《Lightbringer》


 Prologue

    In the beginning, there was nothing but the void, a nothingness that stretched on infinitely. We don¡¯t know if anything existed in the blank expanse, yet years on, we know the void never disappeared; it just receded to the dark corners of the known universe.


    The void used to encompass all known existence until ¡®he¡¯ came, the creator, the almighty¡­.. the Lightbringer. He spoke, and the void trembled; he moved, and the void fled; he created and the void destroyed. With a mighty swing of his hammer, the planets were created, and with every drop of sweat, the stars formed. He pushed his blood, sweat, and tears into the universe; his love for his creation was unending. He gazed on with fondness, for he had made a glittering canvas spreading out into the unknown.


    The stars shone and sparkled like perfect gems in every shade of blue, green, red, yellow, and more than ever imaginable. The vast nebula shifted and moved constantly, entrancing the observer with its ebbs and flows like the most perfect dance choreographed. Yet even when it seemed complete, there was always something to be done: a planet could be in a better position, a moon could be reshaped, a solar system that could be expanded.


    Millenia passed and he forever toiled in his work, perfecting what could already be considered an impeccable work of art. His critical eye picked out minute details that needed to be tweaked. With each passing millennia he worked out the rough edges and polished the various planetary bodies to perfection. Yet something toyed with the edges of his consciousness, something off, something¡­¡­ dark.


    Feeling it build as the years passed by, he swept his gaze over his past work and found parts missing, planets that had been a bed for life and growth were gone. Solar systems that had been a perfectly balanced piece of work had vanished, all that remained was nothing. No dust, no fragments just emptiness. It seemed wrong and foreign, yet as he focused on the particular point, he felt something tweak on the other side of his creation.


    Swinging his gaze over he found the same occurrence, blank spots that used to contain years of work yet again as he looked in on the disappearance, he noticed another tweak in his senses and looked to find yet more missing. Needing to know the reason he spread out his thoughts among all of his creation and felt it; a darkness, a hunger to consume all in its path. As he watched more of his creation was eaten up by the darkness, it ignited a fury in his soul, his efforts were being ripped away, and all the years and millennia that he toiled were being taken from him, it was like a flame consuming his insides and leaving pure anger in it¡¯s place.


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    How dare it take what was his, how dare it contaminate the planets and stars arrayed like gems before his eyes. This wouldn¡¯t do, with a mighty swing of his celestial hammer he sent a wave of force through the nearest section of darkness and saw it recede. Yet what it lost it gained back just as quickly, an inexhaustible hunger to consume all in its path. With every swing it was pushed back yet it was but a temporary measure that was slowly losing its effect.


    Yet, with his focus on the one spot, he felt his consciousness tweak. Looking over, he noticed more of his creation being swallowed up. With a cry of anger, he sent out an omnidirectional wave to push back the void, yet again, it was only a temporary stopgap. Nothing seemed to work, and he spent the millennia in a never-ending fight to overcome the void and regain what was lost.


    For eons, he toiled in a never-ending push and pull with the void, both sides determined to succeed; with every world he created, the void claimed twice the number. With every swing of his hammer, the void fled, yet behind his back it gained ground. Yet he never gave up focused on his work and pushing back the creeping darkness that sought to reclaim what it once possessed. With the passing of millennia and his perpetual battle with the void, he noticed that his effects were slowly losing their effectiveness as it consumed more of his work. What once pushed it back for years would barely be going a year at this stage, he was growing tired yet the anger kept pushing him to combat the growth and never relent.


    Seeing that the void growing in strength as it consumed more with each passing year, a decision was made that changed everything. Pulling every ounce of will and power into his inner being he focused. With a final roar and swing of the celestial hammer, his body was sundered sending out an all-encompassing wave that forced the void back to the unknown depths of the universe. His existence spread into the celestial bodies, his blood the nebula and stellar pathways, his organs the galaxies, and his life force the many beings to live on the many planets he formed during the eternal contest with the void.


