Ch 44: The Days of the Old Gods

Confronting Archon on the bridge, Toshley seeks answers for his recent actions. Archon reveals the secrets of aeternium, the age of the Old Gods, and one of the Nameless One's biggest goals.

            Standing in the Audentia’s main hall, still carrying Serius over his shoulder, Fox turned to Amy and said, “You guys got an infirmary here or anything? My partner here needs a place to take a few zees.” Coming down the stairs from the bridge, Alexander called out, “The crew’s quarters are down the other way. I think it’s been labeled. We’ve taken the liberty of labeling everyone’s rooms as well, but for now put him in the room at the end of the hall.” Saluting whimsically, Fox said, “Aye aye, mon capitan!” As Fox turned and hurried off down the hall, Alexander approached the others and said, “Well, I’m seeing both new and familiar faces here. How in the world did all of you wind up together?” With a weak smile, an exhausted Amy said, “It’s been a long day. I’m not sure where to begin…” Adjusting his signature shades, Alexander turned to look at the others as he said, “Well I’m afraid there is much you need to be informed of as well. Why don’t we head to the bridge and discuss this? It will be boring, I’m sure, so I’d wager the students would probably prefer to explore the engine room or sightsee on the deck.” 

Looking through the group appraisingly while Johnny pumped a fist in excitement, Alexander added, “Still, if they’re going to look around, I’d prefer they have someone keeping an eye on them. I might have to trouble Schmitt to run the autopilot...” Quickly Cortez approached him, extending his hand as he said, “That won’t be necessary. I’m their teacher, Professor Cortez.” Shaking his hand, Alexander said, “It’s a pleasure Professor. I go by Alexander these days, but I am better known as Gabriel the Immortal of Angelorum Lux. Whatever brought you all here, I’m glad to see you and your students are in one piece.” Finished shaking Cortez’s hand, Alexander suddenly noticed Gwen staring at him with stars in her eyes. Seeing he’d spotted her, Gwen’s face turned red and she quickly looked away. Walking over to her, Alexander said, “Excuse me, but-” Quickly Gwen faced him and bowed her head as she said, “I-I-I’m sorry Lord Gabriel! I m-meant no offense!” 

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Alexander said, “I’m not quite certain what that was about, but aren’t you Gwendolen Bloodrayne, daughter of Count Hubert Bloodrayne?” Looking up at him in surprise, Gwen said, “How did you know?” Smiling as he felt a bit of nostalgia, Alexander said, “I suppose you don’t remember. You were reasonably young back then, and it was a brief visit. Due to certain circumstances, I visited your father fifteen years ago, and he happened to introduce me to his adorable six year old daughter. Those emerald eyes of yours are just like your mother’s.” Seeing Gwen turning even redder, Pyro snickered to herself as she thought, “Oh boy, he keeps this up and she’ll be going to the infirmary as well!”

            Trying to spare Gwen any more embarrassment, Amy drew him back to the matter at hand as she said, “Alexander, weren’t we headed up to the bridge?” Suddenly Archon spoke, saying, “I believe I am first owed a certain payment for my services, aren’t I?” Seeming to just notice him, Alexander said, “Payment? Are you some form of mercenary?” Walking over to Amy, Archon said, “Just a little known researcher.” Holding her hand up before her, Amy formed her golem’s memory shard as she said, “Sorry, I completely forgot.”

Leaning over her hand as he examined the shard, Archon muttered, “Hmm, yes, yes… This one also must have been difficult to obtain, another very rare find! Judging from some of my past investigations, this shard supports my theory that monsters were originally created through the mutation of normal animals that were exposed to unstable pieces of aeternium over a long period of time.” Looking around at them all and gesturing engagingly, he added, “Microscopic pieces would not do for such an effect, and for them to be in proximity with the aeternium constantly, I would think it would have to be a large deposit in a wide area. It all makes me wonder just what these facts mean for the varying races of mortals, as it’s quite possible they could have been shaped through the same process, at least in some capacity.” 

