Andrew’s aura red-shifted, flashing through multiple, ever-darkening hues as he reentered normal spacetime. Shields raised, his aggressive faculties primed and ready, he analyzed the boundaries of the entire region warily, suspicious of the fact he had been led to this spot. At over fifteen billion light years from Earth, it was an area of the universe that was ancient, and therefore sparsely populated.

No sooner had he completed a sweep of the astronomical itinerants travelling through this sector, than he released a huge hunter-seeker pulse. Waiting patiently, he followed the leading edge of his invocation as it propagated out into the star-spangled void, sensitive to any variance that might reveal the presence of the other that had caught his attention only thirty seconds previously. C’mon, where are you? Something that intangible must be up to no good . . . and I can guess why.

He had been busy exploring the immeasurable reaches of the heavens for future viable colonization candidates. In order to do so, Andrew had tuned his prodigious psychoenergetic talents to the precise esophysical and geoteric bandwidths required for human life to exist. Then, employing an arcane program of the utmost complexity, he commenced jumping from one Gradial Reference Point—GRP—to another, a technique that allowed him to scan for a distance of over a hundred million light years in every direction whilst skimming along the steep gradient of the hyper-spatial ellipse.

Only moments ago, he had been traversing the outer fringes of Abel-18351k1916. As one of the outermost nebulas yet detected by mankind, it was a region of space that should have been deserted. And yet, his mental alarm notified him of the presence of an ascended life-form.

Because of the current threat, none of the other Ultra Guardians had been assigned this far out. Of those who were capable of standing up to their adversaries, Victoria was on Earth, overseeing the amalgamation of her new staff from the previous week’s graduation; Anatt was on Kalliste, managing the off world project; and the Overlord was busy again, attuning himself to a galaxy stripped of its hub in preparation for the role he would undertake in the near future.

That narrowed the margin considerably as to who the mysterious interloper might be. I wouldn’t put it past them! The renegades are onto the fact their transcended complexi would ring like the proverbial bell to other higher beings if they were close enough. But out past the galactic rim? That would be a different matter! We would have to be specifically scanning for them—and with all manner of filters phased in—to stand a chance of locking-on to their binary idents. Especially with the amount of celestial white noise and background radiation that exists out here along the spur.

He studied his environs again. Perhaps that was why my would-be tail dropped their guard? They weren’t expecting me all the way out here.

Thankful for the absence of the supernal frequencies that would encroach on his stupendous senses, Andrew altered his perceptions. Subtlety, he began to blend with the viscous tides of dark matter so prevalent here in the older areas of space. Sending out a further probe, he waited, listening. . .

Nothing!

. . . Well, nothing that can be termed unnatural or risky.

Andrew stretched himself again.

Merging with those cosmic chains that bound reality together, he became one with the deep melodic tones of their constitution. Vibrating his complexus at the exact same pitch, he sent out a further query.

Still nothing!

Determined not to be beaten, he absorbed vitality directly from the subspace matrix pervading the void about him. Exerting himself mightily, he then discharged the sum of that exuberance in cognitive waves, straining to listen the further they traveled.

There you are!

At the very limits of his capacity he discerned the fleeting touch of his shadow. Though rooted in the familiar, it was hauntingly alien in some way. What the hell is it?

Spinning a hasty translation field, Andrew launched himself through hyperspace in pursuit. As he did so, an unexpected distortion rippled through his psi-well, boosting his potential alarmingly. Emerging into normal space an instant later, he discovered he’d travelled over four billion light years in one leap.

Overflowing with never before experienced dominion, Andrew gasped as his nexus followed suit, swelling to a fanfare of pealing tonal discharges.

The unexpected experience brought him up dead. How on earth did I do that?

Checking his astral orientation, Andrew had the presence of mind to range for his tag-along sprite. He caught it, winking out of existence along an entirely different heading. Discarding the chase—for now—he assessed his position for a third time. I’ve just teleported half again as far as I’ve ever managed to do in one attempt?

He altered his acuity to look down on himself from above. Fuuuck!

Andrew’s transcended complexus had grown. Now close to twelve feet in height, his spectral brilliance was bedazzling, even from the perspective of someone as majestic as he was.

Realization hit him.

I’ve just undergone a maturation phase! Bugger me, I’m almost as strong as father now and . . . ?

Without warning, his glorified substance throbbed in esoteric sympathy.

Shifting through a refractive mélange of scintillating colors, he felt a familiar intellect, far, far away, reacting in shock. He didn’t understand how or why, exactly, but Andrew knew his twin sister—back on Earth—had just experienced a similar transition.

An urgent query homed in on his consciousness: Andrew? Andrew? Are you there?

