January 3rd, 2037
The exotic meteor now found itself traversing the chaotic interstellar medium between the two main zones of the solar system. Behind it, Jupiter navigated the heavens, a majestic behemoth fording its way through the firmament as king of everything it surveyed, while around the visitor itself sat the all-embracing reminder of just how influential that planet was.
The asteroid belt—containing the embryonic remnants of those planetesimals that surrendered to the influence of Jupiter’s magnitude during the formation of the solar system—lay like a shimmering amoeba across its path, as if trying to absorb this new addition now boring its way right through the middle of it.
A fitting analogy, for the debris field contained millions of objects over half a mile in diameter. Some were much larger, bordering on being protoplanets, while myriads upon myriads of others were nothing more conspicuous than grains of sand upon a vacuum washed beach. Whatever their extent, their combined sum represented but a thousandth of the mass of earth.
At first glance, the asteroid belt appeared to be a formidable barrier. In reality, it was nothing more than a tenuous veil, and a fragile one at that, as evidenced by the carnage the juvenile brute left in its wake. Hundreds of thousands of smaller particles had already been effaced from existence, either by being absorbed into the intruder’s bulk, or obliterated entirely. Those large enough to resist, however, were swatted away like bothersome insects—or more ominously—flung ahead along the same trajectory.
*
Angelika Papadakos was feeling justifiably frustrated of late. As a woman who usually enjoyed a high degree of professional success, recent months had witnessed a lamentable decline in such a commodity, reminding her how precarious her gilt-edged pedestal could be.
One of Boss Yeung’s top Apostles, she’d been handpicked by him the previous summer to hunt down and acquire any technology left behind by the Guardians from any of their now redundant command centers. A savvy move, requiring a considerable commitment of resources and more than a little nerve.
Regardless of the risk, Angelika had been given free rein to choose her snatch squads and—as a mark of her proficiency—ensured to include individuals blessed in teleportation, remote-viewing and shielding, along with a chosen number of scientists from the research and development wing of Yeung Technologies.
Her approach was simple.
Locating those complexes would be difficult enough. Remaining undetected against whatever countermeasures had been left in place, even more so. Having the foggiest notion what to do with anything they happened to find, a conundrum of a nightmare waiting to happen. Therefore, Angelika intended to maximize her response options by mixing the skill set of her teams from the word go.
Needless to say, those early days saw everyone eager and confident of success.
However, early optimism began to wane as the months went by. The only thing they discovered for certain was the fact that the Guardians had been extremely adept in selecting sites people wouldn’t even begin to think of as a base of operations.
They scanned the deserts and jungles; forests and frozen wastes; even those green areas in the middle of major cities, like Central Park . . . just in case. But it was no use. Not even when someone had the bright idea of snooping through the junk littering the Earth’s lower and upper atmosphere did they have any luck.
Initial indicators were clear. The Guardians had either removed every last vestige of their existence, or entombed their facilities behind impregnable force fields that confounded scrutiny. And, judging from the way Angelika’s fortunes were going, had most probably beefed up security by adding some kind of holographic-chameleon element to those shields, making them register as nothing more conspicuous than solid rock.
When those Apostles not directly involved in the search began grumbling and referring to the ongoing marathon as the “Tomb Raider Fiasco,” Angelika decided it might be time to change her approach. And with good reason. Thanksgiving break had been and gone, and for the first time ever, it was looking increasingly likely she would be forced to report a failure in fulfilling her mission objectives.
Determined to hold that day off for as long as possible, Angelika had a brainwave. Instead of trying to sniff out the smaller operational centers, might we not have more success by expanding our horizons? Their headquarters and training academy, for example, must have been an extensive faculty. Something so large would be hard to miss.
That suggestion was met with renewed enthusiasm and following a lively discussion, a list was drawn up of possible locations capable of masking such a massive complex; the general consensus being that the best options would be places like the polar regions, larger mountain ranges—especially those containing sizeable encircling valleys—and a number of isolated archipelagos. One of Angelika’s advisors even suggested adding a few extra Yeung Corporation pilots to the mix to help move things along.
Initial skepticism to such a proposal faded when it was pointed out that those trained to observe locations from the air would look for clues in a different way than others who were blessed only with psychic capabilities. Yes, most of them would be mundane, but they might stand a higher chance of spotting something a gifted operator would otherwise miss.
