At last unopposed, Nero began to build his empire. The council was completely won over by now, and they worked alongside him to make the transfer of power as orderly as possible.
It's so much easier to borrow from an existing framework than create a new one.
There was resistance, as there always is in the face of change. But Nero personally resolved those issues. Nobody would disobey him straight to his face. Those that continued behind his back were quietly removed.
Once, before humanity took to the stars, there would have been uproar at such a takeover. There would have been war, back when the scars of revolution were still visible, and the horror of kings still remembered. But the memory of humanity is a momentary thing, prone to forgetfulness. And the world had become a different place. The citizens had settled into a comfortable apathy, oblivious to all but their own life. After all, the wars on the fringes hadn’t had the chance to spread inward before Nero snuffed it.
Those that tried to rouse that memory, reignite those fading embers found themselves disappearing.
The people cheered on his coronation, cheered like the peasant of a long forgotten era. They romanticized the return to old stories. To them, the first emperor of the stars was a momentous occasion, one they were glad to be a part of. Of course it was still too early to win all of them over. A good half were still skeptical, but they reserved their judgment. Only actions would convince them.
He crowned himself of course, for who else would be worthy of crowning him. His throne was a simple wooden chair, sturdy but unadorned. A hologram of the coronation was projected to every major city in the known cosmos.
Nero addressed the crowd. Trademark smile adorning his face.
“People of this young empire, the time has come upon us. For too long have we suffered under the uncertainty of chaos. For too long we have suffered under the chains of lesser law. No longer. On this day, I crown myself emperor. On this day, we beat back the chaos.”
Another figure walked into the hologram, and kneeling before him, presented him with a silver crown on the purple pillow. It was beautiful, a series of unadorned silver loops, perfectly mirrored on all sides. And it was a masterpiece. Nero had forged it for one purpose. Amplification. Using an intricate conception of an emperor's duty, it took the path of the wearer and projected it onto all land where he was acknowledged as sovereign. It was an artifact second only to god-slayer itself.
Nero leaned down and picked up the crown.
“This crown is a symbol of my commitment to my people. I wear it as a reminder of my greatest promise, my divine purpose. There will be order among the stars.”
The silver crown met red hair, and the world seemed to shift. Immediately, the world within Nero’s empire seemed to slow, if only slightly. The world became clearer, simpler. An aura of calm and order suffused the people, guiding their thoughts and strangling their worries. The cosmos seemed to release a collective sigh of relief as a burden they hadn’t even noticed was lifted from them.
Nero continued.
“I am Nero Baraton, and I hereby declare myself emperor of the cosmos, keeper of order. I accept all the duties that come with such an exalted status, and I swear to accomplish them to the greatest of my abilities. Let this day be known as the birthday of the Final Empire, for the cosmos will never need another. Let there be order.”
His crown shone with silver light, turning into a miniature star. Brighter and brighter it grew, until the holograms collapsed into showers of silver sparks.
And so the emperor was crowned.
—------------------------
The empire was calm. The empire was orderly. And the people loved it. Even the original doubters could doubt no longer after seeing the change Nero brought after a mere ten years. The cosmos were reformed anew, saturated in the essence of order.
One night, Nero gazed out of his palace, taking in the stars. A knock on the door failed to disturb his tranquility.
“Enter.”
The door opened and Kali Keyber walked in. She had been the former chair of the council, and it showed in the way she walked. High cheekbones and straight black hair worked together with pale skin to make her ice blue eyes piercing. In the council, she was a monster in human skin, the one that inspired fear.
She had been one of the first to see the order Nero brought and fully throw her lot behind him. Tonight, Kail Keyber, former head of the cosmic council took one look at Nero’s shirtless body and immediately turned bright red. Admittedly, Nero was perfectly sculpted.
That blush only deepened as Nero turned to her.
“Kali? What are you doing here?”
“I…uhh. I wanted to talk to you.”
“About?”
“I’ve been thinking…why? Why bother with this thankless job?”
“Thankless job?” Nero raised an eyebrow.
She snorted. “I used to be the chair of the council. I know what it's like to be the top dog. All the demands and nobody gives a shit about you. It's…lonely.”
Nero didn’t answer, simply gazing at the stars as if he had all the time in the world. His crown refracted the light, turning it all a gentle silver-blue before sending it dancing through the shadows. Kali walked beside him, joining him in his contemplation.
Finally, he spoke, “I was born in the streets.”
Kali immediately turned to him in shock, and I could see the gears turning in her head. How could such a man come from nothing?
“A small planet, Jarsen they called it, best known for its chicken exports, of all things.”
A shooting star streaked across the sky. Well it was actually a spaceship, but close enough.
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“I was alone, my parents already dead. Those years were lonely. I was never actually in much danger. Even then, I was special. Smarter, faster, braver. But I still hated it. That edge, not knowing whether you were going to score a jackpot or get beaten up in a back alley.”
He turned to her, smiling. “It's the uncertainty that kills. The chaos. The agonizing wait. The thousand little deaths.”
He turned back to the stars, taking on a contemplative air. “I suppose it was those years that formed me, but it was always within me. It just needed something to bring it out. In the end, it was simple. I hated the uncertainty, so I decided to eliminate it.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “To most, that would be an absurd statement. But I am different. I am unbound. To be honest, I still don’t entirely know what that means. I suspect there have been others. Perhaps Jausn an Erduk, or maybe Adam an Erduk. But I digress. I’m rambling now.”
He looked back at her, taking into account her transfixed stare. Something made him reach up to brush her cheek. She turned even redder.
