Memory

Memory
by Alexander "KG" Hwang

Beyond Reckoning

[Indigo] noticed [time]. [Approaching].
{We [dreamt] of you,} [Scarlet] said. {[Coldness].}
{Gone,} [Indigo] declared. {Another [everything] failed as the previous.}
[Jade] were.
{Your [everything],} [Scarlet] said to [Jade].
{Dying,} [Jade] reported. {The [everything] will only persist another [73 sextillion years].}
{[Dimensional],} [Indigo] perceived. {They do not last [long].}
{Greatest chance of [attainment],} [Scarlet] noted. {[?] rarely even produce intelligence.}
[Scarlet] were not.
{[Micro],} [Jade] considered.
{No need,} [Indigo] said. {This [everything] now has [12 sextillion years]. Time to [create] another. [Infrared] allows.}
[Jade] were incapable of emotion, but if [Jade] were not, the emotion felt would be sorrow.
[Jade] watched the dying [dimensional everything] as countless [totalities] within it vanished for reasons none of the inhabitants would ever be able to understand. One of the [totalities] shined faintly as the cosmoses within it imploded and exploded.


The End of Existence

[The Ultimate] sensed a horrible feeling of destruction everywhere.
Master, [the Greater Impossible] said. We are doomed.
This cannot be, [the Ultimate] declared. There was no reason. No indication at all!
I am sorry, my Master, [the Greater Impossible] said. Throughout all existence, cosmoses are simultaneously dying.
[The Ultimate] did not reply. There was no more to be said.
[The Greater Impossible], having accepted the inevitable, destroyed itself.
It looks like you win in the end, [the Ultimate] said, thinking about [the Emptiness].
And [the Ultimate] looked upon the dying cosmoses. An almost-pride engulfed [the Ultimate]. It was a good existence. [The Ultimate] did not regret anything.
[The Ultimate] released a vast light throughout existence as the last of its energy dwindled with the cosmoses. The light was everywhere for several moments, including one great and dark cosmos, before everything vanished.


The Last Day

The Emperor sighed. A gesture indicative of life. The Emperor was once a life form, after all.
My Lord, the Black God thought to him. It seems that we have little time.
I know, the Emperor said, closing his eyes. It has been a long time since I was really alive. I do not fear death.
I comprehend, the Black God said.
The Enigma appeared and bowed to the Emperor.
Your minions request to spend their final moments with you, my Lord, the Enigma said.
Let them come, the Emperor said.
And they did. The Emperor looked at them with his mind.
They were older, now. You could even feel their age. A very long time had passed.
The Emperor made it a point to consider each one, to briefly remember their lives which he had never experienced, before he reflected on his own life.
A bright light lit up the cosmos as the Emperor thought his final words.
Oh well.


1,408,226 Machine Age / 214,963rd Year of the Lord
Earth 3

Emperor Sammy King blinked at the sun.
He had a daydream. His immediate mind had forgotten it, as his immediate mind was based on his original chon mind. He considered fetching the daydream, but he didn't really care.
Sammy glanced at his hand and flexed his fingers.
It's almost a pity, he thought to himself. With my mind, I can accomplish more than these hands ever will. They're essentially useless now.
He was about to close his hand into a fist when he became aware of Therashok about to visit him. He left his palm open and Therashok appeared in it, roughly one twentieth of its normal size.
"Yo, Boss," Therashok said, despite its lack of a mouth or vocal cords.
"Hello, Therashok," Sammy murmured.
"So, like, I got bored this other day," Therashok said. "And then boom! I saw some dark steven blow up because I ate it, except I wasn't there, you know?"
Closed his fingers over the miniature Therashok, who disappeared.
Ah, Therashok, Sammy thought to himself, then stopped. Radius was calling to him.
My Lord, Radius thought to him. I apologize for interrupting your ineffable thoughts.
It is no matter, Sammy replied. What is it?
The vlinn have released deadly gases into our atmosphere, Radius stated. Many are working on repelling the gases, but there will be terrible casualties. I was wondering if you would consider interfering.
Sammy said nothing, thinking to himself for a fraction of a second.
I'll consider it, Sammy finally said.
Thank you, my Lord, Radius thought, withdrawing.
Sammy flexed his fingers again.
Somewhere above Uivoros, several vlinn became aware of leaks in their protective suits and died in the noxious gas they were preparing.
Somewhere else, closer to where the vlinn came from, a vlinn priest received a vision from an angry god who despised the cowardice of the vlinn using chemicals.
Sammy thought about Radius, then. He weaved through the mind of Radius with some idle consciousnesses, looking at random memories he had.


