March 21, 2019.

Slipping down the wall of the temple basement, I consider what just happened. Beth is… Nope, still not ready to think about that. So, instead I’m going to focus on the teleporting. Why did it happen when Smoulder’s bond pulled me? Is there a connection to… how did I never see it before.

Facet allows me to control space and time. Because they’re linked. I mean, that’s basic physics, right?

Next, I’ll find out I can control gravity too. I can’t help but smirk at that thought. But my smirk turns into a frown as Beth’s memories crowd in.

So, I try to find another distraction, only to focus on Uthica’s door. It’s been a long time. Last time I was here it was just an empty room with a piece of pottery. I wonder if she left me anything I missed.

Floating to my feet, I walk to the door. There’s no hesitation when I reach out, manipulating the hidden runes, compensating for both my missing right hand and lack of a K’tharn’s lower arms with metal manipulation. A click sounds, and the System flashes a message, but it disappears before I can read it.

The door hisses as it opens, before spiralling outward. The entrance remains obscured, an energy field preserving its contents from everything, down to the stray photons in the air.

I press through the barrier, feeling it wrap against my skin like the world’s most encompassing hug. I take a moment to just let the feeling comfort me, as though Uthica is reaching through time to reassure me that everything’s okay. For the first time since I was struck, tears of happiness stream down my face.

When I finally open my eyes, I’m shocked at all the books and scrolls. This… wasn’t here last time. If I thought Uthica’s personal room had been packed, this is overfull. If I hadn’t stopped to enjoy the feeling of the barrier, I would've stumbled over the sprawling mess. Seriously, there’s barely enough room to stand.

I don’t even know where to start. Or if there’s anything useful in here. I wish I’d asked Uthica about what she was working on.

Then I see the letter with my name on it. The envelope is ornate, with a fancy seal. Right, that’s the obvious one to start with.

Gingerly, I lift the letter off the nearest pile. I break the seal with a blade of razor-sharp metal, sliding it along with a precision I couldn’t manage with my once mortal hands. Unfolding the envelope, I pull the letter free, the paper of a higher quality than any I’ve seen on Akilo. In fact, the last time I saw paper of this quality… was before I was brought to Akilo. The letter from the Forerunner Initiative.

Flipping the letter open, I brace myself.

Hello my dear Lexi.

I don’t know why your visits stopped, but I find myself missing you. It’s now been a hundred years since your last visit. I’ll be leaving Akilo soon. As you can see, I’ve gathered more records. Those with the attached seal have been written with the assistance of my engineers. Primers. Everything you need to not just repair but build a Ripple-drive. And not just Ripple-drives. Everything a person could need to build a functional starship. Or restore a Sanctuary.

Beneath the letter is a hammer crossed over an enchanter’s tool that looks similar to a flathead screwdriver. Glancing to the side, I note several stacks of books with the same symbol.

These are the least I could have left you. Especially after everything you’ve given to us. To me especially. In addition, if you travel to the World Dungeon, you’ll find my head Engineer. She’s quirky but useful. Hopefully she won’t give you too much trouble.

Still, it feels as though it isn’t enough.

So, I’ve left you another treasure. In the wood box beneath this letter is a collection of keys. Each is synced to a different ship. As of setting this ink to the page, each of these ships is a fully functional starship, ready to pierce the void. I don’t know if this will be enough to save your home.

With this, I reach the hardest part of this letter. And here you will know why I find it is not enough. You know me better than any other. You lived my childhood beside me. Not even my father can say he knows me so intimately. And I know you. After our visit… I remember it all. Growing up on earth. The day you lost your father. When you kissed Zachary under the slide.

Your first step on my world.

I won’t say goodbye because I hope to see you again, amongst the stars.

But I… I love you, Alexis. You are the sister I never had.

P.S. Ice-cream is amazing. It’s worth every Essence I spent to recreate it.

I have to blink several times before I set the letter on the stack. I end up holding the stack of books to steady myself. Whew. Too much happening too fast. These books are exactly what I need. Something not-emotionally packed to distract myself with. Setting the box of keys carefully to the side, I open the first book, labelled “A dummy’s guide to Ripple-drives. By Uthica, Lore-queen of clan Halterin.”

I can’t help but giggle as I make myself comfortable, Pausing each time I turn the page. Four real-time hours later, I’ve consumed a staggering amount of literature. It was surprisingly entertaining to read. Each book was like a personal instruction manual crafted specifically for me. Like it was designed to fill in the gaps of my Voidcraft Engineer Subclass.

Which, I suppose they were. And now that I’ve read them, I’ll be able to recall the details whenever I need to. I still need practice, but the manuals connected so much of the almost-useful knowledge I gained through the spaceship primers and the subclass. It’s still settling in, but I feel far calmer now. Only having one eye didn’t inhibit my reading as much as I thought it would.

Still don’t know how I feel about my latest discovery of Beth’s history. It’s a gross violation of her privacy, but it’s not like I wanted to know she started killing people when she was barely a teenager. I close the last of the books with a sigh, pushing myself to my feet.

