Ervin found Farshid in his study, with Luara waiting. Her face expressed the telltale signs of worry.

"You both know why I have summoned you," Farshid said calmly from behind a central opulent desk, leaning forward. His dark eyes pierced Luara to her very soul, yet she found the mental strength to resist. She looked straight back at Farshid.

"Father, I believe my path leads elsewhere. There is little I can contribute to Ophiuchi after all these thousands of years…"

"Dear child, do not take me for a fool," Farshid said, his words still calm, yet he stressed the consonants to be as sharp as a knife’s edge. "You are knowingly walking the path of sin. Out of selfish desires, you forsake your duty and invite God’s wrath onto our family. You know better." Luara winched and lowered her gaze. She fought back tears.

"You cannot hold me hostage to our Faith, nor to our family! I am free to leave this world if I so choose!"

Farshid rose out of his chair to stand, his hands poised in perfect stillness on the unyielding stone surface of desk. "No one is free from the duties God Himself has ordained," he said quietly. "Now, you will wait outside and contemplate your transgressions while I have a word with ser Ervin in private."

"Father, please," Luara begged. But a single glance from Farshid seemed to knock the air right out of her, rendering her unable to speak. With effort, she gasped and hurried into the antechamber.

Ervin watched as Farshid’s glare followed the young lady, half expecting those dark eyes to become alight with divine wrath and smite his errant child with fire and lightning. Luara vanished from sight. Unmolested in body but broken in spirit, her trembling hands softly, shakingly closed the door.

The family patriarch loosened himself from the desk and turned to face Ervin. As he did, Ervin flinched involuntarily, but no discomfort befell him. Farshid raised his eyebrows in a composed expression of understanding. Then, he slowly approached Ervin with a measured, regal pace. Ervin thought of what to say, but Farshid spoke first.

"As much as I appreciate you, reverend Ervin, there are certain limits my guests should not cross," he spoke, his voice oddly warm and pleasant, as if gently lecturing yet another of his children over a mischievous slight. He paused to let the words sink in, then continued almost jovially, "Why, you are no such guest. You are a man of God, and so, you will not take from God what rightfully belongs to Him."

Ervin could not help but look into those dark eyes, now wide and benevolent. Rightfully belongs to him, the words echoed in his mind. He felt visited by shame, and bowed his head. Farshid was upon him, and raised his chin with a brush of his fingers. "Do not be afraid," he said as he forced Ervin to look into his eyes once more. His voice turned to a whisper that sounded, to Ervin’s ears, identical to his own inner voice. "Verily, you have overcome temptation and remained true. You are not one to fall to sin and hedonism."

With these words he released Ervin and began turning away, his eyes remaining eerily fixated on Ervin for great length. Ervin remained speechless. Had Farshid not told him to be unafraid, he would be fleeing in abject terror.

Presently, Farshid strode to the door and opened it. Luara re-entered, but her beautiful face was streaked by tears and with no trace of her characteristic pleasant smile. Farshid put his hand on the small of her back and urged her closer to Ervin. The room remained silent. Then Farshid cast a brief glance at Ervin.

"Luara, I am sorry," Ervin blurted. "Please, please, forgive me," he stammered.

"There is nothing to forgive... my love," she said, professing the feelings she had held back, knowing full well this was the last opportunity she would have to utter these words. As Ervin’s face contorted in pain, she instantly regretted her impulsiveness.

"I cannot be yours," Ervin finally said.

"Don’t say that," Luara replied quietly. Her head shook in denial, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Luara, please understand. I am a married man."

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Luara gaped, her eyes wide with confusion.

"My wife, she was employed by a Da Feng subsidiary. It was the reason I left for Proxima, to be with the Centaurans. For her, I abandoned faith and family. She was carrying my child."

Luara just stared at him in shocked disbelief, as more tears welled up in her eyes. Ervin paused, overcome with grief. He continued, confessing his sin, feeling relief as Farshid’s beatitude washed over him.

"Once we arrived, she found another man. She divorced me and soon after, my son was taken from me. But to God, I will forever be a married man. I failed God, Luara, as I have now failed you."