1,161,119 Machine Age / 6,197th Year of the Lord
Uivoros

Radius rubbed his head as the akumander entered his room.
The akumander was Major Euclid Quiddity. He had passed the tests to become a general, who can only be appointed by the Lord.
Radius looked down at the akumander.
Fear and awe radiated from the figure, but it was heavily masked by determination.
"Euclid Quiddity," Radius murmured. He felt old. He vaguely wondered if Lord Sammy really gave him immortality.
"My Lord," Euclid whispered.
"You have proven yourself worthy of becoming a general amongst the radians," Radius recited, wondering exactly how many times he said it. "I award you with this seal of authority."
Radius barely moved his head and a black seal fell to the floor between them.
Euclid knelt to retrieve the object.
"Thank you, my Lord," Euclid whispered. "My loyalty will be and always has been with you, first and foremost."
Radius merely nodded and said nothing more.
He watched Euclid turn to leave and rummaged through the new general's thoughts.
Hm, Radius thought to himself vaguely. He's more psychic than the average person.
Radius let part of his mind wander through Euclid's memories for a while.


1,161,110 Machine Age / 6,189th Year of the Lord
Uivoros

Euclid Quiddity saluted the portrait of General Deriva Harmony on his wall.
"One day," Euclid vowed to the picture, "I will be like you."
General Deriva was standing tall and strong. She had a smile that smiled at you across time.
She was, in Euclid's opinion, the greatest of the generals. And to think that she was around when Lady Zyra fell. Not quite in the action, but it was obviously something that must have shaped the way she was. Not to mention the fact that both of her parents were great generals of their time.
Euclid sighed and scratched his tail absentmindedly.
His friends would tell him that his obsession with the long-dead general scared off the women. It wasn't a big deal to him, really, but it bothered him a little.
He had to admit, though, that he envied General Deriva's husband.
Euclid put a hand on the portrait, then, and he remembered something that the portrait remembered.


1,160,941 Machine Age / 6,046th Year of the Lord
Uivoros

"I don't know, Auntie Lene," Deriva Harmony said, looking at the portrait. "It doesn't really look like me all that much."
"Oh, don't be silly," Lene Ace said, inspecting her claws. "Sure can't be anyone else."
"I know that," Deriva said, putting the portrait back on the table, "but I mean it's not who I am."
"Well, it's still you," Lene said, looking at her, "and I bet your parents will cherish it almost half as much as they cherish you."
Deriva sighed and sat on a chair, across from Lene.
"I don't doubt that," Deriva said. "I mean, I know how much they care about me and stuff. I sure wish they wouldn't worry so much, though."
"What kind of parents don't worry about their kids?" Lene asked, looking at one of her swords. "If your parents didn't worry about you, then I would lose respect for them. You are in the army."
Deriva became quiet and thought to herself.
Lene stood up and walked over to her, patting her head.
"Hey, kid," Lene said, smiling at her. "They're proud of you. Trust me."
Deriva smiled back at her.
"I guess you're right," Deriva said. "I just hope I don't damage their legacy."
Lene laughed at that.
"You are their legacy," Lene said, finally.
Deriva thought about that for a while.
"What were we talking about?" Deriva eventually asked.
"Hm?" Lene said. She was balancing a sheath on her finger. "Oh, yeah, the picture, that's all. I think it's fine. Not all artists are crooks. Catch."
At that last word, Lene suddenly tossed the sheath at Deriva. Deriva quickly grabbed it.
"Hey, good catch," Lene said, picking up her other sheath.
Deriva looked at the sheath and couldn't help feeling a memory emanate from it.


