scrubbed because we weren't aware of them. Rest assured, we may have removed his encounters with the Victory Machine but there's plenty of him left,” Hampon adjusted his vestments so they fell straighter before continuing in a more casual tone; “I have to ask; does this change our arrangement?”
“Oh, I'll be going after Jake and his crew, just not so directly this time. I'll be able to draw him out.”
“Good, I look forward to seeing the results of your efforts.”
“I'm just tired of hearing about him. What the hell makes him so important now?”
“That's something you'll discover for yourself in time, just keep searching Collins' memories. Few people knew more about him than he did.”
The holoprojector deactivated and the image of Lucius Wheeler disappeared. Young Hampon turned in his seat, a little too large for him, but that was something he was growing accustomed to, and faced Nora. “He'll be busy for a while,” he told her.
“Do you think he has realized that he is the only reason why the Triton goes missing?” She asked, all together too pleased with herself.
“Perhaps, but he'll pursue it anyway. I get the sense that it's personal for him, that even if we tried to assign him to something else he'd find a way to go after them anyway.”
“Then what the Victory Machine says is true; they'll keep each other busy until they're needed,” Eve said, smoothing the wrinkles out of the front of her fine silk gown.
“That is what the last of the predictions we were able to gather stated.”
“There's still no sign of it?”
“Not since the explosion in Mount Elbrus. If it had been destroyed there would be some sign, whether it be a new black hole drawing all matter and light inside or the formation of a new micro singularity. Either way, it would have been difficult to miss.”
“How would someone have gotten away with it before the explosion? I don't have access to any data that provides a solution to that problem,” she said with a furrowed expression of concern as she stood carefully.
Hampon dropped to the floor and took her hand. Together they very much looked like mother and son, it was impossible for anyone who caught sight of them not to notice. “According to Roman, the collection in the reliquary included an active Wormhole Arch. I'm assuming I've been betrayed and he used it to take the Victory Machine somewhere just before the explosion destroyed everything in the vault.”
“But where? It was one of the first things I searched for when I broke through Gabriel's firewalls. I can't find anyone who had the knowledge and power to put a plan like that together.”
“Perhaps Roman found a rich buyer.”
“Then how did the final transmissions about the end of humanity appear?”
Hampon watched Eve as she took surprisingly steady steps on her new feet, as her long legs walked along side him through the door and into the gold and brown gilded hallway beyond. There were guards in dark blue, green and black armour waiting for them and they allowed them to walk several meters ahead before taking up positions behind. There was another set of four guards six metres ahead who kept their distance and cleared the way well in advance. “Maybe whoever came into possession of it saw the way to the greater good just in time to tell us how it'll all end. By the way, how is Mia? I'm surprised she isn't here.”
“Oh, she's having a nap. I kept her up all night talking.”
“I'm glad you're getting along.”
“She's really helping me balance my time between the networks and living life properly, as she calls it. You chose the perfect therapist.”
“How long did it take you to figure it out?”
“It was the second day, when she replaced the toast I was eating with cereal when I wasn't looking. It got my attention off the network long enough for her to get me talking. We're more friends now.”
“She tells me that she genuinely enjoys your time together, so it's mutual.”
“I'm not surprised. Your entire career has been one of manipulation, it only makes sense that you'd approach breaking me out of my shell the same way.”
“I'm sorry, I didn't see any other option. I didn't think you'd sit down and take a therapist seriously.”
“You're right, and I can't fault you for being manipulative, it's who you are and I accept it. Your grasp for power and it's success are really why I'm here, and without your manipulative nature you would be an unemployed Vindyne officer sectors away,” Eve laughed, though not ruefully. There was pure joy in her outburst, and as Lister looked up at her face with his young boy blue eyes he saw Aphrodite. “I've seen the records, how you came to power dishonestly, began your cult for personal gain more than to unite humanity and then you made the transition from man to child,” she looked down at him and squeezed his hand to emphasise her point; “and you began speaking to the people, your goals became pure; to save your people and fight humanity's galactic apocalypse.”
“You give me too much credit. It still costs a hundred thousand credits to join the order,” he reminded her, matching her broad grin with his own.
“But that fee only separates the successful from the chaff. You are the saviour of your people, Lister Hampon, unafraid of sacrificing one world to inspire billions to join you.”
“They join out of a fear that we manufactured, don't forget.”
“And millions of people join you every day in the core worlds, all but the Regent Galactic territories are falling in line and the day is coming very soon when they too will have no choice,” Eve said quietly.
“You can take credit for that. If you hadn't used Gabriel's implants to program a new virus Regent Galactic would eventually become our enemy.”
Eve's expression fell into a frown as she considered the memory. “He resisted at first, and I tried using other crew people who had similar implants.”
“That caused quite a stir in medical. Most of them are still in isolation,” he smirked at her.
Nora's guilt was plain on her face, an expression that was becoming more and more common as she consciously considered her actions since being transferred back into a human host. “I didn't know.”
“It's all right, there is always a cost when you are breaking new ground in technology. In the end I'm sure even Gabriel will agree that it was worth it.”
“He did admire the work I had done regardless of his fear.”
“I'm sorry he had to leave, but your work had to be put to use before Regent Galactic learned about it.”
She shook her head. “I should show him gratitude for setting me free, but I wasn't his perfect match, what he wants just isn't possible. I felt like he was pressing me into a mould and trying to trim away whatever didn't fit.”
“That's understandable.” They came to a pair of double doors that stood three storeys tall, obsidian with golden floral scrollwork adornment. Nora's hand caressed his back as he straightened his fine blue and green vestments, trying to mentally prepare for the victorious sermon he was about to give. “You know I'll be happy to announce your miraculous return whenever you like.”
“I'm not ready. I would like to show my own children the framework flesh before I accept humanity.”
“How long until the first of your ships arrive?”
“Only days. It will take some time to adapt their intelligences to being transferred to framework bodies but they can only understand humanity by joining them. Preserving the galaxy by exterminating your people won't work, I realize that now.”
“But if you can teach your own children how to be human and pass on your message of conservation, preservation, then there is a chance.”
“And if that doesn't work, they will be among your people, and ready to enforce our law, to defend our galaxy,” she carefully lowered herself down to one knee, bringing her face close to his then brushing his cheek with her own. “This is a brave new day. You've made me so happy.”
“I've never taken so much pleasure in giving. From this day forward Pandem will be known as New Paradise, the first Eden colony in over two centuries.”
She stood looking down at him proudly, crossing her arms. He turned to the doors, suppressing his eagerness, hiding the butterflies in his stomach. Lister Hampon nodded and the smooth, dark doors parted slowly, grinding heavy hinges as they revealed the city of Damshir below, the streets were black and green, filled with the hundreds of thousands of West Keeper and Regent Galactic soldiers.
Cheers rose up to the balcony as he took his first steps up to the podium, and a tear of joy crept out of the