In a purely selfish move, Angelika sent most of her squads to freeze their asses off searching some of the higher peaks and cordilleras of Europe, Asia and the Americas, whilst reserving the Pacific Island chains for herself. She had always preferred warmer climes, and really, what better way to spend the last week of December than by working the east coast of Australia and out into the Coral Sea.
It was during that time they received the breakthrough they were looking for.
Having taken off on a bright New Year’s Eve morning from Samoa, Angelika’s team headed north toward Tokelau, three hundred miles away. The weather was clear and sunny and visibility was excellent. Because of the gifted individuals on board, their aircraft was able to skim the waves at a height of only five hundred to a thousand feet and maintaining such a low altitude afforded them an exceptional view of the environs below.
An hour into their journey saw them circumnavigating Tokelau’s prominent cliffs and making out to sea on a southwesterly bearing toward the next island on their list: Mata-Utu, four hundred miles distant.
As they flew, the crew had been checking their coordinates with the jet’s lidar, the most recent OS maps and the very latest generation of handheld Global Satnav Precision Pinpoint Scanners—GaSPPS—developed by Yeung Technologies but not yet released to the general market. They would then compare what these mediums revealed against the evidence produced by remote viewing and good old-fashioned eyeballs.
Those not engaged on active scans kept themselves occupied by relaxing, listening to music, reading mission report files, or simply gazing off across the glittering expanse below.
They had only been flying for forty-five minutes on their current heading when David Shelton, one of the mundane off-duty pilots suddenly piped up, “Hey, is that a porpoise? No wait . . . it’s a whole bunch of them!”
Responding to his question, everyone looked to find a large pod of more than twenty sleek silvery-gray forms, surging through the waves in rhythmic arcs off to the starboard side about half a mile in front of them.
“I think you’ll find they’re dolphins, which most people don’t realize are a separate species,” Simeon Banner, one of the scientists and a remote-viewing telepath replied. “But I can’t for the life of me. . . Does anyone know what kind they might be? For some reason I seem to be having trouble focusing my mind on them.”
Everyone stared at each other and shrugged. Lorraine Swanson, their captain for that day who also happened to be clairvoyant, shouted back, “They’re possibly Spinners. Either that or Pinks. If I could see them clearly I’d let you know, but I think I’ve caught what you’re suffering from. I’m having a spot of bother myself.”
Her co-pilot, Bryn Morgan, glanced at her and frowned as if expecting the punch line from a joke. When she didn’t expand on her comment, he shook his head and snorted softly.
Catching the exchange, Angelika shouted through, “What do you mean, ‘if I could see them clearly’, they’re right there below us!” She peered out the window again and this time phased in her own remote viewing ability.
Before she realized what was happening, Angelika found herself thinking of a thousand-and-one other more important things she ought to be doing. Blinking rapidly, she turned away from the spectacle and noticed Simeon puzzling over something that was obviously bothering him.
Meanwhile, David had pressed his face against the glass. Excitement mounting, he cried, “Wow, that one came right out of the water. Lorraine, take us closer so we can get a better look.”
“I’ll take us down,” she replied, “but there doesn’t seem to be all that much happening to get so worked up about. Hang on.”
Thirty seconds later, the plane looped back around and started to descend.
This doesn’t add up, Angelika wondered, privately. Aloud, she queried, “David, what do you see at this moment?”
“Porp . . . er, dolphins as I said. Lots of them. Why?”
Angelika was onto something, she could feel it in her bones. “Simeon, Lorraine, what about you? Stick to what your eyes tell you, not your powers.”
“There they are!” Simeon sounded surprised. “That’s better.”
“Oh, I see them now. Why couldn’t I . . . ?” Lorraine also seemed confused.
The jet continued to dive, and Angelika was graced with a clear view of the prancing volley of aquiline arrows as they sliced and swerved through the waters with unbelievable agility. Steeling herself, she gradually phased in her astral sight. Sure enough, the closer the aircraft got, the more her resolve wavered.
Playing to her intuition, she called out, “Guys, fast as you can, try to project your extrasensory awareness again.”
“What the . . . ?” Simeon mumbled.
Lorraine snapped, “Oh, I’m too busy to fart around like this. Get someone else to waste their time; I’ve got a damned plane to fly.”
Angelika was on the verge of understanding something important. And if I could only remember what that was, I might . . .
