“And that’s pretty much it,” the old man said as he closed the Book of Gemini.
The prefect sighed. “There’s nothing else? I was hoping for some kind of tactics, or a technology that might turn the tide of the war. As things stand, we’ll be overrun. I shudder to think what will happen when those bastards from the Southern Coalition take the city. Even now their forces begin to spill into the city from the battlefield.” He walked to the window. “See? Even now, fires have begun to burn in the city.”
“I do apologize, but that was all that was written. Perhaps, since you’re already there by the window, I might share with you one thing that’s passed along at the monastery?”
“Sure, it can’t hurt.”
The old man walked over and joined the leader who was watching as his city did its best to repel the invasion, a failed endeavor, all knew. He pointed at a well known constellation. “There, in the sky, in the center of the Mother.”
“What do you mean… wait, that’s not supposed to be there! I’ve never seen that star before.”
“Yes, it’s a special star known as Asseylum Vers Allusia.”
“I’m not familiar what those words mean.”
“It’s an old legend, passed down secretly by our order. It tells the tale of a young woman, a princess, who sacrificed what she wanted in order to secure an outcome to a war that she could live with. In times of great strife, that star may appear, reminding us that no matter how dire the situation appears, there is always an outcome we can be satisfied with. We need only be willing to find it, and if necessary, sacrifice all else to secure it.”
“I see,” the prefect said, stroking his long beard. “But I can see no way to save the city.”
The old man raised his eyebrow. “Is the city what’s most valuable?”
The prefect considered. “I suppose not. It’s the people that matter. But that makes no difference. The people will die or suffer greatly when the city is overrun.”
“Is that necessarily true?”
The patrician thought about it. “Well, maybe not!” He hurried over to the map. “Yes! I see it! We can save the people. There is a way to evacuate them. It will cost the lives of almost all of our soldiers, though. How can I ask them to make that sacrifice?”
“They are soldiers. They understand the alternative, do they not? Will they not stand side by side with a leader who is trying to save their families? Will they not willingly lay down their lives to save said families?”
“‘Stand side by side’…” the prefect repeated. “That’s it!” He ran to the door. “Boy, get me my uniform and a good horse. I’m going to lead the men myself.” He returned to the old man. “If I’m going to ask the men to fight to the death, the least I can do is join them. I have a family to consider too. And we’ll make those bastards pay for every inch, knowing that every second we last means that much more precious time for our families to get to safety.”
The old man smiled. “Then may Kira watch over you,” he said.
“May Kira watch over us all!” the patrician said. “Thank you, friend, for your wise council. Shall I send someone to take you back to the monastery?”
“No, I will be fine. No one’s going to bother an old monk, and you’re not going to have anyone to spare.”
“True enough. Thank you, again.” The old man just smiled, and made his way to the door.
When he walked through, he appeared not in the hallway, but on the street, several miles away. And he was no longer old, but a man appearing in his upper twenties. He smiled. “Maybe there’s hope for these idiots yet,” he said with a laugh. “I guess Aurora was right after all.”
The man heard a scream, and rushed towards the sound. He found one of the invading soldiers straddling a young woman. Her dress was torn, but she still fought to prevent what the man had in mind. Nearby was a burnt carriage and several corpses – including the corpse of the beast that had pulled the carriage.
The man cleared his throat. “What, precisely do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
The soldier stood and the woman quickly backed into the corner, terrified but having nowhere to go. “This isn’t any of your business,”the soldier said menacingly as he drew his flintlock pistol.
“Ah, but the scriptures talk of the importance of free will. I am simply exercising my free will and making it my business. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave quietly.”
“Or what, you’ll die to my bullet? Who do you think you are to threaten me?”
The man sighed, then grinned. “They never learn,” he laughed. “Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m a man of wealth and taste.” Then, faster than the eye could possibly follow, he closed the distance between them, and broke the soldier’s wrist as he took away the gun. He then bodily lifted the soldier from the ground by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the brick wall.
The soldier screamed in panic, but the sound was cut off as he was shoved into the now liquid wall. Moments later, the wall solidified, leaving only twitching arms and legs sticking out.
“Pleased to meet you,” the man said to the visible parts of the corpse. “Hope you’ve guessed my name.” He walked over to the woman. “Are you hurt?” he asked, extending his hand.
“I think, I’m okay,” she said as he pulled her to her feet. “A little bruised, and my dress is torn, but I’ll survive.”
“Well, we can’t leave such a pretty dress damaged like that.” He waved his finger, and the dress instantly mended. “Much better.”
“How…?” the woman asked.
“It is better not to worry about it. There’s little time. Go down that road there, then turn right at the end, and make a left through the alley. If you move quickly, you will find a group of your own people’s soldiers who will take you to safety. They’re evacuating the town.”
“Okay,” she said, “thank you, again.”
“You are most welcome. Now hurry. And remember, don’t stop for anything.”
His good deed done, the man walked to the nearest doorway and stepped through, appearing on the bridge of a ship high above the carnage. Sitting in the seat was his very pregnant wife, the goddess Aurora. “Fixing her dress was very sweet of you,” she said as he bent down and gave her a kiss. “So, was I right?”
