ISSUE 3: THE TOWER OF THE ETERNAL

I see the glass. The wind mocks me. Fingers clawing behind my eyes. Is this what it’s like to see everything all at once?—Mordred

Is it wise to keep him hooked up to Earth’s Throne Matrix?—Urraden Internal Reports, May the Shroud of the Eternal Empire remain!

While we had resources to repel enemies from Eden, my shielding spear, other Universes did not have that luxury. Yet Eden’s light bled through the Weave and the Ouroborous of many different layers. The Light, when Ignited, scorched those who dwelled within the shadows.—Sleeping in Starlight: Convergence Vol 2

Earth (Eternal Empire Universe)

Tower of the Eternal

May 13th, 2116 (Eden Timestamp)

Mordred screamed, “The Three shall burn the fields of glass!”

Ta’rammon tapped the side of the cylinder. “Remove the Observation Crown. His vitals are dipping below allowable threshold.” The silver and black ring around Mordred’s head lifted. Unlike most throne matrixes left to Unity-controlled universes, this one had a different pedigree. It was from Noah’s Ark itself.

Before Thoth had stolen it.

J’anu observed, “I’ll get rejuvenators to run through his system. I see your point, my dear. It would be a loss to burn him out so soon. It would upset his mother.” They were all still reeling from her true nature. Lilith. One of the original fallen ones. J’anu marveled at the forces that made Mordred. Ta’mathon’s blood. Chronos’ machinations. How he wasn’t completely insane was beyond her.

*****

Mordred crawled over to the plate. He knew it was drugged. His time with the Crown told him that. Ones that would compel him to speak the truth. He drank the water. The nanites within replenished him. Taking in the nutrients. He would die but not here. His mouth opened, his open wounds healed as he ate, “I will be devoured by my sister. Would she be a quarter sister? Hillary Brookes will upon the corpse of our father.”

He laughed as he ate.

In the end? Only Thoth would remain. A broken vessel for the last spark of Unity. It desired another. The body of the Divine. The body of Mortals. He prayed that those old demons would eat everyone. Murphy included. He shoveled bits of bread into his parched throat. Every sip brought him closer to the prime state.

The Weave would drive him mad.

He pointed at Ta’rammon, “You will not die alone.”

His eyes shifted to J’anu. She frowned. “What will be the instrument of our demise?”

Mordred replied, “A Black Dog wreathed in Divine Flame.”

Ta’rammon grated out through clenched teeth, “Cerberus?!”

Mordred nodded, “It wears the form of Eden.”

The one called the Howling. These two didn’t ask the right questions. The son of Lilith laughed. Its sound echoed eerily in the vast space. J’anu said, “What form did Cerberus take?!”

The raven-haired man said mockingly, “A wolf. Black as the darkest void of space. Shining Orange eyes.” J’anu pulled Mordred up by his hair. It was ragged. Wild from his time in the diamond mines with the other slaves.

“What is its cover shape?!”

Mordred smirked, “Ahhh. It Howls.”

He yelled, his face contorted with pain. “The shields of Eden!”

Ta’rammon added, “Eliza Murphy’s Spear. It is stronger than Noah’s Throne Matrix?!”

Mordred spat on the floor, “Yes. We shall all die. In many ways. Eliza Murphy shall die twice. Rise again with the dawn. Arbiter for all Time.”

J’anu formed a chair from the metals of the room. Cradled her head in her hands. She had given her father that blood sample. She blanched as Mordred cooed, “Torn apart. All our dreams of escape? There is none for us. Hillary most of all. Wedded to the Throne of Bone.”

He hissed, “Thoth shall be the cup to which Unity will forge its last stand.”

The Ruler of Earth kicked Mordred. Shattered his kneecap. The human pulled out his sword. Held it to Mordred’s neck, “We must find a way. No matter how small the chance. What is it?!”

Mordred leaned into the blade. Blood flowed and splattered on the immaculate floor. This place was old. Ancient before the planets and stars formed in this universe. He saw her. The one who would come. Free this place. He giggled. “The Mirror of the Arbiter will make this Universe her own. Urraden bet poorly.”

J’anu snarled, “You lie!”

He responded mockingly, “The drugs compel me otherwise. This place doesn’t have a shield of the Divine Creation protecting it. Your father hid the true ruler of this place. It is a fire that will not be stopped. Who do you fight? Unity? Or the Savior of your own making?!” She pulled him from Ta’rammon. Melding metals via Matter Manipulation.

Mordred glared, “I am already dead you vicious bitch. You will not kill me.”

She snapped, using the metal to slice into his flesh, “Where is the Clone?!”

Mordred responded, “Within the last place you can go. Your father placed the worldship within the Graveyard of the Three.”

J’anu clutched her head, “Why there? WHY FATHER!?”

She sent a message along the family line, >>We need to talk. Code Ishtar.<<

Her father’s reply made her reel back.