“When I put my mind to something, I cannot be stopped. I ruled those streets with an iron fist. And under that fist, they flourished. As much as men pretend to love choice and freedom, it weighs on them. So I carried that weight for them, made the best choices for them. And weightless, they were finally free.”
He sighed, “I could not keep such a discovery contained. I could not deprive the rest from such comforting order. So, young as I was, I decided. I would bring order to the cosmos. It would be my path. And lo and behold, here we are. Does that answer your question?”
Kali, considered for a second, taking deep breaths to calm her blush. “That's…noble.”
Then, she suddenly asked, “What are we to you? The people, your advisors…me.”
Nero smiled gently. “You are my children, in need of my guiding hand.”
“O…oh. Really?”
“Yes, my child.”
Kali, left soon after that, cornered her multitude of duties. Nero continued staring at the stars, observing his empire.
Finally, he sighed, and looked past it.
“I see you.” he said to me.
I didn’t respond, as was my custom. But I was excited. Jausn may have refused, but I didn't think Nero would.
My long wait was almost over.
—--------------------------------------
Nero’s empire eventually passed the threshold of what was possible by mortals. It entered a realm that could only be sustained by Nero’s presence, his path and his aura. And in doing so, It became greater than should have been possible.
To its citizens, it became a peaceful utopia, a place where they could live their lives out in peace, never experiencing pain or fear.
Nero reshaped society, not only in law and practice. He remade the culture of humanity, reconstructing its definition in his image. Humanity became more mellow, their ideals shifting away from individuality and towards collectivity, where every man could become a part of a greater whole, shedding their individual burden. That part was slow, as changing values learned over a lifetime is a nigh impossible task. Of course impossible doesn't matter much to limitless, but even so it was difficult. The greater influence came from new schools, teaching children the exalted values from a young age, molding them to fit into their new society, as every society has done since the beginning of time.
I will admit, I didn’t like the shift to collectivity. It reminded me too much of the soulless failures. The individuality of humanity is what makes them special, what gives them the potential for ascension. But I was tired. And Nero was so close. The rest of humanity be damned, I would let Nero do whatever he needed to ascend.
I could not resist the void for much longer.
As society transformed, a curious phenomenon began to reappear.
Religion.
It had largely been discarded with the advent of advanced, god-like, technology and the growing awareness that even if divine beings exist, they had no interest in meddling. Yet to some, the creation of the final empire was a sign. A sign that god had taken pity on them, and sent an avatar to descend and guide them.
That avatar was naturally Nero.
The faith…elevated him, augmented his limitless nature.
Faith is a curious phenomena. The beliefs and will of the collective people have an impact on reality, altering it ever so slightly to fit their image. So when they professed Nero a god, his power rose accordingly, forming a type of feedback cycle, where faith strengthened Nero, and that strength attracted more faithful.
His every action contained more power, and more natural laws folded in the face of his presence. His ascension was on hand, as he transformed from a human into something…other. A conception of his path, made physical.
One day, as he gazed into the stars, he once again addressed me.
“Why did you create chaos?”
As always, I didn’t answer.
He looked at me, and frowned.
“Answer me.”
I reeled back, shocked at another divine presence. Was this it? The moment where I gained my first peer?
Sadly, reality is not so simple. He had borrowed the power of faith of his people to touch his burgeoning divinity for a brief instant. Still, it was enough to acknowledge him.
“Chaos is life. Without it the universe is static. Unchanging. A constant existence of perfect equilibrium.”
He nodded thoughtfully, “Is the chaos what stops my ascension?”
“No.”
“Then what does? I am half-ascended, minuscule step away from becoming a god. And that last step has proven to be an impossible chasm. Why?”
I hesitated. I knew his problem, but it was not my way to meddle in the paths of others. But I was so tired. I no longer cared.
“It is because of your people. You must let them go.”
“Why?”
“Divinity is fundamentally a separation. A manifestation of eternal essence in the place of temporary being. A separation of one immortal and mortal aspects. To be divine is to be apart, bound in ones transcendent domain.”
Perhaps that was where I erred. If he had not known, maybe he would have found another way. But I was desperate. And impatient. I should have waited.
“When ascending to the heavens, mortal connections only act as chains to the earth.”
He considered that, contemplating the implications of my words. A day and a night passed as he remained lost in thought, accompanied only by me and the stars.
Finally, he came to a conclusion.
“I will not abandon my children. I will not embrace divinity.”
My heart cracked, the void surging forth. Another had failed!? How?! The limitless were supposed to be the greatest of them! But perhaps that was the problem. Their paths were so heavy they could not be raised to the heavens. I roiled in a confused mess. The void seized me, and although I could resist it, I wasn't sure I wanted to anymore. Slowly, I let my grip go, watching in morbid fascination as new ideas appeared in my head. Death. Destruction. Another attempt. Then his voice stopped me.
“But I will not give in. There are as many paths to transcendence as there are stars in the universe. If my people are chains keeping me from a higher existence, then so be it. I will seize those chains and haul them to transcendence alongside me.”
The void retreated in the face of his conviction, which rippled out with visible effect, altering natural laws to fit his new path.
An empire of transcendants? It was absurd, an impossible thought, an impossible path. And yet I could help but admire that conviction. That was the conviction required for transcendence, no matter how difficult the path. It would take an absurd amount of power, enough to ascend alone a billion times over. But there was always a way, if only Nero could find it.
I wondered what would become of such an ascension. Would they be a collective god? Or something else? Something I had never seen before. Either way the possibilities exited me.
A nation of transcendants.
Impossible, and yet.
Not.