A few hours after the Judgments

The room was bright and warm. There were signs of life everywhere, a trio of bonsai trees in one corner, Wartane’s orchids blooming in their bright shades of a cinnamon color in another, and, the most impressive, the far wall turned into a huge aquarium with the burning-red corals and swamps of tropical fish swimming around.

As soon as she was led in, Helen caught it all in a single glance, her eyes stopping at a long commode that was covered in a dozen plates of neatly arranged cold cuts, pickled vegetables, cheese, bread rolls, and other pastries.

Looking at it all, she realized how hungry she was. But she needed her mind focused and turned her eyes away. So, all she did was pour herself a cup of freshly-squeezed lemonade. The taste was close to limes they grew back in her family’s compound, and she wanted something to connect her to her family.

She remembered her last day on Zanria, before all hell broke loose, recalling how Oliver the High Priest tried to win her over. He lied so well, she had to admit.

“You have to understand we are in this together,” he told her in a pleading voice, trying to connect with her as his eyes were fixed on hers. “I know the Core is an extremely dangerous and powerful enemy, but we can beat them! And then, you can have your family back. It’s the only way. I trust you. I know if you ever get in front of them, you will do the right thing. You will not betray me.”

It’s almost like he knew they were going to be brought in front of the Commission, and that he might require my help.

She was pouring herself another glass of lemonade, decided to sweeten it with a spoon of honey, and was eyeing again one of those golden-colored bread rolls when the door opened and High Elvish Lord Eisen walked in.

He looked very focused but distant, casting only a few passing glances in her direction, his face frowning, obviously thinking and contemplating.

It was the second time she found herself alone with him, the first one being two days before the Commission started when he visited her into her cell and asked her for a favor.

Now, Helen figured, was the time to hear what that was all about.

“Please, server yourself some food, and sit down,” he said and pointed his hand at a nearby round table.

When she did not move but continued to examine him, he added, “You’re probably wondering why I have asked you to come here.”

“Am I a prisoner?” Helen asked, interrupting him.

“No,” Lord Eisen answered. “I also made sure you have been cleared of all charges. I even upgraded your class to a higher level. You are now Class 5, an agent.”

“What makes you think I want to be an agent?”

“Because you have no choice?”

“What? Of course, I have a choice.”

“I could send you back home to that desolate planet of yours. Tornia Seven, wasn't it? Naturally, I would need to wipe your memories clean. And that of your father too. If you want out, that can be done. If that's the choice you want to make, that can be done.”

Helen thought what would it mean if she did not know who her parents were, not to know who she was. And what about her father? If they cleared his mind and they became suddenly complete strangers to each other.

How cruel would that be? But then nothing the Core would do could surprise me.

“My father has nothing to do with this.”

“But he does. He is connected to you, and you know, what happens to you has to connect to him as well.”

“That’s a dirty trick. You have no rights on my memories. Or his.”

“It does not matter at all if I have a right or not. When we accepted you into the program, that was the price your father signed for. It’s how it is.”

Helen did not like the things she was hearing. How much power does the Core have over her? “Is it true? Anything Oliver has said?”

“Oliver is a great manipulator, a master of lies. Such people usually tell you what you want to hear to win you over, but then they manipulate and lie to you for their own ends. If you have not figured on your own, maybe you should not be here in the first place,” Lord Eisen said and frowned even more.

Helen nodded her head. Maybe she will never know what was the truth and what wasn’t. But at least now, she could try to clear some things out. “Why did you ask me to stay silent during the trial? Not to say anything. I could have explained all the evils that Oliver has done. You don’t even know half of it. If they only knew-”

“I know enough. And don’t worry about the rest of the Commission. They served their purpose. But it’s not enough.”

“What is going to happen to him? Has he been found guilty?”

“Of course.”

“For some inexplicable strange reason, even to myself, I trusted you when you asked me to stay silent. But now I’m wondering. Maybe you wanted to protect Oliver. Maybe you’re in it together with him. Maybe you’re worse than him.”

“To protect Oliver? He killed my kin. No. Stay focused. Don’t trail off. You know this. You don’t need to go fishing. I’ll answer your question. Maybe that will help. Now, the reason I asked you to stay silent is… because of your next assignment.”

Helen nodded her head. It made sense now. Bumping her up in ratings. “You wanted to be noted that I was trying to protect Oliver. That I was on his side.”

Lord Eisen fixed his eyes on her, squinting, waiting for Helen to say, “You want me to spy for you.”

“No, not as you imply.”

“Then what? To pretend that I’m against the Core, that I’m on Oliver’s side and to see who else is in on it?”