1,160,913 Machine Age / 6,022nd Year of the Lord
Uivoros

Fract Ace nodded at his daughter.
"They're in good shape, Lene," he said. Giving the sheathed swords back to her. "You're better with swords than I am."
"Oh, dad," Lene said. "That's not funny."
"Even if my shoulder was the way it used to be," Fract insisted. "I'm serious."
"Whatever you say, dad," Lene said.
"Listen to me, Lene," Fract said. "One day, I bet you're going to be a general. You think it's cool that you're under General Double's command, but just wait until you're his equal! Eh?"
Lene nodded at him.
Fract sighed and sat in a chair.
"I just hope you're careful," he said.
"I'll be fine, dad," Lene said.
"I really hope so," Fract said. "I'm proud of you, Lene. I bet your mother would be, too."
Lene looked down. The two of them became quiet for a moment.
A knock at the door interrupted the silence.
"Oh, that's probably Uno," Lene said.
"I hope you visit again soon," Fract said, hugging his daughter.
"I will, dad," Lene said. "Love you."
"I love you too," Fract said, smiling.
Lene gathered up her stuff and opened the door. Major Uno Variance stood there with a dull look.
"Baby sure daddy's leash is off?" he asked wickedly as Lene walked out.
"Shut up, Uno," Lene said, swishing her tail at him playfully. "Help me with this stuff."
"Yeah, yeah," Uno muttered, grabbing one of her bags. "Lord, what's in this?"
"A dead body," Lene said.
Uno peeked inside, finding several clothes and a ring instead.
"What kind of man looks through a woman's things?" Lene asked.
"A manly man," Uno answered, poking the ring, "who is genuinely curious."
Lene put a hand to her snout.
Uno then felt a memory come from the ring.


1,160,871 Machine Age / 5,986nd Year of the Lord
Uivoros

"My ring," Extra Lock said. "I don't need it."
"But... Extra," Binar 2-Count protested.
"No, Binar," Extra said. "Please, sell it. We do need the money."
Binar sighed.
"It's okay, dear," Extra said, holding his arm. "It's okay."
"I'll sell it," Binar said, "but if you find anything valuable in my stuff, that goes before your stuff does."
"Okay," Extra said, smiling at him. "Don't worry, Binar. We'll do what it takes to get through this."
Binar merely nodded and dropped his head against her chest. Extra hugged him like that and looked around at the walls. Then she felt something sharp in Binar's shirt.
She glanced down to see a small, shining piece of metal stuck in it.
"Binar," Extra whispered, staring at it. "Where did you go today?"
Binar was silent for a moment.
"I went to work," Binar said. "I waited for the bus. Someone walking by told me that there was a traffic jam, so I walked to a different stop. I remember passing by a construction site because it was really loud. I think they're building a hospital..."
"That's it!" Extra exclaimed, picking the piece of metal out of Binar's shirt.
Binar raised his head and blinked.
"Binar, do you know what they build hospitals out of?" Extra asked.
"Iron?" Binar asked, unsure.
"Palladium," Extra said.
"Palladium," Binar repeated, staring at the silvery metal Extra was holding and understanding.
"Do you know how much it's worth?" Extra asked.
"I'm not sure," Binar said. "I think that piece might be like 864 credits."
"Well, it's not a fortune," Extra conceded, "but it will certainly help!"
"Yeah," Binar said, nodding. "Looks like the Lord is feeling a little merciful, eh?"
Extra smiled at Binar and looked at the palladium, feeling a distant whisper from the past within it.


1,156,552 Machine Age / 2,337th Year of the Lord
Uivoros

Glome Nucleus sighed, looking at his palladium sword.
"I admit," Glome whispered, "I sometimes miss the old days."
Glome's attendant nodded and took the sword back.
"Could you prop my pillows up?" Glome asked. "I want to look outside."
Glome's attendant complied silently.
"It won't be much longer now," Glome said. "Living 97 years is when Death forgot you're still alive. And to think I made such a racket back then."
Glome looked out the window. The trees beyond the dome were darkening. The sun was setting. Children were going back indoors.
"Fetch me my book, would you?" Glome asked.
Glome's attendant nodded and reached up to grab The Lord's Word.
"The Lord must know I've been loyal to him," Glome murmured, taking the book. "I just wish I could have thanked him. For everything he's done..."
Glome's attendant glanced at the machine near the bed. Not much longer now.
Glome opened the old book to a random page.
He did not see it. His vision was fading. He held onto the page and read it with his mind. A memory of someone else who was reading it.


1,156,334 Machine Age / 2,152nd Year of the Lord
Uivoros

"'I hold mercy within my hand, but the claws of justice are ever-ready to close upon the unjust.'"
Cumeras made a grimace and tossed the book back at the donation bin.
Justice, he thought. I'll show him justice.
He paused and noticed an akumander staring at him.
"Good afternoon," Cumeras said, hiding his 'primitive' accent.
Cumeras hurried away towards the entrance to Radius City, feeling like he had stayed too long.
At one point, he became aware that no one was watching him. He then spread his wings from under his clothes and flew until he sensed people about to look at him again.
Soon enough, he arrived at the entrance and met the guard.
"Time for a little walk outside," Cumeras said casually.
"Identification?" the guard asked dully.
Cumeras gave the guard a card which stated that 'Common Descent' was his name.
The guard grunted and put the card into a machine briefly. After a while, the guard gave the card back and stepped aside while automatic doors opened.
Cumeras nodded and went outside, immediately running into the trees.
"Not now," he muttered to himself. "Not even a hint of rebellious thoughts."
Cumeras sighed took the clothes off, putting his back against a tree.
He became aware of a faint memory in the tree that frightened him.


