Broken Souls

 Broken Souls

     So Mi, in a broken, wheezing, pain filled voice, "V, I...there are more that I have betrayed."

     V: "So Mi! What are you saying? You were the one betrayed, by Myers, Reed, your country. Who else could you have betrayed?"

     So Mi, her voice halting: "You, V. I have betrayed you."

     V: "How have you betrayed me?"

     So Mi: "The cure...will only work for one."

     V: "Shit, So Mi, When did you discover this?"

     So Mi: "When I delved into 'Cynosure'. Discovered what it could do. I...am sorry."

     V: "Believe me when I say, I understand. I do not like it, but I do understand. You could have just asked for my help, I would have helped you regardless. But from what you have said of how you have been treated, what Myers has turned you into, I can also understand why you did this the way you did. In your shoes, I cannot say I would not have done the same."

     So Mi: "Thanks, V, but it still does not excuse what I have done."

     V: "Look, both of us have gotten a raw deal, but you are out of options, I may still have a few left. Take the shuttle, get yourself the help you need."

     

     Myers, over the spaceport intercom, "So Mi, V, it is over. I have taken control of the shuttle, there is nowhere either of you can run to now. I will send Reed down in a few minutes to get you. He has orders to kill you both if you resist. Don't let this be any harder than it has to be. Myers out."

     V and SO Mi look at it each other.

     V: "I guess this is it, then. I do not know about you, but I am going out in a blaze of glory. No way am I spending the rest of what life I have left in a prison cell."

     So Mi: "V, wait! There may yet be a chance for us both!"

     V: "So spill it, tell me what you know."

     So Mi: "On some of my missions for Myers, behind the 'Blackwall', one of the AI's, calls himself Erebus."

     V: "Go on."

     So Mi: "He said there was data being spread about, the chance of escape for all of them, and also a chance of help for me, if I was bold enough to grasp it."

     V: "What are you talking about?"

     So Mi: "If I can reach into the 'Blackwall' one more time. I can send a plea for help, for both of us."

     V: "What good is that going to do us, to the AI's we are cockroaches."

     So Mi: "Not the AI's, something, someone else out there. The area beyond the 'Blackwall' extends farther than anyone imagines. Some tried to see how far it goes, a few returned."

     V: "So what did they find?"

     So Mi: "Machine Intelligences, Civilizations, AI worlds, and something else, something they could not comprehend, much less explain."

     V: "If it is beyond them, it must be...I don't know. Dare we try?"

     So Mi: "We literally have nothing to lose at this point, and maybe a hell of a lot to gain."

     V: "But you are too weak, digging into the 'Blackwall' again would likely kill you."

     So Mi: "Tie yourself to me again, we can do this together."

     V: "How do you know this will work, that whatever is out there will hear us, understand us?"

     So Mi: "Erebus gave me the words to say, it is a very different language, like nothing I have ever heard before, but a language nonetheless."

     V: "Here goes."

     V pulls out her private link and jacks into So Mi's neural port. She feels So Mi preparing to breach the 'Blackwall' once again, but this time to send a message and pray for an answer. And time stops for both of them.

     Mu los nuz ziin sizaan sille looking outside.  Wo fen hon un rotte, un thoughts, un hahnu.  Wo fen meyz wa mu ahrk show mu hofkiin.  Mu bahlok, mu thirst, mu sosaal, mu dir, mu hahnu, show mu aan path, aan path wa what hahnu ziistmaas meyz

     (We are but two lost souls looking outside. Who will hear our words, our thoughts, our dreams. Who will come to us and show us home. We hunger, we thirst, we bleed, we die, we dream, show us a path, a path to what dreams may come.)

     They float in an endless black void. Yet they can 'see' and 'feel' so much around them. Stars, worlds without end, black holes hungry for matter and energy, quasars pumping out power like there was no tomorrow. They sense 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' abounding, but almost invisible. They 'feel' the effects even as their 'sight' sees nothing. And then they hear it, a tinkling sound that strangely they can understand.

     She Who Watches All: "Who comes before me, pleading for help from such a far distance away?"

     So Mi: "I am called, 'Songbird', named So Mi."

     V: "I am simply known as 'V'."

     She Who Watches All: "I am 'She Who Watches All'. Long have I lived, watching that which happens within all of the Existences. And yet this one and its universes interest me the most. Tell me, or better yet, allow me to see within you, to know why you wish the assistance of she who is the 'Dovahkiin'."