Lord Eisen’s face suddenly cleared, even smiled. “I guess your Wisdom and Intelligence ratings underestimate you quite a bit. You figure that out pretty fast.”

He went to the food and said, “Let’s eat.”

Helen sighed and said, coldly. “First, if I continue to work for the Core, I want some things cleared out.”

“What things?”

“My compensation.”

That made Lord Eisen turn away from piling food in his plate to look at her, almost surprised. “How much money do you want?”

“Not about money,” Helen said. “I want my parents to be taken care of.”

“We can assign a permanent administrator to watch over them, provide for a full Angel Protection.”

“Good. That sounds promising. I like that. A full Angel Protection. But, I also have another request.”

“And what is it?”

“My home planet Tornia has pretty much gone to shit. It will not recover, not in the longest time. I want them to be moved someplace else. Like on Earth.

Lord Eisen twitched and looked at Helen with surprise. “But you hated Earth."

“I never said that.”

“Your own words, just a bunch of ignorant people not ready to take responsibility for their own actions. You described it as future Tornia, given twenty, thirty years time at most.”

“And just because I love Tornia, I’m not ready to give up on Earth." The idea bothered her, the calm voice of Lord Eisen discussing her planet as if it was nothing more than a move of a piece on a chessboard.

"You stinking bureaucrats," came out of her mouth, full of resentment. "The Core... you're all just full of stinking, selfish bureaucrats. Now, put that in your book about what I've said!" Helen knew she should calm down, even took a few deep breaths, but she just had to say some things. "They told me that the Core treasures life, tries to protect it. If you treasure so much life, why don’t you do something about it? Save life there!"

Lord Eisen nodded his head and decided to finally answer her. “It's not so easy. There is so much we can do."

"So do something."

"Look, all of our matrixes are pointing to a completely different reality than the one we can control. Besides, you yourself had said-”

“Don’t tell me what I said before. This is what I say now. Move my family to Earth. They will adapt there easily. And let's see if we can save the whole planet.”

“Look, I can move your family there. That's not the problem. But saving the whole planet? If I could, I would have done it already. Or you think the wars they fight are with my blessings??” Eisen said it in an agitated, almost angry voice. But then he took a breath and his composure returned. A smile even formed in the corner of his lips as he must have thought about something. “I’ll give them my full hospitality. Even give your father a job. He proved a very good educator. We need trainers like him. His talent and knowledge are not to be wasted. Can’t be wasted. He can train possible candidates for us. Our observers and future agents. We certainly need more of them."

“Okay,” Helen said and nodded her head. “I think he would like that. But…”

“What?”

“You have the power to do all of that?”

“I’m not a Creator. I can’t give life. But, High Lord I am. So, yes. That can all be taken care off. Besides, I hold a large interest on planet Earth.”

“I also want to be able to see them before you send me who knows where.”

“That should not be too difficult. Actually, I have a small problem on Earth that needs sorting out. You won’t go alone. I have a person that will accompany you. She is just an entry-level observer, but she will help.”

“And what do I do with my PIA? I know you flushed it out of me when I was in the cell. And from what Mat had said, it seemed you were rather smart to do that. I actually would even prefer not to have-”

“You know you can’t be without PIA. You need to become a high lord if you want out.”

"So, you will give me-"

"A different model. Safe one."

“But, you, yourself… you don’t have one?”

“Don’t need it. I can do all that PIA does and more on my own power.”

“And how do you do that?”

“I control the energy of my mind and things around me.”

That seemed to have impressed Helen. “Okay, and how do I do that?”

“Well, most high lords I knew gained that power after five-six hundred years of rational, disciplined behavior. For humans, it is known to take longer. But then, never say never.”

“I see. Is that why there is PIA’s? To sort of cheat?”

“Yes. And it seemed to have backfired on us. Not for the first time. And probably not for the last. But, it did not happen on its own. Someone is behind it. And we need to find out who. Someone way smarter and older than Oliver.”

“And you think I can find him?”

“Maybe not all by yourself. But you will have help. I won’t be far away. And I’ll do all I can.”

Helen consider everything that was said, found it almost satisfactory. She sighed and picked a plate from the table and started to fill it with that food, her stomach calling for it aloud.

This could work. Maybe. Maybe it could all work out still, Helen thought.

“You see, we are not all that bad. The Core does not need to be bad,” Lord Eisen said, but then seeing her face suddenly stiffen decided to add. “Well, maybe in the future you will get to know us better, maybe even get to like us a bit.”

Helen thought about her family, looked at the food, and answered. “I would not hold my breath there, but let’s just take it one bite at a time.”