141 YEARS PRIOR...

The giant sphere hung in the air, spinning slowly as the nanobots swarmed around it. Upon the slightest variation in the pattern, they would rush down, reconfigure the surface, and return to orbit. It was like a dance, to the beat of a tune that played in the background.

Del Ammar could hear it as he walked down the gigantic hall. There was gold everywhere. And jewels. But he’d seen all of it so many times he barely noticed it anymore.

He went past the sphere and only spared it a quick glance. He’d helped build it a few years ago. It had been his first project for the Emperor, and the one that had made his fortune and fame. It was a map of the Imperium. One could use the nanobots to zoom into portions of it. As for the music, well, it wasn’t really music, it just sounded that way. It was a constant flow of data coming in from various sources across the universe, updates about this or that sector. Each time something new happened, the nanobots would hurry to update the map accordingly. Just looking at it, though, you would have thought it was nothing but a work of art.

Truth be told, he was rather proud of his work, and never missed to look at it when he came here.

But the glance, too, had become automatic. His mind was elsewhere. Despite his young age, he was worried about the future. He sensed trouble was coming and had tried to convince the Emperor, but never could find the right words to properly convey his concerns.

The trouble was, he wasn’t sure himself what bothered him so much. So how could he expect to explain it to someone else, let alone the Emperor?

He walked up the giant emerald stairs and made his way to a private elevator in the back. He tapped in his code and lay his hand on the surface so the system could scan his prints. The door slid open and he stepped into the cabin.

As it rushed up, he tried once again to give a coherent shape to his thoughts. At times, he felt like he almost held it, like he was grazing it with the tip of his fingers, and then it would slip away.

He grunted as the door opened into a vast antechamber that led to the Emperor’s office. Ten guards were posted here. They all wore glossy blue uniforms with the Imperial wreath sown on their shoulders. The wreath surrounded a triangle with a hand within that held a lightning bolt.

The guards knew him well and nodded as he walked through. The one closest to the door opened it for him. Aside from the Emperor himself, these guards were the only ones who could open this door—they were genetically connected.

Stepping into the Inner Sanctum, he stopped a few paces from the screen. It spread across the entire surface of the wall. It showed a view of the sea. He wasn’t sure which sea it was exactly. He suspected it never was the same one. Likely feeds from all across the Imperium. But it was only ever a sea. Someday he would have to ask the Emperor about it.

But not today.

He waited.

The sea parted before him and he stepped forward, into the screen. As always, he felt as if his body melted and squeezed through a tiny opening. The uncomfortable feeling wasn’t painful, though, and only lasted a second.

He came out of the wall on the other side. He immediately went to his knee and bowed his head.

“Your Excellency.”

The Emperor, Nashadan Prime, stood before him, in all his glory.

The body he wore must have been in its seventies, but it still was in good shape. Long white hair, penetrating blue eyes that hinted at great wisdom, and an elegant red robe with golden rims and a purple belt.

“Stand, friend.”

Even his voice was deep, strong, noble.

Del Ammar straightened.

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“I trust you bring me good news?”

The scientist nodded. “I do indeed, Your Excellency. We have made progress on the new cruisers, but...”

“Yes?”

Ammar shook his head. “Nothing, Your Excellency, all is well.”

The Emperor quirked a brow. “You know you can speak freely here, do you not?”

“I do.”

“Well then? What troubles you?”

“The Imperium is already so big, Your Excellency, why this constant thirst for expansion?”

Nashadan Prime laughed. “Is this about your worries again?”

Ammar fidgeted with the ring on his finger and glanced around. The office was almost as spacious and luxurious as the throne room. Here, too, the walls and ceiling were made of gold. He guessed the floor must be as well, though it was covered with red and blue carpets.

His eyes shot back to the Emperor.

“If History has taught us anything, Your Excellency, it is that empires never last.”

The Emperor made a dismissive gesture.