    Yet even as the millennia marched on the void watched and waited, seeking¡­ longing to reclaim what it once possessed. His final sacrifice forbade the void from claiming any of his creation, the essence permeating the universe a barrier to any darkness that sought to capitalise on his absence.

 Prologue 2

    [OUTER LIMIT - FORTOSS MINING FACILITY ¨C SUNSTONE QUARRY AND DISBURSEMENT FACILITY]


    ¡°SCOTT!!!! Where the bloody hell are you man!¡± a deep sonorous voice echoed through the primary storage room of the expansive facility. Looking around he cast his gaze among the crates and boxes littering the floor, a number of labels caught his eye showing how far the quarry''s produce would travel. From the inner core to numerous middle and outer limit colonies, ¡®sunstone¡¯ as it had been dubbed was of varied use. From internal lighting to a weak electrical source of energy the possibilities were endless, the ongoing discovery of its broad properties furthered the demand for the mineral.


    None of that crossed the mind of the individual prowling the storage room; his large frame casting shadows throughout with the yellow glow radiating down from the deposits dotted between the rafters giving the room a warm feel.  Despite the rooms cavernous size the remarkable ability of the sunstone to generate a solid light source was it¡¯s most sought-after use. Hearing the echo die down he finally heard a scrabbling from the direction of one of the doors leading to the outside.


    ¡°BOSS! BOSS! There¡¯s something going on out there¡±. The individual came to a halt in front of the large frame of his superior.


    ¡°Pipe down or so help me you¡¯ll be cleaning out the toilets for a week.¡± His tone brooking no argument with a smile spreading as he saw the look of horror flash on the younger man¡¯s face. ¡°Oh right, gotchya boss¡± seeming very agreeable, very quickly for some reason that definitely didn¡¯t have anything to do with a certain porcelain throne.


    ¡°Now tell me what you¡¯re on about, and be quick about it, we have to get the order sorted for the Powel¡¯s, they¡¯re picking up the inner core order tomorrow and I want no problems you hear?¡±, staring the shorter man down. ¡°Oh right, well I was outside checking up on some¡­..stuff, yeah some stuff and as I was looking around and noticed something odd towards the sou¡¯ east refinery. Needing a clearer view I moved over to that hill just off to the side of the landing pad for a closer look and¡­.well¡­¡­¡­ ah¡­¡­.it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT¡¯S GONE!!! You gone blind boy, been smoking too much of that grass? How can a whole refinery disappear!¡± his face quickly turning a deep shade of red as his temper sky rocketed.


    ¡°I swear it boss, there¡¯s nothing, just nothing, like the whole area has gone dark.¡± Stammering out a response as he tried to calm his boss¡¯ anger. ¡°Bloody idiot, gone dark what do you think you¡¯re talkin about, I¡¯m gonna take a look and if you¡¯re having me on¡­.. ¡° pushing past the shaking younger man he marched past the crates and shelves lining the room and slammed the door open. Scott looked over as his boss gazed towards the south east area of the facility and seeing him squint in the direction he then moved out of sight.


    Not hearing anything for awhile Scott started moving towards the door hoping that boss¡¯s anger had started to go away, he knew what he saw and it didn¡¯t have anything to do with some smoking or alcohol. As he neared the door he froze, not knowing why, just that he had an inkling that if he went near that door something bad would happen. ¡°AAAHHHH!¡± a piercing cry rang out and it sent him running tripping over some nearby boxes and hearing the pile crash to the floor sending ore spilling across the floor, not caring about the mess and with a single minded desire to get as far away from that door as possible he ran. Tearing his way through the storage room he made it to the main door into the office¡¯s and looked over his shoulder.


    His blood froze, the same darkness he saw at the refinery was creeping along the floor like an inescapable tide that swallowed everything in its wake. He could see nothing inside and it gave him the feeling of insatiable hunger, yearning to consume all it came into contact with¡­¡­


    [INNER CORE ¨C SALENA COLLECTIVE ¨C SENATE HALL ¨C MATRIARCH STATE ROOM]


    Staring out of the windows wrapping around the room, they gave her a 270-degree view of the city spread before her eyes. The seamless blend of technology and nature gave the metropolis a mystical atmosphere. Coupled with the floating vehicles and flashes of light signifying the vast teleportation network spread over the planet, the vista was unearthly filling all who saw it with wonder. The jewel of the Collective and the most desired place to live, why the citizens wanted for nothing and knew they were part of something magnificent.