Staring at him strangely as he looked the shard over a bit more, Alexander said, “Aeternium? I’m suddenly hearing about that material quite a bit, but for it to be capable of mutating life forms is something of a stretch…” His examination finished, Archon turned to Alexander and said, “It would be an impossible occurrence in a natural environment these days. Unstable aeternium would only have existed in nature about a thousand years after the world was born, as that is how long it takes to stabilize. However, that does not mean it couldn’t be artificially created by crystallizing forbidden magic into solid form.” His eyes narrowing suspiciously behind his shades, Alexander said, “Just who are you if I might ask?” Without the slightest pause, Archon casually replied, “Archon the Shape Binder, Observer of Order.”

            Standing on the bridge staring down Archon, Toshley puffed his chest up challengingly as he said, “Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!” With a sigh, Archon said, “I don’t see what you’re so upset about Toshley. If I heard you correctly, you’ve already stopped the witch just as I had planned.” Sputtering incoherently a moment, Toshley finally exclaimed, “That’s not the point! And just what do mean by ‘just as I had planned’?!” Reaching into his robes and withdrawing a rather familiar, simple looking mechanical part, Archon presented it to Toshley as he flatly said, “Oh that’s right, I forgot to give this back to you. I’m afraid I borrowed it without asking. Sorry.” Taking the part from him with a look of suppressed rage, Toshley said, “You mean to tell me you knew I was working with them this whole time? That instead of enforcing the code, you came up with some twisted plot to get me to go to Verrel and keep her from making a mess out of the place?” 

Stepping forward and clapping a hand on Toshley’s shoulder, Archon leaned in close, acting as though he were looking at Toshley chummily as he quietly said, “Don’t go telling the others now, I’m making a very special exception just for you! I couldn’t just ignore the fact that you were breaking the code altogether, but it’s a better punishment than stripping your powers, right?” Unable to suppress his rage any more, Toshley exploded, shouting, “YOU’RE A FINE ONE TO TALK!” His explosion over, for a moment the only sound on the bridge was Toshley’s panting. From where she sat in a passenger seat, Amy said, “Why are you so strict about this code anyways Archon? It doesn’t seem like you follow the rules much yourself, and taking away your friends’ powers is a bit extreme...” 

Archon remained silent, and turning away from him, Toshley said, “Humph, don’t bother with him! He clearly has no excuse, other than that he’s a two-faced hypocrite!” In frustration, Archon said, “We’ve all bent the rules at one time or another, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t exist. Without the code, would we be any different from the mautauians? Power corrupts Toshley, and we have a great deal of it. Granted it has diminished over millennia of disuse, but for the time being it is still best for all the peoples of this world that we keep ourselves separate.” 

Turning about, Toshley retorted, “And I suppose we let Altera Veritas or the Nameless One destroy that world?!” Clenching his staff, Archon said, “We lost most of our fellow Observers when we first sealed the Nameless One away. We’ve no hope of accomplishing that again, especially if he obtains what he’s after.” Concerned by this statement, from where he leaned against the right side window of the bridge, Alexander said, “What he’s after?” Turning his head in Alexander’s direction, Archon said, “Since the day that monster was born, he’s been trying to recreate himself as a god by obtaining the All Heart…”

            A bead of sweat running down his face, Toshley said, “The All Heart?! Even we Observers know practically nothing about that mechanism. How long have you known this? I don’t recall you ever deigning to inform the rest of us!” Raising his staff before him, Archon simply said, “Yes, I’ve kept it as quiet as possible while researching it in secret.” As Toshley fumed, Alexander asked the question on everyone’s mind, “What is the All Heart?” Seeming to think for a moment, Archon said, “How to put it? First take a look at this. I’ve been researching the matter much more successfully ever since I discovered this piece of aeternium.” Archon held up his staff to show the crystal floating at the end of it. With a look of realization, Toshley bonked himself on the head and said, “Ah, by Lazlo’s lug nut, I’d nearly forgotten! Myrtle mentioned something about a strange piece of aeternium in your staff. She said it was unlike anything she’d ever come across.” 

Remembering how he’d used it to remove the restraining collar, Amy said, “I thought it was just another part of your staff. Um, what is aeternium again?” His belted gaze fixated on the crystal before him, Archon said, “It’s a very old term for solidified magic. Down to every last sub-atomic particle, the world is made from magic held together by what you have dubbed EDE, but the quantity of magic required for its design was less than the previous world for some reason, so there was some left over. It eventually settled and solidified, more of it drawn to certain areas than others, but for the most part microscopic pieces are everywhere. Most aeternium consists of a random jumble of magical elements fused together, but there are special cases where it is all the same element. Still, there are pieces that are even more special.” 

