“When the last page of the last chapter is finished, one often wishes for more.”

***Outer Rim***

***Antioch***

I was sitting on my throne, alone for once. The fake window to my left was showing the dark emptiness of space, decorated with countless twinkling stars. It seemed like the void was mocking me by mirroring the emptiness of this room. I was tired. After years of accomplishment, I had gained so much, fulfilling most of my dreams. But on the other hand... there was no end in sight. Was I caught in an endless loop of meaningless repetition? No matter what I did, whichever challenges I mastered, there was always another threat looming on the horizon, another goal to accomplish.

Like the myriads of stars out there, I was always reacting, running from one problem to the next.

Jill’s arrival interrupts my silent tranquillity.

She entered the throne room from the living quarters and strolled towards me, a happy skip in her step and her braided hair bobbing on her shoulders. “Are you brooding again, Dad? Why don’t you get yourself a hobby? It can't be healthy to sit all day long on your throne.”

I clear my throat and sit up straight instead of slouching around. “It’s not like that at all. If I wanted to, I would have plenty of things to do. Managing our various research projects, kingly matters regarding our society, monitoring our people for gifted individuals who deserve a raise in position...”

The work of a king never ends unless he wishes it, or so the saying goes.

I allow my voice to trail off, knowing very well that Jill knows that I am just making excuses. Sitting around without doing anything aside from staring at the stars is a little bit weird for me and it might even hint at a slight depression.

Haltingly, I try to explain my current feelings. “It’s just that this whole undertaking feels much too big for me. Spreading our people over the whole galaxy will take us over a thousand years, and that’s if we go with the optimistic projections. I am not even sure if our people can stay glued to such a monumental task for that long. Hell, I am not even sure if I can stay focused on a single goal for that long.”

She shrugs. “Then do it for as long as you are happy with the job, and then appoint a replacement. Or appoint someone who shoulders the burden of government while you do what you want. Nobody said that you would have to keep the Lifers under control for the rest of your existence. You could join everyone else at the frontier of our expansion. Or you could explore the limitless worlds within the V.C. Let me tell you that even with the dozen worlds you have visited, you haven’t even begun to explore them all. There is a whole galaxy just a step away in the V.C.”

I harrumph, seeing her point. “So, you suggest a vacation?”

“In a nutshell.” She plays with a strand of her hair, not saying anything for a while, clearly waiting for me to continue the conversation. But then it looks like she has an idea. “You could allow me to rule while you and mom-”

“No,” I answer firmly and decidedly. Whatever is going through Jill's head, I have no intention to hand her the keys to the kingdom and elope with my wives. I would return to smouldering rubble from some experiment gone wrong, with my fleets fields of wreckage.

Jill doesn't dispute my decisive shut-down of her suggestion. Instead, she chooses to watch the stars with me for a while. Totally out of character for her, she doesn't say anything and stays completely silent. She isn't even playing the hyperactive child by fidgeting around like she usually does. Aside from one crazy suggestion, she behaved perfectly normal up until now.

After a long minute of silence, I admit defeat. Her behaviour is just too unusual to ignore. “So. Why are you paying me a visit? What's the real reason?” A dreadful thought enters my mind. “Did you do something wrong and now I am supposed to clean up the mess before Mom finds out?”

“Luckily, no. The last time she diced me is still very vivid in my memory.” She pulls down the corners of her mouth, shuddering a little. “System-generated items are overpowered... but that's beside the point. I just wanted to give you the latest news regarding the experiment.”

“Oh?” That gains my full attention. “Your fellow Blue decided to open their mouths regarding the current state of n-space? Is it now certain that we didn’t do any permanent damage?”

“Some of them did, though most of them care only about their own business. It seems like only an existential crisis directly at their doorstep will get them to act. As long as they aren't directly affected, they won't try to enforce their own laws. It's like with any other group of powerful people. Nonetheless, it’s not like I’ve lost all my assets within the V.C. when I decided to go '1.0'.

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“The gravity waves of our experiment were noticeable within n-space. And now we have confirmation that our method of shutting down wormholes within a large radius around the epicentre works. You remember that some parts of the Cyber-fleet had to leg it the old-fashioned way? Well, that was more likely than not because their method of generating wormholes only works within a very predictable medium.

“It's like staring into the still water of a pond, watching your reflection.

“We threw a large rock into the water and now it's all messed up. It will take years until n-space has calmed down enough for their technology to work again in the vicinity of that star.”

“That's great news for us. It means that we can keep them out of our territory. All we have to do is to ignite a few stars along our path. The only question that worries me now... isn't this method equally disruptive to n-space?”

She shakes her head. “Yes and no. Creating gravity waves on such a scale is a brute-force approach and it certainly affects n-space. But as long as we don't overdo it, the G.O.D. system should be fine.”

“That's good. Well, thanks for the information. Having a heads up is always nice.”

“No problem.”

Again, our conversation reverts to silence until I decide to offer Jill a hand. There has to be more, or she wouldn’t have visited me. Her behaviour seems strange, so I will start there. “So, how is your project going? Have you achieved results in regaining your humanity?”