    They weren¡¯t like those fools in the Fortoss Alliance that thought they knew everything, always digging in the dirt and scrabbling over the smallest of trinkets. All they were good for was the products they supplied and their merchant network. For all that she despised the Alliance, she had to give it to them that they had established a vast network spread throughout the known universe. Whatever they could get their hands on they would sell, for all she knew they would probably sell their own mothers if it was for a fair price.


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    The elegantly dressed Matriarch of the Collective was lost in thought as she heard a smart rap on the door, swinging around and composing herself before she called in a calm voice ¡°enter¡±.


    The door opened without a sound and her seneschal entered the room, walking with a smooth gait that almost seemed like he was gliding along the floor, the man made his way towards her desk and stopping within a respectable distance he bowed and waited for her acknowledgement before presenting a tablet.


    ¡°My lady we have been receiving reports of strange disturbances in the Outer Limits, various facilities within our space and the adjoining territories are disappearing.¡± Reporting succinctly and waiting on her response. ¡°I am to assume that tablet contains the reports detailing the occurrences?¡± she replied.


    ¡°Indeed, my Lady¡± with a nod of his head.


    ¡°Place it on my desk.¡± Knowing a dismissal when he heard it, he moved forward and placed the device on the edge within reaching distance. Taking a few steps back, he turned with the grace belying his age and flowed out of the room.


    Staring at the tablet she picked the thin device up and flicked through the reports glancing over the details. The more she saw the more her face fell until after the last report her face was as white as snow. ¡°It cannot be, there is no possible way¡­¡­..¡± forcing her chair back she stood up and moved towards the window she had just been looking out of.


    Coming up to the wall she stepped down with more force and a hidden panel detached from the ceiling and lowered to chest level. On a pedestal covered in a dark cloth that seemed to drink the light and almost felt like an absence in the environment, was a book that seemed barely kept together, the cover was peeling back and you could see the fibres binding the pages together. Yet when she picked it up, it felt as sturdy as a newly made one, the appearance contrary to the quality and survival of the book over many ages.


    No one knew where it had come from, though it had been in her family for millennia going back to the founding of the current Collective. Moving to her desk she activated the privacy switch and hearing the hum signifying the activation placed the book down, carefully leafing through it¡¯s pages until she came to a set of images. They portrayed a figure covered in a radiant yellow light a benevolent and regal demeanour shaping his form.


    Yet looking further you could see an almost inky darkness spreading across the pages, consuming all that was before it. Thinking back to the reports the Matriarch knew she had to look further, originally only being able to get to her current page she had to persevere and push past the cold and hunger that radiated from the darkness covered sheets.


    With a deep and forceful breath she reached down and feeling a shiver run down her spine upon touching the page she turned it and her vision fled. Panicking and calling out, the Matriarch was surrounded by silence and darkness, the absence of light and sound even from her own body terrified her in ways she couldn¡¯t have imagined. What felt like an eternity was causing havoc on her mental faculties and she was unsure how long she could endure.


    Upon the cusp of losing her sanity, the vision that had once abandoned her came back with a vengeance. Fearing the loss of sight from being blinded she shut her eyes tight, after she was sure there would be no more surprise flashes of light opened them carefully, the sight before her sent a shock through her body; the very universe itself was spread out before her. However, it was different from what she remembered, there were far less planets yet it didn¡¯t look out of place.