“Where did they go?” David squeaked, looking to the rest of the team for help.
“What’s the matter?” Angelika asked, “Did they all dive under the water at the same time?”
“No, they vanished.”
“What do you mean ‘vanished’?”
“I mean, they were there one second, gone the next. Even the ones in midair disappeared like they were spirited away or something.”
A shock ran down Angelika’s spine. “Lorraine, fly directly at the spot you last saw the dolphins, I’ve got an idea.”
Lorraine still sounded bored with the entire drama. “Oh joy, another remarkable suggestion that will waste our time. I can’t wait.”
“Just play along,” Angelika growled, “and don’t be surprised if you start to feel uncomfortable with what I ask you to do. If I’m right, you’ll like me even less in about a minute from now.”
Admonished, Lorraine brought the jet around for a second time and commenced her approach.
True to form, Angelika perceived her anxiety mounting with every heartbeat. Across the aisle, Simeon also became agitated and kept glancing nervously up and down the cabin as if expecting trouble to spring out of nowhere. I bloody well knew it! “Who else here besides those of us with telepathic or remote viewing capabilities thinks something is about to go wrong?”
No one replied at first, but as the other gifted members of the team began chipping in and expressing how perhaps it might be better if they all turned round and called it a day, David piped up, “I’m not at all comfortable with this, Angelika. My gut keeps telling me we’re going to drop out of the sky at any moment. Can’t we go and look somewhere else . . . or better still, just go home?”
This is too much of a coincidence. “We’ve found it!” she exclaimed triumphantly.
“Found what?” several of the others chorused.
The sense of impending doom grew. Then suddenly, a pins and needles sensation washed over her and an island, not more than a few miles away in front of them filled the horizon.
Waves crashed against high bluffs topped by dense overhanging vegetation and trees. The natural barrier created by the cliffs was broken in two places by cascading waterfalls that plunged for hundreds of feet to the rolling breakers below. Just over half a mile away to the right, a huge cleft cut its way down to an idyllic secluded beach.
As they sped over the top of the cavorting school of dolphins—clearly visible now they were within the barrier—Angelika was able to regain her composure. “Lorraine, Bryn, check our position. Simeon, do the same with the GaSSPS sat-map.”
While everyone rushed to comply, she began excitedly entering a text message for Yeung into her company Izmus scroll phone to inform him of the find.
A few seconds later, and Angelika was shaking the phone in frustration. Damned piece of shit must be on the fritz.
She was about to ask Simeon if she could use his, when she noticed he was scowling at the GaSSPS and clearly having difficulty getting it to lock on.
Alarm bells started chiming in her mind.
Turning to their teleport specialist, Angelika queried, “Jingfei, what’s your range? I’ve got a feeling we may have to get out of here quickly.”
Before the young woman could reply, Lorraine called out, “Angelika, I don’t seem to have control of the plane . . . Hang on. We . . . we’re . . . ?”
The aircraft decelerated without warning, throwing everyone forward and came to an abrupt halt about four hundred feet up in the air. What the!
“Beautiful, isn’t it.” A voice from behind them declared.
They spun around to find a male Guardian standing near the rear exit of the plane, close to where Jingfei was sitting. His aboriginal features were split in two by his wide, gap-toothed grin. Nonetheless, his friendly demeanor did little to hide the barely suppressed power radiating from every pore of his body.
Jingfei appeared to be asleep. Placing a hand on her shoulder he said, “Don’t worry about your friend, I’ve induced a little naptime is all. She won’t miss anything special as I’m afraid it’s much too late for the guided tour.”
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Angelika had just started edging to one side so she would have room to maneuver—as were a few of the more aggressively gifted members of her party—when she found she couldn’t move a muscle. Nor was she able to call upon her capabilities. Casting her gaze back and forth, Angelika discerned her colleagues were likewise rooted to the spot. Jeesus. What are we going to do?
The Guardian raised his plasma baton before him and a dazzling neon ribbon filled the rear of the cabin with intense blue-white light. His irises began to glow, illuminated by an inner power source, and though his lips remained still, the same voice as before rang through loud and clear in their minds: Friends, if I were you, I’d think very carefully about your next move. You’ve already been cautioned about the consequences of crossing us again, and that admonition still stands. The only reason you’re still alive is because we can appreciate the misunderstanding. Publicly, we aren’t here; the warning was delivered over a year ago; and you thought you’d be able to take a peek without causing a confrontation. Fair enough. But as you can see, a few of us have remained behind to ensure fools don’t go rushing in and getting themselves into all sorts of bother mishandling things they have no understanding of.