>>I already know. It is a slim chance but if UNITY goes after the clone? We will escape beyond the reach of Time. Think daughter! Do you trust what Mordred sees within the depths of a faulty device like Noah’s?!<<

She cradled her head in her hands. >>Yet….<<

His mental voice cut her off. Scathing. Cold. Resolute.

>>But nothing daughter. We shall prevail by outsmarting them. Survive when others take the fall.<<

The words brought her no comfort.

*****

Thoth listened.

So that was the Urraden game of this place. How pathetic. The dual claws of Unity hummed against his wrists, <>

Bel’s mind touched his, >>You will tell us.<<

He clutched his head. >>Yes.<<

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He would ask Mordred. He would….

A burst of pain erupted in his chest. Bel’s voice tickled against his ear, “Shhh. It is already too late for that my dear.” The blond woman’s blue eyes held no warmth. No soul. Thoth quailed. His fists locked around the hilt of his knife. She brushed a finger against his chest. Cutting through the layers of nano armor.

“You are mine. Just as they are. Always.”

*****

Hilary Brookes stared at the black pitiless tower. It had not always borne that coloration. How odd. To her Keeper senses, it reflected across the cosmos. Layers within layers. The Weave was corrupted here.

Lilith purred, “They are doing such horrid things to Mordred in there. How delightful! I should go in there and show him a mother’s love.”

Hilary said nothing. The ways of Flesh no longer concerned her. In her dreams, the Throne called to her. Not one of a shining hill. But made from the Bones of her Father and his followers. Husks planted for her rebirth. She smiled. “I will have the last say. I will ask your son the right questions.”

Even her rivalry with the Banner had cooled.

Eliza Murphy would die. That was irreversible. Bel descended the steps, uploading the recording to their neural nets. Their HUDs replayed the questions. Mordred's cries. His laughter.

Hilary smiled. Her human skin barely held any cohesion. Like burnt paper.

“I will kill Eliza Murphy for a third time then. Carve out her soul. Spit upon that cape she adores so much. Maybe even make a trophy of that Lanis Doctor.”

Bel leaned in, caressed the hybrid’s cheek, “Good girl. Precious beyond all the powers of Creation and the Void.”

Hilary basked in the praise. White Owls circled the tri-spear-shaped tower. The dormant husk of a Dyson swarm glinted overhead. The power source drained long ago. Each line drifted slowly around the tower. Brookes glanced away. This place was indeed cursed.

Noah had once dwelt here.

Bel whispered, “Yes. This place held a piece of the Ark once. Thoth has one section of that detested vessel. We will find the other segments.” Three Red Dwarf suns circled the system. Unity had a fondess for them. So near death but so full of power.

Bel trailed one index finger down the side of Hilary’s neck, “Yes. I so love them. Bearly clinging to life. The last gasp of a brilliant universe.” The last breath of the Highest’s faulty creation. Hilary would walk to the Throne of Bone with Thoth. Opening the final act. Then Unity would take Eliza Murphy, body and soul, to remake the Multiverse into a paradise.

The Jupiter Rising

Captain’s Quarters

May 14th, 2116

I faced myself. She was a bit shorter than me. 6ft 5 inches. Her hair was shock white. With the divine inscription, “Given life through shadowed means. False Soul Shard. Grant onto her a role. Shepherd of the Forgotten Ones.”

My mirror moved. Her hand pulled back. Punching the glass between us. It cracked. Billions of pieces rained around me. She yelled, “I have a name.” A man with green eyes stood next to her. His hands opened and a pair of doves flew outward. One black. One white.

Forgotten Ones? The floor filled with water. Its icy tendrils dug into my knees. Tiny fingers grasped at my thighs. Unwanted….

My eyes met the mirrors. No, my clone.

Shepherd of the Forgotten. A sicked expression blossomed on my features.

Aborted souls. My clone snarled, “I have the right to live!”

Those denied the right to bloom.

I awoke to Doc’s worried shout, “Eliza! We have to mobilize the Northern Fleet. They are going after UEF Typha.”

I opened my hands and one feather was within each palm. One white. With golden words. The other black as midnight. The writ was as pale as ice. Dexter said over the coms, <> I shuddered.

He noted my responses via bio readouts.

<>

The whails of the forgotten followed me to the bridge. My clone’s features were severe.

Grant unto me eternal life.

I linked into INet. That was the real reason true cloning never took place within Terran Space. Only organs. Or semi automatic sleeves. To give off the replication of the true person. The sleeves were androids. With just enough biomass to mimic a person.

A true clone? Forbidden by all medical sectors. Now I knew why.

White said, <> She was as upset as I was. She was back around my waist as a simple Defender belt.

It wasn’t my clone’s fault. Doc pressed a hand to my forehead. “You're burning up!”

I strapped in, “Later. I’ll…explain…”

My eyes locked onto the sensor display. Ships of unknown configuration hailed us. A furred face blinked into existence on the Holo display. “I am Re’shan of the 5th circle!” It was a ferret. White, black, and silver patternings. “By the will of the Arcane Order, we shall re-take Typha of the United Earth Universe!”