1,153,794 Machine Age / 6th Year of the Lord
Uivoros

Sammy King stopped. The akumander bumped into him.
"This is a good spot," Sammy said, tapping some trees.
"What are we doing?" the akumander asked.
Sammy paused and looked at the akumander, as if he forgot the akumander was there.
"You're my new minion, remember?" Sammy asked.
"Yes..." the akumander acknowledged.
"You need a name," Sammy said, thoughtful.
"A name?" the akumander asked.
"Crown," Sammy said, addressing the crown on his head. "Any ideas?"
"Radius," Crown immediately replied.
"Good, good," Sammy said, looking at the akumander. "Your new name is Radius."
"Ra-di-us," the akumander repeated. "My name."
"I'm going to give you power," Sammy continued. "With this power, you dominate the akumanders and create a civilization. All of this shall be under my name in secret. I'm not a petty god. Is this understood?"
"Yes... my Lord," Radius said.
"Very well, then," Sammy said.
Suddenly, a great power surged within Radius. Radius felt stronger and wiser, unheard of abilities suddenly were at his command. Surrounding it all was a field of negative energy and dark thoughts as his skin became pure black in color.
The new Radius cried out in pain as the incredible energy took hold of him.
Sammy was reminded of Homagor for some reason.


34,025 Machine Age
Earth 2

Sammy King threw his energy at Homagor, who fell back, defeated.
"You never do learn, do you?" Sammy asked.
"Ugh..." Homagor coughed. "You little... piece of..."
Sammy slapped Homagor on the cheek, denting his armor.
"This is the last time," Sammy said. "I've played around with you enough. This tower of yours is going to explode in a few minutes. If you escape, you're never allowed to build another one. Got it?"
Homagor said nothing, he merely reached for his scepter and held it against the dent in his cheek.
"Sindy," Sammy said, not looking at his sister, "it's time to go."
Sindy appeared near him.
"I feel sorry for him, Sammy," Sindy admitted.
"He's the bad guy, remember?" Sammy asked, taking her hand. "Come on."
Sammy concentrated and the two chon vanished.
A few minutes later, Sammy demolished the tower with his mind. He knew Homagor had managed to escape, but he also knew Homagor wasn't going to build another tower.
"Well, that should make things a little more peaceful around here," Sammy said, chuckling.
"What happened?" Little Michael asked.
Sammy blinked at Little Michael.
"Oh," Sammy said, "Homagor's tower has fallen. He won't be bothering us for a while."
"I see," Little Michael said, looking at Sindy.
Sammy felt good. It was probably his greatest victory thus far.
He thought about Homagor, the evil mastermind, reduced to a roach fleeing from a giant boot. Sammy noticed that Homagor was thinking about someone other than Sammy.


2,013 Machine Age
Earth 2

Homagor barked orders at his mechanical minions.
"Kill her. She is ruining everything!"
The machines ran about wildly, trying to flee or attack.
Krysta Hope punched one of the machines and it fell to the ground.
"Is this the best you have?" Krysta asked. "I could probably eat these things."
At that, several machines suddenly malfunctioned and stopped moving.
Homagor growled and pointed his scepter at her. A beam of energy flew at Krysta, who held up a hand. The energy seemed to simply go into her hand, but nothing else happened.
"Pathetic," Krysta remarked, advancing toward Homagor.
"This is impossible," Homagor said. "This is my world."
Krysta had reached Homagor and her hand closed around the ball of the scepter.
"Actually," she said. "It's mine."
Krysta's eyes fluttered briefly.
A horrible wrenching sound filled Homagor's senses as his shell became twisted and warped. Maddening pain shot through his body.
He cried out.
"Get out of here," Krysta said.
"I'll... get you for this..." Homagor gasped. "You will regret this day..."
Krysta merely laughed and moved away.
Homagor tried to grab at her mind with his mind, but all he grasped were some useless memories.


