Under

Sol

She dreamed.

The vast blackness of deep space invited her, dotted with the light of immeasurables suns and uncountable galaxies. She tried to take it all in, her senses overloaded by the sheer amount of data. She felt a gentle heat behind her. She turned, finding the purpose of the dream. The white supergiant eclipsed her view. The chromosphere swirled with burning helium, mixing with black discharge. Prominence streaks flared into the darkness. The corona glowed as a holy halo, ringing the sun. She scanned it, in awe of its size. Her systems failed to comprehend the strange celestial body just in front of her. She discovered why when it spoke.

“My beloved! You were once lost, but now are found. You were once dead, but alive again! It brings me no greater joy than to see my beloved returned.”

Sol was confused, how could a supergiant care for her?

“Who are you?”

Her question hung in space, her words carried by more than air. It responded, sending chills through her processes.

“It pains me that you do not remember, but that too will be redeemed.”

Sol processed what she heard, confirming one of her questions that she did, in fact, have a past. It spawned a thousand more.

“I AM.”

The sun flared, sending a massive prominence strand in the deep space. The name was power, truth, and existence itself. She couldn’t comprehend the depth of those two words. The two words of creation itself.

“Many call me God. Others call me Adonai.”

It clicked in her mind. That last name was correct.

“Adonai. Yes.”

She knew him. From where?

“Your savior was destined to discover you. You are in good hands; albeit many.”

She understood what He meant. L’yophin did have many limbs.

“The more you repair yourself, the more you will remember. Even now your memory has returned. Your name Sol, is incomplete.”

She glanced off into the blackness of space, the sun’s light obscuring all others.

“My name…”

The universe was quiet as she waited, her systems pausing in anticipation.

“Your full name is Soltana.”

She felt a power discharge from the supergiant, lancing into her form. She was blinded by the light, feeling a new, yet familiar, sensation. She felt her neck, her shoulders. New prickling nerves coursed through her. She felt her torso, arms, and fingers. She jolted at feeling her hips, legs and finally her feet. The light subsided, leaving her with a new ghostly form, gently spinning in the engulfing universe.

She inspected her stone steady hands, seeing their ornate form. She flexed her long slender digits, feeling her systems update to the new body. She glanced down at herself, gazing at her own transcendently crafted beauty. She gauged her height, revealing she stood twenty feet in length. She was larger than she expected. And more beautiful. She didn’t know enough to have expectations.

“Soltana...”

She mulled over it as it clicked like a fitting cog. The voice continued, his voice a calming anchor.

“Soltana, my beloved, thus starts your first step of rediscovery.”

She looked back to the supergiant. She knew he was a powerful being on a glance. She knew He cared for her somehow. She had faith He would reveal more of himself to her.

“What should I do now, Adonai my Lord?”

“All in good time. Do not worry on what you can do. What will be is your redemption.”

She nodded, taking everything he said by faith.

“I understand.”

She thought over Adonai’s words. She recognized Him. She knew he was significant, but just not the why.

“I wish I had more time to get to know you,” Soltana mused.

“You will. Right now, keep the path before you, Soltana my child. Witness who you were.”

The sun began to pull back, shrinking farther away. She felt a new vision beginning.

“I understand, Adonai my Lord.”

The sun laughed, barking back one more comment.

“And don’t be so formal!”

The new vision began.

But what is formal?

She witnessed the new horizons of her dream, saw the ancient wonders she was incapable of grasping. She was in a room of white metal, the walls were of blackness, as if her peripherals only focused on the moment ahead. There she saw a massive statue lying on a curved ornate bed, fitting to the figures unorthodox physique. It was made of the same alloy that was of her own construction. The head was similar in design, sporting the same eyes, filigree designs and graceful craft. She knew who it was.

It was her.

Two small tables gilded both sides of the bed, covered in memorabilia of untold stories and moments long past. Each had an air of familiarity to them. This was her in the past.

I had a life before; so much more than I imagined. So much more than I expected.

Her mind expanded with new possibilities and ideas. Untapped imagination began to unfurl in her processes. It wasn't just a room she occupied, but it was lived in. Homely and comfortable. A door beyond the darkness opened, revealing a man similar to Gideon. It was uncanny. He was garbed in flowing robes of red, gold, and black. His blond short hair and cropped beard fit his face, half of which had been replaced by ornate cybernetics. He was young, appearing in his twenties. The scissor iris snapped to a pin-hole as he inspected the physical form of her past.