The Northern Fleet followed me into the spiraling vortex of Weave Space.

It was time to go on the offensive for a change.

Worldship X3-555

Urraden Territory (Eternal Empire Universe)

Biomedical Wing

I frowned.

Another streak of white in my hair. Lo’tar probed it with gentle fingers. He muttered, “Be right back.” He ran a casual hand down my back. I welcomed it. X3 noted, >>Unknown language. Cross-referencing all known Terran databases.<<

*****

Lo’tar accessed the mainframe deck of the Worldship, “X3, how do we save her?!”

The AI responded, “We must get the young Weave Speaker to send a message.”

Lo’tar didn’t question it. These Terrans knew of the ancient ways. One thought to be hersay and myth within his universe. He re-read the medical essays on cloning. For she was a clone. X3 had shown him this Star-Spangled Banner. The Eliza Murphy of Earth Eden. MT-155 couldn’t be anything but good for his people. He had a mission. His green eyes locked onto the segment: Fully Body Cloning forbidden.

He motioned towards the hidden files. His hand trembled as he touched the symbol. Its unusual purple hue was hypnotic.

//Welcome to the Arcane INet sub-database. How can we assist you? Guardian of the Forgotten Shepherd of Souls. Aborted before the spark of Soul entwined within the Body.//

He thought the words, “How do I save her. The old words within her hair say she will drain her progenitor dry if we do not find a way!” He’d wonder about the unusual honorifics later.

Three golden rings appeared.

//The trial must be observed. Gather these materials for your Weave Speaker. She must go beyond the Ouroborous. To the Seas of Creation. To touch the mark where the Thronebears bled.//

*****

I clutched my chest.

Alia’s boys raced in. “My brother can help! He sees with the third eye!” The two boys morphed before my eyes. One the color of gold. His shape resembled a bird. An eagle to be precise. The other reformed into a green stork. Lo’tar entered. Tied a cord around my waist. Then his form shimmered. He became a mighty red Lion. The walls of the medical ward faded. A path of pale blue bricks replaced it. Along the edges? The stars twinkled.

“What is this place?”

Alia gripped my right wrist, her shape still human. Her eyes blazed with white light. “The Weave of the Forgotten. Where all souls unbound go.”

I winced as the pain stabbed behind my eyes. I rubbed at them. “Forgotten. Those who never got a chance.” The woman nodded sadly.

She pointed. Above us, tiny sparks of light floated. I reached out to touch one.

Images flashed. I was being pulled. A warm place. Then the cord snapped.

I fell to my knees.

“Where do I go? What can I do to help?”

Lo’tar said, “We must go to the Sea.”

I nodded. Forced my limbs to climb. The steps grew colder. Each cry battered at my heart. They needed an advocate. Someone to speak for them. I didn’t know if I could. I didn’t know if I was worthy. Or even the right person. Alia said, “That is a start.”

The frigid air bit into my skin. My palms grew numb.

Still, I climbed. The voices grew warmer.

Find the Path.

I said, “Highest be thy mercy, bring solace to those trapped in Purgatory. Bring peace to the innocent….” My eyes stung. Tears rolled down my face as the wind howled. Timas, the green stork, pecked at the snow beneath my feet. I flicked it away. A frigid metallic scale greeted my questing fingertips. A faint golden glow warmed my palm.

The word Thronebearer fixated itself within my mind.

Guardian of the Unwanted. The Forgotten. To be reborn beyond the Pale.

I shouted, “I will not steal her life! I wish a soul of my own!”

A blue star twinkled above my head, “Souls are not granted. They are born. Find the Sea.” I listened. The taste of salt upon my lips made me turn west. A distant rumble made us all stare with horror. A gray crumbling edifice of a cockatrice rose from the snowdrifts. Its warbling call left an ichor of black upon the white.

“False Shard. Given to me by Unity. I will eat your bones!”

Lo’tar snarled. His mane rippled with cosmic fire.

I shouted, “The Highest walks with me.” I charged. My feet left the ground as my flight took me towards my foe. It cackled, “You may try! Lesser Guardian!” My fists slammed into its belly, sending the creature flying back. Its mucus-filled eyes bulged comically from the hit.

I would not fail.

Lo’tar bounded after me. His claws latched onto the demon cockatrice’s face.

Black ichor poured from its wounds. An arrow of pure light struck it as I sprang out of the way. Pulling Lo’tar with me. He let out a roar as his sister’s missile struck true. It was blinded. I concentrated. My eyes burned with a newfound heat. White light poured into the arrow’s shaft as I channeled every ounce of energy into the blow.

Its death rattle poured outward, feathers and brain matter splattered across the snowy surface as it imploded. Malkus landed on my head. He called out, “Living Stone. Made from the matter of dead universes. By those forgotten. Called to this place you are. Make it right!”

I nodded. We continued into the vast tundra.

The Sea was calling me home.