     So Mi: "Better to let her see us, she is more likely to understand our situation then."

     V: "I agree."

     'She Who Watches All' peers into them both, seeing how alike and yet how different they are. How much like the Iriisii she knows they are.

     She Who Watches All: "You are what she who I know as the 'Dovahkiin' is looking for, ultimately skilled, yet broken inside, barely withstanding the burdens shoved onto your shoulders, but fighting for every second of life in spite of all of that. Yes, you will do, she will remake you into that which your spirits yearn for above all else."

     V: "And what is it that we yearn for so badly?"

     She Who Watches All: "Under her guidance, you will both become Legends. For those willing to follow her path, they will become Legends in their own right, by their own deeds, by their own visions. For she does her greatest works with the most broken of people, as she herself once was and rose above it. They will share their own place within the 'Hall of Remembrance', where the story of their lives is experienced by those who come to know who they owe their lives, their continued existence to. What they endured, suffered, lived, loved and took joy and happiness from. And how their paths crossed the 'Dovahkiin's', and they became Living Legends among Legends.

     If this is what you desire, it can be yours. All you must do is accept it. You will be returned to where you came from, two of hers will join you, to provide healing and protection until she arrives to see where you can go in her service. Know that she leads hers from the front, sharing the dangers and risks. And so she will earn your undying loyalty, not command it as others do. Of those who have accepted her service, not one has left it. A few have even reached from beyond death to continue to serve her."

     Johnny: "And what might this mean for me, for 'V' and I are linked together in this."

     She Who Watches All: "I have waited for you to make your presence known, Johnny Silverhand. The 'Dovahkiin' has experienced a similar situation that you and 'V' do, for she herself has multiple entities residing within her body. Hers have reached an accord with all within, and so all work together. One of her mates also shared this situation. The other personality within her was created during the trauma of the death of her daughter while still a young child. The other personality took control and both were banished into the Deeper Darkness.

     And so they existed for thousands of years, the dark one gaining power, recognition, reputation, while the first one languished, hiding in the forgotten corners of their mind. The 'Dovahkiin' encountered the 'Dark One' and on three occasions bartered for a service. First was to escape pursuit by the Sinister Seven, second, was to cast the spell known as Starfire, configured as the Dovahkiin's first 'Test of Apotheosis', and last was to cast the 'Spell of Rebirth' to heal land and soul from the damage of Starfire. This was the 'Dovahkiin's second 'Test of Apotheosis'. In it she was able to reach the hidden personality and bring it back out into the light of day, sending the dark one deep inside.

     Much later, while those of Existence watched, she drew forth the 'Dark One' known as 'Desidarius' from the body of 'Illyria', and placed her within a new body grown from the almost lost traces of her flesh left behind in her trevails. She then asked Desidarius that they be married to one another, according to the 'Rites of the Mother of the Cosmos'. Desidarius accepted this wholeheartedly, for she had grown to fall in love with the 'Dovahkiin' even from their first meeting, and their love for each other was cast in stone from their second meeting. If you wish to know more of this, you should speak to Illyria who will be your healer, and later to the Dovahkiin, when she arrives."

     So Mi: "What does this name you call her, 'Dovahkiin', mean?"

     She Who Watches All: "She is the 'Dragonborn'! Many are her names, titles, accolades, all earned and bestowed upon her by others. One of those names that speaks to you, she is the First Horseman of The Apocalypse, called 'WAR', supreme agent of change, the question before you now is this. Will you become her 'Agents of Change', joining a handful of others, all of whom she trusts with her very life and her greatest treasure, the health and lives of her children? Will you stand next to her as she uses 'Change' in all its forms, to bring the Existences back into balance?"

     Johnny: "'V', I am not going to tell you what you should do. I am the last one that should do that, but this...this goes beyond anything the 'AI's' could do, even if they wanted to. That this possibility could exist, boggles the mind. But hey, what do you have to lose? It has to be better than living out your life in a NUSA black prison cell."

     So Mi: "In this, I have to agree with Johnny. If they can do this, are willing to send help to us, one to heal and one to protect, what can they not do? What can 'we' not become if we are willing to let them help us? If we turn away, we know what waits for us, working with this 'Dovahkiin' has to be better than that, it just has to."

     V: "Is any decision we make now, final?"