Staring at the crystal as well, Amy said, “So this is one of those pieces?” Shaking his head, Archon said, “The special pieces I’m talking about are pieces that were created when excess magic was drawn to one of the wayward hearts left wandering the void after the previous existence was rewritten. Many beings and creatures rejected their rewrite, only to become lost and lonely fragments that drew magic to themselves in an attempt to regenerate.” Digging in his pocket a moment, Archon pulled out a very small, worn animal shaped toy and tossed it into the air, his aeternium glowing as he activated it and used it to make the toy fly around. Proceeding to make it fly in all sorts of geometric patterns, Archon continued, “I know this is a rather simplistic demonstration, but unique aeternium can grant the innate powers of those beings to any who hold them. You’ve already encountered one, the phoenix stone that brought the new He of the Infinite back to life. However, the value I would attach to those kinds of pieces pales in comparison to this.” 

Unable to take the suspense, Toshley exclaimed, “Will you get on with it?!” Amused by his eagerness, Archon said, “As I was saying, this piece is different from all the rest. It is something I have long been searching for in order to answer many of the lingering questions about the creation of our existence. I had begun to believe that it would be my misfortune that there were simply none to be found, but just as I’d lost hope, I stumbled upon this unique piece of aeternium.” Guiding the toy back to his hand, Archon put it away as he continued, “Fearing I would find that it was just another dud, I waited with bated breath as I extracted the ancient memories within it using an extremely complex process, and upon completion, I looked over what little information could be salvaged to find that my search had borne fruit at last. This small stone floating here before you all is, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the very heart of an Old God…”

            Staring at the crystal in awe, as Toshley approached and reached out to touch it, he whispered, “By Walden’s wrench… How did you-” Quickly and commandingly, Archon exclaimed, “DO NOT TOUCH IT!” Toshley retracted his hand and looked to him in surprise, and letting out a sigh of relief, Archon gathered himself and said, “I’m sorry, but you truly frightened me Toshley… I have no idea what the effects of direct physical contact would be. Normally I keep a weak barrier around it at all times, but as you reached out, I realized that I haven’t been paying attention lately…” Restoring the barrier around the aeternium immediately, as it became coated with a barely noticeable field of red energy, Archon continued, “Despite a great deal of research, I understand little about it. One thing I do know is that it absorbs any aeternium it comes in contact with, and given that some pieces of aeternium are essentially hearts themselves, it’s best to not take chances…” 

The door to the bridge opening, Fox stepped in and said, “Sorry I’m late. Figured I’d pick out a room while I was there, and well, decisions, decisions…” Sensing the anticipation in the air, Fox asked, “What’d I miss?” Laughing, Schmitt called out from the pilot’s seat, “Take a load off bud, it’s a long story.” As Fox plopped himself into one of the passenger seats, Alexander said, “We can explain it to you later. Getting back on track, it’s very interesting that you’ve found such a thing Archon, but what does it have to do with the All Heart?” Tapping a finger against his head, Archon said, “The Old Gods did not come up with the system of the Links from some vague idea. The way we Observers can strip others of our powers is through our ability to draw it out from them as a group using the Links, and I have long theorized that in order to create Deus Amictus, the Old Gods had to have used a similar system. Because of this, I have also long thought that the events behind the birth of Origin, the Seventh Spirits, we Observers, and even the many other races of our existence, must have played out slightly differently from what we have always imagined.” Holding the staff out to display the aeternium again, Archon said, “From what I’ve learned from this Old God’s memories, I was right. The true story behind it all is, as is the case with many things in life, not quite so grand and beautiful. Instead, it is an ugly tale, born of selfish mistakes, ignorance, and desperate times… The tragic tale of hatred and war that led to the creation of the All Heart and our current existence…”