He paused to look each of them in the eye, before calling through to the pilots: Don’t worry about the jet either; it’s under our control now. Be thankful of that. If you’d gone any further, the next barrier would have fried all your electronics and you’d have ended up in the drink keeping the locals company . . . and the dolphins here don’t take kindly to interlopers on their turf.
Oh, well done on getting through the chameleon screen by the way. Now we’ll have to recalibrate it to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Angelika seized the opportunity to try and keep the lines of communication open. “So who do we have the opportunity of speaking to?”
The Guardian’s gaze intensified, boring into the depths of her soul, bringing with it a hint of icy claws and purest agony which clutched at her mind like a bear trap. Angelika staggered and fell into the nearest seat.
Apparently satisfied, he touched his hand to his chest, exposing a single golden band near the end of his sleeve and spoke aloud. “I am High Grand Master Designate Akama Balun. How can I be of service before I help you on your way?”
Massaging her temples, Angelika replied, “I take it we’re not in the least bit welcome?”
“You’ve got that right at least. The last time our two organizations exchanged pleasantries it was emphasized that the world needs people with exceptional abilities now more than ever. You haven’t understood the spirit of that statement, or even worse, have refused to consider it. Therefore, I’ve been sent to emphasize aspects of the second half of the message.”
He paused and his expression changed slightly, becoming almost distant.
He’s communicating with someone, Angelika realized.
The toothy grin returned. “You now know where our largest facility on this planet was. We will allow you to retain that snippet and take it back with you . . . along with a reminder. You were clearly told that if you continued along your current course, there would be consequences. Do not make the gravest of errors by thinking that just because we’re not here in numbers our intent or resolve has changed.”
Staring at Angelika, he continued, “As you’re probably aware from the king sized headache, I’ve taken quite a bit of interesting information from your mind and passed it on to my boss. We know who you are now, and where you are. Make no mistake. If you are stupid enough to try something like this again, you won’t survive the experience.
“And very shortly after that, Mister Yeung will find one of us waving one of these in his face.” To emphasize his meaning, the Grand Master leaped forward, faster than they could follow. Pirouetting through the air, he lashed out with his blade, bringing its tip to a stop less than an inch from Angelika’s throat.
The blood drained from everyone’s faces as the shocking truth of what could so easily have happened sank in.
That realization turned to astonishment when half a dozen headrests toppled to the floor, neatly severed from their positions atop the expensive leather upholstery.
Pointing to them, the Guardian gleefully concluded, “You ought to see what these things can do to heads. Pray you never find out!”
The next thing Angelika knew, she and her entire team were waking up in the Yeung Corporation private lounge at Faleolo Airport in Samoa some three days later. Every single one of them was suffering from the most appalling migraine and inexplicable bouts of stomach flu, and nobody could account for the missing time or how they had arrived back at their departure point.
Yes, Angelika Papadakos was feeling more than a little frustrated with recent developments. Not only had she walked straight into the viper’s nest—but because of that—she’d also been forced to miss the New Year’s Eve gala scheduled to take place at the island’s open embassy.
The French envoy, Marcel Delattre, was on a list of prospective candidates the Council had drawn up of those ambassadors they would like in their pocket. A secondary part of Angelika’s assignment here involved the objective of grooming him for the Council’s future pleasure, something that would now have to be rescheduled to a more appropriate juncture.
Angelika was not looking forward to explaining her first ever failure—and a double one at that! Nor was she relishing the prospect of clarifying to Boss Yeung why it was the Guardians would now know so much about their activities.
*
At almost thirteen billion light years away, astronomical body A51689-2X1was one of the most distant and therefore one of the oldest known galaxies in the universe. Held in position amongst the heavens by a super massive, rotating black hole—a region of space and time where the normal laws of physics were confounded and from which, it was presumed, nothing, not even light could escape—that body presented something of a paradox: the reason being the two minute streaks of intense brightness positioned across the plane of the event horizon.
It was as if someone had taken a rhinestone encrusted rag and wiped it across the lens of reality.