1,991 Machine Age
Earth 2

Krysta was alone in her room.
She was thoughtful.
Her parents were in the living room, watching the exovision.
Krysta could feel their thoughts. It was an ability that scared her yet fascinated her. She never told anyone about it.
She knew they would ridicule her, then they would fear her.
She didn't mind being feared all that much. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she decided it was good to be feared.
She became aware of herself, again.
She thought about her body. The chonium shell she wore had been recycled several times, it was made of several bits of older chonium shells, back when the chon were not chon, but machines with humans in them. She thought about the humans, then. This shell had been crafted by them. This shell had destroyed them.


19,685 Anno Domini / 0 Machine Age
Earth 2

"We have won!" Vendon Scholz cried. "This victory on Earth has been repeated throughout the galaxy. We are free from the humans!"
Vendon's audience cheered at the chon at the podium.
"Today is the end of the age of humans and their silly gods," Vendon continued. "Today is the beginning of the Machine Age. We are the future! We are the gods!"
More cheering.
Vendon retreated from the podium as the original speaker returned.
"It's finally over," Danielei Kim said.
"Yeah," Vendon said. "Who would've thought Hitler had the right idea?"
"His problem was his choice of the 'perfect race'," Danielei said, chuckling. "Can't have a perfect race if the imperfect race is the same thing."
"Yeah," Vendon said, thoughtful.
"You know they're going to elect you," Danielei said.
"Huh?" Vendon asked, momentarily confused.
"They're going to want to make you president," Danielei said. "Maybe of the whole world."
"Oh, that's silly," Vendon said. "What about Patricia? Or Zachary?"
"Vendon," Danielei said, "you know as well as I do who people really want to lead them."
Vendon said nothing for a while, the largeness of it dawning on him.
"Oh, hey," Danielei said. "I forgot. Did you get the rock?"
"Oh, right," Vendon reached into a compartment and retrieved an ordinary-looking rock.
"That's a fine piece of history," Danielei said, staring.
Vendon agreed silently. It was the famous rock that Johnathan Hope broke his face on, causing him to go insane and go ahead with the doomed CHON project.
"Can I hold it?" Danielei asked.
Vendon handed it to Danielei.
Danielei closed his eyes as the memory came from the rock.


12,276 Anno Domini
Earth 2

Blood. Red. Pain.
Johnathan Hope picked himself up and grabbed the culprit. It felt like a rock.
Then he didn't notice anymore as the pain in his face intensified. He became faintly aware of the fact that he could not see. Then he fell next to his hand, clutching a bloody rock.
Some hours later, Johnathan awoke. He found he could not open his eyes. Then the pain returned, a little more dull than before. He became aware of oxygen being forced into him. His nose wasn't working.
"Doctor," someone said. A woman. "He's awake."
"Mister Hope," the doctor said. A man. "Please try not to be alarmed."
Johnathan was trying. He was trying very hard.
"I advise that you do not try to work any feature of your face," the doctor said. "Your face has essentially been smashed by the force of you falling upon this rock we found you holding. Hopefully, we will be able to fix you up, but it will be a long process."
Johnathan found that he could move his arms. He raised one and nodded it as if it were a head.
"Ah, good," the doctor said, apparently understanding. "We probably won't need the mind reader after all. Now then, my name is Doctor Tomohito Norgate. My assistant here is Miss Laura Setty."
"You're going to be all right, Mister Hope," Laura assured him.
Johnathan felt a dim thought rise up in him.
They can't fix me, he realized. They'll make me look more like I used to, they'll make me able to breathe and see. But the pain will never go away. I'm ruined.
He was vaguely aware of someone leaving the room. Someone else walked around to open a window. He suspected it was Laura.
Laura was looking out the window, thinking to herself. She felt the glass of it and became aware of a faint memory in it.


10,913 Anno Domini
Earth 2

Narek Durand felt the sting of glass as he dropped the ball.
"Shit," he murmured. Looking at his hand.
"What is it?" Emmaletta Rabio asked.
"Cut myself," Narek replied, looking at the rubber ball.
"Careful," Emmaletta said, "we don't know what's down here."
Narek sighed and nodded, turning his gun so the light would shine at another area. This abandoned warehouse was very old.
If only the Earthbound Congress would make up its mind about things, Narek thought, stuff like this would have been cleaned up years ago.
Suddenly, they both heard movement.
Narek and Emmaletta swerved their guns to the sound, but there was nothing but a pile of rusted boxes.
"Rats?" Emmaletta asked.
"Let's hope it's the small kind," Narek muttered.
That was when they heard the crunch of glass behind them.
There was a sudden burst of pain as Narek felt something impale him through the chest. He looked down and saw a gigantic roach leg retreat from his heart.
He heard gunfire and Emmaletta shouting something, but it suddenly didn't matter anymore. He fell to his knees as the pain engulfed him and numbed him, then his head thudded against the platinum floor.
The last thing he remembered was a strange, random memory from the floor.