            Everyone listened intently, eagerly awaiting to hear tale of the previous existence’s end at last. Seeming to be staring at his aeternium with silent respect, after a moment Archon continued, “The Old God who once bore this heart, a being named Atal, was a low ranked and humble warrior among his people. At the time when the Old Gods’ existence first began to fall apart, his nation, The Alosian Republic, was in the midst of a long and horrific worldwide war with the Earldom of Lestania, another large faction amongst the Old Gods. The two warring factions both had held great territories across their world before the war started, and had both been quite prosperous. Yet over the ages of peace between them, the differences in their respective cultures grew, leading to misunderstandings and conflict. It’s unclear, at least from what I can salvage of his memory, whether there was some final strand that broke, some great event that lit the fires of war that quickly swept over their world and consumed it. However, as war finally broke out, both sides labeled the other as nothing more than demons that had to be eradicated from the world, and they slaughtered each other without mercy.” 

His face grim, Archon tried to paint the picture more vividly as he said, “Countless homes were razed to the ground, arcane bombs were launched into schools and biological weapons were turned against hospitals… Men, women, and even children and the elderly all perished equally…” Chills running down her spine just imagining the existence Archon spoke of, Amy fearfully wondered if the growing presence of discrimination on Teramis, or even the longstanding disparity of Gaia could one day become the same nightmarish conflict he spoke of. His tale was far from over though, and she continued to listen as Archon said, “The war was in a stalemate around the time they discovered it. Scouts from The Alosian Republic came across a strange being that dwelt in the old abandoned mines that their superiors had scrambled to reclaim. Intent upon gaining access to the ore in the mines in order to generate more weapons with which to crush their enemies, they sent in their troops to clear the creature out of the mines.” 

Motioning to the aeternium, Archon said, “Atal was among them, as was Tulrius Moragone, an esteemed Epoch Mage of the Violet Archive, a faction within their military that specialized in magical knowledge. The truth was that Tulrius himself had guessed what it really was that they had found in those mines, and he was determined to stop it before it was too late.” His face grave, Toshley quietly voiced what everyone was thinking, saying, “Nox, The Embodiment of Darkness…” Nodding affirmatively, Archon said, “Tulrius carried with him an ancient artifact, Vas Initio, uncovered by past Violet Archive mages in a mysterious place known only as ‘Last Remote’ that laid beyond a magic portal in an underground ruin somewhere within their country. Nox slew almost all the soldiers upon the encounter, and Tulrius almost failed, but in an amazing act of heroism, Atal aided him in sealing Nox away forever within Vas Initio. Yet though the danger should have passed then, even though Tulrius and Atal deserved to be able to return home with pride, instead that was actually the moment the end truly began.” 

Shaking his head with a sigh, Archon said, “The Alosian Republic had gone there seeking weapons after all, and knowing of Tulrius’ accomplishment, one of the other Epoch Mages portrayed Vas Initio’s power to their government as a secret weapon that could turn the tide of the war in their favor…” The pieces of the puzzle beginning to fall into place in his mind, Alexander could only wonder at the Old Gods’ folly as he voiced the tragic scenario that he had deduced to have followed, saying, “So after capturing Nox, they simply began unleashing it’s power themselves, no doubt disregarding any warnings from Tulrius… It was they themselves that destroyed their own world…” 

Shooting him an impressed smile, Archon replied, “Indeed. The armies of The Alosian Republic swept across the world with the Epoch Mages at the forefront, Vas Initio’s power bringing all before them to ruin. Both sides were still unaware that the energy being unleashed was unraveling their world, and backed into a corner, the Earldom of Lestania chose an unbelievably desperate path to try and save themselves. Despite the objections of one of their members, the Earldom’s greatest wizards introduced a plan that still sends chills down my spine at the thought of it.” Trembling momentarily as though to prove his words, Archon explained, “Using ancient magic, or in truth actually using their form of the Links, they would combine the power and memories of all their surviving people into one, becoming a monster to rival the power of Vas Initio. The Earldom of Lestania was finished either way, and the rulers in charge broke down quickly, approving the ritual to create the All Heart.”