Yes, Vic, are you okay?

I was just . . . I mean . . . Then I felt . . . ? Did . . . did we just grow?

It certainly seems that way. I was in mid-jump too, and got boosted over four billion light years for my troubles.

Victoria couldn’t hide her surprise: Four billion! That’s, that’s—

Bloody incredible! He finished her sentence for her: I know. Look, when I’m finished here, we’ve got to talk. I’m at:

A stream of squeezed data containing his precise coordinates spurted away.

What are you doing all the way out there? She queried: I thought you were on Star Search?

I was! I am! But I came across something and when I went to investigate, it skipped away from me before I could lock-on and identify it properly.

The outer veneer of Victoria’s psyche sparked yellow in astonishment: Skipped away from you? Who besides father can do that?

That’s what I’d like to know. You don’t think they’ve somehow managed to enhance themselves again, do you, artificially this time?

There was no need to clarify who they were.

Hell, I haven’t got a clue, Andrew. If you wind things up out there, I’ll get onto father and ask him to examine the data with us. Perhaps he can shed some light on this.

Sending an image of himself nodding, Andrew said: Will do. Catch you . . . Whoa!

Immediately reacting to his outburst, Victoria cried: What?

Andrew ran through his calculations yet again: Sis, how far am I from you?

Here on Earth? Hang on! I’m using gravitational lensing to help focus. It puts you at precisely fourteen billion eight hundred million m . . . ? Slap me stupid!

Vic, I know you’re better at this than me, but do you have to strain to maintain the connection over such a massive distance?

No, not at all! Jeesh! Is this what father was hinting at when he talked about us evolving into something never seen before?

Numbed, Andrew replied: I can’t say for sure! But I’ve got a feeling this might only be a foretaste of what’s to come.

That brought him back to the reason why he was there in the first place. He continued: I’ll catch you later. There’s something I’ve got to look into . . . now!

Breaking the link, Andrew concentrated on the last heading the mysterious entity had taken. He decided to err on the side of caution, and began a series of short hyperspatial hops at a tangent to its last trajectory. Such a tactic allowed him to adopt a similar course, while maintaining full tactical readiness.

On his fifteenth hop, he emerged from hyper-space . . . and was blown away!

Before him—plain as day—sat a small solar system blessed with three planets. The star at its center was a main sequence, G2V yellow dwarf, slightly larger than Earth’s sun.

The innermost world was only sixty million miles out, and therefore, far too hot to sustain life. However, its two siblings, orbiting at ninety-seven million, and one hundred and nineteen million miles respectively, were an entirely different prospect. For this class of luminary, they were smack-bang inside the Goldilocks Zone.

Andrew swooped in on the second planet. Assessing it closely, he discovered it to be about ten percent again as big as Earth. Casting his astral sight further afield and out into the orbital plane, he also saw it was ideally placed within the family group for maximized protection from roving bodies. It had no moon, and the beautiful blue-white vista indicated a high probability of lush flora and fauna.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He surveyed the surface. Dry land accounted for forty percent of its total area. Seasonal variation was clearly evident and would warrant further scrutiny. The oceans were comprised of water, albeit with nowhere near the amount of sodium found in Earth’s seas.

Diving into the thermosphere, Andrew examined the marine environment more closely. Magnesium, sodium, sulfur, potassium, calcium, and fluorine were plentiful. So were beneficial levels of sulfates, bicarbonates, and borates. And life . . . life teemed in its multitudes wherever he looked.

In fact, the entire planet seemed to radiate health of the highest quality.

A tingle infused Andrew’s soul. It was almost as if Earth had a slightly younger sister that had somehow been scrubbed clean, transported through space, and positioned here.

He tasted the atmosphere. The predominant gases were nitrogen and oxygen—both at tolerable levels—the remainder being a mix of carbon dioxide, helium, argon, hydrogen, and ammonia. Trace elements were plentiful, ozone was good. Bloody spooky! I’ve read science fiction novels describing this kind of scenario.

As there were no moons, Andrew couldn’t easily assess tidal variation. That would require a deeper study of this amazing world’s interaction with its sun and neighbors. Regardless, by skimming the composition all four major landmasses, he was able to discern areas of coastal erosion and accretion. He also discovered two subduction zones, indicative of volcanic activity where opposing tectonic plates infringed upon their neighbors.

Immersing himself in their stratal history, he spent some time digesting the full implications of what he saw. Hmm, nothing we can’t deal with. Seismic instability is localized to two of the continents, giving us room to maneuver by establishing our initial bases on the other ones until we’re ready to expand.

