¡¯t have come around.¡±


    Andrew breaks his silence, ¡°The past happened. Remember it, but don¡¯t dwell on it,¡± he says. ¡°That sounds like what you two have been telling me for a while, right?¡±


    I nod, ¡°Yeah...it does.¡±


    The end of the tunnel peaks through another vertical shaft. Andrew leads the way¡ªnow lighting an outgrown stone on fire after every fifty feet or so. The sky has turned a deep maroon color as we break the surface onto the smaller of the two peaks of Mount Gaunt. Down below the gigantic valley lies¡ªthe Westerwinds somewhere down hidden. I search out across the distance to see the peak of Mount Gerau, if I squint I can see an orb-like facility built high up into the side of the mountain.


    ¡°So...there it is,¡± I say.


    ¡°You think you can get us there?¡±


    Andrew runs his hand to his forehead like a visor and looks out toward the other mountain. ¡°I may...I wasn¡¯t expecting the base to be spherical. It¡¯s going to be a little tougher than I imagined. I have to find someplace I can send you that has enough room for you to fit.¡± He holds out his hand, ¡°One second, I¡¯m going to feel around and see if I can get a read on what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°Feel around?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Noah shrugs.


    Andrew closes his eyes, ¡°I can focus on the waves as if they were like a grid in front of me, and imagine a sort of phantom hand that can reach out as far as my sight, if I go out far enough I can use that to find out where to send you.¡± He¡¯s silent, only breathing, and then I see the smallest of smirks cross his face. ¡°Ready yourselves...¡±


    Faster than I can look to him he¡¯s gone, and the sky is now a ceiling that curves down with a thick glass sheet that almost looks like ice. When I come to I realize I¡¯m inside of the building that we¡¯d just been looking at, I can almost see the top of the mountain. Just another moment and Noah is there right beside me, as if he always were, and then Andrew is, completing the triangle.


    ¡°That¡¯s...crazy. It didn¡¯t even feel like anything happened,¡± I say.


    ¡°Yeah...for you. I¡¯m out of practice...¡± he breaths heavy, placing his hands on his knees.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here,¡± Noah says looking around.


    I turn to look at the room we¡¯ve entered in. It extend deep in what looks like a gigantic library, all kinds of human-looking books flowing to the end in rows and rows, wrapping around the bend of the corner to continue on to the other end of the room. ¡°Now, I may not be familiar with Sayarian warfare, but this...doesn¡¯t look like any room that¡¯d be in a weapons base,¡± I say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Noah says, walking out toward the center of the room, looking around. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be...¡±


    ¡°Expecting something different?¡± A voice cuts in from the opening on the west side of the room¡ªCross is sitting in a chair with a book strewn aside, it looks like the one Andrew had been reading back at the campsite. ¡°You know, Andrew, I never took you for an author, but you have so many fascinating stories to tell...¡± He stands, ¡°Or are you just the idea-boy while that Taylor does the actual work?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this, Cross?¡± I ask, stepping forward.


    ¡°Oh, this is a private library I keep when I¡¯m busy planning, but to you it is a dangerous weapons base aimed directly at the Westerwinds, or at least that¡¯s what I let leak out.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes go wide, ¡°It¡¯s...a trap.¡±


    ¡°Well, no SHIT,¡± Alex¡¯s voice screams through, her eyes boil a blood red. ¡°How else are we going to lure you do a dome built into the side of the mountain unless you thought it was a threat?¡±


    I swallow hard, ¡°...Alex.¡± My voice is hoarse.


    She looks directly at me, I try my best to keep my composure. ¡°Do you remember yet, or do I have to wring you inside-out?¡±


    ¡°I remember. And it¡¯s strange how the roles have reversed, huh? Things don¡¯t have to be this way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you playing this card now? Are you fucking kidding me?¡± She barks. Cross¡¯s more composed voice bleeds through, ¡°Now now, I lured you here for the sole reason of killing you, and you,¡± he nods to Andrew and Noah. ¡°While there are feelings of disdain towards you, sonny,¡± he regards Noah again, ¡°you¡¯re not the main event¡ªnothing but a sideshow. So, I¡¯ll make your death painless, deal?¡± He turns back to Andrew, ¡°Now you on the other hand...we¡¯re not too different.¡±


    ¡°And what is that supposed to mean?¡± Andrew asks.


    ¡°If you only knew...I heard a lot about you, before you became this slog that calls itself Andrew Cress...back when you actually did shit. Alas, legends have to be dead, as they say.¡± He raises his fists as if he were some sort of metallic boxer. He snaps a finger and a hard twang sounds out, raising small chromed electrodes from the floor, sending out a current keeping my legs tied to the ground. I cry out in pain as my body shakes.