            The matter in question, the All Heart, finally having been revealed, the bridge was filled with an air of tense expectation as Archon continued, “The one member of the Earldom’s wizards who had objected, a woman known as Fortuna the Wise, fled the country before the ritual began. Hiding her identity, drifting through foreign lands, she was eventually arrested on a charge not even related to the fact that she was an outsider, and was thrown into a prison cell where she would have likely rotted away without anyone ever being aware she was not a citizen of The Alosian Republic.” Smiling to himself as he showcased the aeternium once more, Archon seemed rather proud as he said, “Yet by some twist of fate, it was there in that same prison that she encountered Atal and Tulrius, both of whom had been imprisoned for their opposition to Vas Initio’s use. Forming bonds with each other during their imprisonment, as the All Heart’s completion drew close, Fortuna confessed her people’s sins to her new friends, feeling certain the end of all things was near. Tulrius only made her all the more certain of it, revealing to her the true nature of Vas Initio’s power and the threat it posed. Both having given up, Tulrius and Fortuna waited for the end. Atal, however, refused to give up.” 

Becoming a bit skeptical about something Archon said earlier, Amy took advantage of Archon’s dramatic pause and asked, “You did say he was just a humble soldier, right?” With clear enthusiasm, Archon replied, “It’s true, I did. However, that is not to say that great people cannot have humble beginnings. I’ll be getting there soon enough, but I think by the end of this you’ll understand my interest in him.” Continuing his story, Archon went on to say, “Now, as the All Heart finally spawned, it clashed with the power of Vas Initio in epic battle. Despite still being slightly overpowered, the All Heart turned the tide and used all its knowledge of the system of Links that existed to forcefully absorb every last one of the Epoch Mages. Without them to control Vas Initio, The Alosian Republic was helpless before the All Heart, and it rampaged through their cities and towns, seeking out and absorbing everyone it could. It finally arrived at the place where Atal, Tulrius, and Fortuna were imprisoned, and while the guards and other prisoners were being consumed one by one, even though it looked like the end, Atal rallied Tulrius and Fortuna to his side and together they escaped that forsaken prison.” His epic tale reaching its climax, Archon made a brief request not to be interrupted, and proceeded to unveil the rest.

“Fleeing the wake of the All Heart, they knew that at the moment they could still do nothing against it. It continued to consume, and as they struggled to think of a countermeasure, they at last headed to the abandoned headquarters of the Violet Archive. They searched through the information stored there, and finally rediscovered the location of the ruins holding the entrance to Last Remote, where they hoped they would find some form of salvation.”

            “Reaching the portal, they wandered the streets of the strange, uninhabited city they found beyond it, searching for something that could aid them. They happened across many unbelievable finds, and learned things that turned their world upside down. Nox, the being who they had all thought a creature born of a dark power foreign of the Great Light that was supposed to be within them all, was revealed by the writings of Last Remote to be the guardian deity of their world, who had once been the source of that Great Light. His transformation was warned of in prophecies written there, a prophecy that foretold that he would be tainted with the anger and sadness of his children as they slaughtered each other. Creation and destruction truly were two sides of the same coin, and when their people, the Children of Light, began to use their power to pillage and destroy, darkness was born.”

            “Learning of a great weapon that had been created to fight against the guardian deity should the day come that he would turn on the world, the three quickly went to the place in Last Remote where it was kept, hoping it would prove effective against the All Heart as well. Arriving in the throne room of Last Remote, enshrined there before the throne was Deus Amictus. Forged of solid Great Light, this sword was their last hope, and taking it up, Atal set forth with Tulrius and Fortuna to slay the All Heart. They reclaimed Vas Initio on their way as well, knowing to use it would be dangerous, but also knowing that they may not succeed with Deus Amictus alone. Facing off against the All Heart, they were protected by Deus Amictus, whose Great Light in solidified form could not be absorbed, and after a fierce battle, the beast was slain. Its body dissolved away, leaving behind only a crystal containing the trapped hearts of all the All Heart’s occupants within.”

            “The war, at long last, had ended. The price however, quickly became clear. Only a handful of the Children of Light survived now, almost all the people of the Alosian Republic having fallen before the All Heart. The world was in ruins, and existence had unraveled so much that it no longer needed Nox’s power to keep coming apart at the seams. Gathering the survivors, Atal and his friends returned to Last Remote one last time in search of a way to turn things around again. They came up with only one solution though, and while everyone else begrudgingly agreed it was their last hope, Atal could not accept it. Tulrius and Fortuna tired to convince him that with the current existence already coming apart, it could not be saved without taking it apart completely first, and that the same form could unfortunately never be duplicated, as all things exist only once. Unwilling to relinquish his current existence, Atal searched by himself for another way, while the others, knowing there was no time, headed to the Throne of the Inanimate Dream. Between Tulrius and Fortuna, the two of them had more than enough intellect to devise new rules to input into the system that would allow them to recreate existence.”