Gravity was fractionally higher than that on Earth, and the rotational variant indicated the days here would be twenty-five and a half standard Earth hours long.

Andrew lightly sounded the aquatic depths, and drew back to scope the planet’s surface to get a better indication of the range of bio-diversity. He jumped in disbelief as multiple responses to his telepathic probes pinged back.

He broke the link; an instinctive reaction completed before he realized what he had done. Nonetheless, after replaying the incident through and confirming the absence of a direct threat, he extended the invitation of his thoughts again.

Wave upon wave of eager naivety and innocence responded.

Holding his ground this time, he gauged the emotions behind those queries, and quickly determined no aggressive intent. How in . . . ?

Measuring them more precisely, Andrew realized he was receiving millions upon millions of replies to his call. Though vastly different in their inflexion, most were driven by simple curiosity as to who the shining mind high above them might be.

Because he hadn’t responded immediately, the fledgling creatures were becoming desperate to find the answer to their questions. So much so, they were already on the verge of uniting in a crude metaconcert.

Drawn by their need, Andrew descended further into the atmosphere.

He was astonished to discover an amazingly balanced and self-sustaining ecosystem. The multitudes of living organisms surrounding him were not only intimately attuned to each other, but to the nature of their solar precincts as well. They . . . they’re so different to the simple life-forms I’ve found elsewhere amongst the reaches of the cosmos. I’ve never seen such a thriving quasi-community so dedicated to working together to ensure their planetary attributes are more conducive to the stellar numen.

Andrew expanded his perspicacity to encompass the entire globe. . .

. . . and was flabbergasted.

Although primitive, the id of this world was so incredibly rich in essence, it verged on being sentient. How could this be possible?

. . . Bloody hell!

Andrew was so dumbfounded, he couldn’t think straight.

Then he heard it; that haunting echo again, somewhere nearby, reminding him who had brought him here.

Flinging his strongest probe that way, Andrew’s pursuit was over before it even began, the rush of ethereal endorphins produced by the anticlimax causing his plexus to flutter wildly. This was no agent provocateur come to taunt his efforts. It was the last planet out of the brood—the one only twenty-two million miles away—calling out in response to its fellow’s excitement. Has it absorbed a degree of its maker’s character in some way? If so, that would mean . . .? I’ve got to see!

Quickly spinning a crude tau-field, Andrew bore himself through the stellar medium and materialized above the next enigma. Oh—my—God!

It was immediately apparent conditions here were very different.

This final world was much larger than its sibling. And at just over a hundred and nineteen million miles out from its sun, it should also have been unable to support humanoid life. However, there appeared to be some form of link between the two bodies. Though obscure, that bond drew forth an efflux of subliminal, resonating emissions from deep within the heart of the larger planet. In turn, those vibrations manipulated the core—and through that—the range and extent of its electromagnetic field, effectively decreasing its rate of axial spin and surface gravity.

Andrew guestimated its rotational frequency as lying between seventy-three to seventy-four standard Earth hours. Incredible, for that was exactly what was required to warm the thick soupy atmosphere and surface sufficiently for human life to thrive.

Piercing the veil, Andrew was greeted by a melody of the sweetest angelic purity. I don’t believe this . . . it’s. . .

Emotions fluttered unbidden, erupting from one end of his complexus to the other. Had he been in human form, tears would have been rolling down his cheeks at this moment, adding their frozen, tinkling substance to a prelude centuries in the making.

She . . . they . . . it . . . was beyond beauty. And so breathtaking to behold, it actually pained him in the most intimate of ways to look upon it.

Dragging his perceptions away from the marvels below, Andrew scoped far and wide into the distant regions of the surrounding expanse. From Earth, this planetary arrangement would appear behind the constellation of Leo. If I had followed my current search pattern, it would have remained undiscovered for nearly two thousand years.

A glittering silver skein crackled through the extremities of his nimbus as he grasped what must have occurred. So I was led here! But by whom?

Taking a step back, Andrew reviewed everything that had happened—from the instant he had detected he was being watched until now. He repeated the exercise, twice over, just to make sure. Whatever, whoever, that echo was, it displayed no overt signs of aggression.

. . . And its signature?

Although unknown, there was something about the mental overlay that was achingly familiar. Not only was the entity adept in its use of the higher functions, but it had guided him here as if intent on showing him an example of its work.

A chime sounded in his mind. Now that’s a point! If this is a construct, then . . .?

Pausing, Andrew meshed with the harmonic solace emitted by the two outer planets and let its music tug his awareness along in an eddy of soothing delight. The current led him directly to the parent star. Examining it closely, he was stunned to learn it was the source of an intricate network of arcane filaments permeating the ether. Although natural—in that they were comprised of the interrelated gravity and particles dominating this area of space—what they were feeding, was not.