“Yes, yes, I have heard this many times. And yet, is it not also said that there is a first to everything? Would it not then stand to reason that there will be an empire, someday, that will be the first to last? Would ours not be the ideal candidate?”

“I suppose so,” muttered Ammar.

Nashadan Prime watched him quietly for a moment, then motioned for him to sit as he himself walked to a seat that hung in the air. It floated down enough for him to settle in. He steepled his fingers as he looked at the scientist.

“You are a brilliant man, Ammar, with a brilliant mind. I value your work and your thoughts, and thus it would not be proper for me to discard your concerns. I do not understand them, but I would like to. Please. Explain them to me again, so that I may see what you see.”

The scientist had waited for the Emperor to sit. Only then did he feel comfortable doing so as well. As he did so, he tried to put some order in his thoughts.

“I’ll admit it is difficult for even me to voice my concerns. In some ways, it is more of a gut feeling. I know it is not very scientific. At least, it might not seem so. In reality, scientists often work with gut feelings. They are the sparks that bring us ideas. Only then do we use science to try to understand those sparks and turn them into tangible projects.”

“Very well. Then tell me about this gut feeling you have and let us see if we can turn it into something tangible.”

“I would rather we did not, for then it would make my fears real. I truly hope I am wrong, Your Excellency, but I feel like we are headed for disaster. This constant expansion is taxing our infrastructure. If we pursue this, we are likely to implode within a few generations.”

“I hear you, friend, but I do not understand what that means. You say we are due to implode, but how can this be when we are more powerful than we have ever been? Our reach extends over billions of worlds. Our economy is thriving, as is our technology. Even alien species from beyond the rim show us respect and plead for peace. How is any of this a sign of impending doom?”

“Doom, your Majesty, does not always come from outside. It can also come from within.”

The Emperor made another dismissive gesture.

“Expansion is not a problem. Yes, we are growing, and this does affect our infrastructure. But while the Imperium grows in size, its population grows as well. There will be more people we can hire to help handle the growth.” He tilted his head. “And yet, you are still concerned. I can read it in your eyes. But I still do not see what you see. Show me.”

Ammar thought about this for a long moment. And suddenly, it came to him in a flash. He held on to it before it disappeared again, as it had so many times before.

“It’s the technology, Your Excellency. We have reached a point where it no longer serves us, it is us who serve it.”

“That is preposterous! We are slaves to no one.”

“And yet...” He pointed to the wristpad on the Emperor’s arm. “Do we not all wear one of these?” He pointed to his eyes. “Do we not all have nanobots implanted in our brains to make vircell technology possible?” He pointed toward the window, where a view of the capital could be seen—with distant gliders criss-crossing across the night sky. “What else but technology is there to see out there? That is all there is. What do you think would happen, Your Excellency, if that technology was taken away?”

“Well...” The old man paused, blinked. He stared through the window, then back at Ammar. “I suppose society would collapse.”

The scientist nodded. “That is correct, Your Excellency.”

“I still say it is a preposterous notion, because there is nothing that could make all of our technology fail throughout the Imperium.”

“Do you know what all our technology has in common, what it all relies upon?”

“Thilium energy, of course.”

Ammar nodded. “Though we’ve been using and, I would say, abusing it for centuries, we still do not fully comprehend it. It is not inconceivable that one day something could break our connection to thilium. And then everything we have, everything we know, everything we own would stop functioning.”

The Emperor nodded, though Ammar could see the man was not convinced.

“I understand your concerns. And while this could perhaps become an issue someday, I do not think it likely. We have used thilium for countless centuries, and it is perfectly safe.” He smiled. “I value your candor and friendship. Please, by all means, let me know if anything else ever troubles you. Now, tell me more about those cruisers.”

Despite his frustration, Ammar decided not to press the issue.

Not this time.

But he knew his fears were sound and, some other day, he would try again.

And again.

Until, maybe, he finally found the right words to convince the Emperor.