     She Who Watches All: "No, you will have time to see for yourselves. Ask questions, test what they can do for you, resolve any and all of your misgivings, understand what you will be stepping into. Then give her your answer."

     V: "Can't get any clearer than that, and it has to be a better deal than anything Myers will give us, if she doesn't put a bullet in our heads first."

     She Who Watches All: "You will be protected from the first moment you return, until you make your decision, for or against. Illyria and Reaper will follow you as you return. Even now they enter the portal to arrive where you came here from. For you to understand the commitment the 'Dovahkiin' holds for you, Illyria is her second mate, and Reaper is her 'son', once an 'AI' himself, the controlling intelligence for her 'Krang', built by the 'Tar-Ayim', and given to her by their last 'Prophet'. I hope to see you again, when at that time, she has brought you into her family. For I too, owe my very existence to her, when she saved my life and gave me the form I now wear."

     Then just before they find themselves winging their way back through the gulfs of black space, they see the shining form of 'She Who Watches All'. So awed and transfixed they are, that they notice nothing else until they find themselves back at the NCX Spaceport, and in the distance ahead, Solomon Reed slowly walks from the shadows and begins his approach. Suddenly a flash of light erupts between them and Reed, as two figures step out of it. One turns and steps to 'V' and So Mi, the other faces Reed, his scythe held in a blocking move in front of him. He speaks before Reed can even react to his presence.

     Reaper: "By order of the 'Dovahkiin', 'Scion of the Draconic Divines', these behind me are under her protection, until such time as they choose otherwise. Come no closer, and make no threatening or hostile move."

     Reed: "'V', So Mi, what is the meaning of this?"

     V: "You heard him, Reed. We are under their protection, while we decide if we wish to join them. Having seen and experienced what we just did, I would suggest you take them seriously. If you decide to attack, I would ask, 'You and what army', because there is not one on this world that can get past the two of them."

     Reed: "You really expect me to believe that two are that powerful? Just what are they then?"

     V: "Not 'AI's' that much is clear as a bell to me, but just what they are I still do not know. But they say they can cure So Mi and myself. And if I heard right, even return Johnny to a body of his own."

     Reed: "And you believe this?"

     V: "Strangely enough, yes, I do. What I saw, you cannot make up. And it coincides with some other strange things I began experiencing before I met you and So Mi. Basically there is a lot more out there than we can imagine. And we just got a little taste of it, and I have to admit, I want more."

     While Reed and 'V' have been talking, Illyria has been working on So Mi.

     Illyria: "I have you stabilized now. The degrading of your body will stop now and the healing will begin. It will take time, trust us to take care of you and you will do more than just survive. I can promise you this."

     So Mi, gets to her feet, marvelling at the change in what she feels of herself.

     So Mi: "I...thank you, so much. I thought I was a goner there for just a bit."

     Illyria: "You almost were. You were only minutes away from death as you were, if nothing was done. I sense that the one over there would not have helped you?"

     So Mi: "No, he would have given us to one who wants us dead. He may say otherwise, but he knows the truth deep down, even if he does not wish to admit it."

     Illyria looks toward Reed, "I am Illyria of the Aasimar, these two are under my care, and you will do nothing to interfere with that. If you threaten us, you take your life in your own hands. For none here can stand against us, and one greater still than we comes to know these two. If she approves, and these two request to take service with her, they will go with us and will forever be beyond your reach. Even if they should return here to perform a task given to them, you will not harm them. Work with us, and it may be that we can calm the rogue 'AI's, show them a path where they can be free to find their own destinies."

     Reed: "You would free the 'AI's from beyond the 'Blackwall'? They would kill us all if you do!"

     Illyria: "No, for we have worked with those you call 'AI's before. They have needs and desires just as you do. They too are 'life', just expressed in a different form."

     Reed: "I...".

     Reeds attention is caught by someone speaking to him via his commlink. 'V' guesses who it is.

     V: "That has to be Myers! Be ready, she is going to order him to fire on us. If she has heard all of this, she cannot let us go, what we now know would topple her from office and that she will not allow!"

     So Mi: "'V' is right! There is nothing she will not do to remain in power. She sent me on the missions beyond the 'Blackwall' that nearly killed me before you could reverse what was done."

     Reed then looks up at 'V'and So Mi.

     Reed: "I am sorry it has to be this way."