    ¡°Now, we can¡¯t have you going off of the script,¡± Cross begins. ¡°One of Andrew¡¯s books would lose its pacing if we were to do that.¡± He takes a step into the room, unaffected by the electricity coursing through the floor. He passes by Noah, looking him up and down.


    ¡°So, this is what you¡¯ve become, Noah Marshall? To think you were a man I looked up to for a very...short time. Count your graces you aren¡¯t him,¡± her eyes flash toward me.


    ¡°I-I-I never thought I¡¯d be t-talking t-to you ag-again,¡± he mutters out from the electricity.


    She scoffs, making their way down toward Andrew, making the sound of breathing and Cross resumes his thoughts. ¡°You knew the one who is this world¡¯s god...and you did nothing to save him. You¡¯re just as bad as any.¡±


    ¡°F-Fuck off,¡± Andrew spits.


    ¡°Hm, fuck off? Well, I can¡¯t say it will be winning any awards, but there as good as any for someone¡¯s last words.¡± As soon as he says it he sends his arm straight through Andrew¡¯s chest, the metal slides in, breaking the skin as if it were tissue paper. Andrew¡¯s eyes go wide as blood starts to drip down his lips. Cross yanks downward as he rips out his heart, an old organ with visible differences to a normal human heart. He crushes it between his fingers as it sprays all over his face, dripping down the metal without any care in the world. Andrew¡¯s body falls limp beside the both of us, we can do nothing but look in horror as the oldest living human has taken his final breath.


    A white sort of essence flows upward from his body directly into Cross¡¯ own form. He holds both of his hands up as his eyes seem to glow as they do. ¡°You. Cannot. Stop. Us.¡± The both of them say in unison, taking a step toward me. ¡°The greatest thing about this is that there¡¯s nobody here looking for you. Nobody knows you¡¯re here, Devon. Nobody is here to care about you, the only one of course is him. Of all people, it¡¯s like you¡¯re trying to be the absolute worst that you could be,¡± Alex shakes her head. ¡°I thought that you were someone I loved.¡±


    ¡°I...¡± I try to answer, but the current grows stronger, tightening my vocal chords.


    ¡°NO.¡± She screams, stamping a foot on the ground. ¡°Just. Shut. Up! I don¡¯t want to hear you try to excuse what a terrible piece of garbage you are! I just want to feel your bones break!¡±


    Cross pulls back, ¡°No...we can¡¯t do that...now. It¡¯s not nearly time.¡±


    ¡°Fuck if it¡¯s not time! Do you see this? He fucking brought Noah Marshall of all people here!¡±


    ¡°Alex, restraint.¡±


    ¡°FUCK restraint!¡¯


    Alex¡¯s arm is shaking, ¡°Come ON! LET ME DO THIS. HE IS RIGHT HERE.¡±


    ¡°Alex, I support you, but we have more important things to--¡±


    ¡°More important?!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like-¡±


    This was the opening that I needed, I use my strength to throw up my shields, sending the electricity pumping through my system flail off wildly. I use the surprise to slam myself into Cross. He faces me just before we connect, my strength lifting him off of the ground and through the thick glass window. I turn back and speed over toward Noah, grabbing his gun with my shield up and aiming it at the electrodes. They take a second to get the reading, but another pull of the trigger and they begin to vibrate out of existence. He¡¯s breathing heavy, leaning on me for support. I¡¯d be lying if I said my own knees weren¡¯t extremely weak from the shock.


    I look over toward Andrew, running over to his body. He¡¯s paler than he¡¯s ever been, unmoving with his eyes staring directly toward the ceiling. Even those green eyes of his have lost their luster.


    ¡°Damn it...¡± I slam my fist into the floor. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°Come on, we need to-¡± An explosion rocks the room, books fly off the shelves as pages are ripped from their spines in the chaos.


    Cross is hovering just outside the window, his piercing eyes staring straight at me. ¡°Torture is overrated. Death is overrated. You¡¯ve forced my hand to act early.¡± He flies into the room and slams into you, taking you through the wall and even further through the mountain as if your back were a drill excavating through the core of the landmass. ¡°I was going to wait until I killed enough of these ridiculous idols you all worship...but that fool Andrew was worth more than I could have ever imagined.¡±


    ¡°Worth...?¡± I manage to get out.


    We burst through the other end of Mount Gerau and continue through the sky, his hardened fist in my stomach as I can feel my bloodied back dripping all across the land below us. ¡°We¡¯re just going to let Mr. Marshall find his own way down that cliff. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to last him much longer.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s...Alex?¡± I grunt.


    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping,¡± is all he says, then looks hard at me, stopping in mid air to hold me at arms length from him. He punches me with a free hand once, twice, three times in the face, grunting each time.