    If anything what was before her was a work of art, each planet, system, asteroid, galaxy and nebula was simply perfect. They moved around each other in perfect harmony, a field of the most perfect jewels laid out to enchant the senses and steal the breath. It was hypnotic in its beauty and she knew that nothing she had or would ever see could match the sight before her¡­¡­


    It¡¯s wonderful isn¡¯t it?¡± Turning around the Matriarch covered her face from the light, yet it didn¡¯t blind her. It felt like the most perfect spring day, she could almost smell the flowers in the air and hear the meadow around her filled with a multitude of sounds from animals to tree trunks settling, early morning dew dripping onto the lush earth, the wind flowing through the grass, water running through a stream bed, it all coming together creating a concert just for her.


    ¡°Everything in it¡¯s place, all fitting together to create the most perfect vista.¡± His voice surrounded her and washed all her stress and fatigue away with just a few notes. ¡°wha¡­ what is thi¡­.. where is this? I need to know!¡±. He almost looked sad as he gazed down at the Matriarch.


    ¡°This is your universe, or as it was meant to be. I don¡¯t know how you came to be here but let me show you what happened, I feel that is why you have ended up here.¡± He turned and waved his hand making the surroundings speed up and dance around each other creating a mesmerizing tableau. Yet the cold hungry feeling returned, much less than before as his presence kept it from taking root. Gazing out among the universe you could see an almost inky black wave start to move among the celestial bodies in the Outer Limit.


    It was an inexorable wave, moving further inwards and growing as it went, ¡°the VOID, it was taking everything I had created, contaminating my perfect pieces and knew nothing but hunger. We fought for eons, back and forth, whatever he gained I made again, however it seemed futile as I couldn¡¯t create fast enough to keep it at bay. Reali¡­. w.at had to be ..ne I sa..if¡­. mys¡­ to push it back for ¡­d, ¡­¡­ing my ¡­y and sp¡­¡­g my ¡­..ce th¡­¡­.. my crea¡­n, to deny the ¡­D a ¡­.hold in the ¡­.er.e and ¡­.e.. t¡­ ¡­.h I ..ld dear.¡± Confusion crossed his face, which was followed by sorrow as his final words were being drowned out as a buzzing started in the Matriarchs ears.


    With a massive shove she was forcefully pushed out of the vision and fell back into her chair at the desk. Sweat running down her face from thinking of the implications of what just happened and what she had seen caused her to freeze, terror filling her being, unaware of the eyes staring into the room from beyond the door.

 Chapter 1

    The sun was just peeking over the horizon, shining it¡¯s light over the vast land spread around a sprawling farmhouse situated in a narrow valley. Framed by snowcapped mountains to the east and west; the behemoths towered over their surroundings casting shadows kilometres long, as if denying the sun purchase for fleeting moments before it rose ever higher into the azure sky.


    The last twinkling light from the far-flung stars were dying out like the embers of a nearly extinguished fire. Yet despite the suns attempt to claim prime position in the sky it was accompanied by the many different celestial bodies that dotted the heavens. A multitude of different planets were spread across the sky in every colour imaginable, mottled browns to royal blues, lush forest greens and blazing oranges; it was a sight that delighted the senses.


    It was this view that a young man was waking up to, Mason opened his eyes a crack and tried to blink away the sleep as they got use to the light that was growing brighter the longer he lay there. Looking up he peered through the sky light that spread over his ceiling capturing the cloud covered sky, its fluffy occupants darting across being herded by a gusty breeze.


    This tableau never ceased to amaze and though it had been nearly 2 years that he had been here, he couldn¡¯t get enough of. It was clear why his grandparents had settled down on this planet towards the outer edge of the middle disk. They had run a very successful trading business, building it up from scratch and persevering through the bureaucratic hurdles that prevented all but the most persistent individuals.


    They swiftly demonstrated why they were well suited to run said business as within a year they had secured a deal with an up-and-coming sunstone refinery in the outer limit. The level of work they put into this endeavour demonstrated their abilities, and they proceeded to exceed the initial terms of the deals made. Their effort put in was recognised quickly and this was spread all over, opening doors that had previously been closed to them being new players in the game.


    Once his grandparents had built the business up to a remarkable level, they ceased their expansion and focused on diversifying the products they had available. Ensuring they had a piece of the pie in nearly every capital system in the Eluna Republic, meant that they could cater to the varying needs of its citizens. Just trying to picture how far their reach is tended to be a struggle, you could hear the different statistics and number of facilities and fleets and even that would be impressive.