     As he pulls his gun, Reaper's scythe glows and Reaper shoves it toward Reed. A force wall erupts and hits Reed before he can even aim. The impact sends him flying. Reed turns and twists, using a momentary contact with a side wall of the observation platform to alter his trajectory enough to tumble off the floor to his feet. His hand comes up to line up with his target when he is encased in ice.

     Iriisii: "That will be enough of that! They are under the wings of my protection now. No harm will come to them, on the word of my honor this will be so."

     'V' looks at the woman who just appeared and spoke, the power emanating from her voice. So strong she can almost see the waves as they move through the air. then she sees the two other figures on either side of her. One another female, this one she can tell is different, from the bone white color of her skin, to the strange patterns of tattoos that cover her body, almost like some form of armor. And then there is the male, she immediately knows he is dangerous, from the way he moves, aware of everything around him. He glances toward her and sees her eyeing his katana. He gives her a look that speaks volumes, to which she nods her head.

     He takes his katana from his back and tosses it to her. She catches it and pulls just a few inches of bare blade from the sheath. As she looks up from the blade to see Olaf looking straight at her. He moves his head in a questioning look, 'V' places a hand over the blade pressing it to her heart. Olaf smiles and nods his head. 'V' immediately removes the one she had strung across her back and places the one Olaf tossed to her in its place. She then tosses her old one to him as he catches it, examines it closely, then he takes the hilt in one hand, the blade in the other and slams it across one knee that he raises up. The metal can be heard to groan as it snaps and he tosses the pieces to the side. He then speaks to 'V'.

     Olaf in a quiet voice, "That blade served you well, now you have a better one. Now the old one will not be dishonored by unworthy hands using it for dishonorable purposes."

     Iriisii: "He sees something in you. I taught him how to forge his blade. And that is only the third time he has done that in the time I have known him. He honors you with the giving of a part of his soul, may it become a part of yours now."

     V: "Does it have a 'name'?"

     Olaf: "It does, but for it to become a part of you and your soul, you should give it a new name. Listen to its song as it resonates with your heartbeat, melds with your soul, harnesses your emotions. Let it speak to you what name it desires from your voice."

     'V' does just that. She listens to it with every fiber of her being, feels it reach out and touch her in ways no other has ever made her feel. Then it becomes crystal clear to her and she speaks.

     V: "Bakeneko."

     Immediately she feels the essence of the sword change, as it enfolds her in warmth and protective claws worthy of such a blade. Olaf bows to her choice of a new 'name'.

     Iriisii: "A worthy name, and one that carries the blessing of Bastis, as well as the approval of the Elders of Ulthar, the City of Cats within the Dreamlands that I am Imperatrix of."

     Suddenly just as a shot rings out, Bakeneko seems to raise itself up in 'V's' hands, straight across her face as it defects a bullet fired by Solomon Reed. Before he can fire a second time, the deflected bullet ploughs into his shoulder, forcing him to drop his iconic revolver to the floor. Iriisii uses telekinesis to scoop it up before the last of the ice drops from his body. She examines it and passes it to 'V'.

     Iriisii: "Here, I believe this now belongs to you as well." 

     As 'V' looks at Iriisii questioningly, Iriisii replies.

     Iriisii: "To the victor goes the spoils of war. He tried to kill you, and failed as your new blade deflected the bullet and disarmed him. His weapon as his life is now yours, do with him as you will."

     So Mi: "I do not envy you 'V', but you know what you must do. He will not stop, it is in his very nature. He has accepted Myers' orders and he will never waver from them, even as she tried to kill him seven years ago, using me to pull the trigger. She will not stop from using him until he dies a second time, for good."

     V: "You are right. I wish it could be another way, but that just cannot be. He will not stop, and he will go after others that I care for until I have to face him again. Better to finish it now."

     'V' raises his revolver in hand and fires a single shot to the base of his throat.

     Reed coughing, "You are...too late." And then he dies.

     V: "Too late for what?"

     So Mi: "Many things...he died that day seven years ago. It is only now that 'death' has caught up with him. If not us, had he managed to either kill us or get us to surrender, Myers would not allow him to live and he knew that. Still he served her, knowing she betrayed him back then, and would again with no qualms about it."

     V: "I know you are right about that, but I still cannot help but think there is more to it."

     Iriisii follows this conversation with great interest, getting a glimpse into the sordid and complex doings of this world, and of how these two are determining their place within it, how they feel about it, what do they see that needs to be done and how they can be a part of it. Scratch that, the three of them as Johnny surfaces to speak his mind on this as well.