7,464 Anno Domini
Earth 2

Jacobel Reed took his hand away from the platinum ceiling, having checked the light.
"Good job, T," Jacobel said, addressing the robot.
"Further orders?" TSM-LR247 asked.
"Nah," Jacobel said, lowering himself to the floor, "that's all for today. You can rest now."
"Understood," TSM-LR247 said. "Shutting down."
TSM-LR247 rested against the wall and put its head down, appearing to sleep while standing.
Jacobel looked around the room, thoughtful.
He wondered what used to be here. A forest?
He had read about forests.
Jacobel sighed and went into the corridor.
Outside, he met Santiago Patel.
"O, San," Jacobel greeted him.
"Hey, Jake," Santiago said, shaking his hand. "How's the new room?"
"Well," Jacobel replied tiredly. "T really helped out."
"Where would we be without 'em, eh?" Santiago asked.
"I think I need a vacation," Jacobel suddenly said. "All this... metal everywhere. I want to see a forest. A real one, not like in the environmental lab."
"You could go to Mars," Santiago said.
"I guess," Jacobel said, thoughtful. "I just... I don't know. I sort of wish it didn't die, you know?"
"Earth 1," Santiago said, understanding. "But we're stupid, us humans. We kill what we touch."
Jacobel sighed.
"Hey, cheer up," Santiago said. "You know, I always wanted to go to Mars. Maybe we can both go when vacation time comes around. I hear all the hotties swarm to Mars."
Jacobel smirked at his friend.
"I'm serious!" Santiago insisted.
"Okay," Jacobel said, "we'll see what happens. If I don't get laid, you owe me though."
Santiago laughed heartily and pressed a finger against the reader, opening the door to the kitchen. A vague memory rose in his head.


7,398 Anno Domini
Earth 2

"Fucking thing isn't working," Reldo Bergkvist muttered, pushing against the reader.
"Calm down, Rel," James Weber said. "The power will be back soon."
"It's kind of sad," Rebecca Miura murmured. "We need energy just to open a door."
"It's only temporary," James reminded her. "Once the building is completed, we'll have the emergency power fixed."
Reldo sighed and put his back to a metal wall.
"Where'd Laksmi go, anyway?" Reldo asked.
"I think she went to check the other doors," Rebecca said. "You never know, I guess."
James looked down the corridor.
"Did I ever tell you guys I'm psychic?" James asked.
"What?" Reldo asked.
"I think you mentioned it once," Rebecca said, "when you were drunk that one time."
James laughed.
"Well, I read about it a little," James said. "It's called 'psychometry', being able to understand the past of someone by an object they had."
"Isn't that called 'archaeology'?" Reldo asked.
"Ha," James said. "No, I don't know anything about archaeology. I just know things sometimes, when I touch stuff."
"Stuff," Rebecca repeated, giggling.
"Really," James said. "Gimme something, I'll show you."
"I've got a cross," Reldo said, reaching into his shirt to produce a necklace with a crucifix on it. "It's been in my family for generations."
"Perfect," James said, walking towards him. "Let's see what we've got here..."
James put one hand on the necklace and concentrated.


6,632 Anno Domini
Earth 2

Charlotte Lombardi put her hands over her heart, where the crucifix was.
"Lord," she whispered. "Give me strength."
"Now arriving at Earth 2," a mechanical voice stated. "Please prepare for landing."
Charlotte gathered her courage and opened her eyes to look out the window.
Outside, a large sphere greeted her. It was covered in white and gray and blue. Earth 2.
Charlotte had read about the original Earth, a beautiful planet with much more blue and much more green. Hardly any gray at all.
But now...
The shuttle suffered some mild turbulence as it entered the artificial atmosphere. Then it was over and they landed.
"Earth 2, United States of America, New Los Angeles," the mechanical voice said. "Please gather your belongings and exit in an orderly fashion. Thank you. Have a nice day."
The man next to her grunted and stood, then walked down the aisle.
Charlotte sighed and sat for a minute before following suit.
Welcome to Mother Earth, she thought to herself grimly. Version 2.0.
Charlotte walked to an exchange booth and deposited her credit card.
She withdrew four thousand dollars and felt a faint memory emanate from the banknote.