    But to try to make sense of it you need to think about the fact that the universe has been mapped, through a combined effort of the 4 factions. They spent countless centuries spreading out and colonising the differing systems and galaxies while also using their various explorational departments to discover new civilisations, mapping resource nodes and expanding their known celestial pathways (CP¡¯s).


    That¡¯s the name for the routes they use to travel between 2 different points; but when they first started travelling through the stars it took them nearly 1000 times as long to go between systems before they found the pathways. Not everything is on a connection though and for those circumstances the various scientific divisions have spent a significant amount of time developing a drive to transport the various probes, comm relays and ships to the isolated systems.


    It does make you think though, as all those isolated locations have never been too far removed from a pathway. They are always in a position that allows us to get there relatively quickly, granted it¡¯s not as fast as the CP¡¯s but it¡¯s also not a huge inconvenience. Almost like it was planned that way, or you know it¡¯s just a huge coincidence. Regardless, the fact that collectively we have mapped the universe has meant that we have been in an unending age of expansion. There are always new systems to discover and even now we are finding even more isolated points of interest.


    This means that we have the outline of the universe and its size, with the paths leading through it connecting us in a massive web, whose size cannot be measured in a normal method. The millions of galaxies and vast nebula give us nodes to measure off and travelling around we use those very nodes as a point of reference. Instead of lightyears that we once used, we work off the Universal Nodal Reference (UNR) or Nodes. This allows the ship captains to plot a course to any known node across the universe.


    The best captains will be able to plot courses that cover upwards of 20 Nodes, on top of having various routes they have personally mapped between popular locations that take a fraction of the time public known routes take. This shows just how much work my grandparents put in to establish their business, and more importantly grow it to the level it is at today. Eventually when they grew older and wanted to have a family, they ensured that there were various systems in place that enabled them to reduce the load and spread the responsibilities among the many managers already in place.


    My grandparents never wanted to have a family that was focused on their status and where they sat in the Republic. They wanted to ensure that any children they had embodied their values of family first, though it wasn¡¯t that hard for them to put into place as they were never ones that enjoyed displaying their wealth. My grandparents always preferred items that would last them a lifetime and were reliable. They viewed having a child that was happy and healthy a clear display of their success, regardless the size of their bank account.


    My father never wanted for anything and they never spoilt him, the three of them always had just what they needed to live in comfort. Driving around you would never have known they were one of the richest amongst the republic and they liked it that way. As my pop would always say ¡°you only know the measure of a person from the way they treat those that have less¡±.


    Though he never ceased to use those very circumstances whenever suited him, and he had to deal with a particularly difficult supplier or competitor. He loved showing up in a very casual outfit that was at odds to his position, depending on the way he was treated by whoever he was meeting it would determine how he approached them. This earnt him a fearsome reputation which he used to great effect.


    Looking around my room I saw the little odds and ends that I had added to make the room my own, nothing major had been changed since I moved in. The items taking up most of the space were gifts and cool little odds and ends my parents had picked up on their travels. Primarily I wasn¡¯t a material person, I liked having few things and all those pieces I did have had meaning behind them. Speaking to my grandparents my father was the same, wanting everything in its place and being very particular about what he had on display.


    My father grew up in this very house, and as far as I knew the room I live in. He didn¡¯t always have both parents at home, as with them being in charge of a universal level business there was always someone needing to be away from home working on various projects and deals. Though they always made sure that they were present for the important occasions. Hearing them talk about it showed just how much love they had for their family.


    As my father grew older, they taught him about the business and what it encompassed, he completed his schooling and completed further study in ¡®Corporate Management and Ethical Business Practice¡¯. Not wanting to study beyond his advanced level of education, he chose to forego the opportunity to complete his masters and started working with his parents.