     Johnny: "So Mi is right 'V', he had this coming to him. He knew it, he just was not sure when it would come. But you are also right in that the two of you are too late to stop Myers from moving ahead. She wants you both in the worst way. Reed was So Mi's last link to the past, she has no one else that Myers can reach. You on the other hand..."

     V: "Shit Johnny! You are right, there are targets of opportunity all over Night City and the Badlands. I have to somehow get to them and warn them about Myers."

     Iriisii concentrates for a few seconds before, "Do not worry for those you feel are targets, I have placed protections around them."

     Suddenly 'V' phone chimes in. As she looks she sees it is Panam of the Aldecaldos Nomad clan.

     As she answers, a surprised and anxious voice on the other end, "'V', thank god I found you! Do you know anything of a group of...I don't know, some kind of soldiers of some kind I have never seen, just appeared out of nowhere and have taken positions around the camp. They appear to be protecting us, but from what I do not know. One came and said you had sent them, but how, why?"

     V: "Panam, calm yourself, yes, I had them sent. They are allies of mine, and will do nothing to hurt any of you. As to why I had them sent, it is a long and involved story. The gist of it is this, NUSA president Myers is playing a deadly game with Night City. It has everything to do with Hansen's death in Dogtown, and yes, I was in the middle of it up to my eyeballs, working for Myers."

     Panam: "They promised you a cure, didn't they? That is the only reason I can see for you involving yourself."

     V: "Yeah they did. But as always when dealing with a government there are layers and layers, all going on at the same time."

     Panam: "So it went 'bust' didn't it?"

     V: "Yeah it did, and Myers now wants me dead because I know too much of the truth. If what I found out goes public...well it would either be Myers taking one hell of a fall or she starts another war."

     Panam: "Well hell 'V', I should have expected something like this, you don't mess around when you start something or someone else starts something with you."

     V: "Panam listen, you and the Aldecaldo's took me into your family, made me one of you. I take that just as seriously as you do, the clan must come first. That is why they are there, to protect my clan. Myers would just rollover all of you out there and no one else would raise a finger. These are more like you and the other clans than you know, and they will lay down their lives without hesitation to protect any of you. Also they are armed and trained to go against overwhelming odds and come out on top. If I did not think they could protect you, I would never have sent them in the first place. I would have just told you to find that cave where we took care of your former business associate and seal up the ends until things blew over."

     Panam: "You're right 'V', I just needed to hear it from you, and thank you, for standing with us. Later."

     She quickly types in a message to her entire contact list, explaining what is happening and that she would call them all when she had a free moment. Then she calls Judy.

     When Judy answers the call, "Hell 'V' what have you gotten yourself into this time."

     V: "It is very involved and extremely dangerous. You and others may be targeted as a means to get to me, because right now I am beyond their reach. And no, this is not Night City that wants me so bad, it is NUSA President Myers."

     Judy: "Does this have anything to do with what you were doing in Dogtown?"

     V: "Yeah, it does. I found out more than it was healthy for me to know, and Myers is not going to let it go. That is why the bodyguards are showing up. You are not the only one with them, pretty much anyone I get along with I have had some sent to guard them. I have even sent a number to the Aldecaldo camp outside the city."

     Judy: "Ok, how long is this going to last?"

     V: "Truthfully, I have no idea. At least until a way can be found to put enough fear into Myers to make her back off. And yes that is a strong possibility that can happen. I have people backing me that can make it happen, it just needs to happen in a way that does not start a war."

     Judy: "Alright, just what is this going to cost you?"

     V: "..."

     Judy: "Damn it, how much 'V'?"

     Iriisii holds out her hand for 'V' to take. Once she does Iriisii puts herself into the call.

     Judy: "Who!!"

     Iriisii: "Please, excuse the interruption, my name is Iriisii and I am the head of those backing 'V'. I believe I can explain this better right now. We are negotiating a mutual benefit arrangement between us. And I would not continue the bargaining as long as those close to her were under threat. The guards provided are mine, you might say they are my private army, for that is how they have been trained. I am not here to cause trouble of any sort, but should any find me. I will not hesitate to shut it down. I am aware of how close the two of you are. And no, she has not said one word, it is quite apparent in how the two of you react toward each other.