“Yes, love,” Gemini said. “There is still hope for them yet. So, we’re going through with it?”
“Yes, Kyle. Our son will be born among them. We will raise him as one of them, and in time, he may change their world for the better.”
:”Yes. He will give the people of this world an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind him, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join him in the sun. In time, he will help them accomplish wonders.”
“Why do I feel like that’s another one of your quotes from something?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, kissing her again. “Juiz, please begin making preparations to set the Asseylum down. Configure it to appear as a normal home for this world.”
“Preparations beginning, estimated time three hours.”
“Good,” another voice said. “Then perhaps you have a few moments to chat?”
“Hello, Capricorn,” Aurora said smiling beatifically.
“Sup, Goat?” Kyle asked in greeting.
“You’re looking radiant as always,” the man in the pirate costume answered the goddess. No one asked him about it. He just put on different costumes seemingly at random, though he claimed that there was a logic to it. “Might I borrow your husband for a few minutes? I have a little business with him.”
“Of course. He’ll tell me about it when you’re done, but if you want privacy for now, that’s fine.”
“We’ll talk in the ready room,” Kyle said. “Oh, and before I forget. Juiz, when you have a moment, please awaken the Pleiades and have them go to the surface to help civilians. They shouldn’t get involved in any fighting unless absolutely necessary. Prioritize protecting non-combatants and masking their presence. In that order.”
“Acknowledged,” the AI answered.
Once in the ready room, Kyle took a seat behind the desk. “So, what’s this about, Robert?”
“I think I mentioned this last time we talked, but I’ve been keeping an eye on a rather massive little war in the Eridani cluster.”
“Right. Those two species have been fighting each other for over a century, as I recall?”
“Yes. Well, I was looking around, and well… we may have a problem.” He made a gesture and an image hovered in the air. Depicted was a lone being, flying through space. She looked human in shape, but had eyes blacker than the void and her translucent skin appeared to contain an entire galaxy of stars.
Kyle still didn’t know the truth of what Samantha’s gift had entailed. How could he know that his daughter was the genesis of an entirely new universe, one which would last forever, and would somehow support life without the aid of a Dreamer? “What’s Lyriana doing there?” he asked.
“I don’t know. But I do know that if she finds that war… Well, she has a tendency to meddle. And I’m always worried just what form that will take. She’s a good kid, but she REALLY doesn’t think things through.”
“That’s why I made all those preparations,” Kyle said, pulling up a star map. He pointed at a particular system. “There. Another one of those simulation demi-planes I’ve created to distract her is there. It should keep her attention for at least a century. Hopefully that’s enough time for that little war to conclude.”
“I’m sure that’ll be enough, one way or another. If not, I’ll have to step in and end it before she comes out.” He paused. “But how to get her there?”
“I’ll make a call.” He closed his eyes and focused on his unique link to the universe itself. “Kira, are you there?”
A ghostly projection appeared. “I’m always here. I’m everywhere,” his twin said. “I’m not always paying attention, of course. But I’m always here. What do you need?”
“Think you could put on a bit of a light show and attract Lyriana somewhere?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course! Who do you think you’re talking to? Just show me where.” Kyle showed her. “Oh, that’s the site of another of your live action video game microcosm thingies. You know, those itch quite a bit.”
“Sorry,” he apologized. “But it was the best I could think of to keep her busy when we needed to. And she seems to really enjoy them.”
“Don’t worry about it, I can deal with a bit of an itch. So, what game is this one based on?”
“Fallout. It has twelve different scenarios for her to play through.”
“One for every game in the series?” Capricorn asked.
“I still think there would have been more,” Kyle said. “But Todd Howard tried to port Skyrim to dialysis machines, and that was the last straw. He had to be stopped.”
“I’ll give you that. But exiling him to the moon? Was that really necessary?”
“He’s lucky Kyle got to him before I did,” Kira said. “Anyway, I’m on it. Give my love to Aurora.” Then she was gone.
“I’ll get going to,” Capricorn said. “You have your lovely wife and soon to be born child to attend to.” He laughed. “You know, I really envy you. Not everyone can pull off a marriage that lasts aeons.”
Kyle grinned. “We can’t all run around turning ourselves into fantastic creatures to impregnate random women we run across. Some of us have to think about our reputations. Besides, I couldn’t date anyone who wasn’t at least half my age plus seven thousand millennia. Wouldn’t want to be a creeper.”
“Fair enough,” Capricorn said. “See you around.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“I will.” And he too was gone.
Kyle returned to Aurora. “So, what was that about?” she asked.
“He was worried Lyriana might mess with his favorite TV show, so I bought her a new video game to keep her busy.”
“You have the weirdest analogies,” she said, pulling him down for another kiss.
“I’ve had the weirdest life,” he said. He kissed her again. “Though I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the universe.” He smiled as they sat together, wordlessly enjoying the view of the stars on the viewscreen before them.
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