            “They also took precautions against another system that existed there in Last Remote, which they had suspicions was designed to give a set duration to each existence created with the Throne. Carrying out this final task, they unmade their existence, and seeing that they had gone ahead without him, Atal relinquished Deus Amictus. Remaining even after their existence was gone due to the nature of Last Remote, the remaining Children of Light worked together with Tulrius and Fortuna to devise the new existence they would most desire. Setting in motion its creation, once Origin, whom they called Lux, was born from Deus Amictus as their world’s new guardian deity, Fortuna showed a bit of sentimentality, presenting Lux with the remains of the All Heart and begging him to take it. The hearts of her people inside it were beyond even this final salvation, and she implored him to make them a part of himself so that they could at least witness the new world as well. Lux accepted, and fused the All Heart with his own being, promising her that he would watch over them for now, and also search for a way with which they could return to life in the new existence.”

            His story had all but come to a close, and seeming to be gazing at the aeternium sadly, Archon finished, “The surviving Children of Light were rewritten as we Observers, save for the three heroes. Tulrius and Fortuna decided to remain in Last Remote and watch over it for all eternity, its timeless expanses allowing them to remain unaffected by the passage of time. Atal however, refused to remain in Last Remote or even submit to the rewrite, clinging to his existence and becoming the aeternium you see before you…” Mulling over all of this incredible tale once Archon was finished, Alexander looked unsatisfied as he stood there furrowing his brow, and then he turned to Archon and said, “There are still some things I don’t understand though… Why, if all things only exist once, does Vas Initio remain despite being unbound to anything? Why would gaining the All Heart, which was technically weaker than Vas Initio, achieve the Nameless One’s goal of becoming a god? And also, if all the other Children of Light were reborn as the Observers, why are you still searching for unique pieces aeternium?” 

Laughing in amusement, Archon replied, “You would make quite the formidable research assistant! First off, Vas Initio was created within Last Remote it seems, with materials that originated from there as well. Nox, who was within it, should have himself been rewritten, it’s true. However, it seems that he was somehow protected by Vas Initio in a manner similar to the way that the surviving Children of Light were by Last Remote itself.” Pausing in his train of thought, Archon quickly corrected himself as he said, “Well, he was still rewritten in a sense, Lux attempting to use him as a foundation in creating the Seventh Spirit of Darkness, Vanitas. Yet Nox’s original self remained, somehow causing Vanitas to come into existence as a being with a great emptiness within him. As such, he is also known as the Embodiment of Emptiness…” 

His first question answered easily, as Alexander took this in, he said, “And the All Heart and the aeternium?” Leaning against the staff and scratching at his chin thoughtfully, Archon replied, “It’s really only a theory, but it makes sense in every respect that the Nameless One could gain great power with the All Heart. As I told you, Lux made it so that he and it are one and the same. If the Nameless One can obtain the All Heart, he will have gained its power along with all the power of the being you know as Origin. What with recent events, it may already be well within his grasp…” Unsure if he could take any more bad news than what was already on his plate with Grey and Saria’s capture, Alexander begrudgingly asked, “Just what recent events are you speaking of?” 

Hesitation clearly showing on his blindfolded face, Archon seemed to evade the topic as he said, “Yes, well… The direness of the situation is all the more reason I am hurrying to try and find another piece of unique aeternium. There is something I learned from Atal’s memories that might help turn the tables on the Nameless One, but a key part of that information was permanently corrupted in the scan. I can only hope there was another of the Children of Light who decided that they wanted to remain as they are. Unless I can find it, I won’t allow my fellow Observers to throw their lives away in a futile fight.” Struggling to make him see that it was a fight that must be fought, Toshley said, “But Archon, it’s more than likely that the aeternium you’re trying to locate just plain isn’t there! If you wait until you’ve found something like that, we’ll likely be sitting on our hands throughout the entire end of the world!” 