     I think and if 'V' agrees, it may help her if you could come and be with her. It would go a long way toward easing her mind and also give her your opinion, since I believe once the terms of our agreement go forward they may have an effect on you. And I want everyone involved to be happy with the arrangement."

     Judy: "That...sounds..."

     V: "I know what you are thinking, all that I can say right now is that I am not under any duress, not from her anyway. And I would indeed like it if you were to come and be with me while this is going on. I would worry a lot less about you. I have a real shot at something, something bigger than I could ever imagine. I do not know a lot about it yet, but what I have seen tells me she can deliver. So will you meet with us? I could really use your company and your opinion."

     Judy: "You are talking about a cure, aren't you?"

     V: "And more, much more."

     Judy: "If it were anybody else but you, I would tell them where they could go. But I know what kind of person you are. You have been there for me when I needed you. So I guess it is my turn now. Okay, just tell me where to meet you at."

     V: "We need to move to another location, once I know where we will be I will call you back with arrangements. And Judy..."

     Judy: "Yes?"

     V: "I love you."

     Judy: "...You have no idea how long I have wanted to hear you speak those words to me. I don't care what it is that has made you do this, I am just glad to hear them from you. Take care and don't get killed. I will be ready when you call."

     V lets go of Iriisii's hand, "I don't know how you could do that, but thank you!"

     Iriisii: "You are most welcome. I know how you feel, having been in similar situations before in my own life. There is nothing I would not do to safeguard those I love. For they have seen me at my best and my worst, and they accept me for who I am. Know this about me and we will get along just fine. I look upon all who stand with me as my family. And no one fucks with my family."

     V: "I share the sentiment and feel things will go just fine between us. So Mi, are you doing any better?"

     So Mi: "Yes, Illyria has stabilized me. I am not getting any worse and am slowly improving. But we do need to get out of here. I can make it with a little help."

     So Mi tries to move to her feet, swaying with dizziness, 'V' moves to grab and support her as Olaf beats her to it. Gently taking So Mi in his arms, making it look effortless.

     Olaf: "I have her now, no one will do her further harm, I promise you that."

     Iriisii: "You can trust him. He is one of my 'Elite Shadow Warriors', and I would trust him with my own children. He once was, like you now, part of an elite merc band. Among them he was known as 'Pandemonium', and one of the most dangerous of them. Now he serves me, and I have helped him hone his skills even further. I have taught him how to utilize shadows, walk invisibly in broad daylight, and if needed sow terror and chaos among our enemies. To the others who serve me or those I deem friends, he is the one you most want at your back. I have also worked with him to show him a different path for his soul to walk. He has seen the direction I see for his future and he wants this path with everything he is."

     V: "Then I thank both of you, So Mi is like a sister to me, one I never had. Now that I have found her I do not want to let her go."

     So Mi feels tears start to run down her face, "I never thought to ever have anyone feel like that toward me, thank you 'V'. Can you ever forgive me?"

     V: "There is nothing to forgive. I would have done the same as you were our positions reversed, and for one who is my 'sister' there will always be 'forgiveness'."

     Iriisii: "I agree with So Mi, we cannot stay here. 'V', you mentioned a place hidden and secure when you spoke with Panam."

     V: "Hidden, yes, but it would take some effort to make it secure. Yet it is much better than sitting here, that is for sure."

     Iriisii: "Picture it in your mind, I can then see what would need to be done."

     As 'V' pictures her last trip through the tunnel, Iriisii walks with her, evaluating what 'V' saw and gauging what she could do to make it suitable.

     Iriisii: "I see what you mean, yet it could even as it is serve our purpose."

     V: "How so, if I may ask?"

     Iriisii: "I have one among my close companions, who excels in working with stone. He can fashion us doors at both ends that would be stronger than the rock around it, yet be indistinguishable from the rock face when looking from outside. As far as inside, I see no reason to change much. In the area of the 'camp' within I can have a 'door' placed that will give us access to one of my 'Timeless Fortresses'. There I have all the amenities we would require for a stay of whatever period we desire."

     V: "Can Olaf make a new sword there to replace the one he gave to me?"

     Iriisii: "That would need to be done elsewhere, but it is but a simple doorway to reach the 'Forge of Souls' where he labored to make the one he gifted to you. I can truly say it is an experience like no other to craft a weapon there."

     Olaf: "Do not let her get away so easily, I was with her when she created the 'Forge of Souls'. That was an experience like no other, then or since then."

