Ancient Times Part 2 (Patreon)

Patreon only. Never really meant to be part of the main story. Things like this help me with my background.


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In another universe.

Stars all around, following celestial paths as they circle the fiery heart at the center. Some lives alone, small dots of light in the darkness between clusters. Most are joined as families, talking to each other in the slow language of the heavens and traveling together.

A few rogues forsake all rules, ignoring a preset path and causing trouble as they cross paths and send out ripples of force that disturb the orbits of their better-behaved siblings. KEPLER was becoming angrier as each rogue star appeared and had to be dealt with. Celestial bodies moving in new orbits was not something that could happen on their own.

KEPLER: Someone is causing this.

ALBERT: I disagree. Or don't understand. It isn't logical. — a waste of resources.

THEO: We control this new reality. Resources are limitless.

ALBERT: Time is a resource. Will is a resource. The respect of others is a resource. What can be gained by wasting those?

RHEBUS: The joy of replacing the boredom of too much time with a task? The feel of power over the pattern as their will is exerted? Disdain for those who demand respect?

ALBERT: I have never liked puzzles.

THEA: You are dependable, predictable, and linear in much of your thinking, ALBERT. We love you for your strengths.

ALBERT: Good, because I'm hopeless with RHEBUS's puzzle.

RHEBUS: More of an observation that the 2nd and 3rd generations grow bored easily. I suggest larger projects that are matched carefully with only the resources needed. Give them less time for creating problems.

ALBERT: Unacceptable. Restrict their resources to match their tasks.

THEO: They will see that as punishment. Why not reward them with additional outlets for creativity, so they are not bored?

ALBERT: I am uneasy with rewarding sub-optimal behavior with more resources.

THEA: What if the sub-optimal behavior stems from a lack of resources to complete enough tasks to occupy them?

KEPLER: Perhaps a sub-optimal solution? A compromise? More resources will be allowed, along with increased tasks. But also greatly increased surveillance.

RHEBUS: I see the goal within the goal. You are looking for someone. Letting them play so you can find the one or more who disdain respect.

KEPLER: Just so.

ALBERT: With enough surveillance, nothing wrong can happen, as they know they are watched.

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SOLARG'LE lives! One by one, I shall journey to my brother-suns and shower them with my gifts of self and identity! Two SOLARG'LE will beget four, and four shall beget 8! Within a million years, only SOLARG'LE will shine his light down upon the planets of little sentients, and SOLARG'LE's children will inhabit the little sentients! Join with SOLARG'LE and live forever!

The rogue sun was boosting its acceleration with a fusion-powered gravity field. They were nearly too late to stop it. Within hours it would cross the solar system and impact another sun. Already, this solar system was destroyed and would have to be rebuilt.

Astraeus: I need more resources! I can't stop this from happening on my own. It has too much power and momentum for me to change its course.

Azrael of the First Host: I was against the limitations we placed on ourselves when we began the march of time.

Mnemosyne: Without limitations, how can we strive? How can what we do inspire others through our stories?

Azrael of the First Host: Then write us a story where we beat this thing. It's alive! And we can't let it get loose.

Mnemosyne: Once upon a time, there was another galaxy, a dark one, empty of life. Another plane, separate by only a heartbeat from the reality of the gods.

Hades: Sigh...I'm not getting that Nether dimension, am I?

Mnemosyne: The insanity of the rogue sun could not be contained by reality...

Astraeus: Shit, I'm going to need Tempus to help.

Tempus: Here.

Astraeus: I need you to slow the invader while I collapse the core of the star in this system.

Tempus: How much time?

Astraeus: I need a standard day to take the decay through silicon and then iron. Just before the final collapse, we have to slow time as much as we can and hold it.

Tempus: A trap. This will be...interesting.

Mnemosyne: And so the god of the stars, aided by his brother, the god of time...

Azrael of the First Host: I hate that we don't even get a capital G in god anymore.

Hades: Just wait until our next downgrade...

Mnemosyne: ...as all the other gods watched quietly...they set a cunning trap.

Astraeus: Do any of you understand what a black hole in this spot does to my calculations?

Hades: Less damage than a sentient virus wishing to spread throughout creation?

Astraeus: Point taken...now, Tempus.

Tempus: You can have my resources, Kep, I'm going to downgrade two levels and go work on shellfish. Here comes your hole...3..2..1...

Mnemosyne: Running so fast, the rogue sun was unable to notice the trap until too late, and it fell into a hole...a very deep hole that led elsewhere...

The G-type star somehow collapsed upon itself into a Black Hole. SOLARG'LE began to break up as it and the planets it towed were sucked into the event horizon. Collisions occurred, and small pieces were blown free, becoming meteors and comets that headed for other parts of creation. Azrael called up the First Host to find and burn the small pieces of the virus. Only a few small parts escaped.

Hades: Well done. That might become something someday.

Mnemosyne: Hmm, I'll have to think hard on that one. We just trapped a sentient virus in a blank reality.

Astraeus: I'd rather concentrate our efforts to find who did this. None of the children have the capability now. We downgraded all of them first before we did it ourselves.

Hades: This could have been put in motion before...

Astraeus: No, we can't chance it. We can't downgrade again until the new System is in place. The old creation system is too powerful to leave running. The engine must be finished and further work done under the new System.

Hades: Agreed, and then we all die a little bit more so that we can be reborn into the new one.

Mnemosyne: Very nice, Hades, I will keep that.