A bridge to cross in the future. Maybe I misinterpreted her feelings. Or maybe not.

Either way, I should get moving.

I lift the box of keys, examining the case. The box is made of a rich red wood, every centimetre of its surface covered in ornate carvings. I distractedly step out of the cramped room while running my finger over the case’s surface. I stop when the encompassing barrier dissipates, fading back into the entry. There’s a sense of loss. The temptation to slip back inside is strong. But I resist, tapping the rune to the side of the entrance, the door sliding closed. With the chamber sealed off from the world once more, I decide to settle my stomach as a comfort compromise. However, when I open my belt pouch to pull a snack out, my inventory refuses to cooperate. And it’s not just my belt. Every one of my spatial pockets is on the fritz. Not even my backpack allows me access. It’s just an empty bag.

Even as I’m staring at my open backpack, it flickers, the regular void space replacing the empty space. Wary of the bag malfunctioning again, I pluck out a few meals, setting them to the side. I was going to put the keys in my inventory, but that feels risky now.

Since I’m not putting them away, I may as well inspect the keys while I eat. The case is sealed with a pair of simple bronze latches. Flipping them open, the lid eases upward revealing nine silver keys. Each key is inscribed with a matching Sanctuary’s name. There’s also a basic map carved into the lid of the case, showing the location of each of the cities. Not information I need, but I appreciate Uthica’s thoroughness.

There are also several copper keys, linked to other ships, also indicated on a separate map. This one I memorize.

I pick up the key for the city of Burnesq. Technically we don’t need the key now that we have the city flying. But maybe it’ll make it easier to get it repaired. Finishing my snack, I wrap the box in plain steel, disguising it inside a floating chair.

It’s not quite a proper high-backed throne. But with a few tweaks, it becomes one, almost matching Atun's. Until I perfect it. A pair of large mana-hare ears over my shoulder, a pair of heads in Smoulder’s image carved in the arms and a padding of soft fur, snuck from my inventory completes it. Then I look at the tiny entrance leading out, then back to my throne. I sigh, breaking my throne into pieces and ascending into the temple. The primitive smoker and bathroom are both as I left them. Reminders of a better time.

No. That’s not true.

Even missing an eye and a hand, I’m better now. Even separated from the others, I'm happier now.

I wave my stub at the front entrance, opening the blocked off entrance to the village outside. When I step out, I’m met by the statue. Its gaze is still locked on the horizon. Part of me thought I’d recognize it. But whoever this K’tharn is, they’re unknown to me. Given its prominence, they must've been important to someone. Considering Uthica’s hidden chamber below, maybe it’s someone that became close to her. It seems there are a hundred years I’ll never see. The thought makes me surprisingly sad.

But I don’t dwell on it. Instead, I take my place on my steel throne, before flying south to the standing stones. Also known as the Forerunner Transition Point. A surprisingly blatant declaration of ownership for an organization like the Forerunners. But then, I suppose it is in the middle of nowhere.

Despite the months since we’ve arrived, the grass in the centre remains exactly the same shade of green. At least the once brown vegetation outside the circle is starting to show its own signs of life with spring starting to exert itself in this part of Akilo.

I settle my throne in the centre of the circle as I attempt to bring up my System. It takes a solid minute to bring up my status. Nothing’s changed except the count of Advancement Crests and Copper-rank Integration Points.

The line about my Advancement Crests stares at me. If I was still the girl I’d been when I arrived on Akilo, I wouldn’t even be considering using it. Not until I was certain it was safe. Using it when my System is glitching, isn’t just a bad idea. It’s a terrible idea.

But…

It’s important. It could restore me. And there’s every chance we’ll need the power. That I’ll need it. I’ve been ignoring a simple question.

Can I trust Beth?

I want to. More than anything. She’s never been anything but good to me. But her plans are… weak. And small. I know she tried to stop me from noticing, moving her focus to the refugees when I connected. She’s looking to bring the cities to Earth. But her plans only focus on Europe and North America. And even then, she only intends to send them to the coasts of a handful of places.

She’s given up before we’ve even begun.

I suppose it’s practical.

Is that enough? I drum my fingers on my throne, basking in the setting sun as I consider my choices. It probably won’t come to violence. Beth’s always been willing to listen. I nod to myself. I didn’t come here because of anything Beth’s done recently. A person can change a lot in… I don’t actually know how old Beth is. But her latest memory was in the early nineties. So, it’s been a couple decades.

Shaking my head, I do what I came here for. I focus on the Nexus, forcing the interface up long enough to confirm my advancement. There are several moments I think it’s going to fail, the interface fading. But each time, I infuse it with Facet and Focus, pushing my way through.

The System asks for confirmation, and for a second, I swear I can hear Wyonna’s voice in my ear. Then tingling sweeps through me. It’s similar to when I first purchased the Restoration ability, the System’s energy creeping from the tip of my toes upward.

As it works, time passes, and I start pondering… everything.