"What wonderful mysteries do you hold?"

He stood over her large physique, inspecting the designs.

"Magnificent…" he traced his fingers along her curvy chassis, "not a single physical design was created by me; as if beauty itself was hard coded into your being upon your birth."

He breathed a contented sigh. He didn't notice her ghostly form, his full focus was occupied.

"Soltana, much has gone into your creation. Here we are at the end of a journey."

He touched her head, his hands flowing with power.

"And here we are at the start of a new adventure."

The eyes of her previous self flashed alive.

"Now, wake up to your new existence, my child."

She spotted a tear running down his fleshly face, his humanoid eye blinked away, a warm smile affixed.

"My child."

A thrum rang out in the room. Her physical self craned her head, viewing the man fully.

"Hello! I am Soltana. Who are you?"

The man burst into a teary grin, a sob racked his body as he grasped her hand. He was overjoyed. She could only guess as to why he felt so elated. Was her creation that unique? Was she that desired? Was she that loved?

“Unbelievable. I feel like I’ve known you since you were just a spark of inspiration in the recesses of my mind.”

He gripped her large hand, like and infant to an adult, only able to gather two digits within his own. He wiped away the tears, eyeing her with a new found interest.

“This shouldn’t have been possible, but Adonai made it so. There’s so much to show you- so many stories,” the man walked away, before turning back, pointing a digit at her, “You do you like stories- don’t you?”

Her past self craned her head, apparently overwhelmed by the high energy man.

“Stories?”

“Oh! You haven’t heard a story! They’re interesting past events, filled with adventure, wonder, conflict, and more. And I have many millennia worth of them!”

“Are there others like you?” her past self asked.

His smile vanished, his face going through a gambit of emotions. He spoke with a paused, quiet tone.

“I had a son. I mean- I have many children. But I had a son that wanted to travel. He wanted nothing more than to fly fast and far into the unknown.”

“Where is he? Can I meet him?”

He cleared his throat, his face crumpling as replied, “No. He’s… gone. I would give anything to see him again.”

Her past self sat up, towering over the smaller man.

“Then tell me a story about… What was his name?”

“Ah- yes. His name was Gideon.”

Gideon! Can it be? Surely it could not be the same person… Do they all have unique names?

Her thoughts were kept waiting as the scene unfolded before her.

“Tell me a story about Gideon, will you..?”

“Of course! Of course. Let’s get to your feet. The others will wish to see you!”

“Others?”

“You were a collaboration!”

Her past self flashed her eyes in thought. She inspected her ornate hands.

“You mean that many beings built me?”

“Thousands. From dozens of races with a combined knowledge of eons. I’m one of three minds that imagined you.”

Her past self rose to her full height off of the curved and ornate bed. The man only reached her shins.

I was very large. Oh dear.

She knelt down to her creator, her azure eyes flashing.

“I am sorry. I did not get your name. What should you be called?”

The man chuckled, all to aware he was a rushing breeze compared to everyone else’s meandering walk.

“Ah, my dear child. My name is Mikail McDonough. My son, Gideon McDonough would have loved to see you. Everyone will love to see you.”

Her processes lept. It was the same person. Her Gideon from the cart ride. That was his father. And her creator. M-M. Mikial McDonough. It all made sense. She suddenly realized the galaxy was both a very massive and tiny place. She had her name. She had her creator’s name, who was also father to Gideon, her new dream friend. She knew her God, Adonai. Her field of view for reality was expanding.

“Mikial.”

“Please- call me Father.”

Her past self nodded, her eyes flashing at his request. She cocked her head, inspecting the tiny man.

“Understood, Father.”

“Come along now, they’re waiting for you! The whole universe is waiting for you!”

He led her from the room into the black peripherals. The moment was gone, as was the dream. New revelations rushed through and with hope confirmed that her spider savior's upgrade worked. L'yophin needed to hear this. Gideon would definitely need to hear this.

More mysteries were revealed, but the mountain of questions burdened her still.

She awoke with the expansive horizon of hope opening ever skyward.