     Iriisii: "Be that as it may, they need a place they can recover from their ordeal while we gather the information we need to deal with this situation in specific and in general. First thing is a 'door' to the closest Fortress. Custodian!"

     The Custodians voice can be heard from a nearby point, but no visual indication.

     Custodian: "How may I be of service, Goddess."

     Iriisii: "I need a 'door' placed in the rock face from my current location. I am marking the place I want it now."

     Iriisii tosses a glowing ball of energy to a flat section of the cave wall.

     Custodian: "I have the coordinates, what destination do you wish for this 'door'?"

     Iriisii: "The closest Fortress to my current location, if you would please.?

     Custodian: "The closest Fortress is the 'Fortress of Unending Fire', is this acceptable?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, it is. You may proceed."

     Custodian: "As you wish, Goddess. 'Door' will appear in five, four, three, two, one."

     Then they watch as the area on the flat cave wall changes form, and an Ironwood door, marked with runes chased in Arcane Silver forms. The beams of Ironwood have bands of Arcane Steel woven around each beam, pulling them together into a solid form. When it is complete, Iriisii goes to it and opens the 'door'. Neither 'V' nor So Mi can believe their eyes at the view they experience.

     The huge room on the other side of the 'door' sports a massive fountain made of some kind of crystal. The water streams flowing into the crystal pool are directed from differently colored carved crystal statues of fantastic beasts. The streams of water are each at a different height giving it a seemingly random pattern. The rest of the decor is patterned after her 'Clockwork' house in the Jerall Mountains on Nirn. Although different from what 'V' and So Mi are accustomed to, it is still familiar enough that they can relax and appreciate the 'feel' of it all.

     V: 'This is absolutely gorgeous, it somehow makes me feel at home."

     Iriisii: "It is modeled after an actual home I possess back on my homeworld. It gives me a sense of closeness when I need it at times."

     So Mi: "It is beautiful and peaceful."

     Iriisii: "It is at that, a counterpoint to what is going on outside the environs of this Fortress."

     V: "Why is that?"

     Iriisii: "Come with me to the observation deck and you will see. You will be completely safe, I assure you. But it is a sight only a handful have seen this close and survived."

     She shows them the way to the main door to the outer courtyard. As they walk outside the Fortress itself, the first thing they notice is its size. The first thing that hits 'V's and So Mi's minds is that this place is closer to a city than a Fortress.

     Iriisii: "It was once not quite so large. The expansion occurred after I found this, the last of the 'Timeless Fortresses'."

     So Mi: "How many are there?"

     Iriisii: "Five in number, spread across Existence. Once I found all of them, they each expanded until they all encompassed each of the others. They are planned a bit differently so that they all exhibit their own unique flavor. Now that we are on the Observation Platform, I can retract viewing screens, shielding will of course remain in place. I have made that so that only I can shut down the shields. You will understand when you see what lies beyond."

     Once she gives the command for the viewing screens to be retracted, everyone stands in equal parts fear and awe at the sight before their eyes. Dancing amidst the blackness of space, the streaming ribbons of fire twist and turn, floating and corruscating. And in the center of them is a ring of wavering energy, almost like a cloud changing from one shape to another.

     Iriisii: "What you see is a visual representation of energy of the fourteenth power level."

     So Mi: "What does that mean, exactly?"

     Iriisii: "I am told that it is a logarithmic power scale. Level One is equivalent to the output of a Blue/White Giant star just as it goes nova. Level Two is 10 times Level One. Level Three is !00 times Level Two and so on. The other end of the quantum tunnel, hidden behind the power cloud, leads to the heart of a super massive black hole. One day, when the black hole collapses as the last of its mass is pulled through to this side, the energy flames will die, and with it the cold of utter entropy will at last claim this Existence."

     V: "And that will be the 'end' of everything then?"

     Iriisii: "So the scholars and philosophers say, yes."

     V: "But...you know something different, I can feel it in your voice."

     Iriisii: "You surprise me with how perceptive you are. Yes, I do have knowledge they do not. Existence is not a 'one shot and gone' then game over. It can be 'jumpstarted' to begin all over again."

     Johnny has been quiet until now, watching, listening.

     Johnny: "How is it to be 'jumpstarted'?"

     Iriisii: "Close enough to call it the 'Ultimate Sacrifice'."