6,481 Anno Domini
Earth 2

Thanas Romano set the banknote on the counter. It read "12 dollars".
"Thank you," the robotic cashier said, inserting the banknote into a machine which verified the banknote's authenticity before wiping it. "Here's your food."
Thanas nodded and took the tray, walking to an empty table.
He picked at the steamed caulibroccoli for a minute, thoughtful, before eventually eating it.
He then drank his water, vaguely wondering how often it had been recycled and filtered, when it gave rise to a memory that made him sick.


3,675 Anno Domini
Earth

Liam Brown flushed the toilet and pulled his pants up. He walked to the sink and washed his hands.
"It won't be much longer now," Simone Brown murmured in the bedroom.
"The people with real money are evacuating to Mars," Liam said.
"They've given up on us," Simone said.
"Well, I don't blame them," Liam replied, walking back to the bedroom. "They're looking out for themselves."
Simone sighed and hugged her husband.
Liam didn't say anything when he saw the large missile falling down in the window. He merely took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Before he heard the deafening sound, he became aware of a strange memory that belonged to the dust in his nose.


2,017 Anno Domini
Earth

Xú Kun coughed.
He did not feel well.
His bed was positioned so that he could see the sun shining through the window, but he didn't look outside.
Instead, he reached at a desk and took his notebook and pen.
Xú Kun was about to write something when he noticed a piece of dirt in his right index fingernail. Then he became aware of the faintest of thoughts that came from it.


1,382 Anno Domini
Earth

Vytautas Didysis tripped and fell on the dirt.
Annoyed, he got up and started to walk faster. He felt humiliated, wearing the clothes of a maidservant, but he could not help but feel thankful to his wife, Anna. After he escaped from Kreva castle, he would seek help from the Teutonic Knights. Vytautas was dimly aware that they would want to convert him. He wondered if the Christians really did have the right idea. One never could be sure.
Vytautas turned around. He was almost off the castle grounds.
He clutched the maidservant clothes about him more tightly, wondering if they were really clean, when the slightest pulse of a thought entered his mind from a bacterium.


10 Anno Domini
Earth

Yeshua ben Yosef looked up at his father, Yosef ben Ya'aqov, and blinked away something in his eye.
"Yes, Yeshua," Yosef said, smiling. "It is not bad."
Yeshua beamed at his father, proud of the cabinet he had constructed.
It was, Yosef had to admit, not in any way a perfect thing, but it was certainly good for someone Yeshua's age.
"Come, son," Yosef said, taking Yeshua's hand. "Let us partake in supper."
Yeshua became silent and went with his father. He became thoughtful.
Yosef looked down at his son and smiled at him.
"Always thinking, my son," Yosef said. "You shall become wise one day and do great deeds."
"I am afraid, father," Yeshua whispered. "I have seen strange things in dreams."
Yosef's brow furrowed and he said nothing for a moment.
Then Yosef stopped walking and knelt by Yeshua.
"My son," Yosef said, "it is normal to be afraid. We are fragile people in the hands of a powerful Lord. He is merciful, but we must be sure not to fall from His hands."
"What must I do to stay in His hands?" Yeshua asked.
"Look up to Him," Yosef said, standing, "and serve Him as you would your father. For He is your father as I am, yet He is also my father and the father of all men."
Yeshua nodded and glanced at the sun outside.
The light warmed him as he felt something in the past radiate from the light.


528 Before Christ
Earth

Siddhārtha Gautama raised his head as the sun rose, understanding dawning on him as the light did.
I understand, he thought to himself. All of our suffering is the result of our own ignorance. To be free from suffering, we must be free from ignorance.
At that, Siddhārtha breathed in the energy of life around him, feeling infinite lives in the very air and infinite memories within them.


7,536 Before Christ
Earth

Lady Zerbija cried out softly as her servant released his seed into her.
She then smiled at her servant and nodded.
"My goddess," the servant breathed.
"Go now, my servant," Zerbija implored him. "I bless your great strength."
The servant bowed and withdrew.
Zerbija fell onto her cushion and let the mystic energies overcome her.
Greater spirits, she thought. Now how shall I direct my people?
Zerbija shuddered as a cool breeze touched her.
The winds come, she thought. What do they request of me?
And then, from the winds, a vision from the past came to her.