    Then rest is history, over the course of his time working there he met my mother and they started going out. Eventually marrying and having a son (that is me by the way). They have been the best possible team, working just as well as my grandparents and helping to grow the company. Showing that the work ethic my grandparents possessed and displayed had carried through the generations. No pressure on me at all¡­. But seriously I relish the idea of meeting their expectations and exceeding them. Showing just what I can do after all I am one of the most advanced pupils in my classes and have been put in the advanced placement for most of the courses.


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    Speaking of my education, I live with my grandparents due to the nature of the work my parents take part in. They are travelling constantly, not content with operating the business from the safety of an office. The desire to be in the thick of it, dealing with the high-status clients personally. They tell me that it is a responsibility of theirs as it is important that they manage the various client relationships personally, especially the higher profile ones. Yet I get an inkling that there is something else in play there, with how family focused my grandparents are and especially how they have advocated for my parents to be the same


    It would be idiotic of me to assume that everything is fine and that there is no competition. After all that is the nature of business, to be better than your competitors and win the deals. Yet it is unsettling when they come back from a particularly longer trip. I can see the exhaustion and fatigue no matter how much they try to hide it. After being around them so much growing up, it would be hard not to.


    It had only been when I was needing to start my schooling that they decided I would be staying with my grandparents. ¡®A travelling lifestyle wouldn¡¯t do for someone needing to focus on their studies¡¯ or so they said. Though I had already shown that I could study effectively even while travelling around yet they were adamant about me living with my grandparents to finish my studies. Which was another indicator that something was happening, at the time it didn¡¯t register, but now that I look back it¡¯s all starting to come together.


    Every two to three weeks they come back so it¡¯s not like they are gone for a significant duration, and they always manage to stay home just as long as they have been away. I believe they call it the work life balance. I would love for them to be home a bit more, or even having the same set up as my grandparents had with my father. But with how they have grown the business since taking over, and with how involved they are, it doesn¡¯t seem like much of a chance of that happening.


    After rubbing the sleep from my eyes and coming to terms with the early morning despite how much I wanted to sleep, I rolled out of bed and freshened up in the bathroom.


    Wiping the steam from the mirror I stared back at myself; I was 16 today. Standing tall at nearly 2 meters in height and broad-shouldered my family had always been quite impressive physically. The musculature of a man older than myself was peering back, afterall working on the farm in my off time helped to ensure that I had enough opportunity to build said muscles. The typical Powell hair topped my frame predominantly black with hints of burgundy in a messy side part. That part I am particularly proud of, after all I managed to get the striking colour from my father''s side of the family, and the easy-to-care-for hair from my mothers.


    I can¡¯t say that I have ever seen her with a hair out of place. Being fairly tall for a female she had towered over me through my childhood, but most recently on their last trip home I was finally taller. Granted it was only by a centimetre or so, but hey, it counts. Running a few fingers through the messy locks saw them fall into place, looking like I was just done at the barber. Getting dressed into a casual outfit as today was an off day for my studies, I could use it as I saw fit, apart from my normal chores around the farm that is. I only had to do some work in the immediate area surrounding the farm itself, as the total area my grandparent¡¯s property encompassed was extensive.


    Another reason they chose this planet was the vast unclaimed area in which they now resided. To put it into perspective the planet has a diameter of roughly 12000km, so a pretty standard garden world, and they own about a fifth of it. Don¡¯t get me wrong they don¡¯t hoard the land and if anything, the people residing on their property are some of the best off in the republic. My grandparents charge minimal rent and provide a multitude of resources, they do come with stipulations in that they must help look after the land. But you show me someone who doesn¡¯t want to look after the land they live on for subsidized rent, medical, and transportation and I¡¯ll show you a liar.


    This just means that they do not have to look after the majority of the land they own, and it¡¯s just the immediate vicinity that they manage themselves. Today is also the day my parents are coming home from their most recent trip, they had managed to land themselves a lucrative contract with a senator from the inner core. Ideally, when these deals come across their desks, they like to complete the first delivery themselves, they have made it a bit of a tradition and feel that it brings them luck. This is also on top of it being an order from the first sunstone refinery my grandparents started their business with. Our status is pretty up there whenever we deal with this refinery, as we have had a long and fruitful relationship with them.