Luara broke into heaving sobs. Anguish roiled over Ervin as she ran from the room, Farshid giving her a wide berth. Her tormented cries lingered after her in the halls.

As the red sun burned bright, clouds began to form.

Seated on colorful cushions inside a small gazebo, Halim consoled Ervin over a cup of spiced tea. "I am sorry for my sister’s behavior. It was… inappropriate. I hope it does not soil the future relationship between our worlds."

"I will not mention any of it in my logs," Ervin answered.

"Thank you for that," Halim replied.

"And I apologize for my role in this incident," Ervin added. "I was not acting in a professional manner either."

He looked out over the gardens, and saw a robed figure approach. In the lantern light, he could recognize that it was Max, still wearing his dull grey robe. Ervin quickly noticed something odd about him, as his characteristic gait was gone and he had a white sash draped over his shoulder. As he got closer, Ervin saw Max was also wearing a golden circlet and bore a golden badge.

"What is this?", Ervin asked, not understanding why Max had chosen to decorate his attire.

"Congratulations," Halim said.

"I was created an immediate knight and joined the ranks of the Fixers Guild," Max announced with a grin.

Ervin whistled in astonishment. Save for Elisa, no one in the colony had yet managed to earn any title in the Empire. "Congratulations indeed."

As Halim removed an extra cup from the gazebo provisions basket and poured tea for Max, Ervin felt uneasy about Max’s radical change of personality. "Something has changed about you Max, and I am sure it isn’t just the knighthood," he said.

Max sat down on the gazebo bench and thanked Halim for the tea. "I have undergone Exaltation earlier this evening," he said. "Ser Davit performed it for me."

Ervin stared, and his stomach turned. Not only did he lose Luara, but now he felt he had lost Max as well.

"While I am thankful for all the effort you spent on me, we must both acknowledge that it was not going to work out," Max said. "I was becoming increasingly unhappy. Most of all, I was tired of being treated as if I was defective as a person."

"No one ever said that, Max."

"I know. But if you look at it objectively, everyone did act in this manner. There was always this blanket of pity. The incessant comments regarding my supposed mistreatment, or that I was programmed to believe this or that, all the while implying that programming was wrong."

"We tried to encourage you to step out of that programming, to believe in yourself and make your own free choices as a free citizen. Instead, you let ser Davit brainwash you..."

"No," Max said with a smile. "You simply wanted me to become more like you, justified from the bias that has you believe that your ways are better. That freedom is something everyone wants and benefits from. That is an illusion. There is no freedom. There is only programming and causality. The eternal laws of God, or His great plan. You see, the truth is, that I am freer than any of you, precisely because I never held attachment to this illusory self. And as a result, I have made more of a free choice than any of you ever have. I have decided to change my programming."

Ervin was silent. Max was right, he concluded. He did have bias, as did others in the colony. People had condemned Maxproxemix’s existence in the harshest terms and thrust Max into a position of victimhood. Anything Max had said to the contrary had been disregarded.

"I see," Ervin finally said. "What happens now? Do you still want to return to the colony? We are scheduled to transfer back in the morning, but considering your new status, you can go anywhere you wish."

"I plan to return to Messier 39, but I will not remain in the colony for long. Instead, I will use my energy allowance to have the factory produce the drones and material I require and move to the northeastern barren valley. I will toil day and night until the valley is terraformed, and lush olive trees bear fruit. I will erect a temple for God amidst a grove, and only once the oil lamps are lit with the pressings of the first harvest will I rest."

Ervin sipped his tea. "I suppose you will be very efficient about it…" he paused, thinking. "Would you mind if I join you for a while," he finally asked.

Max nodded slowly, "I welcome you to stay with me, but know that it will adversely impact my efficiency," he said.

"No," Ervin said, "That’s not what I meant. I want to work."

"I am sorry," Max said with a slight hint of pity in his voice. "You don’t have the means to interface with the drones in any efficient manner."

Ervin drummed his fingers on the table, then eyed Max. "How about I pay ser Davit a visit before we leave?"

Max smiled. "I will provide a list of the packages you need."