Shaking his head sadly, Archon stubbornly said, “The fact that Alastor controls him now cripples the Nameless One’s ability to absorb the power of others, which I still can’t believe he didn’t just use against him and Alexander all those years ago when he was freed in the first place, but if Alastor is destroyed and the Nameless One remains only to regain that power, we’ll just be making things worse. The information in that piece of aeternium, which it’s true may or may not even exist, is likely the only hope of our existence…”

            Suddenly all heads turned to Fox as he burst out laughing. Turning around to look at him strangely himself, Schmitt said, “The hell’s so funny? Somebody telling jokes back there or somethin?” As his laughter subsided, Fox glanced at Archon and said, “You really know how to give someone a vote of confidence! In case you forgot, you’re on an airship belonging to Angelorum Lux. You know, the guys who have the guts to go out there and take the fight to the bad guys instead of hiding behind some big hunk of glass.” Turning to Fox, Archon curtly said, “Hunk of glass? This ‘hunk of glass’ as you call it is the legacy of one of the beings whom you owe your very existence to.” Leaning back in his chair casually, Fox said, “What do you want, a medal? You can talk about gods and existence all you want, but there’s only one man I believe in, and he’s the one who’s gonna save this world! You and your fancy crystal ball there can go take a hike!” 

As Archon seemed to stare at Fox in disgust, Amy felt she was unable to hide her growing concern any longer, and blurted out, “Where IS Grey? I haven’t seen him at all.” Hesitantly, Schmitt called back to her, “Yeah well, let’s just say the rescue mission ain’t quite over yet…” Bolting upright in his chair, Fox exclaimed, “Seriously?! Again?!” Looking somewhat apologetic as he met Amy’s gaze, Alexander said, “It’s my fault. I knew from the moment he appeared that Scott was completely false, but I still let my guard down.” Her heart sinking, Amy thought to herself, “I knew something would happen. I could tell something was wrong the moment you didn’t answer… Grey…”

            Sitting at a large computer terminal in his laboratory looking at all sorts of data, as he read the information on the gigantic screen set in the wall, Scott raised his hands up in the air and spun in his swivel chair as he burst into mad laughter. Bringing his spinning chair to a halt, he swung his hand down and punched another key as he exclaimed in Dr. Nova’s voice, “Incredible! Spectacular! How could I not have noticed it before now?!” 

Appearing on the screen, a three dimensional diagram of multiple dots connected by lines appeared, and Scott continued, “If not for that battle I’d have never believed it, but it turns out I overlooked something so simple! Ever since we’d been making anomalies, I’ve struggled to determine what it is about the aeternium that allows a deceased soul to reattach itself to a body! Aeternium can serve to restore life by recharging a key part of a living being’s essence that is scientifically unheard of! The heart!” Raising his hands up as though to welcome the results upon the screen into his arms, he ranted, “The heart itself is what connects body and soul, EDE being generated by the heart binding the essence to the body so that it can sustain it with life energy! Until one’s life finally expires, or maybe even after, the heart is the link to everything! Even to other living beings completely separate from our own essence!” 

Punching in more commands, Scott muttered, “Now the only mystery is him! What secret does he possess?! What is it that is so unique about his heart that allows him to wield this power?!” Scrutinizing every bit of info that came up on the screen, he rambled on, “I’ve already managed to create a system that can detect the heart itself, and while I wasn’t expecting there to be so many connections to other hearts, if I can just weed through them and find the main subject, one that’s significantly different…” Typing command after command furiously, he suddenly noticed something. Zooming in on one of the dots connected by lines, he said, “Could that be it? This one in particular seems to be connected to all of them. Not only that, but…” Staring intently at an increasing numerical measurement next to the dot, he continued, “Certain measurements are always rising with the acquisition of new memories and such, but here even the static measurements are continuously increasing. Wouldn’t that mean that this heart in particular is constantly changing?” Swiveling in his chair, Scott stared over at the tank containing Grey, and a mad grin crossed his face as he thought, “I may very well be in the presence of a god!”

Author's Note

I expect if I hear anything about this chapter it might be about information overload. There is simply so much that needed to be revealed here, I had my hands full as it was just keeping from having nonstop dialogue. I didn't want to make flashbacks either, it would have been significantly long and I am thinking to myself I might do short stories based on this to supplement.