Had the streaks been stationary, an observer would be forgiven for thinking they were looking at two micro-dwarf pulsars, one slightly larger than the other, which had somehow perched themselves within the unstable zone of the opaque sun’s rotating ergosphere. Dual witnesses, each bore silent testimony to the dying spasms of the cosmic ghoul before them.
However, closer scrutiny of those anomalies would reveal why such a thing was possible, for the two stars were none other than Adam, Overlord of the Guardians and his chief of Shadow Operations, Andrew. Having assumed their natural forms, the dynamic duo were conjoined by a harmonic bonding of such intricate complexity, that they were able to defy the stresses that would otherwise have torn their atoms apart. In fact, so ingenious was the program employed that it was actually siphoning off sufficient energy from the incongruity itself to counter the ubiquitous pull of its gravity well.
Though the mind of the smaller of the two incandescent foci of beauty and light was in awe of the magnitude of the scene around him, he was nonetheless mystified as to the reason for his presence: While I admit this is pretty awesome, I’d love to know why you really dragged me all the way out here?
The flaring conflagration beside him replied: We’re here to pay our respects, Andrew.
Mystified, Andrew couldn’t help but respond: Pay our respects? Who to, there’s no one here but us?
You’ll see. You need to witness the end. It’s necessary.
Necessary? Why?
So you’ll know what to do when the time comes. Observe closely, the climax will soon be upon us.
Still puzzled, Andrew turned his attention back to the monstrosity. This close in, he was able to discern its speed of rotation was indeed slowing exponentially. He was about to frame another question but was forestalled by the sense of anticipation and sadness leaking from the usually impregnable shields of his companion. Numbed, he watched as the Overlord absorbed even more potential from the rapidly depleting energy of the vacuity and then used it to initiate a short hyperspatial jump, moving them across the tabular of the event horizon whilst skillfully avoiding the Schwarzschild Radius.
The Overlord murmured: This is no ordinary black hole. Attune yourself to it. You’ll discover there’s much more to this phenomenon than you might realize.
Doing as instructed, Andrew opened his stupendous senses to the essence of the colossus; seeking, reaching, prying, delving . . .
The Overlord’s need became more pressing: Can you sense it? Search like this.
As skillful as the younger mind was—perhaps only second to the being next to him—the abstruse equation laid out for his inspection was a construct so incredibly refined, that he couldn’t help but whistle in appreciation. Grudgingly, Andrew reminded himself of a poignant truth. Old as I am, I still have so much to learn.
Employing the proffered cipher, Andrew extended his ultra senses again. Eh! I . . . I can almost . . . ?
Something wraithlike and distant, something as insubstantial as the last exhalation escaping the lungs of a fresh corpse, thrummed along Andrew’s rarified nerves. And there, right at the limits of his perceptions, a faint but definite response rippled back in answer to his probe: What the fuck was that?
Shhh. The plea was earnest: Just listen.
Adding an additional filter to their metapsychic concert, the Overlord projected feelings of profound respect and hopeful anticipation into the core of the vacuity: Time to say goodbye, old friend. Here, let me help you.
Andrew’s concentration wavered. Thinking he was being addressed, he allowed the minutest part of his acuity to sweep across his mentor’s psyche only to flare in alarm as he realized the Overlord’s attention was focused wholly on the Cimmerian expanse. Then who the hell is he . . . ? Oh my God!
A consciousness—ethereal and tenuous, nothing more than a filament of thought fluttering on a stellar breeze—seemed to fuse out of the void into a lucid pulse that, although virtually nonexistent, was nevertheless there. The longer Andrew concentrated on it, the more tangible it became.
As it drew near, it breathed a phrase in reply to the Overlord’s ministrations: SaachaeelZaaAahdeemm.
Andrew was stunned. For some reason, that expression sounded almost identical to a name he hadn’t heard in an age of days.
The Overlord responded to the call by releasing a shockwave of immense vitality. Blooming outward as an Arcadian halation, it reached the edge of the ergosphere and rebounded back toward them, amplified a thousandfold. Somehow, the Overlord managed to catch that supercharged efflux and redirect it, channeling its might to serve his needs and increasing the drain.
A growing web of unimaginable power coalesced along the event horizon, accelerating the process even further. Soon, energy levels rose far beyond Andrew’s capacity to assess, and the demise of the singularity became inevitable.
