PROLOGUE: ARCANE SECRETS
Humanity connected with us on many levels. They too saw the folly of the Uplift Protocol. It was a withered husk waiting to consume us all. A weapon of Unity. It had nearly claimed all of Typha’s vaunted Houses. We do not live in a Universe of Chance. The WorldShaker of All Life would not allow this. We are the servants. We must join with Humanity. The motes of Evil will be expunged.–Annals of Tarvel: We are not alone.
I feel for Eliza. To be caught up in one world? Where her blood is both a blessing and curse. Vs her Earth heritage. Where they take her at face value because her actions have spoken for her. Not feats of genetic legacy.—Nola, private observations
I do enjoy this. Tarvel is a world of wonders. Old magic. It’s a pity Eliza will have no idea just how fundamental my wife’s people will be until far later. Unity wanted potential allies jumping through testing loops. All the while farming planets for resources to make more Living Stone.—Jonas “Eddie” Olsten.
Told you. Not much of a Cassandra now am I? Sure, I could lord it over my greatest detractors but what would that serve? The dead cannot speak. So I do it for them. They should have let Eliza keep all those “Uplifted Sector Shroud Memories.” It was all a machination of Unity anyway.—Anna McQuire
Temple Lands (Yul Circle)
Planet Tarvel
Q’vin Sector (Circinus Galaxy)
Nola threw a piece of fruit towards Eddie’s face. He caught the sweet blue treat like a pro. He took a moment to bow. His red beard was trimmed shorter than expected. Nola smiled, “You eat as if you were starving!” He nodded amicably. His voice lighter than his expression indicated, “True! But that is the magic of a man’s stomach!”
She rested her hands on her hips. She leaned over the green temple terrace. Watching as the workers below darkened the landscape. Rebuilding would take time. She bit her lip, “What of Earth then? Shall we petition the Council of Five to….”
Her face froze. Astonishment etched across her delicate features. Blue pinpricks lit up the early morning air as vast ships jumped into the space above them. Her father’s face formed in the air around her, “Join us at the temple. Humanity has made us quite the offer.” A measured glance took in the young human. He grunted.
His black mustache streaked with gray.
Eddie met that regard with equal frankness. Nola’s father cut the connection. Nola murmured, “A Living Stone Cyclops is easier than my father. In High Executor mode? Many have withered under that steely wall of his.”
Jonas rested his hands on the railing next to Nola.
Those pale blue eyes darkened as he replied, “I’d walk through Hell itself.” She blushed.
A thought occurred to her suddenly, “Why would humanity want to hide this from the Council? Wouldn't this meeting help add to your Uplift points? To reach these other levels they talk about?”
Eddie frowned. Sour bile rose in his stomach. “With how they treat Eliza like a leper? Then again? You don’t know yet. Let’s heed your father. I want to see what my kinsmen are leaving on the poker table.”
Nola arched an eyebrow, “What is poker?”
Eddie smiled, “I’ll show you all the variants!”
*****
Marius of the Red Stone watched as his daughter entered with the human. Her visions had foretold this moment. When their brothers of spirit would meet upon the Temple Lands. The lead official of the Terran Alliance waved, “Welcome to the new world, Lt. Olsten!”
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Jonas replied, “General Whitehouse!”
The old warhorse grinned. Taking a moment to light up a cigar. Handing one to Marius.
Whitehouse said, “What If I told you Uplift Protocol, as the Council of Five knows it, to be a load of horse hockey?”
The general was in his formal uniform. The space black Terran Alliance dress uniform. His American division patches were prominent under the TA Earth seal. Jonas spotted Heals-The- Past, Bardaxian ambassador off to the left.
She looked like an Australian Shepherd. Her bright blue eyes locked onto him and she bounded over, <
Jonas said, “Eliza saved so many people. Why not just add Earth to this Uplift Community?”
Heals replied, <
Jonas “Eddie” Olsten responded sardonically, “Used. Because her natural inclination is to assist.”
Whitehouse nodded, “Yup. Arcane Order wants her to stay the course. She’s serving as a distraction.”
Eddie responded, “A what now? Never heard of an Arcane Order.”
Whitehouse waved the junior officer over, “We want them to think Earth is just a slightly above normal tech planet. That’s never been our greatest set of tools. We’ve been to space. Just not through FTL standard.”
Eddie’s mouth hung open as Mary Herbert-Lanis, Thomas Murphy and Eliza’s mother stepped up to the giant stone table. He studied Ms. Murphy for a bit.
Then cleared his throat, “I know you're not human. If I had to guess you are stuck with the Council of Five boondoggles. I can see a faint purple outline around your human face. Ever since we were kids.”
Her human visage didn’t shimmer or fade. She tilted her head to the side, “I noticed. Why do you think I had Glaive keep an eye on you?”
Eddie sat. Then rested his head behind clasped hands.
“He’s nice. Loves coffee.” Jennifer pinched the bridge of her nose. Her fatigue roared to the forefront. “Do you honestly think I enjoy seeing my child treated so poorly?”
Eddie’s face flushed. He responded apologetically, “No. But it still makes me wonder. You guys are tech-heavy. Why not break away from the charade?”
Thomas answered, “Because their whole society is compromised. Not even the Commons have the influence to stop what is coming.” Jennifer stared blankly ahead, her tone soft, “None of them do. I have more freedom within my role as a simple American housewife than I do as an Ayeer.”
Thomas observed, “There is nothing simple about American women. Or wives.”
Nola interjected, “How can my people help? Our tech is a whisper of Humanity’s!”
Whitehouse smiled. His eyes were steely gray-blue in the light of the lamps.
“Ms. Nola, your people are much more in line with what the Order looks for. Strong of Spirit and Mind. We will need that in the days of Convergence. The Highest, what you call the WorldShaker, has been aware of the Shattering from the start.”
Nola asked, “How?”
Whitehouse brought forth a glimmering white orb. Its energy circled the room.
Eddie blurted out, “Is that….?!”
Jennifer gasped, “Eliza?!”
She was surrounded by a treeline of pristine foliage. Her armor was quite unfamiliar except for the Banner Old Glory cape about her shoulders. She was older too. Jonas could see it in the way she walked. She was looking out over an expanse of sheer beauty. Above a white coiled Ourobourous whirled. Eliza turned, “Well Doc, where did Noah say to start?”
Lorain stepped into the picture, her clothing Egyptian, with a green sash hiding a Yellow Defender belt underneath. Doc pointed, “Noah said that Unity resided within the Dead Zone of the….”
Whitehouse leaned forward in his seat, “That’s not even the tip of the iceberg my friends.”
Jonas said gleefully, “Captain Murphy, a downright puzzle of mysteries.”
Whitehouse said, “Indeed. As per Arbiter Murphy’s orders. Time isn’t a barrier for one such as her. Or rather what’s in her.”
Heals-The-Past rose to place a paw on Jennifer’s shoulder, <
Jennifer Murphy said, “Where do we begin then?”
Whitehouse twisted a ring on his finger. One that lit up against Eddie’s hidden sense akin to Christmas morning. “Hey!” He exclaimed.
Whitehouse winked, “What? Didn’t think we knew how to block some of your talents? I was nominated to ride herd on you guys for a while.”
Thomas waved his arms and Ta’mathon appeared beside them.
The old king spoke, his words flowing through time itself, “I was not born of Eden Earth…”