    I refuse to pass out. I hold onto consciousness and go to raise my gravity. Maybe I can get us both sinking like stones so I can make this fight a bit more fair.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± He says, grabbing my hand hard in his grip, closing it tightly until I begin to scream. It only takes a second to break my hand entirely. He then switches to my left hand and does similarly. I scream louder onto the world below, still watching the white droplets fall to the ground from my scarred body. ¡°You aren¡¯t getting out of this.¡±


    ¡°You can get out of this.¡± A familiar voice enters my mind, and the image of a golden bird appears before me.


    ¡°You...¡± Cross begins, turning from me to the bird, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you in my lifetime. You¡¯re Friedrich¡¯s successor.¡±


    The bird looks to him and then to me, his eyes begin to glow with a bright light before diving at Cross with its talons outstretched, clawing deep grooves into his forearm.


    ¡°Agk!¡± He cries out, the first time you¡¯ve heard him do so.


    The bird catches you before you fall.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you and being associated to damage with my hands...?¡± I ask, breathing short.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you always getting your hands in situations they shouldn¡¯t be in? That isn¡¯t important right now. Your hands are the least of your worries...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I ask, feeling my mind ebbing.


    ¡°Roland¡¯s found the Queoquartzite in your time. It¡¯s time for you to make your choice.¡±


    It¡¯s the last thing I hear before my mind goes blank. I pass out from the pain in my back and from both of my hands. It is time to make my choice. What could that mean?

 Chapter 57

    7246


    DEVON


    I wake up in the bedroom inside the bunker. Waking up is hard¡ªmy back still kills and I can¡¯t move my fingers¡ªthey¡¯re still broken. Gavin stands in front of me wearing clothes I¡¯d expect him to be on summer break on. Of all the things I have floating through my mind that is what is clung on to. ¡°...Andrew¡¯s dead,¡± I say, not fully understanding the weight of the words...the punch that they pack.


    He¡¯s leaned up against the door frame and nods slowly. ¡°Yeah,¡± he takes a breath, ¡°I know. S¡¯why I came out. I didn¡¯t think that Andy¡¯d be the next to go...it means we have to act.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Do you know why Cross has been killing the council members?¡±


    I¡¯m about to tell him of course I don¡¯t...but something tells me that isn¡¯t wholly true. You¡¯re here, you know, right? ...I see. I turn to Gavin, ¡°He¡¯s going to try to destroy everything. The soul within me...it¡¯s really Jesse...isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Moreso a fragment, but a piece nonetheless. If there¡¯s anything about this world that I know is that it has proven to be unpredictable. I can know so much and still be caught off guard. I had assumed that next would have been Khap-Ar if things were left alone¡ªhe would have succumbed to his injuries and his soul fragments would have returned to Cross. Being that Andy¡¯s the one who died...Andy¡¯s much older than any of the other leaders. He has a much larger fragment of Jesse¡¯s soul that had laid dormant within him for over seven thousand years. Thus to mean that Cross can accomplish his goals sooner. He needs as much energy as he can get his claws on.¡±


    ¡°Where does that leave us? You said I had to make a choice?¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    He sighs. ¡°I had hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He stands up and turns out of the doorway, stepping out into the hallway. I stand to follow as he comes to a stop just outside of the door leading to ICARUS.


    ¡°Is this another one of your simulations?¡± I ask.


    He shakes his head, ¡°No, this is the real deal. Inside is the same pod you had woken up from a short time ago.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to use ICARUS.¡±


    ¡°Use it...why? For what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you do it. That¡¯s when you¡¯ll make your choice. I say that...but it isn¡¯t just your choice. It¡¯s also the one inside of you, the one who¡¯s been here listening the whole time. You have a choice to make here, also.¡±


    ¡°Will it make things right? This choice, I mean? Can I be proud of it?¡± I ask.


    ¡°That¡¯s entirely up to you, now.¡±


    ¡°Why me? Why can¡¯t you make this choice?¡±


    I see a tear forming in his eyes, ¡°Because I¡¯d make the wrong one.¡±


    For the first time I¡¯m seeing him as something less than a god. I¡¯m seeing someone who had just lost their best friend, and who still has to keep on carrying on the weight of the world on his shoulders. I nod curtly as I step past him and place my hand on the doorknob. ¡°Do I go in and just press a button...or?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to you once you enter that room,¡± he holds himself up, looking away. ¡°I want you to know that I¡¯m proud of you, Devon, if that means anything. You¡¯ve come a far way, and that if our fates were decided by me, well, you¡¯d be forgiven.¡±


    I smile for the first time in a long time and turn the handle to the door. Gavin evaporates into the wind as I do, and I step inside to see the hulking ICARUS sitting just as I had left it. I walk around and find a hefty lever sitting on the face of the machine beside a screen with a blank display. I yank it down and the display lights up with five words in bold text. They were a simple question:


    LOOK TO THE NEXT PAGE. YOU WILL BE TESTED.