257,905 Before Christ
Earth

Urg shivered as the wind passed by.
"Cold," Urg observed. "Fire?"
"No fire," Greh muttered. "Shelter, fire."
"Cold," Urg repeated, grudgingly walking again.
"Fire, life," Greh said. "Shelter, fire. Shelter, life."
"Cold, death," Urg muttered.
"Fire," Greh continued, "kill cold, fire kill death."
"Fire kill prey," Urg noted. "Fire kill us."
"Fire kill stupid us," Greh retorted. "You, stupid?"
"No," Urg said.
"Fire not kill," Greh said. "Not stupid, stay alive."
"Stay alive," Urg agreed. "Not stupid."
They arrived at a cave and scrambled inside.
Greh put a hand before Urg and nodded at him.
They both cautiously walked further into the cave, watchful, and raised one of the sticks that they carried in their bundles.
They reached the end of the cave and found nothing.
"Empty," Greh acknowledged, relaxing. "Safe."
"Fire," Urg urged.
"Fire," Greh said, dropping his bundle.
Urg dropped his as well and looked for the fire sticks.
"Here," Greh said, finding one. "Fire stick."
Urg nodded and took it as well as one of the softer sticks and began to grind the fire stick into the softer stick.
Greh prepared firewood as Urg eventually produced burning coal with the sticks, which he then began to blow with the tinder, creating a smoking flame. The firewood was slowly placed on top of the flame, making it larger and brighter.
Greh and Urg laughed in triumph at another fire successfully created. It was like creating a life.
Then Greh put his hands close to the fire, closing his eyes and feeling the heat.
Strange images came to him.


4,118,953,438 Before Christ
Earth

A meteor fell into the ocean of molten rock, merely adding to its mass. Mental energies of pure radiation danced madly about the burning planet.
(Hot hot hot,) [Screamer] said. (Hotter, hotter!)
(Burning everything,) [Scorcher] said. (Light it up!)
[Screamer] flew through the air and died, giving birth to [Shrieker] and [Howler].
(Not bright enough,) [Shrieker] said.
(Make it scream!) [Howler] said.
(More fire, more light,) [Scorcher] said.
[Razer] came, dancing on the magma.
(More stones coming,) [Razer] said. (More fire, more fire!)
(Fire, fire!) [Shrieker] said.
(Make it burn, make it bright!) [Howler] said.
(Not enough light, not enough bright!) [Scorcher] said.
[Scorcher] flew through the air and died, giving birth to [Burner], [Flamer], and [Heater].
(Burning, burning, all must burn!) [Burner] said.
(More fire, more fire!) [Flamer] said.
(Hotter, hotter!) [Heater] said.
A tidal wave of magma exploded into a melting mountain near them.
(Hot hot hot,) [Razer] said.
(Bring the heat!) [Shrieker] said.
(Burn it all!) [Howler] cried.
[Howler] suddenly evaporated into space.
The vacuum was filled with [noise].


The Big Bang

Girxan Irvlach was focusing his energy into a singularity.
It was not simple, since Girxan had to simultaneously control his physical, mental, and spiritual stability in the Void. Then he felt a presence help him.
There was a bright light.


Prelude

[The Ultimate] observed the miniature god focusing his energy and the greater god helping him.
That will make [114,924,753,637,082,513] universes in that cosmos, [the Ultimate] noted.
That particular cosmos is becoming big, [the Greater Impossible] said.
The cosmoses are strong, [the Ultimate] said. They may even be able to overcome [the Emptiness].
[The Arbiter] was.
Master, [the Arbiter] addressed [the Ultimate], our studies indicate that the new universe in that cosmos has a high chance of ascending.
It is a glorious thing, [the Ultimate] said.
And [the Ultimate] was reminded of itself, and thought about why it existed.


Before Reckoning

[Infrared] considered [Jade].
{One [everything],} [Infrared] stated, {to indicate your capability.}
{And so,} [Jade] replied.
[Jade] were not as [Lavender] were.
{Suspect [3 octovigintillion years] for [Jade]'s [everything],} [Infrared] stated.
{[Dimensional],} [Lavender] judged. {They do not last [long].}
[Micro] were.
{[Micro],} [Infrared] said. {[Jade] [create] an [everything].}
{Assisting,} [Micro] stated. [Micro] were not.
{Consideration,} [Lavender] said. {[Gamma] were correct.}
{[Gamma] were wrong,} [Infrared] responded. {It is possible to reach [attainment].}
{Possible,} [Lavender] repeated. {Unlikely.}
{Unlikely,} [Infrared] agreed. {Regardless, [experiments] continue. One [everything] will reach [attainment], eventually.}
{Eventually,} [Lavender] repeated.
It was almost hope.