Tidal distortions increased, rapidly approaching a point which would be dangerous, even for them. In rising panic, Andrew yelled: What the hell are you doing? Fath . . .
Interrupting his query, the looming identity throbbed: Yeeesss.
Then the laws of actuality changed.
One moment the dying super massive black hole was collapsing in on itself at a truly astonishing rate, and the next, the flow of time puckered, stretched, blushed pink, and slowed, almost to a stop.
The Overlord appeared to have been waiting for this critical moment. Crushing the converging forces into a cogent whole, he targeted the rotating singularity deep within the leviathan’s jowls and flung the sum of his might down. Augmented as his strike was by gravitational collapse, the compressed needle of limitless power seemed to strike a point of nothingness. The fabric of spacetime ruptured in an explosion of gargantuan proportions that swept both Guardians away like leaves along a windblown street.
Andrew’s mind reeled as he tumbled over and over, away from a scene of unimaginable devastation. So scrambled were his wits that he couldn’t trust what his sensibilities were registering, for the geodesic curvature at the heart of the abysm was tearing slowly apart. But . . . but that’s just not feasible. How . . . ?
Through that rift, a creature of breathtaking beauty and abject terror stood revealed. Transmuted from the very stuff of the universe into a vision godlike in scope, it blazed with the glory of a multitude of suns, blinding him in a phenomenal storm of sensations.
As he regained his equilibrium and waited for his hyper-senses to clear, Andrew heard a thunderous declaration, trumpeting like a fanfare: THANK YOU SACHAEL-ZA-AD’HEM! I KNEW MY OLDEST FRIE—
IT IS NOT PERMITTED FOR YOU TO INTERACT WITH DEBASED LIFEFORMS! Another, even greater voice roared.
Then the apparitions were gone, swallowed into the cleft as it was slammed shut and sealed by an incomprehensively commanding force.
The darkness of true space returned, followed by a resounding silence.
Ignoring the promulgation of countering riptides, Andrew scanned the immediate vicinity, checking for the whereabouts of the Overlord. Locating him floating over a light-year in the opposite direction, he jumped to his side, only to find the older mind remonstrating with himself in a contemplative, almost prayerful mood. He was the first of us to shoulder the burden of leadership after the fall. Many thought him a fool, but the purity of his convictions proved true. He found the way back. After all this time, he actually did it!
Exasperated, Andrew became insistent: He? Who are we actually talking about and what did he do that’s so important?
With an effort, the Overlord ceased his musing. Turning, he then blended his essence to that of his young champion in an act of intimate fellowship: Patience, Andrew. I’ll answer all of your questions soon, trust me. For now, I think we’d better turn our consideration to something else?
Part of the Overlord’s attention was directed toward the spot where the black hole had been anchored. Following his astral line of sight, Andrew was astonished to discover something where it shouldn’t be; something that hadn’t been there before: Father, what’s that?
The Overlord initiated a short hyperspatial hop back to the edge of the depleted gravity well and erected a class-ten shield around the object of Andrew’s scrutiny.
A huge black jewel floated before them. Dark for the moment, its angles nevertheless flickered and gleamed as if shot through with miniature coronal discharges. Analyzing it closely, Andrew could see it was blessed with one of the most intricate molecular arrangements he had ever seen. Its long range order and symmetry was so complex that its multifaceted parameters repeated into the fourth instead of three dimensions. A deep scan revealed why. Instead of the fourteen unique Bravais Lattices usually found in crystals, this specimen had eighteen. If that were not remarkable enough, the gem also possessed a dual polarity that should have resulted in total self-annihilation. Yet, it emitted a curious vibratory resonance that somehow soothed its natural inclination toward catastrophe.
For the second time in as many minutes, Andrew struggled to uncover long buried memories. It’s like I’m looking at a collusion between matter and anti . . . Comprehension dawned. Aloud, he gasped: Father, is that what I think it is?
It is . . . and well done. I’d forgotten they can be formed as a byproduct of a cataclysmic quantum event. This beauty makes quite the first impression, eh?
And then some, Andrew mumbled, not believing the evidence of his senses: We always speculated where you found the first psitronic crystal as you never told us. Forgive me for not appreciating what I was looking at. I was thrown for a moment there, especially as this one is . . . well, it’s huge! I didn’t think they could reach such a size without blowing apart.