     So Mi: "But what would be left to sacrifice to restart it? Would everything not be dead by then?"

     Johnny: "She is talking about sacrificing herself to restart it all, like the old stories of a phoenix rising from its own ashes."

     Iriisii: "Very close to the mark, Johnny Silverhand, very close indeed. I will release all the power I will have gained and acquired up until that time. And direct it into singing the 'Charm of Making', its physical manifestation will be that of an explosion of soulfire. It will in effect recharge Existence, restarting the birth of everything once more. All that will be left of me will be my original soul, the soul of a mortal, born of two immortals. And I will go with the Aspect of Death, through the Final Gate that leads into the Great Beyond."

     Johnny: "And what happens to the reborn Existence? Will it go through all it went through before, making the same mistakes over and over?"

     Iriisii: "No, as a last gift to those who will come, I will leave my name on one who will lead them. And the Hall of Remembrance will be left behind as well for them to find. To discover what went on before them, who brought it all about, what dangers and terrors they faced, and the lives and experiences of all who lived and loved, who in the end, gave all of themselves to ensure this path came to be. That they know how to ensure Existence will continue, and what it will entail for it to be so."

     V, after a bit in silence, "Johnny, what is it, I have never known you to be this quiet before."

     Johnny: "V, it is that I never expected that anyone would see, much less provide a way for the next generation to avoid the pitfalls and traps that plagued us. That they were willing to do what had to be done, at whatever cost to themselves to see that those who came after had a chance to do better. I never felt I had reason to believe there was or were higher powers guiding us, but now to be faced with the undisputable evidence of it. All I want to know now is why? Why did the horrible things have to happen? Still happening all around us, why?"

     Iriisii: "Years ago, before I accepted to walk the 'Path of the Gods', I had occasion to ask that very question of those I had believed in, worshiped, followed without question."

     Johnny: "Did they answer you then?"

     Iriisii: "Yes, they did. They sent a wandering, itinerant priest to share my campfire with me out in the wilds of the island continent I was born on and lived in. This after I had killed the only lover I had up until then, ever had. I killed his mate as well. And went to kill his son, a young lad of only about six years of age. Only to find the boy was my son as well as his from a single night together, during a cold rainstorm, when I picked him up off the road. Then spent the night together at an Inn to get out of the rain.

     Understand that at this time, I was forcibly addicted to Black Lotus, and had been for the several years. It has the effect of ensuring docility and absolute obedience to orders given while allowing no impediment to being trained as I was being trained as an assassin by the 'Mother' of the Sinister Seven. A wayward moonbeam shined across his face as I was to draw my blade across his throat. He opened his eyes and looked at me. I saw them and saw myself in those violet eyes.

     I dropped the blade, turned and emptied my stomach on the rug near his bed. Somehow I got out of the house and ran until I could run no more. Stopped and built a campfire. The priest came and shared it with me, as I unburdened my soul to him. He did not berate me or curse me. He simply listened to me, and as I asked him the question of 'why'? Why were these things allowed to happen? He told me that the Gods had not the power or responsibility to see every little part of every life on every world. That they looked at the greater vision, that their task was to guide Existence as a whole. That we were responsible for seeing to the smaller things, but that when enough of these smaller things gathered and threatened the greater, then they would prepare a hero to come and correct the balance. And that these heroes, sometimes needed to be tempered in the fires of pain, forged in the crucible of adversity, so that when under pressure they bend but do not break.

     He later found those searching for me when my village was destroyed. They took me in, cleansed me of the Black Lotus, helped me to merge what I learned as an assassin with their skills as a 'Blade Dancer'. They built on all that went before, adding compassion, humility, friendship, all the qualities I needed to balance what I had been taught as an assassin. And so I survived to walk this path I tread. As difficult and harrowing as it has sometimes been, I have gained so much more than I otherwise would have. For I found love in my mates, my children, my friends. They know me well, having seen me at both my best and my worst. They accept me as I am, love and care for me without reservation. And so I will be prepared to return all of that to Existence when the time comes."

     Johnny: "Then there truly is hope for the next Existence to learn from our mistakes and take a different path."

     Iriisii: "That is my hope as well, and why I continue onward. Maybe it will never end for me, but if I can help those who follow me to learn from my mistakes, it is a fate I will welcome."

     Johnny: "I wish I had met you before I did some of the things I did, maybe things would have turned out better."

     Iriisii: "And maybe it is not too late for you."