Spiritually Driven 4 (Patreon)

Spiritually Driven 4 - or ‘The Traveler is ‘God’, but I am quite the Messiah in this Dark World’ (Destiny/Destiny II, Spirit!SI)

It’s been a full century since I have last heard of the Hive.

The Federation had… prospered. It took time for our new ‘neighbors’ to get accustomed to a lack of internal conflict, that the trust they could provide would not be tarnished by betrayal but… the Krill were able to successfully become part of ‘Atlantis’.

They couldn’t integrate with the Ammonite culture, but their own traditions became part of what multicultural system the Federation was slowly turning into. With their government reforming in a council of ‘kings’ rather than an absolute monarchy, the infighting had lessened to a few squabbles along the years, and their progress in medical and military efforts were well praised.

Krills are quick-breeding people, but that factor was severely crippled by their limited lifespans. Medical efforts through the Traveler’s knowledge allowed for a slight increase of a few years with a degree of those years meant to allow a better formation for the new generations.

The military bit was focused on the ground forces. The Ammonites were Fleet-Masters, but their capacity to fight on the ground was not as effective as the martially-educated Krill.

Years of brutal massacres and survival had carved a rather stubborn will to survive out of these creatures, giving them the edge needed to ultimately create the ‘Federal Army and Marine Corps’.

In this 100 years, the Federation acquired twenty new worlds that were getting colonized at an aggressive pace. The peaceful circumstances and the overall progress achieved mostly through their own strength allowed for the creation of a solid population growth program without going through extreme means. In a similar manner, the Krills saw five planets joining their side of the federation.

Within that sort of ‘difference’ however rested a very interesting circumstance: Ammonites and Krills did start to interbreed after a decade or so of polite interactions. And while that generated some irritation due to the potential ‘bastardization’ of their differing cultures, the integration of the ‘Amills’ proved to be quite calm in the general context. Race crimes were a thing, but those were limited and hardly sponsored by any side due to the implication of potential issues of that kind.

What made the Amills somewhat more ‘adaptive’ compared to Krills and Ammonites was the union of their best traits in their physical selves. They were bipedal humanoids with two pair of arms, four eyes and two solid legs that would shift to optimal swimming limbs through internal membranae.

Their lifespan was also fairly lengthy compared to the one bestowed to the Krills with a whooping thirty years maximum of life, but still extremely short compared to the ammonites’ centuries-long lives.

Everything was shaping into something ever-evolving. Another century and the full ‘integration’ of the two cultures may as well fully unfold without an itch. That was my estimation before… The Traveler decided to leave.

Not too far, of course, but looking to assist another culture that required help. In this case, preparations had been made for this and an announcement was made to the entire federation that ‘we may be getting a new friend’.

This was further confirmed when, after sending two representative ships to escort the Traveler’s trip, the ‘Harmony’ civilization was found. The ships witnessed as the Traveler realigned ten planets, one of which was inhabited by these ‘lizard-like creatures’ that had a feudalistic society still rolling through, around a black hole and, in said black hole’s polar jet, he built the ‘Gift Mast’.

The Mast would produce Light energy that will be essential to provide the Harmony with the sort of power needed to harness their current circumstances. First contact was approached with a controlled approach. The Harmony were already rallied in a single large nation born from a ‘surviving community’ after a natural disaster had destroyed most of the early communities.

They were democratic, thus they saw the Atlantis Federation as a good ally to find assistance in the uplift. The Traveler did most of the early work, but the progress was proceeding smoothly for a successful advance into space-faring activities for the Harmony.

But where Peace comes, so does War. Not in a literal sense of it, but I found my own reason to seek ‘Conflict’ through a ‘summon’. It felt unpleasant, dreadful even, and, worst of all, the source of it was a single individual I had been looking forward to finding… and also not.

“We finally meet, Oracle.”

A suave voice, tempting and yet deprived of genuine emotional weight. It was like a brief glimpse in a mirror rather than a portrait of something genuine.

The Witness approached, steps over the golden eternity he pulled me in.

Witness. Such a ugly way to show your mug before me.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. I have seen it, you will be the one handling the killing shot to the Gardener.”

I am not interested in visions.

“But those are real. Not visions, the future- it will happen,” He professed. “And you can already fasten it. Bring peace to the universe through Darkness as Light is merely the continuation of pain.”

You dare to speak of pain… when you inflicted it to me.

“This is the first time we speak to each other, I don’t see how-”

The worm. You were the one speaking through it. I now see why Sathona couldn’t refuse it. It wasn’t alive. It was a trick… your trick.

“I believe you are seeing things that-”

Liar.

There was an odd pause in his mannerism, the Witness actually hesitating for a moment.

“I-”

Salvation, you are not. Closure, you are not. An ending, you are clearly not. Not to me, that is because you are only one thing: ruination.

I turned to look at him angrily as I felt that wrath that had gone unanswered and untouched for a century or more now. I just imagined what could have been- the hope ruined by someone that represented my truest opposition.

Witness, you destroyed my new family. You broke hopes, you shattered dreams, you defiled the real meaning of purpose within life itself all for what your boss told you to do. I wonder if your assumption of me being a puppet to the Traveler is in truth a desperate attempt to find a mirror self in me. I am not, for I am your enemy.

“And how did you come to this… conclusion?” The Witness sounded ominously… curious. As if something he missed was now reaching his current thoughts.

You witness, I survive. You admire and remember, while I endure and persist. I am endless, for you are momentary. I will have my revenge in full, I shall make sure that you will not live the moment our real first clash comes. I will come at you with my soul drumming for war as I am too driven to give up to a quitter such as yourself.

…

And with that, I was back where I left. I expected more, but I had a feeling that what I said shocked him immensely. I knew through the Traveler I was anomalous and while the Light had adopted me as part of its plans, I was more of a kindred spirit that tagged along the least corrupt path.

Nothing truly bound me to the Traveler, and he accepted that, but I still saw a point in aligning my plans with his and the end result was a better chance and hope to end this Paracausal War once and for all.

That hadn’t been a dream, but I am sure the Witness will beg for it to have been one the moment he dared to cross paths with me. I will show him no mercy, for he deserves none of it from me.

He seeks to witness for the purpose of annihilation? I shall be the one to provide him with the ultimate sight- the end of his own existence by my bare hands.

—---------d-d-d-d—--------

AN

Next time… a rebellious son’s search leads him to find more of what his parent lied to him about. A chance to be great, but at the expense of his alignment.