She shrugs. “I am currently playing with some settings, pheromones, which dampen my emotions.”

Ah, so that's why she seems so reasonable today. She has drugged herself. “Then allow me to congratulate you on your achievements. Today, you are almost pleasant company.”

Drawing in a long breath, she let's out a large sigh. “Yes, I suppose so...”

“But?” I ask, fearing that she will take back whatever she did to herself. Her current version is quite pleasing to talk to.

“Everything seems so bleak!” She waves at the fresco to our right. “The colours, my emotions. There is no motivation to do stuff, just because I can!” Her expression turns horrified. “Is that how humans are supposed to feel all the time? That's awful! I think I might be happier with being slightly insane.”

Hoping against hope, I decide to push her in the direction of her current development. “But you are really pleasant company today. Why don't you at least install some sort of on-off switch?” Her gloomy expression tells me that there is another problem. “Are we slowly getting to the original reason for your visit?”

“Yes.” She considers her next words. “Together with this dampening of emotions, I also got to feel other things, and I am not sure I like that.”

“Other things?” I ask carefully.

“Yes! Like this twisting feeling in my heart when I found out that V snuck off with our boyfriend to have him to herself. Or... or... this pressing in from all sides, making me almost suffocate when Mum gave me another one of her lectures about my misbehaviours.” She wrings her fingers as if trying to strangulate an invisible enemy in front of her. “Or the sensation of being afloat when I recall doing something to someone else!”

“Something bad?” I try to clarify.

Jill puckers her lips and furrows her forehead, thinking hard. “I guess so? Recalling how I played around with V's emotions to get her to this point feels...”

“Bad,” I clarify.

It's almost as if a light-bulb goes off above Jill's head, her expression showing realisation in a comical way. “I am having a guilty conscience! I feel bad about playing with my sister's emotions. I feel envious about being left out!” She gasps. “This is horrible! I don't want to face centuries of bad memories!”

“Nonono!” I grab her tail as she tries to run off, causing her to trip and almost fall over. “You wanted to become more human, and now you are running away? This is the single largest step I ever saw you take towards being a normal person, and now you want to throw it away?”

“I don't want to feel this way!”

“But you are doing so well!” I can't allow Jill to return to her old self! Whatever drugs she took, this new version of Jill who actually feels the consequences of her actions is really nice! She might even stop her attempts at mass murder!

We wrestle, with her trying to get away and me trying to get her to stay against her will. Only by twisting her arm and pinning her to the floor by kneeling onto her backside do I manage to get the upper hand.

That's when someone clears her throat relatively close to us.

I look up, just to find Silith watching us with a forced smile on her face. Her navy-blue china-dress looks like she was about to go out, or treat me to a special sight. “I hope you aren't trying to do what it looks like. She is first generation offspring... not that it matters. You would die in any case.”

Jill is first to formulate an answer, and what an answer it is. “Help me, Mom! He is trying to rape me!”

“No!” I reply quickly, twisting Jill's arm further until she is moaning in pain. Then I use the gained time to explain everything while Silith's expression turns from forced, to dumbfounded, and then to realisation.

She taps her heels on the ground while her tail forms question marks behind her. “This... makes so much sense now. Jill is a being without guilt or remorse. She quite literally can't feel anything that makes her feel bad. That's why whatever I did, she always stayed a true terror!”

My wife's gaze falls to land on our daughter. “Where are the drugs?”

“No idea what you are talking about,” the Blue replies instantly.

I apply a little more pressure, hoping to entice Jill to answer. “Answer your mother!”

Silith waves her hand to get me to make some place for her. “You are doing it all wrong with this one. She has a nano-factory that automatically releases pain meds when she is hurt. When she screams, she is just playing to make you think that you hurt her. What you are doing isn’t much more than a light slap.” Prying Jill's quickly formed fist apart, she gets a hold on her pinky. “You have to apply force to the joints, just like this.”

*Snap*

“I think that was too much, dear,” I mumble, no longer so sure about this educational method.

“Not at all. She is a stubborn one. Anything less and she will just think you are weak,” Silith bubbles enthusiastically at having found a way to get Jill to comply with us.

*Snap*

“Ready to talk?”

Jill shakes her head.

That's when we are interrupted by Fiona and Lisandra storming into the room. They look around, searching for an intruder until they realize that both Silith and I are sitting on top of Jill.

Fiona gives us an inquisitve glance. “We heard someone scream.”

Lisandra mutters, “Oh, it's just Jill. What did she do this time?”

“It must be dire, if even Antioch is joining in on the fun...” Fiona comments.

I shoot off the short version of an explanation, which causes the new arrivals to form 'o's with their mouths.

Until Lisandra raises her hand to stop us. “But if Jill’s emotions 'do work' properly now, then wouldn't it be much better to guilt-trip her to kingdom come?”

Fiona slams her fist into her open palm. “That's it. We just have to make a list of her failings, starting with her days as a demonling!”

It's almost as if our grinning faces start shining while a shadow of gloom falls over our offspring.

And I might reconsider stepping back as a king. At least until I get Jill not to behave like a menace.