That’s because the spawning anomaly was so big. The energy produced during the black hole’s death throes was most impressive, spaghettifying everything within the Schwarzschild Radius and forming a nucleus around which a stable core could bind itself. When you take that into account, there’s little doubt such a miracle would be created.
They spent a while scanning the newly formed enigma, marveling at the beauty of its fourfold existence and ensuring not to trigger its matrix. Eventually, the Overlord declared: It’s five hundred percent larger than the gem on Kalliste, and I calculate it to hold thirty-two times the magnification quotient. This is a real bonus, Andrew, especially as the last one shattered under duress. It’s been quite frustrating having to make do with the few shards that were left over. What a stroke of luck.
Why’s that? Andrew probed, unable to pry his gaze from the mesmerizing allure of the jewel’s atomic structure.
Because even when a super massive black hole dies—which believe me is a rarity—it doesn’t automatically guarantee a psitronic crystal will be generated. I tell you, it’s like he gave us a parting gift.
Andrew’s suspicions immediately rekindled: Are you not going to give me any further clues about what’s really going on?
The Overlord ruminated for a moment before replying: Soon my Son, I promise. I’m sorry if that frustrates you, but this is not the time or place for such revelations. I’d rather explain things in full when you sister is present too. Speaking of whom . . . She’s hailing us, can’t you hear?
Andrew knew it would be useless to labor the point. Instead, he fought down his irritation and cast his perceptions out as the Overlord suggested, searching for the signal that should be virtually impossible to hear over such a vast distance. When he discerned a certain tingling within his complexus, containing the unique mental signature he knew so well, he started in amazement. I don’t believe it.
Confused, he looked toward his father, who radiated gentle humor at his surprise: Remember she was specifically empowered with the capability to reach me no matter where I am a long, long time ago. You’ve had the aptitude to do the same for quite a while now without even realizing it. And from what I’ve just surmised, you can also distinguish her ultrafar hails too. That’s no easy feat.
Andrew adjusted his consciousness to harmonize with the distinctive and very specialized narrow-beam long-range thought pattern. Absorbing it, so that in future he would be as naturally sensitive to it as was the Overlord, he registered the nature of what he was being told and exclaimed: Holy shit! What are we going to do? They went to all that bother of kicking us out and, despite a shed load of procrastinating and catching the tail end of some terrible disasters, have made no real attempt to get us back.
The Overlord’s reply was laced with sadness: I think we may discover a different attitude prevails soon, especially once their satellites pick it up!
How did the damn thing get so close without us registering it?
Sheer bad luck, Andrew. The Titan outpost was eclipsed on the far side of Saturn when it came through. Fortunately, they passed apogee in time to register the seismic currents generated by the original event and subsequently notified Moon Base.
Andrew was just about to ask why Mars Command had been remiss in their duty, when he remembered; they were even farther away than Earth at the moment, due to orbital variance: Didn’t the ecliptic relay sensors monitor the incursion?
Once again, the Overlord’s regret was evident in the tone of his thoughts: They only picked it up thirteen hours ago as it neared the outer edge of the asteroid belt. Time dilation this close to the event horizon prevented us from receiving Victoria’s beacon until we’d removed ourselves from its sphere of influence.
How long do we have?
The Overlord paused. The way that thing is accelerating, I’d say a day and a half until planet-strike. So we’ve got to be ready in one. Even then, there’s no guarantee there won’t be casualties. Let’s hope their leaders don’t postpone making a decision for too long, eh? Hang on . . . ? A stronger burst of psychic data came through. Listen, your sister’s really blowing a fuse so we’d better start heading back. I’m going to hold our prize in stasis, so how would you like to handle the primary for the jumps?
Andrew commenced weaving the necessary forces together that would create a super hyperspatial conduit capable of spanning the distance of half the Milky Way at a time. Even so, he couldn’t help but cogitate on the contents of Victoria’s message and expressed his doubts aloud: You do appreciate this is bound to put noses out of joint; us forcing our resources on them. Even if we can help mankind escape mass extinction, there’ll be those who’d rather die than accept our help.
Oh, I know, Son. That’s why I’ve ensured Victoria has the lead in this. We’re not going to be back until after the party starts, so she’s already pointing a few things out to some of the world’s more influential leaders as we speak. What say we go and see the results of her efforts?
And with that, the two extraordinary beings vanished, leaving behind absolutely no trace of their part in the miraculous intervention that had just taken place.