    After completing my morning routine and feeling my stomach rumble I made my way down the long hall connecting my side of the house with the common areas. Staring out at the rolling hills and fields of wheat with its golden bounty surrounding the house. They were overshadowed by the mountains that straddled the valley and cast their shadows over the horizon. It was early still and there was a faint fog that shifted through the fields, weaving through the upright stalks and pooling around the foot of the hills. It would soon be chased away by the rising sun but for the moment it made a mesmerizing sight and I couldn¡¯t help to pause and take it all in.


    Coming back to the present I regretfully turned my face away from the windows and made my way to the kitchen my stomach now loudly protesting my delay. It certainly didn¡¯t appreciate the pause while taking in the view. It was not helped as the closer I got I could smell bacon wafting down the hallway causing even louder rumbles through my body.


    ¡°Get your ass in here Mason, I can hear your stomach from a mile away¡±, the warm jovial sound of my granddad¡¯s voice met me as I emerged from the hallway. Glaring over at him perched on top of a stool at the kitchen island, ¡°Ha ha ha, get your laughs now old man, we both know you¡¯re due for your nap anytime now,¡± smirking in response.


    ¡°Oi I¡¯ll have you know I can still run circles around you boy, don¡¯t get a full head just because you¡¯re a year older.¡± Faux anger crossed his features before they relaxed into a grin and standing up, he made his way over to pull me into a hug, ¡°Happy Birthday young man, excited for the big day? Have you organised anything with your friends?¡± His well wishes were echoed by my grandmother on the other side of the island.


    ¡°Nah not a huge amount, was going to head over to the simulators with Theo, I¡¯ve heard they got the new line of fighter sims in. I want to give them a go before they got swamped by too many people. He said the combat feedback is second to none and it feels like you''re right in the thick of it. I¡¯ve even heard that they have some prototype fighters in the roster that haven¡¯t come out of development yet. Theo said you need to get a certain number of achievements first then you can unlock the customisation options to¡­.¡± Pulled up short by the raised hand of my grandfather.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna stop you there¡± he was looking overwhelmed at the information overload, ¡°I don¡¯t need all the details, just wanted to know who you were seeing today. Just remember to be back this afternoon, your parents are due to get in this evening and I don¡¯t want to have to chase you down.¡± Sending a glare my way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you also have your chores as well, though seeing as it¡¯s your birthday I might be generous and help you out, being the upstanding gentleman I am¡± seeming very pleased with himself. ¡°Especially when you get hooked into those simulators, bloody hard to get you out of one.¡± Shifting on the spot at the reminder of the last time I nearly missed my parents arrival.


    ¡°I ever so appreciate your magnanimous offer your greatness¡± bowing deeply at his words, ¡°how can I ever repay you¡­..  oh hey how about I set an alarm, that¡¯ll get me back on time.¡± Grinning back at him,


    ¡°Alright no need to get snarky young man, off with yourself.¡± His words sent me running out the door sparing a backward look at him and seeing the smile spread across his face.


    ¡°God, he reminds me so much of Sean when he gets all excited about something like that.¡± A soft voice came from the lady of the household. ¡°Not to mention when you have a dig at each other,¡± a smile crossing her face.


    Looking affronted at the comment he retorted, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that it¡¯s a part of every healthy relationship¡± looking shocked at the very suggestion.


    ¡°Oh, and where is all that in ¡®our¡¯ relationship may I ask?¡± putting it right back at the older man.


    ¡°Ah well, of course you¡¯re always right so there is absolutely no need for that¡­¡­ well better be off, plenty to do, see you in a bit Hun¡±. Exiting the room before he could put his foot any further into his mouth than it already was.


    Chuckling to herself and watching the rapid retreat of her husband of nearly 55 years she glanced back towards the front door her grandson had run through, ¡®he looks so much like his father every year. Hopefully that business dies down soon and they can spend more time back here, he doesn¡¯t show it but I know he misses them when they are gone.¡¯