 Question Set 1

    DO YOU BELIEVE IN FORGIVENESS?


    CONTINUE ON FOR YES


    CLOSE THE PAGE FOR NO


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    THROUGH FIRE, NATURE IS RESTORED IN PURITY.


    CONTINUE IF YOU AGREE


    CLOSE THE PAGE IF YOU DON¡¯T


    GREAT, YOU¡¯VE COME THIS FAR. NOW WE SHALL MOVE ONTO LONGER FORM QUESTIONS. YOU WILL BE PRESENTED WITH HYPOTHETICAL MORAL DILEMMAS WITH TWO POSSIBLE ANSWERS. PLEASE ANSWER TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES.

 Question Set 2

    A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher. Fortunately, you could flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. That person is the woman that you love.


    Should you flip the switch or do nothing?


    CONTINUE TO FLIP THE SWITCH


    CLOSE THE PAGE TO LET THE FIVE OTHERS DIE


    You are a religious youth. You are kidnapped and taken to a faraway land with five people tied before you. You are told that in order to save these five people you must abandon the faith you keep and adopt the kidnapper¡¯s own distorted religion as your own. You will be closely monitored, for if you screw up the five people shall be executed, but you will be sent free.


    CONTINUE TO AGREE TO THEIR TERMS


    CLOSE THE PAGE TO SAVE YOURSELF


    Your daughter is trapped inside an incinerator and your spouse is strapped to a chair with a gun mounted in place, aimed at their head. The door to the incinerator shall open to the sound of gunfire, and the cuffs around your spouse¡¯s wrists shall open to the rise in temperature of an incinerator going off.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    CONTINUE TO SHOOT YOUR SPOUSE


    CLOSE THE PAGE TO LET YOUR DAUGHTER BURN


    An old man gives a young girl a pretty stone, and as fate would have it, she gives this pretty stone to a boy she likes. This singular event becomes the crux of the universe, and sets the universe on the path toward its current destination. You, a derelict, wandering soul, have the chance to not give this girl the pretty stone, and avoid all of the catastrophe and despair. You will, however, erase all of the joy and love that this world has experienced. All of the kindness and the sorrow, the gain and the loss. Everything shall be reset back to zero.


    I¡¯m standing back at the fair I went to when I was a young child. This was the fair that I had first met Alex at. Of course, I¡¯m not in my body of that time, but I¡¯m still in Roland Duschand¡¯s body. At my waist hangs the blue Queoquartzite from a thick brown band. I don¡¯t ask questions to how it is there or I am here, ICARUS is involved. I look across the way to a wandering Alex, she¡¯s so...young, and innocent. I was innocent at this time...too, but maybe I wasn¡¯t totally. This decision right here being the crux of the universe? Just why would the universe pick this silly memory to base the entirety of its timeline on?


    Maybe it didn¡¯t, maybe it¡¯s just the center of this timeline. Noah had dreamed of another life where Bonnie died from surgery and cancer. Maybe in that life things had gone different. Maybe.


    The choice that I have to make. I think I know what I have to do. I don¡¯t know if I would have been able to do it when I first talked with Gavin, but I think I¡¯m ready to make my choice if you are ready to make yours. I¡¯m by your side no matter what happens.


    CONTINUE TO STOP THE GIRL AND THE BOY FROM MEETING AND LET THE WORLD RESET


    CLOSE THE PAGE AND BEGIN READING RADICAL-9 TO BEGIN THIS HISTORY OVER FROM THE BEGINNING


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Alius Historia

    ¡°Ouch, what is this?¡±


    ¡°Stop your yelling, I can barely hear, you¡¯re yelling so loud.¡±


    A heavy sound paves way for an even larger screeching that echoes down the hallways.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got more time than we need to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Prepare...prepare what?¡±


    ¡°Our history isn¡¯t the only one anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah, some fuckwit¡¯s gone and opened up the chance for us to finally start our plans.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy oh boy! That has me all kinds of hoppy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Happy, are you happy? You never let me have any fun.¡±


    ¡°Fun can wait. We¡¯ve got some planning to do.¡±


    ¡°What can I do?¡±


    ¡°I need you to build a circular sort of platform in the center there...I want a second one in the center of that first one, and I want it to rotate.¡±


    ¡°Rotate...why?¡±


    </a> A devilish smile hangs in the night, ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea for a game to play.¡±