Over what must’ve been eons and eons of time, someone—or something—had taken the group’s natural arrangement, and gradually and painstakingly enhanced it at its most basic level. Whereas before this solar system had been mute, now it flared with an awareness that connected each component member in a way that bordered on the preternatural. The matrix forming at its heart guaranteed the optimum conditions for transcendent evolution were not only being achieved, but sustained and advanced with each passing day.

Andrew turned to the first planet again and gazed upon it for the first time with eyes free of the scales of ignorance.

The patient manipulations that were terraforming its hostile environment into a template fit for life were now evident. It might take millennia upon millennia, but one day—far into the distant future—this world’s profusion would be plentiful and vibrant.

Something from within the obscure arrangement called to him. Andrew responded, reaching out to grasp at one of the strands. Meshing with it, he issued a welcoming consonance into the nucleus of its structure. Then he let go, eager to see if his intent would be relayed to the existing communities on the outer two planets.

The filament somehow recognized and obeyed the impulse without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, Andrew’s expression of love and fellowship was amplified and transferred to every organism capable of understanding those sentiments.

Within seconds, the entire structure throbbed in response. And the mirrored harmonic reflection that came bounding back sent a flare of delight surging along his synapses. The others have got to see this. They’ll pee themselves silly!

Of course, we’ll have to quarantine the damn place until we can be sure nothing we do causes it harm. What a shame if the human mindset is too aggressive to settle here.

. . . unless?

He expanded the options this current state of affairs might offer.

Would this model be capable of enhancing humans as well? Remove their natural inclination to destroy and speed up their maturation?

That view seemed to fit the ambiance of what he saw.

Well, screw me blind!

Without realizing he was doing, Andrew started running through suitable names in his head. It was something he had always loved to do when unearthing new delights and making fresh discoveries.

He let the mood of the place guide him. Before I get too carried away, I need to settle on a language. Hmmm, Latin might be appropriate on this occasion.

First, he considered the star governing the strange set-up. Acknowledging that her influence was an essential factor to the embryonic sentience coalescing all around him helped Andrew find the answer almost immediately. Ha! Life-giver: Veritasu.

Looking down, the impression he received of the hot little orb closest to the sun filled him with the promise of hope. A fitting choice for a name, as this world would one day be an incredible place to behold: Speratus.

The evocatively fascinating third planet came next, gloriously splendid for all her differences. But of course, it’s so simple when beauty is involved: Decorus.

Finally, he turned his attention to the magnificence of the blue-white treasure hanging like a jewel between the two extremes.

His emotions were an ideal guide. You are a wondrous place. So many people will come to love the spirit of what you have to offer.

Chuckling, he conceded: That’s perfect! Seeing as you’re so wonderful, Mirari it is.

Only then did he recall what it was that led him here.

In his newly enlightened state, he saw why the mystery entity had managed to elude him. An infinitely faint web of interconnected pathways crisscrossed a little-known layer of the subspace medium. A stable wormhole network!

Savoring the extent and complexity of the framework, Andrew realized it was too orderly, too structured to have been generated randomly. What has Father neglected to mention this time, I wonder?

Resisting the urge to intrude, Andrew bared his soul to every single esoteric and telepathic frequency he could think of. When he was ready, he sent out an extremely powerful, but gentle message: Thank you, whoever you are for bringing me here today! I will personally ensure this gift is cherished, not squandered.

Though a set of instructions would have been nice?

He waited . . . radiating tolerance, benevolence, welcome and camaraderie.

As he expected, his not so subtle attempt to elicit a response was completely ignored—as far as he was aware.

Resigned to the fact that it would probably stay this way until whoever was responsible felt ready to say hello, Andrew fine-tuned his ultrasenses and homed-in on his next destination: Earth.

In moments, he had spun the immense hypertranslation field that would take him the unimaginable distance home in only three jumps.

Then he was gone, leaving the hypnotic little star system to go about its business in peace.

*

A short while later, something peeled back a hitherto unknown layer of subspace and peeked out. Tasting the tincture of the stranger, the entity decided this perplexing new visitor to be neither known nor unknown, but something in between.

Impossible! How can such an aberration exist? It mused.

The outsider presented a puzzle it was neither equipped to deal with nor tolerant enough to understand. The entity decided it might be best to consult the others.

While it means rousing them from consulate bliss, they can’t complain. They have been dormant long enough. Cogitation will provide a stimulating change after an age spent in darkness with nothing but our errors for company.

Then it had another, more disturbing thought.

No! It couldn’t be . . . could it?

So soon?