Beth’s history. Smoulder stuck in the past. A glitching System. Really, at this point my physical injuries feel like the least of my worries. There’s a bloody war between the M’tari and… well, the remnants of the Aetherium, apparently. Guess that's not much of a problem anymore. Not directly.

I remain there, my body locked in a perpetual cycle, much like my problems. I barely notice when the sun finally sets, a mana-storm crackling on the horizon. What should have been a simple infusion of mana into the southern stone, takes me until the storm is just overhead before I’m able to trigger its protection. The invisible barrier surges upward to include me and my throne. It’s the buzzing of the barrier snapping into place that snaps me out of my circling thoughts.

The System has finished whatever it was doing, but it hasn’t restored me. There’s a notification, that keeps blinking out.

Infusing it with Facet and Focus, I read it.

“Advancement to Copper Rank Complete.”

“Quest Received: Survive Copper. Survive for a hundred years. 0/100 years or Advance to Silver. Rewards: Variable.”

A quest that’s basically irrelevant and a message that feels underwhelming for such a major change. Opening my status takes even more resources, leaving my Facet nearly depleted.

STATUS

Class: Cataclysm Seed

Level: Iron-10 > Copper-1

ATTRIBUTES

Strength: 90

Constitution: 90

Agility: 105

Endurance: 105

Intellect: 125

Spirit: 125

Perception: 125

Resolve: 125

Storage: 11.9 > 119 Cubic meters

Bonded Armour: 6/8

Iron Rank Points

Integration Points: 627

Progression Points: 0

Advancement Points: 2 > 1

Copper Rank Points

Integration Points: 0 > 20

Progression Points: 0

Advancement Points: 0

RESOURCES

Health

Pool: 675/686 > 675/1355

Edge: [103.3] > [144.7]

Regen: (592/day) > (1177/day)

Stamina

Pool: 686/702 > 686/1388

Edge: [110.6] > [155.3]

Regen: (627/day) > (1246/day)

Mana

Pool: 1272/1277 > 1272/2358

Edge: [140.6] > [216.8]

Regen: (1216/day) > (2334/day)

Focus

Pool: 158/1277 > 158/2358

Edge: [126] > [202.2]

Regen: (1216/day) > (2334/day)

Matrix Resources

Facet

Pool: 221/434 > 23/671

Edge: [58.6] > [76.4]

Regen: (372/hour) > (646/hour)

Class Abilities

Increased Facet Pool: 0/10, 0/10

Increased Facet Edge: 0/10, 0/10

Increased Facet regen: 0/10, 0/10

Identify Friend or Foe: 1/1

Elemental Cascade: 1/1, 0/2

Elemental Chakram: 3/3

Lingering Bonds: 2/2

Shifting Tides: 1/1

Echo of Agony: 0/2

Entropic Shift: 1/1

Sympathetic Overflow: 2/2

Limits of Mortality: 1/1

Eye of the Storm: 1/1

Anchor: 1/1

Lesser Cataclysm: 1/1

Seed: 1/1

Channeled Casting: 3/3

Well, it looks like forcing the upgrade was worth it. And wow, that’s a massive upgrade to my inventory. Now… I just…

Rufka, I should check on Rufka.

But the mana-storm has me locked in place. I glare up into the mana-storm, my frustration prompting me upward. I begin grabbing the ambient mana, incorporating it into my aura, reshaping the storm around me, throwing its energy to the ground before it can strike.

I continue ascending, the storm growing closer. It’s fighting me now, the energy lashing out, forming chaotic energies beyond my reach. I’ve been too cautious, avoiding the mana-storms as they’ve wracked Akilo with greater and greater fury. Hiding from them is what led me here. Had I taken control earlier, I’d still be with Tipan. And Rufka. I wouldn’t be a half-melted hunk of flesh with a System on the fritz.

And I wouldn’t know about Beth. The thought freezes me in place, my attention slipping for only a second.

That’s the second the storm strikes. The sky splits, but this is no bolt of lightning. Instead, it’s a yawning void. A complete lack of substance, a hole in reality reaching for me. But time stretches at my command, freezing the bolt in place. I vanish, reappearing above the rip. But avoiding the bolt isn’t enough for me.

So, I start forming runes. Overlapping circles, creating a binding shield. Triangles to link and flex. I continue, adding additional runes for control, stability and a gradual discharge. I stretch my moment to the limit, spending Focus and Facet to increase my time. I just need this one win.

Time resumes and the energy starts flowing into my new spell. The shield pops into place, the rip sealed within. The shield glows with power, drawing energy from the bolt it's containing. It’s working. Then I notice a rune crumple, simply disappearing. This causes a cascade effect, more and more runes crumbling before the shield collapses and the rip within tears its way across the sky, just another failure.

But the storm remains. I don’t have another encounter with a reality tear, but I withstand it until the end, practicing my containment setup every chance I get. But the practice isn’t that useful. Without the void within, there isn’t anything to disrupt the shield.

Eventually the storm passes. I watch it recede for a few seconds before descending to my throne and the keys hidden within.

It’s time to return to Theria.